The Harbinger: Issue 15 by The Harbinger

Harbinger the

ISSUE 15 SHAWNEE MISSION EAST PRAIRIE VILLAGE, KS MAY 2, 2011 SMEHARBINGER.NET

4.0 gpa + top 40 class raNk + AP classes + HIGH SAT/ACT SCORE + resume padders

X PLAYING THE SYSTEM ______________________________________

=MEASURE OF SUCCESS? The Harbinger investigates how much high school success translates into real-life success

others believe that having a good work ethic after high school can be just as beneficial, or sometimes more beneficial, than performing well in high school. In high school, Dr. Krawitz didn’t receive exemplary grades, but, he said, it wasn’t because he was dumb––he didn’t like school and had no desire for an education. Dr. Krawitz doesn’t base success merely on grades and uses himself as an example. “If one wants to equate success based on things like test scores or grades or how many organizations that they were in while they were in school, the chances are that a person

is involved in school and has relative grades, what I will call average or above average grades, they’re chances are pretty good,” Dr. Krawitz said. “They’re going to be successful, but it’s not guaranteed.” Sophomore Hudson Peters thinks some kids have to put in more effort to learn while it comes naturally to others. He thinks that sometimes the system doesn’t work for certain people, but the students who get by doing the minimum amount of work develop laziness. Calculus teacher Rick Royer believes that these students are simply good at “playing the game of education.”

beckas.deviantart.com

VanessaDaves

wo students graduated from North Plainsfield High School in 1968 and went their separate ways. One had a 1.76 GPA and went to Baker University while the other was the valedictorian and attended the University of Maryland. Today, the former is East’s school principal while the latter is in prison for being convicted of an armed robbery. *** In some cases, students that excel in high school may not be successful later in life; having a good GPA and grades may be inconsequential. Principal Karl Krawitz along with

Continued on page 2

The debate team prepares for Nationals in Washington, D.C.

pg.p.24

A look at some of the unique fashions around East

p. 12

Comparing the book and movie versions of “Water for Elephants”

p. 24

Pictures from the boys’ rugby game against the Junior Blues

The whole grade system is messed up [and] out-of-date.”

p. 32

Senior Andy Collins p. 2

NEWS 02 05-02-11

WHAT IS IT GOOD FOR? The Harbinger investigates whether grades are representative of knowledge or success

photo illustration by EdenSchoofs

Continued from page 1...

“Unfortunately, our system rewards people with good short term memory,” Royer said. “They can memorize [material] and spew it back without ever absorbing anything long term.” Royer points out that these students don’t have to turn in assignments or do homework; their ability to easily memorize gets them good grades that are the same or better than the students who are trying to apply the concepts. Senior Andy Collins agrees with this and also thinks that the ability to do busy work is an important part of being able to work the system. He knows people that are good at “playing the game;” they easily get good grades, but when it comes to problem solving they are defeated. “The whole grade system is messed up, out of date and is made to be a cookie cutter popping out a large amount of laborers that we needed when the school system was made,” Collins said. Peters believes that having a good short term memory can lead to good grades in some cases. For himself, he thinks that applying what he learns and doing his work is a big aspect of his 4.8 GPA , although having a good memory helps. Rebecca Wing, an East graduate of 2004, was in the International Baccalaureate program while in high school and self-categorized above average student. Wing says that she knew about “the game,” but she tried to avoid playing it. “I knew that IB would help me get into a good college, but what I got out of it was so much more than that,” Wing said. “It definitely contributed into my getting in to a good college and particularly taught me the importance of community.” Wing went to Macalester College as a bio-chemistry major, planning to become a doctor. Then one summer while in college she worked for Amigos de las Americas, an international non-profit organization that provides youth with the opportunity to live and work in Latin American countries during the summer. She realized that she wanted to continue working with Amigos and decided against going to medical school. Today, she works as a waitress at First Watch, a tutor and a volunteer for Amigos and considers herself successful because she loves what she is doing. “I think that while high school is a formative and important part of anyone’s life, being a good student is a poor barometer for future success,” Wing said. “Unfortunately, my generation has been hit hard by the economic downturn. Many of my friends, myself included, almost all of whom were excellent students in high school and college, are finding it difficult to find jobs, especially in the fields we really want to be working in.” Sophomore Samantha Fetzer, who has a 4.3 GPA, disagrees with Wing. Although she thinks that a student who does not do well in school can have a successful future, she thinks that most of the time the grades a student receives measures their intelligence and capability; some students can just memorize, but most good grades come from hard work. She says that most honors classes at East are difficult and students have to be able to handle the challenge. “Logically you’re going to take the class that you know you’re going to do the best in,” Fetzer said. “For the kids that take those classes to be challenged I think that’s great that you want to try and do better because even if you take that class and you don’t do great I think you will learn from that failure.”

Junior Maddie Pigeon, who generally gets As and Bs in her classes, thinks that students need to keep in mind that most colleges don’t add the extra weighting and some people are uninformed about this. She says that some people send their applications off to college with a certain GPA but really it is a lot less. However, the students that are trying to apply the concepts and working hard outside of school have developed one skill that the other students don’t have: work ethic. Chemistry teacher Coleman Ogdon thinks that these students will be more successful. “Hopefully they’ll figure out early on it’s not just about being bright, it’s being able to enter personal skills, your work ethic, your organizational skills,” Ogdon said. “In the long run, if I were to pick one of those students I want to work for me, I’m going to pick the one that works hard.” It is commonly accepted that the characteristics of a good high school student is someone with a good GPA, ACT or SAT scores and grades, which, according to Dr. Krawitz, do not portray work ethic or self-sufficiency. Ogdon recalls that when he was in high school, there was no weighting for honors, AP or IB classes. He thinks this was for the best because then the students took classes they genuinely wanted to be challenged in. Ogdon believes that this “inflation” in our grading system can be changed by taking away the extra weight. “If you want to take an honors class, you want to take it because you want to learn about that particular subject matter,” Ogdon said. “That way, you’d have students in your class that are really interested in learning, and not just in there because they think they’re going to get an extra grade point for being in that class.” Dr. Krawitz doesn’t like the idea of class rank. Although he is unable to change it, he thinks that students should not be competing against each other to get better grades. When Assistant Principal Heather Royce was in high school, she had a 3.85 GPA and was in the top 20 of her class. Now, a student with a 3.5 GPA doesn’t even crack the top 100 at East. According to Dr. Krawitz, for some students the school atmosphere just doesn’t work; the reasons for which students do poorly in school are diverse and it isn’t always that they just don’t want to learn. Counselor Laura Carter does her best to help students figure out their path. In her many years of counseling, she has seen students who have left high school with all A’s go to Ivy League schools and end up coming home early because they were irresponsible, while other students have left East with just okay grades and “have gone on to do great things.”Carter had a student who went to Kansas University and eventually started designing rovers for Mars with NASA. Dr. Krawitz thinks that grades don’t define someone as a person nor mirror anyone’s future. Although colleges focus mainly on grades when going through admissions, they also look at the person’s extracurricular activities. Dr. Krawitz finds these to be important in students’ lives. “If there is a student who is not doing well in school but still keeps himself active and involved in the school in some form, their chance of landing on their feet it far better,” Dr. Krawitz said. “Anybody can choose what they want to do. You’ve just got to be motivated and get past it despite all the barriers that are in front of you. You have to jump over those.”

EAST’S TAKE

ON GPA ON A SCALE OF 1 TO 10, HOW IMPORTANT ARE GRADES TO YOU?

1 3 Percent

0 Percent

2 Percent

1 Percent

4 Percent

11 Percent

37 Percent

22 Percent

20 Percent

WHICH IS MORE IMPORTANT? getting a

good grade 43 PERCENT understanding

concepts

57 PERCENT

85% Enrolled in AP/IB classes

Data based on poll of 115 students

NEWS

Online,

issue 15

Off Track

Quality of online education is increasingly debated AlysabethAlbano

More than 70 percent of the nearly 15,000 school districts in the United States currently offer at least one online course. These courses had more than a million enrolled students during the 2009-2010 school year, according to Alex Molnar, Director of Education Policy at Arizona State University. And that number is expected to grow in the upcoming years. This leaves the 30 percent of schools not offering online courses faced with the dilemma of whether or not to add online classes to their curriculum. In a study conducted by Sloan Consortium, an advocacy group for online education, the number of students who took an online class during the 2008-2009 school year jumped 47 percent from the previous year. According to counselor Lilli Englebrick, East currently offers two online classes, Health and American Government. The growing trend of online classes in evident at East. Last summer, Englebrick says 18 students opted to take American Government online. For the upcoming summer, 29 students have already signed up to complete the course. Principal Karl Krawitz said that these particular classes, which are required for graduation, are offered to students who would prefer a more individual study plan as opposed to a classroom-type setting. “Those [online courses are offered] to help students who are so involved in the complexity of their other schedules that by [taking online classes] they can get them out of the way and that frees them up to take other classes they may choose,” Dr. Krawitz said. However, researchers and educators against online education argue that the option for online classes has only to do with saving money, not with offering students an alternative way to learn. In their opinion, schools that are offering online classes are doing so to slash the schools budget, not to further the education of their students. According to Dr. Krawitz, the option for East to offer these classes has nothing to do with budget saving measures. However, critics argue that if a certain number of students opt to take a required class online, it is diminishing the amount of students who will take the class in a classroom setting, which then decreases the amount of teachers needed to teach the course. This will in time, they explain, will lessen salary expenses. Dr. Krawitz doubts that the district would choose to expand the number of classes offered online as a way to cut costs, even with the impending cuts that need to be made. However, he said, that can always change as the norms for education changes. Another option for students who are looking to complete their high school classes online, is to take them through a college. Colleges such as the University of Missouri-Columbia offer what they call “MU High School” which allows students to complete high school, and even some college credits, online, at their own pace. The MU High School, Dr. Krawitz said, seems to be the most popular option among students taking online classes from East. In fact, in a 2009 review done by the U.S. Department of Education, they acknowledged they saw the benefits for students at the college-level taking online classes but also warned that only a few studies have been done regarding online classes being taken at the K-12 level. Because of this, they believe there is a “lack of evidence” supporting that online classes would help im-

prove the education of students under the college level. Senior Natalie Bender, who took health online her freshman year, believes that taking the class without a teacher present, made it more difficult for her to learn each concept in the most in-depth way possible. Health teacher Sue Chipman agrees with Bender. Chipman claims that when taking the online class, students only receive the bare-bones of each concept. “It was harder to expand my learning because I could do the bare minimum to pass,” Bender said. “I think [online classes are] a good idea in a general sense to get ahead, but I think it ends up being worse for the student.” Bender completed what is usually a semester-long class in two weeks, going at her own pace. According to Chipman, the online health class is “barely a class” at all. She agrees with Bender that completing a semester-long class quickly just to complete it wouldn’t allow for much learning to occur. She feels that even with the time constraints she is under to complete 21 chapters, she still manages to go in-depth with each topic, something she doesn’t believe could happen when rushing through the online course. Similar to a classroom-setting course, the online health class requires the student to read a section and the take a quiz over what as just read. However, unlike in a classroom-setting, there are no tests, just quizzes until the final exam. “Obviously, [in a classroom-setting health class], we are going to have tests and we are going to have homework,” Chipman said. “That is all a part of learning the material.” Other elements Chipman believes online health students miss are the speakers, videos and other interactive materials she provides to her students. Her semester final consists of over 200 multiple choice questions, 10 from every chapter. Her final differs greatly from the open book health online final, which consists of only 15 short answer/essay questions. Dr. Krawitz acknowledges that some online classes offered are better than others and that even though a class has the same name, it doesn’t always mean it will follow the same curriculum as the in-class course. However, he believes that the health and American government classes East offers online provides the same amount of information that the classroom-setting classes do. According to Dr. Krawitz, all classes that high school students take have to be approved by the Board of Education. If classes do not meet the education guideline, they will not be counted towards graduation. In fact, he said, that both health and American Government online courses were mirrored from the curriculum currently being taught in the classrooms. Even though Dr. Krawitz doesn’t believe that the amount of online classes the district offers will increase in a budget saving effort, he does imagine that with the growth of technology, online classes could become more prominent. “I foresee that [online classes], probably in the years to come, [will] expand as the quality of those online programs continues to evolve,” Dr. Krawitz said.

Photo Illustration by BrendanDulohery

ON THE RECORD about online classes Percent of students who have taken an online class

41%

59%

Yes No

Top four online classes taken by East seniors 1) Health Education - 29 students 2) American Government - 18 students 3) Computer Applications - 5 students 4) English Composition - 4 students Average number of hours spent on online class

= 2 hours

Difficulty of online class versus in-school class

15% 12%

Easier 73%

Equal Harder

HEALTH : CLASSES ONLINE : MATH CLASSES Best subject for

ONLINE

- 40 students-

Worst subject for

- 35 students-

*based on a survey of 105 seniors

NEWS 04 05-02-11

DEBATING

D.C.

Debate and forensics students are traveling to Washington, D.C. to compete in the national convention

KatieKnight

Back row: Michael Hill,Liam Murphy, Jack Mitchell, Wil Kenney, Mark Towster, Karl Walter, Per Bautz Front Row: Hanna Bautz, Brian Phillips DanStewart

“Karl Walter and Brian Phillips!” Freshman Karl Walter lets out a relieved sigh. He and his partner freshman Brian Phillips were the lucky duo randomly picked to have a last round bye, meaning they didn’t have to debate their last round of the day at the Shawnee Mission West debate invitational. The boys had survived all day in the double-elimination tournament, qualifying them in the national tournament in Washington, D.C. Though Walter was happy, more than anything, he was exhausted. “At that point I was just like, ‘yay…I’m ready to go home and eat,” Walter said. Walter and Phillips are two of the 11 debate and forensics students who have qualified for the National Catholic Forensic League (NCFL) tournament, along with five other students who have qualified for National Forensics League (NFL) so far this year. Kansas is unusual in the sense that it splits forensics and debate into two different semesters. Debate is in the first semester, forensics in the second. Everyone else lumps both of them together. The students who qualified for policy debate in NCFL actually qualified last semester, and all forensics students have qualified this semester, and will have more opportunities to qualify at tournaments in the next few weeks. To qualify for Nationals in the NCFL, students have to place in the top six at an invitational tournament. NCFL qualifiers were Chris Carey, Michael Hill, Wil Kenney, Mark Towster, Karl Walter, Brian Phillips, Jack Mitchell, Hanna Bautz, Jayden Robert, Peter Bautz, and Liam Murphy. Students also could place in the top two or three at a tournament to qualify for nationals for the NFL. Towster, Kenney, Carey, and, Bautz, and Murphy are the student who have qualified for NFL Nationals so far. According to Towster, NFL is slightly harder to get into, specifically from a judging standpoint. NCFL usually has parent guests as judges, where NFL has judges who are more

familiar with debate. “The difference between having a mom judging you and someone who knows what debate is really huge,” Towster said. “So it’s actually a lot easier debate-wise to debate in front of someone who is familiar with it verses a mom who doesn’t know whatever you’re talking about.” According to Debate and Forensics coach Trey Witt, qualifying for nationals is expected, as there have been students qualifying each year for over ten years, but in terms of which students, nobody can ever predict. “You never know,” Witt said. “You always know when kids are talented, but in terms of qualifying it’s hard to tell because it’s how they do at one tournament.” Hill, though never previously qualified for the tournament, had high hopes starting his debate season in the fall. “I thought we’d qualify just because we did pretty well in this year in Kansas before that [qualifying] tournament and we did pretty well nationally,” Hill said. “But I wouldn’t have been surprised if we didn’t qualify.” Walter, on the other hand, was almost sure that he would not qualify. He thought that qualifying would be great, but if he wasn’t going to qualify, he wanted to get home as quickly as possible so he could eat and go to bed. “When my mom signed the permission slip she was like ‘what’s this all about?’ and I was like ‘well if I qualify to nationals, I go to Washington D.C., and we have to pay for a judge, a plane ticket, whatever,” Walter said. “But don’t worry I won’t qualify.” Junior debater Towster and his partner Kenney were unique in the way that they qualified for two different National events, one for NCFL and one for NFL. In Witt’s and fellow forensics and debate teacher Jennifer Hunter’s eyes, the most important qualities to have that help someone do well in a debate tournament would be hard work from the student, being well-read, and most importantly, confident. “The kids that are usually the most suc-

cessful are the ones who just appear confident,” Witt said. “A lot of judges are just parents that are not professional forensics judges. They’re just community people, and I think that’s the most persuasive thing to them, just seeing a kid who carries themselves well, and is confident.” The tournament in Washington D.C. will take place over memorial weekend at several venues throughout the area. Although students might have a little time to explore the city when they arrive on Thursday [May 26], their biggest priority there will be the competition. This tournament will be similar to local invitationals, but will include many more teams and have many more preliminary rounds. “Nationals is way bigger than an invitational,” Witt said. “There are thousands of kids from all over the country that go. Everyone will compete over the weekend at different locations. So if they’re doing debate, there will be five debate rounds on Saturday. The acting events, they’ll be competing all day, doing different competitions.” In D.C. they will meet speech and debate students from all over the nation. The best of the best. According to Witt, a lot of Midwestern schools stood out to him, skill wise; specifically Minnesota, Texas and California schools. 2010 East graduate and Harvard University freshman Tara Raghuveer debated at East and qualified to nationals three times. For her, traveling to nationals helped her in some ways in her decision to stick with debating in college. “I think that was actually the best part of the experience [of nationals],” Raghuveer said. “Getting to meet people from all over the country who were debaters and came from different styles. You have to adapt to different styles of debate when you’re debating competitors from Oregon and New York as opposed to the competitors you see every week in Kansas.” Witt also says the best way for students

to learn and get better is watching other kids debate who are better than them, especially for younger students who will return in future years. East’s debate team is rare because the majority of the members are freshman and sophomores. Out of the 11 students who qualified, only one is a senior. “For the coming years, having that experience of not only competing at nationals, but seeing other kids perform that are really good, I think that’s what makes kids better, especially in forensics.” Witt said. “It raises your own standards when you see other kids that are really talented.”

The

BREAKDOWN of a winning

DEBATE

according to freshman Karl Walter “Even more important than good evidence is good experience, and being able to understand arguments.”

“You need to have enough evidence to support your side and arguments. We have six tubs filled with papers, and we bring our laptops.”

“Be sure to not take yourself too seriously, and have fun with the things you’re doing.”

PRESIDENTIAL PICKS breaking down the front runners for this year’s battle for the White House

NEWS issue 15

AndrewGoble

1 Sarah Palin

2 Mike Huckabee

3 Barack Obama

4 Mitt Romney

BACKGROUND: Palin was virtu-

BACKGROUND: Huckabee was

BACKGROUND: President Obama

BACKGROUND: After the recession, Republicans looked for a candidate who could run the country like a business. Although Donald Trump may serve as the extreme of this, Romney, who went to Harvard Business School and led a private equity investment firm, is possibly the candidate with the most financial experience. He and Huckabee were the two finalists behind McCain in the 2008 election. Romney won close to 22 percent of the vote in the 2008 presidential primaries. CAMPAIGN: Romney’s second campaign heated up with the publication of No Apology: The Case for American Greatness. This April, he has declared that he has formed an “exploratory committee,” which is a general go-ahead to assume he will run for president. Romney is widely regarded as a front-runner to be the Republican candidate in the 2012 election, even over the other leader, Huckabee. Romney’s Mormon background may alienate his voters, but he is adamant that it will be a non-factor. Although he isn’t the speaker Obama is, he provides crucial business savvy.

ally unknown until 2006, when she become the first woman governor in Alaska history. In 2008, Republican Presidential candidate John McCain chose Palin as his running mate. Although they lost, she became one of the big players in supporting Republicans in the 2010 midterms, in which Republicans received the House majority. She also capitalized on her new celebrity status, publishing a book and becoming the star of “Sarah Palin’s Alaska,” although it was later canceled. CAMPAIGN: Since her rise in 2008, Palin has emerged as a leading voice of the extreme right. If she is going to win primaries and advance as the final Republican candidate, she will need to win over more moderate conservatives; as of now, her relatively small group of followers, even if they are super-dedicated, won’t have enough pull to get her past big names like Mitt Romney and Mike Huckabee. Finally, Palin will have to quickly move past allegations that her Republican 2010 campaign resulted in the Arizona shootings.

road to the

WHITE HOUSE a step-by-step guide to becoming the president

previously governor of Arkansas until 2007. In 2008, he and Mitt Romney became two of the finalists to become the Republican candidate for president. Huckabee ended up winning close to 21 percent of the primary vote, mostly in the South. Huckabee is generally known as a religious conservative. He is both pro-life and has strong views on immigration: he has previously insisted that immigrants should have to return home before applying for citizenship. CAMPAIGN: The New York Times has listed 12 candidates that will possibly be tossing their hat into the Republican primaries. Of them, Huckabee and Romney stand out as the two candidates that moderates will probably favor most because of their experience. Huckabee, who is a Fox reporter, has come under fire for criticizing Natalie Portman’s pregnancy out of wedlock, and also for a recent comment about Obama’s birthplace. However, he and Romney still are the strongest candidates, possibly because there are no others who played a true part in the 2008 elections.

1 Declare 2 Fundraise, Candidacy Campaign Make a public statement with you intent to run for the presidency. (Note: you have to be an American-born citizen to be eligible.)

Connect with the “Average Joes.” Kiss babies. Shake hands. Make speeches. And most of all, raise some cash (you’re going to need a lot).

has declared that he will be running for re-election in 2012. In his current presidential term, Obama started with a strong following: he won close to 68 percent of the electoral vote in 2008. His approval rating was initially 69 percent, according to a Gallup poll, but has since fallen to as low as 41 percent. Disagreements over his massive health care reform, as well as a relatively stagnant unemployment rate, have left former supporters criticizing the actual scale of his reform. CAMPAIGN: Although Obama is currently in office, his campaign is already under way. His campaign manager Jim Messina has adopted the motto “Respect. Empower. Include. Win.” In the 2008 run, registering new voters was crucial for Democrats: according to the Democratic National Committee, 69 percent of new registered voters were Democrats in 2008. As the economy didn’t recover as well as many citizens had expected, Obama will have to work to win the electorate in several of the states that only narrowly sided with him in 2008.

3 Primaries, 4 Convention, Caucuses Campaign Hope your campaigning pays off as voters make their choices in the state caucuses and primaries. Try to snag some delegates, too.

Make a splash with your party at the national convention and explain your platform. From there, refine your goals for the general election campaigns.

5 Election Day

Win 50 percent or more of the electoral votes. On Jan. 20, take the oath of office, give your inaugural address and begin your term.

PRESIDENTIAL PICKS breaking down the front runners for this year’s battle for the White House

NEWS issue 15

AndrewGoble

1 Sarah Palin

2 Mike Huckabee

3 Barack Obama

4 Mitt Romney

BACKGROUND: Palin was virtu-

BACKGROUND: Huckabee was

BACKGROUND: President Obama

road to the

WHITE HOUSE a step-by-step guide to becoming the president

1 Declare 2 Fundraise, Candidacy Campaign Make a public statement with your intent to run for the presidency. (Note: you have to be an American-born citizen to be eligible.)

Connect with the “Average Joes.” Kiss babies. Shake hands. Make speeches. And most of all, raise some cash (you’re going to need a lot).

3 Primaries, 4 Convention, Caucuses Campaign Hope your campaigning pays off as voters make their choices in the state caucuses and primaries. Try to snag some delegates, too.

Make a splash with your party at the national convention and explain your platform. From there, refine your goals for the general election campaigns.

5 Election Day

Win 50 percent or more of the electoral votes. On Jan. 20, take the oath of office, give your inaugural address and begin your term.

NEWS 06 05-02-11

PHOTOS

S F E I R B E H T

OF THE

WEEK

KimHoedel ff KatyWestho

he Shawnee Mission East art showcase will fill the counseling hallway and art wing on the second floor on May 4 and 5 with student-created pieces. The work comes from every art class, selected by teachers to show a variety of mediums and techniques practiced by the department’s students. Senior Rachel Arnold, currently in AP Studio Art, has had some of her pieces displayed in the showcase. “It’s a great opportunity for seniors to show what they’ve done in their four years of art,” Arnold said. Arnold hasn’t won any awards in the show, but junior Sarah King has won best in show twice in her career as an art student. “It’s mind-blowing what some of the students make every year,” King said. She looks forward to seeing her classmates’ work every year. She said it also gives the art teachers a chance to see what their colleagues have produced. The award ceremony w i l l

take place the night of May 5, awarding art students for their hard work throughout the semester. It also gives seniors a chance to be recognized for their dedication to the art program at East.

enior graduation is less than three weeks away. On Wednesday, May 18 at 7 p.m. the senior class will file into the SM South stadium. One of the highlights, according to Principal Karl Krawitz, is getting to hear the student speakers. This year, senior class president Andrew Goble, and student body president Logan Heley will

HARBINGER ONLINE POLL

Does East’s weighted GPA system accurately show who the smartest students are?

GRA DUA TIO N

74%

SammiKelly

be the o n e s speaking to their class. “It’s an opportunity to leave what I consider the best class in the history of Shawnee Mission East with a positive look toward the future,” Heley said. After listening to their peers speak, each student will watch their friends cross the stage one-by-one, anxiously waiting to personally receive their diplomas from Dr. Krawitz. Shaking the hands of each student as they walk on stage is one of Dr. Krawitz’s favorite moments. “It is the one moment when you can personally congratulate [the students] on their success,” Dr. Krawitz said. Without a doubt, Dr. Krawitz, considers this year’s class of 2011 the best senior class he has had in the three years he has been at East. “This class really stepped up to a different level this year,” Dr. Krawitz said. “The leadership was significant.” After spending four years in high school there are many things each student will take away from this experience. In Krawitz’s opinion, he hopes that East has prepared its students for the challenges of the future. Dr. Krawitz hope for the graduates of 2011 is that they “had a great high school experience that prepared them for their future, whatever that may be.”

E 8 S CA W 10 O H S T R 12 A

3-4

Senior Micheala Mathiesen sits in her dress made for the NAHS fashion show. “It was chaotic, but it all came together in the end,” Mathiesen said. “I really enjoyed myself and I will remember it forever.”

SammiKelly

Senior John Aldrich holds “Sid the Salamander” at the Earth Fair. “It was a lot of fun getting to see all of the little kids reactions when they saw the animals,”Aldrich said.

LindseyHartnett

Senior Keshav Ramaswami rocks out at the student concert Velveeta Underground. “[It was fun because] it’s being able to play music I love and enjoy for a crowd who appreciates it as much as I do,” Ramaswami said. “The crowd was great and it was a lot of fun.”

26%

YES

Check back into smeharbinger. net weekly for new online polls.

EDITORIAL issue 15

PUTTING GRADES TO THE TEST

The current grading system isn’t adequately assessing the future success of students in college; classes should be more regulated and test-heavy

No report card will ever tell the complete story of a stu- and smaller tests can help students feel like they can mandent. East students who thrive at “grade-grubbing” won’t nec- age the material. Even though college classes generally give essarily be successful in college while those who struggle to one or two big tests, a series of smaller—but more weightkeep a C average in high school might have ed—tests could help the transition into coldeveloped the study techniques necessary The majority opinion of the lege while still assessing the student’s total to keep up in a college environment, which Harbinger Editorial Board knowledge of the material. is traditionally light on support and heavy Increasing the weight of tests will defor against absent crease the value of other assignments, but with tests. The kids who work the hardest and this is a necessary loss. While it is appropriate to reward hard work, the hard work will know the most are often not the same kids who get the best grades. Grades at East can simply have to shift toward preparing for be skewed by a lot of different things (see tests. If the homework is directly connected cover story), but there are ways to transto the curriculum, then the students who form bad grades into something a bit more “acceptable.” Even test the best will likely have to do the homework anyway. though a student can’t be completely contained by their GPA, grades can become more connected to learning if the followIn these honors upper-level classes, grades should ing changes are implemented: correlate with final AP/IB scores. While there is no practical way to boost or retract a student’s grades after the scores are In junior and senior honors-level classes, testing released in June, administrators can assess should hold at least a 70 percent stake of the student’s grade. the accuracy of the grading by looking at In many of these upper-level classes, tests are not weighted eventual AP/IB scores relative to report card and don’t add up to be any set portion of the grade; students grades. There are always students who will can get a final grade higher than their test scores by complet- work hard, know the material, and simply ing all other assignments. Homework and group projects are not test well on a certain day. But, over a few one facet of education, but testing is the most important way years, it will be apparent whether the kids to measure a student’s knowledge of the material. In testing, receiving the best AP/IB scores are similar to the students are on their own, free from both group help and the students getting the best grades. online resources that hinder academic progress. A test forces Closing the gap between grades and students to commit to the knowledge, not just to regurgitate test scores is easy. As long as tests closely information from book to paper like on homework and non- emulate AP/IB tests and are more heavily comprehensive assignments. weighted, the students who test well over However, a heavy emphasis on testing may alienate stu- the curriculum will do well on the AP/IB tests. dents who work hard and know the material, but fail under There is a major difference between a 98 percent and the pressures of testing conditions. Giving more pop quizzes a 90.1, and also one between an 88.5 and a 91.5, but a tran-

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script will never show it. Grades could more accurately reflect students if they were on a plus/minus scale, which gives more possible final grades for a student. This system helps give a more accurate picture of a student’s knowledge: instead of the traditional 10 percent gap between grades, grades such as A, A-,B+,B and B- are put on the report card. An A- (hypothetically anything from a 93 to a 90 percent) would be worth 3.7 points, and a B+ (anything from a 87 to a 89.9 percent) would be worth 3.3 points. The University of Kansas has recently allowed their different colleges to adapt a plus/minus system, and this system should trickle down to the high school level.

***

With a relatively easy change, grades and GPAs would become a more accurate representation of student’s knowledge and work. The report card isn’t the end-all-be-all of a student’s knowledge, but these three steps can at least cut the gap between grades and true knowledge of the course.

THE BOARD’S SOLUTION

Harbinger the

a publication of shawnee mission east high school 7500 Mission Road, Prairie Village, KS 66208

Evan Nichols Andrew Goble Annie Sgroi Kevin Simpson Kat Buchanan Jack Howland Jennifer Rorie Logan Heley Bob Martin Matt Gannon Chris Heady Staff Writers Chris Heady Julia Davis Zoe Brian Caroline Creidenberg Paige Hess Holly Hernandez Kim Hoedel Maggie Andriani Katie Knight Drew Broeckelman Alex Lamb Editorial Board Andrew Goble Annie Sgroi Corbin Barnds Logan Heley

May 2, 2011 issue 15, vol. 52

Kevin Simpson Jennifer Rorie Jack Howland Evan Nichols Kat Buchanan Bob Martin Katy Westhoff Photographers Grant Kendall Sammi Kelley Samantha Bartow Claire Wahrer Caroline Creidenberg Emma Robson Brendan Dulohery Jake Crandall Sara Baumann Ads/Circulation Manager Vanessa Daves Erin Reilly Staff Artists Peter Hung

1 MORE WEIGHT ON TESTS 2 FOLLOW AP/IB CURRICULUM 3 PLUS/MINUS GRADES Letters to the editor should be sent to room 521 or smeharbinger@gmail.com. Letters may be edited for clarity, length, libel and mechanics and accepted or rejected at the editor’s discretion. Copy Editors Natalie Parker Anne Willman Photo Editors Lindsey Hartnett Samantha Bartow Multimedia Editor Maggie Simmons Asst. Multimedia Editors Thomas Allen Nathan Walker Live Broadcast Editor Jeff Cole Asst. Live Broadcast Editors Dalton Boehm Duncan MacLachlan Convergence Editor Maggie Simmons Asst. Convergence Editor Drew Broeckelman Homegrown Editor Mason Pashia Asst. Homegrown Editor Jackson Dalton Podcast Editor Robert Martin Blog Editor Natalie Parker

Video Editor Alex Lamb Multimedia Staff Riley Watson Duncan MacLachlan Natalie Parker Live Broadcast Producers Thomas Allen Tom Lynch Drew Broeckelman Anchors Andrew Simpson Maggie Andriani Chloe Stradinger Becca Brownlee Meagan Dexter Alex Goldman Haley Martin Riley Watson Paige Hess PR Representative/Business Managers Becca Brownlee Meagan Dexter Photographer Gail Stonebarger Adviser Dow Tate

Features Editor Editors-In-Chief Sarah McKittrick Andrew Goble Features Page Editors Annie Sgroi Christa McKittrick Assistant Editors Haley Martin Evan Nichols Alysabeth Albano Kat Buchanan A&E Editor Head Copy Editor Aubrey Leiter Kevin Simpson A&E Page Editors Art and Design Editor Kennedy Burgess Emma Pennington Tom Lynch News Editor Sports Editor Jack Howland Corbin Barnds News Page Editors Sports Page Editors Jennifer Rorie Matt Gannon Editorial Editor Anne Willman Katy Westhoff Andrew Simpson Opinion Editor Freelance Page Editors Raina Weinberg Anna Bernard Opinion Page Editors Matt Hanson Will Webber Harbinger Online Photo Editors Anna Marken Editors-In-Chief Grant Heinlein Mixed Editor Logan Heley Dan Stewart Emily Kerr Pat McGannon Assistant Photo Editor Spread Editors Assistant Editor Eden Schoofs Chloe Stradinger Maggie Simmons Copy Editors Toni Aguiar The Harbinger is a student run publication. The contents and views are produced solely by the staff and do not represent the Shawnee Mission School District, East faculty, or school administration.

photo by JakeCrandall

OPINION 08 05-02-11

On the Right Track Staffer encounters growth and experience through running EmilyKerr that I can’t believe I’m sharing. My freshman year, we took a trip to Chicago to compete in a 5k race. The race went as planned, until the finish, when we had to remove the timing chips from our spikes. As I crossed the finish line, I felt the way I usually felt (like I had just been run over by a bus), but I proceeded through the chute as normal. I pushed my way through the white-faced runners spewing their breakfast all over the grass to one of the officials who was helping remove the chips. I propped my leg up on his and he started to untie my laces and remove the chip. But before he could finish unlacing the chip, he looked up at me with a questioning look on his face. As I looked down, I could see a small puddle forming on his shoe. I couldn’t believe what was happening. I had just peed on him. Before he could ask any questions, I quickly threw my chip at him and darted off. Mortified, I ran back to the tent and vowed to never drink a sip of water anytime within 48 hours before my next race. Two years later, I am now capable of retelling this story because I have learned from it. Besides teaching me to limit my fluid intake, I also gathered an important lesson from this embarrassing incident: you have to be able to laugh at yourself. Life is too short to sweat over the small stuff, so you just have to get over yourself and accept that we as humans make mistakes. (Now, if only I could convince the official about this.) Through these experiences I have found my relationship with running to be a combination of love and hate. My first runs with the older girls on varsity were some of the worst and best hours of my life. Despite my pathetic attempt to keep up, I slowly learned from them how to be a leader. I never imagined that some day I would be the one calling the younger girl “my freshman,” or calming their nerves before a big race. My trek up the 14,000 foot mountain (although it was excruciating) was one of my proudest moments. Standing at the peak, I felt that nothing could compare to the mental agony that I had just been subjected to. Still to this day, no AHAP test or expert-level Sudoku is capable of teaching me what that mountain taught me: to suck it up. Although it seems strange, my humiliating moment of peeing on the man may be the most valuable. There is no other way to learn humility than there is to experience it. And what better way than to do something as ridiculous and toddler-like as that? You may still call me crazy or weird, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. It is through these struggles that I have grown into who I am. A runner.

The amount of chocolate chip peanut butter Clif bars I have consumed in my life is so absurd that I practically have the nutritional facts memorized. The taste is similar to cardboard and always leaves my jaw aching, but I continue to eat them because they provide the right amount of energy for me. I always eat one bar and a banana precisely three hours before my run.

Running Routines

I love to run. Every time those few words slip from my mouth, I am almost always reminded by other people that A) I’m crazy B) I’m weird or C) I’m a strange combination of the two. The follow up question is usually, “How do you enjoy something that is so painful?” Despite numerous attempts, I have yet to come up with one convincing reason why. It’s more that I can’t picture my life without running. Running has given me more than strong calves and a dorky watch tan. It has given me more than morning sunrises and ruined toenails. It has given me experiences that have shaped me as a person. I’ll always remember the feeling. It was the very first day of cross country practice and I stood there, a timid freshman in my barely-worn Asics and watched the older kids. They stretched and joked about last weekend’s party as I continued to gaze upon them, feeling more and more like a little kid. When it was time to start our run, we separated into teams and I snuck to the back of the varsity pack. Much to my surprise, the team captain at the time, Allie Marquis started asking me about myself and including me in the conversation-I couldn’t believe it. The captain of the whole team was interested in me? As insignificant as this event sounds, it meant so much to me as a little struggling freshman. The fact that a senior was not “too cool” to reach out to a younger kid was an inspiration to me. When the novelty of running began to wear off, I came to learn my next major lesson. Running is 99 percent mental. This is due to the unhealthy amount of time during a race that you have to think. In fact, by the end of most races, I have concocted in my head multiple scenarios which involve me either hiding behind a large tree or being spiked by the girl next to me: they usually all end in me dropping out of the race. But I have to remind myself to put my thoughts aside and let my legs continue on. This became my strategy this summer when my coach told me that we would be running up a mountain to 14,000 feet. After I picked my jaw up off the ground, I gathered up my energy bars and my thoughts, and let my body handle what my mind couldn’t. Trekking up a steep and rocky mountain, the air became thin and my spirits were low. With nothing but a few Clif Shot Bloks in my stomach, I wanted nothing more than to sit down and never get up again—but I forced my mind to be quiet and focused on merely placing one foot in front of the other. Before I knew it, I was at the top of the mountain. Only four hours had passed, and I had learned to conquer my mental fears. One step at a time. By far my most humbling moment came from an experience

Pre-meet Fuel

Mental Preparation The night before my race I lay in bed and picture myself running the course one time and then I don’t think about the race again at all. In the morning I write two things in sharpie on my left hand: the time I want to run and an encouraging bible verse to get me through. Throughout the race, whenever I have thoughts of jumping in a bush I look at my hand to keep my thoughts positive.

Racing Strategy At the beginning of the race I always run on the right side of the course. It sounds OCD, but I swear I can run faster on that side. One time when I was running on the left side there was a pole that I didn’t see and I accidentally ran a girl from a different team into the pole. I was unable to help her up, because that would disqualify her, and ever since then that memory has haunted me.

OPINION

Fraudulent Fundraising

Staffer is distressed by possible corruption in beloved charity

You know those three annoying pennies that stay in the bottom of your wallet for years until an opinion of Anna Bernard you finally just give up and stick them in a random tip jar? I’ve got three and a half pounds of them sitting on my kitchen table. Every year, two of my friends and I ask East students for their spare change, to benefit the Central Asia Institute (CAI), which helps build schools in Afghanistan and Pakistan, particularly focusing on girls’ education. The drive, “Pennies for Peace,” lasts a couple of weeks , and though my hands begin to perpetually smell like old quarters, there’s nothing more satisfying than dumping mounds of change into the coin-counter at the bank. That is, until I found out that my beloved “Pennies for Peace” is actually more of a “Pennies for this Old White Guy.” The CAI was founded by Greg Mortenson, who is also the author of the best-selling

memoirs “Three Cups of Tea” and “Stones into Schools.” In “Three Cups of Tea,” Mortenson describes his attempt to climb K2, where he got lost and was nursed back to health by an Afghani village. He vowed to return to the village to build a school. Since then, Mortenson has reportedly built several schools, been nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize, and President Obama donated thousands of dollars from his own Nobel Peace Prize earnings to CAI. On April 15, “60 Minutes” aired an expose on Mortenson and his books, claiming that he had grossly exaggerated and possibly fabricated portions of both memoirs. The program said that Mortenson’s mountain climbing and trip to the Afghani village were actually two separate instances. In “Three Cups of Tea,” Mortenson also tells of how he was captured by the Taliban, with a picture of him and his abductors. “60 Minutes” located two men in the picture, both of whom say they are not part of the Taliban, but were rather hired to protect Mortenson. Mortenson has released statements that

Mind Games

Being young was so easy. Thirty minutes of homework, study for ten minutes for a spelling test and play with the neighbor kids for a few hours after dinner. It was simple. an opinion of Anne Willman Get up, go to school, carpool to a sport practice, come home, eat dinner, go to bed and repeat. Things have changed more than I ever thought they would. Occupied and busy at the time has no comparison to today. Reality check: growing up comes with a new adapted way of living. Not only has school changed, but so have sports. In elementary school, athleticism was determined by how fast the mile could be completed or how many pull-ups were achieved. Back then it was about strength, and now it is much more than that – mental strength. Many people don’t understand how psychologically challenging sports can be. Sports psychology applies to virtually every sport. A win is influenced by your commitment, preparation, attitude and confidence. We have all seen it. The epic melt down in the championship game. The dropped game-winning touchdown. The ultimate choke at the Masters. Not only have we all seen it, we’ve

maintain his memoirs’ accuracy, and though he may have shortened the time span in his book, the events are still true. It’s difficult, as someone who has been championing this book and its cause, to face the fact that it might have all been a lie. Though Mortenson’s charity is a worthy one, perhaps an organization I should support regardless of alleged scandals, the truth is, a huge reason I became involved in “Pennies for Peace” was because I fell in love with Mortenson’s words. Maybe it’s unfair, but if you’re going to ask me for money for your book, and then more money for what your book is about, then the book should be as close to the complete truth as possible. Some of Mortenson’s supporters argue that it is only natural he condensed a series of long events for readability’s sake; however, it’s not like this is “Harry Potter,” where, in the grand scheme of things, it doesn’t really matter whether or not I know exactly how Harry got to the Quidditch Pitch on Friday. Memoirs are appealing because, though they read like a piece of fiction, you know that what you’re getting is (supposedly) real life. So, if Mortenson did exaggerate or lie, he’s not only betrayed the integrity of his organization, but also the integrity of literature. Even more troubling than the disputed facts are the claims made against CAI itself. “60 Minutes” and the American Institute of Philanthropy (AIP) allege that the majority of the CAI’s funds ($4.6 billion) go towards “domestic outreach and education,” which includes Mortenson’s book signings, speaking venues and travel expenses. Most of the revenue from book sales and speaking goes directly back to Mortenson. Less than $4 billion actually go towards building schools. AIP, an organization that rates charities, used the CAI’s 2009 audit for its information, and gives the CAI a questionable rating. “60 Minutes” also spoke with several individuals previously associated with CAI, who say that less schools were built than were previously reported, CAI has stopped funding

issue 15

some of the schools, and that some are being used for storage or are completely abandoned. Mortenson again has stood by his charity. Up until last week, the most embarrassing thing that had happened to me in relation to “Pennies for Peace” was running out of tea bags to staple to the info sheets, resulting in some papers with these “Mulled Spices” bags from the bottom of my pantry. Now, not only do I feel as if I’ve wasted four years and a whole lot of money, it seems like I too have been part of the deception. My friends and I set up the drive, endorsed the organization, took your money, and gave it to what looks to be a complete fraud. I definitely could have done more research into the agency’s finances, though I’m not sure whether this is a feasible option or just hindsight bias. As a naive freshman, I just assumed that all charities were reputable. Now I will feel obligated to do extensive research and worrying before donating any time or money to a charity. Where there used to be complete trust in worthy organizations, now I can only see the strings attached. What I hate most about this situation is that a good cause will now be sullied by the mistakes, intentional or not, of one man. Girls in remote Pakistan and Afghanistan will suffer from a lack of resources and education without aid from an outside source, and donations are likely to decrease because of their association with Mortenson. I hope I’m wrong, and that people will be able to separate the cause from the organization, but I’m sure they’ll be able to. I’m having trouble myself. Due to a combination of laziness, forgetfulness, and senioritis, my friends and I forgot to register our drive with CAI before the accusations came out. This year’s drive hasn’t been donated yet, but I can promise that, if the claims turn out to be true, we’ll find an organization that works for the same goal CAI was supposed to. But, until then, I’ve got about three and a half pounds of change sitting on my kitchen table. I hope it will actually do some good.

Sophomore discusses psychological influence on athletics in school all experienced it. We make a mistake at the end of the game that costs the team the W or we have thrown away an opportunity that will never come by again. I have seen it happen and unfortunately I have experienced that terrible feeling of disappointment more than once. Professional athletes train and practice multiple hours a day and they make the same mistakes as high school athletes. Sports Psychologist Dr. Andrew Jacobs has worked with professional athletes such as the Kansas City Royals during his 30 years of studying sports psychology. According to Jacobs, we are all human beings and professional athletes are faced with the same situations as young, high school athletes. Unfortunately, for me, the mental struggle never goes away. During my freshman year, I found myself playing well in a tournament. The only thing I could focus on was holding that trophy or seeing my competitors faces when I walked in to post my score. The problem was that I wasn’t done. I had two holes left. I was even through 16 holes and I proceeded to miss the green on the 17th. Dumping it into the front bunker, I left myself in a difficult situation. I eventually made a double: six. The 18th hole was a blur, another double, a typical finish for me. An even round went to a four over round in a matter of

minutes. It wasn’t my strongest of all finishes. I practice for hours at a time each day: hitting balls, putting and chipping. I find it frustrating that I cannot transfer my work into results. They always say “practice makes perfect”, but does it really? I’m not someone who loved to practice at a young age and to be completely honest I don’t love it today. It’s work and always will be. I have been there so many times. I have played almost every sport a female athlete can play: basketball, golf, swimming, volleyball, soccer and softball. Although every sport is different, and granted I didn’t need as much of mental stimulation at a younger age, every sport required some degree. Dr. Jacobs said that if there are two people with the same athletic ability, the one with the strongest mental aspect is going to win. Someone can practice for hours and still not meet their ultimate goal. Sports seem so simple: if you practice, you win. Wrong. There are and always will be two sides to sports: the mental and physical side and it is not easy. Before a tournament, I will not only loosen up on the range, but ready my mindset, taking it one shot at a time. all photos by EdenSchoofs

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FEATURES

05-02-11

DONATING THEIR TIME HELPING PATIENTS

“It made me think about how fortunate I am because sometimes people don’t have money or insurance so they can’t get surgery.” -Freshman Erin Wilkins

very Tuesday and Thursday over the summer, freshman Erin Wilkins sat by the 50-year-old breast cancer patient’s bed, watching TV or reading with her. Sometimes they would just talk.The woman had no other family; she looked forward to Wilkin’s company. “She was really fun to hang out with,” Wilkins said. “At the beginning of the summer she came in. She wasn’t doing well at all, but by the end of the summer she was released from the hospital and her cancer was gone.” These are the moments where Wilkins finds volunteering at St. Luke’s Hospital the most rewarding. During the summer, she volunteers twice a week for five hours at the hospital, doing whatever the doctors and nurses ask of her. “You do whatever they need you to do, like greet patients that come in or help take care of newborns,” Wilkins said. Wilkins enjoys making new friends with patients and doctors, along with acquiring volunteer work hours. Before she knew other volunteers, working at the hospital was “kind of awkward.” Since then, Wilkins has become friends with the others. “They’re around my age, and some of them go to East too,” Wilkins said. Although Wilkins enjoys volunteering at St. Luke’s with the other volunteers, like freshman Dara O’Connor, seeing patients go into the surgery room and never come out is the saddest part. “Sometimes there will be a patient that I see one day, and then I come back in a week and the doctors say that they’re gone,” Wilkins said. “Someone else will be in their bed or the bed will be empty. That’s the reason the doctors and nurses tell us to not get too attached to the patients.” Wilkins said volunteering in a hospital has made her interested in pursuing a career in the medical field, maybe as a cardiologist, neurologist or dermatologist. Volunteering at St. Luke’s has also made her appreciate her own life. “It made me think about how fortunate I am, because sometimes people don’t have money or insurance so they can’t get surgery,” Wilkins said. “It’s just sad because seeing people that aren’t sick, sometimes I think they forget that they don’t have any sicknesses and they should be thankful for that.”

Three students develop lasting connections with people through local charities MaggieAndriani

he first time sophomore Liz Gray walked into the class of four and five year olds, they were practicing their competition dance to the song “Over the Rainbow.” Although the dancing may have not been perfect, their smiles are what made Gray realize that volunteering at Access Dance was worth her Sunday afternoons. “I remember seeing their happy faces when they were dancing, and that was definitely the best part,” Gray said. Every Sunday, Gray, captain of the JV drill team, volunteers her time at Access Dance, assisting with three dance classes for kids with autism, Down Syndrome and other special needs. The kids, ranging from four to fourteen-yearsold, are taught the fundamentals of jazz dance. Starting out by stretching in a circle, the class progresses by doing simple leaps and turns across the floor. “It’s pretty step-by-step, but we try to use a lot of positive reinforcement, a lot of ‘good jobs’ and stuff like that,” Gray said. Gray started assisting the classes last Oct. after being encouraged by a friend who also assists with classes and has a sister with Down Syndrome. Since then, she has become very close with the kids. “They all know me by name and I know all them by name, so it’s nice to get to see them every week,” Gray said. The most inspiring part for Gray is seeing how much the kids enjoy dancing and participating in dance competitions. “Even though they have restrictions, they can still dance and be involved in something where they can be normal,” Gray said. “Just seeing how happy they are, it’s great.” However, teaching the kids can have its challenges. While the older kids in middle school are more willing to focus, the kids in preschool and kindergarten are harder to direct. Gray enjoys volunteering at Access Dance, especially since it’s volunteering her time to dance, something she loves. “It’s just a nice way to get involved with something you like,” Gray said. “It’s something that I feel makes you appreciate your life and what you have.”

SHARING DANCE

“I remember seeing their happy faces when they were dancing, and that was definitely the best part.” -Sophomore LIz Gray

all photos by EdenSchoofs

MENTORING KIDS

“Operation Breakthrough is their one opportunity to have that safe haven and to stay out of trouble.” -Junior Emily Frye

unior Emily Frye remembers volunteering at Operation Breakthrough for the first time, and hearing the story of a three-year-old girl there. She had a single mom who had drug issues and worked multiple jobs to pay the bills, and Operation Breakthrough was a place where the girl could go to be in a safe environment. “I just remember seeing the two and three year olds that already have so much in the world going against them,” Frye said. “Operation Breakthrough is their one opportunity to have that safe haven and to stay out of trouble.” Frye started volunteering at Operation Breakthrough in fifth grade as part of the Belinder Braves Helping Hands, her school’s volunteer group. After her first trip there, Frye started volunteering with friends after school and over the summer. Instead of getting gifts for her birthday, she asked friends for school supply donations for the kids at Operation Breakthrough. “A lot of times, the kids come from not-so-good areas of town and a lot of times the parents are working multiple shifts to provide for the kids,” Frye said. “They don’t have money to spare on childcare so they can go to Operation Breakthrough.” Frye usually helps with the toddlers, entertaining them with games and helping with nap time. When she helps with the older kids in elementary school and middle school, she offers tutoring and homework help. “There are employees that work there but there’s just one or two per room, and there can be up to 15 or 20 kids in each room, so it helps them,” Frye said. For kids in high school, Operation Breakthrough offers study rooms with couches, desks and computers. There is also a recreational room with a Wii, TV and air hockey table for the teens to relax and play in. “Even for high school kids, it’s just a place to hang out to keep them out of gang violence and things like that,” Frye said. “It’s a safe haven for them too.” In order to volunteer without an adult, Frye underwent training two summers ago. By filling out an application and having a background check, she now volunteers occassionally after school and will volunteer once a week in the summer with some friends. “It just kind of gives you a whole new appreciation of what we have,” Frye said. “It’s important to give back, because I know sometimes I can get caught up with things in my life.”

SUMMER OF TRAVEL Several East students have plans of traveling this summer

CAROLINE DICKENS SWITZERLAND

Spain, Austria and Switzerland were the three countries sophomore Caroline Dickens had to choose from. She was contemplating where she would be studying abroad all next year. After eliminating Spain from her list because of excessive paperwork, and Austria because another

Starting in Geneva, Switzerland and finishing in Rome, seniors Jeff Lefko and Robert Enders are planning a trip to Europe for the summer where they will be roaming cities such as Tuscany and Sorrento, Italy to explore cooking and do some sightseeing. Lefko hopes this experience will help him prepare for college where he wants to

Sophomore Ivan Novikov will spend his summer doing something he and his mom have spent nine years trying so hard to do: become U.S. citizens. The process is supposed to take seven years, but Novikov and his mom have been working on it for nine years. They are still bound in square one. Novikov was born in Lviv, a small town in the

FEATURES issue 15

HollyHernandez

JEFF LEFKO & ROBERT ENDERS EUROPE

IVAN NOVIKOV UKRAINE

student had taken the spot, she decided to go to Switzerland. This summer, she will be getting ready for her 11-month trip by learning German and cramming a full year English course in before leaving. She also will spend time mentally preparing herself to be away from home for such a long time. “I’m just mentally preparing for the fact that I’m not going to be with my friends for a whole year and away from my siblings and stuff,” Dickens said. “My mom is going to miss me like crazy—that is probably going to be the hardest part about leaving.” Dickens is a part of the Rotary Youth Exchange program, where she will be staying with three different host families in Switzerland. While she’s there, she says that she will be doing regular school things that she would most likely be doing if she were here.

“I’ll just be going to school and going to normal classes and stuff kind of like high school here, except I think everyone will be a lot older than me,” Dickens said. “I’m not sure how that works, but basically the same subjects just in German.” Dickens spent last summer going through multiple different sets of interviews and meetings to see if she would meet the standards to go. Now that she made it into the exchange program and is gearing up for next school year, she is eager to experience the culture of Switzerland. Also, since she is a photographer for the Hauberk, is excited to take a few pictures while she’s there. “I’m really excited to come home and say I did it, and not only be there, but get to travel because I love photography, so it will be awesome to take pictures and stuff,” Dickens said.

study abroad. Lefko and Enders have been planning the trip for two months and are looking forward to going city-to-city for 16 days on their own. “We are doing lots of stuff—a cooking class in Tuscany, bike riding in Chianti, day trip to the Island of Capri,” Lefko said. “We will be going to lots of different restaurants and I’ll be working in one for a night while in Rome.” On the trip, Lefko is taking his backpack and as little as possible so that he doesn’t have to lug everything around with him between each night’s different hotel stay. For both Enders and Lefko, the food is a big part of the appeal. The best part, Lefko said, will be getting to learn about Swiss and Italian cuisine. “I am very excited to be able to go to a fresh market in Florence and get to eat or cook with some of the best fruits and vegetables that the world has to offer,” Lefko said. “That is definitely

something that I cannot experience in Kansas.” Both Lefko and Enders are hoping their vacation will make them more independent by giving them a chance to explore Europe by themselves. Enders says he’s excited to experience the cultural food difference while he’s there. “I’m most looking foward to trying the different types of food that are unique to each culture,” Enders said. “Chefs have more opportunities for special foods or varieties that we can’t get here.” Lefko says that since this is his last summer before college and because it’s hard to leave friends, that this will help him understand what that will be like. Enders, on the other hand, is simply happy with who will accompany him on the trip. “I’m excited to see that part of the world,” Enders said. “All the while being able to experience it with a good friend.”

Ukraine where most of his family lives. His birthplace is the only place in Ukraine he could bear going back to if he so had to. His mom is a biologist, but since there aren’t many job opportunities in the Ukraine and her friends worked at KU Med, she chose to come here. She brought eightyear-old Novikov with her and has been trying to obtain citizenship ever since. “We’ve tried every tactic possible,” Novikov said. “My mom and I are nowhere near being citizens.” Obtaining a working Visa is the only way to go about getting a citizenship. Currently, Novikov is here on a working Visa that accompanies his mom. Now he is trying to get a green card, which allows someone from a foreign nation to work permanently in the U.S. for a certain amount of time, but they are extremely hard to get he says. “I love Ukraine, but it’s just not really a place where I can live,” Novikov said. “I would have some fun if I was in Ukraine, but I’d rather just

stay here and hang out with my friends.” Their plan is to travel to Chicago this summer to get a passport and possibly get one step closer to becoming U.S. citizens. However, the embassy has a certain limit of passports that they can give out, so instead of Chicago, Novikov and his mom might have to fly all the way back to the Ukraine-somewhere he really doesn’t want to spend two months of his summer. They have spent other summers traveling to the Ukraine to extend their Visas, and, even if he has to spend two months in the Ukraine this summer, Novikov just hopes something good will come out of it. “I want to stay in the United States and not go to Ukraine this summer or this year,” Novikov said. “But I hope that I finally receive a green card or get a Social Security number and have the ability to work.”

WHAT YOU SHOULD DO IN KC

Royals Game Enjoy what KC has to offer. Go out for a night at the K or even attend the new Sporting KC games.

Be a Kid

Take a trip back to your childhood and plan a day to go to the zoo or Worlds of Fun with your friends.

Use the Turf

Give the East turf some love in the summer. Plan a time for your friends to meet and toss the frisbee or play soccer.

Be Productive Pick a book or two to read while you’re out at the pool or laying out on your hammock.

Stay Healthy Set a goal for yourself to work out a few times a week and eat lots of fruits and veggies while they’re in season.

all photos by EmmaRobson

FEATURES

05-02-11

P P the

ast

rep

a look at the more unique styles of East

jacket

“I got it at the Salvation Army. In the kids’ section. In the boys’ Costume section.”

boots

“I shop at a lot of garage and estate sales. I found these in the basement at an estate sale.”

SarahKing

ZoeBrian

On any given day, a student at East will see enough Sperry’s, Coach bags and designer jeans to fill a small department store. But in the sea of Polos and ballet flats there are a select few who choose to go against the current. Some call them ‘indie,’ some say they’re crazy, but whatever one’s fashion taste, one thing is certain: these students have style.

vintage vibe

Patent leather red combat boots with Tweety Bird on the side may not seem like something a typical junior at East would wear, but Sarah King isn’t a typical junior. Her style is a mixture of thrift-store finds and the study of art. “I’m inspired by vintage fashion and...things like color theory and the way patterns interact,” King said. King is economically responsible when it comes to fashion. Getting her clothes from thrift stores and her parents, she rarely needs to splurge. With favorite stores like Maj-R Thrift and Salvation Army, it’s no surprise King describes her style as “quirky.” Yet King’s desire to stand out doesn’t alienate her from peers. King says she gets compliments sometimes and odd looks other times but it doesn’t bother her. “[Fashion] brightens my day no matter what,” King said.

dress

“[The Dress] is Christopher Kane, Donatella Versace’s protege. [It’s from] the spring 2009 collection and there were only five made. I know Rihanna has one of the other four. I feel very lucky to have found it.”

CarolineMiller

spontaneous statements

Some people have to work hard to create a style all their own, but senior Caroline Miller’s fashion statements are spontaneous yet memorable. Drawing inspiration from foreign issues of Vogue magazine, Miller mixes the modern with the past. “My clothes are either vintage or from New York,” Miller said. Yet Miller’s love for fashion isn’t just about looking good. For her, it’s her favorite hobby. “Some people write, some paint. I’m drawn to [fashion]. I just have an affinity for high fashion,” Miller said. And high fashion is exactly what Miller embodies. Standing at a model-worthy six feet, Miller takes risks with her fashion, combining things like statement necklaces and gold jewelry with plain white t-shirts and jeans for a look that seems right off the runway.

hair

photo illustration by GrantHeinlein

“My hair is obviously very Madonnainspired. I decided to dye [my hair] because people don’t see hair like mine dyed very often.”

make-up

“I love Ke$ha glitter [for my eyes]. But I also like to go with the classics, like ‘60s red lipstick.”

dress

“I love the colors and tribal print [on the dress]. It’s also great because it is very fitted so I can layer it without looking too bulky.”

MichelAnderson

individualist

Sophomore Michel Anderson is anything but preppy. Her black afro, with a red streak down the middle, sets her apart from most East students, but it isn’t just hair that Michel takes risks with: from head to toe Michel is ‘unique.’ Mint green nail polish off-sets her caramel skin, her shoes are Jeffrey Campbell and her outfit does the unthinkable: a mix of flowers and polka-dots. “I could never pull of half the stuff she can,” sophomore Jessie Burnes said. “Her style is just completely unique.” Anderson mixes modern and vintage looks to create something completely original. On any given day she can be found wearing a ‘60s pin-up inspired top with hair right out of the ‘80s. But what really makes these crazy combinations work is Anderson’s confidence. “I guess I just wear what I want,” Anderson said. “I get stared at, but I just say ‘bring it on.”

FINDING HIS RHYTHM KennedyBurgess

Sigrah Neb was in a trance — bobbing his head slowly, melodically, inside Indie Bar located at the corner of 13th and Main in Power and Light district. . His baggy black T-shirt, sporting the words “Snatchy Trax” across his chest, hung on his shoulders while his hand spun the turn table in front of him; the other holding his over-sized headphones to his ear. The sound blaring from the speakers on each side of the table was placid and calm, backed up with abrasive bass drops that pleased the undersized crowd standing a few feet away from Sigrah. At 9:00 p.m. on this particular Saturday night, the room inside Indie Bar’s only illumination spurred from the streetlights of downtown and the green laser-like lights, zig-zagging across the black ceiling as Sigrah continued to spin, midway through his 30-minute set. Sigrah was a part of a lineup for the buzzed-about electronic music show “Pretty Lights,” and even though he wasn’t accompanying the big name disc jockeys like Spankalicious just a few rooms away at the Midland, there were still the 100 or so people surrounding his speakers, listening; and that counted for something. Among the room of strangers were Sigrah’s close friends, who come to almost all of his shows. Though, they know him better as Ben Hargis. *** East graduate Ben Hargis first started experimenting with the sounds of electronic music towards the end of his sophomore year in high school. Through searching for new music on the Internet, Hargis stumbled upon 12 Planet’s remix of Heartbreaker by Mstrkrft. After hearing that, he was hooked. “The rhythms in that song were syncopated in a way that was intriguing,” Hargis said. “It was very bass heavy and I hadn’t heard anything like it before.” What had perked Hargis’s ears up was a type of music called dubstep, a genre of electronic dance music that originated in 1998 that acquires bass heavy rhythms and has slowly grown into something more intricate over the years. Hargis was immediately keen to the creativity that came with making dubstep mixes which lead him to explore a program called Virtual DJ on his home laptop.

Everyday Hargis would come across 15-20 new songs from artists he had never heard of. With Virtual DJ, Hargis could take two other producers songs and mix them to transform them into his own. Becoming more engrossed with the facets of dubstep and DJing, Hargis began teaching himself how to DJ on his own CDJ’s, a digital turn table. When his hand drops the tone arm onto the record spinning on top of his turn table at 45 RPM, transmitting itself through five USB cables into the mixer, sending itself to the speakers, Hargis can control movement. With just that swift hand movement, Hargis can control energy. The energy of a crowd of people, waiting for the next bass drop. “Once you build that energy and get that energy going with the crowd,” Hargis said. “You can interact with them and that gets them hyped.” He began to push himself onto the dubstep scene in KC, regularly attending concerts sponsored by the record label he now plays for, Snatchy Trax. Hargis began uploading personal mixes onto Soundcloud.com, a music forum for unsigned DJ’s. Snatchy Trax contacted Hargis after they noticed a post he had written on their Facebook page and had continually seen him supporting their shows. They immediately took him under their wing, allowing him to play at shows they would sponsor around the KC area, including the Beaumont Club where he played his first show when doors opened last March. Hargis incorporates melodic sounds into his set mixes to assemble 10-20 minute build ups, creating a mellow atmosphere up to the high point in his set. The contrast between the beginning of his sets and the peak, keeps the crowd involved in his set. The percussive and bass qualities of dubstep were familiar to Hargis from his previous experiences when he was younger, which helped him with hand-eye coordination that came with DJing. At only five, Hargis took a crayon to his first drum set, creating haphazard scribbles over each drum. What resulted in a brief scolding, gave way for Hargis to trade in the Crayola for a pair of drum sticks at the age of eight. He learned the basics from his father, a musician and DJ in disco clubs during the ‘60s and ‘70s. Music is something Hargis has carried with him through

FEATURES

issue 15

East graduate Ben Hargis, discovers his passion for DJing with the help of a local record company

life, and something he always will. “Whether it was sadness or anger or happiness, I could just go sit down and drum it out,” Hargis said. As Hargis carried on in high school, he became interested in the auto-program at East, causing him to stray from his music roots; DJing was just something he had picked up along the way. Hargis was sure when he enrolled in the auto program at Pittsburg State University his senior year that he was dead-set on a career fixing fuel pumps and engine lights. He knew it wasn’t music, but at least he was sure he would have a reliable salary. He was sure. Sitting in his dorm room his freshman year at Pitt State, surrounded by his piano, guitar and CDJs, he received a call from his mother, that made question whether he was sure anymore. His father, a strong musical influence in his life, had passed away. Hargis sat in his dorm room for three hours after that call, strumming away on his guitar as he cried to himself. The music made him feel okay. He could always turn to music. “That sort of re-ignited the flame between me and music ,” Hargis said. “I came to a realization in that moment that music is a huge part of my life, and it was a huge part of his too.” Hargis also realized Pitt State isn’t for him. He plans on transferring to JCCC for his sophomore year in college and is enrolled in their audio engineering program. Currently, Hargis still pulls other producer’s music and puts his own spin on them, but hopes to begin creating his own electronic mixes from what he learns through JCCC’S classes. Hargis refers to himself as a weekend DJ, but is looking forward to traveling to St. Louis in the summer to DJ for a local radio station through Snatchy Trax and looks at his Facebook fan page as often as possible, which currently has 55 likes and is growing daily. “I want to live an adventurous life,” Hargis said. “I know I’ll always need that ‘day job’, but DJing is what I’m doing, at least for now.”

To listen to recordings of Ben Hargis’ music, visit the Homegrown section on smeharbinger.net. photo courtesy of BenHargis

The oldest child is often very domineering of their younger siblings and often takes on the role of their teacher. As a result, the eldest is usually a people pleaser and a perfectionist. Firstborns also generally score better on tests.

MIDDLE

Youngest

Only

Since middle children often feel like they’re being outshined by their siblings, they tend to be more secretive. Middle children are known to be independent and inventive. They also often play the part of the peacemaker.

Youngest children are often never given the chance to hold a lot of responsibility. As the baby of the family, they’re used to attention. Consequently, they love the spotlight, are manipulative, outgoing, charming and financially irresponsible.

Only children are often creative, because with no siblings to play with they have to find a way to entertain themselves. They also tend to impress adults with their maturity and comfort talking with adults. These kids are used to getting their way.

I personally think that middle children are the least confrontational. I can’t hold grudges and I just let things go. I’m not really good at dealing with my younger siblings because that’s my older brother’s job.”

sophomore MAX KURLBAUM

“

It seems like the older child is sort of the quieter one which is definitely true with me. Since your parents have never gone through anything [with kids] there’s more pressure on you... so it’s sort of like their experiment.”

OLDEST

junior EVAN TARRY

“ ONLY junior DURI LONG

Compare yourself to the typical characteristics of the oldest, middle, youngest or only child

Middle

YOUNGEST

senior KIRBY CLEMENTS

“

n.c om

DO YOU FIT?

“

their elder siblings. They were so much younger at the time, and therefore didn’t get to do all of the childhood activities she older ones got to do. “They didn’t get to experience our childhood,” Erin said. “As we got older, they just did what the older kids did. They didn’t really get to do the goofy younger kid thing.” Parents also have an influence on their child’s personality, which is correlated to birth order. For instance, an older child has their first years with just their parents, and become the center of their parents’ world. Along with this, the middle children always have someone around to take some of their attention. Last, the baby of the family will have those years at the end when the others have left the home and it’s just them left at home with their parents. In one of Dr. Sulloway’s studies in 2001, he found that a sibling who received less attention from a parent was more likely to rebel and stray away from what a parent may have had planned for their child. On the other hand, a child who may have received more attention––such as a baby or a firstborn––was more inclined to follow in their parent’s footsteps. Some families don’t have a prevalent problem with attention or jealousy. In the Ehly family, their parents gave equal amounts of attention to their children, according to Rae. They are all so connected to each other, that it’s strange for Rae to go a mere four hours without talking to her parents. “I’ve been blessed with a family who is really close,” said Rae. “I have parents who know each of us very personally.” Birth order is different in every family, and its effects are different on different children’s personalities, but affects each and every person, subconsciously or otherwise. Birth order isn’t the only factor that shapes a personality, but it just may be the most important.

ca tio

Oldest

“If you’re the eldest, you’re the oldest, you have more power,” Dr. Sulloway said. “You tend to have a closer relationship to your parents, and can do things your younger siblings can’t.” Being a firstborn doesn’t necessarily indicate that you are going to be strong or dominant. Because of the fact that birth order only has a little influence on personality, not every oldest child is a leader. Genetic makeup, environment, and experiences all help to create a personality not just where you happen to fall in the birth order. “Firstborns tend to be more dominant than their younger siblings on average, but there are a lot of firstborns that have a genetic propensity to be shy and timid,” said Dr. Sulloway. Without the youngest child, or “baby,” there wouldn’t be an eldest or middle child. Being the youngest child in the family has its own sets of challenges and issues. Some feel that they always have to live up to their older siblings––maybe they’re always being compared to what their older brother or sister has already accomplished. The last-born in a family is generally a calmer more fun-loving person than an older child, potentially because they don’t have the responsibility or pressure put on them from their parents like older siblings do. Max Hofmeister, younger brother to Natalie, 20, and senior Emily, 18, he’s the youngest, but doesn’t really think he is affected by his place in the birth order. According to Max, it’s more difficult to be better and stronger than them, or live up to their responsibilities. He tries to overcome his sister’s shadows in school and in other activities. “A teacher had my sister in class, and she did really well there––then they expect me to do as good, if not better,” Max said. According to Erin, the youngest kids in the Reynolds family are also compared to the older ones, and didn’t get to live the same childhood

Students share how birth order has shaped their personality

I’m definitely more outgoing than my [older] brother. He’s more mature than I am, and because I’m the younger one I don’t feel like I have to set a good example for anybody.”

,w ww .ed u

ing diluted by the presence of other siblings.” Sophomore Rae Ehly is one of these middle children. Sandwiched between two boys, Hank, 19, and Luke,13, she is the only girl of the family, and enjoys that spot. She, like many others, has the opportunity to be influenced by an older brother, but also influence on her younger brother. “Lucky me,” Rae said. “I’m in the middle, I have somebody to look up to, and somebody to influence.” According to Dr. Sulloway, influencing a younger sibling is what comes naturally to an elder. It’s something that just happens by nature, even if they don’t necessarily mean to. Older siblings, like parents, set an example, good or bad, for the family members to follow. “Younger siblings often copy or imitate what their older siblings are doing,” Dr. Sulloway said. “For example, there’s evidence that if an older sibling smokes, then a younger sibling is more apt to smoking, at an even younger age than their older sibling.” Being a middle child isn’t something that everyone experiences. Older siblings often also have their own set of issues and advantages. Junior Erin Reynolds comes from a family of eight kids, where she is third in the line up. With six sisters and one brother, she knows the effects of family size and birth order, on a large scale. “Being in a big family definitely makes me more independent,” Erin said. “My parents taught us to be hardworking and independent, because there were so many of us.” Older children are generally characterized with a more dominant personality, and often are the leaders of the siblings. The first born child in a family tends to be more of conscious, organized, self-determined, and does better in school according to Dr. Sulloway’s article in The Evolution of Personality and Differences.

LancerVoice

The Harbinger takes a look at the effect birth order has on personality and success

ew s.c om

OUNGEST OLDEST

MIDDLE

JenniferRorie

The oldest child is the leader. The middle is the competitive one. The youngest is the “baby.” The only child is spoiled rotten. These are the stereotypes that are woven into society and play a small, but important part of everyday life. Birth order is something that has been studied by psychologists and therapists for decades; it’s something that has always affected people. Now, there are studies showing that birth order affects personalities and the overall way someone thinks and behaves. Birth order is arguably one of the most important things to alter the way we look at society, parents, and even love. Dr. Frank Sulloway of Berkeley, the author of Born to Rebel: Birth Order, Family Dynamics and Creative Lives has done extensive research about birth order and the effect it has on people’s tendencies and personalities. Dr. Sulloway has studied many different aspects of birth order and what it actually does to change a person. “Birth order has only a modest influence on personality,” Dr. Sulloway said. “The fact is that any single thing you can point to, gender, social class, family size, and even individual genes. Most of them have only a modest influence.” Birth order can be broken down into a general group of three; the oldest, the middle, and the last. There are different traits that are commonly associated with each place in a birth order that have somewhat become a stereotype in our society today. The eldest is supposed to be dominant and watch over their younger siblings. In contrast, the youngest is the “baby” and is such treated like one in most circumstances. Then, there are the middle kids––the ones that say they don’t get as much attention. According to Dr. Sulloway, there is validity in that often-overlooked statement. “The middle child is never alone,” said Dr. Sulloway. “The middle child has less cumulative hours of parental benefits, because it’s always be-

issue 15

OUT ORDER of

SPREAD

ww w. cb

16 SPREAD 05-02-11

As a kid, I grew up with adults because I didn’t have any siblings to play with. When I started school, I had a hard time being around peers because I was so used to adults.”

MIDDLE

Youngest

Only

sophomore MAX KURLBAUM

“

OLDEST

junior EVAN TARRY

“ ONLY junior DURI LONG

Compare yourself to the typical characteristics of the oldest, middle, youngest or only child

Middle

YOUNGEST

senior KIRBY CLEMENTS

“

n.c om

DO YOU FIT?

“

ca tio

Oldest

Students share how birth order has shaped their personality

I’m definitely more outgoing than my [older] brother. He’s more mature than I am, and because I’m the younger one I don’t feel like I have to set a good example for anybody.”

,w ww .ed u

LancerVoice

The Harbinger takes a look at the effect birth order has on personality and success

ew s.c om

OUNGEST OLDEST

MIDDLE

JenniferRorie

issue 15

OUT ORDER of

SPREAD

ww w. cb

16 SPREAD 05-02-11

As a kid, I grew up with adults because I didn’t have any siblings to play with. When I started school, I had a hard time being around peers because I was so used to adults.”

FEATURES 18 05-02-11 RECYCLING

CLUB

WHO:

Any students who are environmentalists or enjoy working to improve the environment should come to the next Recycling Club meeting and check out ways to protect our Earth. Science teacher Rusty Debey

LEADER: WHEN: Every seminar A WHERE: Room 302

WHAT:

Every seminar, the Recycling Club meets to collect the whole schoolâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s recycling from the specified bins in each classroom. Members go from room to room emptying their respective recycling containers. After they collect the mounds of paper and plastic that would otherwise be thrown in the trash, they sort it into two separate piles. After separation, they dump the piles into the larger recycling bins located in the junior and senior parking lots.

GrantKendall

INTERNATIONAL

CLUB WHO:

AlissaPollack

International club is for all students who like to discuss and are interested in international cultures and societies and seeing the world through a different perspective.

LEADER: Senior Robert Enders WHEN: Next meeting is on May 4, at 3 p.m. WHERE: Room 307

GETTING INVOLVED

GAMING

WHAT:

Once a month, the International Club meets to learn about other cultures and eat double chocolate brownies homemade by social studies teacher Brenda Fishman. Each meeting, the members listen to a presentation made by someone in the group about a country they have visited or have lived for any period of time. Besides discussing other cultures, the club has seasonal nighttime gatherings, and as a special treat, sells live Maine lobsters each May.

School organizations that are still open to join HaleyMartin

WHAT:

Anywhere from four to 14 people generally attend the weekly Gaming Club meeting. Each meeting, members bring different games, with different genres ranging from a deck of cards to the latest video games for the group to play. Members usually participate and play against each This club is open to anyone and every- other in various activities until 5 one that enjoys a good board game. p.m. or when industrial technology teacher Jason Smith tells Juniors Jacob Yedo and Sam Stevens them they need to leave. Yedo and Stevens founded the club as Every Tuesday night, from 3 p.m. a way to meet people who share a until the members have to leave similar interest in playing games in a relaxed setting. Room 105

CLUB WHO: LEADER: WHEN: WHERE:

DanStewart

DanielleNorton

FELLOWSHIP OF

CHRISTIAN

ATHLETES

WHO:

Students (athletes or not) who enjoy relaxing with fellow students and listening to speakers recount stories of their faith can come to celebrate and grow in their own faith.

LEADERS:

Juniors Caroling Dodd, Caroline Nick, Alex Dressman, Billy Kirpatrick

WHEN: WHERE:

Wednesdays at 7 a.m. Auxiliary Gym

WHAT:

FCA members set up a table to hold the vast amounts of breakfast food, typically brought to the meeting by an appointed person or persons. At around 7:15 a.m. the crowd takes their seats against the wall and prepares to hear a speech from one of the leaders or a guest speaker. They usually speak from personal experience and bring their religious beliefs into the lesson at hand. At the end of the motivational speeches, everyone is given the opportunity to chat for a couple of minutes with fellow students before heading to class.

MIXED

Mixed [the page about life] colorful

David Hill

*jeenkies

Morgan Satterlee

Drew Harding

Joe Sernett

*H.A.G.S. *Hey girl Elise Kuklenski

hey

Patrick Riggin

This spring will be that much sweeter if you dig up some of your old favorite CDs. Driving around with the top down blasting Hanson is bound to be fun.

Nothing screams swpring like a classic picnic at the park. Grab the gang, some planet sub and a frisbee and you are ready to go. If you are feeling more adventurous you could even bring bikes for a late afternoon ride around the trails.

30 seconds with

with freshman Maddie Schoemann

What would you do if you were president?

I would make all of the drinking fountains dispense Vitamin Water and put a butterfly sanctuary in all buildings.

JakeCrandall

iPhone App

Hair feathers

Nantucket Red shorts

With summer just around the corner, it is time to take your workouts to the next level. Take a break from your normal routine to try kickboxing. Workouts are upbeat and you can burn up to 1,000 calories in one hour!

*1/2 cup milk *1 vanilla yogurt *1 tbsp Crystal Light drink mix *1 cup peaches *I cup strawberries

cassagram.com

*Booyah you on * Catch the flip flop

Urban Outfitters watch $50 urbanoutfitters.com

Smoothie recipe

*Bogus

When the temperatures start to rise this smoothie recipe is sure to satisfy your cravings.

A day at the park

dog

Meghan Spivak

Organization Day

*Hot diggidy

iStudiez Pro iPhone app can help keep you organized during this stressful time of finals. With the ability to schedule and plan you won’t miss a beat!

This season’s accessory? Feathers for your hair! With prices starting around $25 for three feather extensions you can add some sass to your ponytail! The feathers come in different colors to suit your style As much as we all hate spring cleaning, it is one of life’s necessary evils. Dedicate one Saturday afternoon to cleaning out closets, drawers and desks and you will be completely organized!

Childhood CD

Connor Wilkins

Watches are a fashionable yet functional way to show off your style.

Retro watch

*Gnarly

J. Crew chinos $49.50 jcrew.com

Kickboxing

Mitch Kaskie

Listen up boys! These shorts are a must for your spring closet. Although they come in many colors, Nantucket Red is our top pick.

apple.com

*Groovy

nine necessities

What word or phrase do you wish was still in style?

12 3 45 6 7 89 of spring

Word revival

issue 15

If you could eat one thing for the rest of your life what would it be?

If you could meet anyone famous who would it be and why?

A Quick Trip orange freezoni! Because they are fruity and delicious. I would probably miss solid foods after a week though.

Lady Gaga because I would like to know why she dresses so crazy. I admire the way that she arrived in an egg to an award show.

Congratulations to SME Choir students at the State Music Contest! 4 4

All SME Choirs received #1 ratings! Chamber Choir Choraliers Men’s Chorus Women’s Chorus SME Choir: A tradition of excellence for 50 years!

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A&E

issue 15

NOT SO

UNDERGROUND East band throws concert at local community center

MattGannon

Surrounded by a crowd of classmates on the sleek gymnasium court, six guys prepare to rock out. One has a red cutoff on. Another in a scout uniform. Another sprawling on the floor in an Indian headdress. All of them are wearing animal masks. Then as they begin to play, the masks are tossed into the air, and an explosion of energetic music shakes the audience. The group can’t help bouncing around and getting into the music as the cheering from the crowd intensifies. The beat of the drums, the riffs of the guitar and the bass, and the blaring of the sax, grow louder and louder. As the song comes to a close, junior Michael Garringer springs up from the floor with his headdress still intact on his head, and yells out to the crowd, “Who is your favorite ‘Roseanne’ actor?” The crowd screams back in unison, “John Goodman,” and the guys can’t help themselves from cracking up. They are The Rock and Roll Spirit of John Goodman, a band comprised of juniors Garringer, Andrew Beasley, Brendan Dulohery, Wil Kenney, Andrew Long and Johnson County Community College student Sam Williams. They emerged into the public spotlight at the Shawnee Mission East Bunch of Bands concert and have only been officially together for about three months, but they have been sharing their passion for music with each other ever since freshman year in Kenney’s basement. “Brendan and I had previously tried to get a group for the past two years, and this year we just decided to go for it and pull some friends together for Bunch of Bands,” Kenney said. “Messing around with some instruments in my basement has taught us how to explain music in a disorderly way. I can’t even read guitar music, but I can still play it decently because of the band.” The band describes themselves a blend of alternative and indie rock, with a dash of punk. They draw inspiration from creative bands like The Black Keys, Tim and Eric, but mostly the award-winning band Arcade Fire. “[Arcade Fire] isn’t just an inspiration for us, but they also are kind of a goal,” Kenney said. “If we could ever create something that was ever on par with any of their songs, well, that would be huge for me, personally.” The group isn’t letting all of the praise they receive from classmates get to their heads either. They are a very modest group, and are just glad to share their work with their friends. “Our intent is not to make it serious,” Kenney said. “We aren’t great, but we do a lot of energy-based music that we can get into and have fun with, and that usually convinces the crowd to just have fun and take it to the next level with us.” *** After placing second at Bunch of Bands, the band thought about just having another smaller show in Kenney’s basement with a few other local bands such as Organized Mess, Import-

The Rock and Roll Spirit of John Goodman from left to right: Brendan Dulohery, Sam Williams Wil Kenney, Michael Garringer, Andrew Long, Andrew Beasley. GrantHeinlein

ed Blizzard and The Gentlemen. So they went to Facebook and created an event titled “Velveeta Underground” a pun on the 60’s rock band Velvet Underground. “We realized that it was hard to get gigs, so we just went out and made our own,” Kenney said. “We aren’t looking for money, so we made it free. But, I still wasn’t expecting much of a response to it, maybe 20 people.” Only a few days later, 163 people marked that they were attending on Facebook. “That’s when we realized that we were gonna have to move from Wil’s basement,” Beasley said. “We knew that we were going to have Velveeta Underground, above ground.” The band then decided to rent out Matt Ross Community Center for the venue for their now much larger show. But with this big crowd, the guys knew that they were going to need to up their practice schedule. The gang began gathering almost everyday in Kenney’s basement, and practice sessions lasted to up to five hours. “We kind of morphed [Kenney’s basement] into our zone,” Garringer said. “We always know that when we go over there we are going to jam, and I’m always excited for that. It’s really become our place, and it would just seem weird to practice anywhere else.” The band describes these practice sessions as constructive and focused, but also as just a good time with a couple of your best friends. It’s a place where they create songs such as “Dumbledorf’s Castle” or “Hey!” just by messing around with each other and bouncing ideas around the room.

GETTING TO KNOW

THE ROCK AND ROLL SPIRIT OF JOHN GOODMAN Andrew Beasley:

“I bring my wheels and my heavenly voice.”

Michael Garringer:

“I really bring the energy of a young Brendan Dulohery and all the rugged masculinity of some sort of magic combination of Tommy Wiseau and Mark Wahlberg.”

Wil Kenney:

“During the show I like to throw things. The safety of the audience may be in question but it’s still a good time. I’m just throwing balloons and blowup things from U.S. Toy.”

Brendan Dulohery:

“I like to yell and scream a lot. I like to dress weird, like really weird. We’re a weird group, and I add a lot to that.”

Andrew Long:

“I bring a lot of uniqueness because I play an instrument that’s very different from a guitar. The sax lets me get a lot of energy out.”

To view a photo gallery from the Velveeta Underground concert visit smeharbinger.net

“It’s a lot of fun at practice, but we are also working hard to make sure that solid enough to perform in front of people,” Beasley said. “What’s great is that when we get really into a song, we kind of just start bashing into each other. The energy level is awesome.” But no one really gets into the music quite as much as the “showman” of the group, Garringer. The band believes that without him, they wouldn’t even come close to having the same effect on the audience. “I’m just the least talented out of all of us, so I just go out there and act like a total jack[expletive deleted],” Garringer said. “I just get really hyper and I dance around with the band and in the crowd. I like to think that if I’m having a lot of fun, the audience is having just as much fun as me.” *** The whole night has been building up to this moment. Here, The Rock and Roll Spirit of John Goodman stands, in school girl outfits––plaid uniform skirts and St. Teresa’s collared shirts. The band is already starting to sweat, and they don’t know if it’s from nerves or the extreme heat of the room full of people. They can’t contain their excitement––all of these people are here to see them. Months ago, they were just having small goofy jam sessions in a basement. Dulohery then begins to pick and strum the intro to the band’s favorite song, one of their originals, “Careful Boy.” As the gentle melody wades through the air, the other band members know that this is what they have been waiting for. As the intro fades, silence fills the room. Then in a burst of sweet harmony, the bass, guitar, sax, drums and lyrics shatter the stillness, followed by the screams from the audience. “It was that moment that made me realize how connected we all were, and how excited people were to hear us play,” Kenney said. Velveeta Underground left the guys with many more memories than that. They remember their excitement when the crowd began chanting “Hey!” in unison with the band and when they improved half of “Dumbledorf’s Castle” and when junior Tom Lynch got right in Kenney’s face during the performance because the ecstatic crowd had gotten so close to the stage. “I’m proud of how solid we have actually become,” Garringer said. “A lot of bands just don’t really work well together, but I’m out there with my five best friends and we sound pretty good together. But more importantly we sound how we want to sound and we have fun doing it, and that is what matters.”

A&E

05-02-11

On The Market

Staffer reviews three local farmers’ markets JuliaDavis

DOWNTOWN Location: 5th & Walnut Saturday 6 A.M.- 3 P.M.

Open Year-Round

Sunday 8 A.M.- 3 P.M.

Live jazz music filled the air as I entered the City Market located in the River Market District. The first thing that struck me was the sheer size of the entire complex: three huge aisles with stands lining both sides stretched down the length of the enclosed market. With an average Saturday attendance of over 13,000, the crowd is one downside. But with the high demand comes a greater variety of products than other markets--including everything from apples to artichokes. The market also sells other products from over 100 different kinds of teas to handmade clothing and jewelry.

all photos by EdenSchoofs

OVERLAND PARK 80th & Marty

Open Year-Round

Saturdays 6:30 A.M.- 1 P.M.

If you’re looking for a more local experience, the Farmer’s Market in downtown Overland Park is right for you. Located a mere 5 minutes from Shawnee Mission East, this market wins in terms of convenience. The variety at this market was fairly limited, but this was mainly due to the fact that most fruits and vegetables aren’t in season yet. However, there were plants galore, as well as baked goods, honey, and nuts. It was the only market out of the three that I went to that had free samples at almost every

booth, an obvious plus. However, the thing that stuck out to me most about this Farmers’ Market was the amicability and helpfulness of the vendors. At each booth I stopped at, they would ask me if I liked the kind of thing they were selling, explain where it all came from, how I could make or grow it at home, etc. I learned how to carve watermelons from someone at JCCC’s culinary program, and how long it takes to harvest a jar of honey. The vendors seemed thrilled to interact with each individual customer, and this neighborly aspect was something that I loved about this market. The produce that was there was all very local, and each booth tells you where it is grown. Although the selection was not great when I went, by the time June rolls around this market is known for its variety, and I can’t wait to go back.

BROOKSIDE 63rd and Wornall

Open April-Oct.

Saturdays 8 A.M.- 1 P.M.

Probably the least known out of the three farmers’ markets that I reviewed, I had no idea what to expect when I visited the Brookside Farmers’ Market. Although it is located right across from the popular Brookside shops, it is one of the best kept secrets in the city. When I entered, the first thing I noticed was the layout of the market: unlike traditional farmers’ markets that line up booths along an aisle, Brookside puts their booths in a square so that walking around and seeing all the products can be done quickly and easily.

HARVEST

CALENDAR SWEET CORN ARTICHOKES

Like the Overland Park market, there wasn’t much produce due to the fact that it is still early in the season. However, Brookside seems to be much more of a traditional market than simply a farmers’ market. There were booths selling pulled pork, chicken, baked goods, and spices. Don’t get me wrong, there was some lettuce and other early veggies like carrots and spinach, but the majority of the booths did not have to do with produce. A live cooking demonstration by KC Kitchens was going on in one corner of the market, and many people seemed to have come to the location just for this. Out of all the markets I visited, Brookside is the only one that offers live demonstrations every week. Although not as popular as the Overland Park or Downtown markets, the uniqueness of the Brookside farmers’ market definitely warrants a visit if you happen to be in the neighborhood on a Saturday morning.

Your guide to when summer fruits and veggetables are in season in KC

JUNE

BLUEBERRIES

Perhaps my favorite aspect was the restaurants surrounding the perimeter from Carollo’s Italian Grocery to Hien Vuong’s Vietnamese Restaurant. Because of all the diverse shopping and food, the market has a diverse atmosphere. I heard at least six different languages in the time I was there—a refreshing change ]from Prairie Village. Most of the produce sold by a huge vendor, Kansas City Produce, so you don’t get the one-on-one interaction with farmers and much of it wasn’t seasonal which lead me to question how local it was. However, the quality was as good as any grocery store, but much cheaper. I spent $15 and walked out with three bags full of fruits and vegetables. By far the giant of farmers’ markets in KC, the City market didn’t disappoint. If you’re willing to make the 15-minute drive downtown, it’s a great option bursting with variety and culture, and you could spend a whole day there without even realizing it.

JULY

AUG.

SEPT.

OCT.

A&E

issue 15

Who’s Coming to KC? Staffer previews upcoming concerts in the area

BobMartin

June 3 at City Market

June 6 at The Midland

Mumford and Sons and Cake

Sleigh Bells and Neon Indian

In their second time in Kansas City, English folk-rock sensation Mumford and Sons have come a long way since their 2010 performance at Westport’s cozy venue, the Record Bar. They’ve played the Grammy’s, they’ve topped iTunes and Billboard Charts, and now they headline the annual radio-sponsored “Buzz under the Stars” show. Playing alongside alternative legend Cake, the band has already sold out the sizable City Market and should provide the perfect mellow sound for an early summer night.

Packing enough synth to blow a hole through the roof, Sleigh Bells and Neon Indian are an easy candidate for the loudest Midland show of the year. The noise pop duo are still riding the buzz wave from their 2010 debut “Treats,” and receive headliner treatment while the superior Neon Indian is forced to sit in the opening slot. This is a rather large venue compared to the clubs these two usually play, and the conveniently cheap $10 ticket tickets should be available all the way up to the night of the show.

May 28 at the Independence Events Center

Bruno Mars and Janelle Monae Starting summer with a burst of soul, doo-wopper Bruno Mars and Kansas City native Janelle Monae head to the Independence Event Center for the “Hooligans in Wonderland” tour. Originally slated for the Uptown Theater, enough interest in the show forced it into a bigger venue, and tickets are completely sold out. A hometown sensation, Monae is known for inviting many members of her extended family to her local shows, and this will be no exception—expect a performance even newcomers will love.

June 22 at The Beaumont

July 8 at Sandstone Amphitheater August 5-6 at Kansas Speedway

Matt and Kim and The Thermals One of the most energetic acts touring today, pop-punk duo Matt & Kim love what they do, and that is clear in every moment of their live show. With gigantic smiles plastered across their faces, they sweat out their set like a workout, and suck the audience into their frantic sound. The Beaumont Club is small, cramped, and nothing special as far as venues go, but if anyone can liven this place up, it’s these two. With support from Portland indie rockers “The Thermals,” this is guaranteed to be the most upbeat show in June. www.mumfordandsons.com, musicphots.com, brunomars.com

311 and Sublime With Rome

Just a few days after the extravagant celebrations of the fourth of July, Sandstone mellows out to host what looks to be one of the most laid back shows all summer. Two of the ‘90s biggest alternative hit makers “311” and the newly reformed Sublime with Rome have both done their fair share of touring in the last 12 months, so teaming up in the heart of the summer makes perfect sense. This is the perfect music for a breezy July afternoon and a blanket spot on the lawn is ideal.

Kanrocksas Festival

Kansas City’s first legitimate music festival in recent memory, Kanrocksas came as a surprise to everyone, with a lineup chalked full of huge names and talent. Featuring Eminem, The Flaming Lips, Kid Cudi and The Black Keys—just to name a small portion of what has already been announced—the festival will likely draw a massive local crowd. Slated for the same weekend as Chicago’s annual and much larger “Lollapallooza” music festival, it’s hard to say just how much national attention “Kansrocksas” will receive. Camping is allowed at the event and 2-day passes run $179 in advance and $229 the days of the show. Outside of a horrendous title, this is exactly what the KC music scene has needed for some time.

GrantKendall

A&E 05-02-11

CIRCUS SPECTACULAR

all photos from allmoviephotos.com

STAFFERS COMPARE FRANCIS LAWRENCE’S MOVIE ADAPTATION OF “WATER FOR ELEPHANTS” TO SARA GRUEN’S NOVEL ErinReilly

I’ll begin by stating that in order to write this, I have put all preconceived notions of Robert Pattinson behind me. With that said, I thought this was the most emotionally exhausting movie since Harry Potter 7 Part 1 came out in September—I loved every second of it. “Water for Elephants” begins with an elderly Jacob Jankowski (Pattinson) reminiscing to a visiting circus manager about his days with the Benzini Brothers Circus, and his part in the “infamous circus disaster of 1931.” In his flashback, the core of the movie, he is about to graduate as a vet at Cornell when disaster strikes him, leaving him orphaned and his home repossessed. He plans to run away to the city in search of a job, stopping for the night by the train tracks. Little does he know what adventures lie in store for him when he decides to hop the Benzini Brothers train in search of work. As an adoring fan of the book by Sara Gruen, I was extremely satisfied that the director, Francis Lawrence, stuck nearly directly to the plot. While he did take out the character of Uncle Al, the circus owner, he had him with Christopher Waltz’s character August, the ringmaster, also fill in this role. This character switch man-

aged to eradicate any major plot discrepancies between the book and the film. This might be the role that separates Pattinson from his label as the “Twilight Guy.” I’m extremely pleased to inform you that there was no sparkling in this film other than the costumes worn by Reese Witherspoon, who plays Pattinson’s love interest in the film, named Marlena Rosenbluth. While Witherspoon and Pattinson gave convincing performances, the true star of this film is Waltz, playing the paranoid-schizophrenic ringmaster and Marlena’s husband. Portraying such a character is no easy feat, and Waltz pulled it off perfectly. Although carrying out monstrous acts of abuse against his wife, animals, and employees, he is still a sympathetic character since he is always regretful after his tirades. His passionate performance carried the film and really preserved the emotional ride found in the book. I laughed. I cried, loudly, until the elderly couple next to me started giving me dirty looks. “Water for Elephants” was a truly moving film and I implore you to find the time to see it.

STAR SCALE

Robert Pattinson has proven to be more than a heart-throb vampire

Goblet of Fire Rob sprung into teenage hearts before his vampire years as Harry Potter’s fellow wizard, Cedric Diggory

STAY AT HOME

How to Be In this U.K. comedydrama, Pattinson is a young man in the midst of a life crisis, constantly looking for guidance

RENT IT

Remember Me Pattinson distanced himself from Twilight mania by taking on a more serious role in this drama as a lifewandering bad boy

LATEST

EARLIEST

NOT JUST THE ‘TWILIGHT GUY’

ChloeStradinger

When Reese Witherspoon said her first line in her first scene of the movie, all I could think was “bend, and snap!”. With her light and airy voice and Robert Pattinson’s gaunt and serious expressions, I wasn’t convinced that these actors were right for the roles of such a deep movie. But as the movie progressed, I was exposed to a deeper side of Reese, one that fit the part of Marlena well. Surprisingly, I wasn’t as annoyed with Robert Pattinson playing the main role as I had expected to be. He somehow shed his dark “I want to suck your blood” look and took on a lighter, schoolboy disposition complete with a genuine grin and softened expressions. Though the movie followed the story line of the book quite impressively, there was one thing that the movie didn’t touch on: the point of view from Jacob Jankowski as an old man in a nursing home. The book is mostly Jacob’s life with the circus, but it’s interrupted occasionally by brief chapters containing the story of Jacob as a 90 year old in a nursing home. While the circus story is a mesmerizing one, the tale of Jacob’s life in a nursing home is downright original and insightful. These short chapters describe what goes on in his nursing home: the nurses, the old ladies gossip, and his kids coming to visit. The book uses vivid details to describe all of the events on the circus train from

WORTH SEEING

chores to drinking; the movie mirrors those through film. Watching the men live the circus life sleeping on cots and cleaning elephant manure was remarkably almost as good as reading the words. Overall, I was impressed with the movie. It’s hard to turn a book as good as “Water For Elephants” with a setting that unique into a solid movie. Despite all the positive things, the book is still better. The movie is worth the watch— I just hope you’ll read the book first.

SARA GRUEN Canadian born author and duel citizen of the U.S. wrote “Water for Elephants” originally for National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo), established by former East student, Chris Baty.

LAWRENCE VS. GRUEN There are three main things that separate the book from the movie: -The first scene of the movie was the last scene of the book. -The character of Jacob Jankowski as an old man in the nursing home isn’t developed in the movie, whereas he is a huge part of the book. -The book is overall more dramatic.

OSCAR WORTHY

A&E issue 15

OPTIONAL ESCAPADE Students weigh the option of going to Prom

PaigeHess

enior couple Cam Smith and Julie Aliber consider themselves “lucky” when it comes to school dances. With Prom just two weeks away, Smith still hadn’t officially asked Aliber—yet, the two were set on being each others’ dates. “The nice part about dating someone is that you don’t have to scramble to find a date, and it takes away the surprise factor,” Smith said. “But it also is more comfortable, and easier, because there are no awkward conversations, and you always have something to talk about.” Junior Michael Garringer agrees with Smith that dating someone makes it more comfortable, in the sense that he would rather not spend a lot of money on a night with “some random girl.” “If I was going to pay the huge cost of Prom, I would not want to go with just anyone,” Garringer said. “It’s hard to just go around and find someone to take.” According to Student Council Treasurer senior Scott Watson, the junior class has been planning the dance, taking place at Union Station, all year. Along with a paid party planner, these juniors work to rent out the area and decorate it with this year’s theme, Moroccan Escapade. Prom is exclusive to juniors and seniors, which sets the

bar high for the look and feel of the dance itself. Because of the dance’s high-end location, tickets are three times more expensive than those of standard Homecoming dances, with tickets ranging from $30 to $35. This may not be the most expensive item on the prom list when considering apparel, make-up, and pricey boutonnieres, but as everything adds up, each student is looking at a relatively high price for a single evening. Because of these special garments, the dance becomes a place where students are able to see their classmates dressed up. Instead of the average everyday outfit at school, there is a completely different feel and attitude outside of the classroom. Yet, some students are reluctant to pay any price at all for the evening. While his fellow upperclassmen will be spending hundreds of dollars on prom night, Garringer and his friends will be together watching bad movies and going with the flow with whatever is going on that night. “I didn’t really want to fork over money for a new suit, so I can look like an idiot and out of place,” Garringer said. According to senior Caroline Miller, Prom is generally a bigger deal in the media and at other schools than it is at East:

this year, more juniors are unwilling to go, while many seniors are looking forward to the dance. Senior Lindy Blackman believes that the smaller number of attendees makes the evening more fun. “Since there are only two grades, junior and senior, you know a ton more people, so wherever you go, you run into one of your friends,” Blackman said. Another favorite part of some of East students’ dance experience is the Prom night dinner. Rather than the obvious Homecoming spots, the meal is at a more extravagant restaurant, and is consequently much more pricey. “I feel like everyone says that the after party is the most fun, and that’s probably true, but the dinner was a blast last year,” senior Zach Colby said. “We all were just joking around, and had a lot of fun.” Prom takes each part of the night to the next level. According to Smith, since this is Aliber and his last high school dance, they are willing to splurge—more than they would on an average dance. “It’s our senior year and this is our last dance,” Smith said. “It’s somewhat of our last ‘hurrah,’ so we might as well live it up.

VS.

photo illustrations by GrantKendall

PROS: UPPERCLASSMEN ONLY: Unlike any other dance of the year, Prom is strictly planned for juniors and seniors. NICER SET-UP: The juniors are hard at work putting together a classy, upstanding (and expensive) event for these upperclassmen to attend. The atmosphere at Union Station is definitely worth the money you’re required to drop on tickets. EXCELLENT EATERIES: East students always look forward to the fancy dinners—at a high-end restaurant, or prepared by doting parents—that are a given on the night of the dance. DRESSING FOR SUCCESS: Seeing your peers dressed in their best is one of the bigger perks of Prom—ladies splurge on the most extravagant dresses and gentlemen throw on the ol’ tux, showing off the more presentable side of the student body.

CONS: MONEY, HONEY: Although it’s fun to get all dolled up for a solid hour of camera time, the amount of dollars spent on outfits, make-up, and tickets can outweigh the amount of good memories. DATE DRAMA: Not having a set girlfriend, boyfriend, or classroom crush can lead to awkward encounters when trying to find a significant other to ask to dance in your arms for the entire night. NOT SO IMPRESSIVE TURN-OUT: With all of the build-up to a night of outrageous memories, the actual experience itself can be quite a letdown. Months of planning and prep time can potentially turn into a night of standing against the wall while your date boogies with their friends. THERE’S ALWAYS NEXT YEAR: Junior Prom isn’t the end-all beall of high school Prom—for juniors this year, there’s always the more-glorified Senior Prom looming on the horizon.

SPORTS 26 05-02-11 “I would be very interested [in competitive cheer] if it wasn’t so darn expensive,” Whitaker said. Although East cheer is fairly pricey itself, around $700 for the year, Whitaker feels it’s more reasonable than competitive cheer. So, in January of this year, Whitaker decided he would try out for East cheer. He is the first male to try out since Matthew Pope, who graduated in 2008, but that didn’t bug Whitaker. “My goal is to show people what cheer really is,” Whitaker said, “because the stereotype is that it’s just a guy who wants to be a girl.” Whitaker wants to show that it’s more about him getting to do the flips and stunting and that he doesn’t actually want to be a girl. For three months, Whitaker worked on getting down standing flips and back hand springs. He wanted a leg up by participating in the tumbling aspect of tryouts. SOPHOMORE TIM WHITAKER MAKES VARSITY CHEER “[Tumbling] is anCarolineCreidenberg other added benefit and Sophomore Tim Whitaker shimmies his shoulder and we are always looking for people who can tumble so we can shakes his hips, but it’s all for the love of the sport. People add that in too,” current cheer coach Kelly Chapman said. Whitaker went through two days of cheer clinic, where can make fun of him all they want, but all he wants to do he, along with the girls, learned the tryout dance and chant. is perform. “People actually do think I’m gay, but that doesn’t really They, then got one day off to prepare and rest until tryouts on Friday. matter to me,” Whitaker said. After tryouts, Whitaker went home and tried to avoid his A year ago, Whitaker was at an open gym working on his martial arts skills when he saw cheerleading for the first phone so that no one could tell him before he saw the list. time. Amazed at how they were throwing back hand springs He tried to pass the time away by watching television and and back flips, Whitaker was immediately interested. He trying to sleep, refreshing the page every 15 minutes, waitstarted exploring the Internet for cheer videos and paying ing for eight o’clock. “When I first saw my number, I didn’t believe it was my more attention to the kids that were at open gym with him. After seeing competitive cheerleaders at the open gym, he number so I ran all the way back upstairs to get my name attended cheer competition of freshman Shelby Springett, a tag to double check that it was my number,” Whitaker said. Whitaker was surprised that he had made varsity befriend of Whitaker’s. photo by JakeCrandall

THE ONLYMAN

GUYS IN EAST CHEERLEADING

_YELL LEADERS _ Yell Leaders are male cheerleaders and have to be strong. These men have to throw girls in the air and be able to catch them. On a competition level, these guys perform

two-person stunts rather than the regular four person stunts. For most of East history, up until the 90s, there was a squad of dedicated yell leaders.

cause he hadn’t ever had any real dance experience. He had only been training since January, so he didn’t actually think he had a chance at making it. Having a male on the team will allow the team to do stunts requiring more strength. “Generally the young men tend to be stronger so instead of it taking two girls to hold a girl up it may only take one male,” Chapman said. Sophomore and varsity cheerleader Isabella Weindling agrees with Chapman and feels that having such a strong male will be very beneficial in stunting. Having Whitaker on the team will allow the girls to do harder stunts with less people. “He is insanely strong,” Weindling said, “so that will help us a lot with stunting.” Sophomore and fellow varsity member Lindsey Grimm agrees with Weindling and Chapman. Grimm also thinks it will impact the team dynamics. “It should be interesting to see what we can do next year with having a guy on the team,” Grimm said. As of now 21 people are on the varsity squad, with three left to tryout due to scheduling conflicts with tryouts. The team is relatively young this year, with only four returning varsity members. “I’m really excited for the young girls because the younger they are the harder they will work to prove themselves,” returning varsity cheerleader Maggie Thomas said. Next year, Chapman will not be coach, however. Pope has interviewed for the job, but no decisions have been made.* If Pope gets the job he wants to bring respect back to the sport. He wants to add in more stunting, and with a male on the team they can switch up the stunting some. Whitaker’s goal for next year is to bring respect back to the male cheerleader. He wants to get away from the stereotype that all male cheerleaders are gay. For now, Whitaker is just happy to be on the team, but he hopes to learn higher level tricks. Whitaker wants to work on getting down challenging tricks for the upcoming year, such as a cupie - a trick where the male holds up the female with only one hand. “I need to find a flier that’s brave enough,” Whitaker said, “Because, after all, I’m going to be throwing them up in the air.” He also would like to look into cheering in college. Although it’s a long stretch for now, Whitaker thinks it would be a good opportunity. “If [cheering in college] helps pay for the tuition, then I’m all for it,” Whitaker said. *as of publication date

The Harbinger will be live broadcasting several events and games this spring at www.smeharbinger.net.

_ MATT POPE _ After a lack of yell leaders for several years, Matt Pope was the first yell leader of the new millennium. After joining the

cheerleading squad, he continued with his passion for all four years. His senior year, he was elected as Homecoming King.

SPORTS

issue 15

EALING PAINS

Sophomore Jack Sernett tries to recover from devasting leg injury AnnaMarken

At first he thought it was just a dead leg. He passed it off as a normal injury like he had experienced many times before. But by 5 p.m. that night, sophomore Jack Sernett was in the hospital, an hour away from losing the muscles in his right thigh. Jack was playing in a soccer game at 8 a.m. March 20 when he was kneed in the side of the thigh while going after a ball. His initial thought was that he just had a bruise and that he would be able to walk it off. He continued playing for the remaining 10 minutes of the game. After the game, Jack went home, but the pain hadn’t gone away. Around lunchtime, he looked down at his leg and noticed that it had started to swell, discolor and become hard. “It was easily the worst pain I have ever felt,” Jack said. “It was whole bunch of pressure and it felt like it was pushing out. There was no room for anything left to swell.” Jack’s dad took him to the urgent care center at Children’s Mercy South hospital in Overland Park where he sat in the waiting room for two hours. When a doctor finally saw him, Jack was told that the eighthour window for muscles to survive an injury like his was almost over. He was then sent to the Truman Hospital in downtown Kansas City where he was rushed into surgery. Jack was suffering from faciitis and compartment syndrome. According to Dr. Julia Ehly, faciitis is an inflammation of the fascia, the layer of tissue that covers the muscles. A compartments is a group of muscles or organs. After a collision such as Jack’s, blood gathers in the compartment and causes extreme pressure on the fascia. When the pressure becomes too high, blood flow to the tissue and compartment is restricted. Compartment syndrome occurs when there is no more room for swelling or blood in the compartment. If the damage is not treated quickly enough, it can result in the death of the muscles. Repairing the dead muscles would have require removing muscles from his butt and putting them in his leg. To repair the injury, the patient must have a fasciotomy, a procedure in which the fascia is cut to relieve the pressure. “I thought it was just another normal injury, and next thing I know I wake up in the hospital and have this huge vacuum on my leg to get the blood out,” Jack said. Jack considers himself lucky. If he would have waited until the next morning to go to the hospital, they wouldn’t have been able to save his leg. He would never have been able to run, or play soccer, again. Dr. Ehly said that while the injury is not common, it is not unheard of in elite athletes and most are able to make a full recovery. According to varsity soccer coach Jamie Kelly, if

Jack was unable to play again, the team would be losing a great teammate, and valuable experience. The team is losing 17 seniors this year and will have to rebuild next season. Jack is one of only five returners with varsity experience. Kelly’s first thought about Jack was that he hoped the injury wouldn’t prevent him from doing what he loves. He sees how much Jack loves soccer and how dedicated he is to getting better. After high school, Jack hopes to play in college. “You feel for someone like that who gets injuries like that because you never know if it brings their spirits down,” Kelly said. “You hope it doesn’t.” Sophomore Clint Dunn, who is a club teammate of Jack’s and was at the game when he got hurt, said that he was surprised when Jack told him about the severity of the injury. According to Dunn, this wasn’t Jack’s first serious injury. He didn’t see the collision and the team didn’t think much of it. Despite the injury, Dunn is confident that Jack will recover and play again. “He’s going to play,” Dunn said. “He’s going to be an important part of the team and it would be big loss if he couldn’t play.” Jack started the recovery process the week after he got out of the hospital. Twice a week, Jack attends physical therapy at Sport+Spine Therapy. During therapy, Jack and his trainer focus on stretching and regaining mobility. Having lost circulation for five hours, the muscles are very stiff. They also do some weight bearing activities to help him get back to walking soon. Jack said that the process is very painful due to nerve damage and scar tissue in the area. “The pain is just continuous,” Jack said. Jack’s brother, senior Joe Sernett, said that he sees frustration in his brother about needing people to do things for him. If he wants to move from one place to another, someone has to move his things for him. According to Joe, Jack is able to get around the house and go up and down the stairs on his own. It still takes him a while, but at first he wasn’t even able to get up on his own once he sat down. Since starting physical therapy, Jack’s flexibility has improved. For the first couple of weeks after the surgery, he could barely bend his leg. He is now able to walk on one crutch and has more strength. The pain has also become more manageable. He is now taking Ibuprofen instead of prescribed pain medication. Looking forward, Jack is nervous to start playing again. His biggest worry is that he will get re-injured, or experience frequent pain. “I haven’t been pain free since the surgery and I don’t know if I ever will be. I will always think twice about it whenever I get hit.” SaraBaumann

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Taking

Next Level

it to the LIBBY JANDL

Former East students currently play collegiate sports

Hunter Stevenson

ANDREW PENNINGTON

Duke University

Going into college soccer, former East girls’ soccer star and current Duke sophomore Libby Jandl did not have high expectations. She was not a high recruit, and her new coach had a plan for freshman players, which included not playing much in games. But when a starting player was injured, Jandl got her chance. She took this chance and proved everyone, including herself and her coach wrong. “I kept a positive attitude, Duke Chronicle had high confidence even in low times and I proved everyone wrong,” Jandl said. “I stepped out and started nine games my freshman year.” Jandl started every game during her sophomore campaign. She had the most minutes of any player on the team, and at the end of the season, her teammates awarded her the Most Valuable Defensive Player award. For Jandl, this was a dream come true. “I dreamed about going to Duke my whole life and playing soccer there, that was always my goal,” Jandl said. “The way it’s turned out is like a fairytale for me.” The main difference Jandl sees in high school and college sports is the intensity of play. According to Jandl, in high school, each team might have one or two key players, but in college, everyone is at that skill level. In college, the whole pace is stepped up another notch.

Courtesy of the Pennington family

Saint Louis University

Arkansas University

At East, current University of Arkansas junior Andrew Pennington was a three-time individual state champion, a fourtime USA Track and Field Junior Olympic Qualifier and a Kansas City Star first team honoree. At Arkansas, he continues his success as a three-time Southeastern Conference team champion and a NCAA Preliminary qualifier. According to Pennington, his favorite part of college sports is how the track team has the opportunity to travel around the country. “This is the crazy part of the season where we move meet to meet every weekend,” Pennington said, “It puts a strain on school, but you just gotta focus on track and enjoy it.” Besides traveling, Pennington’s favorite part about college is how big schools like Arkansas can purchase team gear for all their athletes, meaning the students don’t have to spend their own money on sports equipment. Even with these big parts of college sports, Pennington still has trouble choosing between East track and Arkansas track as his favorite team. At both places, Pennington says he has developed close bonds with his fellow players, and how it feels like he has family at both schools.

SPORTS

issue 15

AndrewSimpson

Billiken Media Relations.

After winning a swimming state championship his senior year of high school, current St. Louis University freshman Hunter Stevenson decided to swim in college. Over the summer, Stevenson met his new teammates, who helped ease his transition into the college lifestyle. The biggest difference that Stevenson has noticed between college and high school swimming is the responsibility that each athlete must take on individually. This year Stevenson did not undertake this new responsibility, which he believes led to a lackluster freshman season. “My freshman year, I didn’t do as well as I’d hoped to, but that’s also because with college swimming you have to take a lot more responsibility on yourself rather than relying on your coaches doing it for you,” Stevenson said. “I just personally didn’t do everything I needed to do to get better, the way I should have.” Despite being disappointed with himself, Stevenson is planning on stepping up his game next season and running for swim team captain. Even with his own disappointing start to a college sports career, Stevenson supports anyone else looking into participating in sports in college. “Definitely go for it, because even if you’re not the fastest, even if you’re not looking for something super serious, you’ll be able to find a school that fits your needs.” Stevenson said. “If you’re interested in a sport I’d say go for it; you have nothing to lose.”

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VISIT US at smeharbinger.net

AY D G

SPORTS N 31 T N W I N O G I D S N a look at all of the graduating Lancer athletes committed to compete at the next level U R issue 15

Why did you choose your school?

HJS: I absolutely love the school and it had everything I was looking for. I chose it for academics and it was a bonus that the coach recruited me. CW: I chose the school because they have a good business program, it’s medium sized, and it has a great track program. HJS: Winning KU relays last year in the 4x400. It was amazing. CW: Getting second at state in the 800m run my sophomore year.

Why did you choose your school?

GG: I’m going there because I got offered a scholorship. QB: My sophomore year in a JV game I hurdled a player from the other team and kept going. It was pretty sweet.

GE: I’m going there because I like the environment and their track is very well-recognized throughout the country and I felt very comfortable with their coaches. KC: I chose Pitt State because they have a really good recreation program for my major.

Favorite East athletic memory?

Why did you choose your school? I took official visits to Ohio State, Illinois, Michigan and USD and what separated Illinois was the coach and the guys on the team.

Favorite East athletic memory?

Beating Shawnee Mission West this magnim eos abo. Quistiis volecta sus year.

Favorite East athletic memory? Winning state my junior year.

Why did you choose your school? The coaches seemed like the best fit for me and they have a very strong program. They also do a very good job at getting guys drafted to play at the next level.

nebraska

missouri st.

Dylan Becker

Favorite East athletic memory?

Playing at Kauffman Stadium for two years.

track

Because they have both the anthropology and biochemistry programs that I’m thinking about going into.

Favorite East athletic memory?

Watching everybody else compete at the track meets because the team feels like family so when they’re doing well and are happy and excited I feel the same.

Why did you choose your school? I knew I wanted a small liberal arts school and W&L was perfect fit for me both sizewise and academically.

Favorite East athletic memory?

My senior soccer season, and all the e aliquunte eruptaq uissit, ess wonderful bros on the team.

Molly Rappold

Why did you choose your school?

AbbyJones

yale

tufts

Brian Williamson

Why did you choose your school?

Favorite East athletic memory?

Last week getting third at KU relays. It was awesome.

Zach Colby

soccer

swimming

I chose to go D-3 because I will be able to pursue swimming, but still have a fun and balanced college experience.

Because they had a really good computer science program, and they gave me a really good financial aid package.

w&l

denison

Andrew Watkins

baseball

tennis

Favorite East athletic memory? Nihitaqu atiasperum voloria que

Why did you choose your school?

track

football

I chose Colorado because it has always been a dream of mine to play there. I have family that lives in Boulder, and I think I have a great opportunity at CU.

Winning state my freshman year. Sam Amrein and I clinched it.

Kyle Engelken

wash. u.

colorado

Why did you choose your school?

soccer

football

GG:My sophomore year in a JV game I hurdled a player from the other team and kept going. It was pretty sweet. QB: My favorite memory is my kickoff return at the beginning of our game vs. Lawrence high school.

John Schrock

GE: Beating SMW this year in football. KC: KU relays this year; I ran a PR in the 300 hurdles placing 12 out of 39.

Ross Guignon

illinios

fort acott

Griff Gans and Quan Brunt

Why did you choose your school?

track

Favorite East athletic memory?

track

Grant Ellis and Kirby Clements

pittsburg st. tcu

tcu

Hanna Jane Stradinger and Connor Wilkins

I chose Nebraska because I really liked the coach and team, and the athletic facilities are extremely nice.

Favorite East athletic memory?

The successful trips to St. Louis my junior and senior year!

Andrew Goble

Why did you choose your school? I love the rich history and fanatical school pride. I clicked with every person I met there.

track

Favorite East athletic memory?

Setting the school record in the 4x100 relay. It was a complete surprise, and I really liked the other three guys.

PHOTO ESSAY

05-02-11

Lancer rugby team takes on the nationally ranked Junior Blues and loses 26-12 Playing the position of strongside flanker, senior Jeremy Steiner, above, pushes in the scrum before branching off after the ball is knocked out. “[The game] was expected to be a blowout, but we never thought about it that way,” Steiner said. “You’re never proud when you lose, but proud that [the team] played so well against a good team.” GrantHeinlein Senior Brandon Evinger struggles to break through the tackles of two Junior Blues team members. “[The game] was pretty much a bloodbath,” Evinger said, “but it was still so much fun.” GrantHeinlein Sophomore Ryan Sinkler from Bishop Miege celebrates after fellow Lancer Michael Hart scored a try, followed by an extra point attempt by senior Daniel Colebank, to put the Lancers ahead 7-5. GrantHeinlein Junior Cooper Hylton, left, sets up with his teammates prior to the lineout. This is caused by the opposing team hitting the ball out of bounds. GrantKendall

For additional photos from the Lancers vs. Junior Blues rugby game, visit smeharbinger.net