The View
park hill south
November 10, 2017
issue 3, vol 20
America couldn’t be more divided about the issue of gun control--and South students are no exception. pg 12-13
Issue 3, Vol 20 November 10, 2017
Thanksgiving: a time of gratitude. A time to reflect on what matters most. A time to celebrate our differences and come together. I believe that’s what makes South so special. We all are unique. We all entered high school on the same boat- unsure and scared. But as we grew into our panther paws, we have learned, developed our interests and succeed at what we do. We broke the status quo of styles (pg 16-17), we don’t all follow the traditional college plan that adults expect us to (pg 22) and we don’t all celebrate the same (pg 14-15) or speak the same languages (pg 23). We all have something to be proud of. We had a tremendous number of fall sports, such as cross country, girls tennis and boys swim, make it to State and place-- or win! South car enthusiasts have taken their talents and created their own business. The musical just had its first performance and reminded us why we love the holiday season. People have found their niche and they enjoy what they do; whether it’s the musical (pg 6), cars (pg 20) or sports (pg 8). And this year, I am especially thankful to go to a school such as South. Our differences have become our strengths and have cultivated an environment that is loving and proud. To me, that’s something to be thankful for, without question.
Editors-in-Chief Nicole Beaubien Scott Brewster Bali Cortes Ethan Farrow Cali Gadd Hannah Graves Cristine Gurrola Madelyn Hill Christian Holferty Alli Majors Kate Maness Shane McCullough Gabby McDowell Sage Norsworthy Andrew Robaska Alex Rodriguez M.J. Walker Rowan Wilson
Bret Vanice and Hailey Deeds
Managing Editor Elyssa Bezner Copy Editor Reilly Scott Section Editors Anne Price Joe Leluga Hallie Vandeven Max Ghasemi Garrett Osbourn Digital Media Editor Noelle Alviz-Gransee Art Director Cienna Newett Adviser Megan Palmer
Co-Editor in Chief
35.8% of sexual assaults occur when the victim is
Than You Think
by Noelle Alviz-Gransee
between the ages of
12 and 17.
14% of sexual offenders commit another sexual offense after years.
5
We all know that there are predators among us, but are they too close?
1,000 feet.
400 steps. That’s how far away a sex offender needs to be from a school or daycare facility in the state of Missouri. Or at least, that’s what most people think. Over the last several years, the court system has been swinging back and forth regarding sex offenders and what laws they are subject to. They even went as far as taking some off the sex offender registry list. During that time, they were no longer subject to the law; however, a different court opinion later came into play and reversed some cases. Now in the state of Missouri, it depends on the county you live in and the prosecutor. “So depending on, for example if we have an offender who was removed from the list, while they were removed from the list by action of a court decision, they end up buying a house that’s 50 feet too close to the school. Then they come back on the list again...that’s a subject matter where we don’t necessarily take that person into custody. We’ll talk to them, we’ll talk to the prosecutors because there are other issues that come into play there when property rights and things of that nature because it was legal at the time they bought the house,” said Deputy Holland of the Platte County Sheriff’s office. That makes sense; however, there is a case where a man by the name Richard Hughes was able to live 585.23 feet away from Southeast Elementary. Hughes was convicted of rape and sentenced in 1983. The law at the time was 1,000 feet, the same as today. It isn’t known how long he was in prison, due to the fact that a lot of cases that old weren’t transferred onto the online database. The principal of Southeast declined to comment. “Before August 28, 2004 in Missouri, [registered sex offenders were] kind of exempt from that law. If they had an out of state conviction, they had to be convicted before August 28, 2008 to be exempt,” said Deputy Zimmerman of the Clay County Sheriff’s office. According to these new laws, Hughes was allowed to live less than 1,000 feet from Southeast. It wasn’t until September 2016 when the Kansas City Police Department charged him with sodomy of the first degree (Deviate Sexual Intercourse with a person less than 14 years old) that things changed. On May 4, 2017, the Platte County Police department changed his status to
non-compliant on the database. What isn’t known is how long he lived at the residence before he was charged, or when the offense actually happened. “First off, he shouldn’t be living that close anyways. It infuriates me that no one has done anything to act upon the matter. I don’t feel like it makes the environment safe for children,” said Chan’Tice Philips, sophomore. When it comes to the students in the Park Hill School District, Dr. Josh Colvin, director of student services, said that students are safe on campus. “We’re very fortunate that the district has invested in a program called RAPTOR. It’s a visitor entry system. So when you enter a building, you’ll notice up front at Park Hill South, there’s a computer screen and parents or visitors have to scan their ID badge or ID (their state issued ID). At that time it instantaneously checks the national database and state database, and would flag you if you were a registered sex offender. So if that were to occur, we would contact the student resource officer and ask them to leave,” said Colvin.
“It infuriates me that no one has done anything to act upon the matter.” According to the School-Community Relations number KK district policy regarding sex offenders: “the district also prohibits... not or within 500ft of any school building, district property, district activity, or any vehicle used to transport students.” So what would happen if a student at one of the high schools was convicted of being a sex offender? “Well, we wouldn’t allow them to attend school, particularly if they have been charged with a felony… and our policy language speaks towards that… if you have been charged or convicted of a felony offense, then we work with you during that time. Sometimes we have to provide alternative services outside of the distrit,” said Colvin. The Park Hill School district also works with law enforcement whenever a complaint is filed on ‘suspicious behavior’, like in the case of a man approaching students at bus stops earlier this year. The district makes sure that they notify families quickly and make a follow up call to the law enforcement, where more often than not they decide to add patrol to the area. They aren’t able
to comment at this time about the specifics of the incident or which school(s) it affected. The things that aren’t known at this time are how long Hughes has lived that close to the elementary school, if he was exempt from the law and was allowed to live there, or when he committed sodomy. It isn’t very clear why a rapist would be exempt from the sex offender law after so many years. “I think they should make him live very secluded. This whole area is filled with kids and schools not too far with each other throughout the district. He should be in prison or have someone watch him to make sure he doesn’t do anything to anyone… where he lives isn’t acceptable because it’s right near the school… they really need to do something to enforce the law on his actions,” said Laylani Gonzalez, junior. Hughes is in prison while on trial for the sodomy charge since he can’t pay the bond to be released, and School Resource Officer Matt Westrich believes that with a charge like that, he won’t be coming back anytime soon. While there can always be mistakes in some laws and rulings, potentially allowing a convicted rapist to live less than 400 steps from an elementary school is a huge problem, according to Gonzalez and Philips. Especially since when Phillips went to Southeast, she believes most of the school’s students walked home every day. “There are some points in the year where we make a certain effort… there’s a particular law in Missouri related to Halloween, and there are certain requirements that are only applicable on Halloween. Throughout the rest of the year, it’s kind of a randomized effort… they’re going every two weeks or something of that nature. If we have cause of concern on a particular offender or we get a tip on an offender… that’s an investigative effort they automatically focus on that particular issue,” said Holland. With police monitoring the offenders’ locations, one can also stay aware by using the Missouri Highway Patrol website, where one can see a map of every offender and all the schools in Missouri. However, when someone uses tools like these it is important to not start a witch hunt on offenders. The only one found in the area not abiding by the law was Hughes, who is now in prison. Most are following the laws set by their counties and are living peaceful lives; it is important that when someone sees something suspicious, that they say something to their law enforcement immediately.
The View // NOVEMBER // News
03
by: Alex Rodriguez Flu season is approaching fast and it’s time to get a flu shot.
sniffling
SZN
Coughing
SZN
Don’t you hate it when you have to get up every 15 minutes in class to blow your nose? It’s the worst thing, especially when everyone starts to stare at you. However, there’s a way to avoid it, and it’s actually very simple. Flu season is right around the corner and you need to be prepared. This year, flu season could be worse in the U.S. than last year. Australia’s flu season is just ending and it was worse than the previous years. All of us here in the northern hemisphere tend to get what the southern hemisphere just experienced. Australia’s Immunisation Coalition reported 168,337 influenza cases so far in 2017, compared to just under 91,000 in 2016 and 100,000 in 2015. According to CDC, about 20 percent of the U.S. population will get the flu, on average, each year. The flu usually takes off around the holidays, when people travel and go to crowded events. “Whenever my family has everyone over for the holidays and it’s cold out, there will usually be at least one person that is coughing or constantly blowing their nose. Within the next couple days someone would get a sore throat and not feel good,” said Daine Carlson, freshman. One of the best ways to avoid the flu is to get the flu vaccine. Flu vaccines cause antibodies to develop in the body about two weeks after vaccination. These antibodies provide protection against infection with the viruses that are in the vaccine. “I got the flu shot last year and I didn’t get sick. In previous years I didn’t get the vaccine and I sick, I was coughing, sneezing, and constantly blowing my nose,” said Lance Brungardt, junior. The effectiveness of the flu vaccine can vary from year to year, depending on whether the vaccine protects against the same types of symptoms circulating in the community. The characteristics of the person being vaccinated also play a role in how well the shot will work. It is almost never too late get your flu vaccine. If flu viruses are still circulating, vaccination continues to be valuable. Flu seasons often vary in severity and length and is also unpredictable.
WHEN TO
STAY HOME x Cough with mucus x x x x x x 04
Bad cough Too tired to function Vomiting Dizziness Weakness
The View // NOVEMBER // News
A flu vaccine is strongly recommended each year because the most common strains of the virus frequently change. A person’s immunity against certain strains of the virus can decrease as time passes. This makes getting an annual flu shot the best defense against influenza. “I choose to do it because I’m around so many people with my job and because everything that I’m going through with my immune system, it’s really easy to get sick,” said Christine Lieb, math. Although the vaccine doesn’t guarantee that you’re 100 percent safe from influenza, it does increase your chances of not getting it. According to NCBI, the flu vaccination reduces the risk of flu illness by between 40 percent and 60 percent among the overall population during flu season. Washing your hands regularly is one of the best ways to get rid of germs, and even if the soap doesn’t kill the germs, it washes them off. If you can’t wash your hands, use hand sanitizer as a second option. Using cleaning wipes before you touch surfaces and devices is a good defense against the flu as well,because it eliminates the germs people may have left. “My mom uses clorox wipes for everything during the winter. She can’t stand getting sick and she hates the cold,” said Isabella Avalos, sophomore. If you have a humidifier, you should use it. When the air outside gets cold it’s harder for the membranes in the nose to protect us from germs because the nose relies on moisture to trap the germs. A study done at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine last year showed that relative humidity and temperature had a lot to do with how much the influenza virus spread. Flu season is approaching and we can reduce the number of people that get sick each year. If South does the little things and makes sure that we are in a healthy and germ-free environment, the number of people that get sick will decrease.
WHEN TO
go out Mild cough
x x Sniffles x Sneezing x Don’t feel x fatigued
LOOK AT THE CDC’S TIPS TO FIGHT THE FLU
by: Garrett osbourn photos by Ethan Farrow
COMMUNITY
This is what SPACE students are greeted by immediately after walking in the door. Here students can work during PLT or complete homework.
This is your typical classroom, with groupbased stations. Students here work on projects related to the content learned online. Classrooms average 17 students.
classroom
areas around the center
tarting at the beginning of this school year, the Park Hill School District S has implemented a brand new option for students looking for a new way to tackle their education. LEAD Innovation Studio combines one-to-one learning with project-based learning in a flipped classroom fashion. While many students and staff love the concept, there are also differences from traditional high school that some students say isn’t worth it. This new system was launched with 150 freshmen at the beginning of this school year, and challenges haven’t failed to surface among many of the benefits. Things like time delegation, travel between sites and self-motivation have proven to be difficult for some, but personality strengths for others. “Time management for students has proven to be difficult,” said Daniel Motta, teacher. This has come at the feet of students being required to complete classroom content on their own time. They’re given an hour and a half to complete as much as they can online at their own pace. Students were not used to this kind of content consumption and delivery and had to adjust. The concept of one-to-one learning includes a new online system called Atomic Learning that allows students to learn at their own pace, and on their own time. This doesn’t change the content they learn, as things like Biology, Geometry and ELA are all typical. At face value, some believe you need to be a certain personality type to attend, but Dr. Ryan Stanley, principal, disagreed. “It’s not so much a personality type, but you need to the ability to selfmotivate yourself,” said Stanley. A typical day at LEAD has proven to be different, not only for students, but for staff as well. Here’s a typical student schedule. “My day starts with a 20 minute homebase, like at Plaza Middle School, then my second block is World History, and my last block at LEAD is a Design Thinking class, after that I go to South for Band, and PLT,” said Jordan Hayes, freshman. PLT stands for “personal learning time” which is just a way of explaining the one-to-one learning concept. Students are given a full block to get on their computers and learn the curriculum, and it’s all at their own pace. A student can complete an entire semester of content in a month, or take the whole
cafeteria
This is the cafeteria at its current stage. It is small, and caters well to the 120 students currently attending L.E.A.D. As student count increases, the cafeteria will expand with it. semester to do so. It just depends on their own personal learning style. And no matter personal style, it all goes back to the project work in your classrooms. “In class we do group work and presentations most of the time, and it’s much more project-based when you’re physically in the classrooms,” said Hayes. The goal of The LEAD Innovation Studio is not to test your ability to take notes, and memorize for a test; it’s all about getting hands-on experience preparing for life after high school. “LEAD has a goal to prepare students for the real world interactions they will see in their professional careers,” said Stanley. In the classroom is where these projects and teamwork occur. “All it is when you’re here is hands on learning and presenting,” said Hayes. With the LEAD Center, one large problem has surfaced for the students that has nothing to do with learning. Due to the fact that LEAD is so new, it has been a challenge to create a family within LEAD itself. This school is brand new, with 150 students from South and Park Hill. That’s less than 10 percent of the total population of South, and even less of Park Hill. These students are also all from the freshmen class, but coming from both schools, this complicates things. “Any student [who comes to LEAD] should have the ability to build personal connections, because kids are struggling to make this place a home in, and of itself,” said Motta. At the end of the day, the students attending LEAD are no different than any normal Panther or Trojan. “This school was nothing but having another option for students who learn better in different environments,” said Stanley. According to teachers, students need to have the ability to self-motivate, and delegate their time. Meetings for next year’s sophomores and freshmen interested in attending LEAD have already begun, and both staff and students will take the lessons learned in the first year of this new learning community to continue to develop and grow.
This school was ... another option for students who learn better in different in environments.”
The View // NOVEMBER // News
05
BY: ALLI MAJORS photos by Gabby McDowell
As November rolls around, most people think of the
upcoming basketball season, football playoffs, Thanksgiving, and for some, Christmas. What about “White Christmas?” “[It’s] a love story about Bob and Betty and Judy and Phil, how they fall in and out of love, do it during the Christmas time while trying to help their old general pal,” Carrick O’Bleness, junior, said. O’Bleness has the role of Phil Davis who quickly falls in love with Judy Haynes, played by Gabby Fatino, senior. Joey Ford, senior, plays the role of Bob Wallace who is bashfully in love with Betty Haynes, played by Anne Price, senior. The four then travel to Vermont, but find out there is no snow, which causes a problem for their Christmas performance. “White Christmas” is known for its dance heavy scenes and extravagant look. “Our version of White Christmas is pretty unique because we’re involving a lot of tap and more technically challenging dance numbers, which is something really different to see in a high school musical,” said senior student director Madison Flynn. Junior student director Faith Nagel, as well as Flynn, have the job of blocking a few scenes and working with characters individually. A huge part of making every year’s musical successful comes from all the help backstage, and from stage managers, Allegra Eccles, junior, and Mercedes McGonigle, junior. “‘White Christmas’ isn’t performed that often in high schools,” Kyle Lackey, drama, said. “Part of the road block is costumes; there are an insane amount of costumes in this show.” Lackey did explain how not only the flashy, and retro costumes set this year’s musical apart, but also the amazing tech and stage hands.
“It is scenically, constructively, student designed from the ground up,” says Lackey. Senior crew chief, Zach Cockrill, explained, “This year is going to be one of our biggest sets and our first time doing a triple piece.” This triple piece is used in three different scenes and is rotated by the stage hands. As enjoyable as it will be to watch from the audience, the cast, crew and orchestra has put in countless hours, day after day to fulfill the big picture that White Christmas is. “Evening rehearsals consist of full costume, makeup and a straight run through of the full show,” Flynn said. “We’re usually at school until at least 9 p.m.” Evening rehearsals start 10 days before opening night and normally mean students have to get a head start on homework, grades and personal health. “I have trouble getting my homework done on normal rehearsal days, so evening rehearsals definitely increase the difficulty,” said O’Bleness. As all students can agree, these stressful days are also filled with fun and excitement for the show. “It’s such a satisfying experience working that hard, for that long on something has such a deep reward in the end,” said Lackey. As you attend one of the three performances, you’ll get to experience the wonderful music students share and see unknown talents collide.This may be your first time hearing about “White Christmas”, but purchasing a ticket this year is worthwhile! The first performance was last night (Nov. 9) but you can catch another tonight:: (Nov.10) at 7pm and Saturday (Nov.11) at 3pm!
“It’s such a satisfying experience working that hard, for that long on something has such a deep reward in the end.” Mr. Lackey says.
remaining performances: Friday Nov. 10 at 7 p.m. Saturday Nov. 11 at 3 p.m. 06
The View // NOVEMBER // News
profiles
A squeaking of shoes, a splashing in the pool and the slamming onto mats. The time has come, the moment that people have been waiting for, the moment that has everyone at the edge of their seats, shaky knees and sweaty palms: winter sports. By:Bali Cortes
ALECIA WESTBROOK (BASKETBALL) With basketball just starting up again, there are so many things to be nervous but excited about, whether that is not knowing what team you’re going to make, what position you’re going to play, how good your shoes look with the uniform, or as simple as who is going to have the best handshake. Being an upperclassman, Alecia Westbrook, junior, has additional responsibilities: making sure the team is focused and ready to play. “To prepare for the season I have been going to weights, getting in the gym as much as possible to work on my basketball skills in order to dominate the season and go to State, or even win State,” Westbrook said.
“TBH some people just need a high five.”
ELIANA ROSARIO (SWIM) Splashing right into girls swim team, Eliana Rosario, sophomore, is hoping to receive a varsity letter this year after being close to lettering her freshman year. Rosario is dedicated more than ever to do her best and achieve her goal. “What I am looking forward to in the swim season is all the memories I am going to make with the team, becoming closer with people and our hard work that will pay off throughout the season,” Rosario said.
“Live life to the fullest and go for it.”
CAMERON GILLESPIE (WRESTLING) With an arm twisted one way, a leg the other, and look of dedication, wrestling is back in the ‘tangle’ of things. Cameron Gillespie, sophomore, is geared up for the season expecting nothing more than good team effort, great coaching and all the support he can get. “What I expect from the coaches and the players in the new season is better effort towards wrestling; the coaches were laid back last season. I expect hard work toward the players so we can do really well, and have more people come to our matches and have more of an audience,” Gillespie said.
“You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.” The new season of sports are going to heat up this winter season with their hard work, winning mentality and All they need is a cage full of rage. Will you be there?
The View // NOVEMBER // SPORTS
07
South Side South’s fall athletes captured two State titles and many All-State Honors
W
on the
by: KATE MANESS
State Side
ith the final fall sports all wrapped up this past weekend, some athletes at South continued to excel into the postseason. Girls tennis had a successful season that finished with a State Champion. Girls golf took two of their girls to state this year, boys swim took 13 swimmers to the State meet and girls and boys cross country also made history with their post-season run. Eva Kresovic, sophomore, went undefeated her entire season and went to the Class 2 Singles State Championship up against another undefeated player from St. Louis. Last year, Kresovic finished third in State singles. This year, she brought the title home. She went undefeated, 25-0, her entire season and was the 2017 State Champion. “I felt really proud to represent our school, and tennis at South. It was really exciting because I improved from last year when I got third in State,” said Kresovic. Kresovic actually knew her opponent really well. This made her more comfortable at the match because she knew who she was going up against. She said, “We are actually friends and we played doubles at tournaments together.” Kresovic was the first girl at South to win State singles. This is a huge accomplishment not only for her, but the team and all her teammates as well. “You know, I’m just really proud of her and she worked so hard for this. She definitely deserves it, and I taught her everything she knows,” said Annie Saunders, junior. With a fourth place state title last year, South boys and girls cross country came back bigger and better this year at State. “I’m very excited to compete at the state meet this year, there’s a lot of really good competition,” said Emma Roth, senior. Cross country has qualified as a team for State the past two years, and has had other single qualifiers as well every other year. “I would like to be in the top ten at state, the top 25 get all State. And hopefully I can PR again. I think I’m going to run significantly better than past years, but you never know, anything can happen on race day,” said Roth, who placed seventh overall at State as South’s top finisher and earning herself AllState Honors along with Olivia Roth and Marti Heit. The results were just what the teams were hoping for as the girls Cross Country team took first place and were state champs for the first time in school history. This was also the first team State Championship for South since Track won 15 years ago. The boys team also qualified as a team and placed 12th overall. Girls golf took two qualifiers to State this year: Sadie Franklin, junior, and Maddie Hill, junior. Both girls loved the accomplishment of qualifying and enjoyed the experience. “Since we are only juniors this year, we can’t wait to see what we can bring to State next year as seniors,” said Franklin. Even though it was a cold and rainy day, the South golf team was proud to have two of their girls there to represent. Finally, one other team qualified 13 of their swimmers for State and finished in seventh place after placing second as a team overall at Conference two weeks before. Jackson Garrett, junior, placed second in the State in backstroke and earned All-State Honors, plus fifth in freestyle. All-State Honors also went to Pat Hefferin, Cody Beeler, Zach Schneider, Zander Livingston and Zane Reavley
for relay events. As these post season athletes conclude their fall sports seasons, winter sports have already begun and South is ready to tackle more success at State with a new season.
GIRLS XC: STATE CHAMPS
BOYS XC: 12th PLACE OVERALL
SWIM: SEVENTH PLACE OVERALL
GOLF: TWO STATE QUALIFIERS 08
The View // NOVEMBER // SPORTS
TENNIS: STATE CHAMP EVA KRESOVIC
by:
AN
DRE
W
ROB
ASK
A 47% OF ALL REPORTED CONCUSSIONS are FROM high SChool football In 2012 3,800,000 concussions were reported, doubling the amount reported in 2002 2002
Concussions are taking over sports, so athletes need to be more aware and do everything they can do to prevent them
A
2012
4,000,000 3,000,000 2,000,000 1,000,000
concussion is a very serious injury caused by an impact to the head that makes your brain hit against the inside of your skull. Concussions mostly occur in sports that involve contact, especially football. The NFL has had plenty of problems with concussions, dating back to the 1990s. The most recent case involving the NFL and concussions is with Aaron Hernandez, former Patriots tight end. Hernandez experienced way too many concussions and developed a disease call CTE which is being linked to his suicide while facing murder charges. According to the CTE Center at Boston University, CTE stands for Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy. CTE is a degenerative brain disease, leaving the brain unable to function properly. Concussions aren’t a problem only in pro football, but also high school football. In high school, it’s most likely that your concussions won’t lead to CTE, just because it usually takes a lot of hits, but it definitely still impacts you. Blaine Feaster, junior, suffered from a concussion in eighth grade during a football game. Feaster said it wasn’t a very major concussion, but it still impacted him physically for a good week or so. It also played a role in why he decided to focus on golf after freshmen year. “Right after the hit I knew something was wrong, I was very dizzy and obtained a massive headache. After a day or so, the light
Concussions irritation was the most noticeable effect for me,” said Feaster. Hunter Johnston, junior, played cornerback for South this year and has been playing football all of his life. Johnston has been lucky to never suffer from a concussion. Johnston says that all of his life he had coaches that teach the proper tackling technique in order to give him the best chance to stay away from concussions. “Concussions are a part of football; they are nearly impossible to stop completely, but the coaches at South have taught us how to hit right and invested money into ‘head condoms’ for us. The ‘condoms’ are a protective layer of padding pretty much that go onto our helmets for practice that shield the impact. They don’t stop it concussions completely but I do think they help,” said Johnston. The technique is one of the most important aspects to the game; without it, players won’t be able to tackle and you will be much more likely to get bad injuries. In 2015, Alex Gardner, junior, was playing cornerback in a freshmen football game. Gardner put his head down to make a tackle on the opposing wide receiver. After the hit, he laid on the ground with his legs paralyzed. Gardner was put in the hospital for 24 hours and regained feeling in his leg after an hour or so. The game of football is a very dangerous game to play and many people around the globe are deciding to stay out of the sport now because of all of the injuries and the possibility of the long term head problems.
The View // NOVEMBER // SPORTS
11
corruption on the
COURT
The FBI revealed coaches, athletes receiving compensation for allegiance to certain brands.
C
BY: ETHAN FARROW
orruption in college sports has been a big deal for a long time. had an ongoing three year investigation to try to prove that they were Everyone knows it happens and the NCAA waited for the perfect enrolling their basketball players in fake classes and “paper” classes, which time to catch top tier basketball schools red-handed. Investigators are classes that just require you to write one paper to pass. When the have been looking into a wide range of things like paying players, athletes NCAA dropped the news that they were not guilty, it struck a huge media enrolled into fake classes, athletes being steered to specific sports agents, uproar. financial advisors and apparel brands. The NCAA has been conducting this investigation since 2015 and Top colleges that are sponsored by Adidas are getting paid to get the somehow managed to keep it a secret. The reason it took so long was best high school basketball players to go to colleges sponsored by Adidas because they had to catch coaches in the act. They used wiretaps, and then once they go to the NBA sign with Adidas shoe brand. surveillance videos, and undercover agents to catch coaches bribing players. University of Louisville has by far been the most corrupt college in this This really has been the biggest college sports scandal in the last ten whole scandal. They have recently fired their head coach for allegedly years. Paying players and giving them incentives to come to their college will “pay for play” with a top recruit, Brian Bowen. Bowen had allegedly been never stop. paid $100,000 to attend Louisville and then sign with Adidas. A day after CJ Lee, junior, thinks that NCAA corruption will never end because “the the university fired head coach Rick Pitino filed a lawsuit against Adidas, better the player, the more you’ll want him to come to your school. You’ll give claiming they did everything behind his back. them anything to get them to commit.” When asked if Pitino knew about it or not Dawson Owen, junior said, There is just no way that the NCAA can control everything. As much as “Yes, I believe Rick Pitino is working with Adidas to draw in top high school it happens, colleges will be good at hiding it and it will athletes. Pitino can’t possibly not know that Adidas is spending money on never end. high school prospects, such as Brian Bowen. As a head coach, especially of a top program, you know everything that goes on within not only your players, but also your recruits as well.” Many other schools have had staff members fired for the same reasons. Louisville paid Assistant coaches from Arizona, Southern California (USC), Auburn, and Brian Bowen Oklahoma State have been charged with multiple different things. All of the Adidas coaches are charged with bribery conspiracy, solicitation of bribes, honest services fraud conspiracy, honest service fraud, conspiracy to commit wire paid fraud and Travel Act Conspiracy. Louisville The U.S. Department of Justice says each coach could serve a maximum of 80 years in prison. A top executive from Adidas, James Gatto, was also arrested. Sadie Franklin, junior, said, “I think there’s no other way to give these people fair punishment; many of them already have lots of money, therefore a fine would not be significant enough, and I think that just firing them is not enough. They knew the rules and disobeyed them, and they deserve the punishment.” As more of this story unfolds, more top schools like Kansas and North Carolina are being investigated. Kansas is under investigation for the same reasons as Louisville. Kansas is an Adidas sponsored school and four of their last five first round draft picks have signed Adidas eventually shoe deals with Adidas. Brian Bowen has to wear makes money off The FBI has came out and said that the University of North Adidas shoes when he of Bowen’s shoes Carolina is not guilty of enrolling their students into fake classes. They
CASH FLOW
gets to the NBA
10
The View // NOVEMBER // SPORTS
Hoops and Dreams
As South gears up for the 2017-2018 season, we take a look into the team confident they can go all the way.
E
BY: JOE LELUGA
ver since a State championship appearance in the 2014-2015 season, the South Men’s Basketball Team has been drooling at the opportunity to be back in Columbia with a chance to win it all. However, after barely finishing with a winning record in the 2015-2016 season, South knew last year that they were going to need to step it up if they wanted to ever get back to that same position only two years before. That’s exactly what they did. The Panthers finished 19-6, and with five of those losses coming from six points or less, South never looked like a team to be toyed with. The surge in last year’s team was a quick pivot back to a program that was able to compete, and it couldn’t have been done without some key elements coming together. “We were in shape. I think that helped us really pull off some close games,” said Saadique Perkins, senior. While having the athleticism to compete in the last few minutes was definitely a strength of the men’s team, there was a lot of work to be done this past offseason if South wanted to give themselves a chance to compete this year. “I’ve been in the gym a lot trying to get bigger so I can take all the punishment and physicality that happens in the game,” said Desi Williams, junior. On the court, size really does matter. South has struggled in rebounding in years passed, and head coach Daniel Parra has pushed his team to get in the weight room to make them more competitive down low. “Every one of our kids is in a weights class or lifting after school,” said Parra. “I think it’s the most dedication we’ve had since I’ve been here.” South has traditionally been a smaller team compared to most, but experience was what stood out as a weakness last season. However, instead of looking at what went poorly last season, South has chosen to look at what
they’re better at this year. “We’re bigger this year, we’re stronger this year, and we don’t have to rely on sophomores to be big time players,” said Parra. Indeed, South relied heavily on underclassmen such as Lamel Robinson and Desi Williams last season, but as they return this year, they return with not only more experience, but ironically, more inexperience. “We have a couple of vets on varsity, but we also have some new faces, so we need to get them used to the competition and playing hard,” said Williams. Playing hard doesn’t mean playing the most, and that’s a lesson that the Panthers will have to learn very quickly if they truly want to compete: not everyone can average a triple double. South has drawn so much talent in recent years, that players must now adjust to playing a lesser role than they’re used to if they want to succeed. “We’re one of the most talented teams in the city. I think everyone wants to do well, but everybody’s got to find their niche and figure out what they can contribute,” said Parra. This was a sentiment not only held by the coaching staff, but by the players themselves. “Sharing the ball and being unselfish, that’s going to be the biggest key,” said Perkins. “If we can just play as a team, we will not lose a game - I can promise you that.” Perkins’ take is one that seems like a steep goal to most, but no one has ruled it out yet. That’s what has changed for South Basketball in the past few years: although they may not see a perfect record come the end of the season, it’s a possibility that students at South have been discussing, and one that wasn’t even joked about merely a couple seasons ago.
“We’re one of the most talented teams in the city.”
The View // NOVEMBER // SPORTS
11
by: joe leluga and christian holferty
The issue
of gun control is one that usually takes a backseat to
social issues for the most part: we as a whole care more about issues like abortion and LGBTQ+ rights rather than what kind of guns we’re allowed to own. However, this trend reverses after a mass shooting... but why? We understand that tragedy can breed the path to reform, but why do we finally care enough to speak up when the lives of 58 people are taken by an assault rifle in Las Vegas, while 59 were taken by handguns in Chicago in the month of September 2017 alone? If you ask an activist, like celebrity Jimmy Kimmel, you’ll get a rant over how assault rifles are deadly weapons not meant to be owned by civilians, and that’s an opinion that’s surprisingly popular. The myth that assault rifles are stone cold killers is just that: a myth. F.B.I. data shows that of the over 12,000 homicides committed in 2012, less than three percent were carried out through the use of rifles. I get it, rifles look scary, so we should ban them. But if you truly wanted to ban the weapon that causes the most deaths in a year, you should be looking at the handgun. Clocking in at over 6,300 murders in a year, they are responsible for over 20 times as many homicides as rifles, so why then do only nine percent of Americans support a ban on them? Because aside from the most extreme ideologies, Americans as a whole believe in the right to protect yourself, and the real debate is not whether or not we have it, rather where we draw the line. The Bill of Rights is arguably the most important
texts in United States government, laying down the
In fact, less than a fifth of all gun crimes are committed by legal gun owners, according to a 2016 study done by the University of Pittsburgh. When a large majority of gun crimes are committed by illegal owners, an innocent population is left with no hope to defend themselves without the right to own a firearm. Luckily for them they do, and boy do they love to to exercise it! The late Professor James Q. Wilson of Harvard and UCLA told Creators Media, “We know from Census Bureau surveys that something beyond 100,000 uses of guns for self-defense occur every year,” meaning that for every one person murdered in the US by a gun, there are over nine people who are able to defend themselves in situations they would have otherwise remained defenseless. Foreign governments like Germany and Great Britain receive praise for banning guns and seeing lower homicide rates than the United States, but there’s no doubt that a massive country like America is much different in many more aspects than simply gun control. If only there were a nation in the same region as those two who had a high gun ownership rate… Switzerland: the country with the third highest gun ownership rate in the world. With a homicide rate of 0.7 according to The World Bank, the Swiss people see less people die at the hands of others than both the United Kingdom and Germany. So if both the US and Switzerland have high gun ownership rates, why does the US see more homicides and gun related deaths? The United States has failed miserably to train its citizens to use firearms and practice firearm safety, and has instead opted to make the case that guns are the overarching problem and simply attempting to confiscate them would solve the problem. While we have continued to develop this taboo, Switzerland has fostered a culture of safety and responsibility, encouraging its youth, even some as young as twelve, to practice sharpshooting and target practice through local gun groups in the community. Their murder rate has only continued to drop. America has simply looked at this issue the wrong way for years now. With guns already being so prevalent and ubiquitous, confiscation isn’t a feasible option. Instead, instituting a culture of responsibility and safety, for example requiring firearms training and courses, is an idea that could not only lower homicide and gun crime rates, but could even help build communities of support and civic duty like it has in other nations --something this nation could desperately use, and that’s something regardless of political beliefs .
“For every one person murdered in the US by a gun, there are over nine people who are able to defend themselves.”
foundation for the rights that we as citizens are guaranteed so that we are never exploited or violated. However, the real beauty comes in that it is not simply words on a page: it’s a living, breathing, document that can be adapted to fit modern times. And over 200 years later, let’s just say things look a little different. The idea that we can only use the original intent meant by the founders is one that is considered politically extreme, and has been used by Supreme Court justices of the past to try and deny not only gay marriage, but women’s equality under the law. If that sounds ridiculous to you, it’s because it is. We don’t argue that freedom of the press doesn’t apply to T.V. because “our founders could have never seen that kind of technological advancement,” so why do we all of a sudden start backtracking when it comes to one specific amendment? The fact that we even have to address this point is kind of silly, seeing as weapons such as the puckle gun and belton flintlock were actually able to fire at rates much higher than that of muskets, and had no restrictions placed on the private ownership of them in the era of Washington. Understandably, almost everyone thinks we should still regulate the second amendment, but fear not: we already do. The reason you don’t see people walking around with RPG’s or fully-automatic weapons is because as hard as it is to believe, we do have restrictions on not only the types of firearms Americans are allowed to own, but who can own them. Legislation like the Brady law mandates that in order to purchase a firearm from a federally licensed dealer you must go through a mandatory background check, and to the credit of advocates, this has worked really well.
in fact
we can all agree on
Home of the brave afraid
America couldn’t be more divided on the issue of gun control, students at South are no different.
Let’s think about the time period in which the Constitution was written. Men were wearing wigs, women were wearing
corsets and America had just been born. The way America came to be was by winning the Revolutionary War - fought in part by the Americans through “minute men” who would grab the guns they owned and rush out the door to defend their country. Now let’s think about the current time period. Men do not wear wigs (except for some bald ones maybe), women don’t wear corsets (thank god) and America has been around for quite some time. Times have changed. Guns have changed. America now has this little thing called the military. The United States is known for having the grandest, most advanced military in the world. So the notion that citizens should have guns to ensure the “security of a free State” is absolutely ridiculous. There is no way the Founding Fathers could have foreseen the military empire the United States developed. Yes, Madison wrote that cannons are included in the second amendment, but he wrote that over 150 years ago, when cannons were needed to ensure the “security of state” through state militias. And it’s not like the Constitution hasn’t been adapted to fit modern times before. According directly to the Constitution, there should be one house representative for every 10,000 citizens. If that were the case, the population of the House would be triple the size of Parkville and Riverside combined. We’ve had to tailor the Constitution, even the Bill of Rights, before to fit modern needs. Why should this be any different? Additionally, the Founding Fathers would be more horrified by the amount of carelessness and preventable death from guns, than by the idea of increasing gun control. You already know Washington’s up there shaking his head at us. This is how easy it is to get a gun in America. You could go to any Walmart and fill out a “background check” with questions on if you have ever committed a felony or if you have ever been in a mental institute. Or you could buy one from neighbors or friends or go to a gun show held almost every weekend, nationwide, without filling out a background check. You can even buy a gun over the internet. With that loophole, any person on a terrorist watch list could buy any number of guns, but not get on a plane. Between 1982 and 2012, there were However, 49 of those were done with legal weapons, according to the Washington Post. Mass shooters aren’t getting their weapons from illegal sources. They’re actually using the system as it’s currently designed. In the state of Missouri, an 18-year-old is legally allowed to buy a gun. Think about kids here at South with a gun. How many would you trust? There are no tests you have to pass and there is no limit to the number of guns you can own. The second amendment was not made to be unlimited. We aren’t trying to take your guns away: we just want them to be harder to get. There should never be more regulations on making a teddy bear than for making a gun. “Guns don’t kill people - people kill people.” How many times have we heard this stupid argument? Yes, you do need a person to shoot a gun, but having a gun makes killing someone a whole lot easier. The surprising thing about gun control is that it actually works in lowering the death toll! Who would’ve thought?
States with tighter gun control laws have fewer gun related deaths, and states with more guns have more gun related deaths,
according to Vox. And states with high gun ownership have higher gun murder rates - up to 114 percent higher. In the last thirty years, a one percent increase in the number of guns owned in a state caused a one percent increase in the gun homicide rate. It’s common sense that unfortunately isn’t so common. On average, 92 people a day die from guns. 58 of those deaths are suicides. When people commit suicide, they are looking for a more temporary way out, according to the Washington Post. Take the guns away from suicidal people, and the risk of them dying dramatically decreases. It’s plausible that someone could survive a drug overdose. But almost no one can survive a gunshot to the head. And 90 percent of suicide attempters do not try to kill themselves again later. Guns deprive them of that second chance. The United States suicide rate rose 24 percent from 1999-2014. Suicide is now the second most common cause of death for people 15-34. That is the second most likely way of dying for every student in this building and even some teachers here. In 2010 19,392 people committed suicide by using a gun. Taking guns out of the hands of at risk people won’t eradicate suicide. But it will definitely decrease its frequency. Since 1970, more Americans have died from guns than from all of the wars in American history. Before 2011, mass shootings in the U.S. happened on average every 200 days. Since then, only two months, or 64 days total, go by between them. How long until it’s only 50 days? Or 30? The Las Vegas shooting took place on Oct. 1. Statistically speaking, the next shooting should be on December 4. It only took 25 days until Nov. 5 when a man shot and killed 26 people at a church in Texas. In 1996, a mass shooter in Australia killed 35 people. The government took action, and confiscated over 650,000 weapons. Australia has gone from 11 mass shootings a decade to zero. And there was a 59 percent drop off in the number of gun homicides, while the number of non gun homicides remained relatively the same, according to Listverse. So, people didn’t turn to other mediums to kill-- they just stopped killing. America is different from Australia, and it’s unrealistic to implement this here. But it demonstrates how gun control can actually work. Our generation’s future children and grandchildren will turn to us when the gun control problem becomes uncontrollable. If we continue at the current rate, mass shooting will become so commonplace they barely make the news. They will look at us and ask, “What have you done?” or “Why didn’t you fix this problem when you had the chance?” Our generation will be awarded the guilt and the burden. So let’s
Since 1970, more Americans have died from guns than from all of the wars in American history.
62 mass shootings.
do something about it.
In 2010, approximately 767 people died by gun related deaths in Italy, 124 in the U.K., 782 in Canada, less than 10 in Japan, and over
31,000 in the United States. God bless by: reilly scott and America. hallie vandeven
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CAROLS
STRANGER THINGS WHETHER OR NOT A HOT DOG IS A SANDWICH BOB ROSS HOW TO PREPARE THANKSGIVING LEFTOVERS THE WEATHER (AVOID GLOBAL WARMING) ASTROS WINNING THE WORLD SERIES CELEBRITY INSTAGRAM ACCOUNTS CUTE CAT VIDEOS
BEFORE
TALES
Putting the Christmas wreath up before putting the turkey in the oven?
BY: SCOTT BREWSTER Thanksgiving and Christmas are both very important holidays of the year, each for their own separate reasons. Even though Thanksgiving happens about a month before Christmas, some people have the audacity to put up Christmas decorations as early as the day after Halloween, far before Thanksgiving. Some people don’t care that they see snowmen before stuffing, but others get offended because they believe that one of the most important holidays in our country has been forgotten. But as to why people do this, many have no idea. It could be that they want to get the bigger decorations, like the Christmas tree up early so they’ll have time for other decorations when Christmas does come along. I think that as long as people aren’t making a big deal about it, I’m indifferent to it. It’s when it starts to become noticeable that it becomes a problem. Like if people have a Christmas tree in their house where not many people see it, then I’m fine with that. But if they have Christmas lights on outside and they turn them on every night, I don’t like that, because it gets me all confused to where I think Christmas is coming early this year, when in reality it is not. I’m not one of those people who will kill someone if they put up Christmas decorations before Thanksgiving, because I understand that in some situations, putting up decorations takes a lot of time, and sometimes by the time decorations are up, Christmas time is already over. But people who make their house flashy with Christmas lights before Thanksgiving I get infuriated with. Christmas music is another story. It doesn’t really bother me because there’s no such thing as “Thanksgiving music”. But if people start playing it at the stores before Thanksgiving, I don’t like it because it takes away the special nature of Christmas we feel every year and makes Thanksgiving more of a minor holiday than a major one. In the end, everyone has their own different take on the subject. Some find it great and others hate it. But for me, I lean on the “don’t like it” side because not only does it make Christmas feel a lot less special when Christmas time actually does come around, but it also de-prioritizes Thanksgiving and makes it feel like another minor holiday. So I say to you people, finish the feast before you deck the halls.
14
a ric e m in e A Aga k a t M rea G
Is ne stuff ce ing ssa re ry? al y
I’m a vegan
M the illenn wo ials rst are
Thanksgiving
Conversations
to Avoid
The View // NOVEMBER // OPINION & ENTERTAINMENT
BY: HALLIE VANDEVEN
When you think Thanksgiving, what do you think of? Family and friends all coming together and sharing a meal? Well for some families it isn’t as easy. For some kids it is a balancing act of spending time with both parents. “I spend from 2-5 p.m. at my dad’s house eating a traditional meal and just hanging out, and then from 7 p.m. on, I am with my mom’s side of the family,” said Hannah Womack, junior.
The chance of your birthday falling on the fourth Thursday of November every year is almost impossible but when it does, it is a day to celebrate and share your happiness with friends and family. “My whole mom’s side of the family all gets together and we each bring a dish. My grandma is always in charge of the turkey and other meats, and after we eat our meal they sing me happy birthday and we eat cake and open gifts. Lucky for me, we always watch basketball so it is overall one of my favorite days,” said Saadique Perkins, senior.
You walk into the dining room smelling the turkey that just came out of the oven and watch it being placed on the table. You see across the table your cousin, who gossips too much, and at one of the ends, you see your dad who is laughing so hard that he is crying.... but have you ever thought how Thanksgiving is for other families? With America being a melting pot of cultures, students at South have a variety of traditions on Thanksgiving, including different meals and celebrations from others. “It’s not really in our religion so we kind of do our own thing and have family get together and hang out, we don’t really celebrate it, but we always have rice. In our tradition we always have rice. Basically what we do is everyone picks a food and then brings it all together,” said Faisa Hassan, junior. Different cultures comes with different celebrations, meals and when holidays are set on. “We have one holiday, but it happens two different times of the year. The first time is ‘Ramadan’ which is where we fast for 30 days then there is ‘Eid.’ The other ‘Eid’ is right after ‘Hajj,’ when we do the pilgrimage to Mecca. Most of the time our holidays are not on an exact date, it goes along with the islamic calendar and the constellation,” said Hassan. In a traditional Thanksgiving, there is the stuffed turkey, green bean casserole and the American style food with the family over, non-stop board games and the football game playing on the television. Although in houses of others, there happens to be a different role of events taking place. “We go to either my grandma’s house or my aunt’s house and we have the traditional American food. Then my family and I have a family dinner. My uncles watch football and we do lots of board games cause my family is very competitive,” said Bethany Andrade, junior.
Black Friday is the time to get the lowest prices on items people want, but as technology has advanced, there are so many websites where you can purchase the items you like. Cyber Monday has become an easier way to purchase the things you want without getting into any fights at stores. “I don’t do Black Friday shopping because I don’t think it has been turned into anything that has good deals anymore,” said Kari Perry, math.
Not only is Thanksgiving a time where family gets together, but there happens to be Friendsgiving and it is the time where a group of friends get together to feast and enjoy being with one another. “I go outside go to the woods and invite my friends over and we have our own Thanksgiving, and we usually meet up at my friends Spencer’s house and we go hang out, and eat. Then hope to remember that day for the next year,” said Arturo Gomez, senior.
25% Friendsgiving 75% Family
BY : MADELYN HILL & CRISTINE GURROLA The View // NOVEMBER // ENTERTAINMENT & OPINION
15
BEAST
By: SAGE NoRSWORTHY
A look into what it means to be a hype beast and into the culture surrounding it hat is a hypebeast? A hypebeast is anyone who buys into designer community. People who wear knock off clothes are despised even more brand clothing products and anyone who enjoys spending a little than people who sell the knock off clothes. more money for a little more reputation. While many would agree “It really degrades the exclusiveness that comes with purchasing real that spending any more than $200 on shoes is ridiculous, hypebeasts, clothing or shoes,” said Taylor Gunther, senior. however, figure it’s worth it. Although you might find it hard to believe that there is any justification in In understanding a hypebeast’s motive for spending so much money on spending so much money on clothes, the reputation a hypebeast feels when designer brands, it is important to understand some of their jargon. One wearing designer brands make it all worth it to them. word that is put in use a lot to describe someone’s swagger is ‘clout’. “It gets people turning heads. You feel like a million bucks,” said Jimmy Someone dressed head to toe in designer brands and exclusive attire is Nguyen, senior. said to have a lot of clout. This word has gained a lot of popularity recently, Many people find ways to express themselves through how they as it’s being used in many rap songs. choose to dress and the same goes for hypebeasts. The uniqueness a lot of Hip-hop has had a direct impact on the world of fashion and especially designer brands have in their designs make them stand out. While not every on hypebeasts. Your A list rap artists, such as Kanye West, Migos and Drake hypebeast may want to stand out, a big part of the culture is flexing your set many trends, Kanye, well known for his wildly popular Yeezy line. Kanye outfit and its exclusivity. has the power to send a brand from being unheard of, to its products being “I like supreme and vlone. The stories behind these brands are cool and sold out within minutes. All he has design is also aesthetically pleasing,” “A hypebeast is someone who loves the to do is be caught in the public said Beuerlein. street clothes and really hyped or eye wearing that brand; he is a Some brands are so exclusive that walking advertisement. Not only they are virtually impossible to get your sought after clothing or shoes.” has hip-hop and its artists set hands on for a retail price. Products trends in fashion, but they have also established a trend of dressing up and from Supreme, Off-White and Yeezy sell out almost instantly, within single putting a lot of value into what you wear. seconds. Consumers have gone as far as setting up bots, which are far Hypebeast culture has emphasized that shoes are the most important faster than any human, that do the purchasing for you, giving you an unfair aspect of a good outfit. As of recently Adidas has overthrown Nike in advantage over other consumers. sneaker sales and is dominating with their new shoe models, the NMD and Although bots used to be fool-proof at getting exactly what you want, the Ultraboost. Although these shoe models’ debuts were slow, they are certain brands, such as Adidas, have started combating bots by using a some of the most popular shoes in Adidas history, and many special editions series of puzzles you must solve, that only a human can complete, before of these shoes sell out instantly and resale for hundreds and even thousands letting you checkout. of dollars. “It definitely depends on what exactly the product is, but the most hyped “I have spent up to $500-600 on a pair of shoes. It is nice to have items will sell out in a couple of seconds. Being able to get any of the really nice things that you work for, and I bought the shoes with my hard earned exclusive items for retail pricing is mostly luck,” said Gunther. money,” said Jack Beuerlein, senior. Fashion has always been a big part of our culture. What you are seeing One battle hypebeasts face is determining fake from real. Because of in the hypebeast culture is just another trend in the evolution of fashion. It is the high prices designer brands go for and their typically simple design, a symbol of our generation, molded by hip hop and an emphasis on success many people have started selling knock off clothes branded as authentic. and fortune. The fake market is huge and has led to a lot of conflict within the hypebeast
W
Souths Favorite Hypebeast Brand
Souths Favorite Hypebeast Brand
Supreme
Supreme2 Gucci Gucci
$0-50 The on Shoes Shoes $0-50 TheMost MostMoney MoneyStudents StudentsHave Have Ever Ever Spent Spent on
$50-100
$50-10
16
The View // NOVEMBER // OPINION & ENTERTAINMENT
28%
BAPE
8% 46% BAPE Yeezy 46% Yeezy2
2%
2% 16% 6%
$100-200
$100-200 $200+ $200+
3%
3%23% 3%
55%
55% 27% 27%
BY: CALI GADD
Imagine walking into a store and seeing your favorite line of athletic
clothes. Now, imagine the name on it being different. The clothes still look the same, but there’s a new name on the tag. Instead of “Nike” it now says “C9 Champion” or “Faded Glory.” Are you still going to buy those clothes? In today’s world, many people will choose brand-name over off-brand solely because it’s the “norm,” and they want to fit in with the crowd. Paige Riekhof, senior, says, “I like brand-name stuff because they’re always really cute and comfortable.”
Riekhof admits she mostly only wears brand-name clothing and accessories. “It’s not because I won’t wear off-brand stuff, it’s just because I find more cute brand-name stuff than I do off-brand. I’m not against off-brand things at all, I just don’t personally wear a lot of it,” says Riekhof. This brings up an interesting question: why do kids like to wear brand name clothing? Morgan Berry, senior, says, “I think kids only want to wear brand-name items because of our society. We get sort of a natural high from hearing someone compliment an outfit or from showing off that we can afford all the brand-name styles.” Fitting in is a good feeling. There’s nothing wrong with wanting to be “cool.” But is it worth all the time and money? Does it make sense to pay more for brand-name items if they look almost the same as the off-brand items? Hunter Smith, freshman, says, “Brand name clothing isn’t really worth paying more because I could probably find similar clothing for less money. Some people are judged by what they wear and what they are able to afford, but really I think off-brand styles are better because they are cheaper and look the same.” Trends can be a tough topic for teenagers. But at the end of the day, you have to figure out what your priorities are and what matters most to you when it comes to your wardrobe. After all, the best you is the real you!
Can you guess which one is
1
name brand?
2 1. the left one 2. the right one 3. the right one 4. the left one
3 4 The View // NOVEMBER //. ENTERTAINMENT & OPINION
17
Thanksgiving is special, no matter what is eaten. Whether or not the turkey is replaced by prime rib, or torrijas take the place of pie, it doesn’t matter. As long as your belly is the approximate size of a beach ball by the time you stop eating, you’ve done Thanksgiving right.
By: Anne Price
Ingredients: Steps:
2 lbs. Prime Rib 5 cloves garlic 1 tbs. Olive oil
1 tsp. salt 1 tsp. Pepper 1 tsp. Dried thyme
1. Place the roast in a roasting pan with the fatty side up. In a small bowl, mix together the garlic, olive oil, salt, pepper and thyme. Spread the mixture over the fatty layer of the roast, and let the roast sit out until it is at room temperature, no longer than 1 hour. 2. Preheat oven to 500 degrees F. 3. Bake the roast for 20 minutes in the preheated oven, then reduce the temperature to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C), and continue roasting for an additional 60 to 75 minutes. The internal temperature of the roast should be at 135 degrees F (57 degrees C) for medium rare. 4. Allow the roast to rest for 10 or 15 minutes before carving so the meat can retain its juices. Some students at South like to cook their own Thanksgiving dinner. Daniel Nitzel, senior, does just that, but replaces the typical turkey for prime rib. Prime rib is not a traditional main course, coming in at $24 per lb. But the Nitzel family still buys it for its unusualness. “I can make stuffing... I can make prime rib, I can make it all,” said Nitzel. “It’s a twist to traditional turkey.”
Ingredients: Steps:
2 lbs. Frozen hash browns 1/2 cup melted b tter 1 can cream of chicken soup 1 pt. Sour cream
1/2 cup chopped onion 2 cups grated cheddar 1 tsp. Salt 1/4 tsp. Pepper 2 cups crushed cornflakes 1/4 cup melted butter
1. Defrost hashbrowns 2. Combine hash browns, 1/2 cup melted butter, cream of chicken soup, sour cream, chopped onion, cheddar, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. 3. Put all in a casserole dish 4. Saute Corn Flakes in 1/4 melted butter and sprinkle on top. 5.. Cover with foil and Bake at 350 for about 40 min.
Christine Schulze, senior, and Sophie Schulze, freshman, are two South students born in Friedberg, Germany. Thanksgiving isn’t celebrated in Germany, so when their family moved to America they took full advantage of the holiday, incorporating traditional dishes but also this hash brown casserole. “[Thanksgiving is] not a German holiday, so for my family that’s a really weird thing. We got here and we were like, there’s a holiday strictly for eating as much as you can? This is amazing,” said Christine.
Ingredients: Steps:
Stale baguette cut at least 1/2 inch thick. 3/4 cup Milk 1 Egg
Vegetable Oil for frying, 1/8 tsp vanilla extract (optional) Sugar and Cinnamon Honey
1. Pour enough oil into a large frying pan to cover the bottom and heat on medium. Make sure the oil doesn’t burn. 2. Beat eggs and milk together (add vanilla extract if desired) in a medium sized bowl. 3. Soak the bread in the egg and milk mixture, quickly flip it over with a fork. (Make sure that the bread doesn’t become so soft it crumbles when lifted it out of the bowl). 4. Lift the bread from the mixture, let excess milk drain, and place the bread in the frying pan (be careful that the oil doesn’t splatter onto the hands). Cook the bread on one side until golden brown, then flip. Once both sides are golden brown put it on a separate plate. Repeat until the desired amount of bread is reached. 5. Serve immediately with sugar, cinnamon and honey if so desired.
18
NOVEMBER // FEATURES
Valeria Sanchez, freshman, celebrates Thanksgiving with her family from all over Latin America. “In my family we have mixed Latin countries, some of my cousins are Peruvian, and some of my cousins are Cuban. And we’ll have different dishes from their country,” said Sanchez. Sanchez’s Thanksgiving dinner includes atol elote, ceviche, empanadas and torrijas, a dessert that originated in Spain that is very similar to french toast; the only difference is that it is served with sugar, honey and cinnamon.
Who’s in Controversy surrounds use and coverage of birth control in America BY: ROWAN WILSON
Out of the 435 members of the House of Representatives, women make
up 19 percent, and only 21 percent of the senate. The religious makeup of Congress is 91 percent Christian, according to Pew Research Center. These stats, unfortunately, make sense when you consider how little control women have over their sexual health in terms of government regulation of birth control. Women in America make up 50.5 percent of the population. Of that 50.5 percent, it is estimated that 17.3 percent of women between menarche and menopause are on their period at any given time. One would expect these numbers to be represented in government, especially about policies concerning sexual health. However, 98 percent of sexually active women will take birth control at some point in their lives, and according to John Hopkins University, 62 percent of women at reproductive ages are currently using some form of birth control. What is so important about birth control?
“
It’s essential to the lives of many women and without it, there would be so many more health problems in women and teens,
“
said Ellie Knechtel, senior. The facts show that birth control not only is an effective contraceptive, but it has been shown to greatly reduce forms of acne, prevent PMS, and alleviate pain from menstruation. Women with endometriosis, a disorder in which tissue that normally lines the uterus grows outside the uterus, causing intense pain and heavy or irregular menstruation, use birth control to help these debilitating symptoms.
“Personally I use birth control because I have a really heavy and inconsistent cycle, and it was the same way with my sister. Before birth control, she actually found out she was anemic, and because of how heavy her cycle was she was losing so much iron and had to actually get iron infusions into her body,” said Knechtel. Many people are oblivious to the many alternative uses of birth control, and the effects it has on teen pregnancy and abortion rates. According to Washington University, access to birth control reduces abortion rates and unplanned pregnancy significantly. So, why is there so much controversy over it? “I think that birth control should be covered with health care, because people are so against abortions and everything, and if you’re against abortions, then why are you also against birth control?” said Lexi Frieders, junior. Separation of church and state is a concept America was built on, but when looked at in depth, it is clear that religion has strong effects on policies regarding women’s health. The current administration wants to expand the rights of employers to be able to deny women coverage for birth control. This includes the right to deny birth control for any religious reason. Another reason there is much controversy over birth control is the stigma that it is only used by those who have sex irresponsibly. This is a toxic stereotype to have in America, and it only furthers the damage that the lack of proper sexual health care creates. This attack on birth control impacts women greatly and may cause unwanted pregnancy and abortion rates to spike. Birth control is something that cannot continue to be regulated to the point of unavailability. The only way to solve these problems is to fix the skewed representation of women in Congress, and the rest of the American government.
%
62
*
of women are on birth control
*at reproductive age
The View // NOVEMBER // FEATURES
19
FOXY BUILDS
BY: Shane McCullough
“The best part of the community I have been involved in is making friends like Logan and being able to share a similar passion,” said Strydom. Strydom owns a 1990 red Ford Fox Body mustang and Crow owns a 1993 reef blue Fox. Fox Bodies are an affordable first car (can range from $5,000-7,000 running in good condition) as well as a great platform for a number of builds. “I got attached to the color and it was clean and affordable. I didn’t always want the fox, at first, when I was younger, I didn’t think much of them but it started to grow on me after I owned it,” said Crow. Crow grew up in the car community with his dad working on hot rods. Now owning the fox, Crow has taken a interest in modding and building his car. “I like it to make it my own. It’s easy to modify and I like improving on the factory builds because they aren’t great out of the factory,” said Crow. he engine roars and tires squeal as they rip off the line. Smoke rises from One of the best ways to create builds and get information on how to do the tires and the cockpit begins to heat up. The nose begins to pass others, it is online forums and YouTube, which Logan uses frequently to help him on his pulling forward. You pass the quarter mile mark. And the engines begin to rev build. Although fox bodies are well known for straight line racing or drags, lower. All your hard work paid off. Crow’s build goal is a maximum motorsports suspension set up and built In recent years KC’s auto community has been growing with plenty of 331 stroker for autocross and handling. events and shows to see. Every Saturday Cars and Coffee takes over a “I don’t know I guess my dream car would be my car, but better, I guess parking lot to put on a free show with local builds, coffee and donuts. Most where I plan on it going build wise,” said Strydom. weekends there are drag races around the northStrydom had a similar introduction to the auto world; “The best part of the community land, not to mention just the amount of “Show” and his dad works on many cars and builds mainly domestic. I have been involved in is making modded Cars showing up on the roads. “I didn’t always want the fox but when I was 12, I was The new community has even affected South, with friends like Logan and being able to inspired by my dad for the Fox,” said Strydom. a few modded cars in the parking lots and a few of Strydom is going for a more traditional build for share a similar passion” Souths students starting a small apparel company straight line and drag. called Complex Society, which Reece Strydom, junior, and Logan Crow, senior, “I love the fox because it’s affordable, light and easily made powerful,” are a part of. said Strydom. Crow and Strydom have been a part of the car community their entire The Foxes line lives, both being introduced into the modding and street car world by their up. The engine’s dads. growl and tires “My dad was into hot rods and taking apart and building cars so I was squeal. All their always around it,” said Crow. hard work payed Strydom and Crow met through the car community; they both own fox off. body mustangs. Seeing each other’s cars in the parking lot pushed them to find the owner of the other fox.
T
REECE STRYDOM 90’ FOX BODY: Ford racing shorty headers, Pro Chamber midpipe, MAC muffler dumps, BBK cold air intake, under drive pulley kit, tune with added timing ‘91 pump gas
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LOGAN CROW 93’ FOX BODY: Mac off-road H-pipe, Mac Pro dump m u f f l e r s , BBK cold air intake, BBK 65mm throttle body, Hurst short throw shifter SVE aluminum radiator stage 2 clutch Eibach sway bar kit Maximum Motorsports
The View // NOVEMBER // FEATURES
OPEN SNAP AND USE THIS CODE TO WATCH COMPLEX SOCIETY’S FIRST FILM
SELFDEFENSE YOUR LIFE MAY DEPEND ON IT
H
umans, by nature, are aggressive. You can look back on any point in human history and read the accounts of violence: wars between civilizations, running each other off of horses with long sticks for sport, or caging each other and fighting to the death as the entire city sat in stands and cheered. Everyone says they would know what to do in a fight, but fighting is much more than just swinging with your fists and hoping you land a punch. So why are there dozens of martial arts sports being practiced all over the world? Why would people need self-defense classes if we have a safe MIdwest Sports Productions 21967 W 83rd Street Shawnee, KS 66227 Phone: (913) 543-6116
PLAYMSP.COM
by: NICOLE BEAUBIEN
environment and don’t need to know these self-defense tactics? Quinlan Batcheller, senior, says it’s about confidence. Batcheller has been involved in martial arts since he was seven years old. Taekwondo, Muay Thai and Krav Maga being his focus sports, he quickly picked up self defense. The only sport he did competitively was Taekwondo, and he placed very far in his competitions. Training with ATA (American Taekwondo Association), Batcheller made it all the way to World Competitions, and placed 12th competing in weapons. “Taekwondo was the only sport I competed in, and I trained for two years to make it to World Competitions,” said Batcheller. Self-defense sports are all about building up self esteem for the little guy. Self-awareness is super important and the problems with self-esteem issues in today’s generation seems to grow bigger and bigger. “I think self defense arts teach a lot about selfresponsibility, especially if you start when you’re young. It also increases confidence and that’s important,” said Batcheller. There are several places in Kansas City you can go to and learn these sports. KICK Martial Arts, found next to Pizza Shoppe, is taught by Tj Holgerson and Tiffany Holgerson. Tiffany is a two-time world champion and 2014 world championship runner-up. Although Kick Martial Arts is self-defense based, their passion for the sport comes from how it can influence kids and build their confidence. Self-defense classes, although not a vital part of living anymore, are a great source of exercise. There are hundreds of associations all over the world and have thousands of competing members. Not only can taking selfdefense classes keep people active, they can help people struggling with self-esteem and see that although you might be the little guy, you can break a two-inch thick board with one punch.
NOVEMBER // FEATURES
21
THE next step
5.1 million more students are attending college since 2000 BurnT out from the competitive pressure of high school and a desire “to find out more about themselves” are the top two reasons students take Gap Years
90 percent of students who take a gap year return to school within the next year
Many students believe their future is more or less set, but there is more than one way to take the next step
S
ome may think there is only one way to complete your education. You take eight classes a year for four years, and then go off to college to pursue... something. That is the easiest way, the path of least resistance, but some students have different ideas for their life, and right now, for some, is the time to start making these decisions. Junior, bordering on senior, John Carter has taken it upon himself to graduate a full year early, with the class of 2018. Carter decided to graduate early after a talk with his mom who told him they were planning to move to Kentucky after his junior year. Carter did not want to be a senior in a new school so he accomplished the mandatory 28 credits by taking a few online classes through the Brigham Young University (BYU) Independent Studies Program. Carter says the courses allowed him to skip up a grade, and cost about $150 a course. He spends about an hour a day on each class he is enrolled in. “What’s really nice about the online class is that you can do them at your own pace. You can take up to a year to finish. It’s really laid back, so you know, if one day I just have a bunch of schoolwork and not gonna get to login, then it’s fine,” said Carter. Carter plans to go straight to college after graduating, and plans to attend the University of Missouri Kansas City (UMKC). He will be majoring in Computer Science and making his way as quick as possible to the professional world. Carter believes that anyone could do the same if they only knew that this was possible, and that the main problem is just that no one knows what questions to ask. He sent a simple email to his counselor and found out exactly what he needed to do. While Carter plans to go straight to college, there are some who chose taking a gap year as the right path for them. Grace Dunker, a 2017 graduate of South and who is currently attending Baylor University, took a year after high school to discover what to do with her life. “I wasn’t really sure what I wanted to do going forward so I decided to do it. During my gap year I worked, babysat and
The View // NOVEMBER // FEATURES
BY: ELYSSA BEZNER
shadowed a bunch of professions to help me decide what I wanted to do in the future,” said Dunker. The common argument against a gap year is that the student taking it usually decides not to go back to college, making it detrimental to those who don’t feel particularly motivated to the years of debt in the first place. However, the American Gap Association reports that 90 percent of students who took a gap year returned college within a year. For Dunker, this wasn’t an issue, but she concedes that some people might struggle with that. “I was excited to go back so it wasn’t so bad for me but they’re honestly not for everyone so it’s something that should be judged on a case-by-case basis. [Gap years] are becoming more popular though because they’ve been beneficial for a lot of people,” said Dunker. College just seems like the natural, expected next step for everyone. Morgan Berry, senior and STUCO President, makes a case that college should not be pushed at everyone who buys a cap and gown. “[College] is not the course for everybody. People come out with so much debt and then don’t even use the degree they get,” said Berry. Berry has not decided where to go or what to do in her next step of life, but knows that there are options. Despite this, Berry concedes she might still just go to college because that’s what she’s been told to do. “It’s just such like a big, intimidating decision, and for some people like maybe it’s easy, maybe they’ve always known they want to be something, but for the majority of us, we’re all completely lost, and it’s insanely stressful,” said Berry. Regardless of what path this year’s graduates decide to take, there are nothing but options. For anyone who does not know what to do, junior/senior John Carter has some advice. “Do it. Don’t just say ‘I’m gonna do it’ then sit back, and let all your work build up,” he said. “Get what you need done, done. You’re going to put in a lot of work now and that stinks, but eventually it’s gonna all pay off.”
“It’s just such like a big, intimidating decision...for the majority of us, we’re all completely lost, and it’s insanely stressful.”
22
source: American Gap Association
The Case of the
Language FRENZY A ‘Ciao’. A ‘Merhaba’. A ‘Hello’. Every language has its own, diverse way. South is filled with students who practice these languages, not for homework, but for pure enjoyment and family. Their secondary and native language has made them who they are, and has help connect with different people around the world.
IAN ENYEART, ITALIAN Elisabeth Andersen, ASL MAYA YILDIrim, TURKISH we were little, we all had some sort Wednesday afternoons at 7 p.m. in W hen O nIndependence, of dream. Some of our dreams were to Elisabeth Andersen, senior, is
age two, Maya Yildirim, junior, moved to A tUnited States. Her family left their home in
live in castles with a prince/princess or greeted by her language instructors. However, they Turkey to find work for her father, and when others were to finally get that family pet that don’t greet her in words, but with hands. This is a he’d leave for his job, she and her mother would our parents claimed we couldn’t take care language called American Sign Language (ASL). spend large amounts of time watching Barney of. Ian Enyeart, sophomore, had a different According to Gallaudet University, a private and Sesame Street. They didn’t just do this for the dream. His dream was to learn Italian and with university for the education of the deaf and hard pleasure of watching, rather to learn the language practice, that dream became a reality. of hearing, ASL is the fourth most used language in that Barney, Elmo and Oscar the Grouch spoke: “In third grade, I did a Bridges’ project and the United States. Andersen is one of those who is English. you had to pick a country and it was a year working to immerse herself in this popular language “My mother at the time didn’t speak English long thing. I picked Italy. I just really liked the to minimize the hardships the deaf and hard of either, so she wasn’t able to teach me, and my country and I was like, ‘Oh maybe I should hearing have in the United States today. father was typically out working. It was the both look and see about learning Italian!’ I just really “I can’t imagine what it must be like to walk of us watching TV, learning English together,” said got into it and it just spiraled from there,” said into a room to know nobody else speaks your Yildirim. Enyeart. language, to have such a limited number of people Their native language, Turkish, still plays an Enyeart didn’t become truly serious until you can communicate with. That must be incredibly important part of their lives. They continue to speak sixth grade when he asked for Rosetta Stone, frustrating for them. For that reason, I want to be Turkish at home, along with English. Sometimes both a software created to help individuals learn someone they can walk into a room and talk to,” languages at the same time. a language in their own time for his birthday. said Andersen. “I like to think ‘it’ gives me multiple perspectives However, this wasn’t enough to fill his void for Andersen has secondhand experience in and just like being from a different country as learning more. understanding the hardships that can occur for the well. Since I go back there and see what life is “There’s a camp I go to every summer. It’s an native ASL speakers. She has grown up with two like in Turkey, I can see the differences between Italian Emerging Camp in Northern Minnesota brothers who have physical disabilities and spends American life and Turkish life. I can open my eyes and you go for two weeks. All the counselors a lot of her time figuring out ways to explaining the to how more developed, middle developed, and are from Italy and they only speak Italian. It’s disability to people to help them best understand. less developed countries are. It helps me see how like a little simulation of what Italy’s like,” said “I have became interested in accommodations people around the world are living their lives,” said Enyeart. to those who have disabilities as a whole. So when Yildirim. He started attending the camp, Concordia my friend said there was an ASL class available, I Yildirim goes back to Turkey often and a few Language Villages, in 2013. The camp is held by was really excited because it’s an opportunity for years ago, was able to attend Turkish school for a Concordia College, a university in Moorhead, me to practice what I preach,” said Andersen. day with a friend. She was able to speak Turkish Minn., and has over 15 languages that campers Through her classes, Andersen has learned the whole time, experience Turkish culture and see can choose from, such as Italian, German, basic vocabulary, such as fruits and vegetables, but how welcoming and warm the people of Turkey Spanish and French. hopes to progress more in future studies. were. “There’s not a lot of people just walking “It’s an awareness. You can gain a lot of “I think it’s very important to experience other around speaking Italian, which is why I have knowledge and insight from people who are deaf cultures. I highly recommend, if you have the that camp. I can go two weeks and it’s all and hard of hearing. And if you never learn the abilities, to go out and see the world; pass the Italian,” said Enyeart. language, you will never know. You’ll never know resorts and pass the attractions. See what real life Enyeart had the chance to go to Italy for what they said. You’ll never know how they felt. is like,” said Yildirim. his first this summer through a school trip and You just won’t know. Ask questions. Like if you say act as the group’s interpreter. He hopes that if ‘what’s up’ all the time, be like ‘hey what’s the sign Scan here to read anyone has the desire to learn a language, that for that?’ Try to remember it, practice it, use it as Lilit Zadoyan’s they share interest in the country as well. often as you can, and then build on that,” said story “Like a lot of people try to learn a Andersen. language, but they’re not interested in it, so they don’t have a lot of success or it takes a A ‘Güle güle.’ An ‘Addio.’ A ‘goodbye.’ Andersen, Enyeart and Yildirim continue to add long time. But for me, I didn’t start because a special touch to South with their language and culture. I wanted to learn a language. I just started BY: HAILEY DEEDS because I like Italy. It was a lot easier,” said Enyeart. The View // NOVEMBER // FEATURES 23
South’s We polled over 100 South students to get their view on a variety of topics
Most admirable adult at PHS
PS4 vs XBOX ONE
by: BRET VANICE, MAX GHASEMI and kate maness
BEST CLASS AT SOUTH
53%
Mrs. Palmer
47%
Favorite Thanksgiving Food 1. Mashed Potatoes CRAMER VS CARR 37% 2. Turkey sports and rec & newspaper
3. Stuffing
63% 65% 19% 16%
80%
of South students prefer streaming over watching TV
GO TO FAST FOOD
56%
44% Drake or Chance?
64%
SAID DRAKE
BEST ATHLETE AT SOUTH
WHO WOUD WIN IN A FIGHT?
LAMEL ROBINSON
most overrated 68% would rather not thanksgiving food
brush than wipe