Harbinger Issue 7 2020

the harbinger.

SHAWNEE MISSION EAST 7500 MISSION ROAD PRAIRIE VILL AGE, KS 66208 DECEMBER 21, 2020 VOLUME LXIII ISSUE 7

East community members reflect on their year in isolation, sharing stories of how they’ve grown from the challenges of the pandemic

A LOOK INSIDE

P29

P14

P19

P22

FE ATURE

FEATURE

A&E

SPORTS

SOPHOMORE CRE ATES ORIGINAL MUSIC

FAMILY BONDS OVER HUNTING

STOCKING STUFFER GUIDE

CATCH UP WITH ALUMNI JOEY WENTZ

02 | INSIDE COVER

THE HARBINGER | DECEMBER 21, 2020

ONLINE

PREVIEW

@smeharbinger

@smeharbinger

@smeharbie

STO RIE S E AST COVID TESTING Scan to read about the COVID testing now being offered for students and staff at East

V I DEO

HAPPY HABITAT Scan to read Kelly Murphy’s feature over an East alum and parent’s successful online blanket business

GA L L E R I E S

UNBOXING A SONY PS5 Scan to watch alumni Geordy Williams unboxing the new Sony PS5

CARTO O N | n atal i e sc h o l z

BASKETBALL TRYOUTS Scan to view Tristen Porter ’s gallery of freshman boys basketball practice

cover design by catherine erickson cover photo by photo editors

STAFF LIST PRINT EDITORS Catherine Erickson Rose Kanaley ONLINE EDITORS Riley Atkinson Lauren West ASST. PRINT EDITORS Celia Condon Annabelle Moore ASST. ONLINE EDITORS Sophie Henschel Campbell Wood HEAD COPY EDITORS Phoebe Hendon Allison Wilcox PHOTO EDITORS Sarah Golder Trevor Paulus Julia Percy ASST. PHOTO EDITORS Noelle Griffin Elise Madden Megan Stopperan MOBILE MEDIA PHOTO EDITOR Megan Biles VIDEO EDITOR Lawder DeSantis ASST. VIDEO EDITOR Sydney Williams VIDEO TRAINING EDITOR Roberto Galicia BROADCAST EDITORS Sam Freund Megan Stopperan ASST. BROADCAST EDITOR Brett Pendland Liv Olson PHOTO MENTORS Taylor Keal Megan Biles Annakate Dilks MJ Wolf STAFF WRITERS Catherine Erickson Rose Kanaley Lauren West Riley Atkinson Campbell Wood Celia Condon Sophie Henschel Annabelle Moore Allison Wilcox Lyda Cosgrove Caroline Wood Sydney Newton Ethan Enderle Lily Billingsley Kelly Murphy Elizabeth Mikkelson Tommy Paulus Sydney Decker Peyton Moore Lauren Dierks Grace Allen Kate Heitmann Cesca Stamati Winnie Wolf Madeline Funkey Grace Tucker Emma Brown Gibbs Morris

Ben Bradley Anna Mitchell Sophie Lindberg Nora Lynn Mia Vogel Caroline Gould COPY EDITORS Catherine Erickson Rose Kanaley Lauren West Riley Atkinson Phoebe Hendon Allison Wilcox Celia Condon Annabelle Moore Sophie Henschel Campbell Wood Sydney Newton Winnie Wolf Lily Billingsley Elizabeth Mikkelson Lyda Cosgrove Caroline Wood Kelly Murphy EDITORIAL BOARD Catherine Erickson Rose Kanaley Lauren West Riley Atkinson Phoebe Hendon Allison Wilcox Celia Condon Annabelle Moore Sophie Henschel Campbell Wood Sydney Newton Lily Billingsley SECTION EDITORS EDITORIAL PRINT Sydney Newton NEWS PRINT Lauren Dierks ONLINE Caroline Wood OPINION PRINT Elizabeth Mikkelson ONLINE Winnie Wolf FEATURE PRINT Grace Tucker ONLINE Lyda Cosgrove A&E PRINT Tommy Paulus ONLINE Kate Heitmann SPORTS PRINT Peyton Moore ONLINE Cesca Stamati PAGE DESIGNERS Catherine Erickson Rose Kanaley Riley Atkinson Sophie Henschel Celia Condon Allison Wilcox Annabelle Moore

Elizabeth Mikkelson Lily Billingsley Lauren Dierks Sydney Newton Winnie Wolf Kate Heitmann Grace Allen Grace Tucker Cesca Stamati Peyton Moore Madeline Funkey Anna Mitchell Sophie Lindberg Nora Lynn Caroline Gould ART EDITOR Celia Condon STAFF ARTISTS Natalie Scholz Sophie Henschel Mia Vogel Lauren Dierks Sophie Lindberg Maria Morrissey STAFF PHOTOGRAPHERS Emma Kate Squires Maggie Merckens Hadley Chapman Emily Pollock Maggie Klump Tristen Porter Rachel Bingham Molly Schumm Ella Hans Eva Berkley Macy Crosser Helen Rice Lily Mantel Sabrina Dean VIDEO STAFF Lawder DeSantis Sydney Williams Liv Olson Megan Stopperan Roberto Galicia Brett Pendland SOCIAL MEDIA EDITOR Annabelle Moore ASST. SOCIAL MEDIA EDITOR Sophie Henschel SOCIAL MEDIA STAFF Mia Vogel Sydney Decker Megan Biles Grace Tucker Julia Percy Celia Condon Lyda Cosgrove Kelly Murphy Grace Allen Anna Mitchell Liv Olson Paige Zadoo ADS MANAGER Caroline Wood CIRCULATION MANAGER Lyda Cosgrove SOCIAL CHAIRS Peyton Moore Tommy Paulus CONTEST COORDINATOR Celia Condon

design by sydney newton illustration by natalie scholtz

THE HARBINGER | DECEMBER 21, 2020

ATHLETES, “DO YOU KNOW HOW to twerk?”

Norweigan soccer player Ada Hegerberg had just become the first woman to win FIFA’s Player of the Year Award, yet this was the question she was asked when she received the award.

Even the most hardworking and prominent female athletes in the sports industry, like Hegerberg, are looked at as objects of sexual desire by their male viewers, rather than the strong athletes they are. Despite advancements through the decades by female sports icons, the public hasn’t yet deemed female athletes “on par” with their male counterparts From the unnecessarily revealing uniforms to the misogynistic comments, there’s a clear oversexualization of female athletes. And it needs to stop.

The sexualization isn’t only a matter of women athletes being objectified, but viewers use this sexual lens to delegitimize their athletic ability and assume they’re not “real” players.

The top videos that come up when searching for “women’s football” on Google are from the Legends Football League, previously called the Lingerie Football League, featuring girls playing tackle football in lingerie uniforms instead of the pants, shoulder pads and jerseys men wear. Even with the change in league name, lingerie remains the uniform.

Women should be able to participate in a sports league for the sake of playing the sport, rather than bringing in an audience of misogynists who only give female sportsplayers the time of day when their bodies are a focal point, and not the sport itself.

Female athletes like Alex Morgan and Simone Biles go through thousands of hours of practice and intense workouts to become competitive in more professional leagues, but male objectification minimizes their real accomplishments — diminishing these strong athletes to their bodies and potential sex appeal.

Along with minimizing their accomplishments, the sexual comments and generalizations damage their selfesteem and self-worth. They don’t want to be told that their uniform fits them great or compliments their figure out on the field, they want to hear that they bodied the defender or have a nice no-look assist.

For young girls and teen athletes looking to follow in their role model’s footsteps, seeing that male audiences aren’t judging athletic ability, but physicality, can lead to the development of an unhealthy obsession with body image.

Young female athletes should get to look to the pros who dominate the field and admire their strength and independence without having to wonder if they’ll be seen as talented if they don’t have 6-pack abs or meet a certain weight — pressures added by the longstanding scrutiny placed on female athletes to meet beauty standards.

Serena Williams is dubbed the most dominant tennis player of this time, yet she constantly receives hate for her “masculine” muscular body type. Her muscles and build shouldn’t be used as a reason to criticize or bring her down — they give her the strength to be one of the top athletes and tennis players in the world, and they should be celebrated.

The hyper-sexualization of female athletes isn’t a problem isolated to professional players in the WNBA

EDITORIAL | 03

NOT OBJECTS

or Olympic teams. Groups of students will attend East volleyball games and make comments on the tight spandex of girls’ uniforms. Meanwhile, when cheer and dance teams perform at games, the female performers wear short skirts and crop tops in the cold, while their male company are allowed pants and regular-fitted T-shirts.

Yes, there are cases in which male athletes are oversexualized as well, but no one attempts to delegitimize and diminish their athletic ability or standing as an athlete, or to say that it’s the only reason they’re watching them play the sport. Sure, Chiefs player Travis Kelce’s shirtless gym selfies get tens of thousands of likes, but Kansas City still flocks to see him play on Sundays because of his football abilities, not his body.

Yet when female athletes choose to be sexual, like when Megan Rapinoe did a nude photoshoot with Sports Illustrated, the media criticized her. Male viewers sexualize women for their every action, yet when women choose to display themselves sexually those same male viewers scrutinize and shame them, proving they see the display of body as something for the male gaze, rather than the choice of the woman.

Already, women’s sports receive 1.6% of airtime in sports news television in comparison to men’s 96.3%, according to a study by the Center for Feminist Research at the University of Southern California, and the airtime they do receive is bombarded with coverage highlighting the sexualization of the athletes rather than their skill.

Comparing the photos from mens’ vs womens’ professional volleyball games reveals a clear difference: the men were photographed from the front to showcase their spiking or passing, while a majority of the women were photographed from behind or bending over before a serve.

In beach volleyball, the uniform for males is athletic shorts and an athletic shirt, while for women it’s similar to a sports bra and bikini bottom. Women’s beach volleyball receives more male viewers over other sports for this reason — they’re sexualized as objects rather than seen as the talented professional athletes they are.

It’s not just in volleyball. In many sports, like tennis or lacrosse, while the men’s teams’ uniforms consist of more loose fitting athletic shorts and shirts — whatever is easiest for them to play well in — women’s teams wear skirts in their uniforms and often more fitted tops while there’s no advantage to wearing skirts over shorts.

These revealing uniforms for women highlight this sexual objectification, often acting as display points while sports photographers overshare and exploit them — only deeming them an athlete to watch if their figure looks good in their uniform or if they can take pictures capturing them as models rather than athletes.

We see it in other forms too — even from coaches and peers. When girls miss a practice, it’s assumed they were too busy “doing their makeup” or “getting their hair done” rather than their completely valid excuses, unspecific to being a woman.

Femininity and athleticism aren’t mutually exclusive, but it’s time to stop treating female athletes like their worth as a competitor only comes from whether they can capture the attraction of male viewers. We need to view female athletes for what they are — strong, smart, resilient girls and women who have worked hard to become the athletes they are.

Female athletes are oversexualized and objectified, which delegitimizes their athletic ability

F O R : 1 2 AGA I N ST: 0 The members of the editorial board who agree with the viewpoint of the editorial are represented by for, and those who disagree with the viewpoint are represented by against.

EDITO RIAL POLICY The Harbinger is a student run publication. Published editorials express the views of the Harbinger staff. Signed columns published in the Harbinger express the writer’s personal opinion. The content and opinions of the Harbinger do not represent the student body, faculty, administration or Shawnee Mission School District. The Harbinger will not share any unpublished content, but quotes material may be confirmed with the sources. The Harbinger encourages letters to the editors, but reserves the right to reject them for reasons including but not limited to lack of space, multiple letters of the same topic and personal attacks contained in the letter. The Harbinger will not edit content thought letters may be edited for clarity, length or mechanics. Letters should be sent to room 413B or emailed to smeharbinger@gmail.com.

04 | NEWS

THE HARBINGER | DECEMBER 21, 2020

NEWS

by caroline gould

HIGHLIGHTS Catch up on school, local and national news

A B O V E | Ranchmart is redeveloping their shopping center in Leawood.

EAST

SME Stuco is holding a virtual bingo night for the East community

STUCO IS HOLDING a virtual bingo night through Webex for students and their families at 7 p.m. on Dec. 21.

Students and families can sign up through a Google Form sent in an email to the student body, with no payment required, but an option to donate. The link to the Webex meeting will be sent in another email to everyone who registers.

The StuCo executives will be hosting the event, and have created a variety of versions of bingo using different shapes for the students to make on virtual boards. Everyone will be competing in one large meeting, and according to student body president and senior Sophie Rice, the event should last about an hour.

“We will be playing the games and having some prizes like gift cards and snacks and stuff to give out to winners for when we go back in-person second semester,” Rice said.

In preparation for potential

design by lauren dierks photo by ella hans

connection and WiFi issues, Rice says that multiple people will be available to call out the numbers just in case the host’s internet doesn’t work.

We will be playing the games and having some prizes like gift cards and snacks to give out to winners.

sophie rice | senior She is hoping that as many people as possible will get involved in this event so that East students can connect while being in virtual school.

“We are trying to get students to have the same school spirit back when we did have events and its pretty important because now a lot of kids aren’t engaged throughout the school day and aren’t having activities to go to either,” Rice said.

LOCAL

Ranchmart North redevelopments

RANCHMART NORTH is in the process of revamping the 60-year-old shopping center to include restaurants, office spaces and outdoor areas.

The $47 million development is on track to be completed by the summer of 2021.

Trip Ross with Cadence Commercial Real Estate told the Shawnee Mission Post that the new space is likely to be a unique addition to the Kansas City area. According to Meat Mitch owner Mitch Benjamin, the potential for a variety of shops and restaurants with plenty of space for outdoor areas is what will make the Ranchmart area different from other local shopping centers.

They have been planning this reconstruction since before COVID-19 and already have plans for outdoor areas, but now Benjamin says it will be extra important so that people can stay socially distanced while enjoying

N AT I O N A L

is

beginning

the new space.

As of right now, there are no official tenants of the space yet except for Meat Mitch, a barbeque restaurant expected to open by late spring 2021.

The restaurant will be a stand-alone building, but it will be attached by a pedestrian walkway to the rest of the center, which allows Meat Mitch to have patios on three different sides of the store front. This will allow lots of outdoor space for customers to enjoy their food and visit with friends “The timing could be perfect with COVID coming to an end by the time we open,” Benjamin said. “That area at 95th and Mission is really right for us and new restaurants and life.”

With the large population of young families in the area, the owners have high hopes that the new addition will attract many families trying to find new local spots.

The Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine has been approved

THE FOOD AND Drug Association (FDA) authorized the first COVID-19 vaccine for emergency use on Friday, Dec. 11.

According to USA Today, the vaccine began distribution to health care workers and is now spreading across the country, eventually hitting the Prairie Village area in the coming months.

The FDA commissioner, Dr. Stephen Hahn, said in a statement that this is “a significant milestone in battling this devastating pandemic that has affected so many families in the United States and around the world.”

Made by Pfizer, the vaccine has many risks and side effects associated with it such as chills, muscle pain and fatigue, but the FDA believes that the benefits will outweigh the risks.

After being distributed to health care workers and patients

in nursing homes, high risk individuals with pre-existing health conditions will be next in line to receive the vaccine.

Both patients and caregivers will supposedly be receiving fact sheets about the benefits and the risks of taking the vaccine.

Senior Lily Utt is very highrisk due to a variety of medical conditions and is especially excited about the new headway with the vaccine.

“I hope that people are willing to get it and trust that it’s gone through a lot of testing and getting approval to get to where it’s at now,” Utt said.

Although the FDA has said the vaccine is not going to necessarily end the pandemic, they hope that it will slow the rise in cases. Even with just the healthcare workers vaccinated, that is a fairly large part of the U.S. population which will already take the numbers of cases down.

RANCH MART CONSTRUCTION

$47 $47 million redevelopment

2021

Projected to open summer of 2021

60

The old Leawood shopping center is 60 years old *information from Shawnee Mission Post

PFIZER VACCINE All vaccines will be ordered through CDC First supply of vaccines scheduled to be distributed before 2021 Vaccines will eventually be made available in doctor’s offices, pharmacies, hospitals and health centers

*information from the CDC

THE HARBINGER | DECEMBER 21, 2020

design by allison wilcox photo by lily mantel

THE SECRET

Teachers try to prevent students from cheating on future tests and finals

BEHIND SUCCESS

*names changed to protect identities by ben bradley

W

ith the increase of cheating that has become clear during online school, teachers are working towards an honest week of finals beginning Jan.

19-22.

Sophomore Helen Smith* feels that it’s much easier to cheat this year because of the amount of freedom students have at home — and she knows her peers are in the same boat.

“I really try to do all of my homework myself to actually learn the material,” Smith said. “I really only cheat frequently on quizzes because I feel like tests are a lot more strict now and easier to get caught.”

Smith has heard her classmates make comments about using their phones during a test or having their notes beside them, and thinks students need to be more careful as finals approach.

AP European History teacher Emily Fossoh has seen students cheat on tests, and feels that the biggest consequence will be the lack of preparation for future tests and AP exams.

In an attempt to help students learn, Fossoh is trying to prevent cheating by assigning more projects to test knowledge and assigning take-home tests.

“You will not have the option to cheat when you are taking the AP exam,” Fossoh said. “It will most definitely affect your overall score.”

Chemistry teacher Steven Appier agrees that cheating doesn’t develop full intellectual ability.

“If I ask a student to solve a task that requires analytical and evaluative thinking and they completely copy off of someone else, then they’re not developing their own critical thinking skills important to Chemistry,” Appier said. “It defeats the whole purpose of getting an education.”

According to Appier, teachers can catch a student cheating in a multitude of ways, from requiring camera screens to be turned on to monitoring Canvas testing pages to see if students switch tabs.

Appier also says there’s a plagiarism website, turnitin.com, that compares the text a student submits with sources on the internet to show how much of a student’s writing is actually original.

With finals being online this year, both students and teachers are beginning to worry about timing and grades. Appier understands that finals will be different this year because of East’s current timeline for finals, which notably features an altered testtaking schedule.

“I have always preferred to have finals before break, because then your vacation is a true one,” said Appier. “We finish the first semester content, test over it and when we come back we can move on. Now we have to basically stop in the middle and then come back to it — not to mention the built in forgetting time.”

I really try to do all of my homework myself to actually learn the material. I really only cheat frequently on quizzes, because I feel like tests are a lot more strict now and easier to get caught.

*helen smith | sophomore Smith doesn’t like the idea of finals being after break — she thinks there’s too much of a gap over the break that causes students to forget what they’ve learned.

“I also love the feeling [of] when you are done with school for the semester,” Smith said. “It feels so nice to know that all of your school work is behind you, but this year we still have three weeks of the semester after break.”

Sophomore Robbie Cotton prefers finals to be after break because it gives him more time to study and review content he missed or didn’t understand.

Cotton thinks that if students have a two week break to study, they should take advantage of the time and use it wisely.

“I still expect there to be a lot of cheating just because I know that a lot of people don’t do the work and don’t know what they are even learning, but I hope that teachers are more strict about how you take the test,” Cotton said.

Due to virtual learning and untrustworthy

C A N VA S C U E S

Messages Canvas gives teachers that detect cheating

FLAGS

PLAGARISM

TEACHERS ARE FLAGGED IF STUDENTS LEAVE THE BROWSER

CANVAS ALERTS TEACHERS WHEN PLAGARIZED WORK IS SUBMITTED

CLOCK

TEACHERS CAN SEE HOW LONG STUDENTS SPEND ON TESTS

students, Assistant Principal Dr. Susan Leonard and other administration have decided to expand the final rubric to anything cumulative after a meeting with SMSD’s board.

“Finals are definitely going to look different this year,” Leonard said.

“We gave the teachers an option to make the test as creative as they want to really test the students’ learning. This could be a project, an activity in class or a normal test.”

L e o n a r d emphasizes that the administration wants to make online finals easier on teachers and students.

Both Leonard and Appier knows finals will look different this year, but they’re expecting students to study just as hard and put up the same results as they usually do.

“I expect grades overall to be about the same, because cheating can only get you so far,” Appier said.

“Some students seem to be of the opinion that assignments while on remote learning are semi-optional. That or they just don’t care about doing the work.”

NEWS | 05

06 | NEWS

THE HARBINGER | DECEMBER 21, 2020

design by lauren dierks

$

CAREER QUEST S by caroline wood

hawnee Mission School District recently introduced YouScience, a career searching program, to middle and high school students to help them find possible jobs best suited for their natural skills and interests. “[YouScience is] not your typical career interest inventory,” East Instructional Coach Kristopher Barikmo said. “The idea behind it is identifying our cognitive strengths, as well as our interests, and then bringing those together to help us understand what our path could look like.”

YouScience has up-to-date information on over 500 careers featuring job outlooks, education investments and a personal profile of best-fit careers.

The district, along with several other metro area schools and districts, received a grant from the Kauffman Foundation earlier this year that allowed them to partner with YouScience.

YouScience has 11 assessments, divided into five sections, that students were supposed to complete during seminar from Nov. 20 through Dec. 10. But despite the administration’s promotion of the tool, the turnout for participation was low.

East admin realized that not all students will follow this schedule, so to encourage them, those who completed their assessments

B R A I N GA M E S A few of the brain games featured on YouScience.com used to find the best career match for you

before Dec. 18 had their name entered in a raffle to win a $50 gift card — students who finished before Dec. 11 got two entries in the raffle.

Despite their attempts to motivate students to complete the activities, only 111 students have finished the YouScience exercises as of Dec. 15. — the lowest amount of participation in any of the SMSD high schools.

Junior Chris Alka has completed aptitudes, interests and personality tests two days a week during seminar. Although he doesn’t feel his career matches are perfect, he’s still found helpful information in his personality results.

“I believe that YouScience doesn’t have all of the attributes it would take to go into a career, but it definitely showed me some of my strong suits data-wise, such as visually how I learn or how mentally I learn,” Alka said.

“It gives you a more visual way of showing that, and it kind of opened my eyes to what I could be compared to just something I knew before.”

Not only will the program guide students to possible career paths, but YouScience’s evaluations of student responses will provide them with colleges suitable for each suggested career path. It will also give information about personal abilities that could be used to improve college application essays, resumes, interviews and recommendation letters.

A look into SMSD’s new career matching program, YouScience

In order to produce these in-depth results, students must complete a set of assessments that YouScience refers to as “Brain Games.” These puzzles and challenges evaluate students’ abilities in different fields including inductive reasoning, work approach and timeframe orientation.

Out of the 11 Brain Games assessments that YouScience gives, nine are aptitude tests and two are self-reported surveys about personal interests.

“YouScience allows us to bring what we’re good at and what we’re passionate about and then find a much better answer for helping us figure out those paths,” Barikmo said.

On average, according to Barikmo, people change careers about four times in their life — not just their job, but their career path.

“We really want to equip students with more tools, more perspectives and more opportunities to explore careers and options, because then that reduces perhaps the amount of fumbling through college that somebody might have to do,” Barikmo said.

Sophomore Tatum Aikin has been working on her YouScience Brain Games and finds that the concept of determining possible careers based on how one’s brain works is more accurate than typical personality tests.

“A lot of the time we think we know what we want to do and what we’ll be good at,” Aikin said. “But a lot of the time we don’t

really know what career paths that we want to go into actually entails. So, then matching up how we do on these brain activities to careers and like seeing how they match up, I think it’ll be a lot more beneficial.”

In previous years, SMSD students participated in a similar career planning program called Xello. However, Xello solely uses self-reported surveys rather than tests that evaluate actual skills.

“When we used Xello for this process in previous years, the number one flagged career was artist, because it just asked people what they were interested in, and if they liked creative things well then it said you should be an artist, and the second most popular was a professional athlete,” Barikmo said. “Now are we going to have artists and professional athletes that come from East? Absolutely, we will. But those aren’t going to be our top career matches.”

Although the district introduced YouScience, Xello will still be used since both platforms provide different tools and information. “[YouScience is] about getting a chance to know more about yourself than you could just by grades, or just by being in a classroom,” Barikmo said. “We have to know what we’re good at, and our skills in order to begin to see what our future can look like.”

Visual Comparison Test

Numerical Reasoning

Spacial Visualization

I n se r t a D for a dif fe re nce in t h e n u mbe rs and L whe n the n u m b ers are the same

F inish the nume rical p a ttern

If fold ed a nd hole-p unched , w here would the holes b e?

8 6531 0

D

876531

576839

L

73

L

2

4

6

8

10

_

A

20

A

576839

B

14

B

73

C

12

C

design by mia vogel by annabelle moore

H

ealth Health House Fitness Studio in the Prairie Village Shopping Center permanently closed its doors on Nov. 30 due to COVID-19 after after serving hundreds in the East area.

Its easy accessibility and unique rowing workouts helped foster a community that CEO and founder Jon Knopke and his team will never forget, even after making the tough decision to permanently close the last Kansas City location in Prairie Village — with the Town Center location closing earlier this year.

Knopke grew up in Kansas City and attended Rockhurst High School, then Rockhurst University. He moved to Chicago for about three years, moved back to KC in 2007 and started Health House here in 2013. Now, he lives in Manhattan Beach, Calif. and operates Health House studio West Hollywood — the only location still standing.

Starting his career in Chicago at Equinox Fitness — a luxury fitness company that operates several lifestyle brands, such as SoulCycle — Knopke got his inspiration to start Health House with the simple desire of making other people feel good through working out.

Knopke says that Kansas City is where his roots are, which is why he decided to move back from Chicago and start Health House here.

In founding Health House, his goal was to create a workout that combines safety and efficiency — regardless of the customer’s age or fitness level — through lowimpact rowing machines. Knopke says Health House was the first fitness studio to implement this methodology in the United States, right here in Kansas City.

Throughout his time in Kansas City, Knopke has noticed the easy, high energy community that has come in and out of Health House over the past eight years. “[Kansas City] contains some of the most dynamic folks that I have ever encountered,” Knopke said.

“It’s just such an incredibly diverse audience of men and women, husbands and wives, sisters, brothers, executives. The movers and the shakers of Kansas City coming together as one crew in one unit, [that would be Health House].”

East alum and former Health House front-desk worker Brigid Wentz was also impacted by the distinctiveness of Knopke’s operation and its community.

“As much as Health House was a great workout, it really brought people together that maybe would have never met if it wasn’t for Health House,” Wentz said.

Wentz noticed the groups of people who would workout together every Saturday morning, and says they would talk about getting brunch, coffee or even dinner with the instructors afterwards. She also said that her brother, Joey Wentz, made friends at Health House from ages 25-50, and would go to wine nights with them.

Between taking classes and working at the front desk, Wentz spent over two years in the Health House community, and eventually it felt like a second home — which is what Knopke strived for.

“I know a [a girl], sometimes you don’t want to lift heavier weights, which is kind of what Health House is,” Wentz said. “You’re lifting at least a 10-pound weight I would say. So [Health House] inspired me to take more classes where I’m using heavier weights.”

Wentz will also miss the “always-push-yourself” and “never-hold-back” environment Health House created in its classes.

And while Knopke strived to reinforce these mantras during his time with Health House, sometimes mindset alone isn’t enough to stay afloat.

In Knopke’s words, when the pandemic hit, it decimated the business world to a point where businesses

THE HARBINGER | DECEMBER 21, 2020 — small and large — were going under left and right.

“We really couldn’t recover with the looming uncertainty that COVID poses for the business and any retail business, we just didn’t see that there was an end in sight,” Knopke said. “And so we decided to make the hard decision to close both of [the] locations.”

Knopke’s landowners weren’t cutting him any slack in terms of rent and problem-solving for the KC locations amidst the pandemic. After the income from Health House continued to go down, he had no choice but to close things down for good. “[My position] just puts things into perspective of the things that are super important, and the things that aren’t,” Knopke said. “And ultimately, when you’re facing adversity, it’s almost being in a heavyweight fight with somebody you know you can’t beat, [in this case] meaning COVID. It’s tough to be able to get into a fight with something that we don’t know if it’s going to subside, or if it’s going to continue to grow, or run rampant across the country and impact our business in California.”

In response to the constant uncertainty going forward, Knopke hopes to see growth in the new year with their online platform: Health House at Home.

Starting in March when COVID temporarily shut down their business, Health House created an online presence in an attempt to continue to still give their customers a way to workout with Health House.

“We had always wanted to launch a digital platform, [and COVID] only magnified a kickstart,” Knopke said.

“We launched it back in March, [and] we’re now represented in 35 different countries, which I could have never imagined in my wildest dreams.”

Despite the apparent struggle Health House and other businesses have faced the past nine months, Knopke also sees the pandemic as a blessing in disguise. He’s reformed his view on the pandemic and is aiming to turn every negative into a positive.

Starting an online platform has been one of the biggest highlights of Knopke’s career and life, he says.

Health House at Home is giving Knopke hope for future success for his company and brand name.

“To know that people in Dubai, London, Malaysia, Mexico, Australia, Kansas City, New York, Chicago, they all get to experience Health House, I would have never imagined that in a million years when I started the company,” Knopke said. “To know that the Health House brand and experience is touching people not just locally, not just nationally, but globally. And I think it’s really the coolest thing. And I’m excited about the growth into 2021 and beyond.”

In the future, Knopke hopes to continue to expand Health House’s online presence for the community.

“And then reinforcing that through proprietary products based on our methodology for people to experience inside the home and also at businesses such as hotels, hospitals, airports, university, schools,” Knopke said. “So that’s really the future, it’s less about having brick and mortar studios, such as the ones that we had in Kansas City, [and more-so] enhance and improve the digital, on-demand experience.”

NEWS | 07

HEALTH HOUSE

HEADS OUT Health House rowing studios in Kansas City have shut down

SMALL BUSINESS STRUGGLES The struggles small businesses are facing due to COVID-19

1 2 3 4

CASH FLOW SHORTAGES & SUPPLY CHAIN DIFFICULTIES HINDERING OPERATIONS

OWNERS’ INCREASED STRESS AND WORRY & FEAR OF A SECOND WAVE

CUSTOMERS NOT KNOWING ABOUT REOPENED BUSINESSES

CONSUMERS MAKING LASTING CHANGES TO COPE WITH PERSISTENT ANXIETY

*information from due business blog

PERMANENTLY CLOSED Out of 30,154 businesses that closed nationally due to COVID-19

52%

RESTAURANTS

41%

SHOPPING & RETAIL

6%

FITNESS *information from yelp

08 | OPINION

THE HARBINGER | DECEMBER 21, 2020

OPINION

design by elizabeth mikkelson

THIS WEEK’S ONLINE OPINIONS

HIGHLIGHTS

A look into student opinions and the opinion section

O F F I CI A L E L ECTO R A L M A P

SCAN ME | AUTISM IS NOT A COSTUME Scan here to read sophomore Caroline Gould’s opinion having to do with Sia’s new film ‘Music’ and the lead autistic chacter being played by a neurotypical actor

SCAN ME | VACCINE PREPARATION Scan here to senior Sydney Decker ’s opinion story about the newest COVID vaccines and how they aren’t guaranteed to reach our demographic anytime in the near future

SCAN ME | STAYING ALERT Scan here to read sophomore Grace Tucker ’s opinion story about how to stay safe in your surroundings, especially due to the technological neccesities that are our phones

THIS WEEK IN TWEETS THE ELECTORA L CO LLEGE VOTE D O N D EC. 1 3, 2020

306 232 BIDEN

*map from POLITICO

W E FA I L E D #T H A N KS G I V I N G A N D # C OV I D I S S U R G I N G. F O R C H R I ST M AS, L E T ’S STAY H O M E A N D STAY S A F E .

N E W YO R K T I M E S O P I N I O N | 1 2 / 1 5 / 20

TRUMP

“ B OT TO M - U P B I PA R T I S A N S H I P C A N S O LV E T H E P R O B L E M S T H AT TO P - D OW N B I PA R T I S A N S H I P C R E AT E D. C O M M O N PA I N AT T H E G R A SS R O OT S L E V E L C A N L E A D TO C O M M O N P U R P OS E , C O M M O N G R O U N D A N D C O M O N - S E N S E S O L U T I O N S. N OW M O R E T H A N E V E R , ” W R I T E S @VA N J O N E S 6 8

ST U D E N TS’ TA K E O N F I N A L S

C N N O P I N I O N | 1 2 / 1 5 / 20

ARE YOU IN SUPPORT OF THE DECISION FOR FINALS TO TAKE PLACE IN MID-JANUARY AFTER WINTER BREAK? Instagram poll of 191 votes

31% YES 69% NO

TA K E O U R P O L LS @smeharbinger

Follow us on social media to participate in the polls

@smeharbinger

@smeharbie

Y E S, T H I S I S A T I M E F O R C E L E B R AT I O N . B U T O N T H E OT H E R S I D E O F T H E E M OT I O N A L S C H I S M I S T H E ST I L L U R G E N T N E E D TO R E M A I N V I G I L A N T, S I N C E M OST O F U S WO N ’ T H AV E AC C E SS TO T H I S L I F E S AV I N G I N J E C T I O N U N T I L M O N T H S F R O M N OW. N E W YO R K T I M E S O P I N I O N | 1 2 / 1 5 / 20

T H E LO N G H I STO RY O F B L AC K WO M E N O R GA N I Z I N G I N G E O R G I A M I G H T D E C I D E S E N AT E C O N T R O L , @ P H I L L I PS 3 D W R I T E S I N @ M A D E BY H I STO RY WAS H I N GTO N P OST O P I N I O NS | 1 2 / 1 3 / 20

design by anna mitchell design by anna mitchell

THE HARBINGER | DECEMBER 21, 2020 THE HARBINGER | DECEMBER 21, 2020

A SEAT AT THE

Increasing diversity in government and other institutions serves as inspiration and encouragement to young, marginalized people who’ve long lacked equal representation

W

by phoebe hendon

hen I was nine years old, I wrote down in my little, pink notebook that I, Phoebe Hendon, would one day become the first female President of the United States. I’d even settle for being the first female Vice

President.

This past March, then-presidential candidate Joe Biden announced during a Democratic debate that he planned to select a female running mate. Upon Biden’s election, America would see its first female Vice President. But despite being a strong advocate for putting women in positions of power, I wasn’t happy hearing Biden’s vow, and not just because someone else was going to beat me to the “first.”

I figured Biden had made this promise simply to appease female voters, and figured whichever woman he chose would just be used as a pawn to make him seem inclusive. But eight months later, I sat in front of the T V and watched as Vice President-elect Kamala Harris waved at supporters from the podium as she introduced Joe Biden for his Presidential election acceptance speech.

And as I felt myself tearing up, it didn’t matter to me why Joe decided on a female Vice President.

What mattered more were the young girls, the Black girls, the South Asian girls, who were watching alongside me and saw themselves in Harris. Scrolling through emotional tweets and celebratory social media posts after Harris’ speech proved to me that ultimately, the prioritization of putting historically marginalized people in positions of power only benefits our society, and makes it known that anyone can achieve their goals, no matter their gender, skin color, religion or sexual orientation.

Natachi Onwuamaegbu, a student journalist at Stanford, perfectly summarizes America’s need for representation in an op-ed she penned for The Stanford Daily in 2018: “Representation isn’t just a nice way to appease complaining minorities,” Onwuamaegbu wrote.

“The media is a reflection of who America is and isn’t. America isn’t just white, and it never has been.”

Not only is America not just white, as Onwuamaegbu points out, but it’s not just straight, male or rich. While my AP Government textbook details over 200 years of presidents who look nearly identical, 2020’s election season featured a diverse array of candidates ranging from all genders, races, sexualities, ages and backgrounds.

While this year’s election winner still looks the same as almost every past president, Biden and his campaign team did the right thing by recognizing America doesn’t just look like an old, white guy. They’re currently in the process of creating a Cabinet that looks like America does — there’s a 50-50 split between male and female nominees, and people of color make up half of his nominees.

Having grown up on the Internet, I really shouldn’t be surprised anymore when I see divisive reactions to diversity — especially when it comes from those who’ve historically been able to take representation for granted. As people share mixed reactions to Biden’s follow-through of his promise of a diverse Cabinet, I can’t help but to laugh at the 13-year-old white boys upset that someone like Janet Yellen, a Polish Jew, is nominated for Secretary of Treasury.

Many misinterpret affirmative action — a specific kind of inclusive effort that work to select diverse candidates for positions — as the exclusion of white, male candidates, or believe appointment committees randomly hire diversely without considering qualifications. But Biden’s Cabinet isn’t just comprised of random people off the side of the street selected to appear diverse. Cabinet candidates go through an extensive vetting process, and their doctorates and work experience certainly outweigh any petty qualms

put forth by ignorant people who don’t understand the process.

After Biden announced Yellen’s nomination, Twitter user @ Bread_Season complained, “Out of all the brilliant economic and financial minds out there, is Janet Yellen really our best option?”

Well, Yellen boasts a PhD in economics from Yale, served as the Chair of the Federal Reserve for four years and was elected President of the American Economic Association this year. Yes, she’s a diverse hire, but her lengthy career and economic expertise earn her the position, not just her identity as a Jewish woman.

When those who don’t fit America’s selective mold of success see people who look like them represented in places like media, the business world and government, they’re better able to visualize themselves in similar positions. By emphatically hiring diversely, Biden helps erase the appearance of a singularly whitemale-dominated America so our government can become more representative of our entire country, rather than one group.

Of course, diversity hires don’t outright eradicate the issues of white supremacy and the patriarchy, especially since these issues are long-engrained in American institutions. But ultimately, I find a sense of comfort knowing that the increase of diversity in influential positions — even if they’re specifically targeted for some marketing CYA — only reinforces to young onlookers that they are more than capable of filling those spots one day.

There’ll always be an echo chamber of those who don’t understand the importance of affirmative action. But when most Americans have only seen the faces of white, male Presidents and Vice Presidents, and when you, it can appear that those roles will only ever be for rich, white men. Currently, Disney’s princesses are more diverse than the executive branch of our government, which is fine for little kids who play princess at recess, but when those kids grow up, they should be able to see themselves in the leaders of our country as well.

When I think about the game-changers who became “firsts” of their kind, I can’t safely bet the men who decided on their appointment were truly thinking about the advancement of feminism or equality when they sent out their press releases and gave their New York Times quotes.

But sometimes it doesn’t matter what reason a man had for giving them their spot — all that matters is that people of all identities get to grow up knowing that in however many years, they could be a kicker in the NFL, a box-office crushing superhero actress or even the Vice President of the United States.

And who knows, maybe one day I’ll be the first female President.

OPINION | 09 OPINION | 09

ABLE FEMALE INVOLVEMENT IN GOVERNMENT DURING TRUMP’S PRESIDENCY

WOMEN REPRESENTED 24.6% OF MEMBERS OF CONGRESS (about 1 woman every 4 members) *information from American Progress

HOWEVER...

20 20

KAMALA HARRIS

FIRST WOMAN VICE PRESIDENT

“I promise you, [the cabinet will] be the single most diverse cabinet, based on race, color, based on gender, that’s ever existed in the United States of America.” - JOE BIDEN

DIVERSITY IN BIDEN’S NOMINEES FOR CABINET WHITE (50%) BLACK (25%) HISPANIC (11%) ASIAN (14%)

WOMEN (50%) MEN (50%)

*information from: Biden-Harris Transition

10 | OPINION

THE HARBINGER | DECEMBER 21, 2020

STOP THE

Someone’s music choices shouldn’t be a reason for other people to judge or interpret them

STEREOTYPE

M

design by riley atkinson

20 20

WRAPPED: EAST EDITION A breakdown of the Spotify Wrapped results among East students

by nora l ynn

y 2020 Spotify Wrapped listed my top artists as The Beatles, Harry Styles, and the Cast of Victorious.

Despite its accuracy, I knew right away no one on Instagram would be seeing this on my story.

People would judge me, thinking I’m a wannabe indie kid, a former One Direction fangirl or a 10-year-old Justice shopper, but I’m none of those — except maybe a wannabe indie kid.

People, especially teens, often use music as another way to divide us into categories, stereotyping us into groups that tell us how we should behave or feel. But that’s not what music is for — it should allow us to come together on similar interests with no divisions.

Watching everyone post their Spotify Wrapped on their Instagram stories, it’s easy — maybe even entertaining –– to make assumptions about their character and personality.

Noticing King Princess play across the phone screen and thinking, “Yeah, they’re definitely bisexual,” followed by “Ribs”

by Lorde, so now it’s “Oh, they’re bisexual and sad.” But music taste shouldn’t define or categorize us, and labeling people based off of this prevents us from really getting to know them.

Music has the capability to connect people — it’s an artistry that a part of everyone loves and we can relate to with the people around us. But we’re sucked into believing stereotypes created by social media that label us based on our music preferences — Hozier listeners are all cottagecore and only band geeks like Twenty One Pilots. These judgements make people embarrassed or insecure over their music taste, and they end up hiding their favorite artists and genres just so they aren’t depicted as something they don’t identify as. cot • tage • core

a n a esth eti c tha t i s re m i ni sce nt of a ca lm ga rd e n esca p e

It can be fun to try to interpret meanings behind songs, but we have to be aware that basing your view of a person off of their music taste restricts your understanding of them. I should be able like a song about social anxiety just because it’s catchy, even if I don’t personally relate to it.

If I wanted to show my friend a new song I found by Billie Eilish, I would instantly be met with cynical comments about being “emo” or depressed. Comments like those make me uncomfortable expressing myself around them, beyond just being in charge of the aux. Even if it’s meant to be a joke, that remark would make me feel like I couldn’t listen to that song or artist without being “emo.”

It’s a more serious conversation when someone is hesitant to let anyone see “Sofia” on their playlist in fear of the question “Are you Cavetown gay, Phoebe Bridgers gay or Girl in Red gay?” You’re not going to get all the details of a person’s sexuality and personality from one song.

Home

We don’t necessarily have to forget what we feel these songs say about someone, we just have to be open-minded to the fact that people don’t fit into perfect molds — whatever created us liked to color outside the lines.

Stereotypes are inevitable. They’re an unfortunate part of society — online and face-to-face. People shouldn’t feel like they have to listen to the type of music associated with their clique just so they seem like what society morphed them to be. Athletic guys and douchebags don’t have to listen to rap music, indie listeners aren’t all misfits and Weezer fans aren’t all virgins.

Judgements make people embarrassed or insecure over their music taste, and they end up hiding their favorite artists and genres just so they aren’t depicted as something they don’t identify as Our personalities, fashion choices and friend groups can be a mismatched mess of who we are, and so can our music preferences. No one asks questions when I walk in sweats and a t-shirt with my friend who’s in a floor-length skirt down the hallway, but dare I listen to anything but Frank Ocean.

People are complicated, so one song doesn’t define who they are, especially when you don’t even know them.

All these stereotypes defeat music’s purpose — it’s meant to be our connection to people we never would have connected with otherwise. No one can know a stranger if they’re arrogant perceptions of music decide they already know who they are.

Someone who likes country music doesn’t have to wear cowboy boots, jeans and a MAGA hat just because that’s what people assumed after seeing Luke Combs was their top artist this year.

According to the Greater Good Science Center, music can increase our trust in other people and fabricate bonding — when you’re at a concert, you can feel a connection to the other 20,000 dancing people as the base thumps loud in the speakers, through the floor and up to your chest. So why weaken something so uniting by making people feel self-conscious about their music tastes?

It’s possible that I listen to Mom Jeans and I’m not gay, that alternative rock was in my top five genres this year on Spotify Wrapped and I don’t want to kill my parents or that “Sweater Weather” could be blaring from my radio while my pants aren’t simultaneously cuffed just above my ankle.

Maybe the emo kid listens to pop and the 10-year-old Justice shopper likes heavy metal — no one would really know unless they asked.

Search

Your Library

90% YES 10% NO

73% YES 27% NO

DID YOU RECEIVE A SPOTIFY WRAPPED THIS YEAR?

DO YOU FEEL LIKE YOUR TOP GENRE REPRESENTS YOU WELL?

EAST’S PLAYLIST

The most popular genres among East students according to an Instagram poll

POP ALTERNATIVE ROCK RAP INDIE POP FOLK COUNTRY ALTERNATIVE EMO

NORA’S TIPS: Advice from Nora about how to avoid stereotyping others’ music choices

1 2 3

WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT MUSIC, TALK ABOUT WHAT THE SONG MEANS RATHER THAN IT’S SOCIAL CONNOTATIONS

BE OPEN TO TRYING OUT AND LISTENING TO UNFAMILIAR GENRES DON’T MAKE JUDGEY COMMENTS IF SOMEONE TELLS YOU ABOUT THEIR FAVORITE MUSIC

design by lily billingsley

THE HARBINGER | DECEMBER 21, 2020

ERRORS IN EDU CATION

OPINION | 11

SCHOOL IN THE U.S. VS EUROPE See the agendas

*information from UNESCO

STANDARDIZED TESTS UNITED STATES - REQUIRED FOR SCHOOLS - REPORTED - USED IN TRANSCRIPT

The United States school system has negative impacts on students’ mental health and should follow models similar to other countries by pai ge za doo

A

s I start my day at 7 a.m. more than an hour before the world is even awake, I barely have a chance to open my eyes and wake up my mind before I’m bombarded with two math assignments, a review packet and a lab before my morning is even over.

Working into the dead of night with only a few hours to sleep until I have to do the same routine all over again the next day, I find myself asking the same question repeatedly: “If none of this is actually teaching me skills for the future, what is the point?”

There’s a simple answer: passing.

Me and my friends barely get to finish our school days with a sigh of relief before the hours of homework and extracurriculars hit us with panic. Every time I describe my day-to-day high school experience to my family who grew up with one homework assignment a night and none of the virtual difficulties high schoolers face now, they’re all taken aback in shock – how am I still standing on two feet when I’m expected to dedicate practically every waking minute I have to school?

For me, this isn’t a foreign concept in the slightest.

Ever since I began high school, it’s all the same – go, go and go. Yet, to others around the world, the American school system is mindblowing and appalling.

The constant pushing instilled within students not only results in poor mental health but also creates a poor work ethic that negatively affects grades.

From the first day of preschool to about eighthgrade graduation, school is as it should be — teaching you real valuable lessons without draining your mental health and energy away. But once you hit high school, however, it’s a completely different story — and it shouldn’t be.

High school forces you to wake up at the crack of dawn, sit in uncomfortable desks while being lectured for hours on end over trigonometry, conjugations, atoms and elements. Then it’s time for practices, games or any other extracurriculars that drain the small amount of energy you have left. When you wind up at home, you’re left with a pile of untouched Algebra homework, Chemistry labs and English projects that are bound to take hours.

The American high school system is designed for the sole purpose of passing, even if it’s the bare minimum, with the single goal of ending up in college.

By the time you graduate, you have no idea how to get a good credit score, how to nail interviews, how to create budgets and save or how to file your taxes — in the end, you leave high school with only one semester of financial literacy and no clue how to succeed in the real world.

The Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) is a worldwide test administered to over 50

countries in the world — it tests 15-year-olds to conduct data results that compare school systems across the world.

According to the program’s 2019 test results, the U.S. isn’t even in the top 10 for reading, mathematics and science scores. Finland’s school system, which scored at least 10 rankings higher than the U.S. in these areas, is based on the foundation of less homework, fewer school hours and students having more insight into their future education paths, resulting in success.

While Finland and several other countries that rank in the top 10 of PISA scores teach their students necessary life skills, especially on how to succeed post high school, they also understand the effect of school on mental health. Not only do they teach a real and necessary curriculum including classes on budgets and taxes, their form of pushing students is vastly different than in the U.S. In Finland, the school days are shorter, starting around 9 a.m. and finishing by 2:45 p.m., allowing students more time to work on homework or extracurricular activities while also maintaining enough time to get a healthy amount of sleep. However, the life of an American student is a stark contrast. With a surplus of hours of work, there’s no room for any child or teenager to simply breathe.

The American high school system believes that more hours and work will create smarter, hardworking students, but they continue to completely miss their goal. Bombarding kids with loads of homework in hopes of creating a stronger work ethic within teenagers only work to deteriorate students’ mental health.

50%

O F ST U D E N TS F E E L C O NSTA N T STRESS FROM SCHOOL ACCORDING TO CHALLENGE SUCCESS

In extreme cases, according to the organization Challenge Success, this can result in high depression and suicide rates and a large decrease in grades and participation throughout schools. In their recent census of 43,000 high school students, half of the students said they felt constant “overwhelmingness and stress” from schoolwork and the constant pushing of needing to excel academically.

The U.S. should stop focusing on what they think is right and take a look at the rest of the world to notice how their system is vastly different and failing in comparison. They need to ask themselves, “What can we do better?” Instead of saying, “What can we do to push them more?” By changing the education system, the possibility of greater happiness and success within children and future generations is at large — and maybe I can finally get eight hours of sleep.

EUROPE - NOT REQUIRED - NOT USED BEYOND SCORE - NO IMPACT ON COLLEGE

SCHOOL YEAR SCHEDULE UNITED STATES - SCHOOL 7 HRS A DAY - 180 SCHOOL DAYS A YEAR - 10 WEEK SUMMER

EUROPE - SCHOOL 4.5 HRS A DAY - 195 SCHOOL DAYS A YEAR - 7 WEEK SUMMER

DAILY CLASS SCHEDULE UNITED STATES - AVERAGE OF 7-8 CLASSES - 2 YRS OF FOREIGN LANGUAGE - MANY SCHOOL SPORTS

EUROPE - AVERAGE OF 4 CLASSES - 10 YRS OF FOREIGN LANGUAGE - NO SCHOOL SPORTS TEAMS

EAST’S OPINION

East students voice opinions on Instagram polls

90%

OF STUDENTS SAY SCHOOL WORSENS THEIR OVERALL MENTAL HEALTH

*316 votes

59%

OF STUDENTS DON’T THINK THEY LEARN IMPORTANT LIFE LESSONS IN SCHOOL *311 votes

94%

OF STUDENTS WOULD CHANGE THE SETUP OF THE U.S. SCHOOL SYSTEM *306 votes

DO YOU THINK HIGH SCHOOL IS JUST TO GET INTO COLLEGE? *333 votes

86% YES 14% NO

WAGSTAFF CARTMELL

&

EXPERTS IN HIGH STAKES LITIGATION CALL: (816) 701-1100 | EMAIL: RECEPTION@WCLLP.COM

The Plaid Pen Personalized stationery www.theplaidpen.com

THE HARBINGER | DECEMBER 21, 2020

design by grace tucker photos by hadley chapman

FEATURE

HIGHLIGHTS

FEATURES | 13

A CHANGE IN PLANS Some students at East had their typical holiday traditions canceled or rearranged due to COVID-19

STUDENT LIFE Students at East enjoy the weather by playing baseball outside

I had plans to go to San Diego with my mom’s side of the family, but we could only go if we quarantined before. Unfortunately, with our schedules we can’t quarantine for long. So, no San Diego and I can’t see my family for nine months.

grace hastert | sophomore

Every Christmas my family travels to my grandparents’ house in Tennessee. We’ve been doing this for as long as I can remember, and sadly have to miss out on it this year.

ABOVE Sophomore Cade Austin plays catch at a batting practice.

ike sheets | sophomore

Usually my family has a big get together with all of all our family friends, and we have a super competitive gingerbread house competition. I’m really sad that we can’t do that this year because of COVID.

ashlee taylor | junior

A B O V E East alumn Jack Marasco talks to players while wrapping up practice.

B O T T O M R I G H T Sophomore Jack Laird walks over to his glove to play catch with sophomore Cade Austin.

ARE YOU GOING OUT OF TOWN FOR WINTER BREAK? Instagram poll of 303 votes

23%

YES

O N L I N E F E AT U R E S

77%

SCAN ME | JOE BLAKE

Carefully eyeing the work of marketing teacher Mercedes Rasmussen, student teacher Joe Blake works on pulling together a lesson plan for the class as he learns the ropes of SME teaching. by emma brown

SCAN ME | WE’RE NOT REALLY STRANGERS In the midst of a pandemic, face-to-face conversations between teenagers is even more rare. Our goal behind this experiment is to see if our generation can still hold meaningful conversations away from technology. by liv olson

NO

WERE YOUR HOLIDAY PLANS CHANGED DUE TO COVID-19?

Instagram poll of 285 votes

69% 31% NO

YES

14 | FEATURES

THE HARBINGER | DECEMBER 21, 2020

design by cesca stamati photo by noelle griffin

PAST PERFORMANCES Kate’s favorite performances from the past, whether for an open mic or a local event

P O R C H F E ST KC CROWS COFFEE WALDO OLD SHAWNEE PIZZA OPEN MIC H Y D E PA R K C H I L D R E N ’S FILM FESTIVAL

SIN G I N G

STORY T E LLE R Sophomore Kate Whitefield writes and performs music as a creative outlet by lily b i l l i ngsley

W

hen then-five-year-old Kate Whitefield sang “Three Little Muffins” at her kindergarten talent show, she stood with her right foot awkwardly sticking out because she was too scared to move it. Singing nervously on stage in the Prairie Elementary cafeteria was the first time she ever performed in front of a crowd.

And while she didn’t sing an original for that performance, Whitefield wrote her first original song, “Today,” three years later as a third grader.

“I never thought about singers not writing their own music because the only person that I listened to when I was seven was Taylor Swift,” Whitefield said.

Now a sophomore, Whitefield has spent hours performing at open mics, scribbling lyrics on a piece of paper and sticking it in her journal and finding inspiration from movie characters and stories her friends tell her — to the point that she can’t keep track of how many songs she’s written.

Whitefield draws songwriting inspiration from nearly everything she sees, whether it’s a character in a book, a friend’s story or her own feelings — she aims to tell stories with her songs. Sometimes she keeps the ideas in the songs nonspecific so that they can be relatable to a wide audience, and sometimes she makes them specific to her own life.

She released her first original song, “New Year’s Song,” to streaming platforms this year by working with a company called Meridian Sound to access a recording studio and equipment to mix the song professionally. She

was then sent an mp3 file of the recording and distributed it to streaming services. She also stays active in music by performing at open mics and posting her music on her Instagram account — @kate.whitefield.music. “[My Instagram] has proven to be really helpful in keeping me active with music through lulls like with COVID and periods of time that I’m not performing as much,” Whitefield said.

Whitefield started her Instagram as a way to promote her music, without all of her personal Instagram followers seeing it.

Whether it’s a video of her singing at an open mic or strumming her guitar in her house during quarantine, Whitefield’s posts regularly receive dozens of positive comments.

Music is very important to her. I’ve always associated her with music because she’s always creating it, thinking about it, talking about it.

delaney mcdermed | sophmore Music has been a part of Whitefield’s life even before her kindergarten talent show, according to Whitefield’s friend sophomore Delaney McDermed.

“Music is very important to her,” McDermed said. “I’ve always associated her with music because she’s always creating it, thinking about it, talking about it. It’s always sort of been a part of her.”

When Whitefield’s not posting on Instagram, she’s googling “Kansas City

SONG-WRITING PROCESS Kate records fragments of music and writes down lyric ideas for potential songs

284

132

SAVED NOTES VOICE MEMOS

open mics this weekend” on her phone and setting up her performances from there. She performs at local coffee shops and festivals, like Crow’s Coffee and PorchFest.

Whitefield has performed at PorchFest, a festival where various local performers can showcase their talent on porches for live audiences, for the last four years. She prepares an entire set for her performance, singing both original songs and covers.

Whitefield uses the festival as a mile marker to compare how her music has changed in the past year, looking back at the different setlists she’s used.

“It’s good because I can measure [my progress],” Whitefield said. “But I also enjoy being outside and seeing other performers next to me.”

Donna West, Whitefield’s voice teacher and show choir director, has seen Kate’s talent develop throughout the eight years that she’s known her.

“She is constantly evolving as a musician,” West said. “I’ve watcher her grow from a child who loved to sing and write simple songs to a young woman who has honed her skill beyond her years.”

But Whitefield’s performances aren’t confined to Kansas City. When she visited Coronado, Calif. last year, she searched for open mics close to where she was staying for shows that would allow a 14-year-old to perform. She ended up singing at restaurants and coffee shops in San Diego and Los Angeles for around 100 people.

“It definitely wasn’t that different from performing [in Kansas City],” Whitefield said. “It was different kinds of people, but

the crowd size was similar. I didn’t feel like I was in front of super big-time people, they were just normal people.”

For Whitefield, music isn’t just about performing in front of a crowd — it plays a part in nearly every decision that she makes, from quitting soccer, lacrosse and basketball to leaving room in her schedule each semester for choir. She plays guitar every day, learning new songs and working on finger positions to improve her playing.

“It’s pretty much all that I do when I’m not doing my homework or hanging out with friends or eating or sleeping,” Whitefield said.

Whitefield uses music as a creative outlet, as it’s a way to express her feelings and connect with others. She can write her own feelings and experiences into her songs without feeling like she’s opening up too much.

“Music is so poetic, and it’s cool that other people can hear it and it doesn’t feel like you’re exposing yourself too much,” Whitefield said. “It’s put into a form that is more easily understood and accepted.”

While Whitefield doesn’t necessarily want to have a music-based career, she plans to always keep a pen and notebook on hand.

“I definitely want to keep music in my life, no matter what I do,” Whitefield said. “Like always having a guitar around and to keep writing because, as well as being something that I do for fun and a hobby, it’s also an outlet. And I think that’s really important for everybody to have like a creative outlet.”

design by tommy paulus photo by megan biles

J

THE HARBINGER | DECEMBER 21, 2020

FEATURES | 15

by gibbs morri son

unior Ben Trusty has always been compelled by rap music. During every passing period, Trusty would plug in his ear buds to listen to J. Cole’s “No Role Modelz” until the bell rang to start class. In seventh grade, as soon as he could wrap his head around how to make music with words opposed to an instrument, he and two of his friends, juniors Wilson McGinness and Brady Aebersold, started creating their own rap songs.

The music industry is becoming heavily reliant on technology — in large part to SoundCloud, a popular platform that allows teenagers to promote their music in hopes of becoming mainstream.

Whether their music is made to pursue a passion or just mess around on Garage Band with friends, East students like Trusty have done exactly that.

“Originally, it was just for fun and we made all of our stuff just for jokes,” Trusty said. “We had always been big fans of rap music so we tried making some of our own, but once we started getting into it, we realized we weren’t all that bad and kept it up.”

Although the music-making process seemed complicated at first — the beat making and autotune being most difficult — all Trusty and his group needed was a little bit of ingenuity and elbow grease

Originally, it was just for fun and we made all of our stuff just for jokes. We had always been big fans of rap music so we tried making some of our own.

ben trusty | junior to create a “recording studio” for the beginning of their musical endeavors.

Trusty, McGinness and Aebersold worked together from McGinness’ dad’s closet, recording on an Xbox microphone. McGinness was in charge of creating the beats on his school MacBook, while the other two used the editing app Soundtrap to put it all together.

“We used the Xbox mic for two years before we all bossed up and bought a Blue Yeti Microphone,” Trusty said.

During those two years, Trusty — known by his rapper name “Busty” — released his own song called “Cupid” which gained a large following after being released on SoundCloud.

“The song itself was about how I’m such a lady’s man,” Trusty said. “Of course, it was made jokingly as I’m the complete opposite of a catch, but the song surprisingly got up to above 1,000 views. It unfortunately had to be deleted though after our baseball coach found all of our music because he found it inappropriate.”

After making 12 songs — enough to fill an album — Trusty and Aebersold decided to stop releasing music while McGinness kept up the work.

“After our album in freshman year, we all had this mutual feeling that it just wasn’t as fun anymore to release music so they stopped,” McGinness said.

“But making rap brought us all together under a common interest, so I still make music just not with the group.

In addition to the group of current East students

that used SoundCloud to create their music, others have come and gone before “Busty’s” debut in the spotlight. East alum and current gap year student Kaden Bornholtz is also involved in the SoundCloud rap community.

Bornholtz began creating music his freshman year in high school, but didn’t release any songs on SoundCloud until his sophomore year.

“I grew up loving music and both my sisters were in choir at East,” Bornholtz said. “I decided choir wasn’t for me, so I started making music myself.”

Bornholtz considers the genre of his music to be a mixture of rap and hip hop — similar to artists Iann Dior and Kid Laroi, two popular artists amongst the rap/hip hop community.

“I started releasing onto SoundCloud because it was free and I could build a viewer base on it just because lots of people had downloaded the app,” Borholtz said.

Bornholtz’s initial process of creating and releasing music was more complicated than Trusty’s method. Bornholtz used a recording software called FL Studio and searched his email for beats sent from other producers to rap over.

“I’d write the lyrics and then sing the parts I knew would sound the best,” Bornholtz said. “I’d then go back to record the song over and over again until I was satisfied.”

After that, he would either send it off to be refined by a willing SoundCloud producer or engineer it himself. One of his most popular songs released was titled “Maybach,” which he produced himself and racked up at least a thousand views.

However, after reaching a high number of followers, Bornholtz began to lose motivation in creating music, something that would change his motivation in the SoundCloud rap space.

“After I reached 8k, I lost all drive to make and release music for two months. I lost 3.5k followers over that time,” Bornholtz said. “Some songs that I had expected to get more plays and shares didn’t do as well as I thought, so I just lost even more interest.

As a 16-year-old, I knew I wasn’t going to be the best out there, but in my head, I wanted to be, so it was difficult.”

Bornholtz continues to make music but hasn’t posted in over a year. Despite the rut, he looks back at his time as a SoundCloud rapper fondly.

“I was the first to do it and release music publicly in my grade,” Bornholtz said. “I feel like I opened up a window of opportunity for people to express themselves in other ways. I’m happy with the way things went despite the times things got difficult. My career is far from over, just on a break.”

While some use the streaming service as a hobby and others to follow a career, the SoundCloud rappers of East all have one thing in common: they all loved producing their personal songs and still carry an appreciation for the SoundCloud music outlet.

“We all had so much fun doing it and we always had good feedback,” “Busty” said. “I can truly say that I will never forget being a so-called ‘SoundCloud Rapper’. That time in my life will always have a place in the back of my head.”

UP IN THE

CLOUD

East rappers recall their stint as SoundCloud rappers

NAME: Kaden Bornholtz BEST SONG: “Maybach” CAREER: On Hiatus EQUIPMENT: Real mic, FL studio software PROCESS: Send raw songs to producers

L IL’ Z IP NAME: Ben Trusty BEST SONG: “Cupid” CAREER: Personal EQUIPMENT: Xbox mic, SoundTrap software PROCESS: Edit on school Macbook

BU ST Y

S O U N D C LO U D STATS 20%

of teens want a career in entertainment

1 0%

of worldwide social media usage is on SoundCloud

7 2%

of users are from foreign countries.

0 0 2 2 16/17 | FEATURES

M AY

N OV E M B E R

murder ho rnets

AU G U ST

biden wo n popula r vote

kam al a har r i s announced as r u n n i n g mate

250 tho u sa n d confirm e d covi d d eat hs

JA N UA RY

george floyd death

a u st ra l i a n f i res

JUNE

te n si o n w i t h i ra n

F E B R UA RY tru m p i mp e a c h m e n t tri a l d e a t h of kob e b r ya nt

M A RCH cov id l oc kd ow n sto ck m a rket c ra sh

APRIL cov i d ca ses hi t 1 m i l l i o n kim jong u n r u m o re d dea t h

biden elected dem o crat i c no m inee

chadwick boseman death

SEPTEMBER

black lives matter protests surged

ruth bader ginsburg death

J U LY

first presidential debate

jef frey epstein trial

O CTO B E R

bubonic plague suspec te d

trump got covi d amy coney barret approved 115th ju sti ce

D E CE M B E R covi d vaccin e approve d biden confirm e d preside n t by elec to ra l col l ege

FRO DIST A DA P T I N G ENGLISH TEACHER MEREDITH Sternberg is dedicating this semester to making her Canvas page less daunting. Although the ability to discuss literature has been stunted, she doesn’t believe that means online learning has to be confined to checkpoints and due dates.

“It’s my mission to get [students] comfortable with online learning platforms and show them you can do discussion on them, you can do thinking out loud on them,” Sternberg said. “That’s really caused me to grow as an educator, to really consider what I feel like is the most important part of the curriculum, and then focus on that.”

However, online learning has removed the personal connection that comes with a discussion based classroom like Sternberg’s.

She finds that students have trouble

M ISS I N G OUT A lot of times when people will ask me ‘How’s starting high school?’

I’m not really sure how to respond because I don’t feel as though I truly started high school. ryder hendon | freshman

WHEN SENIOR LIBBY Hise’s mom was assigned to work as a nurse on the COVID unit this summer, she had to accept that she wouldn’t be able to see her mom for a whole month. She and her family packed their bags and moved into their house on Lake Lotawana to avoid contracting the disease.

“It was really hard not having my mom around because we’re probably the closest in our family and she gives me a lot of advice,” Hise said. “We couldn’t give each other advice in the most confusing time.

She wasn’t around when I needed her the most — and when she needed me.”

Three months after being separated from her family, Hise learned her senior year would look different as well. Years of watching her siblings go in and out of East made being named a Pep Club Executive more

OM A TANCE

design by rose kanaley copy by catherine erickson

East community members share their reflections on 2020 as the year comes to an end

T

his year threw new challenges at us each month. From quarantining during this global pandemic to political tensions to devastating deaths of prominent figures, it seemed the year would never end. However, now that we’re approaching the new year, people are

reflecting on how the time of isolation was an opportunity for personal growth. Here we share stories and reflections from members of the East community about their biggest challenges as well as how they grew through the events of 2020.

IS O L AT E D

deviating from and expanding on the book over WebEx. “I love my job so much [because] we personally connect to the works of literature and to each other through the works of literature,” Sternberg said. “[During in-person] we’re all together in a room doing something as personal and as worthy as discussing literature, and watching each other process it and asking each other the bigger questions about it. You cannot do that on a screen on a laptop.

And I think that it’s part of that’s really hard to do this way.”

AS SOON AS the district announced students would not return to school “until further notice” in March, senior Lily Utt called her doctor.

“Quarantine until we know for sure it’s safe to see other people.”

That was 10 months ago. Since then, Utt has seen three people, other than her dog of course. Due to Utt’s Common Variable Immunodeficiency and severe asthma, contracting COVID would be life threatening.

“It’s really hard for me when I’m seeing the decisions that the district is making and when I’m watching the decisions of other people that I know on social media,” Utt said. “Seeing people hanging out without masks and having parties right now basically symbolizes another month of my life that I’m going to lose just having to sit inside waiting.”

After months of being locked in her house, Utt is struggling to find activities to break apart the days and stay motivated.

“In March and April, it was like, I can clean out my closet, I can play board games,” Utt said. “But at this point, I’ve cleaned every closet, I’ve played every board game. You run out of things to do

that are exciting. Especially being a senior dealing with college applications and school and everything else it’s just really hard to want to do that when every day is just nothingness. It’s hard to stay motivated. It’s hard to stay, just like happy.”

However, Utt is proud of her impact and contribution to flattening the curve, no matter how hard every day is.

“There’s thousands of people dying every day from this, and I’m proud of myself for making the decision to save those lives,” Utt said. “If I can just think that my choices over the past 10 months have made it so that families can stay together, so people can enjoy more time with their loved ones in the future, then I’m proud of myself for that and I’m proud of the other people that have done that too.”

SELF G ROW T H special for Hise — which also made it even more crushing when sports weren’t allowing a student section.

“My biggest challenge this year was just missing out on everything because I’m the youngest sibling out of four,” Hise said. “I got to see them go to all these basketball games, sitting in the front row, and I’m never going to be able to experience that.”

However, through political tension and the pandemic, Hise now feels prepared to make the most out of anything being thrown at her.

SENIOR PAIGE GOOD made the most out of her time in isolation by working on herself. She took inspiration from her Tik Tok addiction to get into a new activity — makeup and fashion.

“I had a lot of time where I just didn’t have a lot of responsibilities, so I tried to make myself get into a few hobbies,” Good said. “One of the things was learning how to do makeup — which, you know, I’m still trying my best. But it was a creative outlet to express myself. I also watch a lot of fashion and makeup videos on Tik Tok, so I’ve kind of been taking inspiration

I learned that it really is easier to get through things when you have a strong support system, and that can be coworkers or family or whatever.

Because without the English department sticking together and figuring it out and having breakdowns at different moments and talking each other through, I don’t know that I would have been able to get through it.

It’s really your coworkers, your people. Your support system. kristen anderson | english teacher

from that.”

In addition to a new hobby, quarantine gave her the chance to reflect on the people she was letting into her life — whether they were bringing positivity or negativity.

“By spending more time by myself I could reflect on everything that I’ve been consuming from other people,” Good said. “I feel like I’ve been influenced by other people and not knowing that those friendships or dynamics were unhealthy for me.

Having that time to myself, I got to see who I really need in my life.”

I have learned a lot about setting limits and boundaries with my time, and also with people. I learned early on in the pandemic that I don’t have time to argue with people that don’t believe in science, or people that are trying to torpedo the public health message that we’re trying to spread. I’ve made some decisions to not interact with some of those people and it’s just been freeing. stephanie ptacek | nurse

18 | FEATURE

THE HARBINGER | DECEMBER 21, 2020

BRIAN HENEGER WITH AN INTRICATELY laid out Christmas meal, then-eighth-grader Brian Heneger and his family were prepped and ready to chow down — but their new golden retriever puppy had other ideas.

“She just takes a running start and goes straight onto the table, just throws

everything off of the table, all the food and everything, our entire dinner was ruined,” Heneger said. “My mom was like crying and my brother and I were cracking up.”

Ever since the turkey and mashed potatoes were swept off the table, their dog is now sent to his spot on the living room couch during Christmas dinner.

took on Santa’s role for the night and delivered a few early Christmas presents just in time for their parents to suppress giggles and snap the yearly Santa pictures.

“We both just have remembered that for our whole life,” Emley said. “It was just special because we loved going to see Santa and he took the time to dress up and show that he cared by surprising us because he knew we were sad [about not being able to go see Santa] that year.”

SINCE THEIR USUAL Christmas tradition was to dress up in plaid holiday dresses and take pictures on Santa’s lap with ohGod-this-is-awkward smiles, then-elementary-schooler Charlotte Emley and her sister were bummed they couldn’t make it to the faux North Pole at their country club when they went to Wichita for the holidays instead.

But with the help of a fluffy strap-on beard and a Santa suit from Amazon, their uncle surprised them with an unforgettable experience. He

C H A R LOT T E E M L E Y

HOLIDAY

CHEE R CHE ER “WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE between the regular alphabet and the Christmas alphabet?”

“The Christmas Alphabet has noel.”

Get it? No L? The rest of the Heide family rolled their eyes and grinned — their annual Christmas talent show always included their dad reciting practically the same jokes each year, but they wouldn’t have it

ANNA HEIDE

any other way.

Whether it was their younger brother dancing around to “Feliz Navidad” or senior Anna Heide performing a comedy skit she found online, this night has been filled with belly laughs since the tradition started.

“It’s kind of dorky and ridiculous and we don’t really take it seriously so it’s just funny,” Heide said.

design by rose kanaley photos by rachel bingham

Students funniest moments and mishaps from the holiday season over the years by riley atkinso n

AS CHRISTMAS-LIGHT-FILLED SNAPCHAT memories pop up and parents pull out the dusty holiday photos, the East community thinks

back to their funniest holiday experiences. After a year when the news is anything but jolly, here’s a collection of some students’ laughable moments from the past:

A N D R E W W E ST AFTER HIS OLDEST sister locked up the doors for the night on Christmas Eve, then-five-year-old Andrew West helped to set up the table for dinner. But they all whipped around in shock when they heard the front door unlock — Santa had come for a visit.

“It turned out he just magically opened the door, so it was just crazy to us because my sister had locked the door and so we just couldn’t believe that he was able to unlock it,”

West said.

“He came in with presents and we got a bunch of board games and gifts and all that, got to play with them, so it was a really cool experience.”

Years later, the West family still brings up the joy that night brought them — their neighbor dressing up as Santa for a personal toy delivery and heart-stopping surprise is something they’ll never forget.

THE HARBINGER | DECEMBER 21, 2020

design by annabelle moore photos by eva berkley

FEATURES | 19

G ON E

H U N T ING East family’s tradition of hunting has brought them closer together

by mad eline funkey

S

itting in the blinds — a shelter to camouflage them from the ducks while hunting — then-nine-year-old Barrett McKee and his dad Aaron anticipated their next target.

Standing up to the cold breeze, Barrett fired a shot towards a flock and they both watched as two ducks dropped from the sky into the icecovered pond. In shock of hitting two ducks in just one shot, Barrett looked over at his dad who was standing in awe at his son’s first catch ever. Aaron instantly knew Barrett’s talent for hunting would continue into the future — and he couldn’t be more proud.

“I didn’t know what to feel because it was my first time hunting,” now-junior Barrett said.

“Having that happen the first time you pull the trigger is crazy. I can’t really describe it, I didn’t know what to think.”

The McKee’s family calendar is packed as they try to manage school, cheer, lacrosse and hockey all in a short, seven-day week. While hunting on a free weekend about five times a year, they have the time to let loose and laugh together without distractions from their extracurriculars.

“It’s nice being out in the wilderness where you can’t be on your phone since there’s no phone reception or do anything else other than be in the moment with your family,” Barrett’s sister, sophomore Georgia said.

Aaron introduced hunting to his kids — Barrett, Georgia and freshman Lulu — each when they were about the age of seven. Similar to his kids, Aaron’s father introduced him to hunting at age 10 — hunting had always been a family event, and he saw it his duty to carry that tradition on. While living on a small farm

A B O V E | Freshman Lulu McKee and sophomore Georgia McKee join their dad and dog for a morning hunt

in Kansas, Aaron was always seeking his next escapade — the more rain, sleet or snow, the more fun he had.

“It makes it fun knowing that hunting is a continued tradition in my family,” Barrett said.

“Conversations about it always come up when we’re with our extended family and we have a lot of funny stories to talk about.”

Spending most of his time indoors with work, Aaron has found that getting outside with friends and family is his favorite part of the sport. It was important for him to teach his kids how to set up decoys to attract animals and how to be safe, while still enjoying the fun of hunting.

“Sharing the experience of hunting with my kids and their friends is probably the most rewarding part,” Aaron said. “Not everyone gets to go hunting which is unfortunate because it’s such a cool experience.”

For me, the number one goal when going hunting is not really to kill. It’s to be out and enjoy the experience of hunting with my family.

aaron mckee | east parent The most important thing Aaron taught his kids before they’d stepped foot on the hunting grounds was safety. Each kid started off with a Daisy Red Rider BB gun, practicing shooting cans and logs near a pond at their farm. He enacted rules to keep everyone safe, such as treating every gun as if it’s always loaded, never pointing the barrel in the direction of a person and making sure it’s not loaded before putting it away.

According to Aaron, he wanted to educate

his kids with guns since they’re a reality in our society. Just like a car, you can’t ignore them.

You have to be smart and safe and understand how to act around them.

“My dad has taught us that the safety of guns is the most important thing while out hunting,” Barrett said. “It can be very dangerous if you’re not taking the safety of yourself and others seriously.”

For the past six years the McKee family has belonged to a hunting club, only 45 minutes south of their home. On their weekends in the fields, they bring their trained dog Bella with them to hunt ducks at their farm either before the sunrise or in the late afternoon.

“I think it’s really fun to have something not everyone does with my family,” Lulu said. “It’s a fun refreshment from normal life.”

For the past 20 years, the McKee’s immediate and extended family has fulfilled their postThanksgiving tradition by heading down to their farm to go duck hunting.

“Every Black Friday when people are typically out shopping, all the cousins and [uncles] go hunting together,” Aaron said. “It’s a fun tradition we do, and we all look forward to that.”

From the 45-minute car ride down to the farm to the hours spent waiting in the blinds together, the McKee family has made the experience of hunting more than just a sport.

Even if they don’t come home with anything that day, spending time together is enough for them. The kids plan to carry on the tradition with their kids, as well.

“For me, the number one goal when going hunting is not really to kill,” Aaron said. “It’s to be out and enjoy the experience of hunting with my family.”

MEET BELLA Bella McKee is a one-anda-half-year-old lab. Bella was in training for four months for hunting. She went hunting when she was between eight months and a year old, and has now become a necessity to McKee family hunting outings.

GU N SA F E T Y

1.

2.

3.

Treat every gun as if it’s always loaded Never point the barrel in the direction of a person Make sure the gun’s never loaded before putting it away

Chad Wood Broker Owner

www.WoodRealtyKC.com

HARBIE PHOTO FORGOT YOUR CAMERA? WE DIDN’T. Scan the QR code below or go to harbiephoto.com to purchase photos from games, meets, concerts, and more!

THE HARBINGER | DECEMBER 21, 2020

design by tommy paulus photos and information from spotif y

A&E | 21

A&E

HIGHLIGHTS

Catch up on what’s trending in the arts and entertainment world

H O L I D AY H I T S

HIDDEN XMAS GEMS

NEW MUSIC

PL AYLISTS ALBUM | COMFORT J OY

MOVIES MOVIE:

P O D C A ST | H O L I DAY T U N E S

AND

METROPOLITAN

RUN TIME | 1H 36MIN

GENRE:

A R T I ST | T I N AS H E R E L E A S E DAT E | N OV 2 5

Tinashe’s “Comfort & Joy” takes Christmas songs and puts a contemporary R&B spin on them. I’d recommend listening to this album during a Secret Santa gift exchange.

ALBUM | IF WE MAKE THROUGH DECEMBER

INDIE

This playlist is full of everyone’s favorite christmas classics that will make sure you’re rockin’ around the Christmas tree.

RUN TIME: 1 HR 38 MIN

SUMMARY: This movie follows a man infiltrating a group of wealthy socialites in New York during their holiday “debutante season.”

IT

P L AY L I ST | H O L I DAY P O P

MOVIE:

RUN TIME | 5H 18MIN

A R T I ST | P H O E B E B R I D G E R S

KISS KISS BANG BANG

This playlist contains more recent Christmas songs with more of a pop flare.

The artists include Justin Bieber and Lil Nas X.

R E L E A S E DAT E | N OV 23

This mini-album contains a good mix of covers and original songs that all have somber undertones.

I suggest listening to this album on a cool night.

GENRE: MYSTERY/NOIR

RUN TIME: 1 HR 30 MIN

SUMMARY: This film is a tongue and cheek neonoir film set during a cold Christmas.

It is not as family friendly as most holiday movies, but it’s still a great watch.

A G U I D E TO:

GIFT WRAPPING MEASURE

MAKE CUT

1ST FOLD

2ND FOLD

L AST FOLD

BOW

22 | A&E

THE HARBINGER | DECEMBER 21, 2020

STOCKING UP

FOR THE HOLIDAYS

A few unique stocking stuffer ideas from three stores around Kansas City

WESTSI DE STOR E Y P RY D E’S 1701 SUMMIT ST. KANSAS CITY, MO K I TCHE N & THE SHOPPING LIST

boozy botanicals, or infused syrups Kansas City beanie coasters with iconic KC photographs MY TRIP BEGAN at Westside Storey in downtown KC, which was the perfect place to find antiques and vintage items for my friends and family. The store screamed Kansas City with Mahomesthemed T-shirts and bumper stickers featuring the Western Auto sign.

The variety of items, from Chiefs gear to sterling silver rings, helped me find something unique for each member of my family. I didn’t have to spend a crazy amount of money. Items ranged from $10-30, making it the perfect place for anyone on a budget.

The back of the store was by far the most interesting, with dozens of simple syrups — called “boozy botanicals” — for any tea or coffee. The number of flavor options made this section perfect for all the caffeine lovers in your life.

The store has a winter

section for when it gets below freezing, filled with KC merch stamped on anything from blankets to fuzzy coats.

I immediately picked up the softest beanie they had with a subtle yet adorable KC emblem hidden in the corner.

One of the most creative parts of the store is the huge pile of coasters on the back wall. With different prints ranging from Kansas colleges to local barbeque restaurants, this is the perfect local gift that your mom or dad might not have had on their wishlist. I grabbed a set of four containing a shuttlecock, KC heart and photos of two local restaurants for a total of $30.

I would definitely suggest Westside Storey if you’re looking for unique and creative stocking stuffers for your KC-spirited friends or family.

115 WESTPORT RD. KANSAS CITY, KS

THE SHOPPING LIST assortment of hand soaps holiday flavored tea anti-tear goggles for slicing onions PRYDE’S KITCHEN & NECESSITIES located near

Westport was by far my favorite gift spot. With classy cooking gear and cute gadgets located all over the store, there were plenty of random trinkets perfect for all ages.

The kitchen gadgets ranged from cooking essentials like wooden spoons and spatulas to wacky items like tearprevention, onion-slicing goggles and memedesigned aprons.

House essentials like sets of hand soaps made of shea butter and floralscented aromas are perfect for any family member or

friend.

On my way to checkout, I grabbed the onion goggles for laughs.

I personally cry every time I cut onions, so I knew the $20 price tag would be put to good use.

To go along with the Westside Storey syrup, I knew I had to get tea for my mom. With a wide selection of teas including holiday flavors like cinnamon and candy cane, Pryde’s tea was perfect — I threw two cans into my cart and was ready to check out. For any type of home gadget, this store is the perfect spot.

design by catherine erickson photos by annakate dilks by em m a b row n AS A HORRIBLE gift giver, I normally default to filling stockings with Amazon gift cards, candy canes or cheesy holiday cards. This year, I decided to put an end to my days of boring gift-giving and get

creative. Exploring local stores for my Christmas shopping allowed me to finally find some quality stocking stuffers while contributing to the community.

THE LITTLE FLOWE R SH OP 5006 STATE LINE RD. WESTWOOD HILLS, KS

THE SHOPPING LIST fuzzy holiday socks sugar scented candle lavender-orange bath salts HEADING BACK IN from the downtown area, I stopped at the Little Flower Shop on State Line. My only previous experience there was picking up my Homecoming boutonnière, so I wanted to see what else they had to offer for the holiday season.

With ornaments and trees covering every inch of the shop, it felt like a Christmas explosion. I found simple and perfect gifts, from extremely soft reindeer socks to furry gloves and hats.

Following the scent of candy cane that filled the store, I picked up a sugarscented candle that smelled just like the holiday season.

Instead of filling stockings with regular old candy canes,

I found something that will last longer, yet still give nostalgia of the holiday.

To add to the annual fun of Christmas dinner, I decided to buy trivia games as well.

Ridley’s Pop Culture Trivia set is waiting in the stockings to test our knowledge of the last four decades.

After moving past the room filled with holiday decor, I spotted a section with beauty products.

I immediately grabbed the lavender orange bath salts. When used, it spreads an incredible lavender aroma with touches of orange — it was a perfect purchase. Walking out of the store, I was confident and content with all of the gifts I’m giving this year.

THE HARBINGER | DECEMBER 21, 2020

design by sophie henschel

covid free cheer

A&E | 23

H O L LY, J O L LY A ND Staffer finds safe ways to stay connected with family and friends through the holidays

by etha n e nde r l e

HAVING SPENT NINE months in a pandemic, we know the obvious way to stay connected with family is to hop on a Zoom call and catch

up. While in theory a good idea, my family Zoom calls quickly turn into awkward small talk about how virtual school is going, or they end up with my three-year-old sister throwing a

tantrum in the background. For me, the best part of Christmas is having fun with family and celebrating our traditions — not explaining Canvas to them for the fourth time.

To spice things up and keep everyone happy for the holidays, I’ve compiled three of the best ways to enjoy holiday activities with extended family — while staying at a distance.

PICTIONARY

T E L E PA R T Y ON THE EVENING of Christmas Day, my family and I usually gather in my grandparents’ living room to watch Christmas movies, such as “Christmas Vacation,” “A Christmas Story,” “Elf” and yes — “Die Hard.” Half of the fun while watching these movies is the snarky comments we all make to poke fun at the dorky dialogue and cheesy moments.

Sure, you can still do that by sharing your screen on Zoom, but if virtual school has taught us anything, it’s that screen-sharing a video almost never works. In my

research to find a screensharing service that worked, I discovered Teleparty.

Teleparty is a Google Chrome extension that allows you to sync a movie or T V show with anyone who has the invitation link.

It’s compatible with Netflix, Hulu, HBO and Disney Plus.

It has a text chat feature so you can chat your relatives, and if you keep Zoom running in the background, you can utilize its voice chat feature as well to laugh along with your family about the Griswald family’s mishaps.

M E A L PAC KS WHETHER WE CARE to admit it or not, the most important part of the holidays is the food. I’m sure we’ll all be missing some signature dishes from certain relatives — I’m already reeling in this year’s absence of my Grandma’s sugar cookies.

A good way to combat your family recipe cravings is to create meal packs to deliver to your family members and vise-versa — they can create meal packs to deliver to you! And don’t worry, it doesn’t have to be full of the healthy stuff (I never eat the vegetables

anyways).

It’s also a great way to be creative, since each family has their own traditional foods. This is good time to throw in a handwritten note from everyone in the family. And don’t forget to throw in some homemade hot cocoa too.

WWThese boxes don’t just have to be for your family. Make some for your friends and neighbors too.

Now more than ever, it’s important to check in on others and stay connected — and food is something that can bring us all together.

V I R T UA L B OA R D GA M E S BEFORE WE FIND our seats to watch holiday movies, we wear ourselves out through over-competitive rounds of board games and cards — my favorite being Canasta and Sorry. Unfortunately, not everyone in the family has identical board game collections, and it would be very difficult to have everyone play the same game on five different boards. Luckily, there’s a number of online options for board games to play with your family.

The first and simplest option is Pictionary. You don’t even need a physical

or online version of this game.

Using Zoom’s whiteboard feature, you’re able to share your screen and your drawings.

If nine rounds of Pictionary starts to get boring, head over to Playingcards.io.

This website allows you to pick from many different card and board games — in my experience, “Joking Hazard” can get pretty intense. Once you pick one, or even create your own game with the custom room option, share the room code with your family and let the games begin.

M O R E T I P S TO A COV I D F R E E C H R I S TMAS: ST

QUARANTINE BEFORE SEEING EXTENDED FAMILY

DROP GIFTS OFF OUTSIDE YOUR FRIEND’S HOUSES

WEAR A MASK IF SEEING EXTENDED FAMILY

ORDER YOUR GIFTS ONLINE INSTEAD OF IN-PERSON SHOPPING

THE HARBINGER | DECEMBER 21, 2020

24 | A&E

binge-worthy

design by elizabeth mikkelson photos from imdb

R E CO M M E N DAT I O S by kate hei tma nn

COZYING UP in new holiday pajamas and sitting ourselves in front of the T V isn’t something we’re used to right now as we wrap up projects and sat through hours of Webex

breakout rooms. But in preparation for the holiday break, I’ve searched for Netflix shows that are perfect to binge over the break.

THE GREAT BRITISH BAKING SHOW IF YOU WANT A FOOLPROOF WAY to feel the holiday spirit, “The Great Baking British Show: Holidays” series has you covered.

The newest season was filmed in 2019, where they celebrated the New Year of 2020 — the contestants had no idea what they were getting into.

It’s not your typical age-old, overstimulating baking show where you get stressed just by looking at what the completed cake is supposed to look like. “The Great British Baking Show: Holidays” edition runs at a slower pace, perfect for when you want to set aside your Chemistry book and be transported to a tent in the middle of the quaint English countryside.

Each episode follows the same structure: first the bakers compete in the signature challenge, making their classic take on a dish given to them by the judges. The second challenge is the technical challenge, where bakers are given one of the judges’ vague and confusing recipes to recreate.

The third and final challenge is the showstopper challenge: contestants have three hours to use their skills to create whatever the judges want.

Having been given information on the signature and showstopper challenge, bakers can plan and test their creations before entering the tent — allowing them to bring extra ingredients from home.

Each holiday episode is a reunion of several fan favorites from the previous seasons. Even though I’ve only watched one or two seasons of GBBS, I was able to follow along with no problem and didn’t feel like I was missing out on anything.

However, the second episode I

These Netflix series’ are the perfect addition to any holiday TV binge marathons

watched featured the cast of “The Derry Girls,” a British sitcom, which was unexpected. I was disappointed there wouldn’t be any of the professional cakes I usually see, instead they opted for showstoppers that weren’t as thought out.

The fun little quips and jokes hosts Noel Fielding and Sandi Toksvig made about their holiday sweaters when they called out the remaining time made me chuckle and kept the air light-hearted.

Plus, since it’s set in England, it was fun to learn about classic English desserts and other holiday items, like black pudding and trifles.

If you can resist the temptation to run to Hen House to grab some butter and get baking, this show keeps you coming with three seasons, each with two episodes.

THE QUEEN’S GAMBIT TAKING PLACE IN Lexington, Ky., “The Queen’s Gambit” features a chess prodigy and her relationships while struggling with an addiction to tranquilizers and alcohol. While chess may seem uneventful, the main character Beth Harmon, played by Anya Taylor-Joy, is anything but boring.

Harmon, an orphan, discovers her chess talent at age nine when the orphanage’s custodian Mr. Shaibel agrees to teach her the game he usually plays by himself.

After years of living in the orphanage and spending many hours playing chess, Harmon was adopted as a teenager. Her mom takes her on many adventures, including traveling across the globe for chess tournaments. The series takes us through her awe-inspiring and interesting journey across the world — every hotel she stayed in had a distinct tone that matched the city perfectly, almost making me want to take a trip to the 1960s.

I was amazed by the realistic depiction of a classic Las Vegas hotel while filming was done in Berlin, Ontario and Toronto. The sets easily deceived me into thinking the show was filmed in Kentucky, where most of the story takes place.

In the 1950s, it was common for orphanages to give the kids tranquilizers to make them more compliant. Harmon soon realizes the effect taking multiple tranquilizers at a time has on her — she can visualize the chess board on the ceiling and play games with herself throughout the night while the other orphans sleep.

As her success grows, so does her addiction to the tranquilizers and alcohol, creating a turbulent relationship between her and her fellow chess players.

Harmon’s character development from the shy, lonely teenager to the strong, independent woman she became kept my eyes fixed on the screen while eating my candy cane. Her clothing choices acted as clues throughout the show, symbolizing the changes in her emotions. When she was growing up, her style was chosen for her.

From the embroidered jumper her mom chose to the mandatory orphanage uniform — she was

confined.

With her long white jacket and pompom hat that resembled the white queen in chess at the end, Harmon’s style changed as her confidence and budget increased.

According to the National Public Radio, chess set manufacturers have seen an increase in chess set sales since the series came out — Goliath Games’ chess set sales are up 1,048%. The book the show is based off of is even back on the New York Times Bestsellers list, 38 years after the book’s publication. The series has even become Netflix’s most watched scripted limited series.

Personally, I discovered my lack of talent for chess in fourth grade when my mom forced me to attend chess club. But I still thoroughly enjoyed this series as the filming focuses on the characters reactions, allowing viewers to understand Harmon’s struggles and successes as she plays without needing prior knowledge of chess.

A breakdown of Disney’s freshest announcements from their investor’s day

A N IM PROVED

by campbell wood

DISNEY BROUGHT US the classics that taught us how to dream big as we danced around in Belle’s gown or fought our siblings with light sabers. The imagination and possibilities were boundless, despite now being bright pieces of childhood that have faded gray over time.

But the magic is revived as Disney grows with us, launching new projects like a liveaction prequel to “Beauty and the Beast” about Gaston and the new “Obi-Wan Kenobi” series starring Ewan McGregor.

And that’s not all. During Disney’s webcasted Investor Day on Nov. 10, they

RE M AKES

EVEN WITH REMAKE flops like Disney Channel’s attempt at “Adventures in Babysitting,” Disney is bringing back another 1987 classic: “Three Men and a Baby” — this time starring Zac Efron.

Another childhood actor throwback? Josh Peck starring as Scott Turner in the TV-show

updated the public on where they’re heading in the future and the innovative projects they plan to tackle. In the next few years, we’ll see The Walt Disney Company expand its magical kingdom to animated series like “Tiana” and “Zootopia+,” as well as Avengers-related shows like “Ironheart” and “She-Hulk” — not even COVID-19 can stop the magic.

As we approach 2021, optimistic for a new start, Disney has fueled our excitement by giving us a fresh look on childhood classics and what to expect from the company in the years to come.

interpretation of “Turner & Hooch.” Disney is all about updating their classic stories to resonate with new generations, and in my opinion, it doesn’t get better than Zac Efron and Josh Peck. Now, the real question is if Disney can put a fresh spin on these classics without butchering the nostalgia.

A few of Disney’s upcoming releases announced during their investor day webcast. *information from IMDb

R E DEFI NI N G

JUST BEFORE THE pandemic struck and brought on months of quarantine binging, Disney launched their streaming service, Disney+, for families to have access to all their favorite movies and TV shows.

During Investor Day, Disney announced that in its first year, Disney+ subscribers accumulated to a colossal 86.8 million as of Dec. 2. Compare it to the 38.8 million Hulu has gained over the past 12 years, and you’re looking at a lot of future imagineers.

Disney’s initial prediction of 60-90 million Disney+ subscribers by the fiscal year 2024 has been bumped up to 300-350 million.

This growth was boosted by reaching out to other audiences via “The Disney Bundle”

with John Mulaney and Adam Samberg

“Disenchanted” where heroine Giselle, played by Amy Adams, questions her contentment with her “happily ever after” nearly a decade later. With Disney being renowned for their happy endings, I’ll be finding my nearest exit if they try to make a not-so-happy happily ever after. While it’s hard to know if there’s been too much time in between these sequels and their originals, I always love to see beloved characters and where they are now.

which gets you Disney+, Hulu and ESPN+ for $13 a month — an actual steal. Since Hulu is only geographically available in the U.S., Disney is launching a streaming service called Star to fill in for Hulu on an international level so foreign viewers receive the same content in the bundle.

These bundled deals open Disney up to more mature content like “Die Hard” and “Alien.” But families with younger viewers don’t fret — Disney+ is adding a parental lock to the more explicit content. Disney gave me the princesses and singing animals I adored when I was younger, and it’s nice to know they’ll host content that fits my tastes even as I’ve matured.

T HE STATS

LIVE ACTION CHIP & DALE

THE BOX OF F ICE BRE AKD OWN

A&E | 25

D ISN E Y+

THE INT RO

ONLY AN ALL-EXPENSES paid trip to Disney World could compete with the feeling of a longtime classic coming back for a sequel — the original cast included, of course. After 27 years, Disney announced a sequel to “Hocus Pocus,” as well as “Sister Act 2,” with Whoopi Goldberg rekindling her role of Deloris Van Cartier. Although the plots of these reboots haven’t been released, Disney announced the storyline for the sequel to “Enchanted” called

kingdom

THE HARBINGER | DECEMBER 21, 2020

design by caroline gould photos from imdb

A breakdown of Disney Plus’ success in 2020 and on

A N I MATE D E N CA N TO

300

MILLION

MILLION subscribers by 2024

as of Dec. 2

T H E N VS N OW

Disney is making many classic films, such as ‘Enchanted’ into sequels

with Lin-Manuel Miranda as songwriter

R E B O OTS AS WE SEE steps towards equality being taken with the Black Lives Matter movement, Disney is also making progressive decisions in recasting formerly white roles with people of color — a muchneeded and forwardthinking initiative by Disney after decades of white leads. The long-anticipated liveaction movie “The Little Mermaid” stars R&B

86.8

singer and black actress Halle Bailey as Ariel, a princess known for her beautiful voice and confident personality, not skin tone — Bailey is sure to do the role justice.

Another groundbreaking role will be played by “Black-ish” star Yara Shahidi as Tinkerbell in the upcoming “Peter Pan and Wendy” movie.

A N E W STA RT WHILE THE DISNEY franchise let us in on upcoming releases, they also introduced future projects like “A Droid Story” — a Star Wars series based on the most lovable characters: droids.

Another adorable sidekick endeavor? The “I am Groot” Disney+ series that comes out along with the many other Marvel shows set for the next few years. Speaking of Marvel, Chris Evans is set to play Buzz Lightyear — not

the toy, but the space ranger the Buzz Lightyear toy line was designed after — in their feature “Lightyear.”

The sentimentality of “Toy Story,” I’m sure, will give me a deeper appreciation for how the toy came to be.

26 | PHOTOSTORY

THE HARBINGER | DECEMBER 21, 2020

UNDER THE ANGEL The Salvation Army Angel Tree Drive was a SHARE project where students had the opportunity to buy a Christmas gift for children in need

design by julia percy

TREE

RIGHT | Freshm an Tessa Herring takes the tag off her gift before putting into a bag to go to The Salvation Army. photo by tristen porter

A B O V E | One of the students who was helping volunteer placed the gifts onto a table to get them ready to load into a car and bring to The Salvation Army drop off. photo by hadley chapman RIGHT | Seniors Abby Carter and Sydney Herpich collected toys from a student and talked with her as she got her complimentary cookie and hot chocolate. Herpich said, “When I was younger I always remember my parents buying gifts for the Angel Tree drive through their work, so when SHARE asked if we wanted to chair it last year I was really excited. I wanted to help make sure kids got at least one present on Christmas mornin.” photo by tristen porter

A B O V E | Seniors Zoe Hartman, Abby Carter, Lucy Hartman and Sydney Herpich waited for people to drop off presents during the times they set up.

Carter said, “No one really brought gifts until the last day so the first two days we were just standing there doing nothing.” photo by jill rice

T O P | After bringing up her gift to drop off for the drive, senior Ellie Peters is handed a hot chocolate as a thank you. Peters said, “I wanted to participate and give back to kids during these tough times during the holiday season.” photo by sabrina dean

THE HARBINGER | DECEMBER 21, 2020

design by peyton moore photos by taylor keal

SPORTS

SPORTS | 27

MASKED UP OR LOCKED DOWN?

HIGHLIGHTS

The differences between COVID regulations for boys and girls basketball

THE RULES

Updates, schedules and quotes about the winter sports season B E L O W | Whi l e exc han gi n g f i st bu m ps, Coach John and Coach Woofter talk with sophomore Adrian Garcia after his match, giving him advice and talking about things to improve on for his next match.

GIRLS masked while

B OYS masked while

walking into the gym

warming up

warming up

on the bench

on the bench

practicing

playing in games

TEAMS THAT HAVE HAD TO QUARANTINE

GIRLS

0

4

teams

A B O V E | Sophomore Jesse Hamilton body slams his opponent, allowing him shortly after to win the match.

L E F T | Sophomore Adrian Garcia is pinned on his back by his opponent. The referee counted down from three to signal Garcia’s loss for this round of the match.

BOYS

3

4

teams

COACHES’ TAKES “Masks are required for the boys but there is some back and forth with that right now because we thought that wearing the masks would make it so if someone got sick the entire team didn’t have to quarantine. Right now we are just playing it safe but that is still a conversation.”

kevin wiesner sophomore boys coach

B OYS B ASK E T B A L L LO CK D OW N SCH E D U L E QUARANTINE

TEAM

VARSITY JV SOPHOMORE

FRESHMAN

PRACT ICE NOV.

18T H 24T H

N OV.

25TH 1ST

D EC.

2ND 8TH

D EC.

9TH

15TH

“Part of the reason we don’t wear masks while playing is because if there is a positive case the whole team would have to quarantine mask or no mask. The other big thing is it is hard to require girls to wear masks if they have asthma or something that makes it tough to breathe anyway.”

douglas archer girls varsity coach

28 | SPORTS

THE HARBINGER | DECEMBER 21, 2020

design by sydney newton photos from jake fay

M E N TA L LY S C A L I N G Brothers Sam and Jake Fays’ love for rock climbing helps them get through the physical and mental challenges of the sport

SAFETY RULES The rules used for safety while rock climbing

KEEP ROPE UNTANGLED DON’T GET SHOES WET TRUST YOUR PARTNER

PLAN OUT ROUTE BEFORE

GEAR RUNDOWN The different gear used when scaling a mountain

helmet day pack

harness chalk rope

climbing shoes

E

by peyton moore

ven as he can feel his heartbeat pounding in his hands while gashes from the fiercely cold Colorado rock have a subtle burning tingle, the only thoughts going through senior Jake Fay’s mind while gripping the rock was the thought was the fear of failure with a small piece of tranquility.

Looking 20 feet down to see his belayer and brother, East alumni Sam Fay, Jake was fearful of slipping in a foothold and smashing into the rock, but at the same time found peace with the fact that he had total trust in Sam, and knew even if his footing slipped Sam would catch him.

Jake was climbing __ (name of rock) just outside of Denver, Colorado, which he spent two months preparing for. While the fear of loosing your grip and falling to your death makes rock climbing hard, the reward at the end of the trail and the support from his brother has always made it worth it.

“It’s about a balance.” Jake explained. “Using your fear to guide your decision making, but taking control of it before it becomes irrational fear.”

Having only gone rock climbing a couple times, Jake was fearful when his brother tempted the thought of a road trip to Colorado, solely to climb. With the cold weather approaching, Jake had already been looking for an activity to get him off the couch, so he took his brothers opportunity and eventually fell in love with the sport.

The most important part of rock climbing for the boys is trust, but that came easy for them. With rock climbing experience and as the older brother, Sam naturally took the leadership role.

Sam and Jake have always had a knack for climbing. Spending winters and summers in Colorado with their family, hiking 14ers and climbing any wall or playset in sight, the brothers are used to the physical strain that comes alongside rock climbing. project

a rou te or climb a climber is dedicatin g a lot of time to work on th at is gen erally above th ere cu rren t sk ill level

“Both Jake and Sam could climb before they could walk,” the brothers mom Laura Fay said.

Even with their natural strength, the real challenge was learning the sport of rock climbing — it takes certain strategies unlike any other hikes. Knowing how to be safe along the crags, being able to tie safety knots to keep you or your partner from plummeting downward, being able to hold your body weight against a downward slanting wall with little to no wiggle room and simply having the courage to climb is not a skill any climber just has — it is a continuous learning lesson for the Fays.

“I finally understood how the sport works,” Jake said. “Once I realized that rock climbing wasn’t just about climbing walls, but about working towards that single goal of touching the top of the wall really was what sold it to me. Meshing our climbing styles together, me and Sam were almost addicted to a single route until we completed it.”

To ensure that their very first climb on natural rock was a success, Jake and Sam prepared on and off the wall for their weekend road trip to Denver, Colorado. Spending every free minute at ROKC

building endurance with quicker, cardio climbing on the shorter bouldering walls and venturing into more difficult routes on the rock wall. In the little time their muscles had to relax the brothers would practice precise knot work and search for new equipment, so they could feel safe on the pure, natural rock. crag

g en era l ter m for a n ou td oor cl i mb i n g a rea w i t h ma ny d i f feren t cl i mb i n g rou tes

Riding the thin line of repetition, the boys worked diligently on route 5 10 B at the local rock climbing and bouldering gym, ROKC. This particular route had a section that shoots outwards with no choke holds and forces the climber to purely rely on grip strength.

After falling on the section countless times, Jake gave up, but only for one day. He returned everyday after school for the next week until he was able to ring the bell at the top of route 5 10 B, and after he scaled down, Jake was immediately clicking into the next belay — ready to take on the next hard route.

“After a while your body just gets less consistent and it’s harder to keep hold of the wall, your form gets sloppy and the risks begin to increase,” Sam explains. “With every climb you have to have some intention. There are no timeouts when you are in the middle of the wall.”

All their cardio climbing and practice on the hardest routes was put to the test during three two mile-long hike up to the crag. Battling the elements, the brothers dragged along the 170-foot climbing rope, harnesses, a tarp to keep their feet dry and numerous snacks to last them two hours of climbing.

For the first time in both of the brothers climbing careers they faced real danger. There was no black safety mats or hospitals within walking distance.

This time the boys were not only battling the wall, but they were forced into the elements. The freezing cold rock and surrounding snow made it difficult to keep their grip or prevent slipping out of their footholds.

While suspended 20-feet above the ground, keeping footholds, grip and laser focus can be a daunting task — but for the Fay brothers, the climb to the top was worth it.

“I can’t say I sleep too well knowing they are out there.”

Laura Fay explained. “I am a little anxious when they go climb, but they also just love it so much and I love seeing them do something together.”

design by lauren west photos from joey wentz

THE HARBINGER | DECEMBER 21, 2020

SPORTS| 29

P I T C H I N G T H E FFUUTTUURREE O East alum Joey Wentz’s passion for baseball drives him towards the major leagues

by syd ney newton

ne, two, three, four. The catcher flashes four fingers.

A change up.

With two strikes against the batter, East alum and minor league baseball player Joey Wentz visualized the pitch — an off speed throw designed to look like a fastball — and pictured which spot in the strike zone he was aiming for. He’d done scouting reports on all the hitters before the game, studying which pitch they normally swing at and which arms they use. He knew that if he hit just the right spot, he could strike out the batter.

Taking a deep breath, Wentz drew back his left arm and threw straight into the catcher’s glove. Strike three.

Wentz pitched seven innings that game with only one run scored against him, leading his team to a victory. This game was one of his last with the Mississippi Braves before he was traded to the Detroit Lions. For Wentz, pitching a good game reminds him of all his hard work and helps create momentum for his ultimate goal — making it to the MLB. “I’ve pitched well, I’ve played well,” Wentz said. “The timeline [of playing] is the same each season, and I’ve gone to better teams every year. There’s new challenges each year, but it’s always the same goal. That makes it a lot easier.”

Wentz grew up going to Royals games with his grandfather and began playing at six years old, going competitive at age 12 and eventually playing on East’s varsity team for four years. During the summers, W e n t z

travelled to North Carolina and Atlanta for tournaments — being gone for half the summer. It was a lot for Wentz, but it was worth it.

He got his first college recruitment offer when he was 14 and planned to the attend the University of Virginia, but getting drafted felt like the right choice for Wentz to progress his career in baseball. Wentz’s younger sister and East alum Brigid Wentz remembers the relieving feeling of her brother being drafted, after an intense four-month period with long meetings and scouts at every game. But for Wentz, the happiness was short-

Once you’re drafted, you’re drafted. You’ll be excited for a couple of days. And then you report. It doesn’t matter where you were drafted, or anything like that. You’re one of the guys.

joey wentz | east alum lived — he quickly got thrown into the hours-long training sessions and a strict practice schedule.

“Once you’re drafted, you’re drafted,” Wentz said. “You’ll be excited for a couple days. And then you report. It doesn’t matter where you were drafted, or anything like that. You’re one of the guys.”

Wentz spends around 70 hours a week on the field during the nine-month season, with a night off every other week. Arriving around six hours before each game, Wentz practices his pitches in the bullpen and stretches, with short breaks to grab lunch or play ping pong with his teammates.

“The days kind of all blend together because you play so much,” Wentz said. “It’s definitely decently long days, but it’s always fun to be at the field.”

While he’s noticed some people don’t perceive baseball as a demanding sport, Wentz thinks it’s one of the most challenging sports — physically and mentally — because of how much they play.

When Wentz is alone on the mound pitching, there’s no one to make up for a poor performance.

If he has a bad game, there’s a high chance of loss for his team.

And the worse he plays, the less the coach puts him in to pitch and the less chances he gets to improve.

“I think everyone’s gone through struggles to where you kind of look in the mirror, and you need to figure it out,” Wentz said.

“And that can be tough, but that’s kind of why we’re here.”

The long hours on the field and constant pitching led to a ligament tear in Wentz’s elbow this past spring and a Tommy John’s surgery, where doctors replace the ligament, which is very common among pitchers.

The news of the surgery was devastating to Wentz — it meant no more playing time. While it was a setback, Wentz knew he wanted to get back on the field and hopefully come out of rehab a better player. With his family’s support, he was able to pull himself up and work through the challenges of rehab, where he is back to lifting weights and playing catch with hopes to be back on the mound next March and continue moving up in the league.

“He’s been doing an awesome job,” Brigid said. “He’s put a lot of effort into healing and [rehab]. I have all the faith that he’ll come back stronger than ever.”

Despite rehab, Wentz’s pitching has improved — his throws have gotten faster and he learned how to throw offspeed pitches — but he believes he’s had the most personal growth in terms of learning to be independent. Playing professionally has forced him to learn how to function by himself and take recovery more seriously by getting more sleep and constantly hydrating in order to put him in the best physical shape to play well.

Jerrod Ryherd, Wentz’s high school coach, expected Joey to make it to a high level since he first coached him him freshmen year, and has seen him grow as a player in both velocity and pitching off speed. Watching Joey become close to the MLB has been a prideful moment for Ryherd and an accomplishment he doesn’t think he’ll ever experience again — his youngest son even wears Joey’s number 89 when he plays.

“To have a kid get to the highest level like that is something that I don’t think I ever dreamed of as a coach,” Ryherd said.

“Seeing Joey get to fulfill his dreams is pretty neat. To see all the work that he’s put into it finally pay off in a big way is a pretty unique experience.”

For Wentz, the years of hard work and dedication have amounted to where he is today, and he’s grateful for the opportunity to succeed in the future in the major leagues.

“I love it,” Wentz said. “Everyone enjoys winning, and everyone doesn’t enjoy losing. And I get to do that every night.

It’s amazing.”

JOEY WENTZ’S OVER ALL M I N O R L E AG U E CA R E E R STATS TEAM: 6 teams WINS: 19 LOSSES: 19 LEVEL: minors

HITS: 292 RUNS: 142

STRIKE OUT: 395 WALKS: 144

IP (AMOUNT OF INNINGS HE PITCHED): 371.1 GAMES: 79 ERA (earned run average): 3.22 *information from MiLB.com

30 | SPORTS

THE HARBINGER | DECEMBER 21, 2020

A ROYA L

design by sophie lindberg photos by maggie merckens

RE T U R N

TO KC

Women’s soccer is set to return to Kansas City as an expansion team after the Utah Royals were bought

by East parents

TEAM COMPARING FCKC

FCKC active from 2013-2017 FCKC won 2 national titles in 2014

2015

and

ROYALS

Utah Royals active from 2018-2020 Utah Royals never qualified nor won NWSL Championship

TIMELINE 2012 - FC Kansas City founded 2017 - FCKC moves to Salt Lake City 2018 - First competitive game 2020 - Last competitive game 2020 - Announced Royals return to KC

*information from The Salt Lake Tribune, NWSL, FC Kansas City and The Blue Statement

A B O V E | Map illustrates the Royals’ move between Salt Lake City and Kansas City.

W

by allison wilcox

hen travelling to France to watch their daughter’s youth soccer games, East parents Chris and Angie Long expected to watch high level soccer, as she was competing against skilled teams from around the world. What they didn’t expect was to return home with a business idea that would transform the Kansas City soccer community.

In between juggling youth games, the Longs were able to attend the Women’s 2019 World Cup, which left them wondering why there wasn’t a women’s soccer team in Kansas City. After hearing about a college friend trying to introduce a new women’s team to Los Angeles, Chris and Angie felt that if she could bring a team there, then they surely should be able to bring one to Kansas City.

Over the span of a year, Chris and Angie looked into the possibility of creating or moving a team to Kansas City. And in December 2020, the Longs — along with the leadership group working with them to relocate the team — officially purchased the Utah Royals Women’s Soccer Team.

It could give a lot of female athletes some real role models in professional sports.

angie long | east parent Whether their impact inspires youth to get involved in soccer or simply creates more events for the community, Angie expects the team will contribute to the city in many facets.

“It’s such a positive impact in so many ways,” Angie said. “It could give a lot of female athletes some real role models in professional sports. It increases the soccer DNA of the entire city, and I think it’s incredibly energizing.”

The leadership group moving the team consisted of owners the Longs, Brittany Matthews and Jen Gulvik, as well as the team’s future coach, Huw Williams. The common thread between these group members was their desire to host a women’s soccer team in Kansas City.

“When all of the news about Utah began to get to the press, we reached out to the league and said, ‘If and when the team becomes available, we would love to have the team,’” Angie said. “They have a great roster. We felt like we could be prepared and ready to have a team in 2021.”

Once pre-season officially begins on Feb. 1, all players from the team will relocate to Kansas City and begin

practicing at an undetermined location, with their games being held at the newly renovated T-Bones stadium.

The group is still working on the logistics before the team officially relocates and starts playing — whether that be renaming the team or analyzing the roster to look for prospective players.

“Right now we’re getting to know the players that we have,” Williams said. “We’re looking at the college draft in January and also talking to other teams and other players’ free agents across the world to talk about the potential of playing with us.”

Once preseason hits in February, Williams is looking forward to starting practices with the team, coaching and challenging players while shaping the cohesive and unique style of the team’s play. To avoid Kansas’s frigid winter conditions, Williams plans to begin practices in a warm location for a few weeks prior to competing.

As the official season begins in April, Williams and Angie are in agreement that the team’s ultimate objective is to start winning championships.

“We have high goals,” Williams said. “We’re not doing this just to be participating in it. Our goals will be to certainly create excellence if we can on and off the field [and] to be part of the community. I hope these players can be very approachable and be part of the youth soccer community and Kansas City as a whole.”

East soccer player and junior Maggie Nottberg has been playing since she was three and has enjoyed following teams in the NWSL. Nottberg developed a passion for soccer by watching these women compete and thinks it’ll help other young female athletes like her find interest in the sport.

“I just think it’s a great opportunity for a lot of young girls to see some kick-ass women play some awesome soccer,” Nottberg said. “It can be kind of empowering but there’s also the feminist side of it. I just think it’s great.”

The leadership team is proud to bring the competitive athletes to a city that appreciates the sport and will support the team locally, as well as hopefully grant them national recognition.

“I mean, Kansas City is the greatest soccer market in the United States,” Angie said. “It’s a great market for sports. We really wanted to have a women’s team back in Kansas City. It contributes so much to the city to have the women here, the support of soccer, women’s athletics, the role model professional athletes provide — to me it’s crazy we didn’t have a team.”

design by sarah golder

THE HARBINGER | DECEMBER 21, 2020

PHOTOSTORY | 31

HELPING FOR THE

HOLIDAYS

STUCO volunteered at the Johnson Country Christmas Bureau, helping load carts full of clothes, food and hygienic supplies into people’s cars R I G H T | Senior Claire Perkins Rock pushes a cart with a family’s order to load in the customer ’s car. After walking away from her time volunteering, Perkins Rock says, “Just seeing how good people are and how kind people are even when COVID is happening, and people being genuine and reaching out for human interaction ­­— it was a beautiful thing to witness.” photo by macy crosser

L E F T | Junior Tong Tong Yi sorts onions into a bag with another volunteer. photo by macy crosser

FAR RIGHT | Carts filled with food, clothes and hygienic supplies are lined up outside of the Johnson County Christmas Bureau to be picked up by families. photo by elise madden L E F T | Junior Tong Tong Yi throws a bag of potatoes into a box. Yi was sorting and counting the potatoes to separate them into the right amount the families ordered. photo by annakate dilks

LEFT | East teacher Brenda Fishman passes a bag of clothes to another volunteer to load into a cart. photo by elise madden

32 | ALT-COPY

THE HARBINGER | DECEMBER 21, 2020

design and copy by celia condon photos by elise madden

FROZEN HOT CHOCOLATE

Hot Chocolate

Starbucks’ “Frozen Hot Chocolate,” I knew I had to find a recipe and try it for myself.

In simple terms, the drink is hot chocolate in slushy form, which was appealing to me as I usually favor cold beverages over hot.

The recipe I used called for only three

A rundown of a few classic hot chocolate recipes, perfect for the holiday season

THE POLAR EXPRESS

WHEN WATCHING “The Polar Express” for the first time this season — I plan on watching it more than once — I tried to understand how the animators captured the essence of exquisitelooking hot chocolate through the screen.

I may be biased because of my love for the movie, but this recipe — which was one of many interpretations

— hit the spot. I could hear the jingle bells ringing again.

If this is what was being served up on the train, I understand why the Hero Girl wanted to sneak some hot cocoa to the Lonely Boy. It was the perfect amount of chocolate, and the multiple kinds of milk listed in the ingredients added to the richness and flavor of the end product.

- 3 CUP MILK - 1/2 CAN SWEETENED MILK

ingredients — hot chocolate mix (I chose Nestle), milk and ice — all mixed in a blender.

Not only was the drink unique, but it made for a not-so-classic, delicious cup of hot — or should I say cold — cocoa. The taste wasn’t much different than a chocolate milkshake, maybe just a little less sweet. To share the holiday festivities with my sisters, I made a large batch of the recipe — and I guarantee I’ll be making it again.

A FTER HEARING ABOUT

-ICE

-1 CUP MILK

-HOT CHOCOLATE PACKET -WHIPPED CREAM

THOUSAND YEAR COCOA

JUDY THE ELF in the movie “The Santa Clause” claimed that her famous hot cocoa recipe took 1,200 years to perfect, so I was eager to see if it would meet my expectations.

Much more complex than a simple Nestle packet, Judy’s recipe called for a stovetop and a variety of ingredients like cinnamon and fat-free dried instant milk.

However, the entire process only took 10 minutes.

I made sure to ‘shake and not stir’ the drink — hard to do

- 2 CUP MILK

without making a mess. And the instructed whipped cream topping is, of course, essential.

I’m not a huge cinnamon fan, and in retrospect, would recommend straining the drink before serving. I wouldn’t consider the recipe to be so delicious that it needed 1,200 years to perfect, but perfection is in the eye of the beholder, right?

- 1/3 CUP INSTANT MILK

- 1/2 CUP DARK CHOC. CHIPS - 1/4 TSP. VANILLA - 1/4 CUP SUGAR

- 1/4 TSP. CINNAMON

PEPPERMINT STICK THE PEPPERMINT HOT chocolate recipe was the one I was looking forward to the least. Although I eat a few candy canes a year strictly during the holidays, it’s not my favorite flavor. So, the fact that this recipe turned out to be my favorite of the four came to me as a surprise.

Something about the harshness of peppermint mixed

with the sweetness of the chocolatey milk made for a delectable treat.

While the instructions didn’t directly call for it, I decided to chop up some candy cane to garnish the top.

Chopping a hard candy into pretty little bites proved to be much more difficult than I had anticipated.

Even if you’re not a huge peppermint fan, I’d suggest giving this recipe a go. You might just be pleasantly surprised.

- 3/4 CUP HEAVY CREAM - 3/4 CUP CHOCOLATE CHIPS

- 1.5 CUP HEAVY CREAM - 6 OZ. BITTERSWEET CHOC.

- 1/2 TSP. VANILLA

- 1.5 CUP MILK

- 3 DROPS PEPP. OIL

- 1/4 CUP SUGAR

- PINCH OF SALT

- PINCH OF SALT