Issue 15

harbinger SHAWNEE MISSION EAST

What’s Inside

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ISSUE 15, MAY 3, 2004

Student deals with her mother’s illness Summer movies Nutrition and school

making prom come true Behind the scenes with the people who plan the year’s biggest dance

P

atrick Ardinger started preparing for prom a whole year early.

It started last spring, when he was elected junior class president and put in charge of planning this year’s prom. The process eventually took nearly all of his junior year.

Ardinger was one of a group of juniors for whom preparation for Prom started in September, when they began weekly meetings to plan the theme and decorations of the dance. It was a job that wasn’t finished until two weeks ago, when

by Libby Nelson stuffed invitations that were passed out to every junior and senior. Some weeks they’d spend their entire junior class meeting talking about Prom; sometimes they’d hardly touch on the subject at all.

But now, with not quite a week before the dance, they’ve spent countless weekly meetings and thousands of dollars working on an event that will last only five hours.

They’ve spent eight months planning for one night.

continued on page 2

news 2

THE HARBINGER

Prom preparations: StuCo members decide on decorations and invitations Continued from page one Choosing a theme

Ardinger started coming up with ideas for Prom themes when he was elected junior class president last spring.

“I wanted something more daring… something bold and different,” he said.

“Moonlit Masquerade [last year’s theme] was really nice, but it was more elegant. I wanted something [that was] still elegant, but more bold.”

Ardinger had a jungle theme in mind when the planning began. He’d wanted to imitate the Rainforest Café with greenery and fake thunderstorms. But, he said, the other committee members didn’t think it was elegant enough. They wanted what prom committee member Allison Isenberg described as a “romantic, deep mood,” and went through past themes trying to get an idea.

In a vote by secret ballot, they eventually decided on Arabian Nights.

Junior Jessica Meara, who worked on the prom committee, said she didn’t have any specific ideas of her own, but supported and expanded on other people’s.

“We sort of had mutual ideas,” she said. “It wasn’t one person putting it all out. And we were all involved in the voting.”

Isenberg said that she tried to make sure her input was always heard. “There were a lot of boys at the Thursday meetings, and the guys just saw it

differently than the girls did,” she said. “[Some of them] were trying to get things you wouldn’t want to have at prom, stuff like belly-dancers… I just kept trying to make it a little more realistic.”

Ardinger agreed with Isenberg that choosing the theme and developing the main ideas was the most difficult part.

“Someone would have one idea for a theme, and then someone else would give theirs… the allegiance [to ideas] would change really rapidly,” he said. “It was interesting to sit back and watch it.”

And though he’d originally preferred something else, Ardinger ended up liking the theme. “It’s sort of Aladdineque, but not nonelegant,” he said. “But it’s not your typical white middle-class prom.”

Creating the mood

After the theme was chosen, the committee began working with decorator and caterer Kathy Haverkamp. They started with picking, from samples she provided, the general mood and feel for prom: the lighting, the colors, the arrangements. Then they moved on to more specific planning, like the fabrics and food.

Union Station provides a list of approved caterers to groups planning to hold events there. Haverkamp was one of these caterers, who arrange for the decorations to be done themselves.

“Kathy told us we couldn’t even put a

flower arrangement on the table [because of Union Station’s rules],” Ardinger said.

“We helped her with the original idea and she took it and ran. Sometimes we’d pipe up and say we should do something differently, [but] none of us had experience with an event like this, and we trusted her.”

Because Haverkamp arranges for the decorating herself, the committee members aren’t exactly sure what Prom will look like until they arrive there.

Final details

Once the invitations were stuffed and passed out to juniors and seniors, the prom committee’s work was done.

Ardinger, Isenberg and Meara all said they’re glad the work is over, but they enjoyed doing it.

“It was fun to keep it secret from people,” Isenberg said. “It’s nice now that it’s finally coming together… it was cool to have input on such a big event.”

Now all they have to do is go to the dance. All three have dates and have begun making plans to go to the event they helped create.

“It’s going to be special when we see each other there,” Isenberg said. “I’ll be able to look at [decorations] and say, ‘I chose that’ or ‘We decided on that.’ This is what we’ve given back to the school.”

Prom Info PROM When: May 8 at 9:00 p.m.

Where: Union Station Theme: Arabian Nights Features: A chocolate fountain

AFTER PROM When: Sunday, May 9 12:00-2:30 a.m. immediately following Prom

Where: King Louie/AMF Bowling Lanes and Ice Chateau at 8788 Metcalf

What: Free Chipotle, prizes including cash and electronics, poker, caricatures, a magician, free video tokens, ice skating, a disc jockey, bowling, and billiards.

Who: All SME juniors, seniors, and dates Cost: The cost is $5 per person and is included in the prom ticket price.

Graphic by Sara McElhaney

3 news

THE HARBINGER SPEECH! SPEECH!: Rubaie’s natural talent of being a sophisticated public speaker will come in handy at Nationals. photo by Kevin Grunwald participation in Debate, which he enrolled in his first semester of his freshman year. Rubaie greatly enjoyed the course, and when the Debate adviser, Paulette Manville, encouraged him to try a branch of Forensics called Student Congress, Rubaie enrolled in forensics for the second semester.

“He has excellent analytical skills and he is an accomplished public speaker,” Manville said. “Skills that helped him succeed in debate have helped him with forensics as well.”

Within forensics, Rubaie focuses on a division called Student Congress. It has the same basic structure as the legislative process of the U.S. Congress. At each participant’s school, legislation is created within the forensics classes, which are later argued at the next tournament. Past legislations from SM East have centered around topic such as regulation of U.S. presidential term limits, and whether or not terminally ill patients have the right to die.

At a tournament for Student Congress, each piece of legislation must be presented in a speech that is no more than three minutes long.

“There’s such a short time given to you,” Rubaie said. “You have to learn to speak and persuade people about important things quickly, (while also) presenting an idea sincerely.”

As a freshman, Rubaie did so well in the House division of Student Congress last year as to qualify for the National Forensics Tournament, and this year, he has qualified again, but in the Senate category. Qualifying for Nationals is a feat that many seniors never accomplish, even after working for four years, and Rubaie has done it twice in two years.

The process by which participants are selected for Nationals is based on the number of those in the competition.

“The way it breaks down, it’s based on how many people participate. The way it went for mine (this year) was that there were 18 people in the Senate, and the top two participants moved on,” Rubaie said. There are three judges in the back of the room, who grade each speaker on each of their speeches. They grade each speech from 1-6 (1 being the lowest, 6 being the highest) from a personalized set of criteria, and whichever speaker has the highest sum wins their division.

Before a tournament, Rubaie’s preparation is mostly internal.

“There’s a lot of thinking involved: gathering both sides

The Natural Forensics pro heads to Nationals, his second in two years at SM East Annie Harrigan

F

reshman Brian Rubaie had only just enrolled in forensics a few weeks before today. Today is the day of his first forensics tournament.

Today, the day in which he’d be participating in Student Congress. Upon arriving, he has discovered that instead of being placed in the Novice division, for beginning forensicators, he has been placed in the House division. The House is a division for students who have argued legislation at tournaments like these for years, and have far more experience than Rubaie.

“I figured I would get stomped,” Rubaie, now a sophomore, said. “But I reviewed my research, practiced my speech over and over…(junior) Ben Driks told me to be calm, and I did my best. I ended up getting 5th (place).”

Rubaie’s jump start into forensics was fueled by his

news BRIEFS

CORRECTIONS

Changes on issue 14 front page article: The article was written by Ross Boomer.

The article was referring to senior Maggie Cobb not Molly Cobb.

(Boomer sincerely apologizes)

SHARE Packages ORDERS:

SHARE package order forms are due on Friday. Forms can be picked up in room 404 or in the office.

ASSEMBLY:

Any students who want to help assemble the SHARE packages may do so after school on Tues. May 10 in the front hall.

PICK-UP:

Packages will be delivered May 12-14.

Students can pick them up on the north ramp during lunch or in room 404 before and after school. Seniors remember to pick them up before you finish your finals!

of the issue, using your own logic,” Rubaie said. “In my class, we bounce ideas off each other, trying to think of every possible argument that could be brought up (at the Congress).”

When a tournament approaches, Rubaie doesn’t see a need to feel pressured.

“I practice my speeches and get in the mindset of the tournament. I only worry when (I) know there’s going to be people who have done this many time before, and who have done well in the past…I’m able to see the best in it by learning from what they do.”

Rubaie’s avid participation in Forensics has added up, literally. National Forensics League (NFL) points are points that can be earned by attending tournaments and winning top awards at them. Since last year, Rubaie has accumulated 1192 points. The average SM East Forensics participant has 86.

Rubaie earned 102 of those points at the National Forensics Tournament in Washington, D.C. last summer.

He qualified last year for the House, and he has qualified again this year, but in the Senate division, a division reserved for advanced Forensicators who have been promoted due to their distinction as award-winning speakers at past tournaments.

Rubaie is grateful for the experience he obtained last year at Nationals, but will need to brush up his Congressional skill for this summer’s tournament.

“I definitely have a lot better idea what the judges want to hear,” said Rubaie. “Moving up from House to Senate will be different, too. Definitely more challenging. I’ll need to research my topics a lot more.”

FORENSICS FACTS Here are the SM East students who qualified for the National Forensics Tournament.

Zoe Raglow, 10 Brian Rubaie, 10 Annie Sears, 10 Sean Stenger, 10 Brady Myers, 11 Kelsey Sewell, 11 Libby Brickson, 12 Amy Hamilton, 12 The National Forensics Tournament will be held from June 13-18, 2004, in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Attention juniors Graduation items

Seniors may pick up their cap, Any juniors who are interested gown and tickets from 3:00-9: in being a Heralder next year 00 p.m. in the libraray on Thurs. must attend an informational May 13. meeting in room 515 today at 2:50 p.m.

If you cannot attend please see Senior breakfast When: Fri. May 14 at 7 a.m.

Ms. Beachy.

Lancer Dancers

Where: Cafeteria What: A final goodbye for the

class of 2004 The date of the varsity and junior varsity Lancer Dancer Spring Show has been changed Late Start Day to May 12. It will be at 7 p.m. in Due to the senior breakfast, the auditorium. Tickets are $5 all freshmen, sophomores and dollars and available from any juniors will begin school at 9:20 drill team member. a.m. on Fri. May 14.

Bad fruit

news 4

Extra Information

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Cartoon by Stacey Golub and Courtney Condron

Carson Black

Rotten fruit gets many teachers and administrators sick, why havent people been warned?

It came from the fruit, and no one, not even the Johnson County Health Department, knows what “it” is. The more than 50 Shawnee Mission School District employees that got sick March 23 and 24 would like to know just what it was that made them so sick. Suspected to be the Norwalk virus, a viral infection of the intestine that causes severe stomach pain, the culture was sent to a lab in Minnesota.

SM East lost four teachers, four paraprofessionals and two counselors to the bad fruit. SM South had approximately 40 employees sick from school and an unknown number of workers ill.

The teachers, administrators, counselors and paraprofressionals all started getting sick Tuesday evening, a little more than 24 hours after eating the fruit. Broadmoor provided the fruit for all Shawnee Mission schools on Monday the 22, a district wide school improvement day. Norwalk, a stool spread virus, had to have contaminated the fruit before arriving at Broadmoor, or while being handled.

The contaminated fruit at East was isolated to the

Robert L. Smart Jr. ABR Senior Sales Executive Chairman’s Circle 7200 College Blvd.

Overland Park, KS 66210 Office: 913-451-6660

English department. Freshman English teacher Marlene Lerner even had to be hospitalized overnight for her illness. Not only did it cost her $7,000, but she was unable to work for two days. The teachers’ union has asked the district that all the sick days used be reinstituted, since they provided the fruit.

Teachers feel that the incident wasn’t treated with enough importance, considering the wide spread effects.

“They acted like it didn’t happen to us,” Lerner said.

There was a letter sent to students and substitute teachers informing them of the incident, but little else.The Health Department was called in to investigate and from initial testing they found that it wasn’t food poisoning.

They then sent it away for further testing. Although all employees got over their illnesses, they’re still anxious to hear the results. Norwalk has no long-term effects and is the most common food born illness. The teachers’ union is looking for reimbursement, but isn’t placing blame, and neither are the teachers.

“We don’t blame the school, but we wish they had

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Norwalk virus infection is an intestinal illness that often occurs in outbreaks.

Norwalk and Norwalk-like viruses are increasingly being recognized as leading causes of foodborne disease in the United States.

The viruses are passed in the stool of infected persons.

People get infected by swallowing stool-contaminated food or water. Outbreaks in the United States are often linked to raw oysters.

Infected people usually recover in 2 to 3 days without serious or long-term health effects.

To prevent Norwalk virus infection: 1) wash hands with soap and warm water after toilet visits and before preparing or eating food; 2) cook all shellfish thoroughly before eating; 3) wash raw vegetables before eating; and 4) dispose of sewage in a sanitary manner.

Info courtesy of www.asttpehe.org/infect/norwalk.com treated it with more respect,” Lerner said. At this point, all that can be done is to wait for the lab results. The next step will be to try and pinpoint where the virus came from, and how to prevent it in the future.

THE HARBINGER

5 Ads

IT’S GREAT TO BE A LANCER

6 opinion

Skewed reality

THE HARBINGER

Today’s television needs a face lift

Holly Garringer

L

In my own words

ast week while flipping through the channels, I came across a show that was appalling, to say the least. I know what you’re thinking, but it wasn’t Fear Factor, for some reason I am not abhorred by a man eating cow testicles. It was a sweet little gem called The Swan.

In case you haven’t been lucky enough to witness this fantastic example of humanity at its best, let me give you a little rundown of the show. Contestants are women that have gone through life being known as ‘the girl with a great personality but the looks of an old shoe.’ Obviously this moniker has not given them high self confidence, so the women have come to the ‘ panel of experts’ to help boost them to super model status. This so called golden panel consists of a coach, therapist, trainer, cosmetic surgeons and a dentist, and they have designed the perfect plan for each women to change from an ugly duckling into a beautiful swan!

Alright, I’ll admit that the bare bones of this show seem like a decent idea. Give women that have had poor self esteem their entire life a second chance. But as we all know, TV shows with strong moral values don’t get very strong ratings, so there is, of course, a twist. After undergoing numerous plastic surgeries, the contestants are forced to live in a hotel room for three months without visiting their family members.

As if this solitary confinement wasn’t enough, the women are not allowed to look at themselves until the final episode when they compete in a beauty pageant to see who turned out to be the prettiest.

This show is the perfect example of how reality television is quickly spinning out of control. It’s one thing to have a fun show where women who never wear makeup or cut their hair are transformed by a few swipes of blush and a chop of the locks. But it is

quite another to perform so much plastic surgery that even the mothers of the contestants couldn’t pick them out in a crowd of strangers. I hate to sound like my mother, but what kind of message does this send?

It’s ok to be yourself, as long as you’re not ugly. If you are, you better find a doctor to suck the fat out of your thighs and give your brows a lift.

But how did we get here? 30 years ago we were laughing at shows where 7 wacky strangers got stranded on a desert island. I guess you could blame television executives. Each one is trying to push the envelope just a little bit farther than the last (see Janet Jackson’s boob fiasco for the perfect example).

And that’s how we have ended up with shows like The Swan.

executives.

Finally, I

THE FOX PROGRAMMING EXEC IS THE REAL UGLY DUCKLING

I also think though that we as viewers have a choice. See, I have a secret to tell you. After seeing the introduction to The Swan, I ended up watching to the first commercial break. One more, I thought, so I watched until the next one. And the next one. And the next one until finally the credits began to roll. I was so mesmerized with morbid curiosity that I helped support the piece of junk. You see, we as viewers have a choice to turn the stupid thing off. Maybe a tune out mentality would change the minds of those ratings hungry

hope that we, the youth of America, specifically girls, can stop comparing ourselves to the ‘perfect’ celebrities that we see on television, movies, and magazine covers. If it takes plastic surgery for you to look like Cameron Diaz, then maybe you weren’t ment to look like Cameron Diaz.

So please, show some will power and turn off trashy shows like The Swan. I promise you, there are better things to watch. The Beverly Hillbillies is on every night at nine.

art by Annie Harrigan

A TOTAL WRECK Dianne Smith

Losing your car means losing your freedom

In my own words

I don’t even remember what I was doing that distracted me. I just remember the smell of the airbag explosives, the burning, and the tears.

I just looked up and the bumper of the car in front of me jumped up at my face. I tried to slam on my brakes and swerve out of the way. But the bumper was so close and the roads were so slick.

More than a month ago, I totaled my car. Now that I’m it, I’m back to living and feeling like I’m in middle school. I feel like a child. I call my parents when I need a ride home from work and I rely on my best friend for a ride to school. I can’t jump in my car and go to Brookside to walk around just to enjoy the atmosphere and weather. I can’t go pick out a new outfit at Town Center when I’m bored with all my clothes. I can’t run to the grocery store at the spur of the moment, in search of

chocolate chips or vanilla extract for whatever my latest baking endeavor happens to be. I can’t go to the Y without planning it in advance. I can’t be spontaneous.

Transportation is independence and I miss my car.

In high school, your car is your social life. It gets you out of the house.Sometimes the joy of driving is all it takes to have fun. Ever been on a country drive? Just for the fun of driving, the fun of looking out the window and listening to music.

A car is a symbol of maturity. It means you are adult enough to get yourself where you need to go on your own.

The real rite of passage into adulthood isn’t your driver’s license but your first car. Real independence comes when you have your own car and can leave without asking permission of anyone. I can drive my brother’s car when he’s not using it but it’s just not the same. I have to ask him if it’s ok. Adults don’t ask permission to go to the grocery store.

When life got too busy to come home, my car was my home away from home. Lip-gloss and deodorant lived in

my car and so did my schoolbooks. There was always some random makeup in my car, just in case. And my English book was always in the back seat. We barely use the book, but it was there just in case. My car was my locker and my on-the-go powder room and closet.

My car was my best friend. It was always there for me when I needed it and it didn’t mind listening to my bad singing. When I was upset or happy it would let me be emotional. It would let me cry when all I needed was to cry.

I want a new car but it’ll be awhile before I have the money for a new car and my parents don’t have the money either. I don’t blame them for not buying me another car but I do blame them for not being understanding. I don’t think they understand what a car means to high school students. A car means freedom, it means spontaneity and it means happiness.

The worst thing about losing my car was that I just wanted to cry but my favorite place to cry was gone. My lifestyle is gone. And I won’t get it back until I get a new car.

THE HARBINGER

Letters to the editor

7

opinion

“Iraq Not Worth America’s Youth” -Issue 15

A draft is the first step for a great generation

Eric Muecke

The editorial page of the April 14 issue of the Harbinger simply put a fire in my belly to write a response. The editorial, with no signed author, was skewed in its facts.

The article about America’s youth and Iraq upset me when it started, claiming, “…in preserving the future of Iraq we’re ruining another American generation.” As a future United States Marine, I follow the news very carefully, especially the events that take place in Afghanistan and Iraq. With that there are costs, and I grieve every time I hear reports of casualties, but when the stakes are this high, we must prepare for certain losses. Freedom is not free.

The main part of the article though, was to support not having a draft. Many are uninformed about how a draft is implemented. The president just doesn’t get out of bed one morning and decide to order a military draft. It has the requirement by law to occur within 193 days of a crisis that

can’t be handled by voluntary military forces and it takes a step by Congress before it even reaches the President. In these times our generation needs to step up and take the challenge that is set before us. I take comfort that America has a President who is willing to take evil head on and not let any outside country dictate how to run our foreign policy.

The article suggests that “…the U.N. has requested authority over the reconstruction in Iraq.” First off, instead of lassoing up troops and contractors from nations (some who didn’t want to go in the first place), the U.S. gives the nations who are now in Iraq, a choice to stay. Secondly, should the Iraqis trust the people who wished not to go to war in the first place, who wish to deny them their freedom from tyranny? Should they trust the U.N., who is currently being investigated for scandals such as the oil-for-food program and reports of secret deals between certain

countries (i.e. France and Russia) and Saddam vote against war in exchange for money and oil? I believe that the Iraqis may only trust the coalition that is currently protecting them because these nations have already committed to the freedom of the people of Iraq.

The upcoming generation, our generation, has the potential to be the greatest in American and world history.

The question is, does this generation hav the will to eliminate blind hatred and evil that live in this world, or will we falter?

Will our generation turn its back, like so many generations before us, and ignore the torturing and a killing of a ruthless dictator, the massacre of thousands upon thousands of innocent people and plans for destruction and murder on American soil?

Mission in Iraq dangerous, but Necessary Andrew Limpic On the topic of your staff editorial regarding the United States’ occupation of Iraq I would like to say a few things.

First of all, to compare our involvement in Iraq to that in Afghanistan is most erroneous. Our objective in Iraq is far more complex and dangerous than the operations in Afghanistan. Over 650 Americans have indeed lost their lives in Iraq and in no way am I lessening the sanctity of human life, but in comparison to World War I or II, 650 lives is significantly smaller.

In addition to the 650 American lives lost in effort to make a country better, one must

also consider the over 800,000 Iraqi lives lost at the hand of their former malevolent despot, Saddam Hussein.

destruction and merits the United States’ attention, regardless if we find weapons of mass destruction.

As far as the United Nations’ goes, they tried for 12 years to negotiate with Saddam Our objective in Iraq is far Hussein but with no avail. After 12 years more complex and dangerous with a solution never coming into fruition than the operations in Afghani- under the efforts of the U.N., it would be most foolhardy of President Bush to hand stan over to them.

--Andrew Limpic operations The editorial staff posed the question, “Why won’t Bush let the U.N. into Iraq?”

Saddam’s sons went into Iraqi schools and was answered, “We have a president and hand selected 12-year-old students who who doesn’t ‘listen to the polls’.” I would like would be raped. In my opinion that is mass

Keep our School Clean

to take this opportunity to remind you that if every president employed the strategy of simply listening to the polls as you suggest, schools would be segregated and blacks would still be riding at the back of the bus.

Also to put a survey containing the opinions of 5 Johnson County kids is just sad. That survey is nobellwether for public opinion and is a discrace.If George Bush could walk on water, then you’d say that he couldn’t swim.

Agree?

Disagree?

The Harbinger welcomes reader letters Send them to Alex Abnos, Editor-in-Chief, in Room 521 or e-mail them to us at smeharbie@hotmail.com Letters must be signed and may be edited for length and clarity.

Please provide any contact information with your letter.

opinion

8

THE HARBINGER

‘Mission

accomplished’?

In my own words

Carson Black

Questioning the motives of Bush and the War against Terror

It’s obvious now that going into Iraq was a mistake.

There are too many different investments for different interests: private American businesses, government workers and contractors, public works and humanitarian aid, private security forces, 130,000 US troops and an “Iraq security force.” Not to mention, the Iraqis.

I was told that our troops would be met with roses, not roadside bombs. And I was told that Iraq had somehow gotten safer or better because of our presence. If they love us there so much, why are our troops being attacked every day, inflicting more than 100 US casualties in March alone?

But oddly enough, anyone who protested or suggested that going to Iraq was wrong or at least a bad idea, was booed off stage or had their patriotism questioned. Instead of being skeptical of a costly, unsure war, people attacked those who stood up to the war, or asked questions. We were sure that there was a link between Iraq and Al-Qaida, we had photographic evidence of the WMD. Now, with all the White Houses’ promises’ coming up empty, Americans are looking for answers, explanations and plans. They surely won’t get them from the White House, whose blatant lies and half-assed planning got us here in the first place. So the people of the US, whether or not they support the war, really have no idea what’s going on, or even which direction we’re moving. They have no say in anything and they’re going to get stuck with the bill.

No doubt freedom isn’t free, but the price isn’t impulsively rushing to war. There are plenty of free countries in this world that don’t impose their will on others, and don’t need millions of troops to defend themselves. Mr. Bush admitted this and contradicted himself during his address to the nation when he said that free people are peaceful people. America, land of the free, has the largest military in the world.

Unrivaled by the next three largest armies, the US has more troops in more countries than any other nation in the world. Freedom and peace don’t share a causeeffect relationship Bush can “stay the course” as much as he

wants because he’s not going anywhere or accomplishing anything. All we have done in Iraq is taken one ruthless dictator out of power and replaced him with many more, much angrier extremists, all of which are more hostile towards the US. So we’re stuck between a rock and a hard place. If we pull completely out, Iraq falls into chaos and there are power vacuums and civil wars. If we keep such a commanding presence, there will be more folded flags and collateral damage. Either way it’s going to cost a lot. A lot of money and manpower and lives and resources.

It would have taken years to rebuild Iraq before the war, now it looks more like decades.

At least we’ll find out before the presidential elections whether the war in Iraq is a success or a failure. Not that it matters if Bush is unseated from his throne, because as deep as we have managed to get, it’ll be a while before we get out. Keep troops there or keep lots of troops there, I think it’s safe to say that there will be an American presence there for a long time, even if we get international backing.

Our allies that are staying barely account for a crumb of the pie. There are more privately contracted security forces in Iraq than all photo American allies combined. Even with those 150,000 armed US coalition members we can’t keep control of the country.

Anyone who would say that Iraq, the US, or the world is safer now than before we got there, is blind. Thousands of Iraqis have died, hundreds of US and coalition troops have been killed, Iraq is in crumbles and “terrorist insurgents” have taken over entire cities. There seem to be more terrorists in Iraq than Iraqis.

Even after everything that has happened, politically and militarily, there is still support for the war. I’m all for helping a nation in trouble.

I wouldn’t mind paying for food and aid in Iraq, but as long as America tries to hold its own interests there, the situation will remain out of control.

Just remember that next time a president makes a case for war, that it is possible to lie to the face of the American people, insult your allies, sink the country into $500 billion debt and a still get support We thank all the citizens of for anything. All you have to do is be very vague about plans, and Iraq who welcomed our troops speak at a 6th grade level.

“Mission Accomplished”: President Bush aboard the USS Lincoln on May 2, 2003

By the numbers: Number of troops in Iraq United States 135,000

We’ve begun the search for hidden chemical and biological weapons and already know of hundreds of sites that will be We have no ambition in Iraq, except to remove a threat and restore control of that country to its own people.

United Kingdom 8,700 Italy 3,000 Poland 2,400 Ukraine 1,650 Spain 1,300 Australia 850

source: www.presiddentialredderick.com

US Security Forces 20,000

and joined in the liberation of their own country.

In Bush’s Words

courtesy of www.clicktronic.com

THE HARBINGER

Columbine lessons ignored Staff editorial

A p r i l 1999, 20, the day of Columbine.

Before that date, we didn’t have to worry about security cameras in the school. We didn’t have to worry about an increase in SRO officers. We didn’t have to worry about code reds. Or code any colors, for that matter. It was nice back then, but after that day, after the tragedy at Columbine, we learned our lesson. That is, after all, the purpose of history: to learn from your mistakes.

We started off very well. An investigation was launched swiftly, looking into what could have been done at Columbine to prevent it from ever happening again. Schools stepped up security measures, taking extra steps to make sure that no other community would ever have to deal with that kind of tragedy ever again.

However, with September 11 and all of the policies, investigations, and combat that followed, the importance of Columbine has been overlooked, a mere five years after it happened.

Looking nationally, it is easy to find examples of how our awareness of the many safety issues brought up

by Columbine has been waning. As recently as one year ago, students in Oaklyn, New Jersey - armed with several varieties of shotguns, rifles, swords, knives and around 2,000 rounds of ammunition - were arrested for attempting to steal a car, execute three classmates, and commit various other random murders throughout their neighborhood. The students had been planning this venture for over three months and nobody noticed. The main student involved was 18 years old.

But it goes younger. In Washington DC, also just one year ago, a 15-year-old high-schooler shot and killed a fellow student. Why? Because the student he shot had shot at him days earlier. None of this was taken into account, and the price was paid dearly.

Proof of the lack of attention given to the Columbine aftermath can even be found in Columbine itself.

Parents of victims of the shooting are still waiting for local authorities to complete their investigation into the origins of the attack, which started off so well five years ago. Evidence is still being delayed for release. There is quickly becoming more and more proof that there were enough warning signs for Columbine to have been prevented, and yet the authorities seem to be putting minimal effort into actually finding out how it could have been prevented.

Even locally, at East, the security cameras that were so hastily installed after the shootings have been found to be ineffective at actually watching what is going on in the school. Even though several of the cameras were installed in the senior parking lot, there were still multiple reports of thefts and damage done to cars. Crimes like that were allowed to happen because the cameras were unable to see what was going on, and nothing has been done to make them better.

This issue of school safety is one that spreads to all levels, and consequentially, it is an issue that needs to be repaired on all levels as well. On a large scale, Columbine needs to be more widely remembered that it is now. Many of us students were not even aware that April 20th was the same day that so many people our age lost their lives in the wake of one of the most senseless act of violence we have ever seen.

On a smaller scale, it is equally important for everyone to know that the reason history happens is for us to remember it and learn from our mistakes. The issues of bullying, violence and school safety raised from Columbine don’t go away just because of September 11. If we lose the lessons we have learned from this tragedy, then we end up right back we were on April 19, 1999: distracted and unprepared

harbinger A Publication of Shawnee Mission East 7500 Mission Road, Prairie Village, KS 66208 Phone: (913) 993.6688

staff

Editorial Board Vote

6 2

9 editorial

This editorial was written by one of the 10 editorial board members and reflects the opinions of the Editorial Board. For this editorial, six members voted in favor, and two members voted against the editorial. Two members were not present.

Votes For Votes Against

Editorial Cartoon

Sara McElhaney

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Editorial Briefs Mock Wreck

Honors and Awards

It was disappointing that the wreck was cancelled due to poor weather predictions. It would have been a valuable lesson and demonstration for our school’s

This ceremony shows the commitment students have for their school and education.

Congratulations to all of the students who won awards!

sophomores.

Bunch of Bands

New $50 Bill

After a week delay, bands at East will finally be able to perform. This event offers those students who are not necessarily involved in the performing arts at school to get some recognition for all there hard work.

The $20 bill was ugly enough, but the new $50 bill is worse. The enlarged picture of Grant makes passing this bill almost like playing with Monopoly money. art by Sara McElhaney

Editor-in-Chief

Photo Editor

Ads/Business Manager

A&E Page Editors

Staff Photographers

Alex Abnos

Tierney Weed

Joanna Cross

Evan Favreau Ian McFarland

Joanna Cross Jessie Fetterling Kevin Grunwald Pat Menihan

Assistant Editors Libby Nelson Dianne Smith

Editorial Section Editor Asst. Ads/Business Manager

Stephen McKim

Opinion Section Editor

Bryan Dykman

Subscription Manager Pat Menihan Art and Design Editor Holly Garringer News Section Editor Annie Harrigan Courtney Condron Head Copy Editor News Page Editor Features Section Editor Stacey Golub Lindsey Melvin Annie Fuhrman

Copy Editors Carson Black Corban Goble Stephen McKim

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Sports Section Editor Gordon Culver

Special Section Editor Amanda Allison

Sports Page Editors Peter Goehausen Curtis Shank

Features Page Editors Cynthia Goldman Mallory Toombs

Photo essay Editor Tierney Weed

Op/ed Page Editor Ellie Weed

Staff Artists Cynthia Goldman Sara McElhaney

Staff Writers Ross Boomer Jessie Fetterling Patrick Haverty Andy Logan Pat Ryan Michael Woodsmall

Adviser Dow Tate

features 10

Finding strength Courtney Condron

live? Her mom’s condition just kept getting worse.

Soon after being diagnosed Cheryl began mixing dreams with reality and having hallucinations. The only other time Cheryl had been in the hospital was when she was giving birth, so a lot of the time she would be continuously patting an imaginary baby.

One day Kelly and Bill told Cheryl they were going to leave the hospital for the night.

“OK, well take this baby with you and take all the animals, but leave the frogs,” Cheryl said.

Not all of Cheryl’s hallucinations were pleasant.

Sometimes Kelly would walk in to find her mom crying. These hallucinations w e r e frightening to OCT. 29, 2002 the family at It started first, but now when Cheryl the Roses are began feeling able to look pain in her back and knees when she got out of After the struggle: Kelly enjoys having laugh at them.

The doctors her car. Then she her mom back home with her. didn’t know had to have Kelly photo courtesy of Bill Rose what was wash her hair for causing these her, because Cheryl couldn’t even stand up in the shower. This morning Cheryl’s body hallucinations, because it wasn’t a symptom hurt too badly to even get out of bed. Bill of Guillain Barre. Bill decided to research decided to take her to the emergency room Cheryl’s medication, Adovan, on the internet and found that the hallucinations were a at St. Joseph’s.

Cheryl doesn’t remember the day she side effect. They stopped the Adovan, and went to the hospital. She doesn’t remember right away, Cheryl stopped hallucinating.

When Cheryl went to the hospital, the six months of her life following that day.

It’s the six months of her life that the rest Kelly, her sister, Meg, and Alison, who had of her family will never be able to forget. moved back home, had to do many things Six months of waking up in a dark home for themselves. Kelly didn’t even know how without a mom. Six months of their mom to use a washer and dryer before, and now hallucinating frogs on the ceiling and their she had to wash her own clothes, clean the dog, Cooper, in her bed. Six months of house and buy groceries.

Family and friends brought homeseeing their mom struggle to lift an arm.

Doctors at St. Joseph’s first suspected cooked meals to make up for the absence of that Cheryl had Guillain Barre, a syndrome Cheryl’s spaghetti dinner or her tuna noodle in which the immune system attacks part casserole. However, many nights the Roses of the nervous system. Cheryl was sent to just ate carry out or hospital food.

Cheryl had been working full-time before KU Medical Center where they have a more extensive neurology department. After a few she was diagnosed with Guillain Barre, and days of running tests, the doctors came to so all of a sudden that income went away.

Kelly got a job at Salty Iguana, not only to the conclusion that it was Guillain Barre.

Guillain Barre affects each person help pay for her own needs, but to keep her differently. Once the syndrome starts mind off of her mom’s illness.

Kelly and her sisters always had the fear affecting the body, it works extremely quickly. One day Cheryl had joint aches, that they might lose their mother. During the and within a few weeks she was almost illness they would go to the hospital together completely paralyzed. This is because the and go home together. At home they would immune system is attacking the extension cry about Cheryl’s crazy comments, and of the nerve cells, which destroys the nerves how much they missed her when they woke ability to transmit signals effectively. All up in the morning.

Kelly’s dad did his best to hide his cases reach a different levels; some patients feelings. When Kelly and her sisters were can’t even breathe without a machine.

Cheryl could breathe on her own, but crying, Bill would comfort them and try to she lost control of all joint movement. She stay positive. However at night, Kelly could couldn’t walk. She couldn’t sit up. She hear him talking and praying that Cheryl couldn’t roll over. Everything felt numb and would recover.

Cheryl’s condition kept getting worse. she had strange sensations when things touched her skin. Everything hurt, because One night the doctors decided to move her from the KU Med Center into a nursing she could feel every little bit of cloth.

At first Kelly was in shock. How was she center. They took her to the nursing center going to live without her mom at home? How in an ambulance, but her fever shot up to long would this last? Was her mom going to 103 degrees, so they sent her right back to Kelly Rose’s mom didn’t remember it was Kelly’s sixteenth birthday. She had told her yesterday, but her mom didn’t remember.

Her mom, Cheryl, didn’t even realize Kelly could get her driver’s license now.

“You’re letting her drive? Kelly can’t drive!

She’s not old enough.” Cheryl said.

“No it’s ok she turned sixteen,” Kelly’s dad, Bill, said.

“Well is she driving my car? Why are you letting her drive my car?” Cheryl asked.

It was strange for Kelly, now a junior, to spend her sixteenth birthday in the nursing center, but then again she’d been spending a lot of time in hospitals ever since the day her mom woke up and couldn’t walk three months ago.

THE HARBINGER

When a mother is faced with illness, her family unites.

KU Med Center.

Bill and his brother were waiting there for her when informed that she had pneumonia, a partially collapsed lung, and she had a severe blood infection.

The next night Bill was at the hospital by himself and the medical intern came out shaking her head.

“Mr. Rose, your wife has this blood infection and we’re trying to knock it out and we’re using the most powerful antibiotic we can, but she’s got pneumonia. We’re not sure what’s going to happen; we might have to move her to the ICU,” the intern said.

That night Kelly came home from a friend’s house to an empty house. She called her dad and immediately knew something was wrong, so she decided to stay awake until her dad came home in the early morning.

“My dad rarely shows his emotions, but he was telling me how scared he was and getting choked up,” Kelly said.

There is no cure for Guillain Barre, so the doctors did what they could to stabilize her condition. Slowly Cheryl began to improve.

They pumped her body with plasma to accelerate her recovery. Cheryl was able to come home for a little while in late February, but then went to live in a rehabilitation center. A few weeks into rehab she started getting her memory back and was on her way to recovery.

says.

“Yeah, but I hate it when you just brush it back,” Kelly tells him.

Cheryl can now walk with a walker, but spends most of her time in a wheel chair.

She has to attend physical therapy only twice a week now, and has feeling back in her hands and legs. By Christmas she should be able to walk, and in a year she’ll be able to drive a car again.

“I just can’t wait to get this hospital bed out of the middle of our family room,” Bill said.

Cheryl doesn’t remember when she was ill, so she has to be filled in on occurrences in the news while she was in, as Bill calls it, “The Fog”. Cheryl remembers watching TV and not understanding why the troops were in Afghanistan.

The Roses still eat carry-out almost every night. The last time they had a home-cooked meal was when Kelly made spaghetti four weeks ago, but they’re just glad to have Cheryl home, whether she can cook or not.

“I’m looking forward to when my life doesn’t revolve around my therapy anymore,” Cheryl said.

Kelly, now seventeen, still has to help out with her mom, and she has grown up a lot over the past year and a half.

“Not that I show it that much, but I’ve learned not to take things for granted and never to take advantage of my mom,” Kelly said “My mom knows I’ve learned these •Diffiiculty lessons, and she breathing. knows it’s made me a lot more responsible.”

•Weakness in Cheryl has your arms or also become upper body. very appreciative of her children.

“It didn’t sink in until I had been home for a while, but I was so surprised and relieved at how •Paralysis of your legs, arms, respiratory well they were muscles and face. able to cope,” Cheryl said.

Effects of Guillain Barre

JULY 16, 2003 Bill’s brother- •Difficulty with in-law has built eye movement, a wheel chair facial movement, ramp up to the speaking, chewing, front door and or swallowing. a hospital bed takes up about half of their family room.

Cheryl is coming home.

She is still picked up for physical therapy four times a week, but is c o m p l e t e l y •Weakness, tingling, coherent.

Her or loss of sensation family still has to in your legs and feet. lift her from her S T A Y I N G wheel chair to POSTIVE her bed, and she Bill feels that has no feeling, it’s important except a little that their family •Numbness, tingling, prickling sensation, bit in her arms. has stayed or moderate pain Kelly and the positive through throughout your rest of her family Cheryl’s illness. body. take turns giving “You just Cheryl drinks, feeding and dressing her. learn to cope because you don’t have an Looking back on it Kelly remembers how option, and certainly it could be worse,” Bill hard having her home was at first. said.

“It was a lot of work,” Kelly said. “But we The Roses try to look at this situation were just happy to have her mom at home, and think of other things that could be even and be able to talk to her whenever we more devastating, such as a family member wanted.” dying or a more permanent injury.

“At least with this there’s that light APRIL 24, 2004 at the end of the tunnel that the outlook Bill wheel≠s Cheryl out of the bathroom for this is good,” Bill said. “It’s a bad from her shower and into the family thing that’s happened but we try to stay room, where her hospital bed is and starts positive knowing that she’ll recover almost brushing her hair. completely; not knowing how long that will “I’ve become quite the hair stylist,” Bill take, we just try to look forward to it.”

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THE HARBINGER

S I G N

The bond between two women

Sara McElhaney

photo by Kevin Grunwald

Like flies on the wall, they stand in the corner and

observe the entire class. Like putting on a different hat, the interpreters for the deaf and hard of hearing change every word spoken into a language that is seen and not heard. Like having a backstage pass, they can also interpret for after-school activities upon a student’s request. Each different interpreter brings her own style and expertise to the classroom.

Pat Bell, Carol Craig, Sandy Krueger, Michelle Hayman, Susie Hogsett-Duncan and Jackie Wolf have a combined eighty years of experience signing in the district, and all but one will be continuing next year.

After twenty-nine years of experience, Mrs. Wolf will be retiring at the end of this year.

Mrs. Wolf was afraid. After her mother and older sister had lost their hearing during their thirties, she appeared to be next. “ M y world kind of stopped there for a little bit,

SIGN TIME : Interpreter Susie Hogsett-Duncan signs for a student in class.

and then I figured that there was a way to communicate, and that was the beginning of everything,” Wolf said.

In 1976, she began taking sign language courses.

While she was learning the ABC’s of signing, she fell in love with it. Wolf called the school district to see if there were any openings for a woman of her skills, and her efforts finally came to fruition when a paraprofessional job opened up. By the time she signed up for the Interpreter Training Program at JCCC, the only one within the state, she was already past the critical age for hearing loss. From then on, she wasn’t doing it out of necessity; she was determined to become an educational interpreter.

Wolf’s training was a two-year degree, one that entailed countless hours of free interpreting and at least seventeen summer credits. During this time, she was expected to eat, sleep and breathe sign language. With two adolescent children, a husband and her career, Wolf needed two and a half years to finish the degree. She took night classes because of her busy schedule, in which she had 17 classmates, all of whom dropped before her last semester. Wolf was the only one who didn’t give up, and the program director worked it out so that she could graduate with the day classes. Looking out on the crowd at graduation to see her deaf mother smiling back at her made the celebration that much more meaningful.

“She was a catalyst for my work,” Wolf said.

Her job as an interpreter began at Tomahawk Elementary, and then she moved to Santa Fe Trail Elementary, then Mission Valley, known at that time as Meadowbrook. She signed at school plays for Shawnee Mission West years before East had interpreters for plays.

This is her seventeenth year at East, and her twenty-

Summer is almost here!

Surprise your friends and family for birthdays, anniversaries, graduations, ect.

ninth in the district. Through this time, she has gotten to see a student go from second grade to graduation. She says this student has etched a little niche in her heart, as this student was one of the very first students she had ever interpreted for. They still keep in touch.

Wolf will also leave a special niche in the hearts of those she’s touched here at East through interpreting and teaching both levels of the Signing class offered here. She retires after this year, passing the torch to Mrs. Hogsett-Duncan.

“Those are going to be tough shoes to fill,” HogsettDuncan said.

Before her graduation from the sign language program at Kansas University, Wolf took Hogsett-Duncan under her wing at SME as a student teacher, and she did her practicum with Wolf. This is Hogsett-Duncan’s fifth year at East and ninth year in the district as an interpreter.

“I could have never done it without [Wolf]; she’s a hard act to follow,” Hogsett-Duncan said.

This year the two have been co-teaching Signing 1 and 2, and Lounds teaches the deaf history and culture portion of the class. Wolf and Hogsett-Duncan teach in alternating two-week periods, and the reason is all in the wrist: Wolf signs using her dominant left hand and Hogsett-Duncan signs with her right hand. Left-handed signers are rare, but also unique because right-handed students can see a mirror image of what they are to do. Breaking up the teaching allows students of either handedness a greater advantage.

“I learned so much by observing Wolf’s teaching style, I plan to integrate that with my own,” HogsettDuncan said.

the

features 12

THE HAR

HEA

Nutrition Facts Serving Size 1 lunch Servings Per Week About 5 Amount per serving

Calories 140

Calories from Fat 60 % Fat chocolate chip cookies 53% potato chips 56% cheese pizza 25% bagel 22% tater tots 27% Caesar salad 33% twinkies 33% Coca-Cola 31% whole milk 12% *information provided by caloriesperhour.com

More than $6 billion potato chips are sold each year. Last year, 1.85 billion pounds of potato chips were consumed.

Finding a balance in school lunch Cynthia Goldman Junior Kevin Lander eats as much ice cream in the cafeteria as he can, two to three times a week.

“Do I care about nutrition? Oh, gosh no! This ice cream is delicious and that’s all that matters!”

Lander said.

With 18 dozens of Otis Spunkmeyer cookies being sold a day in addition to other fatty foods, students continue to show apathy towards proper nutrition despite district efforts to provide the healthiest variety of foods possible.

“Good choices are available,” SMEast Head Cafeteria Manager Laura Dollar said. “But it’s up to the students to make those choices.”

There are two areas in the kitchen: “Mom’s Kitchen” and “A La Carte.” Meals in the “Mom’s Kitchen” section include fruits, vegetables, nachos, ribettes and more. These foods are carefully regulated by the State Department. Schools are required to offer 15 bread servings a week and one cup of fruit or vegetable and two ounces of protein each day. School lunches must have no more than 30% fat. Some foods like chicken nuggets and patties only have 10 grams of fat, while other meals have only 2 grams of fat like the mashed potatoes with fat free gravy.

Most students, however, choose to buy their lunches in the “A La Carte” line where the nutritional value is not regulated as strictly. Some kids load up in this line while others choose to simply maintain a balance in their diets. Junior Sam Dodge has been eating two ice creams a day since freshman year but still believes nutrition is critical.

“Everyday I eat a Schloszky’s Deli sub, a bottled water, and then my ice cream. I’ve been on a no fast food diet since October,” Dodge said. “This is the only time I splurge.”

The most important factor for students is the flavor and variety of foods and the district knows this. So to make sure school lunches meet kids’ standards in taste, the district randomly picks four students every year to taste several products like subs and pizzas. They vote on the best, and then the chosen product is served at every school in the district. “[Variety] is also very important! If you compare our menus with other districts, I believe you will find we offer considerably more variety than most,” District Head Manager of Food Services Department Diane Smith said.

Even with the variety, nutrition and taste offered in the cafeteria, the majority of students like to bring food from home and then buy a treat from the junk food stocked “A La Carte” shelves.

“There seems to be a certain stigmatization with cafeteria food,” Dollars said. “[But] the food {from “Mom’s Kitchen”] is better, healthier, cheaper and more balanced.”

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With so many choices in the cafeteria, students try to decide between nutrition and taste.

Teens require 1200 mg of calcium a day.

Approximately half of adult bone structure is deposited during adolescence.

The resommended daily allowance for iron is 12 or 15 milligrams a day.

•One bottle of Coke contains 250 calories.

•One pound of body weight contains 3500 calories.

•One bottle of coke everyday for a month equals 7500 calories, slightly more than 2 pounds.

•Drink a bottle a day for a school year, and you gain almost 20 pounds.

“I’m locked in the system,” Junior Susan Ryan says as she sips her 20- ounce bottle outside during lunch. “I think I’m addicted to Diet Coke.”

Ryan buys at least one coke a day from the school vending machines.

“It’s a great source of caffeine, and it tastes good, “ Ryan said.

“But I know Coca-Cola can cause a lot of problems.”

What Ryan doesn’t know is that the heavy black patio seat she’s sitting in was purchased by the school’s CocaCola fund.

Across the country school districts with similar contracts to companies like Coca-Cola and Pepsi are debating whether or not to ban the vending of soft drinks.

Although these contracts can be seen as beneficial in a time of economic downfalls and budget cuts many point to the growing teen obesity rates as the reason to pull out. Will we be next?

Probably not.

“All the students are old enough to make those choices themselves,” administrator Lane Green said.

“You look at our cafeterias, and they have all those healthy foods, but they also have the ice cream and the ding dongs and the ho-hos. We give the students choices. It’s a typical cafeteria type philosophy we use with the Coke machines” The machines have been around since 1996 when the school district signed a $1 million10-year contract with CocaCola. Every school sells exclusively Coke beverages, including a variety soft drinks, Minute Maid and Fruitopia fruit juices, Powerade and Dasani water, and in return the district receives $100,000 a year.

“The only regulation we really have to abide by is that we have to sell Coke products at concessions at sporting events,” Green said. “If we’re having a football game we can’t sell Pepsi.”

For each beverage sold at school, a small commission is made and goes into a Coca-Cola fund. $1000 to $1500 is made every month, and the money is then divided evenly among athletics and the school’s student council.

Stuco sponsor Brenda Fishman says that the extra money from Coke makes up 10% of the student council’s budget and goes towards projects that will improve or enhance the entire school.

“We don’t know who buys the cokes so we want everyone to benefit,” Fishman says.

Recent projects have included new words for the marquee in the front lawn, landscaping materials, aide to the Multicultural Festival and new patio furniture.

“It’s [also] nice to have that that cushion when we want something big, something costly,” Fishman said.

“Something like patio furniture is very heavy, very sturdy; it will last for years. But [without the extra money,] you would have to think about buying the chairs. This is easier. You have the whole shebang. $1200.”

Although there is extra money, some are concerned with the students’ health.

Health teacher Sue Chipman has seen a slight weight gain in her students since she has started working at East 18 years ago.

“Coke could be one of the factors,” she said. “Kids who aren’t athletes aren’t burning those extra calories.”

Chipman tries to make her students aware of the health effects of Coke, warning them of the risks of caffeine, carbonation, and extra sugar from the calories.

“I’ve had a couple of students who’ve admitted to drink as much as six cokes a day, and that’s awfully hard on your stomach and your heart rate,” Chipman said. “We try to make them aware of all of those things. But then again, it is free choice.”

ay

Al w

ALTHY choice

s

RBINGER

Ross Boomer

features 14

Across Continents Natalie Vizcarra sees her father about two months out of the year.

Her parents are not divorced or separated. Instead the scenario is this: Natalie’s two parents, Mary and Jorge Vizcarra, remain happily married while Jorge works out of state. Way, way out of state.

Vizcarra has lived this odd in-between since as long as she can remember.

Natalie is a senior, off to college next year, following her three sisters and one brother. Her mother, Mary, has been married to her father Jorge for nearly 30 years. The catch is that, while Natalie and her mother continue to live in Kansas, Jorge has been living in Puerto Rico for the last seven years.

He works as an engineer for a pharmaceutical company, a position that requires him to move around constantly.

Before Puerto Rico, Jorge had been working away from his family since before Natalie was born.

“He’s been moving around since I can remember.”

Natalie said. “It’s been so long, that now I just consider it normal.”

Cay Fogel

Natalie doesn’t feel estranged from her father, despite the continent that stands between them. She spends time with him whenever she can, and recently he’s been visiting more and more often. What used to be a monthly visit has become three or four times a month. Also, Natalie is able to visit him in Puerto Rico.

Natalie has always loved visiting her father out of state, but her favorite location has been Puerto Rico; she loves being able to visit the beach. She makes a few visits a year, including a family trip during spring break and a month long vacation over the summer. Her family bought an apartment in Puerto Rico about a year ago to make their visits more often and convenient, and Natalie talks to her father every day on the phone to stay connected.

“There aren’t really any plans for anyone to move.”

Natalie said. “We’re all happy now.”

Natalie recognizes that her family’s situation seems “weird and different” to some, but she states openly that the confusion doesn’t permeate her. Natalie says that she’s never felt self-conscious about her different situation. “I’ve always felt really lucky to be able to visit all these cool

THE HARBINGER

A daughter’s long distance relationship with her dad places.” she said.

Natalie sees the definite upside of the saying “absence makes the heart grow fonder.” She says that being able to go see her father in Puerto Rico makes the experience even more special to her, and they have an extraordinary relationship in general. She says that talking on the phone with her dad about everyday, kid/parent stuff is easier and more open, and although her father does participate in some of the discipline in her house, not nearly as much as her mother, and that frees up their relationship even more.

She says that conversely, living with her mother all the time creates a heightened friction between the two of them. “I think our relationship is a little more strained then most.”

Despite the challenges it presents, Natalie likes her family’s arrangement.

“I think we have a closer relationship then most fathers and daughters who do live together, just because we see each other in a completely unbiased light, and because there’s novelty in just being together,” Natalie said She’s yet to find a downside. “It’s only been positive.”

Have a great day

15

THE HARBINGER

A summer to remember

“I have to say that there’s an incredible difference between being a goat herder in the mountains in the middle of Mexico and being a student at Shawnee Mission East in Johnson County,” Morse said.

Morse is one of many students from East that have participated in Amigos. Amigos is a program that provides trips that any Spanish students over the age of 16 can be involved in. Amigos participants get to choose three of any Latin American countries that are in major poverty, such as Mexico, Dominican Republic, and Nicaragua.

Also, they get to choose between doing construction or teaching classes to children for their service project. Students live with a participant from a completely different part of the country.

“I would choose your project over the location, because all of the places are going to have a different culture than here, so no matter where you go, you’re going to get the experience,” senior Tina Harris said. She spent her eight weeks last summer in the Dominican Republic.

After passing an English THE HILLS ARE ALIVE: Senior Jack Morse in the mountains of interview to make sure they photo courtesy of Jack Morse Mexico wouldn’t cause any threats to the town and a Spanish interview to fter spending eight Ellie Weed weeks in a home that make sure they were fluent enough in Spanish to make compares to the size their way around the community, all the students were of his bedroom, senior eligible to participate. Now all they had to do was raise the Jack Morse now has a different level of appreciation for all money.

All the students involved send out letters to friends and of the luxuries he has in his life. With only a few phones, family encouraging them to send money to support their and no running water in the entire town where he was trip.

Any given person can donate as little or as much as staying, he had to adjust to the life that so many of us are they want. completely oblivious to.

After taking two planes, a bus, and hitching a ride to

Amigos program offers students life-changing experiences

A

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his town, and getting his money and passport stolen on the way, Morse wasn’t expecting such a poverty-stricken village.

“I was living in the richest house in the town, and basically it was just a shack on the side of a mountain in the middle of Mexico,” Morse said. “Luckily, the people I was staying with had electricity.”

Morse and another 17-year-old participant from San Francisco taught health classes to the younger kids in the community. It was the only school in the area; all the older children had left to go work in the fields or in the city nearby.

“There was a bit of a mix-up in the beginning because some of the people in the town thought we were replacing the teacher that had just left, which we really couldn’t do, obviously, because we were just there to teach health, but it ended up working out,” Morse said.

A person involved with the Amigos program would stop by the town once a week to pick up any mail, but after getting his money and passport stolen, Morse didn’t even have enough money to buy a stamp.

“We were reimbursed for all of our money, but we had to go to Mexico City to get new passports before we could go home,” Morse said.

Days in his town usually consisted of teaching health classes, playing soccer with some of the younger kids, and helping around his house. Morse’s host mother was illiterate and knew no English, so at the beginning of his trip, communication was vague. Eventually, his Spanish became much more advanced.

“By the end of the trip, I was able to have a good conversation with everyone and I could understand a lot more of what they were saying,” Morse said.

Harris also taught health classes while on her trip.

While most of the kids their age in Morse’s town had left to go towork in the cities, there were many teenagers in the town where Harris stayed.

“We did everything at a river. It was the hang out where we washed our clothes and went swimming with other high school kids that were in the town,” Harris said.

Now at home, Morse says he realizes how much he has and appreciates all the luxuries that his family has provided for him. Still keeping in contact with his friend from San Francisco is a constant reminder of the trip via e-mail.

For Morse and Harris, Amigos had more than one meaning. It represented the life-altering summer, but also represented the ‘amigos’ that they gained along the way.

Maestro: Nolan Lem’s musical talent is turning heads

Senior Nolan Lem’s saxophone pours out silky lucious tones. Lem’s shrewd musical aptitude has taken him from 18th St. jazz clubs to Miami University.

Lem has been a musician since kindergarten, when he started taking classical piano lessons from Chris Vitt at the Toon Shop. He practiced intently for years, amassing a wealth of stickers and prizes as rewards from Vitt, which inspired him to keep playing. Though his hands were at the time too small to reach a full octave, he still managed to excel at piano with his quick attention to detail and his sharp ears.

By third grade, Lem was ready to add a new instrument to his repertoire, and thus began taking saxophone lessons from Kerry Strayer, who pushed Nolan to work harder than he was used to.

“He was really structured and strict and would make it a case if I hadn’t practiced for that week’s lesson,” Lem said.

Lem’s piano proficiency influenced his selection of pieces, which included classical works by great masters such as Chopin, Beethoven, and Mozart, many of which he had to learn to play from memory for competition purposes.

Young Lem kept himself musically busy until seventh grade, when he decided to quit taking piano lessons and devote all his creative energy solely to the saxophone because he felt that playing both ate up too much time.

He continued to study with Strayer, and eventually joined

Pat Ryan

the Mission Valley band. It was around this time that Lem’s sax teacher introduced him to the complex world of musical theory. Nolan was taught not only of chordscale relationships, but also fundamental “modes,” or arrangements of diatonic tones. He took this knowledge to experiment with music and returned to piano, and tried out many different types of chord spacing and began to learn

Improvising jazz music is playing what you know about theory.

--Nolan Lem

the art of improvising. He also read an in-depth book on orchestration called Treatise of Instrumentation.

When he entered high school, he played under a new sax teacher, Ahmad Aladeen, and joined the SM East Band under director Kim Harrison.

By his sophomore year of high school, Nolan had written his first song, “Ash,” a 16 bar altered concert cminor piece comprised of a Bass Guitar, Piano, Tenor and Bass saxophone and percussion. In retrospect, Lem feels

that the piece was “a lot more traditional than [his] newer stuff.”

It was at this point that Nolan started purchasing amps and microphones to start a small jam studio in his basement. Today, it is filled with a hodgepodge of instruments, equipment, and percussion odds and ends.

East alum David Wetzel was in Nolan’s school band combo and persuaded Nolan to frequently accompany him to the “Mutual Musician’s Foundation,” a jazz club in downtown Kansas City where many late-night show takes place. Jazz celebrities such as Johnny Watson and Robby Coltrane have been known to sneak in after they put on concerts if they’re in town.

Today, when Lem gets a chance, he ventures back to the Foundation, often with friend and drummer, senior Eric Ratzel. They even get the opportunity to play onstage along with other prominent musicians.

Thanks to his lifelong dedication to music, Lem was recently awarded a four-year scholarship at Miami University in Florida, where he will most likely study jazz performance and film scoring. In terms of post-college life, landing a spot in today’s brutal music industry can be unrealistic. That’s why Nolan doesn’t plan to work full time in music. He plans on going to medical school as well as studying music. But even though he aspires to be a doctor, he will always be a musician at heart.

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Spring into Summer Movies

Spider-Man 2

THE HARBINGER

Get ready for the next wave of summer blockbusters Written and Compiled

by Ian mCFarland

Starring Tobey Maguire Opens June 30 DOES WHATEVER A SPIDER CAN:

Spider-Man set the U.S. record for most money earned in a single weekend, and if the hype for the upcoming sequel continues as it has been lately, there may be another record this June. The hugely popular Spider-Man grossed so much money that Tobey Maguire and Kirsten Dunst were signed for two sequels before you could even see the first in theatres. With Spider-Man 2, the budget has been upped to a more-than-gracious $200 million, so we can all expect at the least gorgeous shots of everyone’s favorite arachnid-themed superhero slinging through the New York skyline. The new villain will be Doctor Octopus, or Doc Ock, a techno-genius who creates a mechanical device with four pincher-equipped metallic arms that are attached to his back. These handy arms make him a force to be reckoned with, and so recently retired Spider-Man (Maguire) must stop him. The catch– Doc Ock asks Peter Parker (a.k.a.

Spider-Man’s alter-ego) to find Spider-Man, or Parker’s love interest Mary Jane (Dunst) bites the dust. Fans can expect Spider-Man 2 to be great, if not better then the first.

Tobey Maguire dons the webbed mask again in ‘Spider-Man 2’

The Village Starring Joaquin Pheonix Opens July 30

FULL MOON: Bryce Dallas Houston in ‘The Village’

The Village marks the return of writer/director M. Night Shyamalan, who previously brought us the masterpieces The Sixth Sense and, most recently, Signs. You can once again expect top notch scares out of this 1897-set thriller. In the rural Pennsylvania town of Covington, there’s always been an unwritten truce with the mystical creatures in the surrounding woods that the townsfolk don’t stray into the woods; the creatures don’t stray into Covington. And it works pretty well, until mysterious red marks appear on all of the doors into the village. Along with Joaquin Phoenix, who appeared in Shyamalan’s last movie, The Village will cast already famous actors Sigourney Weaver, Adrian Brody, and even Aston Kutcher in addition to newcomers like Bryce Dallas Howard. If Shyamalan’s previous movies are any sign, expect The Village to be one of the best movies this year.

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THE HARBINGER

NOT TO MENTION THE OTHER 33 releases this summer Dates subject to change.

May 7 New York Minute Van Helsing May 14 Breakin’ All the Rules Troy May 28 The Day After Tomorrow Raising Helen Soul Plane June 4 Mindhunters June 11 The Chronicles of Riddick Garfield The Stepford Wives June 16 Around the World in 80 Days June 18 Darkness Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story The Terminal June 25 The Notebook Two Brothers White Chicks July 7 King Arthur July 9 Sleepover July 16 A Cinderella Story I, Robot July 23 The Bourne Supremacy Catwoman July 30 The Manchurian Candidate Thunderbirds August 6 Collateral Shall We Dance?

August 13 Alien vs Predator Yu-Gi-Oh! August 20 Cellular Exorcist: The Beginning August 27 Anacondas: The Hunt for the Blood Orchid

Shrek 2 Starring Mike Myers Opens May 21 The first Shrek collected so much green that before you could have said “Gingerbread Man” a sequel was in development. In the sequel, the newlywed couple of Shrek (Mike Myers) and Princess Fiona (Cameron Diaz) go to meet the bride’s parents voiced by John Cleese and Julie Andrews, only to find that the King is disappointed with his new sonin-law, in addition to discovering that their daughter is now an Ogre. The sequel will give us all our favorite characters back, including the always-excited Donkey (Eddie Murphy).

And thrown in are a few new characters, most noticeably Puss-in-Boots, a cocky kitty voiced by Antonio Bendaras.

What made the first Shrek so great was that it blended fairy tale with both gross-out and intelligent humor into a movie that shouldn’t have worked. If what we’ve seen from the commercials is what’s delivered in the movie, Shrek 2 could be even funnier than the first.

Anchorman Starring Will Ferrel Opens July 9 Will Ferrel returns to the teenage comedy after Elf in Anchorman, a movie about broadcast journalist Rod Burgundy, a deep-voiced worshipped pop idol residing in 1970’s San Diego.

In addition to boasting Ferrel’s explosive humor, we’ll see Steve Carrel from The Daily Show. If the trailer for the movie is any indication (you can see it at Anchorman-TheMovie.com) of what’s to come, expect another Will Ferreldriven howler.

BOYS WILL BE BOYS: Shrek (Mike Myers), Puss in Boots (Antonio Bendaras), Proffesor Snape (Alan Rickman) and Rod Burgundy (Will Ferrell) appear in ‘Shrek 2’ ‘Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban’ and ‘Anchorman’

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban Starring Daniel Radcliffe Opens June 4 The follow-up to the seventh highest grossing movie of all time, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban will, if nothing else, be seen by millions of people. Chris Columbus, director of the first two installments in the magical franchise, turned down the offer to direct the third film, and with this came in director Alfonso Cuaron (The Little Princess, Y Tu Mama Tambien) and a noticebly darker tone based off the book that most consider is the darkest of the series. In Azkaban, Harry’s life is (once again) endangered, this time because the man who helped to kill Harry’s parents has broken out of the wizard’s prison, Azkaban, and is out to kill Harry. In addtion, getting a super-wide release in theaters this summer, Azkaban will also be the second movie to be released concurrently in IMAX theaters. Fans of the book should look forward to what could quite likely be the best Potter picture yet.

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BURNING FOR REVENGE: ‘Man On Fire’ features a unique style like many outof-focus shots (above); Creasy (Denzel Washington), a bodyguard for Pita (Dakota Fanning), bonds with the girl shortly before she is kidnapped.

y a Pl with ‘Fire’

THE HARBINGER

Denzel Washington stars in a movie that radiates a look you haven’t seen before

it off with ease. It all works, and it’s what makes Man On Fire the unique and fresh experience that it is.

The other main factor attributing to the film’s style is the use of Mexico City as the setting. Whether the movie takes you to a rave club, the slums of the city or a beautiful mansion, the location really comes through Evan Favreau and makes the film what it is. This movie Style. When it comes to directing, it’s couldn’t have been made in a city like Los all about their own style. That’s usually Angeles or New York and get the same look what makes a movie work. And of all the because Mexico City gives the film an exotic directors out there, few know their style like feel.

Tony Scott, The acting in this film is superb, Movie Review something especially for an action he proudly film, but you can expect Man On Fire flaunts in Man The Cast: Denzel Washington, Dakota Fanning, Christopher as much when esteemed Walken On Fire. actors like Washington D e n z e l The Director: Tony Scott (Top Gun, Enemy of the State) and Christopher Walken Wa s h i n g t o n are in it. However, the real The Best: It’s dripping with a unique style is Creasy, a The Worst: It’s too long for its own good standout in the movie is d o w n - a n d - Watch For: Dakota Fanning’s excellent performance 10-year-old Fanning. She out alcoholic Based On: A novel by A.J. Quinnell gives a sense of reality who agrees to her character that you to be the bodyguard for Pita, a girl who is rarely see with child actors. Her acting is played by Dakota Fanning (The Cat in the challenged when she shares a scene with Hat, Uptown Girls.) She lives in Mexico both Washington and Walken, but she City, a metropolis suffering from a rash of stands her ground with both actors. kidnappings. Creasy knows what it takes The only problem that stands out with to be a bodyguard and makes it clear to Pita the film is the length. Running close to he’s not her friend. But after warming up to 2 1/2 hours, the film just feels too long.

Pita, she is kidnapped and Creasy is shot The unfortunate thing, at least for the while trying to stop it. Still badly injured, he filmmakers, is that there isn’t a specific part vows revenge. that feels unnecessary. They would just have The look of the film is gritty and it fits to take out a few minutes or even seconds of perfectly with this story. Tony Scott, who has several scenes to make it shorter. previously directed Top Gun and Enemy of This movie is not mindless killing or the State, is in love with super-fast editing, random things blowing up. It has good out-of-focus shots, and subtitles. He uses acting, a great story, and a style that can’t be subtitles while the dialogue is in English beat. This film will quite possibly be the best in order to emphasize certain lines. While action movie this year and one of the best of all of this is ‘radical’ filmmaking, he pulls the past several years.

THE HARBINGER

19 a&e

Inch by inch

Album Review

Les Savy Fav span seven-year career with new singles compilation Inches

Barrett Emke It’s not often that the front man of a punk band looks like he could be someone’s dad.

Then again it’s less often that one stumbles upon an act as artistic, exciting and musically energetic as Les Savy Fav. Inches is this Brooklyn, New York art-punk outfit’s rundown of its career thus far; it is comLES SAVY FAV: Tim Harrington, Harrison Haynes, Seth Jabour prised of 18 singles which were recorded as early as 1996 and as of Four. recently as 2003. The band set to work on this project even “Hold On to Your Genre” is sinister dance-punk, and before releasing any records, and the singles compilation’s guitarist Seth Jabour’s thick reverb-laden guitar lines beaurecent consummation perfectly documents Les Savy Fav’s tifully accentuate singer Tim Harrington’s distant, echoed musical growth over the past seven years. vocals. As the song climbs to its climax, Harrington howls, The album begins with one of the band’s most recent “Are you sick of being pretty? Are you sick of being cool? tracks, “Meet Me in the Dollar Bin.” Riding on a loop of Are you alive beneath your makeup? Or just an un-dead droning guitar feedback, the song plays its cards leisurely, ghoul? carefully building the tension with percussion that unmisAnother of Les Savy Fav’s most recent tracks, “The takably nods to ‘80s bands such as Joy Division and Gang Sweat Descends,” demonstrates all that the band is capable

of, suggesting great things still to come on the next full-length.

Jabour’s echoed guitar riffs deceivingly precede bassist Syd Butler’s and drummer Harrison Hayne’s disco-punk rhythms, only to fall right into place alongside them as the band hits the chorus, pushing Harrison to the front of the mix as he asserts, “Wake me up when we get to heaven, let me sleep if we go to hell.”

The band closes Inches nostalgically and Syd Butler with “Rodeo,” harkening back to Les Savy Fav’s early days.

The guitars, bass and drums enter one after the other, properly introducing Harrington as he barks, “Fav, Les Savy Fav, Les Savy Fav, that’s our name!” Even on this track dating back to 1997, the band’s energetic chemistry is evident and awe-inspiring.

The most thrilling aspect of Inches is that it would stand as a solid posthumous best of collection, yet it is only an upto-date summary of a still very much active band. This singles collection serves to warn: Les Savy Fav is in its prime.

Spring Releases Franz Ferdinand Franz Ferdinand Domino Recordings Having already topped the UK charts with the single “Take Me Out,” this Glasgow band has succeeded in putting out what will undoubtedly stand as one of the most ferocious, witty and danceable rock debuts of 2004.

Ratatat Ratatat Beggars XL Recordings Ratatat’s self-titled debut explodes with dancey beats, atmospheric electronics and distorted guitars, combining hip-hop, rock and shoegazer into an insanely melodic mix. The band is the brainchild of producer Evan Mast and Mike Stroud, who has toured playing guitar for Ben Kweller and Dashboard Confessional. The two friends began making music together in Mast’s apartment and have since toured with Interpol, signed a record deal with XL Recordings and released their debut full-length.

Track List 1. Seventeen Years 2. El Pico 3. Crips 4. Desert Eagle 5. Everest 6. Bustelo 7. Breaking Away 8. Lapland 9. Germany to Germany 10. Spanish Armada 11. Cherry

Track List 1. Jacqueline 2. Tell Her Tonight 3. Take Me Out 4. Dark of the Matinee 5. Auf Acshe 6. Cheating On You 7. This Fire 8. Darts of Pleasure 9. Michael 10. Come On Home 11. 40 Ft

Track List 1. Disconnect the Dots 2. Lysergic Bliss 3. Will You Come and Fetch Me 4.My British Tour Diary Of Montreal has mangaged to 5. Rapture Rapes the Muses master the art of the pop song with 6. Eros’ Entropic Tundra this album--14 times. Satanic Panic 7. City Bird in the Attic is full of quirky, swirling 8. Erroneous Escape into Eric ditties overflowing with vocal harmoEckles nies dripping in sweetness. Think the 9. Chrissie Kiss the Corpse Shins meets Built to Spill. Tunes like 10. Your Magic is Working “Disconnect the Dots” fade into raptur11. Climb the Ladder ous oblivion to the sounds of sunny 12. How Lester Lost His Wife keyboards on top of buzzing guitars.

13. Spike the Senses Of Montreal has perfectly crafted the 14. Vegan in Furs soundtrack for the nearing summer.

Of Montreal Satanic Panic in the Attic Polyvinyl Records

sports 20

THE HARBINGER

Building a foundation

Freshmen helps tennis team continue winning ways Curtis Shank

PORTS T ES IC TH

S

TS TICKE R OR P S

E SP O HE H R T RT KE

ST TIC

KER TH E

BASEBALL

STATS

BRETT HARROP- .581 batting average, 3-0 DREW STEHL- .429 batting average TYLER RZEPKA- .424 batting average CARTER HOLT- .350 batting average, 2 saves, 19K in 10 innings

“[They] have made me feel a lot better about this team’s chances this season,” she said. “Having two freshmen as good as we have was certainly not something we could have counted on at the beginning of the season.”

Warnock has had no problem adjusting to a high school varsity sport.

“It’s not that weird being a freshman on varsity,” he says. “I’m just part of the team.”

Chipman says part of what makes Warnock so special is his exceptional play at the net. “He is very comfortable volleying, which is pretty unusual for a freshman,” she says. “It makes him a very solid doubles player.”

Warnock has contributed to a successful tennis season. Already this year, the team has beaten rival Pembroke Hill and narrowly lost to St. Louis-based

BOYS TENNIS

1. Garret Gates 2. Nolan Lem 3. Will Gates 4. Bryce Warnock 5. Lake Wooten SCHEDULE

Mon May 3, @ Blue Valley West Tues May 4, Blue Valley North Mon May 17, Regionals

SCHEDULE

John Burroughs, a traditional powerhouse in their area.

“We were just coming off Spring Break,” Chipman says of the Burroughs match.

“That we came so close to winning shows the strength of this team.”

At the St. Thomas Aquinas Invitational, the team took third out of 15 teams, losing only to Rockhurst and Blue Valley West.

While Chipman is happy about this performance, she is anxious to see how the team will fair in their upcoming matches.

“We have several tests coming up,” she said. “First we play Rockhurst here at East and then Lawrence for the Invitational tournament.”

With the additions of Warnock and Kombrink, she is confident that the team will do fine.

WAITING: Freshman Bryce Warnock waits to return a serve

BOYS GOLF PERCENTAGE OF HOLES UNDER BOGEY 1. Charles German 91% 2. Sam Dodge 87% 3. Andrew Spitsnogle 85% 4. Will Noyce 85% 5. Max Wasserstrom 80% SCHEDULE Mon May 3- SM East Tournament Wed May 5- Olathe North Tournament

TRACK

Kansas Relays May 4,@ Leavenworth Boys 4x880 yd Relay- 8:19.4 John HasMay 6, Olathe North- sler, Jeff Judd, John McCormick, Justin west Simonich May 8, @ Olathe Boys 4x 1mile Relay- 18:49.2 Justin Northwest Simonich, Time Rowe, John McCormick, May 11, Free State Jeff Judd May 12, SM NorthLeavenworth Relays west Jennfier Franklin- 2nd in High Jump, 5’-0” May 17, Regionals (all Jennifer Franklin- 2nd Long Jump 16’-5.5” week)

photo by Bridget Howland

Before the start of the boy’s tennis season, head coach Sue Chipman said she needed exceptional play from unexpected sources.

“We need some freshmen or returning sophomores to step up and play really well for us to succeed,” she said.

When she saw the smooth, powerful ground strokes and precise volleying from freshman Bryce Warnock at tryouts, she knew she had at least part of her problem solved.

“It’s rare to find a freshman as polished as a player as he is,” she said. Warnock, currently the number four player on the tennis ladder, coupled with fellow freshman Jay Kombrink, who is number seven, have added much needed depth to the team, and better production than Chipman expected.

GIRLS SWIMMING

NEW STATE QUALIFIERS Brooke Bublitz- 100 breast, 100 free Allie Chalfant- 100 back Christie Fuchs- 50 free, 100 free, 200 free, 200 IM, 100 back Bailey Gage- 100 breast Monica Garciapaz- 100 back Darcy Latourneau- 100 fly

Emily Limpic- 2nd 300 Low Hurtles 50.3 Boys 4x800 Relay- 1st 8:15.1 Justin Simonich, Jeff Judd, evan Jarrold, John Hasseler John McCormick- 1st 1600 4:34.5 Don Atkinson- 1st Shot Put 44’8” Justin simonich- 1st 800 2:03.3 Boys 4x400 Relay- 2nd 3:34.1 Evan Jarrold, Taylor Cantril, Abram Clay Carson Hinderks- 2nd 100 11.1

Why is the lion dancing?

Hannah Munsch- 100 breast SCHEDULE Fri May 7, League (swim prelims)- Free State Sat May 8, League (dive prelims) Free State Sat May 8, League (finals)Free State Fri May 21-22- State meet KSU

INTRAMURAL BASKETBALL The intramural basketball tournament ended last week.

The Ballers defeated the Pretty Ponies in the finals.

The entire tournament was a success with most of the teams doing well. We sure do hope that we can have a lot of fun with this next year.

HOT GIRLS SWIMMINGThe team has not lost a dual or triangle meet in the last four seasons.

BOYS RELAY TEAMScaptured a first and a second at last weeks Leavenworth Relays.

NOT GIRLS SOCCER (health)- The girl’s team has three of their starters out with injuries.

Kaylin Hertel witha pulled hamstring, Kelsie Brooks with a cracked sternum and Emily Flately with a bum ankle

21 sports

THE HARBINGER

photo by Kevin Grunwald

Whole in One

TEEING OFF- Sophmore Eric Ostby tee’s off at Heritage Park during a recent tournament.

I

n last year’s regional one sophomore qualified for state and the other was left behind by just a few strokes, and from there the bar was raised and the competitive fire was lit for the golf team this season. Now their grudges from last year have been set aside and have turned into a healthy competition for the two leaders along with the rest of the golf team.Juniors Sam Dodge and Charles German are returning for a second year on varsity and assume their roles as the team leaders, while junior Andrew Spitsnogle, sophomores Charlie Greene and Will Noyce, and senior Max Wasserstrom are all fairly new to the varsity level.

“The team is young, but that doesn’t set us back. The more underclassmen we incorporate into the program the better things will be in the future and later in the season,” Dodge said. Dodge and German are two players very much alike, yet drastically different. Dodge’s game has fluctuated over the past year, but is hoping that the new work he is doing on his putting will slice the lead German usually edges over him with. German shoots a zero handicap to Dodge’s 5 handicap, which means German is normally five to six shots better than Dodge per round.

Both are solid on the long ball, able to drive it about 265-280 yards. While this is a major aspect of the game, German’s work in the off-season overshadows Dodge’s.

He was invited to attend the Nike Winter National Junior Series Tournament over spring break at the Pinehurst Country Club in North Carolina. There, German received a third place finish out of forty other golfers. Yet, with this experience in high pressure tournaments Dodge’s trip and experience at state is still a definite leg-up.

“I have done a lot of work in the off-season, and not getting to state last year was a tough blow, but I know that with my work, and Sam’s work and experience at State,

Andy Logan

Friendly rivalry between Sam Dodge and Charles German fuels the golf team to success

can get us both to that goal,” German said, “But, in reality we both hope we can lead the entire team to state.”

It is still early in the season and the team has participated in three tournaments. The first, The SM South Invitational hosted at Brookridge Country Club, was the team’s first challenge with much of their toughest regional rivals competing in the tournament. The SM Northwest Invitational hosted at Falcon Lakes brought drastically different performances by the team’s top three players. And, the Topeka West Invitational last Monday proved to be a very telling show of the team’s ability as they go into their biggest tournament of the year.

At SMS Dodge shot an 88 and Wasserstrom shot a 93, but German scored a 76. These numbers aren’t representative of the players’ real potential, which they showed nearly three weeks later at SMNW. Dodge had 75, Wasserstrom with a very solid 71, and German scored another steady 76.

“I managed to keep more scores very steady, and I see that the rest of the guys will be able to come around. Sam and Max got a slow start, but they had great showings in the second tournament. And Spits (Spitsnogle) always keeps his score pretty balanced,” German said. This fluctuation in scores was seen last year between Dodge and German. The two swayed back and forth with high and low scores, and it culminated with Dodge being the darkhorse and coming out over German to make it to State.

“The differences in scores between our first two tournaments show the team’s potential to improve over the next few weeks,” head coach Ermanno Ritschl said, “We are early in the year so, there is still a lot of time to work everything out.”

The Topeka West Invite was much anticipated for the team’s top two, German and Dodge. Both of the players saw TWHS as a highly anticipated tournament because both love Topeka Country Club and have played it many times before, not to mention it is also where the two hope to be competing for State. During the tournament the players were bombarded by strong winds and even stronger teams. Their rivals from across district lines, Blue Valley West, pulled away with the victory.

While Dodge received a ninth place medal after shooting a 79, German Ironswas close behind firing Nike Pro Combo. 3-PW. out a solid 81. $600.

“We have shown what we can do coming in fourth and fifth in our last tourneys. We Putter need to make sure the Two Ball Odyssey putter. we aren’t overpowering, $169. but that we stay calm and sneak up with a good team effort,” Dodge said. It is an individual effort in golf but the team leaders have put an emphasis on the team, while still keeping their own hopes for state within reach. For the whole team to get to state it is

a very daunting task. East would have to pull through possibly the most difficult regional in the state as one of the top two among the teams.

The team was preparing for their largest tournament of the year, which took place after press date, in Hutchinson, KS at Kerry Park last Friday. It was a field of 36 teams. The most telling aspect for the team will be the travelling and it will be much like the state tournament.

There will be many teams from both in East’s regional and from Western Kansas, and the team will have to shoot very low to compete in the massive field.

Their regional will consist of the Shawnee Mission and Blue Valley schools. All of the schools from Blue Valley have recently been good, and this year is no different.

Both Blue Valley North and Blue Valley Northwest are very strong teams, but most importantly, their rivals from SM South have a very strong senior core of players who will provide very stiff competition all throughout the season.

“Even against these older teams we can still prove what we are made of with our depth of younger players.

Even with that, we could possibly use this as a building year as a gateway to a great season next year,” Dodge said.

The team is hopeful they can all pull together and make it as a team to state, and they feed off of an optimistic relationship they all carry. Each of the players gets along well on the course, and help to keep all of them relaxed. The more experienced juniors help some of the younger players to work on their game, and work to feel more confident within the team.

“Sam and Charles use their healthy competition between one another to really motivate and push one another. Their game and play along with Max really helps to fuel their own state hopes, and the team’s,” Ritschl said.

What’s in the Bag? A look iside sophomore Charlie Greene’s bag.

Driver

Cleveland 400 Launcher. He hits it 270 yards. $300

Woods

Taylor Made 3 wood. He hits it 240 yards. $200

Wedge-

Titleist Vokey Design.52, 56, 60 degree wedges. $110 each.

Balls Green plays with ProV1s. $9 for a pack of three.

sports 22

THE HARBINGER

softball coach Whole New Ball Game New changes drills, attitude Jessie Fetterling

SWINGING FOR THE FENCES: Junior Erin Gerkovich smacks the ball at a recent game. photo by Raegan Brown

With two new coaches and two new freshmen, the softball team nevertheless keeps improving.

“We seem to have gotten better every year, and this year, especially, we’re getting more respect from other teams,” senior captain Jessie Wiard said.

Last year the team only won six games. So far, this year the team’s record is 4-6, and the games that were lost have all been close games. In their game against SM Northwest, last year’s state champions, they were ahead in the first inning 1-0, and ended up losing only 2-1.

Freshman pitcher Sara Steinwart said, “We’ve finally settled in, and everyone is now just really supportive of each other.”

The girl’s old coach, Dean Heaivilin, had to quit because softball interfered with classes he needed to take in the Spring. The team now has two coaches, with algebra teacher Jennifer Horn as the head coach, and Jessie Wiard’s dad, Jeff Wiard, assisting.

“It’s definitely more time consuming being head coach, but it’s a lot more fun

getting to work with the girls more,” Coach Horn said.

With new coaches comes changes for the girls.

“The team is more organized because we have Coach Horn and Coach Wiard keeping us busy at all times,” Wiard said, “There’s just not much time to stand around now.”

A new coach hasn’t effected the team unity, in fact, Wiard thinks it’s improved: “The team has a better connection than last year because the junior class is big and has been playing together for three years now.”

The parents are more involved to help the team also. They even did a fundraiser, “Baja Fresh Night”, where Baja Fresh gave some of their profits to the team. More people show up to the team dinners too, including Coach Horn.

“I feel like we know each other better this year; we know what to say to each other to help pick each other up,” Wiard said.

With ten more games to go and a regional tournament, the girls have to

Softball Upcoming schedule 5/4 Free state, JCGAA 5/5 Olathe North, JCGAA 5/11 SM West, JCGAA

Last three 4/27 SMNW 6, SME 1 4/22 SMS 4, SME 3 4/15 SME 8, ONW 3 continue to play two double-headers a week as the year comes to a close. Even after senior Jessie Wiard is done with school, she’ll still be playing softball with the team at Regionals and possibly State.

Wiard said, “It’ll be hard to still have to go to practice when I’m not going to school, but it’s worth it.”

23 sports

THE HARBINGER

Running Wild

out to be very welcoming, and we have all bonded and train with each other as a team,” Jarrold said.

When the team practices it is evident how much they want to succeed. When they run together they are constantly yelling at each other to go harder, and quite often profanities are used. They also make a point to have their own morning practice twice a week, where they run a couple laps around the track and stretch, they also have dinner and go out every night before a race. “ Our team is very close, we have dinners together, we train together, and we are able to deal with our problems without the coaches.

Justin is our leader though, he gets us pumped up and makes sure that we do what we need to do,” Judd said.

Their time this year is an 8:09, which ranks better than the time they ran last year at state, which was a 8:10. They have beat most people except for their main competition Lawrence Free State, but they think that with one good race they can easily beat them.

“We are so close in talent the other teams that one good race can put us over the top,” Hassler said.

Although Judd does have experience running in the State Cross Country meet, along with Jarrold this will be his first time ever running in the state track meet, which could be

Boys

a problem for the team, but they don’t think that this will be a factor.

“I know that I will be nervous, but I know that the team and the coaches will do a good job at relieving the pressure,” Jarrold said.

Although he has been here before, Simonich says he still gets the pre-race jitters that Jarrold and Judd will be experiencing, but will also have to take a new leadership role that he is not familiar with.

“Even though I’m a Senior I still get nervous, but it’s different because I get a feel for what’s going on. It also seems like a lot of underclassmen always ask for advice, and its weird now because I will be the leader and be the one giving the advice,”Simonich said.

If the team ends up winning State it will be special for everybody, but especially for Simonich and Judd.

“This year we were supposed to do well at Cross Country State, but we didn’t do as well as we would have liked to. If we win state The boys 4 x 800 in track it would just be a climax to a great relay team hits the running career for Justin and I.” Judd said. track at practice.

After placing third last year, with new additions to the team, the East 4 X 800 relay looks to change their appearance on the top of the leader board from an aberration to an (from left to right) Evan Jarrold, John Hassler, Justin Simonich and occurrence.

Jeff Judd

4 x 800

At the state track meet in 2003, there was the usual suspects: Lawrence Free State, St. Thomas Aquinas, and Emporia High School teams were at the top of the 4 X 800 relay standings. But there was one pleasant surprise at the top of the leader board. That surprise was the Shawnee Mission East team.

Losing Adam Masonbrink and Kevin Colston to graduation, John Hassler did not think that they really had a chance at state this year and place as well as they did. Little did he know that their replacements, junior Evan Jarrold, and senior Jeff Judd, would make their team just as good, if not better, than they were last year.

“The new guys have been a good addition to our team, this year we just keep getting better every week and we are much more consistent than we were last year.” Hassler said.

Hassler wasn’t the only one that was worried about this year. Both Judd and Jarrold said that they felt pressure and responsibility to meet the team’s expectations.

“I just felt pressure that I needed to train more than them (Justin and John), to meet their expectations,” Judd said.

Although they did have high expectations for them, Jarrold felt that Hassler and Simonich were welcoming.

“With runners like John and Justin I felt a lot of responsibility to perform well. They turned

Patrick Haverty

The boy’s 4 x 800 relay team has overcome losing two members and is ready to win state

Come Buy A Lancer Mug with Your Class Year 04ʼ 05ʼ 06ʼ 07ʼ Buy one for a graduation present for seniors or 8th graders Pick up a form outside Rm 314

photo essay 24

THE HARBINGER

Coaching a new

class

Senior Liz Tschudy coaches a group of eighth grade girls, next year’s freshman class. photos by Tierney Weed WATCHING OVER: Tschudy watches over her team of eighth grade girls in a practice at Porter Park last week.

WATER BREAK: Taking a quick break between drills and scrimmaging, Tschudy enjoys a laugh with her team.

STRETCHING OUT: (Above) Tschudy leads streches and lunges with the team before they get into scrimmaging. Liz started coaching the girls this past fall.

KICKIN’ IT: (Right) Eighth graders Alison Sayler and Hayley Fitzpatrick scrimmage in practice. Instead of getting paid for the job, she decided to coach the girls for community service hours instead.

SETTING UP: As the players run laps around the feild Liz sets up the cones that mark the perimeter of the playing field as well as the goals.