Issue 10

theharbinger » » » NEWS: Empty bowls fundraiser » PAGE 5

FEATURE: Interested students attend Obama rally » PAGE 9

ISSUE TEN feb. 4, 2008 shawnee mission east prairie village, ks

A&E: Academy Award preview and staff picks » PAGES 18-19

what are

YOU

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With the Democratic caucuses tomorrow and the Republican primaries on Saturday, it’s time to get involved see pages 14-16

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completing

news

CIRCUIT

the

BRIEFS

Guys and Dolls

East’s first robotics team works to enter competition BY

4

feb.

The East theater department will be presenting Guys and Dolls as its annual winter musical Thursday and Friday at 7 p.m. and Saturday at 2 and 7 p.m. in the auditorium. Tickets cost $7 and will be on sale today through Friday on the north ramp during lunch. Tickets may also be purchased at the door before the show. Students receive one free ticket with their student I.D.

» libbynachman

In a blue cupboard in room 106, there’s a secret food stash.

Nature Valley granola bars, a brown bag of Chips Ahoy, tiny packages of breadsticks and “cheez.” Swiss Miss hot chocolate with marshmallows, tea and Pop-Tarts.

It’s locked with two locks.

As with all aspects of their operation, the robotics team doesn’t mess around.

This inaugural team is well into the fourth week of the sixweek build period, which began Jan. 5, for the FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) Robotics Competition (FRC). Their robot, The Brave Little Toaster, has come a long way from its original kit of a few motors and metal bars. It now stands on top of four $600 rubber and sheet metal wheels. It has a working electrical board and computer.

And when the team first turned it on at full speed, it rammed into a wall.

The first-year team, self-named as Sargon: A Robotics Gang Of N00bs (SARGON), is the brainchild of physics teacher Raji Prakash, who worked at North for two years.

“When I was at Shawnee Mission North, I’d seen the kids there, I’d been hearing about this quite a lot,” she said. “All the other Shawnee Mission schools had a robotics team except Shawnee Mission East – peer pressure, I would say.”

Prakash teamed up with Auto Tech teacher Brian Gay in October to begin recruitment and prepare for the building season.

SARGON, made up of about 15 dedicated students and other students who also help out, meets Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays to finish the robot before the robot shipping date of Feb. 19. The team also meets with professional engineers from Black and Veatch, Honeywell and KU who serve as mentors.

The team is divided up into groups that work on different parts of the robot and overall project, including drive team, programming, pneumatic, electrical, inventory and creative.

Freshman Tyler Cecil is the electrical team leader, who spends half of his time working on the motherboard and the other half playing Sims, waiting for the mechanical team to need his electronics. On this particular day, he had his hands full.

“This is all the electronics and computer,” Cecil said, pointing to a mess of blue, red, yellow, black and green wires attached to three black motors and various other devices. “My job is to make sure all the electronics work all the time and I do a lot of the programming.”

The final robot will be entered in the Overdrive competition on March 6. The competition is hosted by FIRST and consists of two teams of three robots. Each team has two 40-inch inflated balls that sit on horizontal crossbeams six feet above the middle of the oval track. The goal of each team is to move their balls around the track, earning points for each time a ball crosses a finish line. The number of points is based on whether the ball passes above or below the crossbeams.

As a rookie team, however, SARGON cannot compete for the highest award, the Chairman’s Award.

At the FRC, however, the majority of the awards aren’t even based on how well each team’s robot performs.

“They award the top five awards for the team that best fits their given values, [such as] gracious professionalism,” Chen said. “This is one of the only competitions where you get awards for training your rivals.”

At the competitions, teams have meetings to teach other teams about their robot and other aspects of the robot-building process.

The team even gets points based on the appearance of their “pit,” which is the box that the robot is shipped in. That’s where creative team leaders junior Tommy Gray and sophomore Emily Halter come in.

Neither of them has any technical experience, but joined because Halter’s dad, Steve Halter, is one of the Honeywell

Parking Lot Expansion At the Prairie Village Council meeting Jan. 24, the council approved an agreement with the Shawnee Mission school district for sharing the costs of expanding the East parking lot.

FRESHMAN Tyler Cecil works on a part for the robot. The robotics team is in its first year, and Cecil is the electrical team leader » meghanbenson

Presidential Scholars Seniors Adrienne Wood, Kate O’Neil, Nandini Sarma, Eric Hamilton and Brooke Stanley The following seniors have been named candidates in the 2008 Presidential Scholars Program. Students were selected on the basis of superior academic and artistic achievement, leadership qualities, strong character and involvement in community and school activities.

40 students from Kansas were nominated.

Parent-Teacher Conferences Parent-Teacher conferences are Feb. 14 and 15. Conferences on Feb. 14 will be an open format from 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. Teachers will be available for a five to seven minute conference. Scheduled appointments will be on Feb. 15 from 7:40 a.m. to 12 p.m. To schedule an appointment, call 993-6630 before Feb. 8, or call teachers directly after Feb. 8.

Early Release There will be an early release Feb. 14.

School dismisses at 1:45 p.m.

No School SENIOR Yuzhou Li works on a wire at a Robotics meeting.

Members of robotics work every Monday, Wednesday and Saturday

» meghanbenson

mentors.

“We did the T-shirts, buttons, display case, the cart [that the robot rides in], the scrapbook,” Gray said. “Anything that has to do with creative ideas.”

In the future, Prakash hopes to have a larger team and wants to stress that students who don’t have technical knowledge can still join on the creative team.

Even so, she’s not disappointed.

“For a first year team, I’m pretty happy with where we are in terms of overcoming any challenges we’ve come across,” Prakash said. “As a first year team, we are seeing these parts for the first time. The biggest challenge was figuring out what each part was and what it was supposed to do.”

There will be no school Feb. 15 or 18 due to Parent-Teacher Conferences and President’s Day, respectively.

Lancer Dancer Fundraiser The Lancer Dancers will be holding a fundraiser at Foo’s Fabulous Frozen Custard Feb. 20 to raise money for their trip to the national competition. 10 percent of everything sold at Foo’s between 5 and 8 p.m. will go toward the Lancer Dancer fund. Foo’s is located at 3832 West 95th Street.

Students with Down syndrome dance and interact at annual SHARE project BY

» duncanmchenry

syndrome dance, and Jack was only seven years old with Down syndrome.

This year, the dance will take place on Feb. 12 at 6 p.m. in the cafeteria, and project chairs senior Emily Cray and junior Katie Bartow expect kids from all over the greater Kansas City area to attend. This non-profit dance is run by the SHARE group, which provides everything at no cost for the participants. Signing up for the dance through SHARE allows you to help set up tables, the sound system, lighting and the activities. According to SHARE Chair, senior Derek O’Grady, anyone is welcome to help out and take part in the dance, whether or not they have Down syndrome. O’Grady says the purpose of the dance is clear.

“The goal of the dance is just to get the kids out and have a good time without having to worry about being different,” O’Grady said. “I think it’s better than a lot of regular school dances because everyone is just relaxed and having fun.

There’s no pressure to be cool.”

According to Emily Coughlin, head of the Down Syndrome Department at Children’s Mercy Hospital, Down syndrome, also called Trisomy 21, is a set of mental and physical disabilities due to an extra copy of chromosome 21.

Usually, Down syndrome causes slow mental and physical development. Cases can range from mild to severe.

If a person has what is called mosaic Down syndrome, only some cells are affected.

With mosaic down syndrome, a person can function fine on their own and live a very normal life with special teaching. When people have Down syndrome in all of their cells however, they often need round-the-clock care and help with simple tasks.

People who have Down syndrome » samanthaludington can also suffer from other problems such as heart disease, dementia and

Techno music was playing, people all over the room were dancing and Jack Melvin was off by himself in a corner. It wasn’t long though before then-seniors J.D. Christie and Will Gates escorted him out onto the floor and started dancing with him. His mother Joan Melvin was looking on, and was amazed at the kindness shown by the two.

“He thought that was so fun,” Joan Melvin said. “We told him later about how t h e y were big basketball stars, and we got a good picture of him dancing with them.”

This was no ordinary high school dance. It was the annual Down

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Dancing the same dance

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hearing problems. According to Melvin, these issues don’t stop kids with Down syndrome from doing many of the things normal kids do.

“A teenager with Down syndrome wants to hang-out every weekend just like other teens,” Melvin said. “There’s just never enough events for them to go to. That’s a great thing about the dance.”

Bartow feels that one of the best things about the dance is how it allows kids with Down syndrome to interact with normal kids. Bartow has two brothers with Down syndrome.

“My brother Elliott went last year, and he came home and talked so much about how fun it was to be with the regular kids,” Bartow said. “He always talks about the girls he danced with and asks about when the next dance will be.”

Despite the fact that some kids with Down syndrome require more care than others, no one is excluded from the dance based on how extensive their needs are.

“Any kids can come to the dance,” O’Grady said. “There are some with SENIOR Mallory Gasaway sings and dances with a pretty severe cases, and then there are dance attendee at the Feb. 26, 2007 dance. also some who can function fine in year who just wanted to slow-dance the society. There is no real cut-off for who whole time,” Cray said. “Everyone at the can come.” dance just has a great time and is not In addition to free food and drinks, afraid of being silly. Everyone is just being Cray lists karaoke singing, limbo and themselves.” dancing to a live DJ as activities that will Anyone who is interested in signing up be featured at the dance. Goodie bags will to help and attend the dance can contact also be handed out at the end. either of the two adult sponsors, Pat Sophomore Stewart Jensen became Kaufman and Leslie Multer in the SHARE involved in the dance last year through office, or talk to the organizers Bartow and SHARE and felt changed by the Cray. experience.

According to Joan Multer, the parents of “I think that after going to the dance the kids with Down syndrome appreciate I am definitely more comfortable now the dance and it’s volunteers just as much around people with Down syndrome,” as their children.

Jensen said. “You really get a chance to “As a parent of a child with Down interact and realize they are just normal syndrome, I appreciate all the volunteers kids trying to have fun.” that show up so much,” Multer said. “The Jensen is not the only student families all think it’s great, and I know of impacted by the dance. According to Cray, some people who drive 30-40 minutes memorable things occur every year. from north Kansas City to come to the “There was a really funny kid last dance at East.”

Looking back...

New mall opening across from Town Center complex BY

» davidhenderson

The expansion of Kansas City moves towards Leawood’s Town Center, as architects hope to provide a downtown feel through Park Place Mall.

Construction of Park Place began in 2007 and the first phase will be completed in the spring of 2008. Park Place, which is located across from AMC theatres, currently has one restaurant open, California Pizza Kitchen.

Phase one of Park Place consists of constructing two main hotels, Element and A Loft. Around the hotels there will be a variety of restaurants such as Fish City Grill, Ra Sushi and Morton’s Steak House. The first phase will be completed in the spring of 2008, and architects hope that it will be more than just a mall.

“It’s really a community more than a mall, because we will have offices and condominiums, so we have more

uses than a mall,” architect, Melanie Mann-Harter, mother of Sophomore Jackson Harter, said.

East Student, Erica Brandli, seemed excited for Park Place to be completed as it would give her more options for dinner for dances, like homecoming..

“I would consider going to Park Place for WPA or other dances, because other good restaurants are on the plaza, but my parents won’t let me drive there,” sophomore Erica Brandli said.

Students should enjoy the multiple activities that Park Place will be hosting such as Summer at the Square, which will hold concerts in Park Places newly constructed Barkley Square. In the winter, Park Place will open up its ice Rink to the local visitors.

Park Place is an inbuilt site, meaning that everything

around it is already constructed, and Mann thinks this will be highly beneficial to Park Place and Town Center.

“It will enhance it. Between Town Center and the corner of Roe where Crate and Barrel is has just become Johnson County’s premiere shopping district,” Mann explained.

The final phase of Park Place will consist of more residential area’s and condominiums and will be completed in roughly five years.

“We have several phases in which we will be completing pieces of the design,” Mann said.

Park Place, which has been described as Leawood’s future downtown will host an opening weekend this March after the completion of its first phase. issue

NEWS

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Down to a

Science Olympiad team hopes to return to state for ninth successive year

science

BY

» maxmcbride

With the Kansas State Science Olympiad competition looming on April 5, the East team must focus on each upcoming competition to ensure another consecutive visit to state. The season’s last regular tournament, at Oak Park High School last Saturday, left the team preparing rigorously for regionals, and hoping their focus will reap its benefits.

Captained by seniors Xing Ji and Laura Nelson, East’s Science Olympiad team attempts to uphold what has become a strong program: a team that has made state for the past eight years.

The graduation of star performers Danny Lawrence, Viktor Karpov and Cole Easterday last year has left a new group of seniors to pick up where they left off last year. In addition, the team has also had to train without former assistant coach Cole Ogdon, but instead with physics teacher Morningstar Pruitt as the only adviser.

Despite the change from last year, senior member Sarah Elizabeth McCandless believes Pruitt has been quite helpful, especially at fulfilling her responsibilities.

“She really tries to implement more organization for the team,” McCandless said, “and has done a nice job of getting us resources to prepare, but she does leave most

up to the students. For the most part, the students must take initiative themselves.”

For many, including McCandless, that initiative must come after school and on weekends, studying the materials for an upcoming competition exam or perfecting constructed projects like model airplanes, robots or bridges.

Overall, most Science Olympiad competitions can be divided into two main categories. Some competitions require teams to construct various projects beforehand, testing different aspects according to the goal of the competition. For example, McCandless and fellow senior teammate Nandini Sarma have been working on the construction of a balsa wood airplane for competition, testing and modifying their craft. The goal of this specific competition rewards the team whose plane stays in flight the longest.

The other side of competitions challenges students with higher-level exams on a variety of topics. Students must study the selected topic beforehand, taking notes and accumulating information. During the competition, students may use their notes.

Team members are allowed to select their categories and choose areas of expertise.

McCandless reports taking tests in astron-

omy as well as rocks and minerals; Ji has taken tests in chemistry.

Despite the individual nature of many of these competitions with points awarded on an individual basis, the team still must function together strongly and cohesively.

Even so, a small degree of internal competition exists due to the large turnout this year; the team currently has 25 members.

“With more people this year, everyone wants more events,” Pruitt said. “Which can create a sense of competition amongst the team members.”

In spite of this, Ji, McCandless and Pruitt believe that the team has definite potential to reach state again. Ji credits the team’s overall strength, emphasizing that everyone contributes, rather than the team relying on a few strong members to pull them through.

“Some people may have a bad day, and they might not perform as well during the competition,” Ji said. “But even if an individual has a bad day, the team as a whole will most likely balance it all out.”

Pruitt, like Ji, plans for another visit to state this year citing the strong team, as well as the weakening competition.

“When you look at our competition, we’ve stayed balanced while other teams haven’t been as strong,” Pruitt said. “This year Shawnee Mission South [one of East’s biggest competitors] has less students, and doesn’t seem to be as strong of a team as they have been.”

But for all the high hopes this year, Ji

seems concerned when he ponders the future of the team, especially next year after the strong senior leaders of this season have graduated.

“We really need to get the underclassmen interested,” Ji said. “We had 10 seniors at the beginning of the season, and now we’re down to eight, but we’re still primarily a senior dominated team. Especially because some [of the underclassmen] just don’t show up.”

Pruitt also agrees that the team maybe a bit weaker next year, with the loss of eight seniors. But along with her concerns, Pruitt also recognizes the upside.

“It will probably be a building year next year,” Pruitt said, “but many of the team members who haven’t had a large role will have a much bigger role next year.”

Q& A

with senior Tom Bird

Why do you like Science Olympiad?

“It’s a good way to expose yourself to various fields of science without having to take classes about them.”

What events are you involved in?

“I am involved in chemistry lab, fermi questions, cell biology and forensics.”

How has it been being a first year member?

“It’s been a good experience, especially being able to get involved in another extracurricular activity.”

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“I want to make one because I made one last year,” Mullet said. “It was fun to go and find my bowl at Empty Bowls.”

Empty Bowls was created by a highschool teacher in Michigan in 1990 to help students raise money to feed the hungry.

Rosie Riordan, an art teacher at Shawnee Mission West, brought this program to the attention of the Shawnee Mission Education Foundation, which allowed her to carry out the project in the Shawnee Mission district.

East has been participating in the Empty Bowls project for about four y e a r s n o w,

bowls BY

»rachelbirkenmeier

Junior Emily Mullet transforms the lump of clay in front of her into a bowl during an afternoon meeting with her National Art Honor Society (NAHS) group.

Mullet is helping to create one of the many cereamic bowls that will be donated to the Empty Bowls project.

What is the City Union Mission ?

Since 1924, City Union Mission has provided warm beds, nutritious food and a place of safety for thousands of poverty stricken and homeless men, women and children. The Union was founded by Rev. and Mrs. David Bulkley and has been kept running strictly off of donations; because it receives no government support. The Union Mission is the largest rescue mission in the six-state area and in 2005 alone, the Union Mission served 292,000 meals and 127,000 beds to those in need.

and helped to donate $20,000. “I think it [Empty Bowls] is a great thing to do,” said art teacher Wanda Simchuk. “But it’s a lot of work for the art teachers in the district.”

Students and teachers alike both make bowls to donate to the project.

“My bowl last year was simple,” Mullett said. “I added some texture, and then painted it with bright colors.”

Students in NAHS are asked to help out at the event.

“I think it’s a cool project, and it’s for a really good cause,” said Junior Jennifer Latshaw. “The art show that is in conjunction with it is a really good way for students to get their art out there too.”

NAHS students set up the night of the event by setting up tables and organizing the bowls.

Empty Bowls will take place Feb. 12 starting at 5:30 p.m. at Shawnee Mission West. The event includes live music, a visual art display and silent and live auctions.

Tickets are $15 each, and include dinner provided by Panera and a bowl of your choice. All ticket money is a direct donation to the City Union Mission.

The Lowdown on the Event

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Filling

National Art Honor Society students to participate in City Union Mission benefit event

SOPHOMORE Hannah Gerwick works on her bowl for the Empty Bowls Fundraiser in her seventh hour ceramics class. Gerwicks bowl will be one of the bowls available at the fundraiser. » patrickmayfield

Other NAHS Fundraiser NAHS members make hats to sell at an auction in April. The hats are Kentucky Derby themed because the event always occurs around the time of the derby. The event is April 27 at Milburn Country Club and costs $30 for entrance. All procedes go towards the American Cancer Society.

Empty Bowls is tommorrow night at 5:30 p.m. at Shawnee Mission West. The event includes live music, silent and live auctions, and food from Panera. Tickets are $15 each which includes food from Panera and a bowl of your choice. All proceeds from the event are directly donated to the City Union Mission. » City Union Mission Web site » patrickmayfield

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EDITORIAL

The politically correct 7

theharbinger a publication of shawnee mission east high school 7500 mission road, prairie village, kansas 66208 feb. 4, 2008 issue 10, volume 49 The Harbinger is a student run publication. The contents and views are produced solely by the staff and do not represent the Shawnee Mission East or SMSD faculty, or administration.

G AM E

Criticism of recent racist joke in golf media sheds light on social issues The blink of an eye, a slip of the tongue. It was meant to be a joke but came out horribly wrong.

It only took moments for Golf Channel’s Kelly Tilghman to permanently mar her career as a television sports broadcaster.

During the Mercedes-Benz golf championship on Jan. 4, Tilghman exchanged late-night banter with co-host Nick Faldo, discussing the possible contenders that could beat the unstoppable Tiger Woods. Faldo suggested the younger players should “gang up [on Tiger] for a while,” to which Tilghman jokingly responded, “Lynch him in a back alley.”

All of politically correct society came to a halt—a joke about lynching, one of the darkest experiences in America’s history. A joke about lynching a black man, no less. Two days later she apologized to viewers and Woods, who quickly dismissed the comment as a “nonissue.” Her punishment, a payless two-week suspension from the channel, wasn’t enough for many civil rights activists such as the Revered Al Sharpton, who insisted she be fired.

“It doesn’t matter if she’s a racist,” Sharpton said in an interview on CNN. “What she said is racist.”

The throwaway comment that shook the golf community, civil rights activists and the general public reminded America that the deep wounds caused by racism are far from healed—after all, lynchings occurred as recently as 1968, 40 years ago. And Tilghman felt the consequences and learned that any form of overt prejudice, accidental or intentional, will be punished.

People struggle to keep up with the latest politically correct trends. Is it “African American” or “black?” “Native American” or “Indian?”

Beyond these now interchangeable words hide many more phrases and their accompanying connotations that we shouldn’t dare to joke about. When a public figure slips, making light of our country’s history of oppression, it reminds us of the power of symbols—be they racial slurs, phrases or visual images—and the damage they can cause even today.

Golfweek magazine’s Jan. 19 issue coverage of the Tilghman inident caused a second wave of criticism by featuring the picture of a noose on the cover to illustrate Tilghman’s use of the word “lynch.” The editor of Golfweek was quickly fired for publishing the insensitive photo when the

“Caught in a Noose” headline hit newsstands and sadness packed into a single symbol, such around the country. The top of the cover of the as a noose. following issue read “We apologize” in somber The issue came close to home in January of black-and-white print and inside the cover of 2000 when a black East student, Cedric Boyd, the magazine was a lengthy apology from the found a noose tied out of string under his desk. publisher’s president, William P. Kupper Jr. His mind immediately went to images from a He made no excuses for the picture of the movie he’d seen that portrayed Southern whites noose and apologized repeatedly for their lynching a black community. The string, which “grievous error.” turned out to only accidentally resemble a “We are examining our policies, procedures noose, soon made news and brought up racial and practices to ensure sensitivity, responsibility issues rarely discussed in a school with so little and adherence,” Kupper said. “…There are no diversity. degrees to offending people.”

Racial slurs, derogatory phrases and sexist People may argue that the noose doesn’t jokes often seem harmless. But every time necessarily equal lynching—they may say it they go unnoticed, those prejudices they could as easily be associated with the Salem support are only continued. It is so easy to witch trials. But in America, the most culturally forget the pain words or images can cause until diverse country in the world, the word “lynching” they make headlines—but every derogatory and images of nooses are so deeply embedded comment made, every racial assumption that in our history of hatred that they have become is propagated, only digs deeper into the wound America is trying to heal. symbols of racism and intolerance.

The word “lynch” tumbled unconsciously “Between 1882 and 1968, an estimated 4,742 blacks met their deaths at the hands of lynch from Tilghman’s lips. Of course she didn’t mobs,” historian Dr. Leon F. Litwack told the realize what she was saying, nor did she mean to offend anyone. She didn’t consider the black New York Times in 2000.

It’s easy to see how the noose has come to Southern families at the height of the lynching symbolize lynching in our country. It has gone era scanning newspapers like the “Baltimore from being a knotted rope to being an execution Afro-American” to find reports on the murders method to being the very embodiment of of members of their communities. But what hatred. As a country we must respect its hurtful she said was hurtful and her suspension was implications and not attempt clever wordplay necessary to remind America that racism is unacceptable no matter whether it is intended with it on the covers of magazines.

As the sociologist Leslie A. White wrote in or not.

“Are we at the point where you can talk about an essay entitled “Symbol: the Basic Element of Culture,” symbols are any word, object, sound, lynching and walk away like it doesn’t mean etc. that has value “bestowed upon it by those anything?” Sharpton said on CNN. “I don’t think who use it.” He goes so far as to claim symbols we can get to that point in America.”

Certain words may never lose their sting, are what make us uniquely human—they separate our level of communication from other but we can hope that someday the hatred that accompanies them becomes a thing of the past. animals.

“One cannot tell by looking at an ‘x’ in an algebraic equation what it stands for,” White said.

Anyone who’s ever studied algebra knows the significance of that variable, but to some people it is just a letter.

By the same logic, people the of ancestry less affected by the against absent for crime of lynching (or for that matter the Holocaust, Japanese The majority opinion of the Harbinger Editorial Board internment camps, apartheid or any other incident of prejudice-based oppression) c a n n o t Golf Channel anchor Kelly Tilghman was understand to suspended on Jan. 9 for two weeks after making the full extent racist jokes during her commentary of the MercedesBenz championship. Tilghman’s co-anchor Nick Faldo joked the amount of hate

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What Kelly Tilghman said

that the younger players should gang up on Tiger Woods. Tilghman responded that they should “lynch himin a back alley”.

Rev. Al Sharpton and others responded to her jokes saying they believed she should be fired, however Woods’ manager told press that he believed there was no ill intent. Tilghman will be back to work to cover the Buick Invitational on Jan. 24.

»msnbc.com » renli

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» alex anderson

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OPINION

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A closer look

I used to think my mom was paranoid. She’d send me to Wild Oats and request I buy only organic products and bring them home in our reusable bags.

Because organic generally costs at least a dollar more, versus “conventionally grown” items, I’d buy the cheap kind and tell my mom organic was sold out.

“What’s the point?” I thought.

“Why not buy the cheaper » sylviashank apples?”

That was before our Environmental Systems AP unit, where we studied pesticides and farming methods.

The first part we learned was how, according to our Cunningham AP textbook, 80 percent of pesticides miss their target, landing instead in lawns, and drifting into nearby neighborhoods. As it collects in groundwater, flowing into streams and rivers, it contaminates fish as it runs. It’s taken in by the fish that we eat, and the fish that birds eat. The birds eat the fish and accumulate higher and higher levels of pesticides. Come spring, these birds lay their calcium-deficient eggs, soft-shelled and fragile as a result of the pesticides. When the mother sits on her nest, the eggs crack. This is the reason America’s aviary symbol – the bald eagle- was declared an endangered species in 1963, according to the EPA. And it’s not just the birds we should worry about.

Eating pesticide-free organic foods has positive effects on

Student realizes her mom was right about the benefits of organic eating

humans, animals and the environment.

Organic, as in grown without pesticides, represents less than 10 percent of all food consumption in the world, according to the FDA. People, just like I used to, are choosing cheaper foods grown with pesticides over foods grown with healthier, alternative methods.

In conventional growth, farmers spray carcinogenic chemicals onto the food. Few people realize the harmful effects eating chemical residue designed to kill living organisms.The National Cancer Institute states that 30 percent of insecticides, 60 percent of herbicides and 90 percent of fungicides are known to cause cancer. These chemicals also lead to damage of both the nervous and hormonal systems.

The chemicals damage the body’s systems, increase risks for cancer and harm reproductive abilities. Also, the toxins in pesticides never leave the system, instead building up and leading to higher and higher levels in the body.

In addition to the effects on yourself, the pollution caused by 80 percent of pesticides entering ground water causes problems for animals and nearby vegetation.

Finally, on top of the animals and risks to our own health, we must think of future generations, who will someday look back on this time and wonder why we sprayed poison on our food.

And then ate it.

They’ll wonder why we created so many long-term environmental problems. The rate of birth mutations….. cancers… animal extinctions.

Montonous motivation anopinionof

4

feb.

2008

Want to hear a joke? Motivational posters.

If you don’t know what I’m talking about, just walk around the upper hallways of our lovely school. The posters can be found in the hallways of the third, fourth and fifth floors. They are large, black» mikemazzoni framed pictures with bold “motivational” words, for example C.O.U.R.A.G.E, A.T.T.I.T.U.D.E, I.N.T.E.G.R.I.T.Y, etc., all spelled out in big bold lettering as though we were a group of first graders. In smaller text a short phrase is written out to describe the large, “motivational” word. I guess that is for those of us who don’t remember what those sixth grade vocabulary words mean.

T.H.A.N.K.S. I must warn you though, once you’ve seen them, it’s a lot harder to ignore them similar to when you are talking to someone who has a poppy seed stuck in between their front teeth. It’s annoying and you can’t help but look.

These posters could be compared to a sniffler, that one kid in class who always has a runny nose. You know who I’m talking about; the one that sits behind you and refuses to get up and blow his

nose while you sit through an hour and a half long English final. Sniff. He doesn’t get the hint even after you take the time to turn and throw a death stare in his direction after each snort. Sniff. Even after you walk to the front of the room, grab a box of Kleenex and chuck the box at him, he will not blow his nose. He just sits there sniff-sniff-sniffling all freakin’ hour long. Sniff. Yes these posters have gotten under my skin.

So where did these posters come from?

A few years back an artist was selling the posters at a local art show. When the art show was over the remaining misfit posters that weren’t sold originally, were sold to East at a discount price. The sad thing is that the “discount price” was $40 apiece for each of the 20 posters that line the halls. Now I’m not very good at mental math but $40 multiplied by 20 posters would mean $800 was spent on those bad boys right?

A personal favorite of mine can be found on the fifth floor. The picture is of a group of skydivers holding hands in a circle as they plummet towards earth. The motivational word the poster represents is T.E.A.M.W.O.R.K, and reads: “When we all work together, we all win together.” Every time I look at it I can’t help but wonder what those skydivers were thinking as they posed for that picture. I know I wouldn’t be thinking “Wow I sure am glad I get to practice teamwork today!” No I would be thinking more along the lines

The fact that certain foods are labeled organic may seem ridiculous to grocery shoppers. Milk, coffee and eggs can all be classified as organic. Yet the ways consumers are exposed to pesticides through these products, though more subtle, are just as significant. A cow that consumes chemically-treated grass will produce calcium-deficient milk, likely containing traces of carcinogenic chemicals.

Chickens that eat feed grown with fungicide will pass on their carcinogenic risk to the humans who eat their eggs, or, with even more potency, pass it on when we consume the chicken itself, according to the national Environmental Working Group.

The pesticides are not the only reason to consume organic foods.

In seventh grade, my class took a field trip to a chicken farm, where we saw thousands of chickens in 12 inch by 12 inch cages, stacked floor-to-ceiling in rows over a mile long. Eggs and chickens that are raised and farmed organically, are generally also “free range” meaning not only does the food they eat not contain chemicals or growth hormones, but also the animals have access to sunlight and fresh air, and live in less crowded conditions.

If most consumers saw the traditional chicken farms, they would be willing to pay the extra 90 cents for “cage-free” eggs, and chicken.

After studying the harmful effects of pesticides, I select the organic fruits, vegetables, milk, and chicken as I carry out my family’s grocery shopping at Whole Foods. I have to admit, my mom doesn’t seem paranoid anymore.

Irritating posters make no impact on students

of “If one of you screws this up we’re all going to splatter on the side walk below… together.”

Maybe I’m high maintenance but it’s going to take a lot more than posters to keep me motivated during the day. Just the fact that I spend at least seven hours each day in school is, well, repetitive and borderline depressing. Wake up. Shower and get dressed. Cry like a kindergartener getting ready to go to the first day school.

Go to school. Go to and sit through seven classes. Repeat five times each week, 36 weeks each year. M.O.N.O.T.O.N.O.U.S. Sorry to seem so negative, school just is not a place where I enjoy being for long periods of time and a few words on a poster simply aren’t going to change my attitude.

The closest you may ever come to motivating me is if one of two things happens. The first would be if both of the ramps were turned into enormous slip-and-slides, just because that would be amazing. That may sound ludicrous, but really it’s no crazier than believing a few words printed on a pretty picture will actually motivate people.

The second proposition may meet everyone’s needs. Everyone knows that students live, not for the time we spend in school, but for every second we get away from it. Start by tearing those motivational posters off the walls and destroying them in a school-sponsored bonfire. Then replace them with special clocks that count down

like NASA uses for space shuttle launches.

And think of all the motivational events that could be counted down to: lunch, the end of each hour, the end of the school day, week, and year. These are things that we actually care about. The clocks could be accompanied by murals depicting truly motivational phrases reading: “It’s almost over,” “Just hold on” and “It’s for your own good.”

In all seriousness though, there are so many more productive things that could’ve been done with that $800, things that could possibly change the attitudes of student toward more positive outlook.

Think about it. When I say motivation, do you think posters?

I guess I can understand that when the decision was made to line the halls with these so-called ‘motivational’ posters, the administrators had their best intentions in mind. I thank you the way I would thank my mom for a pair of wool socks given to me as a Christmas present. Both the wool socks and these posters are similar in the fact that both are exceptionally irritating.

The difference is that I love my mom and wool socks can keep my feet warm.

Unfortunately the only thing the posters have ever motivated me to do is write this column. I know we can do better than that, it is just going to take some deep thinking and realizing that it is going to take more than posters to get the job done.

taking the

time to

reflect

OPINION

9

After his brother was in a head-on collision with a drunk driver, senior realizes the importance of family anopinionof

Never before in my life has such a good day gone so bad, so quickly.

I had just gotten an Aerogarden from my two best friends, and I was ecstatic. It was two days before my 18th birth» gagebrummer day, school wasn’t starting back up again for a week and New Year’s Eve was just around the corner.

Better yet, my freshman brother Reid was going to be gone with his friend Jake Hollequist at Jake’s lake house in the Ozarks. What a break indeed.

Everything was looking good, and I was so excited about my new present that we shot to my house to plug it in and see it in action.

I lumbered into the kitchen with the Aerogarden in both arms and a smile on my face, which was immediately wiped away when I saw my dad’s ghastly expression.

“Reid got in an accident,” he said in a tone that made it clear that this was no fender bender. “It was a head-on collision.”

“On the highway.”

Instead of happiness, I now felt regret.

The regret that I might not be able to tell Reid about all the bad things that he is going to be faced with in the next years of his life.

That I might not be able to show my little brother the outdoors, so he can see the beauty that I see in it.

That I might not be able to tell him sorry for being a jerk to him the past year of our lives.

That I might not be able to see him ever again.

••• My mom told me what they knew: that the other driver crossed the median and hit the front of the Hollequist’s Honda Pilot, both cars going highway speeds.

We wouldn’t find out until over a week later that he was also drunk, or that his license had been suspended for five years before the accident.

They were taken by ambulance to Jefferson City, MO because it was the closest hospital that could handle their injuries.

It was almost an hour away from the accident.

Immediately I thought the worst, because Reid never wears his seat belt. If you’re not wearing your seat belt in that bad of an accident, there’s only one result.

I was relieved when we heard that he was conscious, but with abdominal pain.

Maybe he was going to be okay--he was wearing a seat belt after all.

That was until I heard my mom’s voice change because of the news that she had just heard. They had gotten the results of his x-rays.

Internal bleeding.

Collapsed lung.

Ruptured bowel.

Things were only going to get worse if they didn’t act quickly, so my parents had to put their youngest son, my little brother, into the hands of complete strangers who were over two hours away.

My parents made it there in an hour.

••• Later that night, we heard that Reid’s surgery went well and that he was on the road to recovery. That meant a weeklong stay at Capital Region Medical Center in Jefferson City, MO. My older brother Cade and I arrived two days after the accident, Dec. 28, the eve of my 18th birthday. We were antsy all the way down, with thoughts of raising Reid’s spirits and hastening his recovery with brotherly energy.

Those hopes must have missed the exit that we took.

Waiting in the hospital lobby, I could feel my stomach balling up in that oh-sofamiliar way. It was dark and well past visiting hours, but the nurses greeted us with smiles and hellos.

“Reid’s really excited that you guys are here,” my mom said as we stood outside the room, giving Reid time to rest on his own. “He’s still in a lot of pain though.”

We expected to see Reid, talk about the accident, and say, “I’m so glad you’re okay!” Instead, when we opened the door, my freshman brother who wouldn’t show weakness if his life depended on it was forced to tears. Looking from me, to my brother, to my mom, he weakly cried, “Help.” I felt the tears welling in my eyes, but I pushed them back.

No amount of narcotics that the hospital could give him could stop the sharp, stinging pain in his stomach, or the reality that

his life would never be the same.

To see my little brother like that and be de able to do nothther Ca older bro mily is h d ing about it was n a a three) rummerf d at age ) Brummer. »b the worst feeling (picture e n r o e e m g m (a I’ve ever had in an Reid Gage Bru SENIOR elp feed freshm h ) my life. I wanted e v (age fi it to stop, I wanted the pain he had to car, they saw the hole where his head had be put in my abdo- men, for him to be come through the windshield, and through playing X-Box at his friend’s lake house, that, empty beer cans upon empty beer smiling, laughing. cans.

I wanted something I knew couldn’t It wasn’t that big of a surprise when I happen. found out the man was drunk, but what was Reid didn’t say much that night. He a surprise to me was how intensely I could stared at the muted TV, with all of the lights hate someone that I don’t even know. off, as my family and I sat together. No one His joy-ride cost my little brother the spoke, but everyone was together, which winter break of his freshman year in high was a comfort that was beyond words. school and his invincible outlook on life - When we arrived at the hospital the things that you can’t get fixed in a hospital, next morning, we had to walk Reid. As my or settle for out of court. dad lifted him out of his recliner, he held a They’re gone forever. pillow over the eight inch incision on his But Reid isn’t, and that’s the important stomach to hold it together. He winced in thing. When I was looking at the accident pain as we covered 20 yards in 10 minutes. report, I couldn’t help but notice that three I felt completely helpless as I pushed his people died in Missouri that same day, from IV cart in front of him. I wish I had the abil- auto accidents. ity to take the look of pain off of his face evThe same day that I got my little brother ery time he took a step, every time he took back, someone else lost theirs. I shudder a breath. But I couldn’t. I just couldn’t. to read that on average, 36 people die on That was Saturday, and Reid came the highway from drunk driving accidents home the following Monday. Darvocet pills daily. kept the pain away, but only the physical That’s 36 families, 36 groups of friends, side of it. robbed of their loved ones. Just like Reid’s Sitting in my room that night, Reid came winter break, and his unblemished stomin and slowly lowered into my recliner, be- ach, they are gone forever. cause his incision was still tender. We sat So the next time you think you can keep there for a while, without saying anything. it between the lines without getting pulled “It just makes me appreciate things over, I suggest you think differently. It’s not so much better, just like mom and dad hard to call someone for a ride, even if it’s and you and Cade,” Reid confessed to me, your parents. breaking the silence.

What is hard is dealing with the fact that I told him that I knew what he was talk- you are making the same decision as the ing about, but couldn’t really find the words man that that almost cost my little brother to describe what I was thinking. I didn’t his life at 15 years old. need to; he understood.

That you could cause some family more From that moment on, a barrier that pain than you could imagine in your worst had been between us for the past year had nightmare. finally been dropped. I was given a chance And what is hardest of all is that you to be the big brother that I had never been. could have done something about it, but A chance that I’m not going to take for chose not to. granted. issue ••• When the Hollequists approached the

10

FEATURES

10

When books aren’t enough New testing center helps students prepare for the SAT and ACT

BY

» mikecray

With the constant availability of testing dates for the SAT and ACT college entrance exams, several students are preparing for what may be the most important test of their lives.

“Whenever I hear about it [tests] I feel really stressed out because they’re coming up and I know important they are, ” said Junior Jack Brugger. “I haven’t done much about it yet, and I don’t really know how you’re supposed to study for something like the SAT or ACT.” In the past, test prep options for high school students were limited, but in the past few years, businesses and programs have been created that aid students in the preparation for both the SAT and ACT tests.

GetSmarterPrep, located on 80th St. just off of Metcalf, is one of these new up and coming test prep businesses.

“At GetSmarter we offer an opportunity to better your test scores in order to increase chances of getting into the college of your choice,” President Stephen Heiner said. “In the history of the business, 100 percent of our students have seen improvements in their scores.”

Heiner has had students from several different schools, including East, Pembroke Hill, Sion, Rockhurst and St. Teresa’s Academy.

Junior Libby Jandl is one East student who has taken advantage of Heiner’s offer.

“GetSmarter has been very beneficial to me. We take several practice tests to get you ready for the real thing, the teachers know tons of different tricks to help you out, and the constant repetition and drills help improve scores on your weaker sections of the test. It’s also really easy to get one-on-one time with an instructor. It could be helpful to everyone, and I definitely recommend it,” Jandl said.

GetSmarterPrep not only gives you strategies and material to help prepare for whichever test you are taking but also offers hints, tips, and inside information from Heiner himself, who has scored a 35 or above on the ACT for the past 5 years.

“We offer important information

about both tests, and teach our students strategies that will help them answer questions quickly and correctly. For example, each writing section of the ACT is graded in one minute, so we urge our students to have lengthy papers, good handwriting, and defined paragraph breaks, which is mainly what is being evaluated,” Heiner said.

According to princtonreview. com, the ACT offers two hours and 55 minutes of testing time to complete 215 questions, and the SAT offers three and a half to complete 171 questions.

The ACT is structured to test in four sections: English, math, reading, and science, with an optional writing section. The SAT tests in three critical reading sections, three math sections, three writing and one experimental section, which is not counted towards your score but tests the difficulty of possible future SAT questions.

Heiner says it’s not the structure or material that separates the two tests, but the way the individual questions are presented.

“The SAT presents easier material asked in a difficult way, while the ACT presents more difficult material presented in a very straightforward way. Every high school student should take both tests and see which score is better, and try to focus on that test.” Heiner said.

With both tests continuing through June, some students have not decided which test to take, or whether to take both.

Junior Stuart Jones is one of the many students who has decided to take both tests rather than focusing on one.

“I’m taking some SAT and ACT prep classes right now, but when the tests come around I’m just going to get a good nights sleep, eat a big breakfast, and do my best,” Jones said.

To some parents and students the big question is how relevant these tests are to getting into college, and what is a good score.

“Each test is 25 percent of your application, and a good score is good enough to get you into your college of choice. A 29 on the ACT isn’t going to get you into Johns Hopkins, but it will get you into the honors program at KU. It all depends on where you want to go,” Heiner said.

»gagebrummer

How to Join GetSmarterPrep 4

sept.

2007

Visit their offices at: 6900 W 80th Street Suite 200 Overland Park, Kansas 66204 Or Call: 913.322.3400

Register at: www.getsmarterprep.com/ Office Hours: 3-7pm on Fridays

GetSmarterPrep’s ‘Philosophy’: “We want to save you from big box test prep courses that charge too much and deliver too little and from tutors who say they do ‘test prep’ when they haven’t even taken the tests in the last decade. In turn, we want to provide the highest quality of independent college counseling advice to those who desire it. We are passionate about getting students the ‘score they need for the school they want’.”

FEATURES

11

Fresh perspective East students hear Obama emphasize change at Jan. 30 rally » lauranelson

Check smeharbinger.net to read a column about the rally by Sylvia Shank

Here’s an excerpt...

“

his candidacy controversial in areas of the country, Obama won over a quarter of the white vote in the Jan. 26 South Carolina primary, Logan said.

“I went to the Oprah Winfrey event up in Iowa and I was very impressed by the diversity of his support,” Logan said. “Obama reminds me a little bit of Robert Kennedy in the late 1960s with that same kind of excitement that he is generating.”

Junior Emmett Starkey said Obama’s unifying effect appeals to young voters who are tired of polarization and divisive politics.

Although Starkey can’t vote in the next election, he wants to observe the election as it progresses.

He said he could feel the excitement in the auditorium as people from all different groups came together for a common purpose: change.

“There’ve been old people, young people, people of all races, genders,” Starkey said.

“There’s not particularly one stereotype or group of people here, but they all want to see ‘Change we can believe in.’”

Obama reached out to the students in the audience, promising college students $4,000 each year for tuition.

To receive money, students would perform community service through long-term organizations such as the Peace Corps or more frequent short-term commitments to local charities.

“We will invest in you, and you will invest in America,” Obama said.

Obama ended his speech with change and hope, two themes of his campaign.

“If you want to keep the dream alive for those who still hunger for justice and still thirst for opportunity… then we will win this general election. And you and I together, we will … transform the world. Thank you Kansas City, I love you.”

He walked off the stage to chants of “Yes, we can!”

“As much as you watch someone on TV, seeing them is different,” Mapes said. “Obama is electrifying and charismatic. We may have seen the next president of the United States in person.”

I looked into the eyes of our generation’s JFK, and he put out his hand, I forgot every legitimate question. Policy, education, the future of America’s youth – I couldn’t remember; meeting him was such a whirlwind moment.

» karenboomer

BY

Chants of “O-BA-MA” pulsed through Municipal Auditorium like a communal heartbeat, and junior Jessie Light’s breath caught in her throat.

“Signed, Sealed and Delivered,” Illinois senator Barack Obama’s campaign song, blasted from the speakers. Cameras flashed. Signs waved.

Light knew that after braving icy streets, rigid security and more than five hours of waiting in line, it was finally time.

“Kansas City, here I come!”

It was him.

“Obama has so much charisma,” Light said.

“He entices audiences. He’s young, he’s an incredible leader, which we need right now, and he’s completely different from anyone else in the campaign. Seeing him speak [was] seeing a part of history.”

Just a week before Missouri’s primary and Kansas’s Democratic caucus, Obama spoke Tuesday to a wildly enthusiastic crowd of 6,000 inside Municipal Auditorium downtown. During a fast-paced 50-minute speech, Obama promised change, change and more change: Changes in healthcare. Changes in education. Changes in Iraq. And his message resonated with East students who attended.

“His humor was probably one of my favorite parts, because it showed his charisma [and] you could really experience it first-hand,” senior Danny Mapes, an Obama supporter, said. “His personality, even though he is [older than we are], makes you want to identify with him. He’s also an unconventional, unorthodox candidate, so people identify with him more.”

Obama’s charisma emerged after a woman in the front row grew faint halfway through his speech. In the crush of heat and noise and 6,000 bodies, she collapsed onto the floor of the auditorium. Obama turned, walked toward the woman and bent down.

“Is somebody OK?” Obama asked. “Oh, you need a chair. Could somebody get a chair? …I just want to make sure this person is OK.” As a chair and a bottle of water were handed over the heads of the audience and the woman sat down, Obama nodded.

“That’s what I’m talking about. People helping people.” The crowd cheered.

Part of Obama’s appeal is his ability to electrify and unify crowds, KCTV5 political analyst Fred Logan said. Although his race sometimes makes

issue

10

.{ mixedpage.}[HAPPY “XIN NIAN KUAI LE” NEW YEAR] celebrate the year of the rat

MIXED

12

[the page about...the Chinese New Year] COMPILED BY

» rachelmayfield

THE YEAR OF THE RAT BEGINS...

FEB. 7, 2008

TRADITIONAL NEW YEAR’S FOODS * Lotus seed - signifies having many male offspring * Ginkgo nut - represents silver ingots * Black moss seaweed - is a homonym for exceeding in

» renli

wealth

* Dried bean curd- is another homonym for fulfillment of wealth and happiness

* Bamboo shoots - is a term which sounds like “wishing that everything would be well” * Fresh bean curd or tofu is not included as it is white and unlucky for New Year as the color signifies death and misfortune.

SUPERSTITIONS OF NEW YEAR’S House Cleaning

A Rat Year is a time of hard work, activity and renewal. This is a good year to begin a new job, get married, launch a product or make a fresh start.

Ventures begun now may not yield fast returns, but opportunities will come for people who are well prepared and resourceful. The best way for you to succeed is to be patient, let things develop slowly and make the most of every opening you can find.

THE PURPOSE OF...

DRAGON DANCING » renli

The entire house should be cleaned before New Year’s Day. On New Year’s Eve, all brooms, brushes, dusters, dust pans and other cleaning equipment are put away.

Sweeping or dusting should not be done on New Year’s Day for fear that good fortune will be swept away. After New Year’s Day, the floors may be swept.

Scaring away evil spirits - the powerful dance

Bringing In the New Year and Expelling the Old Shooting off firecrackers on New Year’s Eve is the Chinese way of sending out the old year and welcoming in the New Year. On the stroke of midnight on New Year’s Eve, every door in the house, and even windows, have to be open to allow the old year to go out.

Chasing away negative energies - the sounding of the drums and

New Year Activities Set Precedent All debts had to paid by this time. Nothing should be lent on this day, as anyone who does so will be lending all the year. Back when tinder and flint were used, no one would lend them on this day or give a light to others.

Everyone should refrain from using foul language and bad or unlucky words. Negative terms and the word “four” (Ssu), which sounds like the word for death, are not to be uttered. If you cry on New Year’s day, you will cry all through the year. Therefore, children are tolerated and are not spanked, even though they are mischievous.

cymbals will purify an area of negative and stale chi, allowing a fresh start to be made

USE LION DANCERS OR DRAGON DANCERS IF YOU...

-want to escape negativity -want to receive blessing for your business -want a traditional, respected way of clearing a space -want to witness a breathtaking spectacle -want to bring an auspicious start to a new beginning

and presence of a lion or dragon will be sufficient to scare away evil spirits from a premises, ensuring that business is unimpeded and that your efforts are met with success

Bringing in auspiciousness - as symbols of strength and good luck, the presence of a lion or dragon on an auspicious occasion will bring good luck

Personal Appearance and Cleanliness On New Year’s Day, we are not supposed to wash our hair because it would mean we would have washed away good luck for the New Year. Red clothing is preferred during this festive occasion. Red is considered a bright, happy color, sure to bring the wearer a sunny and bright future. It is believed that appearance and attitude during New Year’s sets the tone for the rest of the year.

More New Year Superstitions Do not use knives or scissors on New Year’s Day as this may cut off fortune. While many Chinese people today may not believe in these do’s and don’ts, these traditions and customs are still practiced. These traditions and customs are kept because most families realize that it is these very traditions, whether believed or not, that provide continuity with the past and provide the family with an identity. information from: http://www.educ.uvic.ca/faculty/mroth/438/CHINA/taboos. html

4

feb.

2008

http://www.rising-dragon.co.uk/feng-shui/dragon-dancing_lion-dancing.htm

A WEEK’S WORTH OF » renli

FORTUNES

MONDAY: Everything has beauty, but not everyone sees it.

TUESDAY: Wheresoever you go, go with all your heart.

WEDNESDAY: Someone has complimented you today in your absence.

THURSDAY: Your road will be made smooth for you by good friends.

FRIDAY: There is no wisdom greater than kindness.

SATURDAY: Your good deeds are never forgotten.

SUNDAY: Happiness is found when one is not looking.

BY

» anniesgroi

Senior Carly Putnam will be moving on from her hectic schedule at East, packed full with the rigorous IB program, homework and assistant stage managing “Guys and Dolls”, to a more relaxed routine in a new locale.

This August, while her fellow seniors are finishing up their last minute preparations before they head off to college, Putnam will be boarding a plane to Istanbul, Turkey as part of the Rotary International Exchange Program.

She may be spending as long as a year there.

The Rotary International Exchange program is a foreign exchange program that sends students to 80 countries all over the world. Its goal is to develop youth ambassadors by encouraging students to experience new things through immersion in a different culture.

Putnam first got interested in the Rotary Exchange program after hearing her dad, Phillip Putnam, talk about his experience spending his junior year of high school in New Zealand as a Rotary exchange student in 1976.

“It opened up a whole new perspective on the world for me,” he said.

Although Putnam first heard about the Rotary Exchange Program from her dad, he didn’t really pressure her to pursue the program; it was her decision.

“He loved it. Apparently he was quite surprised when I decided to be an exchange student,” Putnam said. “He’d never been like ‘Oh, you should do this,’ just ‘I had fun!’”

Her two main reasons for wanting to go are to know herself and find inspiration for the writing she hopes to start. But she didn’t have her heart set on Turkey from the beginning. At first she had wanted to go to Italy or Australia, but the Italian language requirements were too strict for her and Rotary doesn’t like to send English speaking students to predominantly English speaking countries according to Putnam.

“It was an accident,” Putnam said. “The guy who did my parents interview has traveled extensively and Turkey is his favorite place in the world. He was the one who suggested Turkey. My parents were a bit- understandably- shaken, but then he spoke to them and told them how awesome he thought Turkey was.”

Putnam thinks the trip has come at the right time for her to discover how she will make decisions and respond to situations without all the influences that surround her at home.

To prepare for her trip, Putnam has been reading up on the history, culture and conflicts of Turkey. One source that has been particularly useful to her, a 282 page textbook that she downloaded off the internet called “Who are the Turks?” which covers all aspects of Turkish culture and also includes excerpts of Turkish literature and poetry.

Putnam was impressed by the translations of Turkish poetry she had read and hopes the country will inspire her.

“It was just beautiful. You can see the blend of Western and Eastern into it and it tends to be very spare but very evocative and it’s just gorgeous,” Putnam said.

Going so far away from home and to such an entirely different place from what they know has brought up some concern for Putnam’s family. Their worries come from news reports about Kurdish violence along Turkish borders and the strict secular government, which has re c e n t ly

»marygalvin

FEATURES

Senior accepted to Rotary International to spend a year in Turkey 13 blocked You Tube and is exiling authors that speak against the government.

“Authors and writers who speak out against the current regime in Turkey suddenly find themselves living in a different country,” Putnam said. “They’ve got some human rights problems. There are definitely some parts of the country that aren’t so pretty, so I’m under orders to watch what I say.”

Lorri and Phillip Putnam are both concerned about their daughter going so far away, but Lorri is more worried.

“Half my family thinks I’m going to get stoned to death, but most of them haven’t been out of the country,” Putnam said. “People who have done similar things are really happy about it. People who haven’t are apprehensive.”

Despite the concerns of some of her family, Putnam is sure the experience will be worth the possible risk and confident that the program will be there for her if anything happens that would be unsafe. Many of Putnam’s worries were dispelled after researching how Rotary had responded to disasters in the past.

“After the Bang Tao Bay tsunami in Thailand, within 12 hours they had the location of every Rotary exchange student in the country,” Putnam remembered. “Also you’re supposed to keep your plane tickets and passport with you in case you have to make a hasty exit.”

Any lingering worries Putnam may have about her trip are far overshadowed by what she hopes to gain from the experience. Putnam hopes her trip will be the perfect opportunity both to see whether she can adapt to such a different culture and to find herself before she goes off to college.

For now, Putnam’s college plans after she returns from her year in Turkey may be to go to the University of Tulsa to study creative writing, possibly theater international affairs.

Putnam hopes that the trip will be an opportunity to get to know herself and her opinions away from external influences.

“So much of what I do now is defined either by school or parents,” Putnam said. “I want a chance to get to know myself before I head off to college and start figuring out what I want to do with my life.”

Students experience different culture through spring break mission trip BY

» melissamckittrick

Spring Break is 34 days away. For many students at East, this means Caribbean cruises, Mexican beaches and other tropical destinations. For students in the Village Presbyterian Youth Group, their spring break mission trip will mean trading in drinkin fruity smoothies for drinking from water jugs, building sand castles for building latrines and tanning on the beach for examining medical patients.

Although Village Presbyterian students are volunteering in the Dominican Republic over spring break, past students know that the experience is worth the work.

“By taking people from Johnson County and exposing them to the world, the world also changes us,” youthgroup leader Matt Vaughan said. “It softens our hearts and it lets us know what it’s like to be a person or a citizen in another country.”

Village Church has been visiting the Dominican Republic, specifically La Romana, for the last 15 years. Although the service projects vary slightly every year, the group normally focuses on construction.

“We as Americans have this type ‘A’ personality: we want to know what we’re doing, every minute of every day,” Vaughan said. “When you’re going to a third world country, the only thing you plan out is when you arrive and when you leave on a plane.”

Senior Owen Craig was one of the students who volunteered last year. His group helped construct a roof and a

fence for the village church and provided medical care in the nearby sugar cane fields.

“The people that work there are Haitian refugees, and they’re some of the poorest people in the western hemisphere,” Craig said.

The poverty in Haiti is so extreme that entire families flee across the border. The refugees often live in barrios – slums – with neither electricity nor running water.

“The family lives in this tiny little shack provided by the sugar cane company,” Vaughan said. “These shacks are about 10 foot square, and you can have a family of six living in it.”

One of the aspects of the trip that past students enjoyed was getting to know the locals.

“I had trouble speaking (Spanish) with the adults, but I could speak a lot with the children,” Craig said. “There was one kid I got to know well – Juan. He told me about his family and his house and everything.”

Many of the volunteers are in Spanish class at East, and they are using the opportunity to practice their language skills. Craig said that, although there were translators, he tried to use the native language as much as possible. John Hart, a Spanish 3 student, says that he’ll get by the best he can.

“I’m a little bit worried about it I guess,” Hart said. “But if anything I’ll just laugh at the fact that my Spanish will

probably be butchered.”

The students are all excited about helping the community and doing something different for their spring break trip. As the previous volunteers said, what makes the trip memorable are the locals, the beautiful island and the friends they made.

“At first I would rather be going on spring break with my friends,” sophomore Nicole Luby said, “but once I got there, there was no doubt in my mind that I would go back there every year.”

Vaughan stresses that, while there are many groups who take Mission Trips to third-world countries, what really makes the Village’s trip so helpful is that they return five weeks every year. They establish relationships with the locals, giving them a chance to follow-up on medical and construction problems.

“It doesn’t matter that the power went out, because the power goes out all the time; it doesn’t matter that my iPod went out; it doesn’t matter that my cell phone won’t charge…it matters that you learn what being a Christian is about, that you care about the people,” Vaughan said.

“There’s nothing wrong with the way we live in Johnson County, but what matters is that we know it’s not the only way to live.”

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»alexanderson

STUDENTS LOOK FORWARD TO PARTICIPATING IN THE VOTING PROCESS » davidwebster BY

For over a year, Senior David Isenberg has been an avid supporter of Barack Obama. Tomorrow, Isenberg will be able to represent his candidate in an open caucus among other like-minded voters. According to the Kansas City Star, tomorrow will also be the first time in 16 years that Kansas has funded a presidential caucus.

As the rest of the caucuses finalize and approach the Kansas caucus debut, Shawnee Mission East students who will be 18 by Election Day, Nov. 4, will be able to participate in the open forums. During the Republican caucuses, attendees will listen to representatives of the candidates, and then voting will be conducted by secret ballot. During the Democratic caucuses, attendees will endure a similar process, but voting will be conducted through a standing ballot.

“I am very excited to be participating in the caucuses, especially for this year’s election,” senior Drew Popplewell, who will be taking part in the Republican caucus, said. “I am glad to be able to support a moderate conservative.”

Kansas has historically voted for Republican candidates in presidential elections. The last time a Democratic Party candidate was elected in Kansas was in 1964, when President Lyndon Johnson defeated former Senator Barry Goldwater.

However, in recent years, the Democratic Party has made a surge in the elections of Governor Kathleen Sebelius and Third District Congressman Dennis Moore. This surge is also visible within the Shawnee Mission East student body, as many students will be participating in Kansas’s Democratic caucus tomorrow.

“I am happy to be able to be a part of the Democratic caucuses and the election in general,” Isenberg said. “I am glad I will be able to inform people about my candidate. It should be a good time.”

The presidential candidates have all had varying levels of success in reaching the youth voters. Democratic candidate Barack Obama has fared particularly well in capturing youth support and motivation to become politically involved.

“Barack Obama has done the best job of mobilizing the youth,” AP Government teacher Ron Stallard said. “Obama’s success in reaching the youth is much more visible than the ‘Rock the Vote’ campaign of the 2004 election. In that election, MTV and Sean Combs did the publicizing for John Kerry, but MTV and Sean Combs were not running for president. Youth support will definitely make a difference in this election.”

Obama’s performance in Iowa and South Carolina have garnered him a lot of notoriety and support.

“The youth really appear to be responding to his campaign and personality well,” Stallard said.

Many students see the caucuses as an opportunity to take part in the nomination process, as well as to learn about political processes and participate in spirited debate.

“I’m going to the Democratic caucuses this year because I’d like to be more involved in this election,” senior Laura Wetzel said. “I want to be more informed about the candidates, and I think that this is a great way to learn about them.”

DEM. CAUC USES

RULES OF THE POOL:

The Kansas Democratic Party is hosting caucuses in each of the 40 state senate districts. These senate districts are divided by a Congressional district line that will have two caucuses. Kansans can determined their caucus location by reaching: www.ksdp.org/SuperTuesday.

All registered Democrats are eligibile but those wishing to change registration or register for the first time will do so at the door of each caucus. Any 17 year-old who will be 18 by Nov. 4, 2008 are also eligible to register and/or caucus.

First, each caucus Chair will allow 30 minutes at most for particpants to make candidate choices. The Chair then determines which candidate is viable, or who will receive support of 15 percent total number of voters there. This 15 percent must be met so the presidential candidate can earn delegates for the Congressional District Convention in April 12, 2008.

Second, after the caucus Chair announces the candidates’ viability, voters have the opportunity to re-choose their candidate. For instance, a person who caucuses for a candidate below that 15 percent can choose to caucus for a candidate that has more support. Or voters for the non-viable candidate can urge others who caucused for a different one to join their group in order for the candidate to have a chance at being viable.

Once a good amount of time has passed by, the Chair will ask for a count of each candidate. This is the official count for the caucus and these results will be reported to the state party headquarters.

Statewide results will be announced when each caucus is finished and the final count has reached the State Party. The results will determine the number of delegates a

DIV

ELECT

With all the hype of candidates Tuesday approaching, politics

V

REPUBLICAN DEMOCRAT For the Democrats... Caucus is Feb. 5, 2008: Super Tuesday. Doors open at 6 p.m. and an

in line by 7 p.m. will not be admitted. Location depends on what Congressional district the p is in, but for people living in Prairie Village, it is in Asbury United Methodist Church 5400 W Prairie Village, KS. Once the groups settle, the delegates for each candidate are counted and the Kansas Democratic Party headquarters. The groups then elect delgates to represent the date at the Congressional District Convention which takes places on Apr. 12. At this event, th delegates from the local caucuses choose District Level delegates to represent their candida Democratic National Convention. This convention will take place in Denver, CO from Aug. 24 and the purpose is to elect the 2008 Democratic Presidential candidate.

For the Republicans... Caucus is Sat. Feb. 9. It will begin at ten, so get there before in ord time to check in. It will take place at the Matt Ross Community Center: 8101 Marty, west of M

A LOOK AT CAUCUS PROCEDURES AND WHY THEY ARE IMPORTANT

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nyone not participant W. 75th St. d sent to eir candihe elected ate at the 4 - Aug. 28

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BY

» bernadettemyers

McCain wins by only four percent in New Hampshire, while Clinton wins by only three.

Then Obama wins South Carolina by 28 percent and Romney takes Michigan. Each caucus or primary brings new twists with candidates just pulling through or dropping like flies.

According to Jenny Davidson, communications director of the Kansas Democratic party, the ups and downs of the 2008 presidential campaign have made it one the most inconclusive campaigns yet, which is why students have all the more reason to participate.

“There’s really no frontrunner and it’s a wide open election right now, but by the end of Super Tuesday we will definitely know more,” Davidson said.

Both the Democratic and Republican caucuses will take place this week; the former, tomorrow, on Super Tuesday, and the latter on Feb. 9. Republican and Democratic party representatives encourage students to attend and participate in the voting process.

“The reason we have [caucuses] is because it is the duty of every state to elect a presidential nominee that will be represented at the respective parties’ convention,” Davidson said.

After the caucuses, delegates will be selected to represent the outcome of the caucus at the Democratic and Republican National Conventions, where the presidential candidate for each party will be chosen. “[The caucuses] can really give experience in voting and this is an exciting election to participate in,” Davidson said. “There are some really inspiring candidates.”

In fact, the candidates are so close in polls that Corrie Kangas, political director of the Kansas Republican Party, dubs this election as one of the most exciting so far.

“It’s the first time in maybe 60 years where there really has been no incumbent on the ballot,” Kangas said.

Due to 2007 legislation, the state of Kansas isn’t holding primaries for the 2008 presidential campaign. The difference between a primary and a caucus, which Kansas now uses, is that primaries are run and funded by the state while the state party runs caucuses.

At the Democratic caucus anyone can register as a Democrat at the door.

Once it begins, voters will break into groups supporting their candidates. If any candidate group has less than fifteen percent of the vote, then those supporters can switch groups since their candidate is non-viable.

For the Republican caucus, voters wanting to participate must have been registered Republicans by Jan. 25. The caucus will proceed as a silent ballot after speeches from candidate representatives given.

Students are more than welcome to observe the caucus procedure if they aren’t yet old enough to vote.

“The decisions being made right now will affect your future, which is why we want you to be a part of them,” Davidson said. “They will influence many later decisions like where you go to college, what you do for a job and what you do with your life.”

To find more information, visit www.ksdp.org, the Kansas Democratic Party website, or www.ksgop.org, the Republican Party website.

»renli

WHATis SUPER TUESDAY? - Super Tuesday is tomorrow, Feb. 5.

- Super Tuesday is the night in which a majority of states hold either a caucus or primary to determine the front-running presidential candidate from either the Republican, Democratic, or both parties.

- After a tally of the totals of the states participating is taken, a candidate from both parties is usually capable of being considered that party’s nomination for the

How they’re staying afloat: WHO IS ENDORSING WHO BARACK OBAMA: Oprah Winfrey, Caroline and Ted Kennedy, Senator John Kerry MIKE HUCKABEE: Chuck Norris, Ted Nugent, Dallas Morning News JOHN MCCAIN: Senator Sam Brownback, Curt Schilling, Sylvester Stallone, Charles Schwab, Rudy Giuliani HILLARY CLINTON: The Kansas City Star, Barbara Streisand, Maya Angelou, Steven Spielberg MITT ROMNEY: Ann Coulter

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MEET THE CANDIDATES ...WITH THE MOST SIGNIFICANT DELEGATE COUNT BY

H e k i M

Mike Huckabee: Mike Huckabee, an Arkansas native, has served as the Governor of Arkansas since 1996. Huckabee graduated from the Ouachita Baptist University and is an ordained Southern Baptist minister and has published several books over his life. After having lost 110 pounds himself he has become an advocate of healthy lifestyles.

On the Issues: • Huckabee has a plan for a free-market, consumedbased health care system. He opposes any type of mandate for health care and plans to make insurance affordable through tax credits and other cost control measures.

• Huckabee does not support Roe v. Wade and has taken measures to overturn it. Supported a Supreme Court decision that upheld ban on partial-ban abortions and opposes federal funding for it.

4

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Mitt Romney: Romney is a 60-year-old businessman and politician from Detroit. Romney has received degrees from BYU and Harvard University. He is the former CEO of Bain & Company and the cofounder of Bain Capital, as well as Governor of Massachusetts. Romney is a member of the Mormon Religion and has five children.

On the Issues: •Romney backs a free-market, consumerbased health care system and opposes a mandate for universal health care. He also supports giving states flexibility to create programs and deregulate markets.

This system would use federal money to help states cover care for the uninsured.

• Romney wants to overturn the decision made in Roe v. Wade, but he was supportive of it in the past. He supported a Supreme Court decision that upheld ban on partialbirth abortions.

• Romney does not support a path to legalization for illegal immigrants. He wants to toughen penalties for hiring illegal immigrants, as well as finishing the building of a border fence.

Mitt

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Hillary Clinton: Clinton is a 60-year-old native of Illinois who graduated from Wellesley College and Yale Law School and has served seven years in the U.S. Senate. She is a Methodist and served as the First Lady to President Bill Clinton. She is the only female candidate in the race for Presidency.

On the Issues: • Clinton believes that everyone should be allowed to receive health insurance, which would be subsidized by employers and the government. Her plan would be financed by rolling back tax cuts for households with over $250,000 savings.

• Clinton supports Roe v. Wade and opposes bans on partial-birth abortions. She feels that judges should protect women’s rights.

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Barack Obama Obama is a 46-year-old Illinois native where he served one term in the state Senate, and is currently serving his third year as a U.S. Senator (he is the 5th African American to be elected to Senate). He graduated from Columbia University and Harvard Law School.

On the Issues: • Obama’s health care plan would require that all children have health insurance and would be paid for by rolling back President Bush’s tax cuts for households earning over $250,000 dollars.

• He supports Roe v. Wade and criticized Supreme Court decision that upheld ban on partial-birth abortions.

• Obama supports a path to legalization for illegal immigrants that includes learning English and paying fines. This path would toughen penalties for hiring illegal immigrants; he voted for a fence to be constructed along the Mexican border.

udgel

e e b a uck

» michaelstolle

» taylorg

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John McCain John McCain is a 71-year-old who was born in Coco-Solo, Panama Canal Zone (then U.S. Territory) in 1936 and attended the United States Naval Academy.

He was serving in the Navy in the Vietnam War when he was taken as a POW in North Vietnam for five and a half years. He has been married twice and is currently serving as a U.S. Senator from Arizona.

On the Issues: •McCain backs a freemarket, consumerbased health care system and has pledged for affordable health care for every American without a mandate. McCain says that universal health care is achievable without an increase in taxes.

• McCain want to overturn the decision made in Roe v. Wade, but has been supportive of it in the past. He supported a Supreme Court decision that upheld ban on partial-birth abortions.

in a C c M n h o J

photos courtesy of www.highschooljournalism.org/asnemctcampus

information courtesy of www.washingtonpost.com

A&E

Taking the cake

17

Dolce Baking Company is a sweet success

BY

snickerdoodle $1.50

vanilla creme cupcake $2

Red velvet heart cake $3

Walking into the newly opened Dolce Baking Company, I couldn’t help but suddenly become hungry. With the freshly baked cookie smell wafting in from the back room, I know I won’t be leaving empty handed. And I’ll most likely be leaving with more than one delectable treat.

Store owner and manager Erin Reynolds, 26, a Johnson County Community College Culinary School alumni, has done an outstanding job of giving the old empty space which used to be owned by the Blenders Company a nice, homey feel.

“I wanted a location that had good foot traffic,” Reynolds said. “Plus I grew up around here and really enjoy the area.”

The comfy couches, which are located opposite the alwaysfull display case, are a nice touch and a peaceful place to enjoy your purchase.

Double chocolate cupcakes, iced cinnamon rolls, assorted scones, sugar cookies, cakes and the cranberry raspberry streusel bars fill up the dominant display case. The cranberry raspberry streusel bar is a mix between an apple streusel and a short bread cookie with a jam squeezed between the top and bottom layers. It’s moist, crumbly and not too sweet. It has an oatmeal crumble crust on the top layer, a raspberry and cranberry jam in the middle and a short bread style crust on the bottom.

Reynolds comes in at 4:30 a.m. every morning to bake all the goods fresh from scratch.

And it shows.

She makes whatever she is in the mood for. Therefore, coming in on any given day you’ll be surprised with a new selection.

The store opened on Nov. 20 and hosted an Open House on Feb. 1, where Renyolds previewed a full case of Valentine’s products.

The cookies are rather big and are in the general price range of $1.50. The more extravagant products, such as the chocolate crème cheese brownie and assorted cupcakes are between $2 and $3. There are also cakes that can be purchased for anywhere between $15 to $30. The most popular seems to be the Tiramisu.

At the Dolce Baking Company, there is something for everyone. Whether you’re a chocolate lover, have a more refined taste or just have a soft spot for sweets, you can’t go wrong with the Dolce Baking Company.

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» sarahluby

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Writer’s Favorite Vanilla Creme Cupcake

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t pe r a c d e r

A&E

Rolling out the

BY

» landonmcdonald

Category:

Best Picture

Nominees:

“Juno” “Atonement” “Michael Clayton” “No Country for Old Men” “There Will be Blood”

“There Will be Blood”

The only real competition for “No Country” this colossal epic about greed and oil in the American West could pull off a come from behind victory.

Category: Best Director Nominees:

Julian Schnabel “The Diving Bell and the Butterfly” Jason Reitman “Juno” Tony Gilroy “Michael Clayton” Joel Coen and Ethan Coen “No Country for Old Men” Paul Thomas Anderson “There Will Be Blood” Julian Schnabel “The Diving Bell and the Butterfly”

The inspiring story of a paralyzed journalist who dictated his memoirs by blinking his left eye isn’t favored to win in any of the categories it’s nominated in. The director, a well-known obsessive perfectionist, should probably stay home.

»movieweb.com

Jason Reitman “Juno”

“Michael Clayton”

A spellbinding thinking man’s thriller about what goes on behind closed doors in the world’s most powerful (and secretive) law firms, “Michael Clayton” is a actor’s paradise, with astounding performances from George Clooney and Tom Wilkinson. But it may be outclassed in this category.

“Atonement”

A ravishing British romance about a preteen writer (Saoirse Ronan) with an overactive imagination who falsely accuses her older sister’s (Keira Knightley) lover (James McAvoy) of a sexual crime he did not commit, sending him to prison and eventually off to World War II. The young girl spends the rest of her life trying to make amends for her mistake. While an excellent film, it lacks the emotional substance.

The greatness of “Juno” comes from the hilarious, heartfelt script from Diablo Cody, not from the wellmeaning director (even though he’s responsible for the amusing “Thank You for Smoking.”)

Joel Coen and Ethan Coen “No Country for Old Men”

The avant-garde siblings usually split the work (Joel directs, Ethan writes). But the challenge of bringing Cormac McCarthy to the big screen brought both of them to the director’s chair. They’re the odds on favorite to win.

George Clooney “Michael Clayton” Daniel Day-Lewis “There Will Be Blood” Johnny Depp “Sweeney Todd” Tommy Lee Jones “In the Valley of Elah” Viggo Mortensen “Eastern Promises”

George Clooney “Michael Clayton”

As a haunted legal “fixer” torn between his corporate loyalties and exposing the truth, Clooney brought intensity and pathos to a part he easily could have ruined with his usual arrogance. Still, the competition this year is just too stiff.

Daniel Day-Lewis “There Will Be Blood”

Here’s your winner. His turn as cold-blooded, sociopathic oilman Daniel Plainview in “Their Will Be Blood” is an unrivaled, unparalleled achievement in acting.

Johnny Depp “Sweeney Todd”

His performance as a vengeful barber driven to murder and cannibalism in the bloodiest musical of all time should merit some sort of prize. Bonus points for the fact he can actually sing. Shame on the Academy for not nominating his co-star Helena Bonham Carter for Best Actress for her turn as Sweeney’s tragic co-conspirator, Mrs. Lovett.

Tommy Lee Jones “In the Valley of Elah”

One of the most emotionally devastating performances I’ve ever seen. Jones is brilliant as a staunch right-winger whose U.S. Army son has gone missing during a stopover at home.

“No Country for Old Men”

4

Nominees:

Once again, “Michael Clayton” finds itself up against impossible odds in this category. Gilroy should just hope that his “The Bourne Ultimatum” wins all those editing awards it’s up for (Gilroy wrote the last two “Bourne” scripts).

“Juno”

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2008

Best Actor

Tony Gilroy “Michael Clayton”

A quirky comedy with heart to spare, this light-hearted teen pregnancy film stands out from its more serious-minded competition. Although I’d love to see a comedy win for once, I wouldn’t bet on it this time. Ellen Page has a better chance to win for Best Actress.

Eccentric filmmakers the Coen Brothers are at their best in this grim, bloody ode to the darkness in human nature based on the Cormac McCarthy novel. The “redneck on the run from drug runners” storyline is just the hook for the movie’s larger statement about our world. This is the one to beat.

Category:

Paul Thomas Anderson “There Will Be Blood”

The man best known for “Boogie Nights” has pulled off a career-high miracle with “There Will Be Blood.” If it weren’t for the Coens, he’d be a sure bet.

Viggo Mortensen “Eastern Promises”

David Cronenberg’s violent Russian mob thriller could have been a major winner if this had been a weaker year. Frankly, it really should be an honor just to be nominated for Viggo, who gives a terrific, conflicted performance as a driver for the mob who falls for the woman he’s supposed to kill.

Category:

Category:

Nominees:

Nominees:

Nominees:

Best Actress

Cate Blanchett “Elizabeth: The Golden Age” Julie Christie “Away from Her” Marion Cotillard “La Vie en Rose” Laura Linney “The Savages” Ellen Page “Juno”

Ellen Page “Juno”

Page has some tough competition, but I’d love to see her win. She brings nuance, spunkiness, and feeling to what could have been a clichéd role. Win or lose, she’s the best actress of the year.

Best Supporting Actress

Cate Blanchett “I’m Not There” Ruby Dee “American Gangster” Saoirse Ronan “Atonement” Amy Ryan “Gone Baby Gone” Tilda Swinton “Michael Clayton” Ruby Dee “American Gangster”

I’m not really sure why Dee is on this list.

She was in “American Gangster” as Denzel’s aging mother for approximately two minutes and failed to make any kind of impression besides slapping him around a bit. But comic relief does not mean award-worthy.

Saoirse Ronan “Atonement”

The 14-year-old actress does an excellent job looking shocked and contemplative in “Atonement”, but that’s about it.

Cate Blanchett “I’m Not There” A girl playing the great Bob Dylan. Sounds like a gimmick, but the endlessly talented Blanchett makes it work in ways too remarkable to describe. Hardly anyone has seen “I’m Not There,” but everyone who claims to love music or movies should.

Cate Blanchett “Elizabeth: The Golden Age”

This French actress has won rave reviews for playing singer Edith Piaf. Sure the performance is eerily perfect, but the movie itself is substandard.

Will the Academy care enough to vote for her?

Laura Linney “The Savages”

My favorite actress has had a very good year.

She turned in great, award-worthy performances in “Breach,” “Jindabyne,” and now this pitch-black comedy. In “The Savages” she plays a playwright worried about putting her senile, abusive father into a nursing home. It’s too bad her “Breach” co-star (and KC native) Chris Cooper wasn’t recognized for his astonishing performance as CIA mole Robert Hanssen.

Casey Affleck “The Assassination of Jesse James” An underrated, incredible performance in the most underrated, incredible film of the year, Affleck (much more talented than older bro Ben) deserves the Oscar for his sad, soulful performance as the pathetic Robert Ford, the fan-boy assassin of Jesse James (Brad Pitt). But there’s no stopping Bardem now.

Philip Seymour Hoffman “Charlie Wilson’s War”

Our most versatile actor gives another enjoyable, unpredictable performance as bloated CIA agent Gust Avrakotos in “Charlie Wilson’s War”.

But it won’t be enough to get him another Oscar.

Hal Holbrook “Into the Wild” Ron Franz (Holbrook) helps emotionally equip Emile Hirsch’s Christopher McCandless for his fatal journey into the Alaskan wilderness. Holbrook infuses his character with calm wisdom and casual wit, but the performance just isn’t bold enough to merit an Oscar.

Nobody does intelligent insanity better than Tom Wilkinson. He plays the weakest part in the “Michael Clayton” ensemble, an attorney whose conscience is driving him mad, but his performance ends up being the best of the bunch. But it won’t be enough to beat Bardem.

Julie Christie “Away from Her”

Marion Cotillard “La Vie en Rose”

Casey Affleck “The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford” Javier Bardem “No Country for Old Men” Philip Seymour Hoffman “Charlie Wilson’s War” Hal Holbrook “Into the Wild” Tom Wilkinson “Michael Clayton”

Tom Wilkinson “Michael Clayton”

Blanchett gives another royal performance as Queen Elizabeth I, but Oscar seldom strikes twice.

(She won her first Oscar for playing Elizabeth in 1998).

Christie gives a moving performance as a woman slowly succumbing to Alzheimer’s. Unfortunately, that’s about all the movie is. Still, Oscar likes to reward old stalwarts like Christie for lesser work.

Best Supporting Actor

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A&E

Category:

Javier Bardem “No Country for Old Men” Amy Ryan “Gone Baby Gone”

Ah yes, another great but underrated movie.

Ryan played a deadbeat, drug-addled mother whose daughter goes missing. Ryan’s ability to make us care about this character at all is worthy of a nomination, but certainly not a win.

Spanish actor Bardem’s portrayal of inhuman hit man Anton Chigurh is the most chilling portrait of evil since Hannibal Lecter. The Academy wouldn’t dare give the Oscar to anyone else. They’d be too afraid… and I wouldn’t blame them.

Tilda Swinton “Michael Clayton” This pale indie queen (“Constantine” and “The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe”) loves playing powerful, evil women. In “Michael Clayton” she plays Clooney’s sinister rival Karen Crowder.

But the film provides a quick, deep glimpse into the private life of the character that she becomes much more than just another sneering villain.

Somewhere in there, she’s got a soul. And Swinton finds it.

= Landon’s pick for the winner

issue

10

A&E

BY

T

Staff member investigates places around KC for young musicians to play

» griffinburr

hough Kansas City has a reputation for having a stagnant music scene, there are still a variety of places for young bands and performers to play. While they’re not always easy to locate, Cowtown does offer some quality places for live music. Whether a singer-songwriter wants to just try a few acoustic covers or a band wants blow someone’s ears off while advertising their new CD, they can probably find a place to do so. Give it a shot.

Nighthawks

Mission Theater Good for those expecting large audiences who are willing to pay a door fee.

5909 Johnson Drive

Mission Theater

M

4 feb.

2008

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ighthawks Coffeehouse is a good place to play a first show, being described by owner Brian Koon as “a pretty relaxed place.”

Nighthawks Nighthawk is a relatively new establishment (open for slightly more than six months) that’s all ages, and smoke/alcohol free. They host an open mic night every other Saturday night, and officially stay open till 2 a.m. on Friday and S a t u r d a y, though Koon said that he doesn’t start Nighthawks kicking peoGood for people who ple out until just want to experiabout three. ence live perforAnyone who mance, play in a more signs up for immediate setting. the event 5815 Johnson Drive can play for five to ten minutes, an offer Nighthawks glad-

Westport Coffeehouse

4010 Pennsylvania

mentions that unlike a coffeehouse, the Theater will sometimes request that Beat Oven contact certain bands and ask them to play. As expected with a venue of this size, the Theater tends to be slightly more pricy, charging $8 ($7 in advance) for local shows. However, Crowell believes that bands get a good deal out of this arrangement.

“Unlike open mic nights, we have people primarily coming to watch the band,” he said. “Not many people are gonna pay eight bucks to come buy a soda and not watch and listen.”

MISSION THEATER

ly honors.

“We actually had to cancel open mic night for the holidays, because 30 people would sign up to play and about two would show up, so we really appreciate people playing,” Koon said.

For anyone interested in playing for a longer amount of time, they simply need to send in a demo that’s “not terrible.” Though the café is fairly small and therefore interested in singer-songwriters, they have hosted a wide variety of musicians including “this really crazy 15 year old punk cover band.” Indeed, Koon’s establishment certainly has an emphasis on tyro acts.

“Either you gotta be young or young at heart,” he said.

Westport Coffeehouse Westport Coffeehouse Good for those who don’t want a huge audience, but may want compensation or more performer autonomy.

Mission Theater ission The ater, offers lots of freedom for bands playing.

While owner Ryan Crowell notes that they see a wide variety of acts play, including singer-songwriters, the Theater is certainly well suited for large bands with a 750 person capacity. Since September of last year, the former movie house has hosted events ranging from weddings to comedians to benefits. The Mission Theater is also smoke free and all ages, though they do offer alcoholic drinks. Still, Crowell feels the venue is a teenager-oriented venue.

“Oh yeah, we make at least as much money [off of] coffee and soda as we do from the beer and stuff,” he said.

The Theater books acts through the local production company Beat Oven, which is who bands should contact with a demo if they’re interested in playing. Crowell also

NIGHTHAWKS

I

f a large capacity and/or performer compensation is desired, check out the Westport Coffeehouse. It’s been owned and operated by Pam Ptacek for 12 years and has a similar all-ages, no smoke/alcohol policy. They also accept a variety of acts, though the size and output volume a band determines where it plays. Acoustic acts are paid $40 a night to play upstairs for the coffee shop customers and perform on Fridays and Saturdays. Demos are sent in to Ptacek, who reviews them and makes a decision on whether or not they’re worthy of a live performance. While that may sound intimidating, the venue has been vouched for by one student, sophomore

» norasalle and meghanbenson

get in the

20

Nathan Goldman. When not playing with his full band Mr. Fish, he occasionally does acoustic sets at Westport Coffeehouse.

“It’s a really good environment, and a fun place to play,” he said.

But for those people with full bands, fear not. Ptacek also rents out the basement of the Coffeehouse, which she refers to as “the theater,” for $200 a night to bands that play with amplified equipment. While that’s a large fee, it’s made up for with the freedoms allowed it.

“At that point, we pretty much turn the venue over to the band,” Ptacek said.

“They charge the ticket price, promote the event, invite people and get to keep the entire door [money earned from tickets.]

They also can play any night of the week, unlike the upstairs acts.”

WESTPORT COFFEEHOUSE

A&E

BOILING ‘BLOOD’

21

Powerful performance drives savage tale of greed and revenge in turn-of-the-century America BY

» landonmcdonald

“There Will Be Blood” stands as a magnificent testament to the power of film.

In an era of everyday CGI miracles (“Transformers”) and breakneck editing (“The Bourne Ultimatum”), actors are often lost in the fray, becoming dispensable bystanders to the explosive digital mayhem and eye candy on display.

Not so here. This movie has found a new way to make jaws drop, a new special effect designed to astound audiences. The special effect is a man: Daniel Day-Lewis (“Gangs of New York” and “Last of the Mohicans”). His towering performance as ruthless oilman Daniel Plainview is nothing short of the new gold standard for acting in the new century. The Oscar is as good as his.

“There Will Be Blood” establishes its brilliance early on, employing ominous silence during the first 20 minutes in which we see Plainview’s progression from simple silver miner to thriving oil baron. All we hear is the film’s haunting soundtrack, an escalating lament of violins beautifully composed by Radiohead’s Johnny Greenwood.

By the turn of the century, Plainview is traveling across the West in the company of young H.W. (memorable firsttimer Dillon Freasier), the boy he introduces as his son and business partner. Using the sweet-faced child and his own considerable industry savvy, Plainview presents himself as a family-friendly philanthropist who helps small towns build churches and schools in exchange for the drilling rights to their oil. Needless to say, his deals are crooked and the gullible townsfolk are cheated out of millions.

Everything’s going well for Plainview until he enters into a war of the egos with self-proclaimed child prophet Eli Sunday (Paul Dano from “Little Miss Sunshine”), the leader of an ultra-religious California community with an “ocean of oil” beneath its surface.

Paul Dano achieves the seemingly impossible in his performance of Eli. Although his character is little more than a devious little brat with delusions of grandeur, Dano actually manages to hold his own against the imposing Day-Lewis. Their scenes together, especially the baptism and bowling alley confrontations, are among the most intense in recent memory.

Eli distrusts Plainview from the beginning and sets out to embarrass and humble the godless oilman. Their conflict, a series of mounting humiliations, threatens to destroy both men. It also exposes them both as false saviors who prey on the weak and stupid.

After H.W. permanently loses his hearing following a horrific oil rig accident and Plainview’s schemes and sanity are both unraveled by a man claiming to be his half-brother (Kevin J. O’Connor), the rivalry between the preacher and

www.movieweb.com

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the profiteer turns violent. By the end of the movie, the title definitely makes sense.

Paul Thomas Anderson, the incredibly diverse filmmaker responsible for “Boogie Nights” and “Punch Drunk Love,” has crafted a meticulous, sprawling American epic that offers sights and sounds you’re unlikely to find anywhere else. The film’s nearly three hour running time goes by all too quickly.

The spectacle of watching a burning oil rig belch a tower of flame while an oil-covered Plainview looks on with demented wonder is definitely memorable.

Another indelible memory comes from the film’s badland setting (the same stunning patch of Texas land where the Coen Brothers shot “No Country for Old Men”), where the sounds of nature and the rumble of encroaching civilization strangely blend.

Most of all, Anderson knows how to take his time. In this movie, the camera actually holds still, allowing the audience to analyze a character’s face for hidden agendas or to take in the harsh, striking scenery. There are no jarring cuts, no ADD-style editing. Some might call it slow. I would call it purposeful, deliberate. “There Will Be Blood” holds your attention not through pointless camera tricks but through the compelling power of its narrative.

In the end though, this movie belongs to Daniel Day-Lewis. Through him, Daniel Plainview becomes more than just a character; he becomes a force of nature. When he triumphantly bellows the line, “I’m finished!” after the film’s shocking climax, his last primal roar rings with brutal, near-Biblical finality.

Every line Plainview utters crackles with thunderous, searing authority. He spews savage wit and contempt in equal doses, nearly choking on his hidden, simmering hatred for the common man he wants to wall himself off from with wealth and control.

He may well be this generation’s Citizen Kane, greed and excess redefined for our overindulgent, egocentric times. Whatever he is, he is an instant classic, and so is this movie.

There will be Oscars.

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} masterpiece Star ratings based on writer’s opinion

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A&E

22

High ‘Volta’ge Trans-genre artists, The Mars Volta, make buzz with new album BY

»

alexanderson

From the first second of the high pitched vocals you can tell “The Bedlam in Goliath” is an abstract album.

Everything about this album is different, like the abstract track titles like “Cavalettas” and “Ouroboros”.

“The Bedlam in Goliath” is the newest release from the nearly electronic, almost- funk band, The Mars Volta. The band is an eclectic mix of different instruments covered by screeching vocals done by Cedric Bixler-Zavala. On their newest album the combination only partially works.

The album is a love-hate relationship. While I admire the courage and musical talent of The Mars Volta, it just doesn’t feel as though their new album works. Maybe it’s the lack of a unique story or maybe it’s the vocals increasing level of screeching. While it’s quite close to making it, casual fans of alternative rock will probably won’t enjoy the album. Without another genre to appeal to the Mars Volta are stuck firmly in a gray area between alternative and modern rock.

Listening to the album for the first time some people may be instantly turned away from the lack of a normal structure during the songs. Listeners will recognize an abstract structure that only this combination of musicians could pull off. The band’s message is clear: we came to play, and if you don’t like our music then leave us alone.

They make no effort on their newest album to draw in any

new fans. This isn’t a negative. Their style is so different told the story of a drug induced coma and the second full from anything out there today that they need to protect it album told the story of characters who existed in a diary discovered by a man in a repossessed car. Although these from going mainstream.

Almost all of the track titles on the album sound foreign themes are strange, so is the band, and without this coand strange, just like the music. It’s like hesion throughout the album I lost my focus at certain points which nothing you have ever heard before. degraded the quality of the album The first track on the album, “Aberas a whole. inkula,” begins the barrage of sound Another high point of the album and rhythm which doesn’t let up for is the song “Goliath”. This upbeat the remainder of the album. The beat jam sounds like something you is many instruments deep, and the high might actually hear on a more alterpitched vocals can be difficult to decipher at points, which can be a problem native radio station. The song has a steady beat and even a chorus. The throughout the album. guitar play is upbeat while mainThe album doesn’t play particularly taining a funk-like rhythm. well as a whole, but that isn’t what it The album comes very close was made to do. Each song has its own distinct style and flavor. to working and it’s a shame that it The single of the album, called “Wax doesn’t because with all the music talent of this group it could have Simulacra,” is an upbeat blend of all the »www.absolutepunk.net things that fans enjoy about Mars Volta. Especially good been one of the best CDs to come out this year. in this song are the drum and guitar pieces. The lyrics are { } also cleverly written and can be deciphered over the din of background beats.

Unlike past Mars Volta albums the album doesn’t tell a story or have a theme. The band’s first full length album

Statue of mediocrity » mikehake

“Cloverfield” is a movie that was well hyped, had a solid teaser commercial, and going into it, I thought it actually had a chance to break the short, predictable, horror movie stereotype.

It didn’t.

This was Godzilla’s red-headed stepchild. This was Scary Movie 5 material. This is one of those horror flicks where you bet your friends on which idiot character will die next (OK, maybe that’s just me).

We’re informed right off the bat that “Cloverfield” is the name that the U.S. Department of Defense has given to the complete demolition of downtown New York City, where Central Park used to be.

The storyline starts off as many unsuccessful scary movies often do: with about 20 minutes of fluff.

Five friends are throwing Rob (Michael StahlDavid) a surprise going away

party, which is being recorded on a handheld video camera by their awkward but likable friend, Hud (T.J. Miller).

As Hud records guests’ farewells to Rob, Beth (Odette Yustman) reveals her secret relationship with Rob, just before a dinosaur-like monster starts to attack the city. The turn of events scatters the party, stranding the five friends on the streets of Manhattan amid a citywide firestorm.

The entire movie is seen from Hud’s view from behind the camera, which seems clever at the beginning, but just becomes borderline nauseating after about 15 minutes.

Unfortunately, it’s like that for the entire 84-minute run time.

Once the action finally kicks off, the plot loses believability by the minute. I won’t give graphic details, but a woman who at one time was impaled ends up dead-out sprinting from the monster about two minutes later. The camcorder that the movie was supposedly being filmed behind survives both a helicopter crash and a savage mauling from the monster. It only gets worse from there.

The main subplot in “Cloverfield” was between Rob and Beth, who had a fight at Rob’s party. Beth leaves the party and goes back to her apartment, just before NYC starts to get attacked.

So as you can guess, once Rob hits the streets he decides to trek across the city for his new love. The romance

plot was predictable and mind-numbingly boring, and consumed too much screen time considering this was supposed to be a horror movie.

The special effects in “Cloverfield” were one of the movie’s lone decent spots, but the shaky camera angles made it hard to appreciate the mass destruction that Paramount paid so much for.

The first real eye-opener came when the Statue of Liberty’s head comes crashing down in the middle of the street. The onlookers then proceed to take out their camera phones and get their own footage. This was the first of several unintentional laugh-out-loud moments in the movie.

“Cloverfield” was flat-out lazy right through to the end; no explanation was ever given for how the monster got there or what it even was, and there was literally no ending. I left the theater feeling dumber, a feeling I usually reserve for walking out the senior doors at 2:40p.m.

This was no more than a lot of cheesy romance, filmed by an apparently indestructible camcorder, with some average monster special effects thrown in. Unless that appeals to you, save 84 minutes of your life and pass on “Cloverfield.”

{ }

the

» www.movieweb.com

BY

Good marketing campaign limited by shaky camera and poor plot

Last movie you saw

Song you’ve listened to most in 2008 (thus far)

Book you are reading

Thoughts on the writers’ strike

Your favorite movie of the year

ruth STARK A&E Section editor

National Treasure 2

Letter to Me

by Brad Paisley

I don’t read

I just really want Grey’s Anatomy back

Superbad

mac TAMBLYN A&E page designer

I Am Legend

No Surprises

by Radiohead

Snakehead

by Anthony Horowitz

Give the writers what they want

Superbad

The World Without Us by Alan Weisman

Get it figured out so the shows can come back

Transformers

A&E panel

beck JOHNSON Sophomore, guest panelist

4 feb.

2008

starscale

{ } poor {

Cloverfield

} fair {

Hillbilly Deluxe

by Brooks & Dunn

} solid {

} excellent {

} masterpiece Star ratings based on writer’s opinion

One Harbinger staffer eats (and critiques) his way through some of the city’s most notable pizza joints

23

» samkovzan

I was flat-out tired of Pizza Hut. It hit me after I downed five greasy pieces of what the commercials promise is “the best pizza under one roof.” Thing is, the best pizza isn’t supposed to lead to dehydration and stomach cramps.

Maybe I was just burnt out on take-out pizza, but two things were certain. First, I needed a hiatus from those deadly stuffed-crust Wing-Street cinnastick combos was needed. Second, and more importantly, I needed to break out of my corporate pizza shell and experience the unique, independent pizzerias in town.

A&E

by SLICE

slice

BY

D’Bronx | 3904 Bell Street AND Crown Center Shops

D’Bronx has three area locations, but the one on Bell Street near Westport attracts the largest crowds. It also has the best atmosphere of any restaurant I’ve been to in Kansas City.

Reminiscent of a stereotypical New York deli, the establishment is lined with old hardwood floors, red booths and graffiti-covered walls as alternative music plays from the speakers. Almost always filled to capacity with local urbanites and those who’ve made the trip from the surrounding suburbs, D’Bronx generates a unique, big-city atmosphere.

An extensive chalk-written menu hangs from above the ordering counter. I was there for the pizza of course, but the whole menu, from the 50 sandwich and calzone selections to the soups, salads and desserts, sounded great. Then my eye fell upon the D’Bronx Special: a pizza slice covered in everything imaginable—pepperoni, sausage, hamburger, mushrooms, black olives, green peppers, red peppers and extra cheese. Since New York style pizza slices are pretty large, I settled for one D’Bronx Special (without the black olives) and one classic pepperoni.

Frankly, D’Bronx serves the best pizza I’ve ever had. The doughy crust is cooked to a golden brown and tapers down to a thin, crispy middle. The D’Bronx Special, which had nearly half a pound of toppings heaped an inch high, needed to be eaten with a fork and knife, but was in itself great. Each bite has so much taste – whether it was the tender meats and mushrooms or the sweet peppers and onions.

The fact that there’s so much more than just pizza makes D’Bronx even more impressive.

From the award-winning Reubens to the limeades and apple cream pies, it takes more than just one trip to taste everything the place has to offer. Even so, it doesn’t surprise me why people call D’Bronx d’best.

Tony’s Villa Capri | 8126 Metcalf Ave Walking into Villa Capri, I felt like I’d been shot back to 1962, when the place opened. The interior featured torn blue booths covered with duct tape, old Schlitz chandeliers and paintings of Sicilian villages. The place was strangely quiet and a little grungy. Needless to say, my expectations weren’t high.

That’s when warm garlic breadsticks were served before I even ordered. The bread was accompanied with a small house salad —a variety of mixed greens with a vinegar-based Italian dressing. Not even spending a dime, I was being treated well.

After that, it was time to bury my nose in the menu.

Composed of a thin crust and a sweet tomato sauce, Villa Capri’s Napolitana style pizza was very light, so it wasn’t hard to plow through half a dozen slices. Though the name sounds gourmet, by no means is the pizza fancied up or overdone. In fact, it is reasonably priced ($8.75 for a 10-inch two-topping pizza) and every element, from the crust and sauce to the cheese and toppings, is authentic

and unique. The pepperoni was hot, the Italian sausage was shredded into small bits and the pizza’s sauce was the same Villa Capri uses on its pastas.

All of it tasted different than anything I’d had before, and by no means was different a bad thing.

Regardless, don’t let Villa Capri’s old and unappealing exterior fool you. After all, it is the oldest restaurant in Johnson County. Ignore the weedy parking lot, the defunct gutter, the shabby brick façade and just go in. I did, and I don’t regret it.

Spin! Neopolitan Pizza | 6541 W. 119th Street It didn’t take long to realize Spin! Neapolitan Pizza was different.

Located behind the Cheesecake Factory near the Sprint Campus, the restaurant emanates a refined atmosphere.

The best way to describe the place would be an odd combination of Olive Garden and Chipotle. Spin has the atmosphere of an Olive Garden—the ideal place to take the family for a pleasant dinner in a sophisticated setting.

It has the appearance of what I’d call a modern Chipotle— a massive stone oven visible to all customers occupies an entire corner of the interior, meals are paid for at the front counter and strange art portraits cover the dimly-lit dark red walls.

The Neapolitan style consists of a variety of meats and toppings roasted in that massive black oven and then applied to a thin crust, red or white sauce and a variety of Italian cheeses. Although food here is pricey (all pizzas feed two people and range from $11 to $13), the Spin experience is worth it.

I settled on the Margherita Di Giro— fresh mozzarella, roasted grape tomatoes, basil and roma tomato sauce—and the house specialty called Pollo Arrosto E Chevre— roasted chicken, goat cheese, caramelized onions, crimini mushrooms and an olive oil white sauce.

Service was exceptional: I was promptly served within 10 minutes of sitting down and treated to multiple Sprite refills. More significantly though, the pizza was great. Although the roasted chicken was a little dry, the caramelized onions, small mushrooms and zesty white sauce of the Pollo Arrosto make this pizza rival the D’Bronx Special.

If none of the specialties seem pleasing, the restaurant also gives customers an opportunity to “spin,” or create, their own pizza. Seven cheeses, 12 vegetables and seven meats are available, so going home unsatisfied is pretty hard to do.

issue » norasalle

10

After a hot, 10-3 start, the Lady Lancers are climbing to... » kevinsimpson

from Metro Sports’ Super 25

4 6 9 10 11 SM East

AG

IRL S’

Although the girls took a disappointing loss to 5A Shawnee Heights at the Emporia Tournament, they still are a top power among schools in their substate.

AS 6

ANS

BV North

LL K

Senior Cailan Taylor, who led the Mustangs with 23 points in a loss against #10 Blue Valley last Tuesday, is BV North’s key player.

LS’ BAS KET GIR AS 6 A

ANS LL K

This team has a lot of momentum after beating its rival, BV North, by 21. Senior Taylor Hanson is a sharpshooter from long-distance.

Olathe South Alyssa Rhodes leads the Sunflower League in assists with 7.3 per game. If she gets going, the Falcons are very hard to stop.

Sunflower Stats Rankings among Sunflower League, as of 1/27/08

points per game sophomore Janna Graf

6th 11th senior Taylon Johnson rebounds per game 12th junior Libby Jandl 2nd sophomore Janna Graf

TBA LS’ BAS KE

Lawrence

The Lions almost expected to go undefeated, but fell to the Lancers for their first loss. They have an explosive offense, but the Lancer trapping D shut it down.

TBA

AG

AS 6

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6A Girls’ Rankings

Blue Valley

IRL S’ B ASK E

LAD ANS

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NSA S6

4 feb.

championship.

“This team has the drive to win,” Rhoades said. “They are all kind of poor losers. They want to get out, they want to win, and they are going to do whatever it takes.”

DER

each game, long bus rides and a trip to the College Basketball Experience at the Sprint Center. These are bringing together a team that has high hopes after taking down a tough schedule thus far.

“Hopefully around sub-state, all of the experience of playing really competitive teams will pay off,” Johnson said.

Johnson is one of four players who average ten points per game, displaying the depth of this team, which didn’t lose for the season’s first month and a half.

The Lancers started 7-0, including the win over Lawrence, who is ranked fourth in Kansas. The only losses have come against Olathe South, SM West and to Shawnee Heights in the Emporia tournament. Rhoades did not want the team to dwell on the losses.

“We watch film the next day, and then it’s over,” he said.

“We don’t talk about that game. Once you leave the locker room, it’s over.

We moved on, and we won’t mention it again.”

Moving forward, Rhoades sees no reason why this team cannot compete for t h e state

TOP

Shawnee Mission North was in trouble, and the game hadn’t even begun. On Jan. 17, just a day before the Indians squared off with the Lancers, the East girls basketball team took aim at their rivals, literally.

“The day before a game, in the gym, we find a team’s logo on the wall,” sophomore forward Janna Graf said. “We throw basketballs at it. It’s a ritual that’s been done for a couple of years.”

Following their superstitions with substance, the Lancers picked up a 53-41 victory on the road. This was the eighth win for a program that is has its best record in 20 years. Coaches and players alike have attributed the 10-3 start [as of Jan. 30] to defense and teamwork in particular, but they still were surprised with the results.

“I had no idea we would be that good in terms of wins and losses,” coach Rick Rhoades said. “To be 8-1 [through Jan. 21] is pretty remarkable with the schedule we’ve had so far.”

The team came into the season facing the toughest part of its schedule early.

The opposition had tested the Lady Lancers. Lawrence and Olathe South, both league leaders and 11-2 as of Jan. 30, were challenges to the team.

“We beat teams we weren’t supposed to beat,” Rhoades said on Jan. 21. “Lawrence has beaten four teams ranked top 25 in the state, and we have been their only loss. After the game, I got 20 e-mails from coaches around the city wondering how we were able to beat them.”

Rhoades responded with two explanations: defense and chemistry. His players seem to back up that assessment.

“Our teamwork and pressure defense has really helped us get wins early in the season,” senior guard Taylon Johnson said.

“We’re pretty scrappy and we love to run a full-court press. We like to get the opponent to speed up their pace and rush shots.”

The first two games of the year were examples of this hectic pace: the team snatched a combined 62 steals.

“We’re getting turnovers,” Rhoades said. “For the first two weeks of practice, all we worked on was defense.”

Rhoades said that the one-sided emphasis led to a lack of execution on the offensive end.

“We really emphasize defense in practice, and it initially made our offense suffer,” Rhoades said.

“Then, we worked on offense, particularly shooting drills, to improve.”

Combining this shooting with assists, the players are willing to share the spotlight, displaying the chemistry of the team.

“No one cares about the points,” Graf said. “The extra pass is always made, and everyone wants to make everyone else better.”

Other ways of improving team chemistry include meals at Salty Iguana after

S 6A

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of the

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12.5 ppg

10.5 ppg

8.8 rpg

10.3 ppg

steals per game

1st

assists per game

6th

8th

senior Kelsey Whitaker 3.3 apg

senior Taylon Johnson 4.1 spg

2nd sophomore Janna Graf 3.9 spg

senior Taylon Johnson 2.9 apg

6th

junior Libby Jandl 3.2 spg

SPORTS

25

Heavy weight

HEART

Wrestler Dennis Jilka spent three years working his way up the varsity ladder, finally earning a starting position his senior year » karenboomer BY

» jordanpfeiffer

A JV wrestler last year, senior Dennis Jilka had no idea what was in store for this year’s varsity team.

The wrestling team had two returning state qualifiers from last year’s team, and with senior Anthony Garrett leading the heavy weight division, wrestling at 285, it looked like Jilka would be an extra for this year’s varsity team. But when a sudden injury to Garrett’s right shoulder happened just as the season was starting, an eager and excited Jilka was there to step up to the mat.

“Dennis has always been a hard worker, and strong.”

Coach Jason Fillbeck said. “But since last year, Dennis has gotten a lot stronger and a little bit bigger which makes a huge difference in his weight class.”

After last year’s season, Jilka weighed only 215 lbs, and was one of the lighter wrestlers in his weight class. But that didn’t stop him. He continued to train with the summer weights program and ate less soda and junk food, which were the things that got him ready for his senior football and wrestling seasons.

“Dennis hasn’t really Name weight class c h a n g e d Peter Stout 103 much of Sam Coen 112 what he did Chase Woofter 119 from last David Schrunk 125 season to this season,” Brandon Royle 130 h e a d Tanner Johnson 135 wrestling Joey Lutz 145

2007-2008 Wrestling Roster

David Webb 152 Jeff Rutherford 160 Kenton Kloster 171 Matt Baker 189 Andrew Collingwood 215 Dennis Jilka Heavyweight

coach Chip Ufford said. “He comes to practice consistently, works hard and eats right.”

Over the summer, he began a new regimen of creatine and lots of lifting that helped get to 230 lbs, which is his maximum weight. The hard work is beginning to pay off for Jilka. With a year of experience from wrestling with the last year’s seniors, Jilka feels right at home.

“Last year, I had some pretty good wrestlers beating up on me day in and day out,” Jilka said. “But now I am the one doing the beating.”

Jilka hasn’t just surprised his coaches, but he is also surprising others at the varsity meets. Placing in the top 10 and top five in most meets, Dennis has a record of 24-11, and making the climb towards his goals.

“At first I just wanted to be one of the top 16 wrestlers that go to the state tournament,” Jilka said. “But now I realize how good I can be and I’m now focused on being in the top six.”

With his record high, he has high expectations, but his coaches and his teammates

feel that Jilka gets the job done, just as he did last year.

“Dennis would go to the JV meets and win, placing in the top two or three every time,” Ufford said. “And this year I think he has a good chance of qualifying for state and even going down and winning some matches at state.”

With the ultimate goal of winning a state title this year in wrestling, Jilka may not be the most vocal leader, but he gets the job done.

He leads the team more by example through his wins on the mat.

5 ways to score points in a wrestling match 1. Takedowns-(2 points) 2. Escape-(1 point) 3. Reversal-(2 points) 4. Nearfall-(2 or 3 points) 5.Penalty points-(1 or 2 points) You score two points for taking your opponent down to the mat

You score one point for getting away or getting to a neutral position when your opponent has you down on the mat.

When your opponent has you down on the mat and you switch and gain control of your opponent.

When you almost but not quite get your opponent pinned.

Your opponent is awarded points if you commit certain infractions.

» www.wvmat.com

SPORTS

26

varsity Basketball

varsity swimmer

jack

walker

To some, a Speedo and goggles would be embarrassing, but to sophomore Jack Walker, it’s a lifestyle. Walker swims year round with the Swim Academy, a swim club, which can be tiring for the mind and the body.

“I swam the 200 freestyle and 500 freestyle last year,” Walker said. “And I added the 100 freestyle this year.”

Since the beginning of the season, Walker has dropped his 100 by four seconds, 200 by five seconds and 500 by nine seconds.

Walker also has been eating healthy and working out to keep his body in shape.

“I’ve lifted weights before the season began, and then some during the season,” Walker said. “I stopped a little while ago, and now I’m just trying to prepare for state.”

Shaving his legs is another thing Walker does just as all the swimmers do before getting ready for state.

“I shave during the season, but other than that and before state, I don’t shave,” he said.

» all photos by mackenziewylie

Beyond the stats

a look at some of our varsity athletes jordanpfeiffer BY

varsity wrestler

»

tanner

johnson

4

feb.

jack

As a freshman, current sophomore Tanner Johnson was looked to be one of the better wrestlers in his weight class on the team. Wrestling at the Shawnee Mission North duel, Tanner ended up tearing his labrum in his left shoulder, which set him back last year.

“Tanner is starting to get back into the Tanner form he was in last year,” head coach Chip Ufford said. “But in his last tournament Tanner started to show signs buying into our wrestling style.”

Tanner last year hadn’t quite bought into Ufford’s style of wrestling, which consisted of keeping a good position on the mat, executing his fundamentals and being a sound wrestler.

Tanner’s record last year was 25-7, and he wants to get more than 30 wins this year.

“I’m at 22 wins right now, and we have a couple of tournaments left,” Tanner said.

Placing third in his last tournament, Tanner is hoping to place at state this year.

slaughter

Junior Jack Slaughter is averaging just over 4.5 points per game, and coming right off the bench for the team. Playing the postposition at the height of 6’ 3”, Slaughter is usually undersized, playing against players that are two or three inches taller than him. In a recent game against Shawnee Mission North, Slaughter scored eight points in the victory and guarded a larger player in their 6’4” center. Providing a spark from off the bench, Slaughter can hold his own against the trees of the Sunflower League.

Although she’s not the tallest basketball player in the Sunflower League and not the highest scorer on the team, junior center Christina Davis gets it done on defense.

Averaging just over two points per game, Davis comes off the bench bringing energy and a good jump shot.

“Christina is a very good shooter, giving us range at the five spot,” head girls’ basketball coach Rick Rhoades said.

A key component to the girls’ varsity defense, Davis is averaging a little less than two blocks per game, and on the season has the highest shot blocking total at 14.

“She has very long arms, which makes it difficult for offensive players when they get it inside to take it to the basket or get a shot off, because she will time her blocks perfectly,” Rhoades said. “She is improving every game, and bringing energy off the bench when we need it, giving us good minutes at center.”

Davis is giving valuable minutes to the Lady Lancers and through defensive pressure will help them as they improve their record in the Sunflower League. Coming off of their best season this year with key wins against a strong Lawrence team and a talented SMW team, they are beginning to look at starting their march towards State.

varsity bowler

christina

davis

brady

anderson

As a sophomore, current junior Brady Anderson decided to take up bowling as a fun sport just to pass the winter months, and to get some extra games in. But as he slowly began to get better, he soon found a sport that he wanted to pursue.

“After making varsity last year, I slowly began to get better, and now I am expected to do my best,” Anderson said.

Instead of using the inhouse balls, which have a weighted core, Anderson bought his own bowling balls this year, which have a weighted core to the side.

“The weight on the side of the ball adds side spin,” Anderson said. “Which helps with the accuracy of centering it towards the pins.”

Anderson also has changed his technique from last year, changing his footwork and release.

“Changing the release, and adding strength helps with the speed of the ball,” Anderson said.

“And the footwork just helps with the ball placement.”

Looking towards state, Anderson is hoping to place this year after a disappointing loss last year by just two pins.

&

5 minutes with...

27

junior • bowling

“

On his start in bowling- I started when I was five. My uncle taught me and just kept teaching me every year. We bowled at Ranchmart together. He was a really good bowler and was lefthanded. He actually just died five years ago.

On the attitudes of the bowlers- On JV, it’s kind of like you can do whatever and have fun, but when you get to the top four varsity guys, you have to focus and roll good scores.

On his best score, 289- I had a perfect game the entire way until the last frame. It was money.

On his expectations for the rest of the year- I think we will end up doing well. I think we can qualify three guys for state.

On his uncle’s ball- After he died, I got his ball and changed it so it was right-handed. I also got it engraved. It’s the ball I still use.

SPORTS

curtis wells

sean robinson junior • bowling

“

”

» kristinbarker

Robinson, Wells and the rest of the bowling team take on Lawrence and St. James Academy at AMF West Lanes at 3:30 p.m. today. It’s also Senior Night, and the boys’ seniors are Charles Marx and Zach Zwibelman.

On his different bowling balls- I have a ReActive ball, which is my strike ball, and a plastic ball to get spares. I also have different balls for the different lane conditions.

On how meet scoring works- There are six bowlers on varsity, and the top four series scores count towards the overall score. We bowl one series a meet. It’s cool because if you have a bad game, other people can pick you up and keep the team’s score strong.

On his best score, 268- I started off 9-spare, so I didn’t really ever have a shot [at the perfect game]. It was kind of disappointing at the end, knowing I bowled so well.

On his expectations for the rest of the year- I think we’re doing pretty good right now. I don’t think it’s too competitive, but we all have fun and it’s a cool hobby.

On lane conditions- If the lanes are oily, the ball won’t move as much, so you have to adjust. If the lanes are pretty dry, it will hook a lot more.

”

» annaleek

the panel mike CRAY clark GOBLE sam LOGAN joe SERNETT nick RATLIFF

Varsity boys’ bball Varsity girls’ bball @ SMNW vs. Olathe South SM East

SM East

SM East

SM East

SM East

SM East

SM East

SM East

SM East

SM East

College bballDuke @ UNC

Beasley- Durant or Dud in NBA?

UNC, 88-80

Durant

1. Kansas 2. Kansas St. 3. Texas

Kevin Durant, SEA

Dud

1. Kansas 2. Texas 3. Kansas St.

Al Horford, ATL

Dud

1. Kansas St. 2. Kansas 3. Texas

Al Horford, ATL

Durant

1. Kansas 2. Kansas St. 3. Texas

Kevin Durant, SEA

Durant

1. Kansas 2. Texas 3. Baylor

Jamario Moon, TOR

UNC, 95-82

UNC, 92-84

Duke, 88-86

Duke, 84-82

Big 12 Mens’ NBA Rookie of Basketball Top 3 the Year

issue

10

PHOTOESSAY

28

BELOW LEFT Senior Dylan Roth learns how to snowboard at Snow Creek, where there are several easy trials. Snow Creek often creates its own snow. With over 60 snow machines, they can produce up to 12 inches of snow in 24 hours.

sarahandrews

LEFT: After being woken up by Stuco members, the candidates meet at McDonalds to eat breakfast before school. Stuco provides them with a crown to wear during the school day.

»karenboomer

becoming a sweetheart Ten senior boys and ten senior girls were nominated to become the Sweetheart King or Queen

Jan. 16 Senior nominations

4

feb.

2008

Jan. 22 Candidates woken up

Jan. 25

Jan. 31

Sweetheart pep assembly

All school vote

ABOVE: Singing the school song, seniors Michael Perbeck, Zach Barnhill and Derek O’Grady join the rest of the nominees during the Sweetheart pep assembly. Later at the assembly the candidates are introduced to the student body. » karenboomer RIGHT: Seniors Adrienne Wood and Brett Hidaka nominate the Sweetheart candidates by choosing five senior girls and five senior boys.» karenboomer

Feb. 1 Queen announced at basketball game

Feb. 2 King announced at dance