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Volume XXIII
credit to Kristin Dieterle
Connecting Cultures
Pembroke Hill students come together with exchange students for one last get together. Emma Eisemann Staff Writer
Kazakhstan, Switzerland, Turkey, Brazil, Norway, Bangladesh, Ukraine, Pakistan, Finland, the Philippines, Yemen, Italy, Jordan, Chile, Germany, New Zealand, Portugal, and Colombia. What do these countries have in common you may ask? All of them were represented by Pembroke Hill’s AFS short stay students. The majority of Short Stay students really seemed to enjoy their time at Pembroke. It was a different experience for many of the students as most of them are spending their year in America at large public schools in the Kansas City metropolitan area. They described our school as much warmer and friendlier than the schools they have been a"ending. “Everyone is more interested in the culture of our countries and the world,” Tavares
comments. Generally, it seemed that they were all pleasantly surprised about our school and the weekend in general. In addition to a"ending school with their host siblings on Thursday and Friday, the AFSers participated in several other activities throughout the weekend. On Friday night, the Hebenstreits hosted the traditional pizza party at their house. The boys watched the airing of an earlier soccer game while the girls worked on their spectacular ping pong skills. As the party moved houses for the a#er party, some music began to play, and by the time the a#er-a#er party started, there was a full out dance party going on. Not surprisingly, most of the Short Stay students are into soccer (also known as football in the greater part of
the world…silly Americans) and have unwavering support for their home countries’ teams. On Friday night at one of the many stops of the traveling AFS party, a serious round of FIFA soccer got started, pi"ing one country against another. Juan Lavanchy of Chile was humiliatingly crushed by Javier Lopez of Colombia; however, Madalena Tavares led her Portuguese team to a stunning double overtime, shoot-out victory over Colombia. Saturday was another fun filled day kicked off by ice skating at Crown Center. This was a relatively new experience for many Short Stay students because many had not ice skated before coming to America. With this in mind, it is no surprise that the event was not short of falling and laughter as everyone tried to keep their balance. Another tradition of Pembroke’s Short Stay weekend is the International Dinner, held Saturday night on the Wornall campus. Each student and their host family prepared a dish from the student’s home country so everyone a"ending could get a taste of cuisine from around the world. The weekend ended fantastically with the rescheduled International Theme Mixer. The students enjoyed the variety of music, and the various cultures were linked with another world language: dancing. The students went back to their Pembroke Hill homes for one more night before returning to their regular Kansas City hosts Sunday. Overall, the weekend was a huge learning experience for all involved. Despite the many differences in language, culture, and religion, everyone had a great time hanging out. The biggest lesson learned was no ma"er where you go or what country you’re from, everyone still has the same interests: boys/girls, sports, music, and fun! As it turns out, we’re actually a lot more alike than it would appear.
You Did What Over Janterm? The Voice takes a closer look at some of the interesting Independent Studies students did over Janterm. Rima Abhyankar and Greta Shum Staff Writer
Although most students choose to participate in classes or trips during Jan-Term, here’s a look at the ones who chose to spend the week independently:
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One of the most fascinating programs offered at Pembroke Hill Upper School during the week of Jan-Term is the Independent Study Program, which is organized by
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Love Birds Go to Page two to find out out about some of Pembroke’s cutest couples!
Madame Miller, an upper-school French teacher. During the week of Jan-Term, instead of enrolling in classes at school,
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V II
The Rail Hunter Chamberlain and Linnea Johnson Staff Writers
For the first time in six years Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow! Spring is on its way, only one more month until God graces the Earth once again. Therefore, Groundhog Day was not only a success for the economy of Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, but also for everyone who is sick of ice and crappy weather. On a different note, the avian flu has reached the western shores of Europe, making its latest appearance in Suffolk, England and killing 2,600 turkeys. It has been confirmed as an Asian strian of the H5N1 virus. The flu has yet to make any significant impact on American fowl. Our favorite mentor on the hit reality show Project Runway has announced that he is leaving Parsons School of Design where he has been the Chair of Design for seven years. Tim is finishing out his classes for the semester and is picking up his career in fashion at Liz Claiborne, acting as a mentor to the hundreds of designers working for the well-known brand. But don’t fret, Project Runway fans, Tim says that he will return to the show for the fourth season! Just last month, Apple revealed that its much-anticipated iPhone is set to hit store shelves in June. Unfortunately, its production has hit a major snag; rival company, Cisco Systems, has filed a copyright lawsuit, citing the “iPhone” brand name belongs to them. Surely, Steve Jobs will be able to remedy the situation promptly. In literary news, J.K. Rowling has announced on her website that the seventh and final installment of her wildly popular Harry Po"er series will be available on July 21, 2007. Publisher, Bloomsbury, anticipates sales to hit record highs with Harry Po!er and the Deathly Hallows. Also in July, the fi#h “Po"er” film, Harry Po!er and the Order of the Phoenix, is due in theaters. PHS Security Director, Bill Smithart, who retired January 26th, has been replaced by John Myers. A Kansas City, KS cop for twenty-one years, Myers is not new to the law enforcement scene. Welcome, John!
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4 Teacher of the 5 SUDOKU 6 Short-Stay Month: Mrs. McIntyre Find out why Mrs. McIntyre, who teaches Biology and Environmental Science, was voted our “Teacher of the Month.”
The Voice adds a fun, new twist to its February Issue!
2007
Check out some really neat pictures from this year’s short foreign student exchange.
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be my valentine
LOVE Birds
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We’ve all seen them around, cuddling in the Commons, holding hands in the bookstore, gazing lovingly into each other’s eyes during class—those annoyingly cute couples that have been together forever. In honor of Valentine’s Day the Voice has decided to interview a couple from each grade and find out the secrets behind their long lastingrelationships.
SENIORS
Brooke Vittor interviewed senior lovebirds Matt Ungashick and Rachel Lewis… Brooke: How did you guys first get together? Matt: I asked her to homecoming junior year. I left rose petals throughout her house and then surprised her by waiting in her room with a single rose. Brooke: HOT! Brooke: Do you guys have a song? Rachel: “I’ll be Loving You” by Westlife Brooke: I’ve never heard that song. Brooke: So do you guys plan to continue your relationship into college next year? Matt and Rachel: (Awkward pause) Uh…We’re still discussing it. Brooke: What are your thoughts on couples that dress alike? Matt and Rachel: WEIRD! Brooke: If you guys could turn each other into a vegetable what would it be? Rachel: I’d turn Matt into asparagus…yum! Matt: I’d turn Rachel into a carrot ‘cause it’s crunchy!
Photos by Alex Curry
JUNIORS
Caitlin Snavely interviewed the junior hottie Laura Fried to get the scoop on her relationship with David Silverstein... Caitlin: How long have you been dating? Laura: We’ll have dated for two years this March. Caitlin: How did you meet? Laura: I met David when I first came to Pembroke in sixth grade. Our first date was when I asked him to WPA. Caitlin: What did you do last year for Valentine’s Day? Laura: I remember that last year David gave me a box of chocolates and a ceramic jewelry box that we painted together. I took a picture of us and put it on a t-shirt that said, “Happy Valentine’s Day ‘06.” I’ve never seen him wear it. Caitlin: What’s the best date you’ve ever been on? Laura: My favorite was our one year anniversary date because we re-enacted our first ever date. We went to the same restaurant and sat at the same table. Also, we went to the school play, which is what we did on our first date too. Caitlin: What’s the best way he’s asked you to a dance? Laura: Last year at lunch, David told me that he wanted to change his shirt. In the middle of the lunchroom, he took off his shirt and put on a t-shirt that said, “Laura, Homecoming?” Then he gave me two shirts: one that said yes and one that said no.
Brooke: If you guys could model your relationship after one celebrity couple, which one would it be? Rachel: Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith…everyone else is divorced!
be my valentine...
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SOPHOMORES Senior Amelia Wells interviewed sophomores Catherine Pogson and Ben Reisler... Amelia: How did you guys first get together? Catherine: We’ve been really good friends since 6th grade, and the relationship developed last year. Amelia: Do you guys have a song? Catherine and Ben: (They look at each other and laugh) Vato. Amelia: Who’s that by? Catherine and Ben: Snoop Dogg. Amelia: That’s definitely the first Snoop Dogg relationship song we’ve had. Amelia: What do you think about couples who dress alike? Catherine and Ben: Sketchy and scary.
FRESHMEN Jennifer Lee interviewed freshmen Mollie Perryman and Duncan Laner...
Amelia: If you could turn each other into a food what would it be? Catherine: (Thoughtful pause) A raddish. Amelia: Which celebrity couple do you think you guys are like? Catherine and Ben: We’re better than they are.
Jennifer: How long have you been dating each other? Duncan: I asked Mollie out on November 3rd, so we’ve been together for 3 months. Jennifer: Do you guys have a song? Duncan: Haha... funny joke, “Everlasting Love” by Natalie Cole. Jennifer: What do you think about couples who dress alike? Mollie: It’s really freaky, and by the way, our matching North Face jackets are not planned, just to let everyone know. Jennifer: What do you guys usually do together on the weekends? Mollie: We usually go to the movies and eat dinner together. Duncan also taught me how to play golf so we sometimes go golfing. Jennifer: What celebrity couple do you think you guys are like? Duncan: We’re not comparing ourselves to celebrities because they’re all messed up.
The History of Valentine’s Day Emily Smith Staff Writer
Now that February has arrived in all its frigid glory, it’s time to prepare for the most romantic holiday of the year. And though it is the holiday of love and romance, it is also the holiday with which we have the most volatile love/hate relationship. Valentine’s Day has its roots in ancient Rome, under the reign of Emperor Claudius II. Though this story is notoriously ambiguous (there are at least three Catholic saints known as Valentine or Valentinius), the most widely accepted story is that a!er Claudius outlawed marriage, Valentine defied his law and continued
to perform marriage ceremonies for young couples. When Claudius learned of this, Valentine was put to death. Another story says that while Valentine was in prison before his death, he fell in love with a young girl who o!en visited him. He sent her the first Valentine message in the form of a le"er that he wrote just before his death, signed “From your Valentine.” Thus, February 14 was declared St. Valentine’s Day by Pope Gelasius in 498 A.D. Though it is o!en upheld that the Catholic Church placed the celebration of this holiday in mid-February to commemorate the anniversary of this romantic martyr’s death, it is also thought that its
strategic placement was an a"empt to Christianize the pagan fertility rituals that occurred on February 15 of each year. During these rituals, the boys of Rome ran around the city slathering crops and women with goats’ hides dipped in blood. Then, the young women placed their names in a large urn, and Rome’s bachelors drew their matches, which o!en led to marriage. When St. Valentine’s Day was established, this haphazard system of matchmaking was declared “un-Christian” and was outlawed. St. Valentine’s Day began to gain popularity in Great Britain by the 1600s, and by the mid 1700s, the exchange of gi!s and cards among friends and lovers was common. The
first mass-produced Valentine cards were created and sold by Esther A. Howland in the 1840s. These days, Valentine’s Day is one of the biggest card-sending holidays of the year, second only to Christmas. The Greeting Card Association estimates that about 1 billion cards are sent on this holiday every year, about 85 percent of which are purchased by women. So even if you’re on the hate side of the love/hate relationship we all have with Valentine’s Day, you can still enjoy the love in the air among friends and family. Whatever your situation, you almost certainly have it be"er than poor St. Valentine, writing love le"ers from his jail cell and awaiting his death.
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Credit to http://www.avenuesbistro.com/
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News Teacher of the Month T h i s m o n t h ’s t e a c h e r o f t h e m o n t h , M r s . M c I n t y r e , is a very special person in more ways than one.
Outside Avenues Bistro.
Avenues bistro: A Restaurant Review Linnea Johnson Staff Writer
Most Pembroke Hill students don’t have time to sleep, let alone sit down for lunch. The usual routine of picking up something quick up from Chipotle or Panera can get old. This was what I had in mind when I chose to check out the new restaurant, The Avenues Bistro, that now occupies the old Pride Cleaners in Brookside at the corner of 63rd and Wornall. I was impressed by the amount of renovation that was done to turn that dingy dry cleaners into a nice upscale yet casual restaurant. The atmosphere was inviting with a warm “homey” feel created by the nice waitresses and creative interior design. The other diners were mostly middle-aged women at lunch with their friends so the restaurant was quiet and calm,a pleasant change from places like Chipotle. I had already prepared myself to pay more than I was accustomed to for a usual lunch out, so I was not shocked when I saw the $12 sandwiches and similarly priced soup and salad combos on the menu. The menu itself had a broad selection ranging from steak to plenty of vegetarian options. My lunch date, my cousin Chelsea Johnson, and I both se!led on sandwiches that came with the Bistro’s signature pomme frites, a fancy French term for French fries. When I saw the substantial size of my sandwich and portion of fries, I was positive that I was ge!ing my $12 dollars worth. I dug into my delicious sandwich realizing half way through that grease from the bu!ered bread and melted Brie was dripping off of the sandwich. Chelsea and I both eventually had to abandon the bu!er and cheese soaked bread to eat the inner parts of the sandwich with a knife and fork. But the pomme frites did not disappoint. We also shared the “three mousse” cake, which was a wonderful light conclusion to a rather heavy meal. One thing that I did not like about my dining experience was that I le# the restaurant with my hair and clothes smelling like I just came out of a McDonalds. But despite the greasiness of my sandwich and the smell of my clothes a#erwards, I enjoyed my dining experience at the Avenues Bistro. I would gladly go back and recommend it to everyone.
Ever since she was a child, Elizabeth McIntyre has loved being out of doors. She says that there was never a time she did not want to be a biologist. Her high school experience was no walk in the park, however; Mrs. McIntyre claims to have been an “absolute nerd”. She earned a Bachelor’s degree in Biology with a minor in Chemistry from Western Washington University and a Master’s Degree in Psychology with an emphasis on animal behavior from UMKC. She had previously been a substitute teacher for Shawnee Mission district for eleven years. Beginning in 2002, Mrs. McIntyre spent a year as a naturalist for Kansas Wildlife and Parks. Mrs. McIntyre has been teaching at the Pembroke Hill School for four years. She currently teaches Biology, Environmental Science and its AP counterpart. If she were not a teacher, Mrs. McIntyre would be a naturalist, or anything involving the outdoors. If given a choice to travel anywhere in the world, Mrs. McIntyre would visit New Zealand. On the weekends, she rides horses and spends time with
Credit to http://www.pembrokehill.org
Stephanie Johnson Staff Writer
Mrs. McIntyre at school.
her grown daughters. Cats or dogs? Both. If trapped on a desert island Mrs. McIntyre would bring- water. Her life as a movie genre? Science fiction- 50s style.
JanTerm Independent Studies (continued from page 1) Rima Abhyankar and Greta Shum Staff Writer
students had the opportunity to choose and it’s too o#en that we think inside our own box. I think design their own program which pertained to their we as a youth need to be able to step outside to be!er own interests. With careful and detailed planning, our future. Especially in politics and government, students created an agenda for the week of Jan- we as the future have the responsibility not only to Term to study in their area of their interest. The maintain traditions, but to be able to change them so topics varied from reading and interpreting literary that they many adapt to changing times.” She also works to interning at hospitals and companies. chose this study because she feels, “We can learn Katie Greenbaum, a sophomore, chose to things from other countries… not only from their partake in an internship with Yves St. Laurent in accomplishments, but from their mistakes as well.” New York City. With a deep interest in fashion, Katie Hunter Chamberlain also chose to participate wants to pursue a career in the fashion industry in this program. For his ‘Independent Study,’ Hunter and public Chamberlain, relations. a junior, With careful and detailed traveled to She had the opportunity planning, students created an agenda the country of to experience South Africa for the week of Jan-Term to study the with what it is like his to work in family. The area of their interest.” the fashion subject of the world; she trip involved shadowed studying the public relations manager of Yves St. Laurent natural conservation and National Parks of the area. for the entire week. Katie describes her internship: One of the many amazing parts of the trip were “It was such a fun experience… it’s amazing to see the “night drives” when Hunter and his family how much work must go into running the fashion went out around sunset for safari drives about the industry.” Just as she did last year, Katie hopes to African landscape. Spending time in such a different continue with the independent study program next environment, Hunter also experienced much of the year. political atmosphere, learning, for example, a great On the opposite side of the world, Elizabeth deal about the scars of Apartheid, which was such You, a freshman, studied the Taiwanese political a large part of the country’s history, and Nelson system. With her Taiwanese heritage and love for Mandela. Such a trip evokes the feeling of adventure politics, she felt that comparing and contrasting as well as appreciation for a program of such the Taiwanese and American governments would diversity,like Jan-term. be very fascinating. She had the opportunity to see Katie Greenbaum, Elizabeth You, and Hunter Taiwanese congress in session. Also, she met with Chamberlain are just a few of the many people who two legislators, one from the Green Party and one participated in the Independent Study program. The from the Blue Party. She even had the opportunity Independent Study program at Pembroke Hill School to meet the ambassador of Taiwan to the Vatican is definitely an enjoyable way to spend the week of City. She explains why she chose this study: “I think Jan-Term.
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A&E
WHAT’S HAPPENING IN KC
The Scramble for
MAYOR
Rebecca Gilmore Assistant Editor
T
welve contestants and one renewable prize. No, this isn’t Rat Race with a political twist. It’s the ba!le for mayor. Even Kansas City election director Ray James said he couldn’t remember a mayoral election with this many candidates in at least forty years. The candidates for mayor are: city council members Alvin Brooks, Charles Eddy, John Fairfield, Jim Glover, and Becky Nace; former city auditor Mark Funkhouser; (former) businessmen Stan Glazer, John DiCapo, and Henry Klein; lawyer Albert Riederer; former Jackson County Executive Katheryn Shields, and former Partnership for Children president Janice Ellis. The primary is scheduled for February 27, when Kansas City will decide who will face off for the general election March 27. Some campaigning has already begun; Alvin Brooks announced his candidacy almost a year ago his intention to run for mayor. Unfortunately, negativity has not lost any time either. Take a ride down Ward Parkway and you’ll see a large banner with “Anyone but Eddy For Mayor,” an obvious lambasting of city councilman Charles Eddy. We all know from experience that American elections get worse before they get be!er, and they only get be!er when they’re over. One thing is for sure, with twelve viable candidates, this year’s mayoral election will be one of the liveliest races Kansas City has seen in quite a long time.
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An Alternative JanTerm Amelia Wells Executive Editor
As a senior, I’ve gone through the motions of Janterm for three years. Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely loved working with animals at Wayside Waifs for the past two years (Readers, I challenge any of you to name something more adorable than a sixweek-old yellow Labrador puppy). Nevertheless, with all the talk of college and potential future plans hovering over seniors’ heads, I couldn’t help but wonder if, this Janterm, I would be able to do something related to a career I might pursue. Interestingly enough, that’s exactly what happened. Months earlier while perusing the net, I had heard of an arts contest sponsored by the NFAA, the National Foundation for Advancement in the Arts. Robin Williams, Plácido Domingo, and Quincy Jones are all on the Artistic Advisory Board. Whoa, they’re kind of a big deal, I thought. The advertisement said that 17- to 18-year old artists from across the country could enter the contest. About 140 kids would then be chosen to receive free trips to Miami for a week (Arts Week), where they’d take master classes from professionals, compete to be Presidential Scholars in the Arts, and receive guaranteed scholarship money. Among the program’s many virtues, the site also explicitly stated something about Arts Week that really stayed with me: This is not a competition; leave your game face at home. They didn’t just want talent, they wanted great artists who would expect to be judged by no one else’s standards but their own. Basically, this would be a competition with myself. I can so handle that! I thought. I
(check back next issue for the answers!)
Pictured: Senior, Amelia Wells, after the awards ceremony sponsored by the National Foundation for Advancement in the Arts (NFAA).
woman said, “You’re one of six finalists in Popular Voice, congratulations!” And yes, of course I did the girly-jumping-up-and-downscreaming thing. I must have scared that poor woman half to death, but she didn’t seem to mind too much. As soon as I got to Miami, I knew this week would be special. From the first night, it was evident that all of us were focused on our creativity and not on competition. It seemed impossible for us to have been jealous
because every artist was unique and distinctly different from the next. There was immense respect among all of us, especially during the master classes, which were amazing because we supportively critiqued each other’s work. Our judges, one of whom is the pianist for the hit Broadway show The Drowsy Chaperone, also had a huge hand in our development by giving us advice that allowed us to explore as many ways to perform a song as possible. He used to say, “You’ve got to do the song wrong first before you can do it right. For example, sing your song in a German accent. It may feel ridiculous, but if the intonation changes even slightly, you’ve opened up another possibility.” It’s one of those things that’s so crazy it works. The second or third performance was always the most interesting for that very reason. There were kids from nine different disciplines such as theatre, dance, and visual arts at the contest, and each night showcased a different group of people. Everyone was able to grow as artists simply by watching the amazing people around them. And did I mention that Anthony Rapp, who played Mark the filmmaker in RENT, was a judge for the theatre kids? Even he was completely chill and sweet to everyone. He hung out with all of us as if he were our high school buddy, giving career advice and dancing at the final party, like, well, an arts geek. In more ways than I ever could have imagined, NFAA definitely lived up to its big deal reputation, not just in the things it instilled into us as artists but in the supportive atmosphere that made us all comfortable in changing how we approached our art.
One Suspenseful Mystery Shajiah Jaffri Staff Writer
It was early April and over 80 degrees in Bellehaven the night thousands of peepers (li!le frogs) invaded the quiet town like a plague. It was that same night Simon Gray was driving home a#er sneaking out. With some many li!le frogs hopping around and covering his car windows, it was inevitable that he would run over dozens of them, causing the road to become slick with their blood. The slick conditions, a lack of sleep, and an acceleration down the twisting road caused Simon’s car to slam into the old trunk of the Liberty Tree. The accident le# Simon in a coma and triggered the chain of events to come. Shades of Simon Gray tells two stories during the course of the novel, and in the middle of both tales lays Simon, the Dudley Do Right of Bellehaven. The first tale is about the hanging of a dri#er 200 years ago. As one reads more of the novel, Joyce McDonald, the author, reveals more about the small, peaceful town’s dark past as Simon and his childhood friend, Liz, delve deeper into the incident. The second story is about Danny and Kyle who teamed up to convince Simon to use his skills to hack into school’s system to print out test answers for themselves and Kyle’s girlfriend, Devin. If you can figure out why Simon
Photo by http://www.booksamillion.com
sudoku
loved the idea that Iwould be allowed to grow as an artist, which is most certainly something I wanted to do. As a singer, I had to submit recordings of my songs. I entered the studio and six very enjoyable, artsgeeky hours later I had a full-blown, CD (which, by the way, my mother has played so frequently around my house that I’m even tiring of them). I was very proud of it and sent it in to the competition. And then I waited. And waited. And finally the phone rang and a young
Shades of Simon Gray by Joyce McDonald
agreed to help even though he knew he was being used, keep it to yourself. Overall, the novel is quite compelling. It’s mostly a mystery with a hint of the supernatural, some unrequited love, and it includes plenty of suspense topped with moral questions that make one think about the ending. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys suspenseful mysteries or just wants a good book to pass his or her time. And, remember, nothing is as it seems.
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a&E
RECAP OF AFS SHORT STAY WEEKEND 2007
credit to Ali Bresnahan and Kristin Dieterle
Sports
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Durant Dominates the Court Jack Winter Staff Writer
Due to the NBA’s rule prohibiting graduated high school seniors from entering the NBA Dra!, true college freshman have taken the college basketball world by storm. Hailed by many recruiting experts as the strongest high school class in the last decade, the graduates of 2006 are comprised of a handful of supremely talented kids who are taking their squads to an elite level. Without these precocious freshman stars, many top programs would be struggling to live up to their lo!y expectations. At North Carolina, Ohio State, and Kansas (Rock Chalk!), multiple freshmen contribute to their teams’ national championship dreams. No university, however, relies on its freshman star, or stars, more than the Texas Longhorns. A!er three early defections to the NBA dra! from last year’s awesomely talented yet underachieving squad (way to avoid the sophomore slump, Daniel Gibson), Longhorn coach Rick Barnes knew he had to haul in a Mark Manginosized recruiting class, and that he did. Because of the major (and I stress major) contributions from their four starting freshman, the young Longhorns find themselves
where nobody thought they would be at this point in the year: tied for 1st place in the Big XII. Unheralded freshman starters Justin Mason and Damion James provide much needed long-range shooting, inside scoring, and defense, taking much of the pressure off their two be#er-known peers. In fact, point guard D.J. Augustin (13 points, 7 assists per game) would be a surefire selection for Big XII Freshman of the Year if not for the absolutely scintillating play of his (yes…yet another) freshman teammate Kevin Durant. Durant, standing 6’10’’ and weighing slightly over 205 pounds, can play all five positions on the floor for the surprising Longhorns. Combining a silky smooth jumper, tight handles, and absolutely jawdropping athleticism, Durant is averaging 25 points and 12 rebounds per game while shooting 50% from the field, 39% from beyond the arc, and 83% from the line. In contrast, former Syracuse forward Carmelo Anthony, widely considered to be one of the top freshmen ever (by my generation, at least), averaged a meager (in comparison to Durant, that is) 22 points and 10 rebounds per game with individual game highs of 32 points and 15 rebounds. Those numbers pale,
and I mean Casper the Friendly Ghost pale, in comparison to Durant’s. Ohio State manchild center Greg Oden (tidbit: Oden is shooting 61% from the stripe completely le!handed…wow) may get more publicity, but there is not a be#er freshman in the country than Durant. Heck, why stop at just freshman? Durant is the best player in the country, regardless of class…by f-a-aa-a-a-a-a-r. Don’t agree with me? I challenge you to find any other player in the country who is in the top 5 nationally in both scoring and rebounding average. Oh, that’s right, you can’t. Still disagree? I challenge you to find another player who in conference play is averaging 34 points and 14 rebounds per game. Need one last piece of evidence? I challenge you to find a more dominating individual performance than Kevin Durant’s 37 point and 23 rebound masterpiece against in-state rival Texas Tech. Oh, I almost forgot…that game was played at Tech. The Red Raiders had previously knocked off top ten teams Kansas and Texas A&M on that very floor, Durant had 21 points and 14 rebounds in the second half, and Texas won the game. I know, right now you are thinking that nothing could be more impressive than that, right? Wrong. Kevin Durant’s
Durant going in for the dunk.
birthday is September 30, 1988. In comparison, PHS alpha-male senior Ross Merrill was born on January 26, 1988, making him just a shade over eight months older than Kevin Durant. Now you are thinking to yourself, “Hmm… wait Jack…that’s impossible! Durant is a college freshman and Ross is just a high school
senior!”
Yeah, well it also seems impossible for Kevin Durant to be dropping 34 points and 14 rebounds in the Big XII, be the best player in the entire NCAA (as a freshman, mind you), and have his baby-faced Texas Longhorn team in the National Title hunt. But all that’s true as well…
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Voices
Caroline Hodge Staff Writer
O
prah Winfrey’s long awaited Leadership Academy for Girls officially opened in South Africa on January 2, 2007. At the opening ceremonies, there were dignitaries like Nelson Mandela, as well as many future students of the school. To add an element of surprise to the day, these girls were invited to the ceremony not knowing of their acceptance into the school. The academy, a fi$y million dollar endeavor, will provide a secondary education for underprivileged South African girls. When asked about her goals for the school, Oprah said, “I’m going to ensure that every girl who
wants to go to university will go.” Currently, the school is comprised of only 150 girls entering both the seventh and eighth grades; however, with the addition of a new class each year, the school will eventually provide an education for 450 girls in grades seven through twelve. The twenty-six building campus is entirely brand-new, with state-of-the-art facilities for the girls, who will live on campus and will even be able to take tele-conference classes with Oprah herself. The completion of the school marks the end of a five-year project that has received a great deal of publicity and will be perhaps the first of many similar undertakings.
Wanted
The Voice is in desperate need of staff writers and contributors. Whether you want to write once a year or even once every issue, we would really appreciate your help! Listen for an annoucement in assembly about the next meeting.
Paulina Poletti Staff Writer
Argentinean high schools and American high schools have few things in common. Not only is the academic aspect different, but socializing and making friends are also not the same. In Argentina, students start high school in eighth grade and graduate in twel$h grade. But, in tenth grade, you have to choose a “modalidad” (specialty), which in many cases means changing schools. Among the “modalidades” are natural sciences, social sciences and humanities, economics, art, communication, and production of goods. While most schools in Argentina require twelve to eighteen nonelected courses, at Pembroke, you can focus on what you consider to be enjoyable and useful. However, the Argentinean school system provides an environment that makes it easier to maintain close relationships because the students spend the entire school day in their homerooms with the same classmates. Instead of students migrating from room to room, the teachers go to the classrooms. On the other hand, because we share
If You Could Marry a Faculty Member... Would It Be? and, WHY?
WHO
only a few five minutes breaks everyday with the rest of the school, making friends in other classes can be quite difficult. At Pembroke, socializing among people of different ages is very common; you can share classes, free periods, lunch, and non-academics activities with many different people. Also, at Pembroke, you have the opportunity of taking art and music classes as well as participating in sports at school. But in Argentina, high schools rarely offer all these activities. Instead, students in Argentina usually go to different institutes a$er school to participate in extracurricular activities. As a result, students are o$en away from home for many hours. However, at the same time, it is also a very positive experience because it gives students the possibility of making new friends. The teaching methods at Pembroke Hill are also a li!le different. At Pembroke, you get most of the information from one assigned book that tries to be objective. But, back in Argentina, you form your own opinion based on the analysis of different perspectives. One aspect of Pembroke that called my a!ention was the personal a!ention
http://www.lastfrontiers.com/maps/argentina.jpg
An Oprah Endeavor Una Escuela en Argentina
A map of Argentina.
the students got from their teachers because of the small class sizes. In Argentina, especially in public schools, each class has at least thirtyfive to forty students. That makes it almost impossible to plan a personal meeting with teachers, as many of them have more than 1000 students! Overall, there are many differences between Pembroke Hill and my school back in Argentina, but I like them both for different reasons. I do not think that I would be able to decide which one is be!er.
The Voice Editors-in-Chief: Caitlin Snavely and David Lee Executive Editor: Amelia Wells Senior Editor: Nicolas Kemper Assistant Editors: Emily Cuddy, Rebecca Gilmore, and Brooke Vi!or Tech Editor: Axel Shum Chief Photo Editors: Alex Curry and Lilly Sti! Business Managers: Jordan Payne and Homayon Ghassemi Staff: Rima Abhyankar, Hunter Chamberlain, Emma Eisemann, Caroline Hodge, Shajiah Jaffri, Linnea Johnson, Paulina Pole!i, Greta Shum, Emily Smith, Stephanie Johnson, and Jack Winter Contributors: Jennifer Lee and Linnea Johnson
Brittany Weltner
“Mr. Jones. He always reminds us to wear our safety googles.”
Camellia Abou-Odah
“Mr. Craig because he’s so cool.”
Faculty Advisor: Sara Eshelbrenner Assistant Faculty Advisor: Lauren Rosenfield The Voice is the official high school newspaper of the Pembroke Hill School. 5121 State Line Road. Kansas City, Missouri, 64112. The paper is an open forum distributed to students, faculty, parents, alumni, and other members of the Pembroke Hill community nine times a year. Reader response is welcome in the form of le!ers to the editors. The Pembroke Hill School 5121 State Line Road Kansas City, MO 64112
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Trent Sterneck
“Mrs. Tullis because she is the bomb-digity.”
Andrew Black “Mrs. van Zanten because SHE is the bomb digity.”
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