The Harbinger Issue 5 2024-2025

PAR FECTING PAR HER

GAME

Ella Slicker continues her dominant presence on the girls golf team with her recent recordbreaking performance for both girls and boys East golf history

OCTOBER 28, 2024

political cartoon

staf list

PRINT EDITORS

Avery Anderson

Addie Moore

ONLINE EDITORS

Larkin Brundige

Connor Vogel

ASST. PRINT EDITORS

Sophia Brockmeier

Libby Marsh

ASST. ONLINE EDITORS

Luciana Mendy

Lucy Stephens

HEAD COPY EDITOR

Ada Lillie Worthington

ASST. HEAD COPY EDITORS

Libby Marsh

Luciana Mendy

HEAD PHOTO EDITORS

Caroline Martucci

Molly Miller

Clara Peters

Amelie Wong

ASST. PHOTO EDITORS

Will Griffth

Paige Bean

PHOTO MENTORS

Addie Clark

Mason Sajna

Molly Scott

VIDEO EDITORS

Alex Sajna

Mason Sajna

ASST. VIDEO EDITOR

Preston Hooker

DESIGN EDITOR

Kai McPhail

ASST. DESIGN EDITOR

Sydney Eck

DESIGN MENTORS

Clara Burdick

Zane Laing

PAGE DESIGNERS

Ben Bagby

Evelyn Bagley

Avni Bansal

Caroline Beal

Vanessa Blades

Ellen Bowser

Ella Hargens

Ashtyn Ingram

Miranda Liberda

Christopher Long

Francesca Lorusso

Addy Newman

Tillie Paisner

Ava Slocum

Lucy Swope

SECTION EDITORS

EDITORIAL

Julia Campbell

NEWS

Clara Burdick

OPINION

Mya Smith

HARBINGER

online update

Broce

STAFF PHOTOGRAPHERS

Caroline Black

Katie Cook

Sylvie DeGalan

Emery Engle

Anastasia Flower

Evelyn Geheb

Vivien Glenski

Rubi Hakes

Caroline Hoffman

Francesca Lorusso

Lexi Madden

Tyler Russell

Zac Russell

Alex Sajna

Simon Shawver

Ava Towner

Annie Trenkle

Emma Weidman

MULTIMEDIA STAFF

Ben Bagby

Paige Bean

Mary Gagen

Alex Sajna

Emma Weidman

EQUIPMENT MANAGER

Mason Sajna

design by libby marsh cover design by avery anderson

cover photo by clara peters

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STAFF WRITERS

Avni Bansal

Caroline Beal

Vanessa Blades

Ellen Bowser

Reese Dunham

Mary Gagen

Preston Hooker

Christopher Long

Addy Newman

Grace Pei

Mya Smith

Carl Sutton

COPY EDITORS

Avery Anderson

Isabel Baldassaro

Sophia Brockmeier

Larkin Brundige

Addie Moore

Lucy Stephens

Connor Vogel

Emmerson Winfrey

Lucy Wolf

Michael Yi

ART EDITOR Kai McPhail

ASST. ART EDITOR

Lorusso

STAFF ARTISTS

Evelyn Bagley

Bella Broce

SCAN ME FORM

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Read about a staffer’s boba review, look at new football photos, watch the new series “wheels of east”

Julia Campbell

Avery Foster

Preston Hooker

Miranda Liberda

Tillie Paisner

SOCIAL MEDIA EDITORS

Isabel Baldassaro

Lucy Stephens

ASST. SOCIAL MEDIA EDITOR

Sydney Eck

SOCIAL MEDIA STAFF

Paige Bean

Bella Broce

Clara Burdick

Ella Hargens

Ashtyn Ingram

Zane Laing

Luciana Mendy

Mya Smith

Connor Vogel

ADS MANAGER

Michael Yi

CIRCULATION MANAGER

Reese Dunham

CONTEST COORDINATORS

Sophia Brockmeier

Addie Clark

editorial policy

The Harbinger is a student run publication. Published editorials express the views of the Harbinger staff. Signed columns published in the Harbinger express the writer’s personal opinion. The content and opinions of the Harbinger do not represent the student body, faculty, administration or Shawnee Mission School District. The Harbinger will not share any unpublished content, but quotes material may be confrmed with the sources. The Harbinger encourages letters to the editors, but reserves the right to reject them for reasons including but not limited to lack of space, multiple letters of the same topic and personal attacks contained in the letter. The Harbinger will not edit content though letters may be edited for clarity, length or mechanics. Letters should be sent to room 400 or emailed to smeharbinger@gmail.com.

art by preston hooker

story by avni bansal

photo by tyler russell video by alex sajna, mason sajna & paige bean

art by francesca lorusso

ELECTION

It’s

manipulative for politicians to change their stance on issues just to get more votes

CHAMELEONS

story by luciana mendy

EVERYONE KNOWS I WOULD NOT SUPPORT A FEDERAL ABORTION BAN, UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES, AND WOULD, IN FACT, VETO IT, BECAUSE IT IS UP TO THE STATES”

This is an official professional campaign statement — a literal X post— from former president Donald Trump about his policy towards the reproductive rights of women posted on Oct. 1.

To those new to the realm of politics, this seems like a set-in-stone position, but after a simple 5-minute Google search on his past policies, it’s clear that Trump’s just another politician following the manipulative trend of changing stances on issues just to appeal to voters.

New voters often don’t know the history of candidates and their policies, making them susceptible to politicians flip-flopping positions to win elections with no real commitment to keeping their word.

In Trump’s case you really can’t tell where his commitments lie because, for someone confident enough to yell about his future policy all over X, Trump couldn’t answer with a simple “yes” or “no” when repeatedly asked whether he would veto a nationwide abortion ban at the Presidential Debate. When you look at the receipts, Trump even called on the Senate to pass a possible 20week abortion ban during the pro-life March for Life convention in 2018, according to The Hill.

Women’s reproductive rights have always been a hot topic during election season and it’s no wonder that recent polls indicate Trump is somehow struggling to gain female voters after taking away their reproductive rights, According to ABC News and the Independent Polling System Of Society.

So now Trump is playing the classic “what do you want to hear?” game that politicians rely on during tight races — ultimately toying with the American people’s votes.

Voters deserve transparency and straightforwardness — without it, the voter is left to navigate a fog of half-truths and ambiguous promises.

In an ideal world, clarity and honesty would be paramount in high-stakes political elections. However, many politicians resort to the manipulation of altering or obscuring their policies and views to secure votes. This tactic — seemingly a necessary evil in the pursuit of political success — undermines the very essence of the republic. There’s no way to rule by the will of the people if politicians don’t stay consistent with their policies.

Harris is also just as guilty of flip-flopping — she’s switched up on a few of her original policies from the Biden Administration simply to appeal to more conservative voters.

According to a September New York Times and Siena College poll, 47% of respondents viewed Harris as “too liberal or progressive.” Harris has now pivoted on certain positions since replacing President Joe Biden as the Democratic presidential candidate.

A major Harris flip-flop was her stance on fracking. While running in the 2020 Democratic primary election Harris was practically every oil company’s greatest fear, as she claimed there was “no question” that she was in favor of banning fracking, largely due to the impact it has on climate change.

However, during the presidential candidate debate, Harris made it clear she’s now completely against a ban on fracking — coincidently fracking has become increasingly central to the swing state

for: 13 against: 0

The members of the editorial board who agree with the viewpoint of the editorial are represented by for, and those who disagree with the viewpoint are represented by against.

of Pennsylvania’s economy, according to Council on Foreign Relations. It’s interesting how those environmental harms disappear as soon as the polling gets a bit tight.

In a CNN interview, Harris defended her change in policy by arguing that a green economy is still possible without banning fracking, but the explanation of how environment-destroying fracking will be able to coexist in Harris’s green economy oasis was practically non-existent.

Pro-fracking voters from states like Pennsylvania could get to see fracking continue in Harris’s economy or environmentally-focused voters could get to see fracking die out in Harris’s economy — but both cannot happen. Either way, when politicians like Harris use this shape-shifting approach to try to get the best of both worlds in terms of voters it leaves only one group with their vote leading to the policy they truly wanted.

Voters then find themselves supporting candidates based on their projections rather than solid commitments. This lack of clarity also allows politicians to shift their stance post-election without facing immediate backlash — the ultimate get-of-jail-free card.

Essentially, the American people are interviewing politicians for the privilege of representing them, but these politicians are lying on their resumes. It may get them the job but inevitably they’ll never be able to do all the work they promised to do, with such contradicting stances. The vital difference is these politicians’ job expectations aren’t to work PowerPoint presentations but to lead the United States of America.

To combat the manipulative tactics employed during election campaigns, all

PUBLIC SENTIMENT

*According to Pew Research Center

voters must become more informed and discerning. Engaging critically with political rhetoric and seeking clarity through fact checking current promises with past actions is the only way for voters to understand the possibilities of politicians reversing their stance once elected, and to make their choices from there.

For first-time voters specifically, when stepping into the chaos of politics it’s important to realize that the election season doesn’t just start during the election year. Make sure to research the background of potential candidates and possible contradictory policies they may have made that could impede their actions in office.

Sadly, no matter how much you should be able to trust the next president of our country or the next senator representing your rights in D.C., you need to fact check them.

After you have an understanding of conflicting policies for a politician, it’s up for you to decide if you want to take the risk when voting. This decision becomes easier, however, when you do more in-depth research into why a politician switched views.

If it seems like one day they just woke up and decided that a change was needed, maybe save your vote for a person with a genuine concern for political priorities.

of adults in the U.S. say the political system is working exceedingly well 4% Statistics on Americans’ bleak outlook on the nation’s politics 25% of U.S. citizens don’t feel well-represented 85% think the cost of campaigns makes it hard for good candidates to run for offce by either party

BOARD OF EDUCATION

MEETING

stories by isabel baldassaro

stuco can drive

ON NOV. 4, senior StuCo members will host their annual chili cookoff and Chiefs tailgate which requires 10 cans per group as an entry fee. This will be the first event of StuCo charity committee chairs senior Anna Ravis and sophomore Jamie Wilborn’s school-wide can drive.

While the cookoff is the only planned event so far for seniors, StuCo intends on having other drives for all grades to donate items besides cans, such as cereal and peanut butter. The

fall play

THE HARBINGER

The annual chili cookoff hosted by senior StuCo members in hopes to serve donated items to the less fortunate during the holidays

cans and other items will be collected throughout the quarter and will all be donated to the Johnson County Christmas Bureau.

There, they serve donated items to the homeless and lower income population during the holidays, according to Ravis.

“In my four years of high school and two years on StuCo, the can drive has been the biggest event that StuCo puts on because it’s around two months long,” Ravis said.

There are at least five different

events being planned to collect items for the drive, one being a seminar competition for collecting cans coming up in mid November. The winning team will get a prize along with a teacher’s paid day off for their seminar teacher.

“The holidays are an especially hard time for food and other items,” Ravis said. “So this is something small we can do to help out the best we can during those harder months.”

As the SME fall play is coming up in November, the cast of the show rehearses every day after school in preparation

OCT. EAST THEATRE WILL be putting on their Fall Play — Androcles and the Lion — from Nov. 7 through 9. The play is slapstick— super exaggerated movements and physical activity with lots of funny but intentional mistakes — comedy and children’s show. The show is one act with no intermission and can be expected to run for about an hour, according to junior Eliza King. King plays Androcles alongside sophomore Vaughn Davis who plays the lion. Together, they’ve worked frequently on stage combat for fight scenes that include physical

motions such as lifting each other up and fake hitting each other.

The cast has been rehearsing almost every day after school for the past two months with the show’s director and English teacher, Brian Capello. Outside of rehearsals, the actors are also constantly working on painting the set, building props and checking equipment to prepare for the show.

Sophomore Lucy Costello is part of the Zanni, a group of seven actors that pantomime scenes throughout the plot and do the scene changes, adding to the fun and wittiness of the show.

“The Zanni don’t have any lines

children’s book show

ON OCT. 21 and 22, the East theater representatives hosted a Children’s Book Show in the Little Theater. The show consisted of 15 mini skits interpreting popular children’s books that the students were required to cast and direct themselves, according to junior Molly

Minor based her play

but that just makes rehearsals less stressful,” Costello said. “It’s hard to get through rehearsal seriously because everyone’s so funny [and] I always start laughing during scenes because it’s so entertaining.”

The show involves actors running down the aisles and interacting with the audience, keeping people engaged with the show, according to Costello. Now, the group has started to work more on costumes and setting up the stage.

“I think it’s gonna be a great show,” King said. “Everyone’s been working really hard and it’s gonna be a fun watch [because] it’s very interactive.”

The theater rep class had their Children’s Book Shows on Oct. 21 and 22

off of the book “Pete the Cat” but others chose books like “The Rainbow Fish,” “If You Give a Mouse a Cookie” and “Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus.”

According to Minor, the class reps have this assignment every year, and have been working on it since the beginning of the school year.

Advertised every year on SME Theater’s social media and posters around the school, junior Brooks Hagedorn says this year was probably their biggest turnout yet with around 50 people at each show.

“It was really surprising,” Hagedorn said. “Usually there aren’t a lot of people who show up because it’s a less

known about event, but it was a big group.”

Hagedorn picked the book “Some Dogs Do,” wanting to stray from the more common choices, and it was one of her childhood favorites. Actors got to choose their books in the summer, giving students ample time to prep for the project.

Hagedorn performed during the second show, but helped her friends who performed Monday with lighting, sound, costumes and acting.

“I think it’s really fun acting in your friends’ shows and having your friends direct you,” Hagedorn said.

“It’s an experience that I think a lot of other schools don’t really get to do.”

clara burdick

Giving the Lancer community a voice

Q: Could you tell me about the Children’s Book Shows?

A: So basically, what we’ve done is taken, like, a children’s book we really liked as a kid and adapt it to a play. We’ve been doing them in our rep class for like, about a month or two. People get really creative with the costumes and set pieces.

Q: Could you tell me about the Children’s Book Shows?

A: We needed to have our books chosen when [the school year started], and then we did like a read aloud thing. We also do all of our own tech so everybody programmed all of their own things, so every aspect of the show is carefully thought out.

Q: Could you tell me about your Children’s Book Shows?

A: The big learning curve for me was at least the light board, because it’s completely different from any other thing. Adelaide Basta has been really helpful whenever I have a question, and she’s a really good inspiration.

Q: Could you tell me about you Children’s Book Shows?

A: I chose [my book, “I Really Like Slop” by Mo Williams] because growing up I loved these books, and I thought that they were so funny. The pictures were so big and the colors were bright, and I was like, what better way for kids to laugh than this.

IN THE PATH OF

HELENE

HELENE

As recovery efforts unfold in North Carolina, volunteers face challenges in providing aid amiss ongoing power outages and safety concerns

EAST MOM HEATHER Wong sat in the cold, dark living room of her sorority sister, Gretchen Ross’, house. The power had already been out for days. As a result of Hurricane Helene, they had little left in terms of non-perishable food and had resorted to accepting food donations from a local charity that was working to hand out hot meals through Operation Barbeque.

Two weeks prior, in late September, after hearing of her friends’ struggles with destruction from Hurricane Helene, Wong took to social media, posting requests for donations to her friends in Swannanoa, North Carolina. She received both physical supplies and money, and loaded up a trailer filled with relief items and was on her way to aid in the disaster recovery.

“It made me aware of when you honestly have nothing, no water, no food,” Wong said. “We were accepting free meals from people that were cooking meals because we couldn’t cook or eat. I don’t mean to sound pretentious but I’ve never accepted a free meal before, but I did because I was starving. That was it. That was what was available.”

Wong lived in these conditions during her two-week trip, before packing up her car and trailer to come back

to Kansas City. As of last Monday, however, Wong’s friends remain without power and heat, similar to many others in their area.

Now, North Carolina communities and other areas in the path of destruction are working through the process of recovery, following the devastation caused by Hurricane Helene, which made landfall on Sept. 16. Helene was a category 4 hurricane that hit several states including Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia and Tennessee.

As of last Tuesday, the death toll has reached 224 lives, according to USA Today. As of Oct. 15, 92 people are still presumed missing, and search teams are continuously looking for them amidst the rubble.

According to the White House, the Department of Defense deployed 1,500 active duty troops to aid in search-and-rescue as well as general recovery in the path of destruction.

The Red Cross is currently working to provide additional assistance in locating loved ones, according to USA.gov. Locals are assisting in search-and-rescue as well, according to Wong.

Helene was the deadliest storm in North Carolina’s history and caused thousands of power outages, water line breakages and infrastructure destruction, according to North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper’s website. Though people are slowly regaining power to their homes in the wake of the disaster, many are left homeless or unable to return to their homes.”

who were staying with her whose houses were just gone,” Wong said.

But Wong’s friends weren’t the only ones to lose their homes to the storm.

Sophomore Jamie Wilborn’s cousins live in Florida and have lost their home to the recent hurricanes, despite attempting to wait out the storm and by barricading their home with sandbags.

“Their whole house is gone,” said Wilborn. “I think everything they had is swept,”

In an attempt to combat this, insurance camps have been set up in North Carolina towns like Asheville, Boone, Banner Elk and many other towns to provide aid to people displaced by the Helene. They allow for direct access to insurance companies to file claims on possessions and receive other financial aid.

But according to Wong, assistance has been more difficult to get since the threats posed towards Federal Emergency Management Agency — a government organization in place to help people prepare for and recover from disasters — workers recently.

“[Gretchen] had three friends

The recent gun threat towards FEMA workers has caused many to suspend their work and has made providing aid in affected areas more difficult.

“They initially said school is closed indefinitely,” Wong said. “My friend is a 6th grade teacher and they cannot go back to school until they actually dig a well to have water. They’re hoping for the 28th [of October].”

In the meantime, food and water are being distributed to people across affected areas, but traveling remains dangerous and residents are encouraged to limit travel, especially on highly damaged roads.

Both Wilborn and Wong encourage people to donate to trusted organizations such as the Red Cross in order to help with recovery and aid in all states affected.

“I know a lot of people have been donating to the Red Cross and I think that’s honestly the best way to help right now,” Wilborn said.

“They had the incident where the man attacked or threatened a militia guy in Swannanoa and threatened the female workers so then the female workers pulled back and canceled all appointments with my friends,” said Wong. On top of the insurance difficulties, many schools in the path of destruction also remain closed until further notice. Virtual learning is also currently unavailable as an alternative to in-person teaching due to poor cell service, according to CBS News.

design by miranda liberda

story by avery anderson

T-MOBILE placed these charging stations for the community to use while their were city wide outages.

photo courtesy of Heather Wong

SIGNS like this one seen here were common and seen throughout while driving around.

photo courtesy of Heather Wong

art by preston hooker

design by clara burdick

DEFENSIVE WOMEN

A women’s self-defense club is starting and will be led by juniors Ashley Martin and Adeline Clifford

story by grace pei

Some basic techniques in self-defense the students will learn include kicking someone away when being attacked, having a stable fighting stance and knowing how to escape someone’s grip.

Flores agreed to teach the women’s selfdefense classes for free as she frequently hosts women’s self-defense seminars at Gracie Barra that are also free of charge.

“

[THEY] THINK THAT

women can’t defend themselves, so I’m just hoping that we can better protect ourselves if we’re ever in a situation like that.

JORDAN O’BRIEN JUNIOR

“[Flores] loves doing [self-defense] seminars, especially for high schoolers, so she was totally open to the idea,” Martin said. “She’ll plan out the lessons and we’ll just show up and be ready to learn.”

Beginning with a Snapchat group chat consisting mostly of Martin’s close friends, their club soon grew to nearly 40 girls as members added their friends from East and different schools.

Junior Jordan O’Brien found out about the club when Martin texted her about joining the group chat. O’Brien immediately agreed to join because she thought it would be fun and useful.

“There’s terrible people out there, you know?” O’Brien said. “[They] think that women can’t defend themselves, so I’m just hoping that we can better protect ourselves if we’re ever in a situation like that.”

Check out these statistics relating to the sexual abuse and self defense of women

DON’T LIE 1/5

women are raped at some point in their lives

91% 68% 34%

THE NUMBERS of rape and sexual assault victims are women Martial Arts training and taking selfdefense classes can empower women and make girls all around feel safer and protect them in everyday activities. of women escaped sexual abuse with the use of physical defense of martial arts members are women

LEGISLATION

PV United and the City of Prairie Village appeared before the Court of Appeals on Oct. 16 to appeal the petitions circulated last year

THE KANSAS COURT

of Appeals reviewed three separate petitions issued by Prairie Village United, a local anti-rezoning group, concerning rezoning and the city’s form of government, on Oct. 16. Arguments from each side were presented before a panel of three judges, and a ruling will be issued in the next few months.

Attorneys from PV United and the city had 15 minutes each for oral arguments, followed by a three-minute rebuttal from PV United. Judges Henry Green, Karen Arnelberger and Stephen Hill oversaw the hearing.

“The court currently has the matters under advisement, and we will hope for rulings in the near future,” the city attorney on the case, David Waters said in an email.

The “rezoning” petition proposed a city ordinance that would limit rezoning in Prairie Village, according to the Johnson County Post. The “abandon” petition suggests throwing out the current form of city government that gives the mayor “farreaching, unilateral power” according to pvrezoning.com.

Finally, the “adoption” petitions propose a new form of city government that would reduce the council from 12 to six members. Each petition received approximately 2,000 signatures, according to former city council member Edward Bowersma.

Last year, Judge Rhonda Mason found

only the “abandon” petition was eligible to be put on the ballot for Prairie Village voters, and the other two petitions, “rezoning” and “adopt,” weren’t eligible for the ballot due to a lack of legal necessities, according to the Johnson County Post.

PV United filed for an appeal to make the other two petitions eligible just days after the ruling was issued. Last October, Prairie Village filed for appeal to deeming the “abandon” petition ineligible as well, according to the Johnson County Post.

PV United believes the governor has too much authority and this petition aims to reduce that.

“[A] strong mayor sets the agenda, strong mayor controls what happens, the city wanted to gain its city back,” PV United representative Rex Sharp said.

City council member Chi Nguyen believes that the petition restricting less council members will reduce the representation of Prairie Village citizens.

“[With the current form of government] you would get more viewpoints of the community, rather than just one person per Ward,” Ngyuen said. “I don’t think that [less council members are] going to give you a good overall perspective.”

The main arguments made by Sharp were that the qualifications preventing the petitions from being passed last year weren’t enough to ban them from the ballot. One

TRIAL FACTS

United vs. the City of Prairie Village

CALLS

story by libby marsh

of these technicalities was the manner in which the petitions were signed.

“[One] of the technicalities that was raised here, [was] that the circulator should’ve used a voter identification law rather than just watch over the people who signed,” Sharp said. “But the voter identification law was passed, 25-2908 B and that only applies to actual voting.”

Another issue raised by PV United was that the Court of Appeals and the District Court didn’t have subject matter jurisdiction over the case, meaning that the

said the wording of the petitions wasn’t clear enough and didn’t define zoning in a specific way — only as changing the city zoning from more restrictive to less restrictive.

Rebutting Sharp’s claim that voter ID is only necessary for elections, the City stated that collecting voter ID and verifying who someone is not hard to do, according to Hatley. Finally, it was mentioned that if the “abandon” petition is passed on its own, it’ll have no effect. Rather it will eliminate the current form of government but has

KANSASBALLOT

DISSECTING

COLUMBIA BREW

Customers, nominated by coffee shop adviser Amanda Doane, that visit the shop often

A breakdown of the SME Coffee Shop, one of the most frequented spots in the mornings Odd things students have ordered

COLUMBIA BREW

TEAMS

MEET THE TEAMS MANAGERS

helen jones michael winter make schedules, oversee each job and plan professional development

FINANCE

oversee all transactions and check revenue

dawson ainslie brooks moore

SALES

promote the new menu and help with new product ideas work the shop during first hour

maren dickerson macy garwood avery anderson landon romero laine birch will beck

SOCIAL MEDIA PROMOTIONS

molly miller grace demetriou

OPERATIONS

make posts based on new drinks and other products in charge of purchasing supplies and manage inventory

luke bartalos sam day

PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT

create new drinks and design the chalkboard

brynn delaney elle tollefson parker paben

photos by molly scott

opinion

27 states require three math classes in high school before graduation favorite starbucks order is a pumpkin chai

hot take

mcphail

“Wicked”

actress Cynthia Erivo’s reaction to a fan made edit was immature and dramatic story by kai

THIS IS THE wildest, most offensive thing I have seen.”

This was Cynthia Erivo’s response to a poster altered by a die-hard fan via Instagram.

“Wicked’s” leading actress, Cynthia Erivo, expressed an extreme distaste for photoshop that seems to “erase her.”

The poster was altered slightly to be more similar to the iconic original musical’s advertisement, but nothing dramatic was done to the poster other than adding more shading over Elphaba’s eyes and a red tint to her lips.

comic strip

art by avery foster

The actress’s paragraph-long reaction to these “alterations” nearly caused my skin to turn green, the response was so farfetched and dramatic, it’s almost like the actress missed the point of the edit entirely.

To be frank, this story would warrant a harsher reaction if she was actually erased, but Erivo is as green as ever and shows no signs of any features being edited, minus a little upturned smile.

While she received backlash from the public for her over-dramatic response, some fans have still come to defend her baseless claims. Erivo’s

reaction was plain out wrong and is stretched too far, and it’s almost sad how people can’t admit that.

Yes, the internet is always going to be extreme and unrealistic, but the actress and her defenders are over the rainbow when it comes to the situation. She claims that the poster was an “homage,” but the clear imitation is practically asking to be edited if it’s not done justice. To say that this photo actually offended her, let alone saying it is the wildest thing she’s ever seen, utterly comical.

As a “Wicked” fan, my high expectations for the filmlooked as if

*Instagram poll of 259

*Instagram poll of 291 votes

they could be met, maybe exceeded, before Cynthia started melting on Instagram. However I’m now left unsure if the actress can be successful if she hasn’t gone through some type of media training.

I guess all we can do is hope she asks the wizard for some public relations training.

staf ranking

Harbinger staffer ranks lip products

1

Summer Fridays is by far the best lip product on the market. With its thick yet nourishing formula and cushiony applicator, it beats all other competitors.

Naturium’s lip balm is the perfect buttery formula. Unlike the Summer Fridays applicator it’s hard, but the shape of the applicator is the perfect size, making the application of the product smooth.

3

2

Rhode has a unique packaging, which differentiates it from the others. The applicator is smoother and hard plastic. Rhode offers various shades and scents as well as limited edition scents, which makes it a good collectors

take our polls

Follow the Harbinger on social media to participate in our polls

@smeharbinger @smeharbinger @smeharbinger @smeharbinger

*Instagram poll of 288 votes

design by lucy swope photos by ava towner

THINK

BACK TO being a 9-year-old in elementary school playing outside on the playground during recess. You walk up to a group of kids in your class asking to play a game of tag and they all join in excitement.

Now, flash forward. You’re a freshman on the first day of school, scouring the cafeteria looking for people to sit with at lunch. You walk up to a table of kids, immediately freeze and forget all social skills as red flushes your face — too embarrassed to simply ask to sit with them. So instead, you sit alone with your eyes glued to your phone. Awkward.

As a 9-year-old, you weren’t scared to approach new people and you weren’t scared to ask to sit at certain lunch tables. You especially didn’t ignore your classmates due to the “Stereotypes in people you should avoid” videos from your TikTok For You Page.

But now, those teenager tendencies are caused by one thing: Phones.

Kids are constantly being consumed by negative media and opinions, making them more scared of social interactions and less

influencers mention it’s not worth it. In reality our social skills are underdeveloped and declining. Yet most kids don’t even realize it.

Nowadays kids can say and post anything through social media, while not having to face any in-person confrontation. They can easily send a mindless text in seconds, like gossiping or spreading rumors, while hiding behind their screens awaiting a notification response.

LIVING inside a

Kids nowadays are underdeveloped socially and are trapped in a stereotypical bubble due to phones

story by lucy wolf

Friendships shouldn’t be built around a screen.

Let’s also not forget about attention spans. Over the past decade, kids have become exposed to a wide array of stimuli, like dopamine, which teens get every time they check a notification from their devices. The stimuli are harmful to the young mind and are engaging kids in multitasking behaviors, according to OxJournal.

These behaviors make it hard to engage in long-term tasks like studying for an exam or even reading a book, when everything on a phone is quick and instant. I even find it hard to focus in class, without

conversation when talking face to face with someone because there is no swiping out of chat to avoid a difficult conversation.

Relying on chatting with someone through a phone allows you to hide your mean comments behind a screen, from hating on someone’s outfit to spreading rumors. It shields us from facing confrontation and uncomfortable situations that can benefit us by emotionally progressing.

Even picking up the phone to make a quick call is a struggle. You can’t just reach for your phone to call and catch up with an old friend out of the blue. Many people would frown upon that, thinking it’s so random someone would want to call you to talk about the day. But no, this should be normalized.

And yes, you may be thinking “What about the COVID Pandemic? Did that affect our social skills?” One. Hundred. Percent.

Research suggests that social isolation and loneliness led to less in-person and digital socialization, more social isolation, and less social support during the pandemic, according to the National Institutes of Health.

After being trapped inside our houses for the majority of 2020, anyone would admit how their social skills declined immensely. Not being able to see and interact with anyone except your dogs, yeah that’ll do it to you.

People used to write well thought out and heartfelt letters to friends and family years ago. Now, that’s been replaced with a small keyboard, emojis and a send button.

A FACETIME A FACETIMEFRENZY FRENZY

A Q&A about SME students’ views on talking over the phone vs. face-to-face

“Q. Would you rather have a heavy conversation over facetime than in-person? I would because if things get too intense, you can always, like, make an excuse to leave. But then in person, you’re stuck.”

Nell Stechshulte | Sophomore

Q. Is there less pressure talking to someone over the phone rather than in person?

“I feel like it can be confrontatial in-person, and you can’t avoid that. But on phone, you can just hide behind your screen. “

The next time you worry about the social skills you need in order to build relationships for your future, unplug from your phone and focus on the present, and not your screen.

Catherine Sullivan | Sophomore

ABSENT

IN INFLUENCE

As a public figure who claims to value self-care and autonomy, it’s Melania Trump’s civic duty to use her position of power to speak up

WHETHER IT’S MICHELLE OBAMA

implementing the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act, or Eleanor Roosevelt advocating for civil rights, women in office as First Lady have a history of sharing their opinions and creating change. Their personal beliefs almost always align with those of their husband, the President.

Melania Trump’s opinions, however, don’t. In her new autobiography “Melania”, she declares her position on abortion and reproductive autonomy as pro-choice. This differs from Donald Trump’s voiced opinions who, according to CBS News, has taken credit for the reversal of Roe v. Wade.

First Ladies have historically played significant roles, not only in the lives of the Presidents while in office, but also the legislation passed during their husband’s term.

“It is imperative to guarantee that women have autonomy in deciding their preference of having children,” Melania wrote. “Based on their own convictions free from any intervention or pressure from the government.”

Unfortunately, her opinion was voiced too late.

Despite Donald Trump’s recent proclamation that he doesn’t support an abortion ban, he appointed three conservative Supreme Court Justices who played a role in overturning Roe v. Wade, the longstanding legalization of abortion and reproductive care.

Only now has he begun to declare as

to whether or not he’d veto or approve a national abortion ban, frustrating both sides of the political spectrum.

As a First Lady, and now a Former-First Lady, she’s been granted a permanent place in the public view. But this comes with obligations. She should be speaking up about her views, regardless of how she might feel it reflects her public image. Speaking out now is beneficial, but in light of the overturning of Roe v. Wade and the treatment of immigrant children during the Trump administration, it’s untimely and has little impact.

In her book, Melania emphasizes how she feels she’s been misconstrued, yet she married a public figure who’s outspoken with conflicting views.

“As a private person who has often been the subject of public scrutiny and misrepresentation,” Melania wrote. “I feel a responsibility to set the record straight and to provide the actual account of my experiences.”

In a private interview with The Guardian, Melania Trump passionately defends her beliefs, stating that abortion and reproductive health care are basic rights, going so far as to defend abortions later in a pregnancy. It came as a shock to many, given her habit of staying silent, as her husband was anything but that.

Melania explains her past silence, suggesting that she prefers to address disagreements with her husband in private rather than in the public eye. Yet, speaking up for her beliefs is her civic duty.

However, she’s not ignorant of her

story by mary gagen

responsibilities. She writes that in light of former First Ladies and their accomplishments, she entered office with her sights set high. While other women in office have been incredibly successful, Melania often fell short.

“[Being in office] presents power and ample opportunities for making a positive impact.”

Melania wrote. “Previous First Ladies have shown that we have the power to effect significant change, and I was committed to using my platform for the greater good.”

She did work on legislation regarding children and cyberbullying during her time in office, although it proved ironic as her husband was banned from Twitter. It’s another example of the opposition between Melania and Donald Trump, and a chance for her to do more.

Instead of speaking on the issues she now claims to be passionate about, Melania Trump sat idly by as her husband sanctioned opposing legislation on issues such as abortion and immigration.

INFLUENTIAL FIRST LADIES

While she objectively did a little bit more than nothing , she didn’t do nearly enough to advocate for her beliefs.

With Donald Trump running for reelection this fall, Melania Trump should reevaluate her role as the First Lady, to ensure that she isn’t acting too little, too late.

design by michael yi

art by francesca lorusso

9

FACS classes available for students to take

10 days until the SME fall play on Nov. 7

who’s who in the FACS department

Meet all of the people who work in FACS department

BRIANNE STOCKMAN

faid essentials apparel 1 & 2 fashion merchandising interior design faid studio

SAMANTHA ABEL

focus on foods advanced foods international foods

CREATIVE

WHAT DO YOU WANT KIDS TO GET OUT OF TAKING YOUR CLASSES? COSTUMES

I THINK THAT they can take some ideas of what they want to do in the future if they want to follow a career path. And I think that that is important. “

“

THAT COOKING IS not

hard, it’s not intimidating, it’s just being able to read directions and follow it and you can have something that’s really tasty in the end.

this week in photos

BELOW Freshman Chloe Rettenmaier threads yarn through her needle before weaving it in FAIDS class.

BELOW Junior Vince Kopp attempts to drive into the lane to score as senior Bo Morrissey tries to block him from the basket.

by will griffth

RIGHT Freshman Emory Krebs plays the song “In a Mellow Tone” on the snare drum.

photo by molly scott

Students’ opinions on what the best Halloween costume is for a pet

“ ANNE BOWSER SOPHOMORE

I LOVE WHEN dogs wear the spider costumes and they look like spiders running around. My favorite one that I did from my dog was when we dressed her up as a cloud.

“ BURT SHEETS SOPHOMORE

I WOULD SAY for a dog probably a hot dog. My dog was a devil one year. He also has a crab costume. And I’m pretty sure he has Yoda ears.

design by reese dunham

photo

photo by caroline hoffman

NOT

LOST

Senior Amelia Stinson travels abroad to learn new languages and cultures

TRANSLATION IN

story by carl sutton

SENIOR AMELIA STINSON was exhausted.

She had just spent the last 19 hours switching on and off flights from Kansas City to Washington D.C. to San Francisco to Seoul, South Korea.

Then, Amelia took a four-hour bus to Jeonju, South Korea, where she spent the next six weeks of her summer break in a small classroom learning Korean, making the 25-hour long travel day worth it.

“We were taking language classes for eight hours a day while we were [in South Korea],” Amelia said. “And we would do cultural exchange. We visited Seoul as well as some other major cities.”

During the summer of 2023, Amelia traveled to Jeonju, South Korea for a language immersion trip, which she found out about through a KC-based student diplomacy program called Global Ties.

The previous summer, she had traveled to Japan for a shorter two-week trip, which was funded by her school at the time, in Oregon.

Amelia’s classes were held in an all-boys christian school in South Korea, separate from the Korean students, alongside 20 other students from the United States, all learning to read, write and hold conversations in Korean.

Amelia hopes to use her experience with foreign languages, cultures and countries to go into diplomacy, and work specifically in East Asia.

According to Amelia, since everyone in her classes was a beginner, they were split into groups of seven, so they could have smaller groups to focus on practicing content

Although she was still new to the language, Amelia spent hours in the weeks leading up to her trip studying and familiarizing herself with the Korean writing system.

“She’s always saying how interesting [Korean] is,

words

because it’s very easy to learn,” Amelia’s sister, junior Lola Stinson said. “It was made to be very easy to learn, and the shapes of the symbols are representative of the shapes that your mouth makes while you say them.”

Unlike her trip to South Korea, Amelia’s trip to Japan emphasized Japanese culture, over just learning the Japanese.

“[The Japan trip] was lighter overall,” Amelia’s mom Stacy Dunn said. “When she came back from [it] she was on cloud nine. Now the Korean trip, she was excited about, but she was way more tired, since there was a lot more work on it.”

Amelia spent more time experiencing Japanese culture firsthand, instead of just sitting in a classroom and being told about it.

“Not talking loudly, especially in public places is really important,” Amelia said. “Respect in general is a really big deal.”

Amelia’s first stop in Japan was the city of Ogaki –about five hours west of Tokyo and Kumamoto – a city on the Island of Kyushu. She also spent a couple of days in Tokyo without a host family, in order to experience the culture of bigger Japanese cities, that are far more cramped with tens of millions more than your standard American city.

“In Japan, it was mostly just a cultural exchange,” Amelia said. “We would visit local high schools and temples and just experience their cultures.”

Amelia plans to travel abroad to Taiwan, to learn more Mandarin after high school to better her chances of becoming a diplomat in the future.

“[Traveling abroad] just kind of lit a flame in her, she wasn’t really aware that was an option,” Amelia’s dad James Stinson said. “Once she got some exposure to the whole idea, and had some diplomats come and talk to [her] I think she saw something that really just spoke to her.”

OCTOBER 28, 2024

SOUND COMMUNITY A

East parent Tony Sheets and a dozen of his closest friends share and discuss music of all genres through his Playlist Club

story by christopher long

SITTING IN BOOKLIST

Club one evening, East Parent Tony Sheets began to notice how everyone seemed to enjoy it when the conversation turned to music.

Discussions of artists’ use of acoustic instruments. The story behind each song. Emotions the song releases.

From this observation and after six months of intermittent planning from East parents Adam Reese, Casey Barrett and Tony Sheets, Playlist Club was born.

“We had thought of the idea for probably a year,” East Parent Adam Reese said. “Mr. Sheets kind of pulled it over the finish line and said, ‘I’m gonna do this at my office, this is the group of people we’re going to invite and this is our first theme for what playlist we’re going to work on.’”

Now, the 17 members on a group chat playlist club consists of monthly 3-5 hour meetings at Sheets’ office, where members talk about the songs they’ve recently added, why they were added and what the next playlist category should be.

Despite still being part of book clubs, Playlist Club quickly became their favorite club atmosphere, due to the community that forms around discussing music with friends.

The purpose of the club is to broaden everyone’s music interest past what the “algorithm” on their Spotify For You Page has dished out to them.

“Companies have figured out an algorithm for all of us,” Barrett said. “We usually lie within the boundaries of an algorithm, and it’s really hard to explore [new genres]. It was really

memorable to talk with a group that all had different algorithms and it brought the music that is now recommendations on my streaming platform.”

And the club doesn’t limit itself to just Spotify. They’re always discussing new ways to immerse themselves in music. Watching the Trampled By Turtles at the Uptown Theater is just one example of a group chat conversation that turned into a Playlist Club group outing.

“We’re nerds and we’re on alerts and we follow these bands, so we tend to know when they’re coming through town,” Barrett said. “If one just lines up with the Playlist Club, or we’re at Playlist Club, part of the conversation is who have you just seen, recently seen, and who are you going to see. So that might spark a whole group of us going to a show.”

Diving deep into the emotions of the artist, why the song was written and the instruments used in the music is why the members of the Playlist Club have proclaimed themselves to be “music nerds.”

With playlist genres from Stadium Bangers to Adult Sing-Alongs and Bluegrass Covers the club has cycled through various types of music with six new playlists over the course of six months.

Specific playlist genres help members discover new, niche artists, causing playlists to become a compilation of non-mainstream music.

But the club doesn’t always like all music. The one genre they’ve agreed to stay away from: pop country.

“Pop country is so fake and manufactured,” Barrett said. “You can cut through the BS and know whether

something’s real or not and I think that’s what makes artists popular within our group.”

Genuine music, which is thought provoking music from singersongwriters, is a common thread in each playlist, no matter the category, thanks to the club’s shared hatred of generated music.

Members’ appreciation for authentic music sparks friendly debates on playlists where they argue about whether or not a certain song fits in that specific category.

“[Friendly debates] certainly help me to understand the person who has selected that song, and helps me to understand some of their background and some of their relationship to music which I think is what’s fun as well,” Reese said.

Friendly arguments are partially because of the length of the playlists. They can range from five to 10 hours long, making members of Playlist Club eager to limit the number of songs a person can add, giving them more time to discuss each song in meetings.

Discovering new songs and pushing the boundaries of a member’s music taste is only one part of what members gain through Playlist Club. Deep discussion of music causes members to connect with one another and form relationships.

“I enjoy [Playlist Club] so much that I try to encourage my kids to start a playlist club at school,” Reese said. “It’s an incredible way for people to connect and share ideas and share passions and get to know each other in a way that’s not related to what car you drive or how much money you make. It’s a very easy, common way for people to connect and make a community.”

Most common songs found in Playlist Club

design by addy newman

photos courtesy of spotify

OFFICER FRIES

Shane Fries, the Campus Police officer, is always at his post in the office greeting students with a smile as they walk in the building

WHAT LED YOU TO START WORKING AT A SCHOOL?

I RETIRED FROM the Johnson County Sheriff’s offce after 28 years, but I wasn’t ready to retire from work. I really never thought about working as a campus police or SRO. Then one of the guys I worked with in the sheriff’s offce referred me to Chief Douglas [the Director of Safety and Security for SMSD at the time]. I came in for an interview and the next thing you know I was working as an SRO, then I became a Campus Police at East.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ASPECT OF THE JOB?

MY FAVORITE ASPECT is getting to talk and chat with all the students and staff. It is just a very personable job, and we get to spend time with everybody. My relationship with the students is pretty good, most of the students know my name, and I know a lot of their names.

WHAT IS THE MOST INTERESTING THING THAT’S

HAPPENED WHILE WORKING AT EAST?

PROBABLY LAST YEAR when students put a washing machine out front [of the school]. They got caught on camera, so they had to come back and clean it up. The thing is they dumped two or three hundred pounds of cement inside the washer. It made it a bit diffcult to try and get it moved out, but they were able to clean it all up.

HOW DID YOU BECOME A POLICE OFFICER?

I WENT TO college and got a criminal justice degree. Then after I graduated, I applied at the Sheriff’s Offce and got the job. I then became a supervisor where I ran a crew of 25 deputies, [and] did that for 16 years. Then after 28 years in the Sheriff’s department, I wanted to do something different.

SAFE

WATCH CAMERAS &

SOUND

Officer Fries specific role and job responsibilities

MONITORS ELEMENTARY AND MIDDLE SCHOOLS THAT FEED INTO EAST

CHECKS PEOPLE IN

CHECKS STUDENT’S ID AFTER 8 A.M.

MAKES PARENTS GUEST PASSES AND GIVES THEM DIRECTIONS SECURE DOORS

MAKES SURE DOORS ARE CLOSED

FORCES MOTION IN

story by lucy stephens

ABOUT THE CLASS

What the AP Physics 2 class is and the students in it

WHAT IS AP PHYSICS 2?

“AP PHYSICS 2 is an algebraic course that teaches different curriculum.

AP one is mechanics and dynamics. AP two is thermodynamics, electrostatics, electromagnetism, nuclear and some quantum stuff.”

MILES MARTIN

AP PHYSICS 2 TEACHER

6 STUDENTS IN THE CLASS

IN AP PHYSICS 2

CADET TEACHER

STUDYING AP PHYSICS C

REAGAN SOLENBERGER

Senior Regan Solenberger is self-studying AP Physics C to get a headstart on her dream to become an astrophysicist

WITH HER MACBOOK’S fan whirring and her trackpad warm to the touch, then middle-schooler Reagan Solenberger admired the virtual reality display of exoplanets on NASA’s website — an online program known to put her MacBook on the verge of crashing.

She didn’t care. Her computer took her dozens of light years away, something she couldn’t just look up in the sky and see.

“Fourteen-year-old me had found gold or something,” now-senior Solenberger said. “I was addicted to [the website], and I would just spend hours looking at all the planets.”

Solenberger’s love for exoplanets and space has led to her dream of becoming a NASA astrophysicist. And as the career name implies, Solenberger has to pursue physics in college.

“It just somehow ended up in my brain that I needed to be an astrophysicist,” Solenberger said. “My family doesn’t really question it anymore because it’s just like, ‘Oh, there’s Reagan she’s gonna go to NASA someday.’”

As a head start, Solenberger is taking AP Physics C as an independent study elective.

Solenberger sits in Miles Martin’s AP Physics 2 hour. During that class, she completes videos, free response questions and practice tests in the AP classroom.

Martin was able to fill out paperwork consenting to the AP Physics C curriculum, giving him access to the AP Physics C AP classroom, where Solenberger would learn all the material on her own.

Since eighth grade, Solenberger has been countless hours studying exoplanets and researching the best astrophysics undergraduate programs — Washington University in St. Louis being her dream school.

“She had a definite vision in terms of ‘I want to do physics’ and ‘I want more physics,’” Martin said. “There is definitely a kind of hunger and motivation.”

JOHN KISLAL

Senior John Kislal is cadet teaching AP Physics 2 this year, a class almost completely made up of students his age

SENIOR JOHN KISLAL walked up to the whiteboard with an Expo marker in hand, preparing to explain circuits to his AP Physics 2 students. Scribbling numbers on the board, he explained the equations and asked follow-up questions for his students.

Kislal circles his final answer and looks out to the crowd of students — all his own age.

Kislal teaches in Miles Martin’s AP Physics 2 class, a class primarily made up of seniors, some of whom are Kislal’s friends.

“It’s really fun to let the small amount of power you have get to your head,” Kislal said. “It’s more fun for me than it is for them.”

Students tease Kislal about his oddly written P’s and Q’s on the whiteboard or when he loses his train of thought while teaching the Carnot Cycle. For the most part, however, the four students in the class say Kislal’s presence is helpful. AP Physics 2 student and senior Emma Culp compares having Kislal teach the class to watching a friend giving a presentation. She said she enjoys having a teacher who relates to the student’s perspective.

“It’s easier for him to understand what we aren’t understanding because he just learned [AP Physics 2] last year,” Culp said. “He remembers what it’s like to be trying to figure it out.”

After completing AP Physics 2 his junior year, Kislal approached Martin about cadet teaching the class, considering it was all fresh in his mind. Martin happily agreed, as Kislal received a 5 on the AP Physics 2 exam — a score only 20% of students received.

Martin has Kislal lead lectures and write notes on the whiteboard, while Martin jumps in to explain various APstyle free-response questions or what he’ll be looking for on upcoming tests.

Kislal will even send pictures of notes on the class’s GroupMe and verbally test the students about what he writes down.

“I taught everyone what a calorimeter was and then every single lesson, I randomly asked a random person unprompted, ‘Hey do you remember what a calorimeter is?’” Kislal said. “I asked that question like 20 times.”

Martin can sit back and relax as one of his former students teaches this challenging class. Occasionally, Martin will give Kislal feedback on how to engage students more and how to lecture efficiently.

“It’s helpful in that he takes on some of the teaching mode,” Martin said. “And it’s interesting watching that and helping him become a better teacher.”

design by sophia brockmeier

photos by caroline hoffman

TOP Alex Sajna, Miles Martin, Miles Kroeing, William Barcus, Emma Culp, Reagan Solenberger and John Kislal

RIGHT Sophomore Owen Wagstaff holds a SM East volleyball as he chants “Let’s go, Lancers!” with Pack of Pals Chairs juniors Luke Taylor and Andrew Rhodes before a point. Wagstaff caught the ball from a player during player introductions. “The ball and cheering with friends [were the best parts of the game],” Wagstaff said.

ABOVE Sophomore Spencer Thornhill shows Pack of Pals Chair junior Margot Hawes his dance moves during the music break between sets. “Dancing [was the best part],” Thornhill said.

SCAN ME PHOTO

Scan here to view and purchase photos from this photostory

PALS

Pack of Pals, a SHARE group that plans social events for special education students, watched varsity volleyball play on Oct. 15

Pack of Pals members sit together to watch the first set of the game. Varsity volleyball fell to Olathe North 3-0. “Pack of Pals introduces everyone to new friendships and it’s super fun,” Pack of Pals Chair senior Maggie Wells said. “We always try to include everyone in everything.”

Sophomores Spencer Thornhill and Owen

put their hands on their chests for the National Anthem before the game.

wore a “Lancers” sweatshirt to support the team.

ABOVE

photo by caroline martucci

photo by caroline martucci

ABOVE

Wagstaff

Thornhill

photo by caroline martucci

photo by caroline martucci

picture perfect

foliage edition)

Stroll through Franklin Park or pull over on the corner of W 75th St and Belinder Ave to take photos of these vibrant leaves

spruce it up

Spruce Home offers a variety of fall home goods made by local artisans and owned by East alum parents

story by christopher long

ON THE CORNER of Somerset and Lee Boulevard lies an East parent-owned home goods store with a unique approach through locally produced items.

BEAST

haunted house opens at 7:30 every week and Saturday night through Nov. 1

THE who responded to a Harbinger poll of 84 votes saying they didn’t like

Whether you’re looking for a macaron trinket box in four different colors or a Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift candle, Spruce Home has anything and everything decor related.

East parents Christie Walton, Christy Higgins, Kristi O’Keefe and Leslie Slaughter met each other when their kids went to Corinth Elementary together. In 2015, their interests in interior design and desire to support local business melded together to create Spruce Home.

Their selection of products is unique as the majority of them are handmade by local artists.

While the space is only 850 square feet of hardwood floors

and minimalistic white wallpaper, goods such as sweaters from Mersea, a local brand, or classic candles from PickWick line the shelfs of the store. Each nook and cranny is filled with a knick knack for every occasion.

In alignment with the fall season, they displayed prints of cornucopias to hand painted porcelain pumpkins all with a made-in-KC twist.

Dozens of beautiful, hand upholstered and sewn goods such as throw pillows with fall phrases such as “Be Thankful”, stuffed pumpkin pillows and dish towels embroidered with fall detailing stood out to me as keystone, fall pieces that Spruce Home offers.

Anyone looking to add a touch of local flare to their home decor should look no further than Spruce Home.

art by avery foster

Franklin Park Prairie Village, KS Tree on the SW side image courtesy of imdb & spotify

W 75th St &

Prairie Village, KS Belinder Ave

RIGHT Owner Leslie Slaughter smiles as she tucks tissue paper inside a Spruce Home gift bag.

photo by bella broce

BOTTOM Cheddar, owner Leslie Slaughter’s beagle rests in his bed next to the front desk while she converses with her employee.

photo by bella broce

Look at recent and upcoming movie and album releases

AN ORANGUTAN THAT knows sign language is somehow connected to digging up a corpse stuffed with emeralds. Trust me, I’m just as confused as you are.

“Brothers,” released on Oct. 10 in select theaters and re-released on Prime Video on Oct. 17, follows the confusing plotline of twin brothers Jady and Moke Munger as they carry out a heist. The movie is labeled as an action-comedy — but I must have missed the action and humor between the lame attempts to make me laugh and cringe action scenes like a shootout in a shopping mall.

The basis of the movie is that Jady, played by Peter Dinklage, is released from prison after a shady deal with Officer Farful, the antagonist who ends up chasing the brothers around threatening them. Seems intriguing, I know, but it wasn’t revealed until after the first 20 mind-numbingly boring minutes of the movie.

The first 20 minutes laid out the classic cliche background for crime movie protagonists — Jady and Moke, played by Josh Brolin, get their criminal tendencies from their family who abandoned them for money and crime when they were young. You think you haven’t seen it before? Try watching any of the “Ocean’s Eleven” franchise or literally any crime movie ever.

What kind of names are Jady and Moke anyways? Last time I checked, just giving the characters stupid names doesn’t qualify as comedy.

And don’t worry, the cliches don’t stop there.

Jady approached his brother about helping him with the crime post-release, but “oh no he’s changed and is a better person now”. But get this — Moke ends up joining his brother to “save Jady’s life”. Oh, and they run into their long-lost mother, played by Glenn Close, on the way.

These seemingly big revelations in the movie still didn’t make the movie interesting. The whole point

“Brothers” is a sad attempt at an action comedy movie and is not worth wasting 90 minutes of your life

of action movies is to keep you on the edge of your seat, not fighting the urge to play Block Blast on your phone.

Despite my negative opinion of the movie, Dinklage, known for his roles in “Game of Thrones” and “The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes,” did a fantastic job as an actor, outshining some of the other characters. The plot just didn’t do him justice.

The writers must’ve realized halfway through the script that their “comedy movie” wasn’t comedic at all, because random ad-libs like a karaoke-bar montage and the aforementioned orangutan felt like last-minute additions written in crayon.

I will give them credit though, because Samuel the orangutan shocked me out of my daze of boredom and confusion.

Throughout the twins’ adventure — with primates and dance-offs — the shady police officer was following the brothers. Farful’s chaotic and unpredictable personality seems to be based on the Joker. But, like the rest of the movie, they take it too far.

Farful delivers the classic cackles and antagonizing remarks from normal cliche villains at an annoying, ear-bleeding scream. No matter how much I turned the volume down, I to throw the remote at his face. That’s how bad it was.

And the emeralds that Farful wanted so badly? They were in the stomach of Jady and Moke’s mom’s exboyfriend’s dead body buried 30 years before that on a golf course.

Honestly, the dead body scene is the best and most true to the action-comedy title. I actually giggled when the boys were driving away from angry golfers in

story by

photos by

OCTOBER 28, 2024

MENEDEZ

“The

Menendez Brothers” documentary outlines the Menendez murder in a thrilling way that combines real footage, counters social stigmas and is well-executed

I’TS THE SUMMER of 1989. Beverly Hills, California is the utopian paradise for all of the famed millionaires residing in their lavish mansions. The wealthy, secure community has nothing to fear.

Until Jose and Kitty Menendez were murdered on Aug. 20, 1989 in their white, terra cotta roofed, 17-million-dollar home. Erik and Lyle Menendez killed their parents out of self-defense and terror — a tragedy that the affluent neighborhood couldn’t have imagined. “The Menendez Brothers” Netflix documentary outlines this murder in a thrilling manner that brings together authentic clips, addresses Jose’s sexual abuse towards his sons and uses well-crafted storytelling to highlight the brothers.

story by sophia brockmeier

The one-hour and 56-minute film was released on Oct. 7 and, I have to admit, I was shocked by how the murder was told. I expected a gory and gruesome look into exactly how the brothers committed the murder and, of course, for the film to be coupled with ghastly photos. But, the documentary rather focused on motives instead, using real interviews with the brothers from their jail cells.

The documentary is told through the lens of why the Menendez brothers murdered their parents. Instead of describing the play-by-play actions of Erik and Lyle’s shotgun murder, it focuses on revealing the prestigious families’ twisted past. After about 15 minutes, I found myself sympathizing with the brothers instead of blaming them for their horrible crime.

The documentary is told through a series of clips from the popular TV show in the late 1900s called “Court TV.” “Court TV” set up cameras in the actual courtroom where the Menendez trial occurred — receiving raw footage of confessions, interrogations and testimonies from the brothers. I appreciated the integration in these scenes as it made me feel like I was in the courtroom

with the brothers, instead of just laying in my bed 41 years later. After all, almost no one is looking up “Court TV” on YouTube and spending an afternoon combing through the archives.

The integration of these real-life clips avoided re-enactments, my least favorite part about murder documentaries. When I watched “The Prison Confessions of Gypsy Rose Blanchard” last summer I couldn’t help but gag at all the staging of the actors.

No one wants to watch two fake Menendez brothers murder fake parents in a fake house with fake weapons. It’s a bore. Thank goodness “The Menendez Brothers” didn’t fall for this trap.

design by lucy stephens photos courtesy of MTC campus

documentary, Erik remarks that “nobody wanted to believe [him]. It was a culture of silence.”

I thought the exposé of information about the Menendez family’s twisted past brought a certain seriousness to the documentary that similar shows can’t achieve. I appreciated the raw look into the brother’s motives and the breakdown of what led up to the murders.

However, I did not enjoy the ending scenes of the documentary. To finish off the pristine storytelling and exposé “The Menendez Brothers” decided to end with TikToks. Yes, they literally showed the viewers recent TikToks of Menendez fans.

AUG. 1989

Additionally, the footage of the brothers actually in a courtroom shied away from recycling the same three photos over and over again in the film. Many directors of murder shows will seemingly fall in love with a few photos and continuously shove them upon the viewer. No person really wants to see the same blurry, pixelated photo more than once.

Woven throughout the documentary were serious topics of sexual assault and abuse — making the documentary a deeper watch. One of the major motives for Erik and Lyle’s killing was the constant abuse they endured from their father for around ten years.

“The Menendez Brothers” counters the social stigma around the sexual abuse of males and holds society, including the jurors, accountable for ignoring Erik and Lyle’s testimonies. At the end of the

Jose and Kitty Menendez are shot and killed in their Beverly Hills mansion

JULY 1993

I can understand that the directors were attempting to provide a reasoning or time peg as to why the documentary was being released in October, after the case went viral on TikTok, but it only degraded the quality of the production.

After hanging onto every word for almost two hours the last thing I wanted to do was hear what some teenagers thought about the case. I think that the show could have been neatly wrapped up by simply ending with recent photos of the brothers in place of the TikToks.

“The Menendez Brothers” sits you in a chair of a courtroom with convicted murderers while exposing dark secrets of famous families. It’s an intriguing watch that uses authentic clips and brings light to sexual assault — perfect for murder documentary lovers.

The Menendez trial begins and brothers’ defenses argue they killed their parents out of selfdefense

MARCH 1990

Lyle and Erik Menendez are arrested and accused of first-degree murder

JAN. 1994

Both juries deadlock and cannot come to a verdict

All about the Menendez murder

OCT. 1995

A retrial occurs and the defense evidence about sexual abuse is excluded

MARCH 1996

The jury convicts Lyle and Erik Menendez of firstdegree murder

NIGHT

SCREW-UP

SATURDAY NIGHT,” A

fictionalized movie account of the hectic 90 minutes before the first episode of “Saturday Night Live” aired in 1975, attempts to capture the casts’ rebellious attitude and the 70’s pop culture shift that led to the show’s popularity.

But much like SNL’s summer reruns, “Saturday Night” only provides popcorn entertainment and comedy that won’t age well.

Directed by Jason Reitman, the comedy premiered in theaters on Oct. 11, the 49th anniversary of the SNL pilot episode.

Set in the chaotic atmosphere of 30 Rockefeller Center, this loose adaptation of pop culture history follows a young Lorne Michaels, played by Gabriel Lebelle, as he struggles to produce “SNL.” The film’s style of long-shot scenes is also a stark contrast to the SNL skits themselves.

With a breezy 109 minute run-time, the film is shorter than most you see in theaters

THEN

NOW & SATURDAY

“Saturday Night,” retelling the events of the show’s origin fails to learn from the mistake of the past

today. This leads the film feeling rushed at times, jumping between characters so quickly that no one becomes fully fleshed out. Ultimately the cast appears as caricatures instead of the real people that they’re based on.

The film follows the show’s producers attempting to keep NBC’s board, led by a stoic Willem Dafoe, from pulling the plug minutes before performing live television and going to a rerun of “The Johnny Carson Show” at the first sign of trouble.

At its core, the story full of fabricated events has no deeper meaning — and like most of the show’s sketches, the comedy misses the mark more often than not.

The writing does include a few impactful interactions between the original cast members of “SNL.” But, the dialogue feels forced at times and the one-liners shared in abundance by the young comedians feel directed to the middle-aged man-children who grew up watching the show, full of unrelatable references meant purely for

nostalgia.

The film’s portrayal of the original cast members manages to capture the uncertainty of a group that had never made television. Whether it was Garrett Morris questioning why they hired an opera singer, John Belushi’s reluctance to perform on live TV or Chevy Chase’s dream to have a talk show, these surface-level subplots feel unnecessary in an overly complicated comedy.

The few bright spots come from the witty dialogue and the standout performance of cast member Dan Aykroyd and writer Rosie Shuster, played by Dylan O’Brian and Rachel Sennott respectively. These two absolutely nail the characters’ voice and mannerisms, even without much screen time.

But, Lorne Michaels constant problems keeping the show on track are a vacuum for the film, taking attention away from the serious issues on set. This included the cast members’ extreme drug abuse, relentless sexual harassment and an abusive writer’s

The actors and who they played in the original cast of the first SNL broadcast in 1975

room environment.

This inattention to deep issues highlights the nature of early “SNL,” succeeding by making the cast play into stereotypes, something the show certainly excelled in. The movie smartly evades addressing this issue for an audience that would rip it apart online as I am now.

It raises relevant questions on whether the show “SNL,” which has a famously terrible record when it comes to addressing important cultural issues like racism and gender equality over its 50-year history, could own up to its mistakes.

But the director gives up no answers, focusing on creating fun scenes that may have never even happened in the low-stakes film.

While “Saturday Night” ends in the blink of an eye, for those who take a moment to process the insanity on screen, the film’s gaping omissions are evident and keep it from having a lasting impact.

story by connor vogel

2nd place

events mark your calendars 28OCT. 28OCT. 29OCT.

02NOV.

season standings

Football

Boys Soccer

Girls Tennis

George Hartman scored 5 goals in the varsity soccer game against LHS was the ranking of girls varsity tennis at state at Harmon Park

game recap

story by michael yi

THE JUNIOR VARSITY

football team defeated Olathe East 26-20, overcoming a 6-20 deficit at the half and winning in overtime on a rushing play by junior Bo Wiklund.

JV Football won 26-20 in overtime on Oct. 21 against Olathe East High School

two touchdowns in the second half.

“We definitely had to switch it up,” offensive tackle Jake Henschel said. “There were a lot of offensive line schemes that we had to change, particularly because they ran a weird defensive line.”

Fall sport team standings as the season winds to an end 4-3 JV Soccer JV Football 13-1-1 8-1-1 12-24 12-0-1 6-1 JV Girls Tennis 7-1 JV Volleyball 5-21-1

“We had a really slow start, but then we came back after halftime, and on the opening kickoff, we got the ball back because they fumbled,” defensive end Jayden Austin said.

“And then from there, we picked it up and didn’t let them score again for the rest of the game.”

Volleyball

MIDDLE Sophomore Annabel Burkhardt jumps in the air to serve the volleyball.

photo by zac russell

TOP LEFT Senior Claire Rogers continues her routine after she pauses at the top of her bar routine for a moment.

photo by anastasia fower

BOTTOM LEFT Senior Ben Perkins attempts to fake out his defender while attacking the goal.

photo by will griffth

Senior Quinn McCarthy kicks a corner kick. The ball ended up going over the net.

by amelie wong

Over halftime, the Lancers’ offensive line adjusted their scheme to break through the defense, scoring

SCAN ME PHOTO

Scan here for more photos like these from our website’s online photo galleries

After going into overtime 20-20, the Lancers were able to hold off the Hawks offense to get the ball back and win the game.

The team’s record is now 6-1 going into their final game of the year against Olathe South on Oct. 28.

“We just want to keep the momentum going, keep the train going, unhook the trailer, and just go crazy every game,” Henschel said.

design by michael yi

RIGHT

photo

RNING A

CHEERFUL

The JV cheer team held a breakfast in the lower parking lot before the first Saturday morning football game of the season

SCAN ME GALLERY

laughs as someone hands her a breakfast sandwich. “My favorite part of the season was being able to be with my best friends and the best coach and cheering on the sideline for an awesome JV football season,” Madden said.

LEFT Sophomore Addie Bykowski stretches as she talks to her teammates at the cheer breakfast.

photo by emery engle

BELOW Sophomore Lexi Madden

photo by caroline hoffman

ABOVE Junior Mirabelle Heinen examines the JV cheer breakfast options.

photo by francesca lorusso

RIGHT Sophomore Eleanor Peattie takes a picture of sophomore Ellen Lund and her dad before they wrap up the tailgate to go cheer.

photo by caroline hoffman

GET THERE WITH CENTRAL AIR

THE HARBINGER

design by libby marsh

OF

L TENNIS VE FOR THE

story by ellen bowser

FRESHMAN MOLLY MCDERMED

walked onto the court of her first state tennis match alongside her partner, junior Catherine Beltrame. Her typical bubbly smile morphed into a look of determination. Molly was ready to enter her first state tennis tournament, blue and white ribbons tied in her ponytail and a racket clenched in her hand.

Molly came into her first season used to the groundstroke focused style of play that comes with singles through her years of training at Overland Park Racket Club and the countless tournaments she played. According to head East tennis coach Andrew Gibbs, she just happened to fit into doubles for the team this year for the regionals lineup.

Gibbs mentioned that partners’ personalities should complement each other as much as their games do. And both girls understood that teamwork wasn’t just about skill on the court. As the season went on, Molly and Catherine became more confident in their chemistry as a doubles team.

“We both have to genuinely believe that we can succeed and feed off of each other’s energy,” Catherine said.

But the pair’s skills also grew. Catherine noted that her serve placements allowed Molly to poach at the net with her strong overheads. Molly set up points with her deep topspin forehands, offsetting opponents.

Gibbs explained that a large part of doubles tennis is understanding how to drive and finish

needs to go through the player,” Gibbs said.

When the regionals team was selected, Molly and Catherine were eager for their chance at the state tournament. All matches were played more cautiously, with more on the line, according to Catherine. The girls held their breath through their matches until the final point of the last match.

“At the last match of regionals, Molly dropped her racket and ran up to hug me,” Beltrame said. “She said to me: ‘Our next match will be state!’”

Reality set in. Molly was going to state. Although she was thrilled, she felt a sense of pressure due to East’s strong reputation.

“The team had won five years in a row. Molly felt like it was all on her,” Angie McDermed, Molly’s mom, said. “But she’s a freshman, it’s not all on her.”

Going into state, the team’s work was done — all they had left to do now was play. When the pair got going, they were able to pull each other out of ruts — a few missed returns or a faulty volley — and get on a roll. Molly and Catherine fed off each other’s energy the way they did each day in practice, according to the pair.

“I’m excited, I’m terrified, I’m hoping that we can do well but it’s going to be hard,” Molly said.

During their first match against Olathe South, the team fought back from trailing in the first set 1-2. Communication between points with traces of “we’ve got this” and “let’s keep going,” along with many racket bumps fueled the pair to come back.

Catherine and Molly won their first set 6-4. Molly’s putaway volleys — set up by Catherine’s precise serve placements — won multiple points for the pair, allowing them to win both sets and match to continue through

the tournament.

“Molly is a fighter. She’s going to fight, fight, fight to figure it out,” Angie said.

In the team’s final match of the tournament, Molly and Catherine found themselves playing against friends from an Olathe Northwest team they had come across in multiple tournaments before. While jokes and conversations were exchanged before the match began, the banter was left off the court.

“Molly’s relentless on the court as a player. She doesn’t give in: bend but not break mentality,” Overland Park Racquet Club Junior Tennis Director, Austie Kauss, said. “She hits balls on the run very well and is aggressive when people come into the net. She hits bigger forehands and backhands inside the baseline than just about anybody at the club.”

Catherine and Molly came out of their final match with an 8-4 win, taking 5th place in the state for doubles. Their win allowed the East tennis team to place second overall in the state of Kansas.

Through years of training, Molly defined her skillset with her own personal strong suits. Her well-placed groundstrokes and her tenacity have been noticed by teammates and coaches alike.

“She’s probably taken some of the biggest strides technically and grown individually,” Kauss said.

After bumping rackets with their competitors, the pair picked up their medals and celebrated with the rest of the team and their state runner-up trophy. With three more years of high school tennis in front of her, Molly now carries her first state medal.

Freshman tennis player Molly McDermed joined the state tennis team and won a 5th place doubles medal at state

Molly’s tennis bag essentials

photos by christopher long & mason sajna

28, 2024

TMAKING WAVES

story by mya smith

Junior Sage Lickteig started rowing two years ago and has inspired her friends to join

READING THROUGH

HER last regatta of the day at a competition in Des Moines, Iowa, junior Sage Lickteig was exhausted, following her three prior races during the day. Yet her mind was solely focused on one thing — winning.

“I had almost zoned out,” Lickteig said, “I don’t remember the actual race that much. I just remember having to think that I wanted to win. I wanted to prove that I could win in that boat.”

got a penalty,” Lickteig said, “It was a really bittersweet win for me and I’m really proud of myself because I think I did really well, but also it hurt a little bit because they did so well.”

Lickteig’s first time winning gold was at the Head of Des Moines competition, but her rowing journey started January of freshman year. She started her practices on ergs — rowing machines rowers use to practice — and eventually got out onto the water on Wyandotte Lake that summer. Since joining, she has recruited two friends to her rowing team, The Kansas City Rowing Club.

“When I first started, I definitely didn’t know if I would be good or not because it is a sport that I had never done before,” Walpitage said. “But after a few times I really enjoyed it so I knew I wanted it to be a sport I would continue for the rest of my life.”

“WHEN I FIRST started, I defnitely

didn’t

know if I would be good

or

not because

it

Competing in the Head of Des Moines competition on Sept. 28, Lickteig and her teammate Senior Tucker Eddy were up against two of their teammates, East sophomore Keegan Kelly and Notre Dame de Sion sophomore Luella Mook.

Normally, winning first place for the first time in a regatta would be amazing news because it would mean her hard work would finally pay off, but for Lickteig it meant beating her teammates because of a 10-second penalty.

“We beat our own teammates and only because they had crossed over [a line] and

Her love for rowing was first sparked during a freshman P.E. class with one of her friends, junior Nithmi Walpitage. The two wanted to try out something outside of the stereotypical high school sports, and they heard rowing looked good for college resumes.

“I was talking to Nithmi who I’d just become really good friends with,” Sage said. “We both thought that it would be great to try something new together because it would be fun to do it but I also wanted to have someone there with me.”

Walpitage and Lickteig joined Kansas City Rowing Club January 2023 and after attending several practices, they knew rowing was something they would become passionate about and it stuck for them.

Sept. 28th Nov. 3rd

NAME: HEAD OF DES

LENGTH: 2K RACE

LOCATION:

LENGTH:

LOCATION:

is a sport that I had never done before. But after a few times I really enjoyed it so I knew I wanted it to be a sport I would continue for the rest of my life.

NITHMI WALPITAGE JUNIOR

Continuing rowing through sophomore and junior year, the two practiced on the water April through November, and conditioning in the winter to stay in good shape.

Sage talks highly of the taxing sport, mentioning the rigorous hour and half practices three times a week, and being nonstop rowing on the water for 25 minutes straight. From these talks with her friends she managed to get Junior Lex Kangethe an Eddy into rowing for the KCRC.

Not only did she recruit two of her friends, but she formed a friendship with former Kansas City Academy student and now East student Keegan Kelly. Lickteig encouraged him to transfer after he formed close relationships with East students on the team.

Kangethe and Eddy both adapted quickly to the sport after doing conditioning on the ergs during the winter so they were prepared for the next season. They both found their favorite part of the sport was the amount of physical demand that rowing requires, and the amount of discipline they learned from being involved in a difficult sport.

“There’s aspects of the sport that you won’t get from other sports,” Eddy said. “I played basically every sport. When I got to high school joined volleyball, and it’s fine but it’s just not as physically taxing. To have a sport where it’s physically taxing and you have to work on technique and learning a skill, It’s just fun to get that runners high”

Although Sage has gained close team bonds from rowing with students from various different schools, the amount of support she gets from her coaches and seeing her progress play out is what made her stay.

“I’d encourage people to join and that’s it,” Eddy said. “If you don’t have any [sports] it’s incredibly taxing. And it’s a great skill to learn for anyone.”

design by ben bagby photos courtesy of sage lickteig

TOP The rowing team gets ready for rowing practice.

LEFT Junior Avery Stoker and Sage Lickteig get ready to push off.

photos

by

sylvie degalan

Balancing the Stakes

story by reese dunham

JUNIOR ANDI PRENDIVILLE

and the other five varsity gymnasts stood up beaming when their team was announced as the overall winners of the Shawnee Mission District gymnastics meet. Prendiville looked around as her friends and family cheered for the team from the stands and the other schools in the district applauded them.

It was the first time Prendiville had ever experienced a first-place win in her high school gymnastics career. East competed at state on Oct. 26 after their win at districts.

So far this season they placed in the top three at every meet. This year they expect to be in the top three at state according to head gymnastics coach Sarah Hink. The district meet was held at Shawnee Mission Northwest which feels like home to the girls, as it is their practice gym.

“Districts was really fun, but districts was also senior night, so that was really special,” senior and team captain Ashley Freund said. “We started off with that [at the beginning of the meet] and [then] we did introductions, and our meet was really strong for a lot of us.”

There are a total of six girls on the team, all upperclassmen who compete in their specific

events — beam, bars, floor or vault. The team consists of seniors Freund, Zoe Chaney and Claire Rogers, and juniors Prendiville, Kara Parrett and Phoebe Kaneda.

Freund has been a part of the team since her freshman year and has been able to see the team’s new determination, by showing up to practice every day and getting extra work at club gyms, as they work towards winning state after years of missing the podium at meets.

“Score-wise, we’re doing significantly better,” Freund said. “There hasn’t been a meet where we’ve gotten under third place, which has been huge, because we’re just so not used to that.”

This year, senior Claire Rogers joined the team, and with her experience and skill from the club team, Eagles Gymnastics, she’s been able to add incredible talent to the team and has been a huge scorer for the team, according to Freund.

“She’s been a level 10, which is pretty much the highest you can go in club [gymnastics] for the last couple of years. So having her do East gymnastics has been huge,” Freund said.

The team practices from 3:15-5 p.m. every weekday, then has meets every weekend at various local schools. The amount of practice time and conditioning they put into the sport is a big contributing factor to how much better they have become, according to Prendiville.

“I ideally like them to [practice] at least two of the four events each day, just knowing that it’s hard on their bodies,” Hink said.

Not only is the sport difficult to be good at, but it’s also a vigorous activity on the gymnasts’ bodies, according to assistant coach and former East gymnast Brooklyn Beck. Injuries are common in gymnastics, and they can be caused by anything from a wonky landing to twisting the wrong way, according to Hink. The girls put in a lot of effort to make sure they are giving their bodies proper care like eating healthy and

The vasity gymnastics team is one of the top three in the district and expected to place in the top three at state

stretching extensively before competing.

Last season, Freund and Chaney were injured and weren’t able to compete for the majority of the season which made the team placing in meets extremely difficult.

Now, Chaney and Freund have come back for their last season healthy and ready to earn their place at state, which has been a contributing factor to the team’s success this season.

An additional reason for the team’s success this year has been the positive atmosphere and welcoming nature of the team, according to Beck. She attributes the girls’ well-executed routines in competition to affirming them when they get pre-meet jitters or are stressed.

“I think [it’s] been good just learning how they work best at meets,” Beck said. “And a lot of that comes with just encouragement. They’ve already put the work in. So at the meets, I’m just there to encourage them and give them that confidence that they know what to do and that they got it.”

Before the team competed in state, coaches were shortening practices and making the workouts easier so they could perform to their full potential at state, but results weren’t available at press time.

Alongside making practices less stressful, they also had spirit week leading up to state. The girls will dress up for practice according to the theme assigned to that day, which is a new addition this year. The themes were Monochrome Monday, Tropical Tourist, “On Wednesdays, We Wear Pink”, Throwback Thursday Leotards, and School Spirit.

“We’ve really tried to build up team bonding, so bringing in team dinners again,” Hink said. “This Thursday, we’re going to have a bonfire at my house, just to get the girls excited, but just living in the moment, because we don’t know if we’re going to have it in the years to come, and just enjoying it as much as possible.”

Conditioning Districts

Two varsity gymnasts and their highest competition scores

How close different lunch options are to East

The most popular lunch spots for off-campus lunch at East

DETERMINING distance

0.8 miles

FRENCH MARKET

design by avery

by

3.4 miles CAVA

1.3 miles McDONALD’S

1.8 miles CHICK-FIL-A

0.8 miles SPIN! PIZZA

I DO THE chicken box every time, no sauce or anything. It’s really close to the school so we can get back on time, especially since there’s a shorter lunch now, and it’s the same thing every time so it’s consistent enough that I enjoy it. I like to go with one friend or just by myself.

HENRY HAULMARK SENIOR

“ WHAT’S FOR lunch?

[MY ORDER IS] this combo thing with a bacon cheeseburger, fries. [In my ffth hour] we’re all friends and we all eat lunch together, and normally we just send one or two people out there to pick up all the food and then bring it back.

LILY GREENSTEIN SENIOR

[I GET THE] Bahama Mama. It’s good. It always hits and there’s protein in it too. [I go with] people in my class.

The Harbinger staff’s favorite places to grab a bite to eat

9 7 3 3 2 2 STAFF

HARTLEY GRAHAM SENIOR

photos

addie clark