Issue 13

news

issue 13

After accident, family mourns death of son

5

Peter Goehausen

When Tom Clough walked off the St. Agnes alter on March 26, doing his best impression of an athlete pounding his fist against his heart twice and then pointing into the sky, he was sending his final farewell to his son, Jake, at his funeral.

Freshman John “Jake” O’Conner Clough,15, died March 22 at Children’s Mercy Hospital. Though the autopsy is not yet finalized, the initial autopsy shows that he died due infiltration of his feeding tube into his abdominal cavity. The food and medicine from his tube that was supposed to go to his stomach was being flushed through his body cavity.

His funeral ended a three and a half weeks of ups and downs in the hospital following a bike accident in late February. The family had his body cremated and will send his ashes to the family’s condo in Florida, where they vacationed every summer.

“He was a very lovable guy,” his uncle John O’Connor, who was the family spokesman, said. “His presence will be missed.”

The family plans on putting together a bike ride in Jake’s name, with the proceeds going to the Brain Injury Association of Kansas.

Those who knew Jake described him as being a very affectionate, family oriented person who would never miss an opportunity to spend time with his family. His hobbies included golfing with his dad, exploring the creek behind his house and their annual trip to Florida.

Coming to East Jake came to East from St. Agnes Catholic School, where he went for seventh and eighth grade. Before St. Agnes, he went to Westwood View and Highlands elementary.

“Jake’s mom went to East,” O’Connor said, “and that was his first choice because he knew a lot of kids there.”

After three months at East, a new opportunity arose for Jake: joining the bike club.

With some encouragement from the sponsor, government teacher Sam Brewster, he decided to join the bike club.

“Jake was a very eager, excited rider,” Mr. Brewster said, “ and his parents were very excited for him to participate in an organized sport.”

Jake was new to competitive cycling, but he did ride his bike around his neighborhood. During Jake’s three month participation in the bike club, he participated in all of the rides offered. He had not yet ridden competitively.

The Accident On Feb. 24, Jake was doing what his bike coach, Brewster, told him to do and getting in some extra miles on his bike. He rode the mile and half long ride by himself to his cousin Lucy’s house to gossip with her, something he would often do.

When Jake was on his way home he rode through a blind corner and ran a stop sign at the corner of 64th and Granada, the Kansas City Star reported.

Jake ran into the side of a truck coming off from the stop sign and landed on the street. Had he not been wearing a helmet, the doctors said, the accident would have immediately killed him.

Jake Clough

• born on March 18, 1990.

• attended both Westwood View and Highlands for elementary school.

• went to St. Agnes’ during seventh and eighth grades.

“They (Cloughs) were just in a moment of shock when they were informed about him,” O’Connor said. “It is almost unexplainable.”

Jake was then rushed to KU Medical Center where he was in coma. He was diagnosed with serious head injuries, a collapsed lung, a broken collarbone, and a separated shoulder. The next 72 hours were the most crucial for Jake and his family.

The doctors in the Neurosurgery Intensive Care Unit had to stabilize Jake’s condition.

“Once they stabilized Jake,” O’Connor said, “ the doctors gave us a good prognosis [that he would recover].”

Wakeup Wednesday Once the good prognosis was out, all the family could do was watch and wait FRESHMAN Jake Clough and sister Liza at their Sarasota beach house. The Cloughs go there for Jake to awake out his every summer. semi-induced coma, he was made a step forward in his recovery when he was transferred unconscious but also medicated. to Children’s Mercy to begin his rehabilitation. After Jake was On March 2, the doctors came into Jake’s room in the transferred over in an ambulance, his grandparents, aunts, morning trying to get him to regain consciousness. Jake uncles, and cousins all came to his room to celebrate his 15 wouldn’t budge. After the doctors left the room, Mrs. Clough birthday. Since the beginning of the rehabilitation, one of the looked up at Jakeand she saw his brown open eyes glancing family’s goals was for him to be able to eat birthday cake, around the room. Six days after the accident Jake was finally and Jake was able to. out of his coma.

After doing preliminary observations on March 18, “When she (Mrs.Clough) saw Jake open his eyes,” Jake’s the doctors and nurses were very optimistic about Jake’s aunt Mary O’Conner said, “ she immediately said ‘Hi!’ and recovery. told the doctors about it.”

“He was very determined,” Mrs. Clough wrote. “ It makes us He opened his eyes several times on what the family laugh for thinking he wasn’t motivated before this. We now called ‘Wakeup Wednesday.’ Jake was still unclear of his know he was just saving his determination.” surroundings and unable to speak, but he was awake.

New Place Family Sleepover After spending the weekend after his birthday in constant As the family often did on did on weekends in their living rehabilitation, the doctors were hopeful that he would be room, they had a family slumber party. For the first time in able to be out of the hospital in six weeks. over two and a half weeks they were able to sleep under one On Monday afternoon however, Jakes condition began to roof, at the hospital. worsen when the medicine and food from his tube began to “It was so wonderful to have our family back together pour into his abdominal cavity, according to his family. The again,” Mrs. Clough wrote in an online CarePage, that gave hospital could not give any information. And after fighting to updates of Jake’s condition, “even though it was challenging save his life, Jake passed away early Tuesday morning. with 3 of us on a twin size sofa bed.”

The family’s wish is that whenever anyone sets out to Since ‘Wakeup Wednesday’ Jake had started to regain ride their bike, they will always remember to wear their his senses. Though he wasn’t able to speak or move his left helmet. side then, he was able to count to five, and give a thumbs up “Jake will never be gone,” St. Agnes priest Father Don sign and one-armed hugs.

Cullen said at his funeral. “His home will just be in a new Happy Birthday place.”

On March 18, Jake turned 15. Also on his birthday, he

• he loved watching movies with his little sister, Liza.

• was a member of the bike club • enjoyed University of Missouri football games.

April 4, 2005

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the following organizations: • Animal Haven • Brain Injury Association of Kansas • Juvenile Diabetes Research • KU Medical Neurourgery ICU

opinion

issue 13

Vintage

7

Gaming

Old games are more entertaining than new ones Sara McElhaney in my own words

I think it would be appropriate, nay, essential, to point out that I am out of touch with your average gamer. I rarely touch anything more modern than a Nintendo 64 unless I’m watching a DVD or I’ve become disoriented in my own house again. This wasn’t fully realized until an intense bout of cabin fever sent me on an inward journey of the spirit, one which left me tunneling through my brother’s video game archive– and let me tell you, I struck solid gold.

I’ve never found it necessary to travel beyond the pixel-shaded housetops of Link’s village in “The Legend of Zelda”, or ask a falling “Tetris” block to be anything other than exactly what it is. Don’t get me wrong, I love technology just as much as the next gal, but there’s something about this newfangled PSP and the Nintendo DS that doesn’t sit right with me. While I feel like a granny complaining that ‘back in my day’ we played with sticks and dirt (and we liked it!), it seems that so much power in the palm of your hand takes away from the power of one’s own imagination.

Without extraneous flashy graphics and an overabundance of secret hacks, vintage games are the bare bones of gaming. In other words, I won’t have to go dashing for a player’s guide every other minute to figure out why weapon “x” isn’t defeating enemy “y.” All I need is some root beer, a couch,

KIDS in the Hall

What is your favorite video game?

and my mind: trial and error is my guide.

Since there aren’t any tactics to discuss in little cult-like meetings, I can be left alone to revel in my own (lack of) skills. Creepy subcultures are almost non-existent, so I will never have to deal with strangers messaging me in incoherent gamerspeak “lolz pwnd!” nor will I ever hold a “Street Fighter II” party to play until the wee hours of the night. It seems that one can’t even mention some games without a myriad of hardcore fans emerging from the woodwork to swarm you with tips and tricks. Whatever happened to getting through life on a smile? A game’s charm has become irrelevant; it’s buried beneath a thousand codes and strategies.

The best thing about early consoles is the character of the games. To illustrate my point, I have a question for you: what the heck is Kirby?

A balloon? A marshmallow? Do you care? No! But chances are you still have his cute little squishy face somewhere in your basement or in your closet, probably caked with dust and cobwebs.

What is so captivating about this wad of gum with sneakers? Character, pure character. It’s what makes you grit your teeth as you attempt a level for the fourth time. It’s what makes you cringe when Mario runs into another one of those flying turtle things.

Plenty of new games have character, but I will always be especially affectionate towards my pixelperfect side-scrollers and RPGs. The classics are socalled for the reason that they possess something all but lost in three dimensions: heart. The reason such characters as Mario, Kirby, Donkey Kong, and Yoshi continue to appear in recent games is the

Freshman Lindsey Vanatta

“I don’t have a favorite game. I don’t play them.”

Sophomore Joe Wheeler

“Uhhh. It hasn’t come out yet, but it will be ‘Predator Concrete Jungle’.”

April 4, 2005

same reason you spent so much of your childhood pounding your fingers down on your brother’s poor plastic controller.

In the name of your childhood, freedom, and two-dimensional bliss, put down your nifty new handheld and go dust off your old consoles.

Choose a two-player game, if for no one else, then for me.

art by Sara McElhaney

Junior Mary Walsh

“My favorite game is Super Mario Kart.”

Senior Katelyn Stroud

“The best game is the old school Legend of Zelda.”

8

A

opinion

sad day for

the harbinger

television The current state of TV is enough to make anyone gag

Annie Furhman in my own words

I

am addicted to the television.

I love the characters, I love the theme songs and the jingles, I even love the commercials. While everyone else was cruising,

skiing and tanning over spring break, I was spending my time almost exclusively on the couch in front of the TV. I think it is a safe bet to say I’m a bona-fide TV expert. In fact, I think I now have enough expertise to say that TV programming, as we know it is in trouble.

I have been a dedicated TV watcher for 16 years. I have seen everything that the stations have to offer: every sitcom, every infomercial, every made-for-TV movie. In all the years that I have been watching I don’t think I have seen a slump quite like the one that is taking place today.

It seems that the television executives are simply out of ideas. Every concept has been exhausted, but there is still airtime to fill so the executives continue to produce sitcoms about dysfunctional families or a group of people working for a crazy boss. Now, in a time when the highest rated shows involve real people in really stupid fake situations, there is hardly anywhere to turn to get real quality programming. The worst part is that these shows are all self-perpetuating, and there seems to be no end in sight for these horrible shows.

The default space filler show is the reality TV show. I’m not entirely sure if reality TV was created or if it just congealed in a dark corner somewhere in Hollywood, but I think it might be entirely responsible for the bad turn TV has taken. I’m not entirely sure who initially created the concept of reality TV, but I have one thing to say to them: shame on you.

There are no limits to how bad a reality TV show can be, because it is so easy to come up with the pretense for these shows. All you have to do is put a bunch of people who you know will not get along in a house together or have some really bad singers audition for some bickering pseudocelebrity judges. Once you have done that, make them perform impossibly ridiculous tasks for really lame prizes.

A classic example of how bad reality TV has become is

Constitutionally Comatose Bryan Dykman in my own words For 14 years Terri Schiavo, a 41year-old brain damaged women, has been living in a Florida hospice diagnosed as being in a “persistent vegetative state” and now faces death because her husband wants to discontinue the use of a feeding tube, the device that has been keeping her alive.

Terri Schiavo should not be allowed to die.

To start, Terri shows signs that would contradict the “persistent vegetative state” label, suggesting that she is not a completely brain dead vegetable. She sleeps, she wakes up, she cries, she laughs, she tries to communicate verbally and her doctors have documented that she has shown response to positive and negative stimuli.

a show called “The Real Gilligan’s Island.” This may be the lowest point. I must confess I have not actually watched it, but a reality show based on an extremely lame old sitcom involving crazy island antics seems like a not only a waste of time, but a waste of brainpower, electricity and my life.

From what I understand about the show, it’s like “Survivor,” only themed. Kind of makes you sick, doesn’t it?

An even sadder thing than this disturbing trend of reality TV is the British knockoff. Just two weeks ago, a show based on the extremely funny and popular British show, “The Office,” premiered on NBC. I gave them a fair chance last year when they attempted to re-do the British comedy “Coupling”; everyone in the world agreed with me that it stunk, and it got cancelled after a whopping two episodes.

Now they are trying it again with “The Office.” I am a huge fan of the British show and I was disappointed to see that the American version was almost word for word from the original. I don’t know about you, but this felt like a cop-out.

The characters weren’t as funny, and the plot line seemed flat even though it was exactly the same. If American TV can take an already established and good show and make it bad, then we might be in more trouble than I thought. Now hear this TV execs: British humor doesn’t translate well to American characters.

There is a way to save my love, television that I love so much, and it would be fairly simple. What needs to happen is all of the programming on TV that is a reality show, a sitcom about a family, or any thing on UPN will be taken off the air. In the dead period when writers are thinking of new shows, the TV stations will play reruns of the two greatest shows ever made: “Seinfeld,” and “Cop Rock.”

Once everyone in America’s minds have been cleansed with the startlingly funny and quick wit of Jerry Seinfeld and the pure unadulterated entertainment of singing cops, TV might finally make it through this rough patch. If it doesn’t, then my addiction is in trouble, and my couch is going to get awfully lonely.

The government has no right to get involved in personal matters

In addition, the decision regarding whether or not to keep this woman alive should have been thrown out at the state level, because it is in Florida’s state constitution that killing this woman is illegal. Her husband contends that Terri would not want to live like this and has the right to die in peace. However, there is neither documented proof nor living will that says Terri would not want to live like this.

Because this is a case of hearsay, it is best to err on the side of caution and preserve the woman’s life. And even if Terri would want to die in peace, Terri isn’t dying.

Although she is in a vegetative state, she is still able to breathe on her own and would be perfectly healthy as long as the feeding tube was used to regally administer food and water. Michael Schiavo, Terri’s husband, has the right to remove life-prolonging procedures, not regular food and water, which is guaranteed to all patients under Florida state law. By removing her feeding tube he is helping her to “die in peace”. The practice of helping others to die is euthanasia, also illegal under a Florida law.

Not only is the killing of Terri Schiavo illegal, it is also completely inhumane. When Terri’s feeding tube is not attached, she is slowly suffering from starvation

April 4, 2005

and dehydration. The doctors that dispute her vegetative state contest that when they visit her they can see that she is in pain and suffering from lack and food and water.

What makes this especially wrong is that Terri Schiavo is suffering even though her parents are perfectly content with taking care of her.

Michael Schiavo has no reason, other than his own selfishness, to do this to his wife. As her legal guardian he must look out for his wife’s best interest. Under these circumstances, Terri’s best interest is to be kept alive and with people who love her. Terri’s parents have shown and proven that they are more than willing to stand by her and donate every free minute of their time to their daughter.

Michael Schiavo has moved on with his life. He has had two children with another woman and clearly has chosen to abandon Terri.

There is no denying the complexity of this issue.

However, when dealing with the life and death of this woman, it is necessary to leave her in the hands of the ones that have shown their dedication and have not moved on and created a new life for themselves. Terri should not be left to die like this.

Piercing

features

issue 13

Pains

Students opt for piercings despite numerous health risks confirming their agreement for the piercing. Claire’s can’t lawfully pierce anything but the ear lobes and cartilage because a piercing parlor must be licensed to pierce any other body part.

“I had to wait till I turned 16 to get my piercing, [and] it sucked having to wait so long,” sophomore Jasmin Kile said.

Although infections are very common, they can be prevented.

Any place that offers piercing services will give information on how to prevent infections. One preventative measure is keeping the area clean, but this can also be a risk because washing too much won’t allow tissue to scar over. Different types of jewelry can cause problems due to allergies. Non-allergenic metals should be used such as stainless steel, gold, platinum or titanium for a new piercing.

“I got my naval pierced, because I thought it was interesting and I needed a change,” Tisdale said.

April 4, 2005

art by

Piercing body parts is becoming popular in the teenage crowd.

Unfortunately, if it is improperly pierced, or pierced without using sterile equipment, the piercing can become infected.

In most of these cases, the stud must be taken out so the hole will close up, wasting money that was paid to get the piercing in the first place.

There are many common problems that occur with different types of body piercings. Piercings often get caught on clothing, causing irritation. Lip infections can cause speaking, chewing or swallowing problems. Most people don’t develop problems with piercings; however, with the potential risk of infection, the decision is a big one to make.

“Everything has a risk, [but] as long as I did what I was told [about my piercing], I knew I’d be fine,” junior Sarah Tisdale said.

Though parents may agree to let their child get a piercing, a piercing parlor cannot give a minor a body piercing if they come in by themselves. This can be a serious inconvenience.

A parent must come with their child and sign paperwork

Davin Phillip s

Davin Phillips

13

Catwalks in the Auditorium

While most East students seem to know the hallways of the school like the back of their hand, there are some places that very few students have seen.

The catwalks don’t resemble any place else in the whole school. Before arriving up in the catwalks above the house in the auditorium, there’s the sound booth in the back and the bat cave to get through. This may sound a little daunting, but it’s not as bad as it sounds. The closest thing to bats in the bat cave is a sign that simply says “Bat Cave”.

The catwalks are a different story. After walking up steep, rough stairs, there are long, narrow, wooden ramps held up by ropes. Dingy cinderblocks make up the walls. Pigeons DIE up here, and anyone who steps off the ramps and onto the bare ceiling could too--by breaking through the plaster and falling down onto the sharp house seats.

After traveling up multiple ramps that are often swinging slightly, access to spotlights that shine onto the stage can be reached, which is the whole point of the catwalks. The opening where the lights shine into the house is quite a view. It’s about 40 ft. up from the ground and most of the house as well as the stage is visible. The seats are ants, and the stage is doll size. Almost everything in the catwalks is old or rickety. Remnants of the past lights workers can be found in crevices. Lights crew chief Andrea Strange finds hidden things like 20 year old Mountain Dew cans and last year’s Hen House receipts occasionally. The catwalks are used often by lights crew chiefs Ann Sitzman, Andrea Strange, and Afton Beebe to perfect the productions down below.

Upper Archives

Sec

First Floor

The upper archives are almost like the attic of a house in the way of storage and old cracked floors, but it’s also used by a lot of people. Located near the gym, it’s often occupied by students involved in technical theatre, so they can paint props and some set pieces for productions. On some days, the paint crew can be spotted up there, listening to the radio and putting strokes of color onto various props or set items. The radio tunes out the unnatural booms coming from the rumbling air conditioners. Past props and set items stand close to the wall, like a candy cart on wheels.

At the bottom of the cracked linoleum stairs there is a mysterious crystallized puddle of clear liquid. At the top, there is a spacious area of cracked concrete, cluttered with drop cloths and props. Two sinks stand against the opposite wall and paintbrushes sit to dry. By the stairs is a ledge and then another small area with a single door in the back that opens onto the roof over the second floor, although students have never been allowed to be up there. This entrance to the roof is one of the few in the whole school. On the other side of the sinks, the room goes back into another storage area that is host to the other side of the mysterious big window high up on the wall between the freshman and senior bleachers that students can see open frequently in pep assemblies and games. Before going back down the staircase to leave the archives, all the lights should be shut off, which can be a little daunting because there is a period of complete darkness with nothing but the sound of banging air conditioners before finding the way down to light again.

Tunnel Under the Ramp

Entering room 106, no one would think that the average sized door to the right hand side would be much more than a closet. But within the doorway is a secret tunnel that is unknown to most students at East. The space within the doorway is cramped and dim. To the right lies an electricity box, with complex buttons and controls. Along the ceiling water lines run transporting water from the boiler room. To the left there is clutter and basically no light. It looks like a long lost room with flickering lights and cobwebs hanging all around. It was just like walking into a dungeon with a monster just wanting to jump out at you from around the corner. After investigating more, the tunnel on the back wall becomes visible. The purpose of the tunnel is so that the water lines can go to the third through fifth floors. The tunnel is in the middle of the cement wall.

It stands out from all the clutter. Close to the ceiling is the three-foot by three-foot passageway. The pitchblack tunnel only provides enough space for a person to crawl through, but that is not the main purpose.

Without this tunnel there would have to be a second boiler room to provide water for the remainder of the school. Having a second boiler room would double the costs for the maintenance and would be wasteful, when this simple tunnel can suffice. Other than the maintenance checks to the water lines when they are needed, this tunnel lies deserted.

b

Boiler Room

While entering the boiler room a loud noise rumbles.

It is like walking into a dark, dusty thunderstorm, with the loud clatter of the machines and the darkness from lack of light. Five blue cylinders take up most of the space of this L-shaped room. These are the hot water pumps that tunnel water throughout the entire building. Almost all of the utilities needed to make the school run originate within this room. The main source of electricity, all water lines and the air conditioning units all start here. The reason such few students have seen the boiler room is because it is vital that these complex

machines are run correctly and efficiently. Thus, only trained professionals like the custodial staff are allowed to work these machines.

Custodians and technicians from the utility companies are these professionals. Within this room lie all the lifelines of East. They are what cause misery when broken, but when working properly get little attention. These utilities are the behind the scenes machines that many people do not understand and therefore pay little attention to. This room is basically neglected except when something goes wrong.

behind closed doors

cond Floor

Written by Sara Steinwart and Katie Jones

First Level Floor Plan by Cynthia Goldman Second Level Floor Plan by Mallory Toombs photos by Kevin Grunwald

The Kitchen

In the back kitchen, a dozen food service workers cook, mix, fry, and bake students’ breakfast and lunches everyday.

The first thing that is visible through the back entrance in the kitchen is a huge walk in freezer and a refrigerator on the opposite side that house all the soda and food that the cooks use to prepare meals with.

Next, there is a private office where official papers are kept and photos of the staff hang. Further into the tidy kitchen is a dessert making station. There sits a metallic counter and next to it a four foot wide mixer bowl. The food service workers bake and fry and dish up various food items here and elsewhere all day until the end of third lunch, when they resort to cleaning.

Close to the pastry station there are stacks of frozen fries and chicken and other lunch gulars. They’re fried in large vats close by. Dangerous appliances like this and the batter mixer are the main reason students aren’t allowed back there, says head of lunch personnel Lora Dollar.

“You guys might fall in the fryer or something,” she says.

Pool Window

Climbing backwards down the steep stairs was like walking down into a long lost dungeon. Cement walls over powered the small empty room. It was like stepping into a secret place, know to only a few special individuals. The narrow passageway leading to the room filled with all the machinery that is needed to run the pool. Above, as scene through a tiny window at the top of the room, lie the blue waters of the chlorinated pool. The swimmers fly by not knowing all that is done within this room to make the pool clean and swimable. The window serves as a glance into reality from this insular room.

Three red pumps circulate the pool that churns above. Chipped green-colored pipes serve as the connection to the pool. Giant white cylinders filled with chlorine wait to be funneled into the great blue mass. Only trained custodians and professional repairmen are allowed into this secret room. All of these pumps and regulators work for one sole purpose, making the pool just right for the swim teams, gym classes and lifeguard training sessions that all take place within the rippled water mass above. This room may appear uninteresting and standard, but without it East would not e able to have the luxury of a swimming pool.

NO?

16 features just

say

the harbinger

Abstinence-only education sparks debate in schools Erin Morrisey

In his 2004 State of the Union Address, President Bush called for abstinence only sexual education, doubling the funding for such programs.

Democratic representative Henry Waxman from California released the Waxman Report, a study last December stating that Bush’s sex-ed programs not only aren’t working, but are supplying students with a plethora of inaccuracies. The Shawnee Mission School district is one of the many in the nation that maintains an abstinence-only curriculum, that administrators and teachers say it is wellsuited to the community.

Teens in America enrolled in districts that teach federallyfunded abstinence-only sexual education are being taught that HIV can be transmitted through tears, half the gay male teenagers in the United States have AIDS, and abortion can lead to mental retardation of future children, says Waxman’s report. The report states that over 80 percent of the programs in 2003 taught what amounts to lies, spurring misconceptions among teens.

However, the government will spend $170 million on abstinence-only education this year alone.

“Abstinence for young people is the only certain way to avoid sexually-transmitted diseases,” President Bush said in his January 2004 State of the Union Address. “Decisions children now make can affect their health and character for the rest of their lives. All of us--parents and schools and government--must work together to counter the negative influence of the culture, and to send the right messages to our children.”

While Waxman agrees that abstinence should be spoken about in schools, he feels that the methods which are employed to keep teens from having sexual relations are doing them a disservice.

“I have no objection talking about abstinence as a surefire way to prevent unwanted pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases,” Waxman said in an interview with the Washington Post. “I don’t think we ought to lie to our children about science. Something is seriously wrong when federal tax dollars are being used to mislead kids about basic health facts.”

Federal funding is allotted to those school districts that teach abstinence-only, as long as they don’t talk address contraception other than to highlight the failure rates of methods such as the use of condoms and birth control.

“Abstinence is the premise we have to take, according to the district,” health teacher Sue Chipman said. “Any adult in their right mind is going to tell teens that a sexual relationship before they are mature puts them in a situation with a lot of problems, in which they’re going to have to make decisions ahead of when they should.”

Chipman advocates abstinence in her classes, as per the district curriculum. However, she realizes that teens may still have sex, so she briefly discusses methods of contraception.

Also, she says that she will answer any student question, regardless of whether it falls within the curriculum.

“We’re allowed to answer questions if they’re asked, but we can’t bring up the issue. I’ve never dodged a question,” Chipman said.

Among the top five teen-pregnancy states, three of them are states that teach abstinence-only (Texas, Arizona, and Missouri). Advocates of comprehensive education programs, in which students are taught in-depth about abstinence as well as contraception, pregnancy, and abortion, feel that teaching students only to not have sex leaves them unprepared in the event that they do choose to have intercourse.

Mary-Jane Wagle, CEO of Planned Parenthood, in an article she wrote for the Los Angeles Times in 2004, compared the abstinence-only education to a driver’s ed class that “shows students grisly photos of traffic accidents but never tells them to stop at red lights or buckle their seat

TALK ABOUT SEX Abstinence only isn’t the only choice for school’s sex ed. programs. Districts can choose from these three methods

ABSTINENCE-ONLY: in this program students are taught nothing about contraception or sexual intercourse.

ABSTINENCE PLUS: students are taught abstinence as well as contraception.

COMPREHENSIVE: students are taught anything and everything. Abstinence is not a part of this curriculum belts.” She went on to write that abstinence-only programs scare and shame teens, instead of teaching them what they need to stay safe and healthy.

Tracy Allen-Ehrhart, the director of education at the Planned Parenthood of Kansas and Mid-Missouri, feels that teaching abstinence-only education is dangerous.

“Study after study has shown that teens that get abstinence-only education have sex sooner, and when they do have sex they’re less likely to use protection,” Allen-

April 4, 2005

Ehrhart said. As adults we owe it to young people to give them all the information they need to protect themselves.”

Although the curricula in Kansas primarily teach about abstinence, there are politicians in the area who feel that a comprehensive approach is best.

“We need to approach our national STD problem with a variety of comprehensive approaches aimed at young adults with different experiences, values and backgrounds,” Kansas Representative Dennis Moore said in an e-mail interview.

Waxman’s report stated that several programs were blurring science with religion, stating religious opinion as though it was fact. Sophomore Garrett Degregory agrees that religion plays a role in what students are taught about sex.

“I can see how it might appeal to the fundamental Christian groups as they are against contraception, but in practice I think it’s impractical,” sophomore Garrett Degregory said. “Teenagers are going to have sex and have been having sex since the beginning of teenagers, so they should probably teach us about condoms.”

According to Stacey Donovan, the field coordinator at the Abstinence Clearinghouse in South Dakota, the reason why students shouldn’t be taught about contraception is because there is no such thing as safe sex.

“Nothing is going to protect you from getting an STD or a broken heart,” said Donovan.

Associate principal Ron Mersch feels that abstinence-only is the best curriculum for schools in the district because the conservative approach is more appropriate in the Shawnee Mission school district.

“What’s written in health curriculums in Kansas is going to be different from what you see in the curriculums of major cities on the coasts,” Mersch said. “There seems to be a different community tone.”

Mersch cites an increase in the sexual activity of teens before they leave high school as the reasoning behind the curriculum in our schools. He says that many conservatives believe that educating teens on contraceptive methods encourages them to have sex.

“The safest route is for the districts to pull back a step or two and take a more conservative approach, because teaching about contraception may give some teens the message of encouragement.” he said.

The Bush Administration’s Secretary of Education, Margaret Spellings, advocates abstinence-only education by saying in a press conference last November that she believes “the message we should be sending to children in middle and high school is one of abstinence, and abstinence only.”

However, senior Cade Brummer feel as though he is not being taught all he needs to know.

“The minute you tell an adolescent not to do something, they’re going to want to do it even more,” Brummer said.

“That’s why I think they should be taught how to protect themselves if they do choose to do that.”

22 A&E

the harbinger

Beyond the Belt Curtis Sittenfeld’s new novel looks pass fashion and ...

Sylvia Shank

A pink and green ribbed belt. Baby blue letters. Looking at the cover of Prep, by Curtis Sittenfeld, one might assume that it’s a light read about fashionable girls with too much money and lips coated in a thick layer of Juicy Luscious Sugar lip gloss.

Not even close.

Though well written and sometimes funny, I found Prep to be unsatisfying and sometimes boring.

As cute as the cover is, Prep is a dark novel. It’s painfully honest and funny with a cynical sort of humor.

The book takes place at an elite East coast boarding school. Main character Lee Fiora is tempted by the glossy catalogs portraying Ault boarding school as romantic and intellectual, so she applies for a scholarship. She explains her reasoning: “I imagined that if I left South Bend, I would meet a melancholy boy who liked to read as much as I did and on overcast Sundays we would take walks together wearing wool sweaters.”

Fiora finds boarding school is not like a glossy brochure, but she studies keenly what goes on in daily life at Ault. In spite of her keen observations of hers and others’ lives, Fiora herself remains refined and uninvolved for the entire novel. I found myself wanting her to simply take a risk, do something. Throughout Prep, Lee Fiora never fits in. It’s not that she can’t, or doesn’t want to. She just isn’t willing.

Not willing to say hi to people in the hall. Not willing to be involved in extracurricular activities or branch out. She stays cautious and observant, wallpaper on the periphery.

Her lack of involvement bored me.

For instance, she’ll analyze a group of the “bank boys” and Cross are sleeping with each other, yet when they meet in chapel, observing them acutely. These boys get their in daylight, they ignore each other! It’s not exciting, like a name because almost all of their fathers own banks. These secret affair full of passion. Rather, it’s sad and awkward descriptive passages are interesting, but soon, Fiora returns that Lee is attached to Cross while he thinks little of her. to her dorm and invisible life. Boring to read.

Usually, when he comes to her he’s been drinking. There Also, she’ll pass her crush, Cross Sugarman in the is no passion. It’s actually sad and depressing to see Lee’s hallway and purposely divert her gaze, then go to her dorm situation.

They will never openly date because of Cross’s and dream about him.

And what kind of name is Cross Sugarman, one might popularity and the fact that Lee is shy and never seems to be ask? At Ault, the wealthy all have extravagant names. able to pursue anything that might make her uncomfortable or embarrassed. I was annoyed “Aspeth Montgomery”, “Darden that Lee would wait and wait for Pittard,” are some of them. him. At times, he wouldn’t come Oddly, this is realistic because, for a week and she would be upset, as Sittenfeld puts it, the rich can yet wouldn’t talk to him because of afford to give their children how much she limited herself. In outrageous names.

It’s painfully honest and fact, she’d avoid him.

The novel is fun at times, funny with a cynical Times like this were frustrating when the diary-like writing for someone who isn’t shy or one to style tells of Fiora’s humorous sort of humor. avoid others. I think some people encounters. Often, the writing makes me feel self-conscious for Lee would relate to Lee. Just not me. because I just don’t relate to her character. She gets involved Shy people, for instance, could appreciate Lee’s quieter in a relationship with Cross Sugarman , but keeps it secret. nature. Anyone looking to go away to boarding school At night, they sneak into an empty dorm room and he sleeps should read it before making their final decision. with her. Basically, he uses her for the sex. The frustrating Prep is the story of a girl confined by her insecurities to thing is that Fiora lets him. It’s an odd relationship, if it can a life without risks. The result is that her life lacks interest.

At 400 pages spread out over eight chapters, it’s also even qualify as a relationship. He comes on random nights and she waits anxiously every night, often to be let down too long. Though well written, the novel left me depressed. when he doesn’t show. During the day, the two pretend not Main character Lee Fiora spends four years at Ault boarding to know each other which is awkward and annoying. Lee school, and I’ve concluded that is was four years too many.

Prep

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April, 4 2005