HARBINGER war bringing the THE
issue 10 february 5 2007
Shawnee Mission East 7500 Mission Rd. Prairie Village, KS 66208
WAR ON TERROR SOLDIERS DEATH BOMBER OSAMA WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION IRAQ SUICIDE BOMBER INSURGENTS HUMVEES WAR ON TERROR SOLDIERS DEATH BOMBER OSAMA WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION SOLDIER IRAQ SUICIDE BOMBER INSURGENTS HUMVEES BUSH CHENEY SADDAM LAW PREEMPTIVE FALL OF A REGIME RUMSFELD CAMPAIGN LIFE INTERNATIONAL SUPPORT CASUALTIES SOLDIER DEATH PRESS FOREIGN POLICY DESERT STRUGGLE ENLISTING MEN WOMEN LIFE WAR ON TERROR SOLDIER DEATH BOMBER DEATH LIFE FIGHT OSAMA WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION IRAQ SUICIDE BOMBER INSURGENTS HUMVEES WAR ON TERROR SOLDIERS DEATH BOMBER OSAMA WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION IRAQ SUICIDE BOMBER INSURGENTS HUMVEES BUSH CHENEY SADDAM LAW PREEMPTIVE DESERT FALL OF A REGIME RUMSFELD CAMPAIGN DEATH DESTRUCTION LIFE INTERNATIONAL SUPPORT CASUALTIES DEATH PRESS FOREIGN POLICY DESERT STRUGGLE ENLISTING MEN WOMEN LIFEWAR ON TERROR SOLDIERS DEATH BOMBER OSAMA WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION IRAQ SUICIDE BOMBER INSURGENTS HUMVEES WAR ON TERROR SOLDIERS DEATH BOMBER OSAMA WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION SOLDIER IRAQ SUICIDE BOMBER INSURGENTS HUMVEES BUSH CHENEY SADDAM LAW PREEMPTIVE FALL OF A REGIME RUMSFELD CAMPAIGN LIFE INTERNATIONAL SUPPORT CASUALTIES SOLDIER DEATH PRESS FOREIGN POLICY DESERT STRUGGLE ENLISTING MEN WOMEN LIFE WAR ON TERROR SOLDIER DEATH BOMBER DEATH LIFE FIGHT OSAMA WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION IRAQ SUICIDE BOMBER INSURGENTS HUMVEES WAR ON TERROR SOLDIERS DEATH BOMBER OSAMA WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION IRAQ SUICIDE BOMBER INSURGENTS HUMVEES BUSH CHENEY SADDAM LAW PREEMPTIVE DESERT FALL OF A REGIME RUMSFELD CAMPAIGN INTERNATIONAL SUPPORT CASUALTIES DEATH PRESS FOREIGN POLICY DESERT STRUGGLE ENLISTING MEN WOMEN LIFE WAR ON TERROR SOLDIERS DEATH BOMBER OSAMA WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION IRAQ SUICIDE BOMBER INSURGENTS HUMVEESHome WARofON TERROR Overland Park resident Joe Spector, who places a flag in his front yard for every soldier who has died in Iraq. Anderson’s flag is now among the 3000 that will be re-erected in the spring. SOLDIERS DEATH BOMBER OSAMA WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION SOLDIER IRAQ SUICIDE BOMBER INSURGENTS by [libby nachman] HUMVEES BUSH CHENEY SADDAM LAW PREEMPTIVE FALL OF A REGIME RUMSFELD CAMPAIGN LIFE INTERNATIONAL
Effects of Iraqi violence can be seen in our own community after the death of former East student Ian Anderson
TURN:TO
Ian Anderson’s death in Iraq wasn’t a nameless, faceless number. His death wasn’t something that just happened halfway around the world. His death wasn’t easy to ignore. His death hit closer to home. Sgt. Ian C. Anderson lived in Prairie Village and attended East for his freshman year and half of his sophomore year in high school. He was killed on Jan. 15 in Mosul, Iraq when a bomb blew up near his Humvee. He had just turned 22-years-old the week before and had been in Iraq for only a few months. “He wanted to change something over there,” Ian’s sister-in-law sophomore Tara Mason said. “He wanted to do something for the little children.” Ian didn’t go to Iraq because he believed in the fight – he went because he was sent there. He had joined the Army initially because it paid for his college. But once he went to Iraq, he made it his mission to change the world for the Iraqi children. “He was one of the only guys that would hand out candy to the little boys and girls in Iraq,” Tara said. “One day I guess he didn’t have candy so he started handing out money and he started giving them ones. He ran out of ones, so he started giving them tens, and when he ran out of tens, he started giving them twenties.” Ian gave out almost $250 that day. He told his wife, Tara’s sister Suzanne Anderson, that
PURCHASING POWER New Product (RED) campaign promotes global awareness and offers special edition items, such as clothing and cellphones 12
he had done it to help the little kids who needed school supplies and that he hoped she wasn’t angry with him. But Ian was too friendly to be angry with. “He was like a 15-year-old trapped in a 22-year-old body,” Tara said. “He loved to have fun. He just liked to be at home. He was a more homey person.” Tara remembers the days that she spent at home with Ian, ever since she met him when she was in third grade. Kicking a soccer ball around outside. Watching him play “Halo 2” or “The World of Warcraft” and talking to him the entire time. Wrestling and trading fake punches. “He was the big brother I never got to have,” Tara said. “My big brother right now, he doesn’t do anything with me that Ian would do with me.” Ian and Suzanne had actually met through their brothers – though Suzanne had graduated from East in 2003, they had never met at school. Their wedding also showed Ian’s love for the simplicity of being with his family. They married at the courthouse, Ian standing tall in his military uniform and Suzanne in a white dress spattered with black polka-dots. Afterward, there was a tiny reception at Ian’s mom’s house. continued on page 3
LOVEABLE GIFTS See what items are going to be hot for this Valentine’s Day, whether you’re shopping for girlfriends or boyfriends 17
DELICIOUS DEALS Featured food promotions at area restaurants are perfect for any senior’s lunch 19
20 DAYS TO spring sports
page 2 [news]
New information released about Kentucky plane crash
Recent documents elicit lawsuit over crash that claimed East student’s life by [ronan mcghie] New information released by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) regarding the tragic crash of Comair flight 5191—in which 49 of 50 passengers died, including junior Paige Winters—has prompted the Winters family to file a lawsuit in federal court against Comair. The Winters’ case mainly focuses on the pilots’ actions according to the Winters’ lawyer Brad Manson. “The foundation of our case is very simple: the pilots drove off the wrong runway,” Manson said. “There were lots of signs and they didn’t notice them.” According to Manson, the pilots originally boarded the wrong plane and did not get sufficient sleep the night before. Cockpit voice records in the NTSB report show that flight 5191 was cleared to take off from Runway 22 by the flight control tower. The Lexington Herald-Leader reported that, after clearing the plane for lift off, the air traffic controller turned away to perform other duties. Captain Jeffery Clay confirmed that he was taxiing on “Runway two-two” but he instead taxied onto Runway 26: a short, unlit, secondary runway only half the length of the other runway. Flight records released by the NTSB show that both pilots recognized that the runway was not lit: Polehinke said, “Dat [sic] is weird with no lights” to which Clay responded “Yeah.” According to lawyer Brad Manson, at that point the pilots could have stopped the airplane. The NTSB report shows no action taken by either pilot to stop the takeoff or confirm they were using the correct runway. Before the plane could lift off, Comair flight 5191 ran out of runway. According to Manson, their plane needed 5,000 feet to take off and that
NEWS B R I E F S
Sweetheart Dance
Sweetheart Nominees King Erik Barrow Taylor Cantril Colin Hertel John Jandl Sean Maida Johnny Mcguire John Mcneeley Bobby Miller Sam Speer Phillip Wolff Spencer Yohn
Y
Come enjoy a “Starry Night” at the Sweetheart Dance on Saturday from 810:30 p.m. Tickets will be on sale this week and cost $10 in advance and $15 at the door. All non-East guests attending must be registered in room 307 prior to the dance.
What we know now IReactions think that there are so many things
the plane actually crashed at 5,000 feet—in the grass and woods. According to Manson, the families of the victims are filing individual lawsuits against Comair and will consolidate the cases if it goes to trial. Manson said he hoped to have the trial, if there is one, here in Kansas. “They want answers; they lost their daughter,” Manson said. “You can’t put a price on that. They are in some considerable hurt. They want answers, to hold the company responsible and to make changes so it doesn’t happen again.” As reported by the Associated Press, initial investigations into the crash stated that the passengers were killed instantly, but the new information in the NTSB report reveals that 16 people survived the initial impact, including Winters. Recently released documents show that smoke inhalation was a contributing factor in Winters’ death. The FAA discovered that Blue Grass Airport in Kentucky had only one controller on duty, performing both tower and radar duties. This is in violation of an internal policy that requires at least two controllers to be on duty on the overnight shift. Flight 5191’s pilots—Clay and Polehinke – were talking about their family, pets and jobs during the fated takeoff. Although frequently violated as reported by the Associated Press, talking during liftoff is forbidden under the “sterile cockpit” rule. In response, the Comair airline company has stated that they are “determined to understand all of the safety issues surrounding the accident and will take any steps necessary to safely operate.”
Queen Christie Beeder Olivia Curran Meg Fracol Abigail Harlan Charlotte Kerr Annie Krieg Melissa Melling Courtney Newell Claire Ryan Rachel Sixta Emily Watkins
• The identity of the air traffic controller. Christopher Damron, who has worked at the Lexington tower for 17 year had only had two hours of sleep the morning of the crash. • The moments before the crash. Seconds before the crash, co-pilot James Polehinke states that the runway looks “wierd” without lights. Pilot Jeffery Clay agrees. The last intelligible word before impact is from Clay, saying “whoa.” • Causes of death Autopsies show that a contributing factor to some of the victim’s deaths, including Winters’ was smoke inhalation. Other factors include injuries from impact or burns. • Lawsuits Other lawsuits have been filed by family members of other victims, suing Delta, Blue Grass Airport, and the co-pilot, James Polehinke.
Timeline of documents
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that could have been prevented. You think it was because of the pilots or tower, but you can’t blame the pilots; they had families too. Freshman Jack Logan I believe Thomas (Fahey) was protecting her. Yes, I believe the pilots are at fault. There are a lot of things that could have gone differently. Sophomore Abby Weltner It’s always in the back of my head; I’m always thinking about it. Junior Jaclyn Haith It’s a shame people have to go through this again with the new stories; my thoughts are with the Winters f amily. Senior Kelby Polfer
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Jan. 17
Jan. 26
A document is released with the pilot’s conversation moments before the crash.
A document is released stating that the plane was about a second from the runway when it achieved takeoff speed.
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Last week A document shows that a contributing factor to Winters’ death was smoke inhalation. Source: Lexington Herald-Leader
Down Syndrome Dance
Spirit Week Get in the spirit of WPA by participating in spirit week: Today Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday
College Tacky Sweater Elementary School Fictional Character Lancer Day
The Down Syndrome dance, a volunteer project where East students socialize with teens and adults with Down Syndrome, will be held on Feb. 13 in the cafeteria. There is no cost, and refreshments will be served.
Spring play auditions Spring play auditions for “The Odd Couple” will be on Feb. 13, 14 and 15.
No School There will be no school on Feb. 16 or 19 due to parent teacher conferences and President’s Day.
Photos by Patrick Mayfield
What’s
Drill Team
with...
Jazz Band This Tuesday at 7 p.m.there will be a jazz concert in the Dan Zollars auditorium. The younger Jazz students, the Blue Notes, will be contributing mostly swing and standard/professional charts. The older students,
the Blue Knights, will perform mainly blues pieces. Many of their pieces are in preparation for the Jazz festival that takes place this March. One Ellington piece that will be included in the performance is being sent in attempts to be invited back to New York.
After placing first at the drill team camp competition in Emporia this past summer, the girls qualified for nationals and the opportunity to perform selected routines in Orlando, Florida on March 2 through the 5. The team has chosen to perform a hiphop and pom-pom routine and be judged on each.
Initially, the school had said the dance team wouldn’t be allowed to take the trip because of KSHSAA (Kansas State High School Activities Association) guidelines stating that a school sponsored athletic event has to be within a certain distance. Because “drill team” isn’t even regarded as a sport, they thought they should be exempt
the [harbinger]
from this rule. Even so, the team is now referring to the competition as a field trip to avoid the conflict. The team will be paying for the trip through fundraisers and donations. The Bank of Prairie Village has personally donated $500. The dance team has also raised money with car washes and last fall’s Lancer
Photo by Samantha Ludington
new
page 3 [news]
Former student dies in explosion in Iraq East sophomore and sister-in-law describes loss of honored soldier, father, brother and friend continued from page 1
The news of Ian’s death came at 3 a.m. on Jan. 15. “I was sleeping and I heard my dad in the other room and I ran into the room and my dad said it was my sister,” Tara said. “She told my dad and my dad told me and my mom. I cried for about five hours straight. Then, finally, I went to bed for like three hours.” Former East student Ian Anderson and his wife, Suzanne Anderson. Ian was killed in Iraq on Jan. When Tara woke up the next day, 15. Both Ian and Suzanne were in the Army and stationed in Iraq. photo courtesy of Tara Mason disoriented from lack of sleep, she saw Ian’s daughter, her niece, three-year-old Lillian, and began to cry again. “When we found out what happened, I just looked at Lillian and started crying, because she looked so much like Ian,” Tara What was your reaction to hearing that a said. “She’s like her dad. She likes to be at home. She’s a homeformer East student had died in Iraq? person.” Allison Roebuck, 9 Charlie Long, 10 But describing Lillian makes Tara laugh, too. “She’s terrible!” Tara said, giggling for the first time. “She gets into everything. [But] she means everything to me. I love her so much.” She meant everything to Ian, too. Before he left for Iraq, he would take her outside to play soccer or just to enjoy the weather outdoors. On his rare phone calls home, he would always speak to Lillian. I was really shocked. I didn’t I wasn’t surprised. I knew that *** think it would happen to some- people were dying over there Ian’s funeral was a quiet, private affair. Due to the protests one who went to East. and it could happen to someone often made at military funerals, the family made the decision to in our community. Dana Bloom, 11 keep the funeral exclusive. “The funeral was one of the best funerals I’ve been to,” Tara Michael Owens, 12 said. “They did the 21 gun salute. They did taps. The flag that was draped over the casket was given to my sister.” Suzanne can add the flag to the collection of objects that remind Tara and her family of Ian: his dog tags, his Bronze Star, his Purple Heart. When her sister buys her own house, Tara says that she’ll put these up on a tribute wall to Ian. For now, they rest in Tara’s room. I basically just thought about But it’s more than physical objects that make Tara think of how I would feel in a situation It made the tragedy of death Ian. like this if someone close to me in wartime seem closer than “I think about him all the time,” she said. “Even though I saw died. I just prayed for the family it normally is. his casket and saw him get buried, I still don’t think it’s true. It’s and friends of his. just got to take time to realize that it’s real.” In the meantime, Tara is glad for the tributes that Ian got, such as the moment of silence throughout the school. “People should keep it in their minds that something like Forty Kansans fought and died in Iraq. this happened,” she said. She talks of having an assembly for These are just a few of those honored men.
RESPONSE
Serving their country Staff Sgt.
HenryLinck 23 Killed when a makeshift bomb exploded near his unit while on patrol during combat operations in Baghdad. Manhattan, KS
Spec.
Pfc.
ShaneAustin Died of injuries suffered from 19 enemy grenade fire in Ramadi, Iraq, on Oct. 8, 2006. Edgerton, KS
Staff Sgt.
JosephLister 22
KevinZeigler 21
Killed in Ar Ramadi, Iraq. Lister was in a convoy when his vehicle was hit by an improvised explosive device on Nov. 20, 2003. Pleasanton, KS
One of two soldiers killed when a roadside bomb detonated near their dismounted patrol in Baghdad, Iraq. Overland Park, KS
Sgt. 1st Class
BernardDeghand 42 Killed when his unit met enemy forces using small arms and rocketpropelled grenade fire during combat operations in Spira, Afghanistan. Mayetta, KS
T
Ian, similar to the one held for Paige Winters, to help people remember. Principal Susan Swift said that although there won’t be an assembly for Ian, she is doing her best to make sure that he is being recognized and remembered. “We did the moment of silence on Friday,” Swift said. “The moment of silence was a way to recognize him for his service. We’re looking into the [veteran’s] memorial that’s out front to see if he meets the criteria to be on there.” She is still searching for the list of criteria, but one of the criteria is most likely that the memorial is for graduates. Still, Swift feels that Ian definitely belongs on the memorial. “Because he died in action, even though he wasn’t a graduate, we’re looking into memorializing him,” Swift said. “[Not memorializing him] doesn’t seem to me to be an issue.” Regardless of whether or not he was a graduate, he did attend, though he left halfway through his sophomore year to be homeschooled. Spanish teacher Ann Hunt remembers Ian as a very quiet, polite boy when he was in her freshman Spanish I class. “He would always say hello in Spanish — ‘Buenos días’ — and sit down,” Hunt said. She pointed to a seat across the room, under the windows. “I remember a lot of times he’d sit in that corner.” Though Ian’s death saddened Hunt, she’s thankful that he found happiness in his short life. “From the picture, he looks like he found himself and he’s really happy and he was fulfilled in his marriage and had found his niche,” Hunt said. “I was glad to see that.” *** Tara is still dealing with Ian’s death, still remembering vivid memories of Ian. Like the time on the Fourth of July when he dug a trench in the dirt, built a mud wall to dam up some water and stuck fireworks into the wall. He set off the explosives and they blew the wall into smithereens, letting the dammed up water rush through the trench. Or the time that he took her to a park with a fenced-in soccer court, surrounded by four inches of concrete and a metal fence. “I tried to steal the ball and he pushed me,” Tara said. “I’d push him back and he started laughing. He’d push me on the ground and I’d say, ‘I give up!’” Ian was a caring person, looking only for the joys of family and fun. His name will join over 3000 others’ names on the everlengthening list of soldiers who have died. But his memory will linger on, especially with Tara and her family. “He was a really good guy and he’ll be missed,” Tara said. “A
hree years ago there were 1200 flags in Joe Spector’s yard. Two years ago there were 2000. By Dec. 2006 there were nearly 3000 flags in Spector’s lawn, covering every inch with red, white and blue. Spector’s flags stand to represent every soldier that has died in Iraq, from the sergeant in California to soldiers like Ian Anderson who are closer to home. “I want people to remember those that have died,” Spector said. “It’s important that we realize what’s going on.” East grad honors soldiers Spector started putting up his flags in 2004 by [bernadette myers] after his good friend lost his son in the war. He wanted to raise awareness and make sure the men dying would be remembered. Within the first year of putting out flags Spector received over 1500 cards, phone calls photos by mackenzie wylie from all over the nation and he spoke on thirty
Flying the Flag
Feb. 5, 2007
different radio stations. “I was even on Good Morning America and in the USA Today,” Spector said. Once the year was over he was asked to continue the memorial by members of the community and the flags have stood tall ever since. Bad weather has forced Spector to take them down for now, but they will be re-erected in the spring. Keeping the flags preserved was important because initially it cost about $1500 to order them from Ebay. “After they found out what I was doing, though, Ebay donated all of them,” Spector said. After dying on Jan. 15. Ian Anderson, former East student, also has a flag among his fellow soldiers
page 4 [news]
Filling the Bowl for by [natalie eisenach] Seven hundred and ninety eight million people suffer from hunger on a daily basis, and yet Americans throw away 48 million tons of food every year. To help draw attention to this growing problem, the Shawnee Mission district is hosting the second annual Empty Bowls charity dinner tonight. The Empty Bowls dinner will be held at SM West from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Patrons who attend pay $15 for a ticket which buys them a student designed bowl and a soup dinner courtesy of Panera. The proceeds from the event are going to the City Union Mission. The Mission provides shelter, beds and food for thousands of Kansas City’s poor and homeless; last year the event raised over $16,000 for the shelter. “I think that money goes to a great cause. I go to the function because the food is good and
What’s Happening: Empty Bowls is tonight at Shawnee Mission West from 5:30-7:30 p.m. Tickets are $15, and they include a dinner from Panera and a student-designed bowl.
Hunger
there is a lot of nice art,” said Chuck Crawford, who made four bowls for the dinner. The National Art Honors Society held a workday at SM North on Jan. 18 for students to make bowls for the event. Students could decorate pre-made ceramics, or throw their own bowls on the pottery wheel. More advanced pieces were also carved out of wood and molded from glass. Local celebrities, such as Wizards player Kerry Zaragrin, and artists stopped by to make bowls. Their bowls will be put into the silent auction. The rest of the bowls were made by teachers, such as Jim Ricker, and Shelley Trewolla’s art foundations and ceramics classes. One of the highlights of the event is getting to see the variety of designs that students have developed across the district. Annie Krieg, a senior exec of NAHS, went to last year’s dinner and is returning again this year to volunteer. “It’s a great experience. You see a lot of people in the district come and support one cause,” she said. “There is a range [of bowls]. There are the little kids’ bowls with bunny ears sitting next to the professionals artist’s bowls.” Senior Katie Wright, the president of NAHS, will also be returning to work at the dinner.
Most of the volunteers help to put the bowls out on display before the event. At the dinner they help serve the soup, clean up tables and show visitors around the gallery. According to ceramics teacher Shelley Trewolla, this year the number of guests is expected to increase from 900 to 1,200. The district art show will be held simultaneously that night. Students in kindergarten through high school will have 2-D art from this year on display. “There are going to be a lot of people at the district art show,” said Wright. “ It draws a lot of people in to look at our art and to donate to charity”. Empty Bowls has come along way since it first began in 1990. It started with an a high school teacher in Michigan trying to raise money during a can drive, and from there it has expanded. Since then, there have been over 1,000 dinners held nation wide, sending aid to hungry people all over the world.
the [harbinger]
sal ly d rap e
East students and teachers create ceramic bowls for charity dinner
y to b pho
What is the City Union Mission? •City Union Mission is an evangelical Christian ministry committed to sharing the gospel and meeting the spiritual, physical, and emotional needs of men, women and children who are poor and homeless •It’s the largest rescue mission in a six-state area •In 2005, about 292,000 meals and 127,000 beds were provided to those in need Source: City Union Mission
page 5 [Editorial]
HARBINGER staff Selected the
Self -
SUCCESS Changes in enrollment allow students to choose harder classes for themselves other problem that students might have needed to face— getting into the IB program. After a tough transition into high school during freshman year, students can easily find themselves with an undesirably low GPA. One that is too low to dig themselves out of in two semesters in order to make the requirements for IB. The fall back and check method to self-selection is the school policy that if a student receives a C in two consecutive quarters, that student must drop the honors class and take a regular class. The self-selection is a free pass. If you are not cut out for the class, you must drop. This further proves the point that everyone should be given the opportunity to challenge himself or herself. Not all will succeed, but that is why those classes exist – to put the right student in the right class. Teachers should be encouraging students to take the hard classes, not discouraging them from challenging themselves. Having no requirements opens up the doors of success to more students. So you failed chemistry? You might be really good at biology, but you will never know because you weren’t recommended for taking Bio II AP. Although your teachers are the ones who grade you, the student is the only one who actually knows what they are capable of. Now, barriers won’t be put up in front of students who have struggled with challenging themselves in easy classes. Taking the risk of putting yourself in a hard class will now always be possible. There is now no way to put barriers on students who want to challenge themselves; nor should there ever be. The student’s stimulation is a key element to the success of the student, the teacher and the school.
AGREE DISAGREE ABSENT
D
Anyone can enroll in an honors class for next year. There will no longer be the hassle of going through the appeal process or getting recommendations from teachers. Students’ futures are now in their own hands, and this new arrangement is exactly what the school needed. Students know that honors classes have a reputation for more work and harder tests. But most importantly, we know that honors classes are more challenging. Students who don’t want to work hard in math will usually take it upon themselves to steer clear of honors math courses. But if a student who isn’t very good in math still wants to take on the challenge of enrolling in an honors math class, they should always be allowed in. The fact that they want a challenge should be enough. If East is supposed to be the school where the students are held to the highest standard, and a school where education is supposed to flourish, we need to be motivated and have the ability to challenge ourselves. Even though the new freedom of being able to choose any class is overall a good thing, it does not mean that everyone should be carelessly taking honors classes. If a student is not willing to work hard and take the class seriously, they shouldn’t enroll. IB and honor classes are not just a quick way to increase your GPA with the extra grade point. It takes dedication. A student can become stuck in a non-honors class because they never take part in the course and receive bad grades from lack of involvement and stimulation. From strictly a grade point viewpoint these students should not be admitted into honors classes; they could never keep up. However, sometimes students who seem lazy and zone out in class are simply not motivated. It takes an intense class to bring out the best in them—not a slower paced one. Honors and IB classes are usually discussion based and require lots of student participation. This participation is sometimes just the motivation students need to get their grades up. With honors classes open to all, students will be the ones taking charge of their futures. The lectures that once seemed beneath them are now stimulating and more compelling, giving students a want to learn. Having all classes open to students takes care of an-
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Feb. 5, 2007
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Editor-in-Chief AMANDA ALLISON Assistant Editors PETER GOEHAUSEN LAURA NELSON Art/Design Editors DEREK MARTIN ELLIE WEED
Photo Editor SAMANTHA LUDINGTON Assistant Photo Editor KATIE WOODS Head Copy Editor HALLIE MCCORMICK News Section Editor PAIGE CORNWELL News Page Editor DEVEN O’BRYAN Op/Ed Section Editor DANIEL HEADY Opinion Page Editor NATALIE EISENACH MOLLY TIDRICK Features Section Editor SARA STEINWART Features Page Editors RACHEL BIRKENMIER BERNADETTE MYERS RACHEL MAYFIELD
Freelancer Page Editors LAUREN ERICKSON RUTH STARK JOEY SOPTIC Sports Section Editor CLARK GOBLE Sports Page Editors SARAH LUBY NICK RATLIFF Ads/ Business MELISSA MCKITTRICK Copy Editors TOM GROTEWOHL THOMAS BRASLAVSKY ADRIENNE WOOD LIBBY NACHMAN RONAN MCGHIE
Staff Writers ERIN MORRISSEY ALLY HEISDORFFER SYLVIA SHANK MEGAN BENSON LANDON MCDONALD MICHAEL HAKE FOSTER TIDWELL ELIZABETH MCGRANAHAN SAM LOGAN NATHAN YAFFE Circulation DAVIN PHILLIPS
Spread Editor LIBBY NACHMAN Assistant Spread Editor STEPHEN NICHOLS Mixed Editor MEG SHACKELFORD A&E Section Editor KATIE JONES A&E Page Editors JOHNNY MCGUIRE Adviser C. DOW TATE
Photographers KAREN BOOMER ABBA GOEHAUSEN JENNY HOWARD FRANCES LAFFERTY PATRICK MAYFIELD TAYLER PHILLIPS MARISA STEVENS RACHEL ENGLISH MACKENZIE WYLIE ANNA LEEK SALLY DRAPE
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The majority opinion of the Harbinger Editorial Board
Each issue the 11 members of the board choose a topic and a member writes the editorial. Before being published a consensus is made and the results are published here.
New classes offered at East
Argumentation and Discussion Digital Business Wellness and Nutrition Clothing 3 & 4
Changes in graduation requirements Classes 2007 & 2008 2 units of science 0 fine arts AP classes don’t have to take test
Classes 2009 & beyond 3 units of science 1 fine arts AP classes have to take test to receive AP credit
page 6 [opinion]
an opinion of
Stroke of Midnight 11:58 p.m Thomas Braslavsky
Five minutes to midnight. That is what the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists moved its
Doomsday Clock to on January 17th. Originally started in 1947 as a way to express the dangers of nuclear annihilation, the Doomsday Clock measures, in symbolic “minutes”, how close humanity is to being destroyed. The BAS regulates the minute hand based on the danger that it perceives, with midnight being the time of ultimate destruction. The January move brought us two minutes closer to apocalypse. The listed reasons for the move towards destruction are all problems caused by humans: an increased interest in nuclear weapons by people with questionable agendas, the stall in dismantlement of nuclear weapons on the part of the United States and Russia, and the threat and reality of global climate change. Basically, humans are advancing their own destruction. We make new weapons that can kill more people. We try to impose our beliefs on others – through force. We destroy our environment in order to further our own “progress” or make the lives of the privileged a little bit easier. When are we going to realize that fighting between nations, that suppressing others, that most politics in general are completely pointless? We spend our time arguing about pointless differences of opinion, while totally ignoring the real dangers that are present to our world. We live in man-made civilizations, the truly unique feature that distinguishes human beings from the rest of the animal kingdom. However, we have allowed this to make us forget another key fact: ultimately, we are citizens of the earth, and without a backup planet, this is where we’ll remain for
the foreseeable future – unless, that is, we destroy ourselves. Instead of finding new ways to kill each other, we as humans need to realize that we are creating a world that will not bode well for our children and grandchildren, and that it is up to us to change that. There are 27,000 nuclear weapons in the world. That is enough to kill 18 times the number of people living on earth. More countries, such as North Korea and possibly Iran, are now producing more such weapons. Underground networks can put unaccounted-for weapons in the hands of terrorists. And let’s not forget to mention biological and chemical weapons, which can poison millions and bring back diseases such as smallpox and the bubonic plague. Why does humanity need such agents of destruction? According to researchers at NASA, in the past 50 years the surface temperature of our planet has increased by about 1˚F. Doesn’t sound too bad, right? But a 1-degree change in temperature was all that was needed in the 13th Century to start the Little Ice Age, which caused famines that killed millions worldwide. And here’s the clincher: the modern temperature increase is due mostly to human activities, with the greatest contributor being the use of fossil fuels. This is our fault, and there are things we can do about it. As individuals, we can take small steps that will make an impact. However, what really needs to happen is some kind of miracle – a global shift in worldview. Sound pessimistic? Maybe. But the fact is, it’s true. Of course, there are fanatics out there. There are radicals of all stripes who would rather stick to their respective
.
US and Soviet Union test thermonuclear devices (1953)
11:53 p.m.
France & China aquire nuclear weapons, while war continues in Vietnam (1968)
11:43 p.m.
Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty signed between United States and Soviet Union (1991) ideologies than worry about the future of the human race and its home, planet Earth. And unfortunately, it often seems that they outnumber the sane ones. But as humans, we all have to realize that if we don’t alter our behavior soon, terrible consequences will follow. We cannot keep threatening each other with weapons of mass destruction that can wipe out tens of millions of people in one fell swoop, or infect an even larger number with deadly viruses. We cannot keep ignoring the damage we’re causing to our planet by altering its climate and ripping holes in its atmosphere. If we stop ignoring this, then we can focus on making the world an acceptable place to live for future generations. But if we don’t, then soon we could see the arrival of Doomsday. The clock is ticking.
Starving for perfection
Hollywood is skewing youth’s priorities and body image
an opinion of
This afternoon I was searching for a program to lose myself in for the next half hour, a rare opportunity Elizabeth McGranahan that I take full advantage of. While flipping channels, I came upon several programs that all had the same concept; overly skinny, overly fake girls dancing around unnaturally. They all looked the same, fake tan, bleached hair, and unrealistically tight clothes. It was hard to find a show with normal girls featured, normal healthy girls. I was so distraught by this that I avoided the television all together and turned to read a book instead. We’ve come to the conclusion that unless a show is about fake model clones, it isn’t worth airing. Watching TV isn’t even relaxing to me anymore, because I’m constantly comparing myself to these girls. The year is 2007. Popularity is gained when weight is lost. The skinnier, the better. If we can’t see your spine, you’re fat. The camera adds ten pounds, but society adds thousands. Why starve ourselves to be recognized? Because…thin is in. Am I surprised at this atrocity that we call television? Of course not. There are several girls in young Hollywood that claim they’ve always been skinny, but half of young Hollywood
can’t be ‘naturally skinny’. Girls claim that they’ve been asked to drop weight for an important role or to improve their image. Brook Hogan, an up and coming singer was put on a strict diet just so that she could wear a belly shirt and dance around a guy for a music video. We’d rather our stars look good all greased up wearing close to nothing, than have them be healthy and alive. Lindsey Lohan has collapsed on more than one occasion due to over partying and under eating. Models admit to taking drugs to work off weight, as if it’s no big deal. It IS a big deal. Where will it stop? Every year our stars are getting thinner and thinner. If this doesn’t stop, there won’t be any Hollywood left. It wasn’t always like this; stars such as Oprah and Rosie O’Donnell achieved mass fame and fortune while being large. The reason they were able to do that was because they were judged on their talent, not their waist size. The number of large stars isn’t near what it used to be. What makes this generation different? Stars such as Lindsey Lohan, Hilary Duff, and Nicole Richie are starving themselves in order to maintain the same popularity that the older generation did. The reason for this is because society suddenly decided that you can’t act or sing just because you aren’t a size zero. Instead of giving them praise for their amazing talent, we’re ridiculing them for being ‘fat’. We’re slowly killing this skinny generation of Hollywood, and we don’t even realize it. According to the official Girl Scout website, 60 percent of girls will be unhappy with their body by the time they are 16. Is there really that much of a difference between someone
the [harbinger]
who is rail thin, and somebody with a little ‘junk in their trunk’? The same website states that 35 million females face life or death battles with eating disorders like anorexia, bulimia, or binge eating. 35 million! We aren’t just talking Hollywood now; this insanity is reaching out and infecting youth everywhere! I propose that we do our best to get rid of this ‘shallow America’ and instill some sanity back into people’s minds. Honestly, while writing this I found it very difficult to find positive examples of real women with real talent. There aren’t many in the industry today, and that’s the problem. I did manage to find a few women such as America Ferrera and Queen Latifa who have begun to show us that success truly comes down to talent, not waist size. The point isn’t to rid Hollywood of these skinny girls, let’s face it, it’s highly improbable for me to convince the entire world to pick up a hamburger and gain some pounds. The point is to not get sucked in! I know that being exposed to these overly skinny Hollywood superstars has made me more self-conscious. I find myself constantly being critical of my own body. Don’t do the same. If we all fall for it and begin to believe that being skinny somehow makes you better, then it’ll never stop. Maybe if we begin to love our bodies, people in Hollywood will do the same. By sobering our minds we can begin to recognize individuals who deserve to be recognized, in turn making Hollywood about what it should be about, and that’s talent.
page 7 [opinion]
Building Lancer Voice A Community Do you think diversity exists in your community?
an opinion of
Derek Martin
our metro area is estimated to be the 27th largest metropolitan area in the country, with almost two million people calling Kansas City home. Two million people who share not only a hometown, but also an economic, social and geographic proximity. A community, though, is more than just people who live together. Communities should be full of people who care about each other, who support each other and who look out for the interests of the group as well as their own. When measured by these standards, Kansas City is failing miserably. We’ve spent our whole lives being taught that if we go to certain neighborhoods, or talk to certain people, we’re going to get robbed, or shot, or any other number of horrible crimes. We’re socialized to believe that not only is there a difference between “us” and “them,” but that we’re better, and this destroys any chance we ever have at truly sharing a community. We’ve grown up thinking of the kids in KCMO as people to fear. After years of hearing the same stereotypes, we’ve taken these examples that were pushed on to us and found them in real life. The students that attend Northeast High School, located in the heart of Kansas City, are fundamentally no different than us, but our attitudes prevent us from seeing them as anything but different. They want to lead long and fulfilling lives, they want to make their mark on the world, they want to be able to prosper economically and earn their way in life, but all we manage to see are drug dealers, murderers and deadbeat dads. Like the four other public high schools in Kansas City, Northeast High is not hallowed ground in academia. Only about 3o percent of students attend any sort of college, and the average ACT score for the district is a staggering 17.1. Compare that to a 23.5 average for the SMSD in the 2004-2005 school year, and you can see the academic divide. On paper, our differences are enormous. When it comes down to it though, none of it matters. It doesn’t matter how smart you are, it doesn’t matter how much money you make, and it doesn’t matter what
you look like. What matters is who you are, the ideas that you have and the ideals that you represent. These kids in KCMO may not be headed to Harvard, but we have a world of knowledge to learn from them. How many of us hold down three jobs while going to school? How many of us raise our brothers and sisters by ourselves? How many of us have heard a gunshot? These are everyday realities for some kids. Sure, we can find the line tangent to a circle, but we don’t know the first thing about making it on our own. We don’t have to fear these kids, or any kids, for that matter. Every person on the planet has value, and we can learn something from every single one. Imagine the lives we could live if we went to school in a culturally diverse environment every day. Rather than spending weekends driving around, going to parties and living the same night over and over, we could be experiencing something new every day. We could be learning how to save ourselves from the drab existence that is life in Johnson County. We have to go to the art district to find culture. We have to go to the Plaza to find culture. We have to go everywhere but our own neighborhoods in search of culture. We can find that culture across the city, from Independence to Bonner Springs, from Parkville to Stilwell. Kansas City is a cultural oasis in the Midwest; we just have to learn how to find that, because people who are different have been right in front of us all along. An example of community that works can be found at Unitown. Unitown is a two-day, one night program which brings together kids from different schools around the area to learn about their similarities and differences, together. Kids at who attend Unitown learn to respect and value the people around them. Through workshops and time spent together, those who attend Unitown find ways to work through their differences and learn how to lead more fulfilling lives. Unitown represents a culturally diverse environment, and that’s what we should be demanding. It will never be easy, but it’s something that needs to be done. We have to reach out and form those bonds, whether it is across the state line, or across the street. We have to learn to live together, and live amongst each other. Communities thrive on mingling and conversation, the more dialogue we foster between the various areas of our city, the better a community we’ll have. A community is what we need if we want to face the challenges ahead of us, together.
Diversify Your Life
Plaza Art Fair- Annual event where top artists present their art to the community and which gath-
“It exists everywhere; any way you think of it, there’s diversity.”
Freshman David Beeder “Yeah, it does. It’s mostly white people at East: we are pretty sheltered and we aren’t used to that kind of stuff.” Sophmore Colin Coit “Not in this immediate area, but it you go downtown, you see it a lot more.”
Junior Holly Painter
“Yes, I volunteer at a kids’ outreach program in Kansas City, Kansas, and it’s a whole different lifestyle. It’s only about five miles away from my house.”
ers people together to enjoy the beautiful art being showed.
Chiefs Game- A Sunday event that gathers people from all over Kansas City, Chiefs games are a great way to unite the community around a common interest.
First Fridays-
Sponsored by the Crossroads Arts District, First Fridays take place each month in downtown Kansas City, where local artists and cultural performers showcase their talents on the streets and in galleries throughout the area. Feb. 5, 2007
Senior Melissa Blessen
page 8 [features]
StuCo’s months of preparation will culminate next Saturday with this year’s Sweetheart Dance, “When You Wish Upon a Star.” But for some people - those who won’t be in town, those who aren’t attending and those who organize the dance - WPA is complicated. Here are just some of...
... the pieces of
photo illustration by laura nelson and patrick mayfield
WPA who is
?
sadie hawkins, anyway
Choir to hold substitute dance after Carnegie Hall performance by [stephen nichols] Most school dances are held in a cafeteria or gym, not a cruise ship. Most dances need a band or D.J. for the occasion, usually not three. And it’s a safe bet to say most dances are held in the same city as the high school, but the Choraliers will be celebrating WPA in New York City. Although WPA falls on Saturday, right in the middle of the Choraliers’ four day trip to New York, Thursday through Monday, this won’t stop the 110 members from participating in a WPA of their own. On Feb. 11, they will celebrate the dance by going straight from their performance at Carnegie Hall to a cruise ship which will take them out on the Hudson Bay. While students who will be at East for WPA worry about dance preparations, the Choraliers have to worry about performing the worldpremiere of “Arise, Shine” before they can begin to think about their dance. “Arise, Shine” a song composed by Daniel Forrest, who is a composer and friend of choir teacher Tracy
Resseguie, was written specifically for the choir after Forrest heard them sing. “He’s worked on the piece for a year,” said Ressguie, “He came in last Wednesday to hear it for the first time.” “I’m quite significantly nervous. People are going to be singing this for a long time to come,” said sophomore Chad Allen. “It’s 52 pages…all in Latin. It’s definitely not a walk in the park.” Once finished with the performance, which includes one other song, Lux Aeterna, they will be taken straight to the ship to begin their WPA festivities. They won’t have any spare time between the two events to change their clothes, although girls can wear a dress under their performance clothes. The boys will have subtle changes to their outfits, if any. “I’m planning on keeping a different colored tie in my pocket,” said junior Jonathan Harms. Harms, who has girlfriend that isn’t going the trip, said they talked about the situation because the two of them would be potentially dateless for the dance. “We didn’t want to be alone on WPA, so we are getting friends to go,” said
Harms. While the dates may be different, the Sweetheart court will vary as well. The Choraliers will vote for their own WPA court while on the plane there. “We’ll have a WPA court and crown the on the ship,” said Senior Peter Spitsnogle. Once on the ship they will spend the hours cruising around Hudson Bay, pass the Statue of Liberty, and have the opportunity to dance to their choice of any one of the three bands. Each level of the three decked ship will have a different band or D.J. playing different music. “There’s pop on one level and the second one is more like a D.J.,” Resseguie said, “There’s also a live band the plays more of the older stuff.” Although the cruise sounds like the reward for singing at Carnagie Hall, Harms believes to sing at Carnegie Hall is more important than any high school dance. “I’m not disappointed at all. Even if it was senior prom it would be worth it to sing at Carnegie Hall,” said Harms.
the [harbinger]
• For Sadie Hawkins events, females invite the male of their choice. • Sadie Hawkins was invented by Al Capp, the creator of the Li’l Abner comic strip, on November 15, 1937. • Sadie Hawkins was the “homeliest gal in the hills” who was tired of waiting for a man to come to her. Her father, Hekzebiah Hawkins, didn’t want Sadie to live at home for the rest of her life, so he created a foot race for the unmarried girls to chase the town’s bachelors - ending in marriage. • Soon, the event existed in real life. Over 200 colleges held Sadie Hawkins Day in 1939. • Now, it’s the name of many high school and college dances for which the girl asks the boy of her choice. source http://www.lil-abner.com
sweet apple
candidates
Because the choir won’t be here for the Sweetheart Dance, the choir seniors elected their own royalty - the “Sweet Apple Candidates.” The choir members will vote on their choice during the plane ride to New York. • HOLLY WORTHY • AVERY FISHGRUND • LORA JOYCE • CARLY BECK • ABBY MCCRUMMEN
• JEFF STRAUB • MICHAEL MOSS • JACK CLUEN • CASEY WILLIAMS • JOE WHEELER
finding an
alternative
page 9 [features]
DETAILS of the
DANCE
WPA 2007 THEME:
girls opt out of the upcoming dance
by [meg shackelford]
wpa DRESSES through the
wpa
that person,” Parish said. “I think deep down Jack would have cared if I had gone with someone else, so I think he’s glad I’m not.” WPA is fun for her because she and her friends make the plans for it. Since she’s not going to the dance, she plans to go to the after party. Sophomore Libby Bash chose not to go to the dance because she is going to Chicago over WPA weekend to visit her sister. Taking this vacation is not just convenient, but it also allows her to stay away from all the “unnecessary petty girl drama” of WPA; drama she describes as fighting over dates, finding restaurants, organizing groups and after parties. “There wasn’t anyone I really wanted to go with,” Bash said. “I’m going to miss getting my hair and makeup done and the memories with my friends.” Bash said that she would rather take the money she would use for WPA and go shopping in Chicago. “It would be better than one night at a dance,” she said. Senior Natalie Clarke is choosing not to go to her last WPA because she wants to visit her best friend who goes to MU. “There wasn’t anyone who I was dying to go with,” Clarke said. “So I decided this would be a good opportunity to visit my friend since everyone else would be at the dance that weekend.” Clarke thought about randomly asking someone, but decided against it because she thought it might make her night dramatic if she didn’t know the person
“When you Wish Upon a Star”
TICKETS:
Sold before and after school and during lunch, $10 per ticket
WHERE:
Sophomore Libby Bash looks with envy at her friend’s dress. She’s decided to go to Chicago instead of WPA. photo illustration by Rachel English
that well. “I’ll miss getting ready for the night and finding a cute dress,” Clarke said. “But I love hearing about everyone else getting asked, it was just my choice not to go.” Hayes says missing the dance will be sort of strange because he has gone to the past three dances with Haflich. “I’m not that worried because I have two more WPA’s,” Hayes said. “In a way, I think New York is worth not going to WPA because it’s a once in a lifetime opportunity.”
decades
wpa
STARTto
FINISH
wpa wpa
1960’s 3.
1970’s 4.
SME Gym
TIME: Saturday
1980’s
1990’s 5.
PUBLICIZE EVENT
2000’s
pictures taken from SME Hauberk
Sophomore Carly Haflich asked two boys to WPA. She spelled out “WPA?” in tea lights on her boyfriend, sophomore Colin Hayes’ driveway; soon after Haflich was at it again, designing a T-shirt to ask her good friend sophomore Josh Barlow. Her boyfriend didn’t reject her, he simply couldn’t go because he will be going to New York with East’s choir over WPA weekend. “WPA will be a lot different for me this year because I’ve never been to a dance with just a friend,” Haflich said. “I’ve gone to the past three dances with Colin so this is like going to a dance for the first time.” The choir students are not the only ones who are not going. Some girls choose not to go to WPA because they don’t have anyone to ask. Others are taking trips instead. And some boys, like junior Matt Baker, have girlfriends that attend different schools. Baker wishes WPA would not be a girl-invite dance. Although he says it is a fun dance, he does not feel he is missing out. “Sion has a winter formal around Homecoming time so I got to go to that,” Baker said. “I do wish I could go to WPA, but I’ll probably just end up going to an after party.” Senior Christina Parish is in the same situation as Haflich because her boyfriend, senior Jack Cluen, will be going on the choir trip as well. This year she’s choosing to miss out on her favorite dance. “I thought about asking a friend but I didn’t want to interfere with anyone who really wanted to go with
8-10:30 p.m.
KING/QUEEN VOTING:
All grades can vote all day Friday on the north ramp
KING/QUEEN COURTS:
Queen will be announced at halftime of Friday night’s game, king and his court will be announced at 9:15 at the dance.
**BE SURE TO REGISTER YOUR DATE IF THEY GO TO A DIFFERENT SCHOOL**
by [ellie weed]
6.
SET UP FOR THE DANCE FINALIZE PURCHASES Posters are made by the StuCo After all the planning, Blick, Thomas, DESIGN A DIAGRAM Public Relations commitee to StuCo sponsors Brenda Fishman This year, the social raise awareness of the dance. and all other StuCo members meet in and Hannah Pence call the BRAINSTORMING DECORATIONS chairs came up with a new Spirit week starts today, along the gym at 9 a.m. on the day of the decoration company and dance to decorate for about four system of making a with ticket sales. Senior Abbey Blick and purchase all the supplies and last but not least... hours. “It’s hard, especially for diagram so that junior Kirby Thomas get needed to set up-anything girls, because we all want to go understanding the together with the exec from crepe paper to twinkle home and get ready, but it’s board members and begin concept and setting up lights. worth it when we finish,” Blick Every class of StuCo has their for the dance would be PICKING A THEME to highlight possible said. designated dance to clean up, and easier. During the weekly StuCo decorations out of for WPA, it’s the sophomores. When meetings, members brainstorm magazines and start to the dance ends, they’re the ones that possible dance themes. This year, the conceptualize. stay after to pick up the crepe paper and theme is “When You Wish Upon a Star.” box up all the leftover food.
2.
7.
CLEAN-UP
1.
Feb. 5, 2007
photos by Frances Lafferty
page 10 [features]
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the [harbinger]
page 11 [features]
After a year of legal trouble, student Mike West is... Julianne said. “But until he started getting by [erin morrissey]
It was just a couple of shirts. Polos. It wasn’t that big of a deal, at least not to him. But the salesperson from Dillards saw him, and it was all over. Moments later, Mike was arrested for shoplifting. It was his first charge, but it wouldn’t be his last. Seven charges and nearly $5000 of legal fees later, senior Mike West is trying to get back on his feet. Trying to finish out his school year. Trying to be good. *** The shoplifting incident set the tone for the next several years of Mike’s life. After that, he began to accumulate arrests at an alarming rate. Possession of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia, minor in possession of alcohol, distribution of controlled substances to minors; each time his punishment worsened. For the shoplifting, it was diversion. After that, probation, and then, it got serious. West continued to get arrested and fail his mandatory drug tests. Overall, he failed six drug tests while on probation. “I had friends who were supporting me, but in the end, that was worse,” Mike said. “It was hard, because when I was with them, I kept using drugs.” In October of 2005, West was placed on House Arrest. He wasn’t supposed to have friends over. But he did. “I was trying to have a party, and I guess my mom was sick of it,” Mike said. “So she called the cops. I told all of my friends to leave, so they wouldn’t get in trouble.” West was sentenced to 76 days in Juvenile Detention for violating the conditions of his house arrest. That’s when he began to feel as though nobody cared. “In JDC, nobody worries about your problems,” Mike said. “You could tell the staff about a problem you have, and they’ll just say, ‘Well, maybe you shouldn’t be in JDC.’” But people did care. One person in particular—West’s mother, Julianne. The mother of three children—Mike, Matthew, 14, and Nick,12—she never anticipated the amount of trouble Mike would cause. “I guess we knew he had problems,”
into trouble, we didn’t know how serious the problems were. When you have a child and you’re trying to give them everything they need, it’s a shock that they would do something like that.” According to Mike, at JDC, he wasn’t getting any help. In the 76 days he was there, he met people that he never wanted to be like. People who had problems worse than his. People who opened his eyes. “There were some really messed up kids there,” Mike said. “They did some crazy things, got into a lot of fights, stuff like that. It was ridiculous.” After his time at JDC was up, West was sentenced to spend time in a group home in Olathe called TLC. He wasn’t there for long. Because the center was undergoing some fundamental changes, West was sent to the O’Connell Youth Ranch in Lawrence—a “Level 3” security group home. The highest level security for these facilities is 5, so a 3 gave West more freedom than he was used to at JDC. Even so, he was still unhappy. “You were there all of the time. You went to school there, you slept there, you ate there,” Mike said. “You only got to leave once a week on group trips. You couldn’t do anything.” West was supposed to stay at O’Connell. He was supposed to be good, and then, in a little while, he would get to go home. But he couldn’t do it. After getting in a fight at O’Connell, he was sent to Ozanam—a higher-level security home. Finally, after his time was up there, he got to come home. “It took him about six months before he had the realization that he was responsible for all this,” Julianne said. “But when he did, he started making real improvements and taking steps towards getting his life back.” That’s what he’s doing now—getting his life back. After returning to East on January 3, Mike has been coming to school and taking steps towards graduating high school. Because of his time away, he won’t be able to graduate this year. He will have to come back next fall to take English 12 as well as Biology. Even so, West is glad to be back at school. “I don’t know what I was thinking,” Mike said. “All of that stuff was stupid, and I’m done with it. I’m just happy to be back here.”
Finding Clarity
East student Mike West has returned to East after a year of legal trouble to finish his education. West has spent the last year in and out of detention centers and youth homes. photo by karen boomer Mike is now on JJA, which is a legal unspecified legal trouble, landing himself in supervision similar to probation. He is a group home similar to the ones Mike has required to meet with his officer once a been in for the last few months. week. He still has to submit to random drug “I think part of the reason he got in samplings, which aren’t a problem like they trouble is because he watched his brother used to be. and is following along,” Julianne said. “Both “I’m not using anymore,” Mike said. “So of Michael’s brothers have had to watch a lot I’m not failing anymore drug tests.” of disrespectful behavior, and it’s definitely If West were to get in legal trouble again, affected them.” Mike’s got high hopes for his brothers, as he would go to what he calls “The Cat,” which is in Topeka. As he describes it, “it’s basically well as himself. After he graduates, he plans prison.” But he’s not planning on getting in to go to Johnson County Community College trouble again. He’s seen what it’s done to for two years. He hopes to go to KU after him—not only that, but he’s seen what it’s that, and major in medicine. He wants to be a doctor. done to his family. “He’s gotten himself through this, and “I think they were pretty much heartbroken by all this,” Mike said. “My now he can do whatever he wants. I believe brothers were pretty upset, and now Matt has in him,” Julianne said. “That’s all I want for started to get into trouble.” him and his brothers: to grow up and be His 14-year-old brother got into happy with the life that they’re living.”
Get ready for
Spring Play Auditions Tuesday 13•3:00 pm
page 12 [features] photos b y anna le
ek and k atie woo
(RED)
ds
New products use corporate profits to fight AIDS in Africa
by [nathan yaffe] “Can a T-shirt change the world? This one can.” That’s the claim made by a new Gap ad campaign for its (RED) product line, which was developed as part of an initiative begun by U2 singer and activist Bono and CEO Bobby Shriver. The initiative aims to engage the private sector—corporations and individuals—in raising awareness and funds to fight AIDS in Africa. To accomplish this, (RED) partners with well-known name brands that agree to donate a portion of their profits at no extra cost to the consumer. So far, six iconic brands--American Express, Apple, Armani, Converse, Gap and Motorola— have released their own lines of (RED) products. The contributions of these brands alone have raised more than $20 million for the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. Gap is one leading partner. With the help of European Designer Roland Mouret and award-winning photographer Annie Leibovitz, Gap launched its (RED) line in October. What started with one Tshirt in the UK has spread across Europe and to the United States, as well as expanding to include items ranging from $1 accessories to a $350 leather jacket. Half of all proceeds from the sale of merchandise bearing the (Product) RED label go to the Global Fund. The T-shirt, however, is still the most popular item. In fact,
A $100
( RED)
purchase can...
according to a statement from Shriver, it’s the best-selling tee in recent Gap history. This trend has caught on with East students who are motivated by the idea that simply through choosing their products wisely, they can change. “I’m going to buy a shirt anyway, so why not get one that benefits people in need,” senior Abbey Blick said, whose bright red shirt has “Inspi(RED)” emblazoned across the front. That’s exactly the response Bono and Shriver were banking on when they founded the initiative. They’re hoping the enthusiastic response will allow (RED) to expand its current number of partners. According to its mission statement, “when [consumers] choose (RED) over non-(RED), then more brands will choose to become (RED) because it will make good business sense.” Engaging the private sector in such a fashion is not a new idea, but up until now, the strategy has yielded limited results. The $20 million (RED) raised in the first nine months is four times more than the private sector contributed over the past four years. How big of a role will the private sector play in future years? “In terms of overall dollar amount, it is very difficult to predict,” Beatrice Bernescut, Communications Director for The Global Fund, said in an email interview. But, according to her, (RED) is unique for another reason that may be more important in the long term. “Beyond the sheer amount they raise, fundraising efforts targeted to the private sector fulfill another need,” Bernescut said. “By asking people to donate, you are at the same time raising their awareness of the issue. While it may not translate into immediate dollars, increased awareness can lead to increased support and increased pressure on the government.” That’s one of the reasons why junior Kelly Tankard wears her shirt, which says Desi(RED).
( ) Å
HIV Peer Education 60 educators may receive HIV prevention training
Peri-natal HIV Prevention 100 women may receive treatment to prevent the transmission of HIV from mother to child before and during delivery.
(î)
(‰) Hot Meals and School Materials 730 days (2 years) of school supplies and hot meals may be provided for a child orphaned by AIDS
the [harbinger]
“The first day I wore it, I had five people ask me about it,” Tankard said. “Not only does it raise awareness for other people, but it reminds me everyday—it’s a small portion of what we need to be doing.” Bernescut thinks that in the long run, that reminder will have a powerful impact. “What does it say about us if we let people die needlessly from diseases that are preventable and treatable?” Bernescut asked. “Especially when all it would have taken was a little effort—the purchase of a T-shirt, for example.” And the founders are quick to point out consumers don’t have to worry that their money will be put directly to use saving lives. They have insisted that only the best-performing programs in The Global Fund’s portfolio receive funding from (RED). As a result, their current grant recipients have been narrowed to two countries, but the results are substantial. The Rwandan Ministry of Health has increased the number of Rwandans receiving AIDS medication more than ten-fold, and Swaziland has received more than $4 million for its National Emergency Response Council. Bernescut and the (RED) community are confident this model will continue to produce positive results. “The combination of something that continues to generate a profit for the company while enabling consumers to do good,” Bernescut said, “seems to be the right idea for the times.”
HIV Rapid Tests 40 tests that detect HIV and deliver instant test results
(∑)
( ¯) Anti-Retroviral Medication 10 people over the course of one year may receive anti-retroviral HIV treatment
information courtesy of www.motorola.com/red/
page 13 [features]
Facing an uphill battle
Senior talks about overcomming struggles by [adrienne wood] He wasn’t supposed to live past the age of one. Now senior John Michael Owen manages three varsity teams, speaks to crowds of 300 on leadership, and received a scholarship to KU, where he plans to study sports management this fall. Owen stepped onto the stage of a Youth Leadership conference in San Antonio, Texas on Oct. 4 and looked out at the sea of future leaders. He had butterflies in his stomach, but told himself that what he had to say about coping with a disability and becoming a leader was important. “I was so overwhelmed,” Owen said. “All eyes were on me. Before this, the biggest group I’d spoken to was 20 people.” After a few words, Owen felt confident as he told students from across the nation, many of whom also had disabilities, how they could be leaders. He told his story of survival as he endured partial deafness and blindness, anemia, asthma and renal rickets. How the condition of his kidneys upon birth meant he would not survive, but he now proudly manages the football, baseball and basketball teams and will apply his knowledge of sports and medicine to his career. “I told them how they can be leaders if they put their hearts into it,” Owen said. “The kids realized they too could make a difference in the community, no matter what.” Owen recalls that many of the students came from bad neighborhoods, but that they are now involved in local organizations and remain in touch with Owen. “He can teach us all how to take problems in stride, even when life is tough,” Owen’s aunt and primary caretaker Shirley Vestal said. “And sports help take his mind off his health problems.” Owen’s participation in sports carries him through the tougher times of his medical conditions, but his athletic career at East began with disappointment. He arrived at freshman baseball tryouts still weak from his last dialysis session seven months before. Every session of dialysis meant being hooked up to a machine that cleaned his blood
and caused him to lose several pounds in a few hours, but he felt confident that he could handle the physical pressure of tryouts. At first Owen was able to keep up with running laps. But after passing a few bases, he suddenly passed out on the field. The realization that his physical ailments would prevent him from ever playing a school sport devastated Owen, but it’s not in his nature to quit. After talking with Coach John Stonner about his disappointment, he decided to become a team manager. “I’d rather be playing,” Owen said. “But managing is good.” He immediately rose to the challenge of balancing management with school and support group meetings. He befriended the coaches and players through their shared dedication to the teams. “We share a love for sports,” Senior Bobby Miller said. “I definitely see the fire and passion in him to play sports, so I’m sure that it is frustrating for him to not be able to play.” Since he took his post as baseball team manager freshman year, and football and basketball manager sophomore year, he has only missed a few practices, and for very good reasons. Last summer, Owen’s body began to reject the kidney that his mom, Trish Owen, donated when Owen was 14-years-old. The doctors at Children’s Mercy Hospital put him on steroid infusions, which require 12 excruciating hours per session. The first night of infusions he woke up vomiting with sharp chest pains. The heart rate monitor read 160 beats per minute—about 80 beats per minute more than normal. The doctors rushed him to a CAT scan and eventually were able to get him back to normal. “I was really sick; it was a horrifying experience,” Owen said.
Over the course of a month he received three more steroid infusions. Stonner kept the team up-to-date on Owen’s status, but Owen did not want them to visit him when he was feeling weak. “I’ve never seen him look for sympathy,” Miller said. “I can tell he is upset when people try to help him do photo by: Patrick Mayfield something. He just tries to act like any other teenage boy.” Owen plans to apply his knowledge of team managing to his future. He received a scholarship to KU and will major in sports management, using his experiences as team manager and assistant coach for his brother Jimmy Orwick’s sixth grade football team. “Sports management involves both my interests, sports and medicine,” Owen said. “My life revolves around those two things.” When the time comes for Owen to leave home for college, he will be well-prepared for independent living. He is the student leader for Turning Point, a group that meets twice a month to teach kids everything from yoga to coping with a disability. He also applies his experience with hospitals to the Children’s Mercy Teen Advisory Board, which consists of teenagers advising the hospital on how to improve the environment for patients. “Just last week they had us look at brochures for teen health to decide if they had enough information,” Owen said. “We really get a say in things.” Owen has many challenges involving his medical conditions ahead of him, but with a large family base including his dad, aunt, grandmother Maggie Owen, mom and siblings, Vestal believes he will succeed at KU and become a professional sports manager. “When I look at John, I realize that life’s tough,” Vestal said. “But you can get through it—and he has.”
AYC Health and Fitness
7501 Mission Road, N-2 Prairie Village, KS 66208
aycfit@aol.com (e-mail) (913) 642-4437 (phone)
‘Pan’ page 16 [a&e]
tastic
‘Pan’s Labyrinth’ emphasizes the power of imagination beautifully by [katie jones] Pan’s Labyrinth takes the visuals from the most magical dream you’ve never had and twists them through a gruesome reality set in 1940s Fascist Spain. Juxtaposing a young girl’s imaginary world with the violent one she lives in, director Guillermo del Toro creates one of the most intense, haunting films of the year. The subtitled Spanish story begins when Ofelia, a 12year-old bookworm played by Ivana Baquero, travels with her pregnant mother, played by Ariadna Gil, to live with her mother’s new husband, a cruel, “shoot first, talk later” kind of army captain. He has set up base in an isolated farmhouse to persecute leftover anti-Fascist rebels from the Civil War. While the captain hunts for the rebels, another story is intertwined with the realistic one. A fairy takes Ofelia to an overgrown labyrinth near the farmhouse. There, a faun, a mythical being with a humanlike upper body and the ears, horns, tail, and hind legs of a goat, tells Ofelia she is the bornagain princess of another world. The faun says that if she completes three tasks, she’ll return to her immortal kingdom once again. Ofelia sludges through underground tunnels, sorts through a giant toad’s stomach for a magic key, and barely
escapes from a bone white, bloodthirsty demon with eyes nestled into his palms. It becomes clear that Ofelia’s bone-chilling miniepics are just as exhilarating as the gory guerrilla fighting of the real world from the beginning. The contrasting fantastical and realistic views of the horror of war switch back and forth throughout the film, and this makes the good-verses-evil plot even more thrilling. What’s more, the shifts from fantasy to reality were blended smoothly, and there were no awkward or choppy transitions. The acting also added to the movie’s intensity. This wasn’t one of those hokey fantasy movies with an overdramatic acting style. All of the main characters were satisfyingly complex, even the evil villain. Sergi Lopez’s believable, brutal acting as the cruel Capitan Vidal creates an ongoing whiteknuckled tension around the creaky farmhouse. At some points, like when he catches a stuttering rebel and begins to
courtesy of www.movieweb.com
torture him, I had to squint my eyes closed. The same goes for the mythical beings. They didn’t look cheesy or puppet-like; they were well animated and the evil ones made me close my eyes as much as the captain did. However, for the majority of the movie, I didn’t think it would live up to my expectations. I had heard about its Academy nominations. I had read about its prestige. And I was almost disappointed. It wasn’t that it wasn’t well done, I just expected to be blown away. During the final scene, though, I was. The world as we know it finally collides with Ofelia’s land of fauns and fairies. It was then that the beauty of innocence and the importance of imagination slid down my throat. And I can assure you, not one drop of it was lost in translation.
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photos by jenny howard
page 17 [mixed]
what you didn’t know about Steph Bruner photo by tayler philips
WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE BOARD GAME AND WHY? - Probably Scrabble. I love Monopoly too. When you’re with friends you can get away with making up words, and then there’s the whole debate on whether or not they’re words. It makes it all the more fun. HOW OFTEN DO YOU PLAY IT? - Not very often, I wish I could play more.
by [rachel mayfield] To dry up an already weeping cold sore, dip a q-tip in Pepto Bismol and put on the sore. It will dry it up quickly. To ease the pain of leg cramps massage the cramped muscle gently in the natural direction of the muscle. This helps relax the contraction and ease the pain. A hot shower or warm bath is a good way to relax the muscle.
HOW LONG IS A TYPICAL GAME FOR YOU? - I don’t know, probably 20-30 minutes. CAN YOU REMEMBER THE WEIRDEST WORD YOU CAME UP WITH? - I think my friend came up with the word “fezes,” she got 30-40 points or something.
Staying up late always can sometimes be the cause of dark circles under your eyes. To get rid of those dark circles, apply a cold ice pack or washcloth over eyes for 10-15 minutes. Taming frizzy hair seems impossible. Not anymore! After shampooing, always rinse your hair with a dilute solution of honey and water. Make it a habit for a week or two and see the change.
[cliche] valentine’s day gifts 1.
make him or her dinner and eat it over candlelight
2.
a huge basket filled with chocolates or candy
3.
greet her with a bouquet of flowers (not the school sale carnations!)
4.
a gift card to a spa
5.
take him or her out for dinner and a movie
6. 7.
a box set of their favorite TV show and watch a few episodes from the season together coupons or gift certificates to something they really like
8.
bake cookies or anything sweet
Nasal congestion? A cool mist vaporizer can ease discomfort. Try adding menthol or peppermint to the water. Avoid using hot vaporizers, they can burn. Bored? Try making a facemask. Pick which one is best for you depending on your skin type. For dry skin try: -an egg yolk mixed with olive oil and warmed honey -sour cream -plain olive oil -avocado For oily skin, try: -dissolve a teaspoon of baking yeast in a small amount of warm milk, wait until foamy, then apply (best done in the bath tub) -puree flesh of a tomato and mix with some potato flour to make a paste -cucumber (it will whiten your skin) - beaten egg whites with a few drops of lemon juice (great for getting rid of blackheads) -carrots (but don’t use this one more than about every other week because it can overdry your skin). This one will make you look tanned.
her a stuffed animal, try to make it as non-cheesy 9. buy as possible
10. surprise her with swing or salsa lessons
Feb. 5, 2007
www.missourirepertorytheatre.org
page 18 [a&e]
3 New Events • Love, Janis
Taking a closer look at three ticker events
The Shins
Oxford Collapse
Hipsters will hear this band’s poetic ballads live tonight
• Two out of the eleven shows in The Shins’ recent tour take place at Liberty Hall on Feb. 12-13. • They have been featured in quite a few movies, namely ‘Garden State’, ‘In Good Company’, ‘Winter Passing’, ‘The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie’, and ‘Wicker Park’.
Plays at the Repertory Theatre
• Based upon letters to her family and actual press interviews, this powerful biography of Janis Joplin takes you into the mind of the superstar. • Janis was the voice of “a generation that was fervent, idealistic, confused and eager for change.” Forty years later, her music still affects millions of people.
Three Brooklyn boys hit the stage tonight • They will play with Thunderbirds Are Now! and Ad Astra Per Aspera tonight at the Jackpot. • The Oxford Collapse finds a link between the dark and angular side of the synth pop scene and the equally off-kilter indie rock of the ‘90s. • The band consists of Dan Fetherston, Michael Pace, Mike Henry.
PSA
What’s New New • a&e event ticker What’s
~Girl Scout honor
The Shins, Libery Hall, Feb. 12-13 • Carbon Leaf, The Bottleneck, Feb. 10 • Jack’s Mannequin, Head Automatica and The Audition, Beaumont, Feb. 13
page 19 [a&e]
Taking your lunch money by [john mcguire]
Most seniors go out to lunch everyday and the weekly price of lunch can pile up. Here are some restaurants deals for the kids who don’t go home everyday. These might help you save a few dollars a week to help pay for Spring Break.
Hen House
Arby’s
Offered every day
Hen House in Prairie Village offers a chicken lunch special that costs $ 4.99. The meal comes with your choice of chicken, two sides, and a biscuit or roll. You can pick between chicken fingers, breasts, legs or baby back ribs as your main entree. The sides you can pick from are green beans, mash potatoes with gravy, wedge fries, macaroni and cheese and corn. On Friday Hen House offers a family sized chicken meal that would be a great lunch for a group of four or more friends. The Hen House in Corinth has a “Rice Garden,” that has Chinese food. A good lunch is the one-item combo which costs $3.99. It comes with rice and noodles along with two sides of chicken, broccoli or vegetables.
Subway
“Hooray for Tuesday” “Hooray for Tuesday” offers around 15 different foot long sub sandwiches every Tuesday. Prices range from $2.99 to $5.99 depending on the ingredients in the sandwich. One of the better buys is the Meatball Marinara because of the low price and great taste. Also, on Sunday you can get any two foot long subs for only $8.99.
$2.99
$3.99
Meatball Marinara Sub Cold Cut Combo Veggie Delight
Italian BMT Turkey Breast Spicy Italian Roast Beef Ham
$4.99
$5.99
Sweet Onion Teriyaki Chicken and Bacon Ranch Oven Roasted Chicken Breast Steak and Cheese Subway Melt
913.432.8880 4992 Roe Blvd. Roeland Park, KS 66205 M-F: 10 a.m. - 7:30 p.m. Sat: 9:30 a.m. - 7 p.m. Sun: 12 p.m. - 5 p.m.
Pedicure/Manicure Combo $32 regular $37 Full Set French Tip $25 regular $33 Spa Pedicure $21regular $25 Fill In $15 regular $18
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The Arby’s in Corinth has the famous five for $5.95 deal. This meal offers any five items from a special menu. Choices for the deal are a ham melt, Arby’s Melt, Jamocha Shake, medium curly fries, regular order of mozzarella sticks, bag of chips and a choice between an apple or cherry turnover.
Mr. Goodcents Offered every day in the Village “Lifestyle Value Menu” Goodcents now offers the “Lifestyle Value Menu” every day for the price of $1.99. The menu includes many different types of pastas with breadsticks, or a six inch sandwich. The newest lunch item is the Honey Mustard Roasted Chicken Sub for $ 4.09.
photos by abba goehausen
Tips ’N Toes
Eat at
Offered every day “5 for $5.95”
E-mail: kccompguy@gmail.com
Feb. 5 , 2007
E
page 20 [a&e]
ducational
Mythbuster’s co-hosts, Jamie Hyneman and Adam Savage, in the midst of testing yet another theory
by [molly tidrick]
ntertainment D
MAN vs. WILD
Man vs. Wild has host Bear Grylls take on many exciting and intense adventures each week. Grylls keeps his viewers entertained by his survival skills and courage and teaches his viewers about how to keep yourself alive in dangerous situations. Grylls has achieved many tasks that to some may seem impossible to do from parachuting out of a plane into a Costa Rican jungle and making it out alive to free climbing down steep Sierra cliffs. This show has an impact on high school kids but also kindergarteners as well. Senior Kristen Simpson baby-sits a six year old quite frequently and is constantly watching the Discovery Channel with him. “When kids are young they have big ideas on what they want to do when they’re older,” Simpson said. From watching the show, this kindergartner wants to work with pets in a zoo when he is older and has become fascinated with animals. Instead of watching cartoons or Barney, this six year old enjoys watching Discovery Channel’s “Mythbusters” or “Man vs. Wild”. “I think shows on Discovery Channel are unique; its something they don’t ordinarily see,” Simpson said.
photocourtesyofwww.discoverychannel.com
iscovery Channel’s shows have become very popular including “Mythbusters”, “Dirty Jobs”, and “Man vs. Wild.” These shows offer not only entertainment but also much education as well providing viewers with factual science material, survival skills, and much more. Though they may not be as popular as MTV or VH1, students are tuning in to watch them weekly. The Harbinger has decided to look into these shows to determine what keeps people watching each week.
MYTHBUSTERS Hosts of “Mythbusters”, Adam Savage and Jamie Hyneman, experiment new topics of people’s interest each week. They prove and demonstrate the experiments to see if they are true such as seeing if a person’s voice can break a glass as she sings. Senior Matt Mullet is interested in “Mythbusters’ and watches it once or twice a week. “It’s a good mix between science content and entertainment,” Mullet said. The shows entertain viewers with the experiments, hosts, and the many ways they demonstrate the experiments. “Adam is more serious and Jamie is funny so they play off each other to make it entertaining,” Mullet said. Educational wise, Mullet has learned many new things including that water can stop a bullet. “The science in the show is brought down, its not too much information,” Mullet said. “I’ve learned stuff in general.”
AMC Tests Tuesday 6, Hours 1-3 Sweetheart
E L E C T I O N S Thursday 8
DIRTY JOBS
Host Mike Rowe of Dirty jobs travels all over America to take on the tasts of ordinary people’s gruesome jobs. Rowe has taken on the job of a hippo trainer, casino food recycler, an owl vomit collector, and many more out of the ordinary jobs. Dirty Jobs teaches viewers how even though the jobs might be disgusting and hard to do, they have to get done. Freshman Ben Jensen watches MTV and VH1 more frequently than the Discovery Channel, but to some they would rather watch shows like Dirty Jobs or “Mythbusters”. “I watch Discovery Channel more because it’s much more interesting,” freshman Sam Carpenter said.
page 21 [a&e]
&
What do you like about rapping?
with senior Jon Clay W
Where did you record them?
I did the first three with Lil’ Twista at his house. I’m recording my latest with my friend J.Rock.
hat are your goals for the future?
I’m just trying to stay focused and trying to make the best of what I got. I got a pretty good sound and I’m trying to let everybody hear it.
by [sylvia shank]
With four recorded albums already, Clay competes in rap battles and writes songs
W
What’s your rapper name? J. Street
Who are your favorite rap artists?
Beanie Sigel, Tupac, Mos Def, Chamillionaire
What are your favorite rap albums?
Mixed Tape Messiah, Country Grammar, 2pacalypse Now.
What makes a good rap song? Lyrics, style and delivery.
How long have you been rapping? Since I was 11.
I love everything about rapping. Just to express what’s on my chest, tell stories, to send a message.
What do your friends and parents think?
They love it. I just made a song for my mama called “This Is For You.” It’s about everything I was dealing with when I was little.
What’s the hardest thing about compet- Where do you get your inspiration? ing? My inspiration comes It’s just you have to make up stuff on site in the snap of a finger. You notice something and then you gotta think about how you can twist it to be a hard punch line. Whoever gets the most “oohs” from the crowd is the winner.
What events have you done?
from curiosity, just looking at everybody, seeing how people act, how they move.
I’ve done two talent shows and a concert in Missouri. I will be [rapping at] a birthday party on Feb. 28.
What do you think of the “White Rapper Show?”
I think it’s funny. It’s like they’re not really teaching them how to rap. They’re not really showing them how to do what people really do.
What are the things rappers really do [that aren’t on the show]? Writing lyrics, reciting ‘em over and over so you memorize them. Writing it, scratching it out, writing it better.
I rap battle. Two rappers stand and go back and forth. It’s kind of like telling jokes, going back and forth.
How many albums have you recorded?
Four albums. Straight Street, Good Fella Camp Lesson One, LTJ, Street Lessons.
get the
goods
How long does it take you to write a song? On a good day, 15 minutes.
On a bad day?
An hour, just to get the feel of the music. But I’m writing in my head too, most of the time.
Clay’s albums 2Pacalypse Now Country Grammar Mos Def’s True Magic $7 • contact Clay $14.99 • Amazon.com $13.98 • Amazon.com $9.99 • Amazon.com
Find out where you can buy J. Street’s CDs and his favorite albums
Straight Street Good Fella Camp Lesson One LTJ Street Lessons
Rose Nails 4175 Somerset Dr. Prairie Village Corinth Square Shopping Center (near Hen House)
913-383-8288
For Fast, Beautiful, Thin Looking Nails Hours: Mon.-Fri.: 9:30 am- 8 m Saturday: 9:30 am- 7 pm Sunday: Non- 5 P.M. Walk-ins or appointments welcome
courtesy of Jon Clay and Amazon.com
photos by karen boomer and kelsey brown
Do you ever compete?
page 22 [a&e]
Folding in the ‘Aces’
A
A
Although ‘Aces’ is well scripted, the acting and directing leave room for improvement by [landon mcdonald]
by [nick ratliff] In 1998, while attending film school at New York University, musician Albert Hammond Jr. met up with an old friend and made the biggest and best decision of his life. Hammond’s friend, Julian Casablancas, an old boarding school classmate, asked him to be a guitarist in his new rock band, The Strokes. Hammond, the son of 70’s one-hit-wonder Albert Hammond Sr., accepted the proposal, and the rest is history. Nine years later, Hammond, 26, has made another great decision. While still continuing to play with The Strokes, Hammond has cut his very own solo album, entitled “Yours To Keep.” With this disc, Hammond shows off his mellow side, moving away from the indie, almost punk rock music he performs with The Strokes. The 10 song album, already released in the UK and set to release in the United States March 6, is a great album from start to finish. Hammond opens for Incubus at the Uptown Theater on Wednesday. The album starts off with “Cartoon Music for Superheroes,” a low-key lullaby that harkens back to the Beach Boys. The most impressive thing about this album is Ham-
m www.movieweb.co photos courtesy of
A
The Strokes guitarist gives solo career a shot
A
A
Standing Out
in him. Naturally, this entire ensemble is predestined to arrive at Lake Tahoe all at the same time. Bloody mayhem and chaotic gunplay predictably ensue, all set meticulously to the thunderous blare of a death-metal soundtrack. Obviously, this movie is not for everyone. Although it is something of a comedy, there’s oodles of brutal bloodletting and particularly pervasive profanity, so much so that the MPAA initially slapped the film with an NC-17 rating. Also, it’s very hard to find someone to root for amongst the sweaty, tattooed, dreadlocked degenerates hell-bent on nothing but unbridled anarchy. Even Israel, our main protagonist, proves too unlikable to care much about. Furthermore, the ridiculously convoluted plot has so many unwarranted twists and turns that eventually one can only sit back and watch the fireworks with their thinker firmly in the off-position. Another problem with the movie is the way it has been shot and edited. It seems to have been designed to give the viewer an epileptic fit. Flashing lights, jerky camera movements, and erratic angle changes work great, but only in moderation. I found myself unable to fully enjoy the numerous well-crafted action sequences because the camera was so busy showing off. If you’ve seen Domino or last year’s Crank, you know what I’m talking about. All in all though, Smokin’ Aces still makes for a pretty enjoyable night at the movies. It showcases great acting talent and has a madcap cartoonish absurdity that can be infectious if you give it a chance. Also, it contains a great cameo by Arrested Development star Jason Bateman as a kinky attorney who delivers some of the best dialogue in the movie. Additionally, the Ritalin kid with nunchucks scene is
A
Smokin’ Aces is a film that can best be compared with a particularly gruesome car accident. It’s loud, vivid, bloody, shocking, rapidly paced, and at times even nauseating. But, just like the aforementioned auto wreck, it also possesses a kind of ugly beauty that renders its audience incapable of looking away, no matter how much they may want to. Yes, it’s garbage. But it’s ceaselessly entertaining garbage. This new film by Joe Carnahan, creator of the far superior 2002 cop drama Narc, wastes no time setting up nuisances like character development and coherent plot lines. We are instead immediately thrust into the squalid tale of Buddy “Aces” Israel, a Las Vegas magician/gangster wannabe played with narcissistic bravado by Jeremy Piven, who has become a mob snitch for the FBI, represented here by a reptilian Andy Garcia. The Mafia meanwhile, has uncovered Buddy’s scheme, and quickly puts a million-dollar bounty out on the rat. Dozens of colorful killers, each more vicious and virulent than the last, answer for the call for Israel’s blood. Some of the more memorable hit men include famed torturer Lazlo Soot (Tommy Flanagan), who once chewed off his own fingertips so he could never be identified by his prints, a lesbian hitwomen team played by Taraji P. Henderson and Alicia Keys, and a trio of neo-Nazi skinhead siblings called the Tremor Brothers. These assassins and their ilk are all set to converge at a Lake Tahoe hotel where Buddy hides in his penthouse on the top floor. Two FBI agents, memorably portrayed by exGoodfella Ray Liotta and the surprisingly impressive Ryan Reynolds are dispatched by Garcia to save Israel from the ferocious horde. At the same time, a group of bail bondsmen, lead by a handlebar mustached Ben Affleck, decide to go after Israel as well, in order to protect their hefty investment
destined for immortal comedic infamy. I literally couldn’t stop laughing. Carnahan appears to be a truly gifted writer and director who may one day grace the pantheon of outlaw film legends that includes Quentin Tarantino (Pulp Fiction, Kill Bill), Robert Rodriguez (Sin City), Guy Ritchie (Snatch), and Matthew Vaughn (Layer Cake). But he’ll never get there with sophomoric popcorn puerility like this. Here’s hoping his next effort shows more promise.
dreamy keyboard plays the melody. In “Everyone gets a Star,” my favorite song on the album, Hammond plays a smooth grove on the guitar while his drummer rips through it with a faster drumbeat. Hammond’s clean vocals cap off this mellow song. The one downside to this album is the final song, “Hard to Live in the City.” The five minute 15 second marathon goes on for way too long. Although being a good song, it’s just too long and repetitive. Another very impressive thing about this album was the assortment of different and obscure instruments that were used. In “Blue Skies,” an acoustic, Beatles-like song, Hammond breaks out the sitar, an Indian instrument that actually was a key part of some Beatles classics like “Norwegian Wood”, the first song in popular music to photo courtesy of www.rcarecords.com feature the instrument. On “Cartoon Music for Superheroes” Hammond uses a celesta, mond’s singing ability, and he definitely shows it off on this an old French keyboard instrument that kind of sounds like song. Hammond never gets to show off his vocal abilities with The Strokes, (Casablancas is the vocalist/songwriter for a music box. On top of that, Hammond also uses a glockenspiel and a ukulele on the album. the band) so his smooth vocals were a pleasant surprise. Besides one song, “Yours To Keep” is one of the best On the next song, “In Transit,” Hammond shows off all records I’ve heard in a while. Producers and guests on the of the album’s strengths. His vocals are showcased in this album such as Casablancas, and Sean Lennon, Hammond’s track, to the point where he sounds a little like John Lennon, best friend, featured on the song “Scared,” and The Strokes’ along with his obvious forte, his guitar playing. Hammond manager Ryan Gentles are a big plus, too. Although Hamdefinitely shows off his skills with smooth riffs and furious mond won’t leave The Strokes for a long time, if he ever picking. When the upbeat chorus rolls around, Hammond decided to go solo, I think he could be very successful. goes into his trademark rhythmic strumming while a
the [harbinger]
Rockin’ & Moppin’
page 23 [a&e]
When his day job is over, janitor Mike Webb trades in his mop for his band and his guitar by [tom grotewohl]
Head custodian Mike Webb joined his first rock band at the age of 17. Comprised of friends from Turner High School, the band was raw, youthful and, as Webb put it, “not very good.” “We weren’t trying to be anything fancy,” Webb said. “Just classic rock.” Accordingly, the band was named Nothing Fancy. Nearly 40 years and 20 band break-ups later, Webb’s current band, Blind Date, still isn’t trying to be anything fancy. Performing covers by groups such as the Rolling Stones, Lynyrd Skynyrd, ZZ Top and The Who, Webb sticks to good old-fashioned rock ‘n’ roll. Joined by three other members – a vocalist and rhythm guitarist, a bassist and a drummer – Webb plays lead guitar. When the band plays shows once a month at venues such as The Roxy, Creekside and Eddie’s, Webb lays down the mop and broom in exchange for his sleek red Fender Stratocaster, busting out a solo by Keith Richards or Peter Townshend. “Guitar solos are probably my favorite part,” Webb said. “I try to play them pretty close to how they are in the original song, because that’s what people want to hear. They want to recognize what you are playing.” When Webb wants to learn a guitar riff, all he has to do is sit down with the record and learn it by ear. That’s quite an improvement from his humble beginnings as an amateur guitarist, when all he could do was strum “Walk the Line” by Johnny Cash over and over again. “My dad gave me my first guitar when I was about 12 or 13,” Webb recalls. “It was a cheap old Lotus. But it got me
started. My dad taught me ‘Walk the Line,’ and I would play it over and over until I got it down perfect. From there I pretty much took it on my own.” Webb slowly expanded his repertoire to include the likes of Jimi Hendrix and Stevie Ray Vaughan, but he did not really become serious as a musician until his brother picked up a drum set and the two began to jam. “Our first jams were really sloppy, but they were pretty fun too,” Webb said. “That was about the time I knew playing music was something I definitely wanted to do.” With a seemingly unquenchable thirst for music, Webb went on to play in around 20 different bands. While the band name and its members may have changed, the style of music did not. Webb has always been content in imitating the great classic rock heroes of his youth, often playing their songs to the note. “It’s what I grew up listening to,” Webb said. “It’s what all the guys grew up listening to, and it’s really great music. It’s music people want to remember. That’s why it’s still around today.” Webb plays music first and foremost for himself. But while Webb’s bands have always just been a celebration of his favorite music, some have enjoyed a degree of success as well. “We make a buck here
Come to the
Columbia Brew Coffee Shop
Coffee......Flavored Hot Chocolate......Vitamin Water...... Starbucks Frappuccinos......Biscotti......And More......
and there, but nobody’s getting rich,” Webb said. “I’ve played shows where it’s been completely packed and the crowd is really in to it, and it’s a great time. But I’ve also played shows where there might only be four or five people in the whole place, and it’s still a great time.” Whether he is playing to a sold-out crowd or an empty theatre, there are always some fans that Webb knows he can count on. “I’ve been to my dad’s shows and they’re awesome,” said Brandon Webb, Mike’s 13 yearold son. Inspired by his dad’s lengthy rock hobby, Brandon started playing drums, just like Mike’s brother 40 years ago. Occasionally the father and son unite for family jams, in which Mike teaches his son the fine art of rocking out. Whether it be playing along with his son, jamming with any of 20 different combinations of musicians or strumming “Walk the Line” alone in his room, playing music for Webb has always been about just one thing: having fun. “It’s just like a group of guys that get together to go hunting or fishing,” Webb said. “We just like to play music. It’s a hobby. We aren’t trying to get rich and we aren’t trying to get famous – just have fun.”
photo by Marissa Stevens
page 24 [sports]
Takedown Breakdown
Here are three wrestlers to watch for heading into the League and State meets cole johnson
tanner johnson
Senior• Ranked fourth in state
Freshman• Ranked fifth in state
Weight Class: 130 Record: 23-5* Before a match: “I start drinking honey mixed with syrup to give me energy. I just try to focus and get mad, and think of nothing else besides the meet.”
joey lutz
Junior• Ranked fourth in state
Weight Class: 152 Record: 20-10* On being highly ranked: “It’s a good feeling, but you can’t get caught up in the rankings, because someone could come out of nowhere and beat you.”
Weight Class: 125 Record: 26-6* Goals for the Season: “I would like to win league and regionals, and place top six in state.” * Records as of Feb. 1
compiled by Michael Hake
panel
the
clark
GOBLE peter
GOEHAUSEN sarah
LUBY
nick
RATLIFF
BBall @ Olathe Will Swimming South 3-peat?
6A Wrestling
Girls Bball vs. SMNW
KU vs. K-State
SM East
NO
BV North
SMNW
KU 70-65
SM East
YES
Goddard
SM East
KU 79-65
SM East
YES
Goddard
SMNW
SM East
YES
Olathe East
SM East
KU 73-62 KU 64-59
Raising Rank
page 25 [sports]
Basketball team now ranked 32 in the nation
“
BRYAN NELSON’S DUNK
at the Rockhurst Game
After nearly 2 1/2 quarters of high-intensity basketball, with every possession magnified by the raucous capacity crowd, Shawnee Mission East senior Bryan Nelson was admittedly a little tired. But when he saw the signal come in from the sideline, Nelson knew what he had to do. Junior Michael McRoberts lobbed the ball to the right side of the basket as Nelson cut across the baseline and jumped. The pass was a little high, but it didn’t matter. Nelson got both hands on the ball and finished the alley-oop, giving SM East a tide-changing six-point lead and perhaps more than that. The Lancers never trailed again, winning the rivalry game at Rockhurst 50-38 Friday and improving to 11-0. “That really changed the game right there, changed the whole attitude,” Nelson said. “I was just thinking ‘You’ve got to finish this.’ Because I knew if I did finish it, to me that is the game right there.”
Usually East isn’t known as a football school, basketball or even a baseball school; it’s always the “country club sports”. Heck, the state championship banners in the gymnasium don’t tell lies, but now those sports Sam Logan aren’t necessarily stepping aside, they’re just making room for something they’re not used to: basketball. As most East students know, the basketball team has made an impact on the school, from hallway talk to articles in “The Star.” Some writers, students, and opposing schools have been dubbing us “a fluke”, others, “the real deal.” Call us what you may, the boys varsity team stats don’t lie either. The team is now 12-0 and is coming off of a tournament win in McPherson, and a double-digit win against Rockhurst. It could be the peak of this team’s season, but it looks as it they’re not done yet. Attention like this has gotten the team in the spotlight, with a lofty city, state and national ranking. Metro Sports, who publishes the Kansas City Super 25, has East ranked at number two on both sides of State Line, just behind Blue Valley Northwest. The ranking sends a statement to the metro area as a whole because it shows we have built a strong program in something other than those “country club” sports we’re better known for. Being ranked second overall in any large metropolitan area, obviously, will result in some sort of media attention, which has helped the team to be ranked first in the state by the “Wichita Eagle” and even thirty-second nationally by USA Today’s maxpreps.com. Sure, I think the state and city rankings are great, and yes, they’re definitely legitimate, but I’m still leery about the national ranking. It’s happened before; college and professional levels, that a team gets more and more publicity, higher and higher rankings, until an eventual collapse. I don’t think that’s what is in stock for this team, but no one knows what could happen. I support this team, I always have. Ever since my cousins started going here, and I don’t at all plan to change that. Not that I’m upset about the program receiving such an honor, it could be a bit far-fetched to call us a top 50 team of more than 15,000 high school basketball teams in the country. My reasoning is this; we may be ranked forty-second in the country, but a school like Simeon High in Chicago, who is ranked below us and defeated Oak Hill Academy, the number three team nationally, maybe could be up there. It’s nothing against us, but seriously, more talent is bound to be found within a Brooklyn or South Chicago neighborhood than in Mission Hills, KS, the beacon city of one of America’s wealthiest counties. I dislike the national ranking because I simply feel it’s getting too much attention- and certainly I couldn’t be helping my cause by doing this, but I also fear it could get into people’s heads, potentially the players also. A national ranking is something the school isn’t used to, something new for fans of East basketball, so obviously it tends to be a big deal. If fans and players remember that truly, the rankings don’t mean much of anything other than bragging rights and attention, it shouldn’t be an issue. The reason we ranked so high in all three polls is because, as Metro Sports Mick
an opinion of
“
Feb 5, 2007
photo by samantha ludington
The Kansas City Star’s interpretation of
Shaffer put it, we “deserve it.” Our defense is one of the best in the city, and the team isn’t just focused on one player, it’s pretty evenly spread. Every player contributes. And that’s exactly what’s being done and what is expected out of a team that is looked at so highly of on three different levels- city, state and national. If the team is to continue this trend, one could only figure that the hype would continue, if not become more dramatic. Coach Hair and his boys have started the season strong, but to truly prove themselves and live up to the hype, they’ll have to finish in such a manner, also. I’ve never truly had my adrenaline pumping because of the success of an East team- I’d be lying if I said I were a diehard tennis or swimming fan, but this year’s basketball team is headed that way. Sure I’m only a freshman, but I’ve been experiencing it for years now, and no team has ever, in my years, been such a cause of excitement among the student body and community as this year’s team. It should’ve almost been expected after what was done by last year’s success; thank LaPrade and his T-shirts, thank your fellow students and their rowdiness, whatever, but remember Coach Hair and his boys still have a job to finish. They started off strong, now to truly live up to their hype, rankings, and potential school-wide glory, they’ll have to finish in such a manner.
SOUTHPAW
RR R R R RR R R R LR R R L RR R R R RRR R R RR R L R R R RR R R R RR R
SUCCESS
Left-handed athletes have advantages in many different sports, including basketball, boxing, tennis and baseball Sophomore southpaw Curran Darling (center) spins a ball on his finger along with his right-handed teammates
go glam by [clark goble]
These three things all have something in common: Using a pair of scissors. Buying a set of golf clubs. Not smearing your handwriting. Answer: things that are much easier right-handed. Here’s another three: becoming a major-league pitcher, confusing an opposing player and winning a street-fight. Answer: things that are much easier left-handed. Surprised? You shouldn’t be. Left-handed athletes have distinct advantages in many sports, namely boxing, tennis, basketball and baseball. Although some things are much harder to do left-handed in the real world, being a southpaw in the sports world is a definite edge. According to a survey sent out by Lefthanders’ Day, a company that sells left-handed items and researches the effect of lefthandedness on life, most left-handed people believe they have an advantage in sports because right-handers are not used to facing them. The survey also showed that lefties believe different angles in certain sports, such as tennis and golf, could give them a significant edge.
Junior basketball player Tommy Kennedy agrees. “Most people are just not used to playing a left-handed player,� Kennedy said. Since most players Kennedy goes against on the court are forcing him to use his left-hand, he thinks it makes it easier to handle the ball. “Instead of forcing someone to their dominant hand, which is usually the right, they are ‘forcing’ you to use your strong hand,� Kennedy said. Basketball is not the only sport in which lefties have an advantage. In boxing, well over 10 percent of the athletes are left-handed. Why is 10 percent significant? This is the approximate percentage of the American population that is left-handed, so any ratio over 10 percent shows there is a correlation between being left-handed and being a successful boxer. A study done by Anything Left Handed, a company based in Britain that also sells only left-handed items, also proves that southpaws are more likely to be better fighters. This is due to the fact that a right-hand hook often leaves the puncher’s chest open to
R RLRR L RR RR R RR RR R R R RL R RR RR R RR RR L RR RR RRR RR RR R R R
photo by tyler roste
page 26 [sports]
a left-handed blow. Left-handers are also more likely to be the ones starting the fight. The University of Montpelier found that more violent societies have more left-handed people. The society of the Eipo in New Guinea have three homicides for every 1000 people and are 20% left-handed. The Dioula of Burkina Faso has 0.1 homicides for every 1000 people and are 3% left-handed. The sport with the most left-handers? Far and away, it is baseball. According to MLB.com, 42% of major league pitchers are southpaws. This is due to the fact that left-handed pitchers can throw inside to right-handed batters, according to writer Will McDonald of RoyalsReview.com. “Being able to throw those inside pitches can make the difference between an average pitcher and a great pitcher,� McDonald said. “Having an average lefty pitcher is better than having a good right hander.� All in all, next time you’re playing a GABL game or playing a game of tennis, check to see if your opponent is left-handed. It may make all the difference.
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performance at
Carnegie Hall
...and not get kicked out
1
Pick a Lancer athlete who has been controlling the game, preferably scoring two or three consecutive baskets, and chant “You Can’t Stop Him.” Or her, should it apply.
2
Show spirit in unique ways. The Rainbow Coalition at the Rockhurst game was a step in the right direction. Remember, if you can wear it to school, you can wear it to the game.
3
Singing songs is a great way to show you think the game is over and have nothing better to do than sing.
4
Instead of being loud during free throws, try different things. One time, go silent. The next time, have just one person stand and yell the player’s name. The shooter will be expecting a lot of noise, and when he doesn’t hear it, it will throw him off.
5
4
1
sports
predictions by peter goehausen
If the boys basketball team beats Olathe South on Tuesday, Shawn Hair will experience his first undefeated season as a coach at 22-0.
2
In the 215 lb. weight class, senior Drew Robinson will be the first East wrestler to win state in a heavyweight division and the team will place at state.
3
Although they lost their first meet in three years to Blue Valley North this year, the boys swim team will win their third straight state title.
4
Texas’ Kevin Durant will be the best NBA player in this year’s draft class, better than Ohio State’s Greg Oden.
photo by karen boomer
CHEER photo by samantha ludington
5
ways to
page 27 [sports]
did you know?
Avoid yelling anything at the referees. They may make bad calls, but screaming at him or her gets the team nowhere. It just makes the ref make calls against the home team or be more nervous, making it more likely he will miss another call.
News in Lancer sports you might have missed
Senior soccer players Alex LaPrade, Peyton Warwick and John Jandl are all signing letter of intents with their respective colleges in the library this Wednesday. LaPrade will sign with Xavier, Warwick with Rhode Island, and Jandl with DePaul.
:03...... :02......:01...... games
TUESDAY, 2/6
Boys’ basketball @ Olathe South- The boys’ team has not played many league games on the road and will be tested at Olathe South. Although the team was ranked #32 in the nation by MaxPreps.com last Tuesday, a win here is no guarantee. Wrestling @ SM North Double dual- The best wrestling season in decades continues with a meet at SM North. At the SMN invite, 11 wrestlers placed and senior John Carr and junior Joey Lutz took first place.
THURSDAY, 2/8
Girls’ basketball vs. SM Northwest- The boys’ team isn’t the only one playing well lately. The girls have won four of five. They face another challenge against SMNW. The Cougars beat the Lancers in their previous meeting and the girls are looking for revenge.
players
TAYLON JOHNSON- JUNIOR- GIRLS’ BASKETBALL- Johnson and the rest of the girls’ basketball team are moving up in the world. Well, at least the state. They are now ranked #9 in the state coaches’ poll, just ahead of rival SM South. Johnson is averaging 2.5 steals per game to go along with her 12 points per game and the Lancers have been winning. JOHN CARR- SENIOR- WRESTLING- Carr took first place at the SMN Invite in the 160 lb. weight class. He is ranked #2 in the state by the coaches as of Jan. 18. The wrestler in front of him is from Goddard and Carr may meet him at the state tournament. There is a wrestler from Olathe East behind him who he may meet soon. Feb. 5, 2007
moment
boys’ basketball @ Rockhurst
11
X
X X X X
It was the game-changing moment in a game that wanted one team to take control. Junior Mike McRoberts threw a back-door lob to senior Bryan Nelson (11) for a thunder slam. Let the four-year winning streak continue.
page 28 [photo essay]
‘Sweet’
Below: Oscar and Charity, played by juniors Jonathan Harms and Erin Aitkins, share a kiss while trapped on a ferris wheel during a date. photo by Katie Woods
Scenes
Theater cast and crew work late nights on East’s production of “Sweet Charity” Above Left: Sophomores Brice Roberts, Sam Barker and Maureen Orth get in line for the traditional pot luck held before every major theater production. photo by Katie Woods
Left: After being left by Oscar, Charity is visited by “The Good Fairy,” heralding the end of the play. photo by Katie Woods
Above: Senior Kate Adams, on cello, waits for the next musical entrance during a scene change. photo by Katie Woods
Right: Pompeii Room night club patrons dance the “Rich Man’s Frug” to music played by the orchestra in the pit directly in front of the stage. photo by Katie Woods
the [harbinger]