The OCTOBER 2008 ISSUE III VOLUME XXV
The PHS Rundown The Voice keeps you updated with the latest events: !Sunday, October 26th Admissions Open House for Upper and Middle School 1-3 PM !Tuesday, October 28th Swiss Sem. Information Meeting at 7 PM !Friday October 31st All-School Inservice Day- No Classes for students !Saturday, November 1st SAT I and II Testing 7 AM to 1 PM Jordan Hall
VOICE
THE OFFICIAL NEWSPAPER OF THE PEMBROKE HILL UPPER SCHOOL
Murder at Pembroke Hill!
Mystery, Eccentric Characters, Crime, and Suspicious Events all are coming to our Upper School…It’s Murder in the Wings! Katie Smith Staff Writer
The trees begin to bald, the breeze begins to cool, and the Hall Student Center stage is buzzing with activity. October is not only the month of drizzly days and frightening phantoms, but also of the Upper School fall play. This year, the theater department presents It’s Murder in the Wings, a mystery-comedy chalk-full of unexpected twists, outrageous characters, and side-spli"ing laughs. The se"ing is The Wings Publishing Company, whose editor (played by Jessica Bly) plans to
Mr. Hill offers Jessica Bly and Peter Wyche, seniors, his direction at an a$erschool rehearsal. Photo credit to Sierra Stites.
thrown a gala event in celebration of signing on their newest client, Lionel Upshaw (played by Peter Wyche). However, on the day of the extravagant event, tragedy strikes the office; Maddie’s boss, Elgarth Moon, is found dead. While juggling all of the drama that comes with having a dead body in the office, a whole host of characters enter at ridiculously inopportune moments for poor Maddie and her staff. The performances are October 24th and 25th at 7:30 p.m. in the Hall Student Center Auditorium. It promises to be a night of suspense, excitement, and laughs. "
!Sunday, November 2nd Varsity Boys Soccer Districts games !Monday, November 3rd Make a Difference Monday at Operation Breakthrough 9 AM to 12 PM
Stephanie Goel, senior, poses for the camera in between rehearsing scenes. The cast practices an intense scene as best as they can. Photo credits to Sierra Stites.
Indecision ‘08: McCain or McCan’t?
Betsey Brandt Contributor
John McCain: a man dedicated to his country. Throughout his life, he has served his country and put its interests before his own, whether in the military for twentythree years or in the Senate for twentyseven years. John McCain has strong values that do not waver depending on public opinion, and he will bring real change to Washington. And you guys, he really is not that old. This article, in no particular order, will present the top five reasons to vote for John McCain in 2008. First, John McCain believes in tax cuts across the board. Tax cuts for families will increase spending and in return stimulate the economy. A revived economy would help us recover from this economic meltdown. Most importantly, McCain believes that a low corporate tax rate is vital to the future of our country. Although we once had one of the lowest tax rates in the world, it slowly increased, making the United States a tough place to own a business. A low corporate tax rate will expand the number of jobs in the United States and will also keep American businesses here where they belong. John McCain’s foreign policy will keep our country safe from future a"acks and will get us out of Iraq with victory. He realizes that the immediate withdrawal of troops from the area would result in complete chaos. Instead, John McCain plans to increase the number of troops in the Middle East to forcefully win wars in Afghanistan and in Iraq. John McCain believes that success is important, and it would be a mistake to leave before Iraq has a self-sufficient government. McCain also believes in maintaining the military advantage we have over other countries to be ready for any dangers that might arise. If Obama were to be elected, the power of the Democratic Congress would increase. With the Democrats controlling both the executive and legislative branches of our government, legislation would be passed easily. Obama would be unable or unwilling to veto bad legislation proposed by Congress. Keep in mind that this
Democratic Congress has a nine percent approval rating. A Republican president working with a Democratic Congress would not give one party an excessive amount of power. McCain also knows that fiscal discipline is the key to the future of our country. During this economic recession, McCain’s plan to cut government spending is especially important. McCain plans to balance the government budget and enforce it in every way possible. He also plans to stop earmark and pork barrel spending, and he plans to do away with any spending deemed wasteful. Finally, John McCain should be president because of his extraordinary amount of political experience. There can be no doubt that John McCain has been in the political world for quite some time. On the other hand, Barack Obama spent only twenty months in the Senate before he announced that he was running for president, and has voted “present” 131 times. If our country was a company, a man who worked that many days would only be considered for a clerk’s position. Does that sound like enough experience to be your president? I hate to rag on Obama, but his lack of any real experience is part of the reason John McCain should be president. As for Sarah Palin, I can honestly say that this Republican vice-presidential nominee has more experience than the opposing presidential nominee. In the words of Newt Gingrich, “she has been a mayor, a governor, and head of the national guard. Obama has never done anything remotely close to that.” She may be from a small town with a small population, but she still has accomplished a lot. I mean the woman can field dress a moose! And she has really cool glasses. Oh and she looks a lot like Tina Fey, which is pre"y sweet. In conclusion, although most of the students at our school cannot vote, I would like to think that they would make the right decision. John McCain for president!
Brad Bolman Contributor
When Bill Clinton le$ the office of the presidency in 2000, America possessed the largest budget surplus in the history of the United States. When George Bush leaves office, America will possess the largest national debt in history. When it comes to the 2008 election, one issue rises above the others. As Bill Clinton said, “It’s the economy, stupid,” and the economy is what John McCain just doesn’t understand. Just two days before the stock market plunged, John McCain stated that the “fundamentals of the economy are strong.” McCain’s largest talking point on the economy so far has been the need to cut down on federal earmark spending. A noble goal, indeed, but what McCain fails to acknowledge is that earmarks make up only $2 billion out of $500 billion yearly of government spending (not including the new $700 billion bailout). McCain has yet to give any specific ways in which he will pay for the new proposals that his campaign has planned, and in the second presidential debate, he even stated that he would “freeze government spending” while simultaneously “focusing on all priorities at the same time.” McCain refuses to accept that the current crisis will force his government to modify any of their policies because, plainly enough, McCain doesn’t understand the economy. McCain’s tax policy centers around maintaining the Bush tax cuts and enlarging those tax cuts so that wealthy people (LIKE ME, THANKS JOHN!) can pay relatively low taxes. What he fails to recognize is that these tax cuts unfairly burden poor and middle class Americans. Robert Freeman wrote, “The long term effects of these policies are profoundly damaging. Obama has proposed a new tax policy that would grant $1,000 in tax relief to working families; these people provide the backbone not only of our industrial output, but also of the consumer base. Obama would remove the harmful Bush tax cuts. As America perches precipitously over an economic recession, choosing a
president who understands the economy is the most vital choice voting Americans can make. Aside from the economy, Obama tops McCain on a few other issues, first of which is healthcare. Obama proposed a universal healthcare plan that would ensure that every American, regardless of previous medical history, would receive health benefits. Obama stated that health care is a “right,” but McCain called it merely a “responsibility,” indicating how unimportantly he views the problem. When questioned about his healthcare policy, McCain’s plan was merely to “get smart people together, reach across the aisle, and create a comprehensive policy.” That sounds idealistic and overly simplistic. Why? Because it is. McCain has no specific plan for providing Americans universal healthcare, and during his presidency, many Americans would be le$ uncovered and in danger of being refused coverage in the emergency room. A second issue is, ironically, the vicepresidential choice. John McCain will enter the White House as the oldest president in American history. Every morning McCain takes his medications because he has a couple of diseases of ranging severity. If McCain were ever to die in office, Sarah Palin would take over as the acting president. Sarah Palin is the same woman who had, until this point, never owned a passport and claims that her foreign policy credentials stem from her experience with and proximity to Russia. Similarly, rural Texans have foreign policy experience from their proximity to Mexico. Oh wait, no they don’t. If Obama were to die in office, Joe Biden, one of the most experienced and senior members of the Senate in terms of foreign and domestic policy, would take over. Final reason: I like peace. McCain has, on multiple occasions, sung a song about “Bombing Iran,” claimed North Korea should be obliterated, and said that America should stay in Iraq until the end of time. The only possibility for peace that the United States has is a Barack Obama presidency. Change has become a cliché, but the message is strong. If America wants to ever escape the policies of the Bush administration, elect Barack Obama in 2008!
Student Life at PHS
Raider Athletics
Student Opinons
Peggy Prui" explains the independent studies that students plan on executing this year and January Interim week. Find out what your peers are planning on studying.
Blake Pierce, junior, shares his thoughts and facts about Pembroke Hill’s varsity cross country team. Find out what XC is up to this year!
Spencer Collet, our opposition editorial editor, voices his opinions on two sides of the American voters. With which side do you agree?
STATE LINE ROAD, K ANSAS CITY, MO
FYI
2 OCTOBER2008
SCHOOL NEWS
New faculty members come to PHS. Dr. Kim Firestone Sierra Stites Staff Writer
Dr. Firestone returns to Pembroke. Photo credit to Greta Shum
It’s Dr. Firestone! Dr. Firestone has returned to Pembroke—this time as a teacher rather than a student—a!er twelve years to teach Physics and Latin I. Although she always saw herself teaching, she never saw herself teaching back here at her alma mater, even though she was voted “Most Likely to be Roaming the Halls of Pembroke Hill in Thirty Years” in her senior year. Dr. Firestone went to Pembroke from second grade all the way through twel!h, and she definitely doesn’t regret it. In fact, she says that some of the classes here are “harder than the ones I took in college!” Reflecting on her favorite memories of Pem-
Mr. Kevin Tempel Korey Haug Contributor
broke, Dr. Firestone remembered the Latin banquets with Mrs. Lacy, where the Latin I students were sold as slaves (don’t get any ideas). She also enjoyed Science Olympiad and has returned to the team as a coach! However, she wasn’t always interested in science. A!er taking physical science, she refused to take chemistry again…and ended up majoring in chemistry and receiving a post-doctorate degree in physical chemistry. In fact, Mr. Jones was the one who pushed her to take chemistry in high school. Ge#ing a doctorate in physical chemistry isn’t really a popular avenue of work for most women. In one meeting Dr. Firestone a#ended, she was the only woman among seventy men—“which was nice because everyone knew my name!” Whenever she would walk into a laboratory to work, she would be wearing a skirt, and her classmates (who were mostly male) would stare at her with looks on their faces that said, “It walks, it talks, it wears a skirt…what is it?” At Lakeside—the school where she taught in Sea#le prior to coming to Pembroke—her colleagues would joke with her, saying that she was trying to pass as a humanities teacher. For her students, it’s great having Dr. Firestone as a teacher. Having recently been a student herself, as well as having been a student here, she gets it and can empathize. “Everybody thinks that they’re so different, but everyone struggles with something,” she says. For us students, this really is great to hear. As it nears the end of the quarter, the stress level of most is nearing the breaking point. According to Dr. Firestone, we all “work way too hard.” Huh. Are any teachers reading this? Please? ! be in a school with so much trust. You just leave your backpacks laying around, and nobody takes anything.” He concluded the interview by saying, “The kids around here are very nice. I have worked many places where the people aren’t happy, and it is great to be in a place were everyone has a smile.” !
Mrs. Annie Dai Mr. Tempel smiles for the camera. Photo credit to Korey Haug
Almost everyone is aware that Pembroke has a new burly security officer patrolling the halls, but your knowledge of his background probably ends there. There’s more to Mr. Tempel than that. Ever since he was a child, Mr. Tempel knew what he wanted to do as a career. He said, “I’ve always wanted to be a police officer. My family were also members of law enforcement, and I used to go to the jail and see where all of the criminals were locked up.” During his career as a police officer, he worked the ghe#o graveyard shi! and made multiple appearances on the television show COPS. Eventually he was introduced to professional cage fighting. “I used to have a night club, and I was approached to see if I would allow cage matches,” he explained. Later, Mr. Tempel was deemed worthy to be a professional cage fighter. In fact, he is still a fighter and has participated in two fights this year. He has won both. So, all of us are wondering why, a!er his eventful life as a cop and fighter, he decided to come to Pembroke as a security guard. “I’m ge#ing old, and I can’t sustain that type of lifestyle anymore. Also, I have missed much of my daughter growing up, and I enjoy going to see her athletic games in the evenings,” he said. Now, he takes pleasure in having nights and weekends free, and he is starting to unwind. He enjoys going to Raider sporting events and other activities. “Sure, I have my uniform on, but I also really enjoy watching.” When asked what he will do to make the school safer, he responded by saying that there wasn’t much to do and that the school was pre#y safe already. “Why fix something that isn’t broken?” he said. He also added, “You all are lucky to
Korey Haug Contributor
Mrs. Dai arrives at Pembroke Hill. Photo credit to Pembroke Hill website
It is with great pleasure to introduce one of PHS’s newest faculty members, Mrs. Dai. She joins the Pembroke Hill community from China to teach Mandarin Chinese. She has always wanted to be a teacher so that she “can read the Chinese writings.” However she never thought that teaching would take her to another country, “When I was a child, I didn’t think that someday I would come to America.” According to her, “all Chinese people want to come to America to have a look, and when we get the chance, we come here.”When Mrs. Dai isn’t teaching, she is traveling. “I love traveling! As many places as I can and as many countries as I can, and meet interesting people.” She has been to a variety of places including England, Sweden as well as other European countries, and now America. Mrs. Dai is very excited about teaching here at Pembroke, and hopes to become one of the veteran teachers. She explains that, “this school is the best one in this area.” She is looking forward to a great year. !
Homecoming 2008 Recap
Flowers, dresses, pre#y girls, studly men, and balloons. Homecoming 2008 was quite a blast! Photo credit to Elizabeth You.
One Big Running Family
The runners take a break from their meet to make a human pyramid. Photo credit to Ms. Rosenfield.
Blake Pierce Contributor It starts way back in June. If any high school cross country runner really wants to excel in the sport, then he or she has to train in the summer. Most cross country runners do track in the spring and continue their training through the summer. Since I play lacrosse in the spring, my cross country training starts in the summer. It’s tough to force yourself to run in the summer. Summertime is filled with fun, vacations, sleeping in, relaxing, and just taking it easy. You can easily look at the fall and think, “Oh, that’s so far away; I’ll just run later.” It is also hot and sunny in the summer. And when you start running, it gets really hot, and really sunny. Lots of people say, “I saw you guys running on Ward Parkway yesterday,” and “Nice job at the meet last weekend.” But few realize the amount of training that went on all summer long just to get to the fall season. The real fun part of cross country starts when the season starts. Running as a team is much more fun than practicing alone. We are always spreading “Team Love” by going to breakfast together a!er Saturday morning long runs and having team dinners before meets. There is a meet about every week to look forward to. The meets during the season don’t count towards anything in terms of going to state. As Mr. Medlock says, they are “glorified speed workouts.” There are two races that really count—Districts and State. But that doesn’t mean I don’t take the regular season meets seriously. The whole season of training is geared towards State. But while I train
Art of the Issue
during the week, I’m always thinking of the next meet. When you’re spent a!er sprinting eleven 400m repeats, I like to think that busting out that final twel!h repeat is the one that will put you above the rest for that meet. I also consider who will be racing at the next meet. What teams and/or individuals do I/we need to take care of? The top two teams and top fi!een individuals at the district meet qualify for state. What will it take to get there? This year for the boy’s District race, St. Pius has a very solid team and will most likely take 1st. We will be ba#ling it out with Maryville and Lawson for that 2nd place spot. It will take every bit of effort from each runner if we want to be there. The girls’ side should be able to take care of business at Districts, thanks to a large group of new girl recruits. We are a young team with a tremendous group of freshman. There are four freshmen boys who have exceeded my expectations on the varsity level- Nathan Wagner, Kevin Hornbeck, Robert Sorrell, and Nelson Colle#. I wish I could be on the team long enough to see these guys take the team to a new level in the next few years. Freshmen Michelle Heidgerken, Madison Thrane, Ellie Bremer, and Megan O’Laughlin have also made great contributions to the girls’ side, which is led by Lilly Fisher this year. A race is truly excruciating, and breathing a!erward is impossible. A!er that, you finally get to relax and gorge on bagels and food inside the tent. I always look forward to this time to reflect back on the race with my teammates and just enjoy the feeling of my post-exhaustion race sensation. A!er that day is over, it’s back to practice and looking on to the next meet. !
By Claire O’Laughlin, senior Art Focus student
FORUM
3
OPPOSITION AND EDITORIAL
OCTOBER2008
Talkin’ about a Revolution. Brad Bolman Contributor Much like new seasons of my favorite television shows (*cough* Lost *cough*), Pembroke Hill has the incredible ability to dissapoint me with the changes made each new season. The changes this year, considering Pembroke’s historically, pre-historic take on technology (I’m looking at you, Oregon Trail 2 in 5th grade!), center around increasing and, also surprisingly, decreasing our use of new-fangled technological devices. I know the question that you are jumping to ask—yes, we finally upgraded from Word 2000 to Word 2003. I was just as excited as you. But EVEN bigger changes were afoot this time around. *Gasp* How wide Wi-Fi? The largest of these big changes (other than that Cafe, of course, which refuses to accept my patronage because it refuses to accept my credit card) was the introduction of Wi-Fi Internet access for all the students who desired to finally be able to turn on their laptops at school and log directly on to the World Wide Web, well, except for those people without laptops. Oh, and it’s only for people with Windows laptops.
(Seriously, it’s not like Apple’s market-share is growing faster than any other company. Oh wait, it is!) Oh, and it’s also only for people who spend their entire school day si!ing inside the Commons. Jump for joy you sliding seniors! Well, wait right there Brad, maybe Wi-Fi is just a gi" for the hardest working of Pembroke’s illustrious students. Maybe, but I’ll wager that even the hardest working upperclass(people) aren’t the ones with enough time to surf Facebook in the Commons.
that you will not really use it.”
The Forced Choice
Indeed, while this choice originally seems an expansion of freedom, the gi" of Wi-Fi is, as Marcel Mauss describes it in his famous book, The Gi", part of a reciprocal exchange, i.e. we accept the gi" of wi-fi but give up our ability to fully use it everywhere. Under this framework, we can view every ‘expansion’ of our freedom at school as an a!empt to nullify, pacify, even eliminate, our anger at our real lack of freedom. Is it not very peculiar that the ‘gi"’ of Wi-Fi comes at the same time that dress codes are strengthened, at the same time that cell phone penalties are increased, at the same time that iPods are banned?
If you are anyone else (well, I’ll be, that’s me!), you can justifiably raise your hand and say that you are just a li!le bit ticked-off. And rightly so, fine student, because this (is injustice too strong?) injustice is exemplary of a theme that I’ve noticed has become more and more pronounced with every year that I get closer to leaving this institution of higher learning: “Freedom with responsibility” is a lie. Well, no. That’s not exactly right. As Slovenian psychoanalyst Slavoj Zizek said: “What is this famous ‘freedom with responsibility’ if not a new version of the good old paradox of forced choice: you are given a freedom of choice [on condition that you make the right choice; you are given freedom] on condition
That, I think, is exactly what “freedom with responsibility” is becoming: we have all the freedom we could ever want, so long as we only make the choice forced upon us. More bluntly, we are only free so long as we accept the freedom that the school decides we deserve. “You have the freedom to gain access to Wi-Fi, so long as you only use it in the Commons.” The Gi"
I view the strengthening of the punishments for use of cellphones and iPods a direct contradiction of the mo!o that is supposed to permeate throughout our school,
not just for the students, but also for the faculty and administration. We do not have the freedom to have our cellphones, as they are o"en taken and put in a bucket. In other words, our choice of freedom denotes how inherently not free we are. Conversely, the school is not responsible in the wake of our irresponsibility: a detention should not correspond to one student forge!ing to turn off their ringers before biology. Warnings, lunch duties, detentions, all of these a!empts to rehabilitate merely refine and encourage ‘criminal’ activity. Nearly all who frequently get detentions no longer view it as punishment. The iPod policies (specifically the section that bans the use of iPods even in the library) does not even hide behind some image of improving discipline. It is a DIRECT violation of our freedom. Why should the mo!o not be violated both ways? Are we really to hold ourselves to a lower ethical and moral ground than the administration? Now certainly, as we are students at a private school, the administration certainly possesses the ability to drastically reduce our in-school rights, but they should do so openly, so that our parents, our students, our clubs and organizations might also be able to openly address these issues. Instead, we are stuck in a limbo where each violation of
our freedom must be addressed by some new ‘gi"’ to pacify our rebellious tendencies. Every year, Dr. Bellis gives a speech on the first day of school, usually proposing some ideal by which I ought to hold myself to throughout the year. If we were to ask for the inverse of this (what we students give to the faculty and administration as our ‘ideal’ of how they ought to act in the school year) we would find nothing. I think now is the time for that ‘ideal.’ I certainly do not claim to speak for everyone, but, at the same time, I claim that as just another student of the mass, my word is, in a way, the word of every student. The ideal that we ought to hold the faculty to—you maintain our freedom if we maintain our responsibility. Give us back our iPods, as long as we do not listen to them while a teacher is lecturing. Give us Internet in every room in the building and for every type of computer. That, or drop any pretenses of this mo!o and state simply that, ‘This school deprives every student who enters its doors of certain freedoms, and that you, as students, may never hope to get these freedoms back.’ Perhaps you might laugh and say that that mo!o is ridiculous! Perhaps, even unfair! Yet it is o"en the truth that is hardest to confront. The Golden Rule is tarnished. Maybe it is time for a revolution. !
Community Service is a Must, Must, Must Rima Abhyankar Editor in Chief As we enter the fall and winter months, we may be overwhelmed by all the events taking place. Whether the election, Thanksgiving break, or those looming finals we are all dreading, it is evident that this time of the year is undoubtedly our busiest. While we live our busy lives, it is rather easy to forget about all ma!ers not concerning ourselves. However, our busy schedules should not be enough to forget the rest of our community. We must not disregard our capability as young and able people to be!er our community, primarily through community service. Mohammed Ali once remarked, “The service you do for others is the rent
you pay for the time you spend on earth.” As Pembroke Hill students, blessed with our two picture-perfect campuses with every resource and amenity we could desire, our time on earth has certainly been a great one, and so the rent that we pay must be greater. Despite our college-preparatory course requirements, our minimum community service requirement is set at sixty hours. Although sixty hours may seem a lot when considering the amount of free time we are barely able to schedule, sixty hours over the course of four years is certainly not difficult. According to our upper school transcript, over 86% of us exceed that requirement, which is amazing, but why stop there? Pembroke Hill’s Community Service Board’s purpose is to help students
find opportunities for service in our community. Whether volunteering at St. Mary’s Soup Kitchen or tutoring other Pembroke Hill students, there are a myriad of ways to pay our rent to the community. Also, exceeding the mere fi"een hours that we are required to for the year also can earn us a President’s Volunteer Service Award, which honors specific members who can contribute at least one hundred hours to the community. While this three-figure number may seem a bit out of reach at first, we must keep in mind that this includes the summer months. The program also offers scholarships to students if ten percent of the school’s student body can meet the requirement. To the fourteen percent of us who do not exceed these sixty hours, community service is certainly more than is thought.
We all know that doing community service is more than just that requirement that we need to receive our diplomas or impress colleges. Community service can be more than just volunteering at soup kitchens or animal shelters. Take Kate McKay, junior, for example; she dedicated her last summer to producing a fashion show for Operation Breakthrough that featured Pembroke students as models. Not only was she able to further explore with her devotion to fashion, but she also was able to raise awareness and money for charity. Our passions can easily become acts of community service- it only takes our initiative. Sixty years from now, in our aged and weathered frames, when we think back to our youth, we will want to be remembered for doing something great. A spirit devoted to improving our society is the best legacy to leave behind. !
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VOICES FEATURED ARTICLES
OCTOBER 2008
American Voters: Really Dumb or Genius Spencer Collet Assistant Editor This just in, Senator Edwards has a mistress. This just in Sarah Palin’s daughter is pregnant, this just in Barack Obama’s wife said she is just now proud to be an American and his pastor said GD America. This just in there is a woman on one ticket and a black man on the other. All of these things in no way aect a candidate’s ability to lead but for some reason American voters seem to judge our candidates on them. Politics has become entertainment for some American voters. There are an increasing number of people who receive their political views and news from pundits and pulpits. New shows like the News Hour, who have for years been as neutral as they possibly can, receive numbers that rival Bush’s approval rating. My question to the American voting public is why do we care so much about who are candidate is, or who gives us our news? The answer would be, from some voters at least, that they want a candidate that they can see at a backyard barbeque/ have a beer with. OK that makes total sense. If you honestly believe that please call me the next time you see President Bush at your local neighborhood bar. By the way, I do not condone underage drinking by saying that. The verbage of the Declaration of Independence more or less states that participation is in our government is not only our right but also our obligation. We are given the right to vote and thus it is our responsibility to make an informed decision about who we would like to lead our nation. Theoretically we are supposed to be objective and choose the leader who best represents the quality of leadership necessary to protect our nation. The personal lives of our candidates, which for some odd reason we seem to be obsessed with, have no bearing on their ability to lead. I am disappointed that in the first election in which I am eligible to vote that I have more dirt on the candidates than I have on my classmates, and Pembroke Hill gossips quite a bit. Wake up. America is ge!ing to be more obsessed with pop culture and the personal lives of our political figures than the policy itself. Julie Schieder, who trains freshman Senators and Congressmen told me that policy in politics is dead. Sadly that’s true simply because of what eats up our airtime in election years. John F. Kennedy is looked upon as one of our nations greatest presidents, and greatest playboys. I care about his policies as President. What do you care about?
Spencer Collet Assitant Editor
The “you� in “I Want You!� could be questionable. Photo credit to Google Images.
I would like to say that American voters are among the smartest in the world. They know their place in the American electorate, as in unless you live in a ba!leground state your presidential vote does not directly count. There are so many other things that we can do on Election Day that is more productive than voting. We can watch television and stimulate our minds, we can sit on our couches and relax our bodies, and we can laugh at political commentary as it deliberately chastises our political apathy. Let’s be realistic. We all know that it’s more fun to not vote and complain about a candidate than have a real stake in it ourselves. Apart from our lack of participation those citizens who are squares and wait in line to vote take more than just a candidates political views into the voting booth. We care about the character and morality of our presidential candidates. I believe that American voters are intelligent and diligent in the pursuit of truth. That’s right there is no such thing as private business. Take Bristol Palin for example. Rewarding a candidate with a pregnant daughter will only encourage the Juno eect. Did any of you see that movie? If the eect continues unhindered our nation’s teenage girls will begin walking like dudes, using incredibly bad phrases like, “For shiz up the spout,â€? and start talking on hamburger phones. Not to mention they will start listening to music by a band named a#er spoiling fruit and by the way their one song that people know is not music it’s just noise. American voters are smart because we are among the most educated people in the World. We realize that democracy is the only government and we show our support by choosing not to exercise the right that so many other people in the world would like to have. What fun would voting be if we participated when others cannot? It’s far more fun have the right and throws it away because we take it for granted. Way to go America. That whole Revolution thing that gave us autonomy and self-government that was so eighteenth century. We are smarter now, and with that wisdom we realize that participation is not necessary because everybody else will vote. My one li!le vote is never going to ma!er.
Out and About: A Review of Arthur Bryant’s Write for
Corrie Vesely Assistant Editor
It’s fair to say that I’m not much of a baseball fan. The basics of the game I get—three strikes and you’re out, nine innings to a game, and the team with the most runs wins. But I won’t be able to explain the nuances of the infield fly rule or how a ba!er can run to first base a#er swinging at a third strike just because the catcher dropped the ball. Until last summer I thought “scoring positionâ€? referred to something my sister warned me about before 9th grade prom. You get the picture. Although I’m not a Royals fan that is not to say that I don’t enjoy going to a game a Kauman Stadium with my dad. He does have the ultimate seats—four rows up from the visitor’s on-deck circle—but that’s not my motivation. While I admit that seeing Derek Jeter, Pujols, Big Papi and others from a few feet away is pre!y cool, it is the ritual pre-game stop at Arthur Bryant’s BBQ on the way to the game that really entices me. Arthur Bryant’s BBQ is easy to find. The original BBQ joint is on Brooklyn
Avenue, just south of Interstate 70, exit #3. The Negro Leagues Baseball Museum and Kansas City’s Jazz District are just around the corner. Believe me when I say that the restaurant is nothing fancy. You stand in line to place your order with the men behind the counter in the kitchen. During lunch and dinner hours, the line can be long, so be ready when it’s your turn to order. He guys taking the orders and dishing out the BBQ are a bit short on patience and seem to enjoy admonishing customers who are indecisive. (See “Soup Naziâ€? on Seinfeld) The dinning roomâ€? at Bryant’s is very simply—tables, chairs, a few plants and overhead lighting. There are no table cloths or background music. There isn’t a wait sta. At Bryant’s, hungry customers tare there for the basic Kansas City BBQ—ribs, brisket, turkey, and ham, all slow-smoked (hickory and oak) on the premises and served with fries, slaw, beans, pickle slices, and plenty of your choice of two original sauces—original or rich and spicy. Bryant’s has been serving up KC’s best BBQ sing 1930 and has served the likes of Steven Spielberg, Sally Field, Jack Nicholson, and a peanut farmer from Athens, Georgia, who was the 39th president of our country. See the photo gallery as you work your way toward the front of
the serving line. My recommendation to anyone headed to Bryant’s for BBQ is the “combo sandwich.� For $7.00 you get three or four slices of bread separated by at least twelve ounces of two meats of your choosing. You can opt for any of the following—beef, pork, smoked turkey, ham or sausage. The meat is sliced too order as you pass through the ordering line. Don’t forget—be ready with you order when it is your turn!! Add some fries and pink lemonade and you’re well on your way to Kansas City BBQ heaven. For the BBQ purists, Arthur Bryant’s is most famous for their ribs. Slow-smoked the same way for 78 years, the ribs are a Bryant’s specialty that are great eaten on site or wrapped in paper and taken to the ballpark. I should not that there are now three Arthur Bryant’s in Kansas City. There is one at The Legends Shopping Center and a third at one of the casinos. In my opinion, The Bryant’s at the Legends was disappointing—smaller portions and lacking the “ambience� of the original “joint� down on Brooklyn Avenue. If you want the full Arthur Bryant’s experience—make the drive to 1727 Brooklyn Avenue and be sure to go hungry—and be ready when it is your turn to order!
The Voice Dear Pembroke Hill Studets, Hey. My name is Spencer Collet ,and I am the Editorial page editor. Every issue I will be writing some sort of editorial, joking or serious, about whatever seems to be important at the time. What makes this page an op-ed page is that there is an opposition to my editorial writing. Every issue I will announce my choice for editorial well before the article deadline. Please submit articles to run opposite mine. Email all articles to voice.phs@ gmail.com. Get out and write. Spencer Collet Op-ed page editor Senior, 2009
Liberate our leaders
Abolishing the One Presidency Rule David Kemper Senior Editor It’s time to drop the one-presidency rule at Pembroke Hill. The limitation, restricting a student to holding only one major club or publication position (president, vicepresident or an editorship), is a direct contradiction to the school’s mo!o, “freedom with responsibility.â€? Give a student the freedom to decide if she or he is capable enough to handle the responsibilities of multiple oďŹƒcer-ships. Just take the words of former president Benton C. Glaze, ‘07, on the rule, “It’s a damn fool idea. By taking away the freedom for students involved in certain clubs and organizations to make that decision, you’re limiting the responsibility that they have in choosing good oďŹƒcers for the leadership core.â€? “And it causes us to lash out.â€? added Zack Buckner, ‘07. Benton continued, “it doesn’t allow the people who are really involved and want to be involved in multiple things. Essentially, if you’re running for more than one presidency, you’re either one of those jerks who wants a really cool resume or you’re generally interested in whatever you’re doing, and those are the kind of people you want involved, because if they’re willing to go out and become president or editor in chief of more than one club, then they really want to be doing what they want to be doing.â€? Benton oered two explanations for the rule’s existence: “Either they want to have lots of people be presidents to build their resumes, or they want to get
more people involved.� Ge!ing more people involved is one of the most commonly heard defenses of the one-presidency rule. Yet, o#en the results of this a!empt to artificially spread the leadership of the school amongst more students are detrimental to the clubs, as noted by Zack. “There are already a lot of apathetic leaders of clubs. Even with the one-rule, there are people who run for clubs because noone else runs for the club or because there aren’t enough people who are intelligent enough. There are clubs I’d go to where I’d be like, ‘hey, you want to do this?’ and they’d be like, uh, I’m just president because noone else wants to be. I would have run for multiple club presidencies had they let me,� he added. “If they’re capable of doing a great job, what’s the problem?� said Benton. Let’s take heed and move the school forward. Let an aspiring student do what he’s passionate about. Let the students have the freedom to decide if they are capable of handling the workload of multiple presidencies, and give the club constituents the freedom to vote for whatever candidate they so wish. Club elections are meant to choose the new leaders from all of those who want to lead, not just those who aren’t leading anything else. If balancing the workload might be a problem, the concern should factor into the elect-ability of a candidate. Give the students freedom with which to be responsible and liberate our future leaders from the one-presidency rule.
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FEATURE SCHOOL FEATURE PAGE
OCTOBER 2008
Discover the ‘do: What’s in a hairstyle?
Delving into the depths of certain teachers’ minds can be daunting—except when it comes to personal maintenace. How o!en do you get your hair cut? Are you a Great Clips person, or do you like something a li"le more high-end? Niermann: I get my hair cut about every 4-5 weeks or whenever my wife tells me I look shaggy. As for my barber, I go for something a li"le lower end. I go to Red’s Barber Shop in old Overland Park. For $12 I’m in and out in 15 minutes – unless there is a line. No appointments. Griffiths: I don’t get haircuts as o#en as I should… over the past year I have probably go"en 8 haircuts. I have experienced Great Clips (I think I got a coupon in the mail for a $3.50 haircut I couldn’t pass up), but in general I go to Brookside Barber. I cannot justify spending more than $10 or $12 for a haircut at the high-end places. Bass: I haven’t had a professional haircut since the 80’s. I cut my own hair when I notice strands of hair are sticking out further than others. Reams: Since I’ve gone short I have to get it cut more o#en, like every 4 weeks or so, but now I’m growing it out, I think. I’m definitely not a high end kinda girl, but not great clips either…I’m middle…my girl does it for like $35. How many steps are there to your hair-care regime? Do you condition as well as shampoo? Niermann: I shampoo with whatever shampoo happens to be in the shower. It could be my kids’ shampoo, or my wife’s shampoo, or a bar of soap if nothing else is available. I comb it. It air dries (no blow drying allowed since I’m sure it will sap what li"le machismo I have). Then I run that fiber gunk through my hair. That’s it. Griffiths: Let’s see… shampoo my hair, every now and then I condition, um… that’s it. Bass: Step 1: Use whatever you have the most of in the shower. I make no distinction between shampoo, conditioner, or soap. Step 2: Massage into scalp and bring to lather. Step 3: Rinse and repeat if desired. Step 4: Gently Towel dry Step 5: Apply mousse and comb with fingers. Reams: Oh dear, again, I’m soooo not the high maintenance woman on this…I just shampoo, then condition, with whatever brand I’ve bought recently! What comments have your friends/students/colleagues made about your hair? Niermann: They are amazed I haven’t lost it yet. I think this is the first time I’ve been asked about my hair. Except for the time when I went to Great Clips (Red’s was closed) and I got a haircut that made me look like I lost a bet. Griffiths: Most of my colleagues say get a haircut… they don’t like it long. I have had mixed responses from friends and students, some like it long and some like it short. When we started dating, my girlfriend said she didn’t want to date a military man (apparently the short hair was shorter than I thought), and I tried the long hair out. She likes it long and would prefer for it to be longer. Bass: I don’t get many comments about my hair. When I had long hair people used to ask me if I got it permed. More recently, I’ve had a few people ask if I dye my hair, but now that I’m ge"ing gray hair I probably won’t hear that again. Reams: Everyone seems to like it be"er short…except for my husband. My students tend to notice when I get it cut…but that’s because I have the most observant students in the entire school, of course! :) What is the craziest thing you have ever done to your hair? (long- and/or short-term) Niermann: I got a $40 haircut Griffiths: When I was about 8, I convinced my parents to let me get a quasi-mohawk (kind of like what Brian Bosworth had). We then made a deal that if I qualified for some big swim meet I could dye my hair green and white to match the team colors. So for a while there I had a green and white quasi-mohawk. Bass: When my wife and I were first dating, I would do anything to see her smile, and I once let her put my hair in hot rollers. Reams: When I was in middle school I decided to cut my hair like Cyndi Lauper, who at the time had it all long except for one side it was cut extremely short…so I was lop-sided for a while. Oh, the 80’s!! What is your preference: gel, mousse, pomade, or wax? Niermann: I think I have to go with wax because it lasts longer so it ends up being cheaper. (Do I sound like a cheapskate or what?!) Griffiths: I don’t think I like any of those choices. The simpler the hair is the be"er. I also don’t like how gel and other stuff makes your hair feel greasy, stiff, and gross. Bass: I’ll go with mousse. You get more for your money. Reams: Mousse or gel, I’m very picky about the wax feel on my hands…yuck!
If you could have anyone’s hair, whose hair would you have? Why? Niermann: Carlos Bass Griffiths: Marge Simpson, that hair defies the laws of physics… although Robert Redford does have some good looking hair in “The Natural”. Bass: During quite moments alone I sometimes wonder what it would be like to have Dr. Niermann’s hair. Maybe you guys could Photoshop a picture of me with his hair for this article. Reams: hmmm…I would have to go with Christina Applegate…it’s cute straight or curly. (Yes, I’m old school, like the curly hair!) How spe long n sign ds mo does i t Nie ificant re tim take rma e y o t I pu nn: her? on hi ou to so defi t this g It tak r h do you e er h nite e s n abo eric Gri air: r hair? u ffi ly ta b you W hea ths: A kes lo rand t 30 se or y ho “fib d n c I sp out o coupl ger. er ” onds. our e e f in m A# is p nd mo the sh of sec e y r hair r i o o and e"y lo re time wer. nds… . M t dries wm Sur o y I s u n b wif c p as Bas m h. aint r e s ena y hair isingly ically nev : My w s n tha h c e a e n er t k n o wh fixi ime ife sp en i my g ugh, I e my n e irlfr t co thin Rea g my h d it, b nds m m i k es t end. ut I m o o co 15 m s: I’m air. She bet re time s m i q I etic w spe I als nutes uick s nd ith he ,m n o cu abo r ha t hi y hus ow tha u i s fo r t b t . 60 r hi and s it’s sh seco I’ve m. ( p nds hid ends m ort. I sp den tale ore tim end m nt!) e on ay his, be but
What is your favorite hair product? Niermann: Hair Care Fiber at HyVee for $4.99 Griffiths: Dapper Dan Hair Care Product… “Well, as soon as we get ourselves cleaned up and we get a li"le smellum in our hair, why, we’re gonna feel 100% be"er about ourselves and about life in general.”
“Are you Jesus?” Photo credit to Mr. Bass.
Mrs. Reams is picture-perfect! Photo credit to Mrs. Reams.
Bass: Saliva Reams: I must have my mousse… my hair is limp as can be! What is the most awkward thing someone has asked or said with regard to your hair? Niermann: “Did you pay for that haircut?” Griffiths: Recently I found out that Coach Knopik’s daughter refers to me as Gilderoy Lockhart because of my hair. I suppose that’s awkward for me. Bass: When I had long hair, “Are you Jesus?” Reams: When my step daughter claimed to have found a gray hair…not ready for that yet!
Dr. Niermann with his dream hair, that is, Mr. Bass’ grunge hair. Photo credit to Rima Abhyankar
What is your favorite hair product? Niermann: Hair Care Fiber at Hy-Vee for $4.99 Griffiths: Dapper Dan Hair Care Product… “Well, as soon as we get ourselves cleaned up and we get a li"le smellum in our hair, why, we’re gonna feel 100% be"er about ourselves and about life in general.” Bass: Saliva Reams: I must have my mousse…my hair is limp as can be!
What was your hair like in high school? College? Niermann: My hair in college and high school was the same as it is now. I don’t think I have changed my hair style since I had hair. The only thing that has changed is the color. When I was an infant my hair was red. If I’m in the sun a lot, my hair gets really blonde. Griffiths: In high school it was a classic nineties look; long hair parted down the middle. In college I shaved it all off one time and went with the buzz cut, then I grew it out a li"le and went with the short hair with gel. Bass: As soon as I graduated high school, I grew my hair really long. All of my idols at the time had long hair. I was reading a lot about the Cuban revolution and must have been inspired by Ché Guevara. I was also really into music. It was the grunge era and you just couldn’t look cool in the mosh pit, or do the heavy metal head bang if you didn’t wear flannels and long hair. Reams: PERMED!!! Much lighter in color (got darker with each baby) and I even went through the mall bang phase. What would it take for you to shave your head? Niermann: Another bad haircut from Great Clips Griffiths: Not too much… although monetary incentive is always a good reason to shave your head. Bass: It probably wouldn’t take much for me to shave my head. I’ve done it a few times before. Although, I once saw a photo of me with a shaved head, and I have to say that it was an extremely scary sight. I think back on that image every time I get the urge to shave it again. Reams: Um…approval from my husband and a whole lot of money!!! !
Mr. Griffiths masters the “shaggy” look very well. Photo credit to Greta Shum
What would you do to your hair today if you knew that, when you wake up tomorrow, it would be back to normal? Niermann: Grow it long. Then the next day I’d shave my head. Then the next day I’d like a spiked mohawk. Griffiths: I think maybe those big spikes that punk-rockers have. Those are cool. Bass: Flock of Seagulls Reams: Get extensions and go strawberry blonde! How fun would that be!!
Dr. Niermann’s haircut is fit for the presidency. Photo credit to Pembroke Hill website.
Mr. Bass would look great with Dr. Niermann’s hair. We took out his beard to dramatize the effect. The result? Awesome. Photo credit to Pembroke Hill
THE HILL
6
THE BACK PAGE MIX
OCTOBER 2008
Learning independently
Peggy Pruitt delves into the world of Pembroke HIll’s Independent Study programs offered at Pembroke] which were not available during my free periods.” Michael Dieterle, now a Pembroke Hill allows junior, spent his sophomore year students to practice extracurricular in the UMKC lab of Dr. McCluskey research into myriad passions performing independent research through the Independent Study on Neurospora Crassa, a relatively program. Sometimes these projects unknown but apparently are for credit and show up on fascinating organism. He did not college transcripts, but students receive credit last year, but this frequently choose to pursue a nonyear continues a more in-depth credit Independent Study. Ms. study with the hope of credit. Last Erickson serves as the non-credit year his findings were published Independent Study coordinator. in a scientific journal, no small feat Dozens of thoughtful students for a tenth grader. Dieterle doesn’t grabbed Independent Study particularly expect checklists from anyone to follow Erickson’s desk in his footsteps, in the Kemper and he likes the library, and many uniqueness of his devised projects project. according to their A trip to interests. New York City is Diverse required for Katie fields of study Greenbaum, who range from will intern with scientific research the director of to foreign Public Relations at politics and the fashion designer fashion industry. Versace. The Students shadow senior will spend professionals, her 2009 Jan Term hold internships, week soaking up and even do the atmosphere their own of the fashion investigations. world and doing O#en these whatever she is ventures take told, but this is place during familiar territory January Interim. for Greenbaum. In Shajiah 2007 she interned Jaffri, senior, with a friend at originally Yves Saint Laurent, wanted to travel and last year she to Pakistan in did the same at W Jan Term 2008 magazine. These to study the experiences appeal educational to her because she system. A#er the likes “thinking assassination of outside of the Benazir Bhu"o box” in addition in December to the professional ’07, however, experience. her focus shi#ed Kate McKay designed and constructed dresses as an indepedent study However, her to the political project last year. Photo credit to David Kemper. project’s nonsystem. Jaffri, credit status born in Pakistan, wanted to know more about her on your resume, but it doesn’t go makes it harder to find employers. As Greenbaum says, “It limits home country. Since the timing on your transcript at all.” options because it’s not for credit,” A# er enjoying of her trip coincided with such a significant moment in history, Photography I the first semester and it “doesn’t look as strong” on she “wanted to see what could of the 07-08 school year, Ericka applications and resumes. Independent Study have caused so much instability.” Shubert wanted to continue She spent a total of two weeks in learning about the art. “I really liked projects culminate in papers the students’ Pakistan, and she appreciated the it, but I couldn’t fit it into the next describing extra time she was able to spend in semester,” says Schubert, a junior. experiences, as well as an oral Instead, she served as a “photo presentation one to two weeks the country, thanks to Jan Term. Emma Sorrell and assistant” at Hallmark under a#er the completion of the Aubrey Thrane had no room in Steve Wilson. She had to take fi#y study. Exceptional projects are their senior schedules for a French projects per night for her portfolio. recognized at the end-of-the-year class, but both wished to retain Hers, too, was a non-credit awards assembly. Shajiah Jaffri and their French. The solution was Independent Study. According to Michael Dieterle earned special a year-long Independent Study her, earning grade credit “would recognition for their work, as well that includes carrying on French be awesome. Unfortunately, it as Kate McKay, who designed conversations and tutoring young didn’t happen. My project was too and constructed dresses using Francophiles through St. Paul’s close to Photo courses [already nontraditional materials. ! Peggy Pruitt Staff Writer
French teacher Madame Bo"oni. Emma says that the Independent Study label on their project motivates them with due dates and deadlines. Otherwise, such hobbies can become neglected, and the French in 10 Minutes a Day winds up gathering dust. Sorrell and Thrane are also doing their project for non-credit. Points definitely make the projects work and more of a chore, but a partial credit system “would be great,” says Sorrell. She adds, “If you want to show that you did this [Independent Study], it has to go
Better food · Negotiate with terrorists ·Calling all young females” Be kind and gentle! Open to you sisters. You will need each other. Do not judge each other. Be wise—and celebrate yourselves. The world will work against you. You—you sisters—work together! A mom, a sister · Bacon and egg bagels would be very positive addition to the commons café menu · Survey who does their housework/chores · Better food in café · Screw technology · Faster lunch line · kids at the lunch before 12:10 to hurry up · Try to be as good as the Pinnacle · New bleachers for football and soccer field · You shouldn’t get a detention for being absent · Cheaper supplies and food at bookstore · The Wu-Tang Clan should come to Pembroke · Obama should come to PHS · I hate work, I hate Hythloday, and I hate creative poems about Shakespeare characters · Better lunch · make prom cheaper · Environmental car pool · Let’s get together and fee-eel all right · Let students use their PHS accounts for bookstore food · I think there should be 5 senior skip days · Have a hug day · Drill Baby Drill · No lowerclassmen in commons · Poker in the commons · Learn French · free your body, mind and soul · Gblood versus Homicide in the commons · Sushi bar in the lunch room · Ride the
SUGGESTIONS
metro · Talk to strangers · Lower tuition · Tetherball courts · Baguette & Brie/Camembert in the lunchroom · keep the library open till 6pm. Stop the security guards from trying to kick students outside · couches be reserved for seniors only · I suggest both doors be opened in the morning · Left turn arrow onto State Line · Get a pool and keep shamu in it as a pet · get Wi Fi working ALL the time in the commons · Stay the course · Read the English books so that class is more interesting · AP only classes · Be creative · Let us play music in the commons · Smile more · Provide in school meditation classes · Find someone to teach break dancing classes again for Janterm · Mark my words · Be more learned · teachers should take it easier on first semester seniors · Get rid of security · Hug more trees · Change the chorale time back! NOW · Back to the old lunch service · Let people buy soda during lunch · Cross country should be 7 months long · Toaster in cafe · Buy Cutco! Call Solsen (816) 305-2111 · Stop wasting paper. Go green · Label the foods in the cafeteria · The term “LOL” should be banned from usage, punishable by US Law · Smaller classes · Lower prices in cafe · No more homework · Persevere · Come to the fhockey games cuz we sha-boo-ya · Credit card in commons cafe · Post the directions of how to make Mac’s internet work on the Wi-Fi in the commons · Make me sweat less when I run · Soap dispensers in the Pierson Gym boys’ showers... or maybe just a complete do-over of the showers. The girls have such nicer ones... not fair · Bacon in the lunchroom · t quarter fine · The Royals deserve respect ·
Once is surely worth a look. Corrie Vesely Assistant Editor The modern Irish musical Once defied convention in 2007 to become a popular and critically acclaimed film. Set on the streets of Dublin, the musical features Glen Hansard (of the musical band The Frames) and Marketa Irglova as struggling musicians. Hansard, in his father’s shop, is a full-time vacuum repairman by day, and at night he sings and plays guitar on one of Dublin’s busy streets. It is there that he encounters the irrepressible Irglova, a Czech immigrant musician sustaining herself by peddling flowers on the same busy street. The next day, Hansard repairs Irglova’s broken Hoover, and they are soon collaborating on the task of writing the lyrics to some of Hansard’s incomplete works. At a local music store where she is allowed to borrow a piano, Irglova quickly learns his music and de#ly completes the musical score. Much of Hansard’s music concerns his previous failed romance. With Irglova’s help, within a week he is able to face his history of unrequited love while mustering the energy and money to make a demo of his music and pursue his musical dream. All this is accomplished before the backdrop of Irglova’s complicated past and a budding flirtation between the two musicians.
The movie’s ending is unexpected, revealing how the two musicians were both deeply affected by their short time together. Once is a remarkable cinematic achievement. During an era of extravagant motion pictures with mega-budgets, this film was produced with $160,000. Neither lead is a professional actor—both are musicians. The film was shot in seventeen days. The street scenes were done without permits, utilizing telephoto lenses so that many “extras” were really passerbys oblivious to the fact that they were being photographed in this film. The actors reported that the long lenses also allowed them to relax. Lighting was all-natural since the film was shot entirely without the benefit of costly artificial lighting. Many of the scenes were filmed in Hansard’s flat in Dublin. Despites the shoestring budget, the non-professional actors, and short shoot, Once has done well critically and commercially. The film soundtrack received a Grammy nomination. Its signature song, “Falling Slowly,” won the 20007 Academy Award for best original song. As of January 2008, the movie has grossed a modest sixteen million dollars with the release of the DVD. The movie can perhaps justly be criticized for being overly sentimental—a chick flick—but it’s well worth a viewing nonetheless. !
THEVOICE EDITORS IN CHIEF Rima Abhyankar and Greta Shum The Voice is published monthly by the students of the Pembroke Hill School during the academic year. The paper is an open forum, distributed to the students, faculty, parents, alumni, and other members of the Pembroke Hill community. Its staff editorials represent the view of the majority of the editors. All decisions concerning grammar, layout, content, and photography are made solely by the editors themselves. All comments, concerns, and complaints are welcome in the form of le"ers to the editor. As an open forum, The Voice encourages its readers to submit Le"ers to the Editors. These le"ers can either be sent to The Voice at the Pembroke Hill School, 5121 State Line Road, Kansas City, Missouri, 64112 or be emailed to voice.phs@gmail.com. According to school policy, the le"ers must include the author’s name or will be rejected immediately. The editors also reserve the right not to publish le"ers which they deem to be too long or contain questionable or unverifyable subject ma"er. Senior Editors Shajiah Jaffri David Kemper Assistant Editors Spencer Collet Alex Nay Julia Marsh Slesha Patel Corrie Vesely Associate Editor JT Max Copy Editor Gautam Anand Photo Editors Mimi Starr Wesley Gross Business and Design Manager Ava Amirahmadi Staff Writers Peggy Prui" Katie Smith Sierra Stites
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