October 2014 by Pembroke Hill Voice

the Voice OCtOBeR Royals 14

bill wakeďŹ eld 15

Fall 5 sports

Contents

14 KC royals The Royals sweep the Orioles to advance to the World Series

22 4 spirit week Students celebrate Homecoming week in style

Haunted houses KCâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s best joints for Halloween frights

Sports wrap-up The trials and tribulations of our sports teams

On the Cover: Celebrating a Royals win over Baltimore during the 2014 ALCS.

10 mr. Laible Exclusive interview with one of Pembrokeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most beloved teachers

Buzz MORE THAN

Hall ween

Edited by Devon Dietrich and Olive Honan

did you know?

1. Cats, vampires, Frankenstein’s monster, ghosts, and witches are the most popular costumes of all time. 2. This year, characters from Frozen will be the most popular costumes.

MILLION POUNDS

of candy corn are sold annually, which is enough to circle the moon nearly 21 times (if laid end to end).

3. The first jack-o-lanterns were made from turnips. 4. Samhainophobia is the fear of Halloween. 5. Halloween is the second most profitable American holiday; Christmas is the first.

Americans eat an average of

24 POUNDS

of candy each year.

90% OF PARENTS

admit to sneaking candy from their kids’ trick-or-treat bags.

The largest pumpkin ever grown weighed

2,032 POUNDS— larger than a dairy cow!

my daughter learned to Count My daughter woke me around 11:50 last night. My wife and I had picked her up from her friend Sally’s birthday party, brought her home, and put her to bed. My wife went into the bedroom to read, while I fell asleep watching the football game. “Daddy,” she whispered, tugging my shirt sleeve. “Guess how old I’m going to be next month?” “I don’t know darling,” I said as I slipped on my glasses. “How old?” She smiled and held up four fingers. It’s 7:30 now. My wife and I have been up with her for almost eight hours. She still refuses to tell us where we got them.

GHOst stOries

mommy’s Home A father is laying in bed just after waking up. He grabs the baby monitor and walks to his desk in his home office. Through the monitor, he hears his baby girl cry and his wife singing to her. He smiles as his wife sings, “Go to sleep, go to sleep.” Suddenly, the front door opens, and his wife comes home with the groceries.

monster under the bed I begin tucking my son into bed, and he tells me, “Daddy, check for monsters under my bed!” I look underneath for his amusement, and I see him, another him, under the bed, staring back at me and whispering, “Daddy, there’s someone on my bed.”

Homecoming Spirit Week Shaina Desai Staff Writer Every year before homecoming, both campuses gear up with excitement in anticipation for Friday’s football game and Saturday’s Homecoming dance. In honor of homecoming, each day during the week of the festivities had different themes for students to dress in. Monday, royally relaxed, was a day to show Royals’ pride while lounging around in pajamas. Students sported vibrant masks and beads on Tuesday for Mardi Gras Day, transitioning into plaid, jeans, boots, and hats for Wednesday. Denim Day was on Thursday, with students wearing all denim from head to toe. Finally, on Friday, students showed their PHS pride with Spirit Day. n

d n e s d ay e W

M o n d ay

y a lly R e l a x

Tu e s d a y

Ma 4

rdi G ras

tr y We st e r

F r i d ay

S S p i ri t

T h u r s d ay

D e ni m Photo credits to the Social Media Committee

Fall Sports Wrap-Up Will Park Staff Writer

Girls’ Tennis

The tennis team this year made many improvements from last year. Junior Yurie Heard qualified to state and got 1st place in singles. The team, led by coaches Dale Eshelbrenner and Tiffany Pierson, had a great turnout of students this year. Olivia Sun (2017) expressed, “It was a really great season, especially coming back as a sophomore and knowing the team a lot better from the previous year. The team definitely made all of the hours sitting in the heat worth it, and I feel as though I left the season with more experience in tennis.” Although their season may be over, the team next year is looking to be stronger than ever. n

Cross Country Cross Country: Cross Country is one of the only co-ed sports that Pembroke Hill has to offer. They have been very successful this year, with top runner Evan Peterson, class of 2016, finishing first and second at some meets. Clay Lungren (2017), Luke Ossie (2017), and Kealey Kornitzer (2016), all talked about how really enjoy the sport and how the team has improved a lot from last year. The team has six meets, plus districts, with some runners hoping to qualify for state. Meeting everyday from 3:30 to 5, the team has a bright future ahead of them come districts. n

Girls’ Golf

Golf: Girl’s golf saw some major improvements this year, with the varsity team going 8-1-2. The team added many new students, with some freshmen doing very well at tournaments. Sophomore Alaina Benson said, “I learned to fall in love with the sport, which I had never expected to happen, because of the positive environment on the team and the morales of Coach Wolfe. She is seriously like a second mom to all of us.” Both the JV and Varsity teams exceeded their expectations and were very supportive of each other, win or loss. n

Soccer: The soccer team has been having a challenging year, with many injuries and challenges to overcome. Alex Dickey, a sophomore who is the starting goalie for the varsity squad, said that “Soccer is fun. I like the atmosphere that the team brings. Coach Pritchett and Kroh are making some changes this year, but we will be ready come playoff time.” With a record of 6-13-3, the team will receive the number 1 seed at districts. But although there were many difficulties that the team needed to overcome, there was also an upside, for the team had over fifty students to choose from, the largest in Pembroke’s soccer history.

Photo credits to the Social Media Committee

Community Service All Around

Lauren Washington Staff Writer Community service is an important aspect stressed in the upper school. Pembroke Hill, which requires students to complete sixty hours of service in order to graduate, has a dedicated and very active community service club, and provides many opportunities to do community service projects during school time. Specifically, freshmen and other students who wished to attend were able to take part in the Community Service Fair at school. Various organizations such as Wayside Waifs and the Youth Volunteer Corps of Greater Kansas City gave students information and pamphlets about their services to encourage them to help those in need. The Community Service Fair introduced students to organizations and projects they hadn’t known about or considered. In addition, the Community Service Club prepped for the Trick or Treat So Kids Can Eat Food Drive by packing 200 bags of food at Harvesters. The actual food drive will occur on October 18th, when students will sell the 200 bags of food to Hen House customers in order to benefit Operation Breakthrough. There is also fun, friendly competition

involved: six other schools including Barstow and Rockhurst will have students at Hen House grocery stores across the city selling bags of food, and the school that is the first to sell all their bags will win. The Community Service Club will host many more opportunities this year, so stay tuned for those! The community service projects offered to freshmen this year have included work at the following sites: Operation Breakthrough, The Children’s Place, The Urban Garden, and others. At both The Children’s Place and Operation Breakthrough, freshmen groups helped children; they brought food, old Halloween costumes, and books to benefit the needy. At The Urban Garden, some groups planted vegetables and other crops so that communities can have a healthy local food system. Community service opportunities at Pembroke Hill help students understand the importance of giving back. I am very much looking forward to participating in many noteworthy community service projects during my high school years. n

Photo

Credits

to Soc

ial Med

ia Com

mittee

Students react to GOA, our online, international program. Elizabeth Shulman Assistant Editor Last year, Pembroke Hill joined Global Online Academy, an international consortium of schools, giving students the opportunity to take a wide array of new and diverse classes. With everything from Comparative Religions to studies of the Japanese language offered, juniors and seniors can study a multitude of subjects not conventionally offered in traditional curriculums. Classes are experienced online, with students utilizing Skype and Canvas, GOA’s central program, to communicate with classmates from over fifty independent schools around the world. The nature of GOA classes is both liberating and challenging; with much more flexibility than students see in traditional classrooms, success requires more self-motivation and organization. Emily Dema ‘15, currently taking Global Health, says her favorite part about GOA has been this structure and the resulting “ability to research or discuss a topic further than time

“GOA gives me the opportunity to interact with students from all over the country and overseas, which the normal classroom can’t provide.” -Anonymous

restraints in normal class periods sometimes allow.” The required independence is a strength of the program; she continues, “Individually learning more about my subject, along with discovering the views of students around the world, has allowed me to develop a substantial interest in the class.” However, without regular sessions, students need “a lot of accountability to stay on top of assignments and discussions,” Dema elaborates. Maddie Tolsdorf ‘16, who currently is taking Introduction to Psychology, agreed, saying, “Not having a classroom or serious environment to work with [often proves difficult].” Most students taking GOA classes feel the workload is surprisingly comparable to that of a regular class at Pembroke Hill, with many spending six or seven hours per week researching, writing, and participating in Skype sessions and conversations with classmates. GOA’s unique classes are inherently exciting, and for Dema, these class conversations have proven

“[GOA gives me the] ability to research or discuss a topic further than time restraints in normal class periods sometimes allow.” -Emily Dema ‘15

“8/10, might recommend.” -Anonymous

fascinating: “The highlight of my personal GOA experience has been the opportunity to have discussions about the current Ebola epidemic in West Africa while in a Global Health class. We have had some insightful discussions throughout the quarter, and it has been interesting to see how a lot of what we talk about in our course material lines up with this current epidemic.” Tolsdorf’s highlight lies elsewhere: “I’m currently doing a psychoanalysis on the mentality of cults, such as Jonestown, and comparing them to Hitler’s regime,” she says, “I get to study events in history from a psychological point of view and evaluate them to better understand how and why they happened. Even though that is independent in itself, I still get the feedback of my peers.” For Tolsdorf and many other GOA students, the intriguing coursework and the international community make the classes worthwhile. n

“Not having a classroom or serious environment to work with often proves difficult ... however, the benefits of having an interactive online classroom outweights this minor obstacle.” -Maddie Tolsdorf ‘16

ic k

ÀB i

M r s , . t Ro ô t n

Gina Pepitone Staff Writer As the first quarter draws to an end, we must say goodbye to a teacher we have all grown to know and love since the beginning of the school year. Mrs. Romick agreed to substitute for Dr. Banion, who has been on maternity leave, for one quarter, but now the time has come to say farewell. Mrs. Romick always knew she wanted to be an English teacher. She recalls, "As a child, I would force my younger sister to be in a class of one whilst I taught her highly-incorrect information. Then, throughout my education I was fortunate enough to have truly amazing and inspiring English teachers, who showed me the power of great teachers. I constantly strive to be one of them." Mrs. Romick admits she will miss many aspects of Pembroke Hill, including all of her students she has taught over the past weeks, the cafeteria ice cream machine, and her supportive colleagues that have helped make her stay at Pembroke even more enjoyable. "Most of all, I will miss the sense of community that is evident wherever you go at Pembroke," says Mrs. Romick. "Rarely have I encountered such a warm environment, and I thank everybody at Pembroke for welcoming me into that community." Leaving the full-time teaching job at Pembroke, Mrs. Romick 8

has more time to focus on some of her hobbies in life. She reveals, "I think that I might be contributing to two stereotypes if I say that my favorite thing to do is curl up with a cup of tea and a book, so instead I will say that my current hobby i s making youtube videos about hamsters eating tiny burritos." After we asked what is was like working is the same environment as Mr. Romick, Mrs. Romick responds: "I have spent more of my teaching career working with my husband than I have working in an environment without him, so it feels very natural. Also, as we all know, my husband is a massive nerd, so he encourages me to be more nerdish. I think this is a good thing, some seniors probably disagree." With Mrs. Romick's absence, she leaves us with hope regarding her return. "I would love to continue my career at Pembroke in the future. I thoroughly enjoyed my time at the school, and hope to have the opportunity to work with the students and staff again. I will be subbing in for teachers in a couple of departments, so you never know when I'll show up in one of your classes!" So instead of saying goodbye to Mrs. Romick, we will rather say till we meet again, or as she would voice, à bientôt! n

Middle School One-Acts Begin Louisa Dillow Middle School Staff Writer Have you ever wondered what happens before the lights go up? To find out, come see the middle school fall play. There will be two one-act productions: “The Audition” and “The Rehearsal.” The first is the story of a new theater teacher who is directing a student production of the famous broadway show A Chorus Line. The personalities of these auditioning students range anywhere from shy to outgoing, giving viewers a glimpse into the bittersweet audition process. “The Rehearsal” is about a young teacher who directs a production of Guys and Dolls, another Broadway show. The teacher’s cast is wild, featuring a lead actor who is convinced Wicked is a better show. This behind-the-scenes view is definitely worth seeing. The production will be held on November 5th, at 4:30 p.m., and November 6th and 7th, at 7:30 p.m. n

Middle School Fall Sports Wrap-Up Cross Country Seventh and eighth grade students competed in seven cross country meets this season. The team was coached by Mrs. Stockman, middle school art teacher, and Mr. Enns, eighth grade science teacher. For this tight-knit group, cross country was about improving personal times and creating closer bonds with the team. Highlights of this season include pouring a bucket of water over Mr. Enns’s head and Friday team bonding. This year’s slogan was “May the course be with you.” Eighth grade cross country participants are looking forward to their first high school season next year!

Football

Volleyball This fall, eighth grade volleyball players were split into A and B teams, coached by Bobbi Elliot and Dee Utsey. Particular favorites for the team were the weekend tournaments, which allowed for the team to get closer while dominating their opponents at the same time! The A team snagged an impressive third place at one of their tournaments. With another season of experience and hard work under their belts, the eighth grade girls are more than ready to enter the high school program next year!

Led by Mr. Hennessy, sixth grade history teacher, Pembroke Hill’s combined seventh and eighth grade football team has had an exciting season! They currently have 3 wins and 3 losses, and they hope to do well in their playoff games! Many individuals have stood out with astonishing interceptions, touchdowns, and passes throughout the season. The eighth graders enjoy leading the team and are fair and supportive of the seventh graders.

Field Hockey This season, over twenty seventh and eighth grade girls participated on a combined field hockey team, traveling to St. Louis and Tulsa for tournaments. In total, the team played eighteen games throughout the season. In Tulsa, the Pembroke team went undefeated, and the players befriended girls of both grades, creating a team atmosphere that holds true to the school-wide field hockey slogan, “Your team vs. our family.”

All Photo Credit to Jacqueline Kincaid

Q&A

Mr. McGriff

Davis Brooks Assistant Editor

Sam McGriff, Pembrokeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s newest athletic trainer, is already making a positive impression on students. He also has an interesting earlier career.n

1M: IV:hadWhere did you work before? many jobs working as a personal trainer before I came to Pembroke Hill. Before that, I served at a Naval base out of San Diego for four years.

2 V: After your years in the Navy, what drew you to the Kansas City area?

M: I am actually from [KC] originally. I went to Bishop Miege High School and then attended Mizzou in the Reserve Officers Training Corps which is how I got enrolled in the Navy. After serving, I came back here, and, before Pembroke, I was a local personal trainer.

V: While based in San Diego, did you ever serve overseas? M: Yes, I was deployed three times to the Middle East each for six months periods, twice to a small island country near the shores of the Persian Gulf called Bahrain and once in the Western Pacific following that. In Bahrain, I served on board a Minesweeper (small naval ship designed to counter the threat posed by naval mines), and in the Western Pacific, I served on board the USS Green Bay (a ship designed to deliver a fully equipped battalion of 800 troops). By the end of my service, I achieved the rank of Lieutenant Junior Grade.

Photo Credit to Davis Brooks

4 V: What got you interested in becoming an athletic trainer? M: I actually started college thinking I might become a doctor. I

always loved Biology and Science classes in school, but during my time at Mizzou I did a lot of work with the athletic departments, helping out the football team with stuff a trainer does. I graduated with a degree in Nutrition and Fitness. I really realized that I wanted to be a trainer during my time in the Navy. I was always a guy who helped coach my group in training.

V: Was it something from your high school that convinced you to become a strength and conditioning here at our school? M: Not exactly, I just have always known I wanted to be a strength and conditioning coach. As a personal trainer, my job consisted mostly of just helping adults people lose weight. Here at Pembroke, I get to help kids become better and more complete all around athletes. I really enjoy the coaching aspect, too.

V: You said you went to Bishop Miege, while there what sports did you play? What were your favorites? M: I played basketball and soccer in high school. Basketball is my favorite sport both to play and watch.

V: Is there a big difference between coaching kids and adults? M: The main difference I have found is that kids are much more willing to ask for help. Adults are much more set in their ways and less willing to listen to listen to tips and advice I give them. I really enjoy working with the kids here at Pembroke.

V: Finally, What do u think about the recent royals success? M: The Royals won the World Series the year I was born, so I have been waiting my whole life for this. I have never watched so much baseball in my life. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s all very exciting!

Q&A

Mr. Laible

Photo Credit to Lindsay Luchinsky

Lindsay Luchinsky and Natalie Dameron Staff Writers V: What is your favorite childhood memory? Mr. Laible is one of Pembroke’s infamous math teachers, always shar- L: One time when I was little, they let me steer one of the boats ing many interesting/entertaining stories and facts with students. n at Disneyland… but I guess it was probably on a track…

V: What is your favorite video game? V: What is your favorite band? L: Definitely a tie between “Viva Piñata” and “Viva Piñata 2: Trouble in L: Third Eye Blind. Paradise”.

2 V: What is your favorite book? 11 V: How did you decide you wanted to teach math? L: Jimmy Corrigan: The Smartest Kid on Earth. L: After 6 months of working in the bottle cap factory. 3 V: What is your favorite color? L: Blue. 12 V: Did you play with LEGO’s as a child? L: Yes. 4 V: What is your favorite animal? L: Turtle. 13 V: What is your favorite type of tree? 5 V: If you could live anywhere in the world, where would you L: The Mimosa Tree. It’s so beautiful. live? L: Olathe - it’s my dream. 14 V: Do teachers have secret parties the students don’t know about? 6 V: What is your favorite soda/juice? L: What? L: Diet Coke, but I’ve been trying to wean myself off of it, so ask me again in a couple weeks. 15 V: What really goes on in the faculty lounge? L: What? 7L: Pizza. V: What is your favorite food? Easy. 16 V: Weirdest moment at PHS? L: One time they didn’t want to serve me lunch because it was 8 V: What is your favorite tv show? faculty only. They thought I was a student. L: I’m gonna go with “The Simpsons”.

Independent Thinking Kansas Independent Greg Orman Challenges Senate Balance

Left: Independent Greg Orman. Right: Republican incumbent Pat Roberts.

Grace McFee Copy Chief

What Happened Media analysis of politics is often as confused about the order of events surrounding a political issue as a child is when faced with the schoolyard riddle of the chicken and the egg; neither can say with absolute certainty which event came first. For either answer there is an argument. Similarly, it is hard to say if the current political debate in Kansas arose when independent candidates started stealing seats in the Congressional game of musical chairs, or if independent candidate Greg Orman decided to campaign when he recognized voters’ frustration with congressmen dancing to the same old party tunes. Whichever scenario the answer may include, American voters are fed up with both political parties and are more than ready for a change. Until recently, voters have had to live with discontent due to the typically noncompetitive independent candidates who run for office that are almost always dismissed by the national media as paltry entertainment. Suddenly, however, the battle for control of the U.S. Senate seems to rest on a few independent candidates who are signaling they may not caucus with either party. Greg Orman, a wealthy private equity investor and former Democrat, has been stressing fiscal responsibility and problem solving in his 12

campaign. A social moderate and fiscal conservative, he is in a highly competitive race with longtime Republican Senator Pat Roberts. Orman has previously said he would caucus with whichever party is in the majority, but more recently he has said he will not caucus with either party, favoring the notion of a mini-caucus of independents to force compromise in the Senate. In a recent debate with Orman, Roberts denounced Orman’s idea of focusing on efficient action while in office rather than pleasing party leaders for a chance at reelection, as “ridiculous.” Roberts’s response is a perfect illustration of what establishment politicians just don’t understand: to voters, focusing on issues and getting something done rather than supporting the stand-still debates of party loyalty doesn’t seem ridiculous.

What the Editorials Said “A vote for Greg Orman will help Kansas become part of the solution in Washington and get rid of Roberts, an obstacle to progress for Kansas and this country,” says the Kansas City Star with a stony conviction. The Trentonian agrees that “Orman’s success as a businessman, and the insights he offered on a number of political questions, indicate

he’s qualified to tackle complex national issues.” The Journal Star reiterates this opinion, writing, “Imagine the U.S. Senate with a handful of sensible independents to tip the balance in favor of workable solutions. It’s not as unthinkable as it might seem.”

What the Columnists Said: George Will, a columnist for The Tennessean writes: “Sensible Kansans have a problematic choice to ponder: Electing Orman would deepen the Senate’s pool of talent, but it might thwart Republican efforts to control the Senate.” Conversely, Hugh Hewitt, a columnist for Townhall argues: “Voting for Greg Orman or staying home is the single most self-destructive action a conservative, a moderate, or any sort of genuine ‘independent’ could make in my lifetime.” However, the overwhelming majority seems to agree with John Montgomery of Hutch News, who says, “Like Orman, I consider myself ‘fiscally responsible and socially tolerant.’ But more importantly, I am sick of the immature partisan nonsense that permeates our society's politics. It's become, as Orman says, ‘two parties that are more interested in seeing the other party fail than in seeing the country succeed.'"n

Ending Sexual Assault California Legislature Aims to Halt Growing Crisis

Kennedy Coleman Contributor On September 28, California State Senate passed the "Yes Means Yes" bill, which is to be used when evaluating sexual assault cases. The bill illuminates the gray areas of rape and other acts of sexual assault. According to The Department of Justice, 1 in 5 women are victims of attempted or completed sexual assault. With statistics like these, state governments are seeing that sexual assault, especially amongst young adults, is an issue that needs to be addressed. The bill requires "affirmative, conscious, and voluntary agreement to engage in sexual activity" from both parties involved throughout the entirety of the sexual encounter and can be revoked at any time during or after the act. According to the bill, silence, intoxicated consent, or lack

of resistance do constitute legitimate consent. The bill states the accused cannot claim the victim had given affirmative consent if the victim was asleep, incapacitated (due to drugs, alcohol, or medication), or could not properly communicate as a result of a physical or mental condition. "Yes Means Yes" comes with the â&#x20AC;&#x153;preponderance of evidenceâ&#x20AC;? standard, which requires very little evidence to prove the accused guilty--and even less to prove the lack of consent. According to "Affirmative Consent U," an article written by the National Coalition for Men or NCM, the bill is unfair and ultimately creates "he said, she said" situations, which can be impossible to navigate. The NCM also expressed that the bill could make it very difficult for those falsely accused of rape and other forms of sexual assault to be found innocent.

Currently the "Yes Means Yes" bill only applies to California state institutions who accept state funds for students' financial aid. Supporters of the law, such as Senator Kevin de Leon, argue that it is important to approach sexual assault through prevention, justice, and healing. De Leon feels the bill is a necessary step in implementing justice for sexual assault victims, even with the risks associated with the bill. Despite differing views on the necessity of this law, other states are considering implementing similar laws. The problem these governments have is deciding which laws are necessary to protect victims and which ones further blur the line between consensual sexual activity and assault. That being said, it's very likely that laws similar to "Yes Means Yes" will begin appearing across the nation in an attempt to better evaluate sexual assault cases.n 13

Partying Like It’s 1985

Royals Make It To The World Series Mickey Ferguson Staff Writer Kansas City has spent nearly three decades supporting and loving the Royals, hoping for a time like this. Ending a 29 year playoff drought, the Royals have finally made the playoffs. They have won all of their eight postseason games so far. First, they beat the Oakland A’s in a historic Wild Card game. Not losing any momentum, the Royals swept the Los Angeles Angels in their next three games, winning the American League Division Series. Finally, we swept the Baltimore Orioles, winning the American League Championships. The Royals haven’t made it to the postseason since winning the World Series in 1985. That same year, “Back to the Future” aired in theaters, Microsoft was preparing to release Windows 1.0, and Nintendo was test-marketing its first home video game consoles. In 1985, Pem Day and Sunset Hill had their separate final graduation ceremonies. The next year, Sunset Hill became the Lower School campus while Pem Day became the Upper School campus. Now, as Pembroke Hill students in 2014, we have truly been waiting our entire lives for the Royals to get a chance like this. The postseason at the “K” has been a whirlwind of excitement. Each game, blue and 14

white Rally Rags were handed out to fans on their way into the stadium. Fans proudly wave these rally rags all through each game to show support of our boys in blue. Every devoted fan stood in their seat 90% of the game. Standout centerfielder Lorenzo Cain was even the MVP of the American League Championships. However, the Wild Card game was the exhilarating game that started it all. With 41,000 passionate fans decked out in Royals garb, and even some in cat suits or hot dog costumes, how could we not win? The Wild Card game lasted twelve innings, and each was filled with anticipation and excitement. Fans joined in unison to each chant, creating a booming harmony of “Let’s go Royals”. Each inning, the Royals and the A’s tried to top each other, with the Royals coming out triumphant. With two outs in the twelfth inning, Salvador Perez led the Royals to victory by hitting an RBI single. Perez was truly the hero that night. So, as Kansas Citians, we must cheer for our hometown team. The nation didn’t believe we could do it, but we always believed. First, the Wild Card Game, then the American League Division Series and Championships. And now, the Kansas City Royals are going to the World Series. n Photo Credit to Mickey Ferguson

a talk with Bill Wakefield ‘59 Bill Wakefield, class of 1959 and baseball star, went on to Stanford University for a year and then straight to the pros. He played for the St. Louis Cardinals and the New York Mets, and even met Nolan Ryan before returning to Stanford. Wakefield agreed to talk with the Voice about high school sports, the Royals, and the best chicken in KC. V: What was your time at PHS like? BW: Started in 8th grade, and I enjoyed every minute. Terrific teachers, coaches, classmates. Great academics – out of 38 in our class (1959) SEVEN of us went to Stanford. Two state championships in basketball. Small school environment. Each student was encouraged to participate in a wide variety of activities. Multiple sports – in my time, football, basketball, baseball, and track.

V: What was your path from PHS to professional baseball? BW: I went to Stanford on a baseball scholarship. In that era there were no signing restrictions and I signed with the St. Louis Cardinals after my freshman year. I did not play baseball at Stanford, and I started my pro career at age 19. I was then traded from the Cardinals to the New York Mets and played for the legendary manager Casey Stengel. I finished at Stanford with a degree in 1966.

Sports have changed at Pembroke (and in all high schools today). [Students are] more sport V: How do you think the sport of baseball specific and [have a] single sport emphasis. [There are now] travel teams [which enable a] has evolved since you first started playyear round single sport emphasis. Not good in ing? my opinion. BW: Interesting question. Salaries and baseball income have greatly increased. [The] average salary of players in my era [was] $14,000. Players Unions - and televiHispanic players form a high percentsion revenue -- have helped players get the age of players. They are good players tremendous salaries of today. and are willing to sign contracts at very young age. Baseball was a little slow to address the steroid issue – probably due to strong unV: Any thoughts on the Royals? ion and player testing issues – but I think they have it under control today. Penalties BW: If they are in low scoring games the must be further increased to deter any Royals will have a good chance. Home cheating. field advantage will help the Royals. In my era, [there was] only one international player, from Asia. Now [there’s a] high If [the Royals] have the lead in the 6th percentage of international players. In my with the bullpen they have they will be era [there was] a large number of players tough to beat... from the American South and AfricanAmerican players. Today not as many... I live in San Francisco, but my long time loyalty for KC extends back to the Kansas City Blues, Kansas City A’s, and KC Royals, so you know who I’ll be rooting for. V: Did you play baseball in high school? BW: Yes, [but on a] limited schedule. Not many Kansas City teams played baseball. Rockhurst was our main rival. But in my era we played at least three sports. Virtually every student played a sport. With outside coaches today, many kids choose not to play high school sports and participate in travel teams [and] independent ball – I don’t think it’s a good trend. Playing baseball on a year-round basis at an early age has, I think, led to the high percentage of later pitching arm problems and Tommy John surgery among pro and college pitchers. Position players just get burned out.

V: Anything else you want us to know? BW: Pembroke Hill is a great school. Look at the big picture – take advantage of the opportunities as they come along – and grab them. Pembroke has a terrific alumni base and alumni relations department. Stay in touch with your school and keep the friends and contacts. And also --- Stroud’s for chicken dinners. Interview by Lizzie Whitney

Lizzie Whitney

Focusing In On

Photo Credits to Walt Harrison

Other countries may prefer trains or busses, but for we Americans, there’s nothing that can compete with airplanes. Air travel has practically become our intercity public transport, and airlines capitalize on their status. To hear them tell it, there’s little that’s more American than flying. With names like American Airlines and US Airways, or even Frontier (which likens its consumers to the pilgrims that founded this country or hearty pioneers that expanded it), they promote their image as a national symbol. Airlines: they’re just as American as apple pie chock-full of liberty and justice for all. But “freedom of the skies” does not, in reality, translate to all Americans. So-called random checks seem to affect certain demographics far more than others. Of course, the government and private airline companies have a responsibility to the entire country and all air passengers to keep air travel safe. But these checks seem far from random, and they’ve become a barometer for racist sentiments throughout the country and government. As long as the TSA continues to stop any group of Americans--any gender, any race, any religion--this country will not be as free, just, or equal as we 16

Photo Credits to universityymca

like to believe. To give a voice to those unduly targeted, an anonymous Pembroke Hill Student (“S”) agreed to talk with me. This student has been stopped “randomly” at airports five or six times since the September 11 attacks. S’s dad has been stopped every time he’s flown by himself since 2004. While for most of us, security is an annoying but important part of modern air travel, S and S’s family (who have a Lebanese-Syrian last name) see it differently. When you get stopped every time, you get suspicious. At what point do screenings cross the line between benign, even helpful, and a racially-charged violation of privacy? S’s family faces stops, searches of bags, and screening and searching of their persons. “It’s extreme,” S says. While S and family have never been seriously held up by airport security, the amount of frustration and lost time due to these incidents seems unnecessary, and S’s struggles illustrate that these problems within our country are much closer to us here at PHS than we may think.n

Eric Koch

Racial Profiling

Photo Credits to Uncle Sam’s Misguided Children

Across the world, in a tiny little country called Israel, airplane passengers are almost free from worry about terrorist attacks. Why, you ask? Because their airport security is among the best in the world, in large part due to something that we in America are appalled to hear about: Racial Profiling. Let’s take a step back and examine what exactly this practice is. Profiling is the process of extrapolating information about a person based on known traits or tendencies. In this case, the information we want to extrapolate is whether he or she is a terrorist. Essentially, profiling is about making inferences. To make these inferences accurately, we must use facts that we already know. Sometimes, these facts are racially charged and not pleasing to hear, but nevertheless true. For instance, black youths committed six times more murders and ten times more robberies than white youths in 2010 according to a Department of Justice study. Consequently, were you to hear about an adolescent committing a robbery, you would be right ten out of eleven times guessing that the youth was African-American. Racial profiling at airports merely uses the inverse of these kinds of statistics. Still, there is a right way and a wrong way to racially profile. Were security officers to assume that every single Muslim must be a terrorist, or treat them improperly when they are being inter-

viewed due to suspicion, they would clearly be wrong. The right way is simply to use knowledge about racial probabilities to assist in the analysis of each individual passenger, but then treat them with respect while determining whether they indeed have malicious intentions. Israel’s Muslim population has been forced to deal with more frequent screenings than any other group for many years, but as a result, the country has not seen a successful terrorist attack on its air-traffic since 1972. Despite regional resentment against the Jewish nation, Israel has avoided calamity. Of course, racial profiling alone does not account for Israel’s success, but its importance cannot be discounted. Governments and policy makers should not disregard logical characterizations based on fact just because those facts are related to race. As a country, the United States needs to allow its security officials to recognize that, statistically, some races and religions are more likely than others to have violent intentions. While our airports could not handle Israel-style interviews of each passenger, their security should be allowed to factor ethnicity into its suspicions of possible terrorists, so long as officials remain civil in their conduct. Such holistic examination might ultimately save lives.n 19

books Limiting Access to Knowledge and Culture Shannon Fang Assistant Editor To Kill a Mockingbird. Animal Farm. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian. This short list of notable novels (which are all part of Pembroke’s curriculum), includes just a few of the most commonly banned books in many school districts. Most recently, John Green’s bestseller The Fault in Our Stars, was voted by parents, 6-1, to be removed from Riverside, California’s schools’ libraries, and was forbidden to be brought onto school property; however, the ban has since been reversed after much media attention. According to the American Library Association, the most challenged book in 2013 was Captain Underpants,, and the top 10 included The Hunger Games, Looking for Alaska,, and The Perks of Being a Wallﬂower. Why do parents feel “th[ese] book[s] [are] unfit for [a] child’s education?” Well, they contain either profanity or references to sex, violence, homosexuality, or the concept of death. Parents feel that teenagers are far too young and innocent to deal with these demoralizing ideas and must be sheltered from the corruption of the world around them, which is why the books were outlawed in the 18

first place. John Green states he is both “happy and sad” about the ban on his book. He is happy because “apparently, young people in Riverside, California will never witness or experience mortality since they won’t be reading my book, which is great for them.” However, he continues to say: “I am also sad because I was really hoping I would be able to introduce the idea that human beings die to the children of Riverside, California and thereby crush their dreams of immortality.” His witty reply exquisitely sums up the absurdity of book-

banning in schools. The components in the banned books that make parents question their propriety are also what makes them so appealing. Because the novels deal with ideas that are relatable to high schoolers (people who are struggling with new views of death, sexuality, sex, etc.), they are necessary to help guide students through our lives. Ms. Abernathy points out that “[p]eople deserve to know they are not alone as soon as they can comprehend t h e words on the page.” A c c o r d ing to Dr. Clothier, b o o k -

banning also implies that “the people being denied access to [the books] are incapable of critical thought, shouldn’t be engaging in critical thought, or that critical thinking about the text might lead to some dangerous critical realization.” The purpose of English class is not only to improve writing skills, but also to analyze, dissect, and interpret the text. By doing that, students can then compose their own ideas/views and apply them to real life. Denying us this opportunity is arbitrary, impractical, laughable. Dr. Clothier, referring to the Hunter S. Thompson novel Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas Vegas, notes that “believing that a critical examination of the novel would somehow lead to rampant abuse of narcotics is...naïve. In fact, I think the opposite would be true.” Why is it that authority is so afraid of us discovering our own perceptions, questioning what we thought was true, growing up, and maturing? To conclude with Ms. Abernathy’s words, “[i]deas are not a dangerous drug.” n

the ebola crisis

Medical workers carry an 8-year-old suspected of having Ebola to a treatment facility. Photo credits to standbytaskforce 1, 2014.

the deadly epidemic: are you at risk?

Megan She Managing Editor As we are all aware, the Ebola outbreak of West Africa has reached the United States and Europe. It is most definitely a deadly disease, but with all the hype from the media, the lines between myth and fact have been blurred beyond what is reasonable. Hopefully, these will be some soothing words to calm the general public. You can only get Ebola from touching the bodily fluid of someone sick with Ebola. That means sneezing and coughing does not spread it. Most of you are already aware of this, but for the small percentage of you that don’t, that sniffling kid in your English class will not send you to a quarantined ICU. You will only get sick if you’ve been in direct physical contact with the vomit, sweat, or blood of an Ebola patient who is openly showing symptoms. And there is almost no way you’ve been inadvertently caring for an Ebola patient because cases are being monitored so closely. Unless someone is bleeding from

their eyeballs, complaining about muscle aches and sore throats, and vomiting, there is almost no possibility for you to contract Ebola at school or most public places. People are only contagious when they display symptoms, so if a person looks normal and healthy, they will not be giving you Ebola. We live in a first world country. Ebola has been so out of control in West Africa because of the region’s lack of proper healthcare services. Public health is such an intrinsic factor in American society; hospitals are very capable of containing and caring for the cases in America. The rate of survial of people who contract Ebola is 50% (according to the World Health Organization, but it can range from 10%-75%), and with all the modern technology we have in this country, survival definitely is more likely. So in the miniscule chance you do get Ebola, your chances for living are much better than if you lived in Africa (where the epidemic is far worse, so be grateful).

So lighten up and stop stressing about the Ebola outbreak. Widespread panic like this didn’t even start in America until one singular case appeared in the United States, even though thousands were already getting infected and dying in Africa last February. With our privileged lives, we have almost nothing to worry about. Basically, wash your hands and don’t touch sick people. If you really want to help end the outbreak and help those that are at much greater risk than us, donate or spread awareness to the cause. Whining about it with half-hearted jokes and petty memes on the internet will not actually help anyone, especially the Africans caught in the heart of this. Curing Ebola is top priority for the medical research field right now, and I will guarantee that when a vaccination or cure does come out, pharmaceutical companies will prioritize to reach and cure the few of us that are sick. n 19

Concert Reviews

Olive Honan Assistant Editor

The Flaming Lips Crossroads 9.16.14

I know this is a review of concerts from September, but these two shows were remarkable and deserve to be written about. First of all, the Flaming Lips at Grinder’s. I had heard about the lifealtering experience that is a Flaming Lips concert, but I was wary; could it really be so utterly awesome? Yes, it could. Their opening band, Electric Wurms, is confusingly made up of multiple members from The Flaming Lips, and while it was fun to see their lead singer, Steven Drozd, play every single instrument on the stage, I doubt it is something I would listen to at my own leisure. But when the Lips finally took the stage, lead singer Wayne Coyne stole the night, wearing a tinsel-covered morph-suit patterned with a skinless human body. He was accompanied by gigantic butterflies, a rainbow, a sun, seizure-inducing lights, confetti cannons, explicit balloons, and at one point, he even surfed the crowd in a humansized hamster ball. The band brought back old favorites such as “Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots,” “Do You Realize,” and “She Don’t Use Jelly,” while reinventing the psychedelic Beatles’ classic “Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds” for the encore. I’m not sure if I would say that it altered my life, but it surely raised my expectations for a good concert, which brings me to my next review.

Photo credits to Olive Honan

Lykke Li

Uptown Theater 9.27.14 Lykke Li put on a show so incredibly different from The Flaming Lips, and I must say that her performance moved me in a much different way. Without blow-up dolls, balloons, lasers, or confetti, her set focused much more on the power of her voice as it rose to fill the smoky Uptown theater. The Swedish singer-songwriter performed numbers from all three of her albums, and while the songs still held the familiarity of their originals, Li personalized them in a masterful way that is unique onstage. Her early work, such as “Dance Dance Dance” and “Little Bit,” brought me back to elementary school when I was first introduced to the singer, and her newer pieces, including “I Follow Rivers” and “No Rest for the Wicked,” showed how much she has matured as an artist. n Photo credits to the Flickr Creative Commons

Watch out for Walk the Moon, alt-J, and The 1975 coming soon! 20

KC Crawl

Elizabeth Gerson, Bella Foote, Christine Zheng Columnists It is said that scent is the most important sense in the human experience. Whether it be the comforting aroma of a chocolate birthday cake or the alluring fragrance of a fancy hotel room, scent is often associated with past memories that can transport one to different times and places. For 5B&Co. Candlemakers, scent is a vital part of existence; it not only enhances dull everyday life, but it also helps to relive old, fond memories. Upon entering 5B&Co. Candlemakers, the three of us were immediately immersed in a vast variety of aromas. From the subtle scent of Green Tea infused candles, to the aromatic Rawhide-scented candle, the fragrances knew no limits. And although the small, humble room was brimming with various scents, there was a balance between them all, which created a relaxing aroma that was nowhere near overwhelming. This quaint and adorable Brookside shop is not your run-of-the-mill Bath and Body Works, for it has a never-ending variety of unique fragrances, ranging from “Group Hug” to “Caramel Apple” to “Black Peppercorn” to “The Bottom of Mom’s Purse” (which, by the way, smells exactly like what you would expect).

Photo Credits to Christine Zheng

5B&Co. Candlemakers

Perhaps what is most special about 5B&Co. Candlemakers is that each candle is hand crafted: “Ours are are different in the sense that we hand pour them, they’re all done here on site. We blend a lot of our scents, so a lot of our fragrances you won’t find in other places.” The owner of the shop, Lori, then pointed out some specific candles, “No Worries,” “Clean Undies,” and ‘Beach Blanket,” all of which had much accuracy in the name it carried. Although the names of the candles are important, it is still the essence of the scent that is key; Lori explains, “Typically we find oil first, and then we come up with a fun name. Scent first, then the name.” The mission of 5B&Co. Candlemakers is, ultimately, to provide a pleasant, meaningful experience for the people who visit. We then asked Lori why she chose, of all the places in KC, Brookside to be the place to open up 5B&Co. Candlemakers, and she replied, “I thought it would be charming in Brookside because it is kind of that walking neighborhood, mom and pop shop. We make [the candles] here in the back, so we thought it would be a real great thing for the neighborhood.” Along with location, the aesthetics of the shop itself are also important in providing

a genuine, sensuous experience for visitors with each candle they smell. Lori states that “if it’s not candlemaking, then it’s the display work” that keeps her happily busy; the decorating of the windows and shelves not only provides a welcoming feel for people walking by, but it is something Lori genuinely enjoys doing. The shop emanated a festive Halloween spirit for our visit; it was full of various Halloween decorations as well as seasonal October scents (such as the delicious “Candy Corn”). Although the store has grown in popularity throughout the eleven years, “going on twelve,” don’t expect another one opening anytime soon. “Trying to do supermom” while also “running a shop” has its limitations, says Lori. Nonetheless, 5B&Co. Candlemakers is here to stay. When asked about her favorite candle, Lori claimed it was one called “Blackberry Musk.” Lori explained, “sometimes that name scares people, but its fresh and clean and just a little bit sweet. It’s really pretty” and can still be lit anytime throughout the year. If you just so happen to be in the charming area of Brookside, make sure to stop by this delightful shop and sniff a few (or all) of the candles, relive some memories, and ask Lori a few questions about her unique shop. n

HORRIBLE HAUNTS OF KC Ellie Miller Staff Writer Halloween is coming, and what better way to get into the spirit than by getting scared out of your pants!? Luckily for the students here at PHS, Kansas City is full of haunted amusements and real haunts for all of us to, um, enjoy. One particularly eerie area of town this time of year is the West Bottoms, just west of downtown Kansas City. Many of the locations used for haunted houses are decrepit old buildings that were built in around 1900, adding to the chilling experience. The West Bottoms location includes five infamous attractions like The Edge of Hell, The Beast, and Macabre Cinema. Each house has its own special feature. The Beast, for example, utilizes a live alligator for visitor’s entertainment, while others like The Edge of Hell, based on Dante Alighieri’s epic poem The Inferno, have their own back-stories. Rather see a real ghost? Head out to KCMO, home to 3 ghost infested locations including the Hotel Savoy and the Donaldson House. Hotel Savory, the oldest operating hotel west of the Mississippi, is said to house the distressed spirits of the tenants who died in the very rooms guests sleep in every night. The Donaldson House, on the other hand, is said to hold eight individuals who are not terribly happy with the workers from the Art Institute that now reside there. So if you’re not into being terrified by the oddities at the West Bottoms, do a little research at one of these locations and determine for yourself if you believe in ghosts. If you want to have a thrilling time this October, head out to one the haunted locations around KC! The West Bottom’s haunts are open until the 8th of November, and dates can be found at http://www.edgeofhell. com. Also, check out the real haunts around KC at http://hauntedhouses.com. Have a Happy Halloween! n

Photo credits to westbottoms.com, inkkc.com, and kcfoodsnob (2014).

that’s what she said Words Of Wisdom From Megan She ‘16 ¡VIVA LA PLUTO! August 24, 2006: The International Astronomical Union gathers in Prague and announces Pluto a dwarf planet and demotes it from its former planet status. eight planets are now left in the solar system. three criteria had been set for planets: a) the body must orbit the sun b) the body has enough mass to assume hydrostatic equilibrium (in normal words, the body is round) and c) the body must “clear the neighborhood around its orbit.” Apparently, the area around Pluto is too busy with space rocks to allow it to fit the last criteria. But it’s not like Earth, Mars, Jupiter, and Neptune aren’t floating through teeming

tides of asteroids. Pluto loyalists took to the internet and flooded the web with trivial jokes and memes of protest and petty forum arguments. They line the streets, pitting “Down With The IAU” signs against “God Hates Pluto” signs. And apparently, according to some anti-planet enthusietsts, the planetary status majorly impacts the democracy of the United States. This has been going on for 8 years. September 24, 2014: Numerous petitions to reinstate Pluto to its planet status drives the start of a new debat. At the HarvardSmithsonian Center for Astrophysics, physicists and astronomers debated Pluto’s status yet again, but this time, with a new definition of the word “planet”.

The chairman of the International Astronomical Union’s Planet Definition Committee (yes, that exists), the associate director of the Minor Planet Center (yes, that also exists), and the director of the Harvard Origins of Life Initiative all sides with the re-promotion of Pluto. The term “planet” is deemed an arbitrary term subject to the blurred lines of definition vagueness. Pluto is then, for all intents and purposes, deemed a planet again. All those years of pop culture controversy and frivolous friction of hard-core astronomy fans come to a somewhat solid end. Viva la Pluto. n

Photo credits to Javacolleen (2006) and Trodel

Movies

when harry met sally Isabella Pallotto Contributor If you're looking for a romantic comedy to watch on a date with your significant other on your Netflix-enabled device, look no further than the iconic When Harry Met Sally. If you haven't heard of this movie, I'm just going to assume you've been living under a rock, but basically it chronicles the evolution of Harry (Billy Crystal) and Sally's (Meg Ryan) relationship from disgruntled road trip partners to unlikely friends. This movie presents both the cynic and optimist's perspective on love, and does not follow the tired rom-com timeline where the couple typically gets engaged in under a week. Featuring stars such as Carrie Fischer from the Star Wars franchise and Blues Brothers, this movie is a must-watch classic. n

MUSIC white album Cormac Chester Web Designer

"While My Guitar Gently Weeps" both cause deep emotions to well up inside. When you first listen to The Beatles, After these morose songs, The Beatles commonly known as The White Album, shift toward a more upbeat tone, with you might be confused. Don't be. The "Piggies" and "Don't Pass Me By." The White Album is one of the most fascirest of the album continues on, switching nating and enjoyable albums to listen between joyful and excited, and sad and to. Starting off with an ode to commu- gloomy melodies with examples such as nist Russia, the album winds its way "Julia" and "Birthday." These two songs through all different styles of music, typify the juxtapostion between the two from the Indian-tinged tones of "Dear styles and significantly add to the quality Prudence" to the nonsensical chorus of the album. Ending with "Good Night," of "Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da." However, which sets the listener gently back onto the songs in the album aren't all full the ground, The White Album uses its diof seemingly random lyrics, as "The versity to create a high quality collection Continuing Story of Bungalo Billâ&#x20AC;? and of songs that will never be repeated. n

Album: White Album

Genre: Rock

UnBiased Opinions With Burke

Reviewing Gone Girl Matthew Burke Columnist I’m never quite sure what to make out of David Fincher. On the one hand, he has a handful of absolutely fantastic films, but that doesn’t excuse the fact that he’s made some real snoozers in the past (The Game, Panic Room, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button), as well as a couple of movies that are good enough but never quite live up to their promise (Zodiac, his remake of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo). Gone Girl can be added to the handful of Fincher’s masterpieces, like Fight Club, Se7en, and The Social Network. On a technical level, the movie is fantastic, with great direction, cinematography, and lighting (or lack thereof). I can’t say a whole lot about this movie without spoiling it, but let’s just say that the movie is never predictable, not even for a second. Fincher and screenwriter Gillian Flynn (who also wrote the novel) know how to keep you invested, and the plot has enough twists and turns to keep you guessing at what’s going to happen next. While the movie’s momentum does peter out in the final twenty minutes, Ben Affleck and Rosamund Pike’s performances keep the movie grounded and firmly on track with their

portrayal of individuals who are vain, narcissistic, and sickeningly all-too-real. Expect Oscar noms for the both of them (and possibly even a win for Pike, who nails the material perfectly). Perhaps the most impressive feat that Fincher and Flynn accomplish is setting the tone. This is one of the rare times that a movie has made me tense and uncomfortable all the way through. The uneasiness (and literal darkness) of the movie is complemented perfectly by its score, composed by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross. The score doesn’t stand out quite as much as the score for The Social Network, which Reznor and Ross also created, but it perfectly takes a back seat to the story and fleshes out key scenes that

would otherwise be somewhat dull. Perhaps my only complaint about the movie is that it’s a little too long and the ending feels padded. Overall, though, the movie is fantastic, and if you think the movie is light fare just because it’s called Gone Girl, then think again. n

“the movie keeps you tense and uncomfortable all the way through”

Super Smash Bros.

Jason MacMillan and Matthew Nelson Columnists It’s here. The time has come. The newest installment of the Smash Bros. series has arrived…… in not-so-glorious, painful 3D. After 7 long years of waiting in agony, our sanctum is finally here. The latest installment in the

series Super Smash Bros. for 3DS/ Wii U (no, it does not have a cool-catchy name like “brawl” or “melee”) shows a host of new ways to play, new characters, new stages, and new items, never before seen on such a tiny screen. Thanks to the beautiful display Nintendo has gifted the 3DS with, players experience a whole new level of portable gaming with this new version Nintendo announced new characters one-by-one leading up to the final release of the game on October 3rd. Among them include old school classics such as Mega Man, Pac Man, and Punch Out!!!’s Little Mac, as well as characters from more recent years, such as Greninja,

Robin, Shulk, and Rosalina. The controls for the game are pretty good for the most part, other than the fact that your thumb will fall off from cramping so hard. The new gameplay modes, such as “smash run” and the new “classic” mode, are nice, fresh, and exciting additions, especially considering the limitations of a portable console. The stages are awesome, especially since they showcase games from the 3DS and previous generations of portable consoles. The game is pretty great, and not just for longtime players either; newcomers to the Super Smash Bros. franchise can easily find enjoyment in the game. Overall, this addition to the Smash family is one that will be remembered for a long time for being the first portable Super Smash Bros. game, and it is definitely one of the Nintendo 3DS’s best titles out there. So stop reading. AND START SMASHING. n

Game Time with JMac and Nelly 27

faShiONwith the Romicks mr. romick discusses the difference between fashion and style Fashion and style are two entirely different things. Both are related in that they provide an outward projection of personal choices concerning appearance; however, the similarities end there. Whereas style provides the expression of individuality in a way that is deeply personal, fashion simply demonstrates an individual’s knowledge of aesthetical trends that may have nothing to do whatsoever with the specific personality of the demonstrator. Fashion is ephemeral and fleeting. Style, when appropriately manipulated, creates an enduring image of persona. In the words of Coco Chanel, “Fashion fades, only style remains the same.” Style and fashion both go beyond the specific types of clothing or hairstyles we adopt. Fashion has a fluid relationship with aesthetics in general. Designers, artists, architects, and writers are all responsible for creating or promoting specific versions of visual appearance that become more or less popular based upon a delicate level of their tacit consensus. Fashion doesn’t only influence the clothes we

wear; it also sways our decisions of what our living spaces look like, the specific shapes and sizes of the automobiles we drive, and even little details like the plastic covering we put over our most treasured electronic devices. Fashion provides individuals with design choices that have been meticulously crafted in order to persuade consumers that this new specific garment, accessory, or hairstyle fills a long and urgent void in one’s sense of self. Fashion is an active force of production putting pressure upon passive participants of consumption. Style works in an inverse relationship. Individuals routinely make a myriad of choices concerning the outward projection of one’s sense of self. The most obviously visible choice is the clothing one wears. However, the combination of the less obvious choices renders more revealing clues about an individual’s persona. The way one speaks or writes, the music one listens too, the specific films and television shows one chooses to watch all provide a more specific image of an in-

dividual. These are selections a person actively makes when faced with the barrage of choices launched by the world of cultural fashion. Style allows the individual to do the crafting. Style is an active pursuit of self-definition, a chance for an individual to say to the world that “I am what you see and I was the chief designer of this image.” Style is empowering. Fashion certainly influences style, because individuals cannot easily select items of self-definition if those items do not already exist. However, when style affects fashion the results are generally far more interesting. Whether it’s Oscar Wilde, David Bowie, or even Ryan Gosling, certain individuals are sometimes so gifted at understanding the nuances of style that fashion has to adopt or pursue these choices in a way that is altogether different from the already established, tacit consensus. It’s something to think about the next time you pull on a shirt, or slip on a shoe. Did you make that choice? Or are you following dictates of prescribed fashion? n

“fashion is an active force of production putting pressure upon passive participants of consumption.”

The bottom photo, unlike the top, holds: Dylan Peters â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;15 needing a shave, a girlâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s hair scrunchie turned blue, a boy now blonde, a newly-yellow road stripe, and homecoming writing on the pink car sign.

Find five differences between the photos. Answers, upside down, are below.

Puzzles

Find the Differences

Puzzles

Crossword

ACROSS

1 It is “critical” to get a good score on this section of the PSAT. 6 Expect the annual cold-season beard from this math teacher.

8 “As you sit and do your thing, vote ____ for [Homecoming] King.” 10 This many seniors were named National Merit Semifinalists. 11 A few straggling freshmen haven’t completed this online wellness course.

12 As proven by the pep assembly, he can stop,

DOWN

2 Mr. Gallagher’s doppelganger and class of 2014 graduate. 3 The Social Media Committee has a new account on this

collaborate, and listen.

social media site.

13 This fall, Lady Raiders took first in state in this sport.

4 After a KC victory over Baltimore, Dr. Bellis will be eating

14 After a quarter’s hiatus, this teacher is back on campus. 15 If you’re asking about the validity of this crossword, Hazard lecturer Gretchen Rubin might call this. 16 This orangish fall latte is subject to ridicule and praise alike. 19 You’re in trouble if you haven’t updated your iPad to this version of iOS.

20 First name of this year’s Homecoming Queen.

these for dinner.

5 October holds this annual campus march of costumed

students.

7 He can’t count the number of times he’s blasted “Sk8er Boi” with the car windows down. 9 Hopefully, seniors have already asked teachers for these college application supplements. 17 You probably saw a lot of this color at the homecoming game. 18 It’s not even December, but you can find this holiday drink on supermarket shelves.

Letter

from the

Editors Readers,

We’re onto our second issue. Fall is upon us. With sports wrapped up, homecoming pictures Instagrammed, and first quarter qualms long gone, the year is finally in full swing. Mr. McGee’s bellowing condemnations of Pumpkin Spice lattes echo through Jordan Hall. English teachers break out the sweater vests with growing frquency. As Halloween approaches, school for seniors grows even more frightening as early application college deadlines loom. Days literally and figuratively grow shorter, and students set their sights to the next break. As our first two issues are now behind us, it would be easy to let the cliché-sounding but all-too-real daily grind force our new Voice into stagnation. Now that the Voice is a magazine, we’ve made our big change. We could stop here, but, really, the Voice, like its readership, is not satisfied with inert mediocrity. We have to always keep innovating, keep moving forward, and keep revising our vision. As long as we keep changing, we can keep improving. With the help of the Pembroke Hill Community, the Voice will assume an everevolving, captivating identity. The Pembroke Hill School is an incredibly creative environment. We need your input to continue to make the Voice more revolutionary. E-mail us at voice@pembrokehill.org with suggestions, opinions, and comments. Our Voice transformation is far from complete, and we need your help to enable us to achieve our mission. Paige and Michael

The Voice The Official News Publication of the Pembroke Hill School

The Voice is published monthly by the students of the Pembroke Hill School during the academic year to inform the Pembroke Hill Community about pertaining events and news. The paper is an open forum, distributed to the students, faculty, parents, alumni, and other members of the Pembroke Hill community. All decisions concerning grammar, layout, content, and photography are made solely by the editors themselves. All comments, concerns, and complaints should be forwarded directly to the Editors in Chief. As an open forum, The Voice encourages its readers to submit Letters to the Editors. The editors reserve the right to not publish letters. The Voice also accepts advertising and like articles. The editors reserve the right to not publish advertisements. Like us on Facebook at The Pembroke Hill Voice and follow us on Twitter at PHSVoice. Find us online at phsvoice.com. The Voice is YOUR publication. Please read responsibly.

Whispers

News Blurbs Around School

andrea lu ‘15... made the micds alltournament volleyball team. the pembroke hill football team... helped build a playground for gordon parks elementary school. the girls’ tennis team... placed first in state. the “beat pius” t-shirts... sold out in just an hour and a half in the bookstore. yurie heard ‘16... won missouri’s girls individual tennis tournament. pembroke hill... won a baseball bet with baltimore’s gilman school, forcing them to fly a royals’ flag on campus, wear blue one day, and send crab cakes to headmaster, dr. bellis. english teacher kim banion... recently returned from maternity leave for the birth of her son, lohren. Editors-in-Chief Paige Pepitone and Michael Rubel Copy Chief Grace McFee

Managing Editors Staff Writers Feature – Cindy Wang Bella Barnes Student Life – Megan She Emily Beasley Copy Editors Sports – Emily Dema Shaina Desai Emily Cohen Arts – Elizabeth Gerson Mikey Geduldig Gunjan Gaur Middle School – Laura Hibschman Grace Green Opinion – Lizzie Whitney Jillian Jetmore Web Designer Off-Campus – Saurabh Goel Tammy Lee Cormac Chester Ellie Miller Assistant Editors Vishesh Patel Business Managers Davis Brooks Gina Pepitone Cormac Chester Devon Dietrich Daniel Stark Grace McFee Olive Honan Julianne Waters Shannon Fang Photo Editor Lizzie Shulman Faculty Sponsors Cormac Chester Christine Zheng Dr. Matt Clothier Mr. Joel Causey Columnists Matt Burke – “Biased Opinions with Burke” Devon Dietrich & Olive Honan – “The Buzz” Elizabeth Gerson, Bella Foote, & Christine Zheng –KC Crawl” Eric Koch and Lizzie Whitney – “Calvin and Hobbes” Megan She – “That’s What She Said”