Issue 1

theharbinger » » » FEATURES: Laura Wetzel published on iTunes

» PAGE 9

OUT

SPORTS: Fantasy football picks

» PAGE 22

» annaleek

COKED NEWS: Kelsey Smith death affects East students » PAGE 2

ISSUE ONE sept. 4, 2007 shawnee mission east prairie village, ks

District health policy removes soda from school vending machines BY

» bernadettemyers

There’s no more soda.

Not one drop of the fizzy mouthwatering drink left in vending machines or the cafeteria. Junior Marissa Stevens discovered this after waiting on the second day of school for a Diet Coke.

“I usually get cravings in the day for soda because we’re only allowed to drink water in class,” Stevens said.

While waiting, Stevens noticed the refrigerators were stocked not with the usual silver, black and red, but with rows

and rows of colorful Minute Maid cans.

Stevens asked the lunch lady what was going on and learned soda wasn’t sold in high schools anymore.

Stevens wanted to know why.

Shawnee Mission East no longer sells beverages with caffeine as part of the district Student Wellness Plan developed in April 2006, district spokesperson Leigh Anne Neal said.

The previous contract, requiring caffeinated beverages sales, brought the

district nearly $2 million over 10 years, but after the Child Nutrition Act of 2004, the district altered their contract with Midwest Coca-Cola Bottling Company, resulting in a smaller profit.

The Child Nutrition Act, passed by Congress, requires school districts that earn money from the school lunch program to create wellness policies enforcing a healthier school environment, Neal said.

Last year, the Wellness Plan at East required baked instead of fried cafeteria

foods and healthier snack options like Sun Chips.

One of the goals for this year is allowing parents to share their ideas on providing a healthy school environment with the administration and with parents in the newsletter.

Schools will also be putting up posters in dining areas advocating healthy eating habits and educating students on nutrition.

» story continued on page 3

NEWS

2

Remembering Kelsey Murder of West graduate affects East students BY

» paige cornwell

Whenever senior Amy Coffman makes nachos at AMC, she thinks of Kelsey Smith. It was the last job she and Smith worked at the concession stand of the Town Center movie theater, where they both worked, before Smith disappeared.

Coffman remembers Smith as sarcastic, the funny kind of sarcastic. The two worked together a lot, in the box office or at the concession stand, and both were in their schools’ bands. Coffman went to West’s prom, and was in a group with Smith and her boyfriend, John, who also worked at the theater.

“She was really nice, easy to be friends with,” Coffman said. “We talked about everything.”

Whether it be remembering her, searching for her or attending a self defense class , East students have found themselves affected by the kidnapping and murder of Smith.

Smith, who graduated from West last year, was kidnapped from the Oak Park Target parking lot June 2.

Her body was found four days later in a wooded area.

The last time they saw each other, Coffman was working at the concession stand and Smith was an usher.

“John and her were complaining about their siblings,” Coffman said. “I had to leave, then I came back later but she was ushering.”

Smith disappeared a week later.

Coffman found out about it on Sunday, a day after Smith was kidnapped, when she was told that John needed a substitute for the day.

“When I asked why, they said, ‘Did you hear about Kelsey?’” Coffman said.

They had to wait before they could put up posters, but once they could, Coffman said everyone was active in putting them up.

Now Coffman remembers Smith as someone she could talk to.

“Whenever I was frustrated, she had a way of making me feel better.” *** During the morning of the first day that junior Tommy Gray went to help find Smith, the focus was finding the missing woman. Gray helped out at the Target parking lot where the search’s center was, and then went to apartments to pass out fliers with Smith’s picture on it.

The day before, SHARE director Pat Kaufman had sent him an email asking for volunteers at the Target where Smith was last seen .

“I was glad I was doing this, since I wasn’t doing anything else, why not?” Gray said. “I thought, ‘what if this was my sister?”

As the day that Gray was searching progressed, the

» tylerroste »tylerroste

Self Defense

4

Sept.

2007

In light of the Kelsey Smith kidnapping and murder, selfdefense classes have been offered to help girls protect themselves from offenders. Here are some steps to be prevent an attack.

focus changed.

“The leaders were thinking, ‘She’s been gone three days,’ it became more like, ‘Find her killer’ and ‘Find her body,’” Gray said.

Gray went with the teams to search a field.

“I thought, ‘What if I found the body,’” Gray said.

“I think I would have screamed and then cried. I just thought it was very weird.”

On the second day that Gray went to help out, the media confirmed that a body found in a Missouri park was Smith’s.

“We didn’t know what to do. The media had said that they found a body,” Gray said. “But people close to her still didn’t accept it, saying it might not be her. But once the media confirmed it, one of the coordinators said to go to the Smith’s house to protect them from the media.”

Since then, Gray has found himself changed by the experience.

“I still think about it,” Gray said. “The experience of trying to look for her has made me appreciate my friends and family more. It put things into perspective.” *** In the aftermath of Smith’s murder, self-defense classes and presentations about preventing an attack and staying safe have been offered.

Among them were a self-defense class at East and a presentation about basic safety at the Prairie Village Police Department.

The free self-defense class was held June 21 at East, sponsored by the Ali Kemp Foundation and the T.A.K.E. defense organization as a fundraiser for Smith’s family.

576 women in the East gym learned how to prevent an attack, the Kansas City Star said.

“The attendance was probably more than average for a high school class,” instructor Jill Leiker said. “The class was after a lot of press about Kelsey.”

Leiker stresses that the classes are not about fighting, but rather about preventing.

“It’s not karate, it’s not judo, it’s about how to not find yourself in that circumstance, so you don’t have to fight back,” Leiker said. “It’s empowering, knowing you can do something in that circumstance.”The informational presentation was held a week after Smith’s murder and given by Crime Prevention Officer Dan Robles at the Prairie Village Police Department.

“After the death of Kelsey Smith, a parent called and had an interest about talking to me about personal safety,” Robles said. “They got their daughters, who called their friends, and it went very well.”

The meeting provided senior Kelly Tankard, who has attended self-defense classes before, with more informa-

1. If someone seems to be 2. tailing your car, switch lanes, then drive to the nearest police station.

5. Trim bushes and hedges to eliminate hiding places for an attacker.

Try to park in well-lit areas near traffic, and avoid parking near cars where someone could easily jump out.

6.

Always keep the garade door closed to prevent entry by a criminal.

3. Always shop with

tion about how to stay safe.

“They discussed strategies and how to be prepared,” Tankard said. “And how to act if something happened.”

While the police department does not hold self-defense classes, it does have information about it in their lobby and will let others know where to get information for the classes, which Robles believes are beneficial.

“The bad guys are out there, and we don’t want them taking advantage,” Robles said.

The Kelsey Smith Foundation • The Kelsey Smith foundation was created to honor and perpetuate the life of Kelsey Smith by empowering families, friends and communities to proactively protect youth and young adults.

• Kelsey’s Army shirts and wristbands may be purchased at area businesses and online.

• Donations may be made to the foundation and to Smith’s family.

Source: www.kelsey’sarmy.com

The Case Against Edwin Hall • Edwin “Jack” Hall is accused of the kidnapping and murder of Kelsey Smith.

• A surveillance video shows Smith leaving the Target store, with Hall leaving soon after • Hall is charged with capital murder, meaning that prosecutors are seeking the death penalty.

• His trial date is tentatively set for Jan. 14.

Source: The Kansas City Star

4. Make a conscious

someone, as most muggers will be discouraged if a person has company.

decision to be aware of your surroundings.

7.

If someone approches demanding money or a wallet, throw it, then run.

If you’re attacked, scream, and do whatever it takes to stop him/her. Aim for the eyes, the throat and the nose.

8.

Source: The Kansas City Star, The Ali Kemp Foundation

Self Defense Classes • The next T.A.K.E. defense training program is Oct. 9 at Oregon Trail Junior High in Olathe • The training program is free • For more information, go to www.takedefense.org or contact the City of Olathe, 913-971-6263

CONTINUED FROM

NEWS

D E N N A C

District rids schools of caffeinated beverages to provide students with a healthier environment

3

» pageone

To encourage this healthy environment, alternatives to soda are offered including water, Light Minute Maid drinks and Powerade.

However, according to dietician Melissa McGuire of the Shawnee Mission Medical Center, these alternatives are not even healthier options. The lemonade and Powerade options have almost as many calories as a can of Coke.

“A 13 ounce can of pop has 150 calories and contains up to 10 teaspoons of sugar,” McGuire said. “Powerade has about two-thirds of the calories and lemonade has about 30 calories less, but still has lots of sugar.”

McGuire agrees with removing soda from any diet altogether because of how few nutrients there are, but wants to see juice drinks limited as well.

“Kids will go and get a Slushie from Quiktrip instead of having a glass of milk so all they get are empty calories,” McGuire said. “Even your daily fruit juice would be better than that because there are at least some vitamins.”

McGuire strongly recommends purchasing milk and water at school instead of just drinking the empty calories in a lemonade. However, for students who need the daily caffeine boost from soda, McGuire advises using the sugar in lemonade as a substitute for caffeine to prevent any type of withdrawal.

“It is impossible to just go cold turkey off caffeine, especially if you drank a soda every day,” McGuire said.

By drinking soda just once a week at home and replacing a daily soda with a juice drink, McGuire believes it is easier and less painful to rid yourself of a caffeine addiction.

Senior Holly Harvey is one of those students with a caffeine addiction, drinking up to three sodas in a day.

And though this year she can go out for lunch, Harvey still finds it unjust that the soda was taken out and students aren’t trusted with their own decisions.

“I think it’s horrible that the government tries to tell us what to eat,” Harvey said.

During the first day of school, Harvey needed a caffeine boost after waking at 6:30 a.m., only to find the soda was gone.

“They even took diet soda out when Powerade has

more calories than diet soda,” Harvey said. “It’s not like diet soda is going to go and get you fat.”

Harvey strongly believes that students should be able to run their own lives or at least handle their own food.

“We’re in high school now and should be able to make our own decisions,” Harvey said. “Students should determine what’s on the menu, not the government or the administration.”

Though the sugary drinks that remain in the cafeteria may not be much healthier, the school makes money selling these drinks as it did selling soda before. However, the district receives money differently in each contract.

According to Neal, the Shawnee Mission school district originally held a 10 year contract with Midwest Coca-Cola Bottling Company. The contract required East to sell the standard water and juices, but also carbonated beverages. In return, Midwest Coca-Cola would pay the district $2 million in incentives.

“This money was put in an operating expenses fund that offsets costs for necessities in schools throughout the district,” Neal said. “The fund pays for things like classroom instructional supplies or even teachers’ salaries.”

Even though the district has lost these incentives, they have other alternatives.

“This year there has been a $9.6 million increase in state aid and also a one percent increase in local budget options,” Neal said.

This means the district has received additional funds this year.

Along with the incentives paid to the district, the schools got back a 42 percent commission total from all beverages sold. Last year, from August to July the district received over $8,000 in commissions. Dr. Susan Swift, principal, saw this money going to support activities around the school.

“The money from the Coke fund went to support things like group field trips, the LOVE fund and even parties organized by Stuco,” Swift said. “It was the students’ money primarily and so it went back to benefit the students.”

In July, the contract was dissolved after six years.

The district had received almost $1.5 million in incentives that went into the operating expenses fund. In accordance with the Child Nutrition Act of 2004, the Board of Education formed a healthier contract that is not

structured with incentives. Now, the schools get an individual commission for each product sold. For example, the school gets back a 21 percent commission selling 12 ounce Powerades, but they get a 36 percent commission for Light Lemonades.

This new contract means the schools will make less money than last year.

From July to August of 2006, with no students in the building, the school made $400 from selling beverages including soda. Without the soda, the school made $320 this year from July to August.

Though the school may not be making as much money from selling soda, Swift thinks that by using other sources the school can make up for that money.

“East is very lucky because we have so many different ways to get money, like the East fund, the coffee shop and even the PTA,” Swift said. “If the school needed money, I would probably go to the coffee shop for something small, but if we needed $500 for a grant or project I would go to the East fund.”

East ranks top on ACT scores BY

» devino’bryan

Last year’s report card is in, and East came out at the top of the class.

For the second year in a row, East has the highest average composite ACT score of all metro area high schools.

East had 415 students take the test last year, 47 more than the year before.

Dr. Susan Swift, principal, says that an increase in both students taking the test and test scores shows unexpected improvement, especially since it is statistically improbable.

“I don’t know what the main factor for the high scores is,” she said. “Teachers are working hard to make sure students have the vocabulary and math skills they need to succeed on the test.”

Counseling coordinator Lili Englebrick agrees.

“I think the reason for the high scores is a rigorous curriculum that is taught effectively,” she said.

East’s average score for 2006-2007 was 24.9 out of a possible 36, an increase from 24.6 the year before. The average state score was 21.9. Blue

Valley Northwest scored the closest to East with a 24.7, and Shawnee Mission South had the closest score in the district with 23.6.

ACT Inc. also recognized East as one of only 382 schools in the country with an effective core curriculum that prepares students for college.

East, along with 13 other Kansas schools including Shawnee Mission South, Shawnee Mission Northwest and Blue Valley North, was noted in ACT’s recent report “Rigor at Risk: Reaffirming Quality in the High School Core Curriculum.”

Schools were evaluated by course requirements, high school course grades, teacher quality and state education standards.

2006-2007 Composite Scores Kansas City Schools

Composite Score

SM EAST

24.9

SM SOUTH

22.9

SM NORTH

22.9

SM WEST

23.2

SM NORTHWEST

23.4

BV NORTHWEST

24.7

Source: The Kansas City Star

issue

1

NEWS

4

Former custodian to return to court New witness testimony crucial in reinstating 30-year-old murder trial BY

» rachelbirkenmeier

After appearing in court in 2004, former East custodian John Henry Horton has again been charged with the murder of 13-year-old Lizbeth Wilson due to new testimony.

When District Attorney Phill Kline first accused Horton of first-degree murder, there was not enough evidence to support his accusation. Now two of Horton’s jail mates, Danny Lee Barnhouse and Sergio Castillo-Contreras have come to testify against him.

Both Barnhouse and Castillo-Contreras reported at an Aug. 7 hearing that Horton told them he accidentally killed Wilson by leaving the chloroform cloth on her for too long, according to The Kansas City Star.

Wilson was last seen on July 7, 1974.

She had been running home from the

Prairie Village pool with her brother.

While her brother ran ahead, former East custodian Henry Horton allegedly lured Wilson into East where he molested and subdued her with a cloth doused in chloroform, killing her, according to the police.

“I was with Mr. Wilson that night Lizbeth went missing, searching the school,” Larry Colburn, a retired East teacher, said.

“If we would have had a dog that night, we could have found her. It would have led us to the production room, where she had been and we could have had a better chance of finding where she was.”

Horton became a suspect due to the fact that he was an hour and a half late returning from his break, and had been

out while Lizbeth went missing. Horton said he had had car troubles, according to Mr. Colburn.

About six months later, Wilson’s body was found in Lenexa.

Horton was questioned numerous times after Lizbeth went missing, and only remained at East for a few days prior to Lizbeth’s abduction according to Mr. Colburn.

“At the time, I didn’t know who Horton was,” said Colburn. “I only knew that a janitor from the upper floor was being questioned.

District Judge James Franklin Davis has scheduled Horton’s hearing to be on Feb. 25, also setting two other hearings before the trial on Nov. 28 and Jan. 7.

John Henry Horton Timeline July 7, 1974 Lizabeth Wilson disappears during her walk home from Prarie Villiage Municipal Pool

July 8, 1974 Authorities first question Horton, who was the custodian on duty at East with Lizabeth disappeared

Bones belonging to a 12 to 14-year-old white girl are found in rural Lenexa. The Wilsons bury the remains.

Jan.-Feb. 1975

Kansas State Sumpreme Court reverses the court’s decision and dismises the charges against Horton on appeal.

Feb. 2 2007

The late 1980’s Investigators re-open the case. They try new DNA testing, but discover that blood collection in the mid 1970’s is no longer in good condition.

A Johnson County Jury finds Horton guilty of felony murAuthorities who der in the death of Lizabeth have re-opened the cold case September 2004 interview Horton

August 2002

District Judge James Franklin Davis schedules two hearings for Horton’s second trial on these new dates.

Nov. 28 2007

Class

to School! Elections

CAR FOR

SALE

Lancer ‘06 grad car

(Now at Westminster)

‘96 JEEP Grand Cherokee Ltd. 4x4 6 cyl (great mpg!)

118K mi Well taken care of; likely has another 10 good years left.

4

$5,200 Chris 831.4494 or 206.2782

(Freshman and Rep)

Friday 7

VOTE and make a

DIFFERENCE

College Planning Informational meetings for seniors and senior parents will be given Sept. 11 and 12.

Seniors will have seminars on Sept. 11, and a meeting for parents will be in the library at 7 p.m. Sept. 12. Information will include how to select a college, complete applications and find financial aid.

Elections Freshman class officer speeches are Wednesday.

Freshman class officer and representative and sophomore, junior and senior class representative elections are Friday. Students may vote during lunch in the ramp.

Renovation Sensation

Renovation Sensation, a tour of four homes in the East area, is Sept. 12 from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tour tickets may be purchased by mail or at the Bank of Prairie Village and Corinth, Prairie Village and Fairway Hen House markets. Proceeds from the ticket sales will benefit SHARE.

Senior BBQ

Jan. 7 2008

Source: The Kansas City Star

Back Welcome

Briefs

The senior BBQ is Sept. 14 during fifth hour. The BBQ is sponsored

by StuCo.

October 2003 Authorities arrest Horton outside his trailor home in Canton, MO.

news

Link Crew Dance The Lancer Link Crew freshman back-toschool dance is Sept. 14 at 7 p.m.

Homecoming Nominations Nominations for Homecoming King and Queen are Sept. 12, for seniors only.

Lancer Link isn’t the connection that freshmen need

Freshmen year is a time of growth, both physically and emotionally. It also marks the difficult transition from middle school to high school, and symbolically, childhood to early adulthood. These young adults should not be belittled by a first day of school that entails rolling balls around to each other, giving strangers back massages, and pop the balloon games.

Lancer Link is a new program. It consists of a separate day for freshman orientation, with “Link Leaders” as the ambassadors to the high school. Link Leaders are juniors and seniors who were selected as well-rounded, average students that the freshmen can relate to.

Led by Shawnee Mission East math teacher Hannah Pence, Lancer Link aims to ease the transition between middle school and high school, a time plays a big role in the success of a student during high school.

It seems that a program that entails name games and rolling a ball around would be more suited for kindergarten into first grade than a high school classroom. A separate day for freshman to become oriented and feel included is a good idea, however. We don’t need to purchase a program when we could be spending that money elsewhere.

The program was purchased from Link Crew, the national program that trains teachers to take the program to their schools. At a token of $2000 a teacher, multiplied by three teachers, one can only wonder why we spent $6000 on learning how to play the best name games. And where that money could have been spent otherwise.

In addition to the cost, the sheer nature of the program is a little disturbing. Listening to any freshman talk about Lancer Link, one will get a lesson on the many slang words for “useless.” Even most of the Link Leaders themselves will admit to you that they felt embarrassed for themselves and the freshmen during some of the activities.

From that information, one can surmise the effectiveness of the program. The students who are supposed to be being benefited from it felt like they were belittled by it.

The idea of the program is not entirely a flop, however. A separate day for freshmen is an excellent idea.

Many upperclassmen feel as though the first day of school is a useless time that only the freshmen benefit from, so why not make it just benefit the freshmen? Also, East is pretty daunting in size, and with 1500 people besides the 500 in your own class, it can be pretty intimidating at first. Taking the upperclassmen out of the school on the first day eliminates that intimidation factor.

As for the length and content of the day, some revision is necessary. Talking to many Link Leaders, the length of the day was a little longer than the program necessitated.

»renli

a 0 VOTE

In reaction to this, the spend more time in their day should be made a classes, where they can half day in which only learn on an individual freshman and selected basis how they need to absent for upperclassmen amprepare for high school. against bassadors attend.

After all, some freshmen The majority opinion of the Harbinger Editorial Board H a v i n g are in precalculus, while others are in algebra 1, upperclassmen help to transition the freshmen also marks a good change in and a blanket transition for these kids would obviously be the current system. They know more about high school ineffective. than the teachers who wandered the halls of their alma All in all, Lancer Link wasn’t a complete flop. It marks maters decades ago, and accordingly should be in more the necessary change in a transition time for freshmen. A direct contact with the freshmen than administrators and separate day for freshmen, with upperclassmen leaders, teachers. will arguably make this trying time easier for the wide-eyed The activities and game-time can be eliminated from freshmen. With everyone complaining about freshmen the program, since they only seemed to belittle, rather than immaturity, we should start treating them like adults. And transition, the freshmen. ����������������������������� Instead, the freshmen should quit making them roll balls around.

the

theharbinger a publication of shawnee mission east high school 7500 mission road, prarie village, kansas 66208 sept. 4, 2007 issue 1, volume 49

OPINION PAGE EDITOR »gagebrummer

The Harbinger is a student run publication. The contents and views are produced solely by the staff and do not represent the Shawnee Mission East or SMSD faculty, or administration.

FEATURES SECTION EDITOR »megshackelford

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF »lauranelson

PHOTO EDITOR »karenboomer

ASSISTANT EDITORS »bernadettemyers »stephennichols

ASSISTANT PHOTO EDITOR »sallydrape

FEATURES PAGE EDITORS »melissamckittrick »jeffrutherford

ART AND DESIGN EDITOR »libbynachman HEAD COPY EDITOR »adriennewood ONLINE EDITOR »halliemccormick

NEWS SECTION EDITOR »paigecornwell NEWS PAGE EDITOR »mikecray OP/ED SECTION EDITOR »natalieeisenach

EDITORIAL

A missing link in the chain

5

SPREAD EDITOR »devino’bryan

10 0

A&E SECTION EDITOR »ruthstark

ADS MANAGER »melissamckittrick

A&E PAGE EDITORS »rachelbirkenmeier »taylortwibell

CIRCULATION MANAGER »katiefreyder

SPORTS SECTION EDITOR »clarkgoble SPORTS PAGE EDITORS »samlogan »sarahluby

ASSISTANT SPREAD EDITOR »alexanderson

FREELANCE PAGE EDITORS »jordandietrich »michaelstolle »mackenziewylie

MIXED EDITOR »rachelmayfield

ASSISTANT ONLINE EDITOR »elizabethmcgranahan

COPY EDITORS »paigecornwell »samkovzan »bernadettemyers »libbynachman »lauranelson »stephennichols »sylviashank »timshedor »ruthstark »adriennewood STAFF ARTISTS »alexanderson »renli

STAFF WRITERS »mikehake »landonmcdonald »nickratliff »timshedor PHOTOGRAPHERS »rachelenglish »marygalvin »annaleek »patrickmayfield »taylerphillips »tylerroste »norasalle »mackenziewylie ADVISER »dowtate Letters to the editor should be sent to room 521 or smeharbinger@gmail.com. Letters may be edited for clarity, length, libel and mechanics and issue accepted or rejected at the editor’s discretion.

1

6

OPINION

East’s new addiction

»alexanderson

Sam Logan stops getting on Facebook for a week and shares his story with the Harbinger

anopinionof

»alexanderson

Day One started sooner than you can say “Facebook me.”

And that wasn’t a good thing.

I at least wanted to update my status so my friends knew where » samlogan I was, but my editor affirmatively said no.

I couldn’t believe the hell I was getting myself into. A place called social prison. In my case you get sent there when you sign up to write a story that involves giving up Facebook for a full 10 days. Yes, that’s three more than a week.

I put myself up for a challenge… to show my mini-feed who was boss and to prove that for some, Facebook is like cocaine behind a screen. Thank God I’m not there yet. I’m only at the candy cigarettes stage. And even that’s bad enough.

Spending 30 to about 45 minutes on it per day is enough to give me my fill of social happenings and youthful wrongdoings that I have to call it quits. Much more and I can’t take it. I would go nowhere near saying I’m an addict, or as I much prefer to call it, a “Facebook whore.” They know who they are, and I know who they are, we all do. And yes my friend (no pun intended), if you constantly have the “Online Now” label below your profile picture, you are a Facebook whore, and are addicted to the cyber crack.

If you by chance are one of those people, or even if you’re not, you might be wondering, “What did this kid get himself into?” I got past

4 sept.

2007

Bobby Teenager is doing fine.

Updated Day 1

Bobby Teenager

is facing withdrawal.

Updated Day 3

Bobby Teenager is feeling it now.

Updated Day 6

OOK B E C A F

facebook

31+

that idea nine days ago… Nine days ago when I came home from school and didn’t know what to do. I thought I could express my depression by doing what many emotionally-deprived teens do, one of my favorite activities: eating. I wasn’t that pathetic yet, though, so I slept things off instead. I took a three-hour catnap, awaking just in time for dinner.

I ate that meal thinking of how devastating it would be that for a full week and more I wouldn’t be able to send my boys pink polka-dot thong “gifts”. Just for giggles, though, of course.

And how I’d miss out on knowing which of my friends had recently made themselves look more foolish than I could ever imagine in newly tagged photos of them or observing creepy mannerisms they display towards others. You know, who has the “Hot or Not” application, who constantly updates their status, and of course, who stalks the younger girls. Come on now, that’s for MySpace.

Day Five, Friday, came slower than you can say, well, you get the point. A long time. At this point in time, I was becoming a wizard at Spider Solitaire on my computer, and had already beaten three levels on Roller Coaster Tycoon. One of the more pathetic achievements in my life.

The days continued slowly, but I made it without as much of a struggle than I thought.

Though I experienced my most pathetic, this is probably one of my prouder achievements.

Something I thought I couldn’t do, I just didn’t think about, put beside me, and gave up for more than a week.

I’m now checking out of rehab, saved before I was able to create a problem. Though I never had an addiction, I’m confident I never will.

Facebook is a deadly weapon, but unless you manage how you use it, it will haunt your evenings.

But even if you don’t choose to do that, and want to continue soliciting your soul to the one and only social networking family, always remember, Facebook provides thrills, but the cyber crack kills.

facts

million active Facebookers

18 3

Bobby Teenager

missed out on a party.

Updated Day 8

Bobby Teenager

pulls the plug on Facebook.

Updated Day 10

average number of minutes students spend on Facebook a day

15

billion page views monthly

percent weekly growth since Jan. 2007

1.7

billion photos hosted SOURCE

» MyADSL

Off-field activities spell trouble for big-name athletes

anopinionof

Being an athlete, I naturally look up to those who play sports professionally: the gladiators who dominate their sport and compete like champions.

You know, the ones that start wild bar fights, run dog » mikehake fighting rings and pump steroids like raging bodybuilders.

Role models can’t be found in professional sports anymore. The only time professional athletes make the news is when they are in trouble.

The Michael Vick dog fighting story has dominated the headlines of almost every news channel for the past month.

The story of the summer was Barry Bonds breaking quite possibly the most respected record in all of sports, Hank Aaron’s all-time home run record, while it’s been all but proven that he took steroids for the latter part of his career.

The American public tends to put professional athletes up on a pedestal, but some athletes like Bonds are far from fit

role models.

The trouble started late last February in Las Vegas. Unfortunately for Tennessee Titans cornerback Adam “Pacman” Jones, what happened in Vegas didn’t stay there.

Pacman and the rest of his posse were “making it rain” at Minxx Gentlemen’s Club and Lounge when the money they were showering more than 40 strippers with got to be too much; $81,020 to be exact.

Who knew that throwing large stacks of hundred dollar bills in a dark strip club would cause chaos?

According to a search warrant, the money was intended as a visual effect.

Jones became irate when the strippers and the club promoter started to make away with the cash, causing a fight to break out. A female customer and two security guards were shot, one of whom was critically injured and will be paralyzed for life. All because Jones thought it would look cool to shower strippers with cash.

The NFL suspended Jones for the entire 2007 season, while Jones bought a

TIMELINE OF SPORT SLIP-UPS Feb. 21, 2007 Adam ‘Pacman’ Jones throws over $81,000 dollars into the air at a strip club, starting a fight over the money.

» renli full page ad in the USA Today with a written apology to the Tennessee Titans and their fans. This, from someone who’s been arrested 10 times since being drafted by the Titans in 2005.

Then the summer came, and the whole nation watched Barry Bonds break Hank Aaron’s all-time home run record. The

April 25, 2007 Michael Vick’s house is raided finding 66 dogs, a dog fighting pit and blood stained carpets.

Aug. 27, 2007 Michael Vick pleads guilty to federal dogfighting charges.

PRESENT

SEPT. ‘03 Sept. 3, 2003

Federal agents raid BALCO industries, finding evidence of Bonds’ usage of performance enhancers.

April 21, 2007 ‘Pacman’ Jones takes out a full page ad in the “USA TODAY,” explaining that he needed to re-organize his priorities.

» lancervoice

NAME

Dan Sewell 12 Colin Coit 11 Molly Tidrick 10 Tyler Dutton 9

WHO IS A GOOD ROLE MODEL IN PROFESSIONAL SPORTS? Brett Favre, because he has made a point of keeping clean.

Aug. 7, 2007 Barry Bonds breaks the alltime homerun record, hitting his 756th homerun.

most respected record in America’s favorite pastime is now held by a steroid user.

The message this sends to young athletes is that greatness can be achieved by cheating. Hank Aaron was a class act, a role model that earned his record honestly. Bonds and his title of home run king have simply become a painful reminder of everything that’s wrong with sports today.

The worst incident yet came on July 17, when Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick was indicted for running an interstate dog fighting ring known as “Bad News Kennels.”

Besides the obvious moral issues with dog fighting, it makes no sense logically.

In 2004, the Falcons gave Vick a $130 million contract over the next 10 years, plus a $37 million signing bonus, making Vick the highest paid player in NFL history.

Why one of the highest paid athletes in the world would risk his career to make a few thousand dollars on a dogfight is completely beyond me.

Vick, like Jones, apologized on Aug. 27, saying he had acted immaturely and is taking full responsibility for his actions.

Although I don’t doubt the sincerity of his apology, it’s hard for me to sympathize with him. He operated Bad News Kennels for over five years, knowing full well of the possible consequences.

I would hate to accuse all professional athletes of being bad influences, but unfortunately, as the old adage goes, a few bad apples spoil the whole bunch.

A lot of speculation and judgments will be passed before Michael Vick’s court date on Dec. 10. As for Pacman, let’s hope he makes use of his time off by doing something besides club-hopping. And maybe someday the steroids problem that baseball faces will blow over and be a thing of the past. Until then, I’d avoid the sports section.

WHAT SHOULD BE THE PUNISHMENT FOR PERFORMANCE ENHANCING DRUGS? I think that they shouldn’t be allowed to play again because it’s just an unfair advantage and they know it’s against the rules.

OPINION

MORALFUMBLE

7

PIRATES OR NINJAS? Ninjas... Dude, two words: “throwing stars.” What do pirates have?

Michael Jordan, because he came from a rough background and followed his dreams.

Not letting them play for a season, it’s cheating and they know that it’s wrong.

Definitely Pirates, they are much more hard core than ninjas are.

Arthur Ashe, he was one of the first African-American tennis players and he helped pave the way for future black tennis player.

They should be totally done; they don’t deserve to play with the other players that work hard to get where they are.

I’d say ninjas, because their outfits are much better than pirates.

Priest Holmes, because he was injured and came back, and that shows lots of determination and perserverance.

I think that they should be suspended for 4-5 games because it is unfair to the other players, but it shouldn’t be a career ending decision.

Ninjas, because they have swords and they sneak around in the issue night.

1

LEADING THE PACK

FEATURES

8

Three East students use local program to become leaders in community natalieeisenach

Rotary

T R O P E R - Rotary International is an organization of business and professional leaders. Rotary International encourages high ethical standards and helps to spread goodwill and peace throughout the world.

- The OP Rotary Club is a local branch of Rotary International.

It is a non-profit organization that supports local educational and humanitarian programs.

- YLI is a hands-on leadership program designed to help the participant developed skills to become leaders in the community and in their school.

- Each year the OP Rotary Club sponsors a College Scholarship Essay Contest. The contest is open to YLI graduates.

rg e.o itut t s n hipi ders www.youthlea

THE ERS LEAD LOGAN DOVER

CURRAN DARLING

KATHRYNE MUNSCH

“It was the first day of the program and no one really new anyone. We did many team building activities and the leaders really came out on that first day.”

“Going there and knowing no one was tough, but I really felt challenged with some of the team building exercises. I am very outspoken, so learning to become a better listener was key.”

“I hope I can write a good essay. This is really nice because I am only competing with 30 other people for the scholarship.

For most scholarships there are more people competing for the spot.”

junior

4

sept.

2007

junior

senior

The wall is 12 feet tall. Senior Kathryne Munsch struggles to climb up the vertical planks of wood. It’s sweltering outside and her clammy hands slip as she grasps junior Logan Dover’s hand, fighting to make it over the wall.

Her feet slip, then her shoe catches in a knot on the log. She finds the last amount of energy in her limbs and swings herself over.

It is junior Curran Darling’s turn next, he is the last one left. With no one to hoist him up he has to jump and pull himself up by himself.

Darling, Munsch and Logan are not the runaway f u g i t i v e s they appear to be, instead they are participants in the 13th Youth Leadership I n s t i t u t e (YLI) summer program.

Thirty-three representatives from the Kansas City area attended a five-day course in student leadership sponsored by Kansas City’s Rotary Club.

YLI has students participate in many leadership simulations, allowing them to learn about leadership, practice their skills in a hands-on way and carry out the mantra “service before self”.

During the camp, the group attended Wildwood, visited the State Capital in Topeka to interact with public officials and attended workshops at JCCC. The event culminated with an opportunity to win scholarships through an essay written on the experience.

Local high school junior and seniors were chosen to participate through an application process. The students either nominate themselves or someone in their community can recommend them; they are then eligible to receive an application.

Coordinators look for students who are eager to learn and participate in leadership activities.

“We accept everyone that we can.

We want [all the applicants] to get to experience this” youth coordinator Susan Keim said.

Darling was inspired to do the program after his sister, Emily, participated in it last year. Both she and his mother stressed how it would be beneficial for college applications.

He also saw it as a chance to step outside of his comfort zone and try

something new.

There were a variety of public officials and politicians who came to speak, such as district attorney Paul Morrison, state department of insurance commissioner Sandy Praeger and former Kansas senator David Adkins. Speakers presented on situations in their life when they used their leadership skills to better those in their community. After their presentations, the students were given opportunities to ask the speakers questions about their stories.

Representatives of the democratic and republican parties also came to answer questions about their party’s stances on different political issues.

“Each year has its unique social ness”, said Keim. “This year was very provocative and they asked a lot of wonderful questions of the speakers.

Going to the capital, visiting with elected officials, touring and seeing how big our state government is was definitely a highlight of the week”.

Having the opportunity to meet and talk to local officials may seem like a daunting experience. However for East representatives being thrown together with a new group of students was the most challenging activity.

“Going there and knowing no one was tough, but I really felt challenged with some of the team building exercises”, said Darling. “I am very outspoken, so learning to become a better listener was key for me. Making the whole group a leader instead of one particular person [was a challenge]”.

The first day was spent at Wildwood and all the representatives got to know each other quickly. Participating in team building activities, such as the “knot game” where team members link their arms together in a knot and then untie themselves, helped to relieve the initial anxieties and served as an icebreaker for the group.

“It was the first day of the program and no one really new anyone”, Dover said. “We did many team building activities and the leaders really came out on that first day”.

Munsch expected the other students to be very different from her because they came from a such a wide range of schools. Instead she found they had many of the same aspirations. “ They were all pretty similar to me, it was really easy to relate to them because we have the same goals. We all want to be successful and help others in the process.”

The group was split into smaller teams of three on the last day.

Students came to a group consensus on what leadership meant to them; and then they presented their ideas in front of a panel of rotary. Afterwards they had a mock interview with one of the rotary members - a simulated leadership opportunity that allows them to practice their skills of working with a group, speaking in public, and interviewing for a real world job.

They can use their ideas from this exercise to help them write their final essay for the scholarship.

With three prizes and only 33 other representatives competing, the YLI provides an opportunity to earn $3,000 dollars in scholarship money.

The essay is based on the programs four ways of knowing whether something is worth doing or saying. In situations one should ask themselves if it is the truth, fair to all those concerned, build goodwill and better friendships, and be beneficial to all concerned. The essay is supposed to reflect a personal experience that demonstrates the importance of the test. Munsch and Dover are currently brainstorming ideas for the essay and Darling has already sent his in the mail.

“It’s difficult to think of a personal experience that can incorporate the entire four way method”, Munsch said. “I hope I can write a good essay.

This is really nice because I am only competing with 30 other people for the scholarship. For most scholarships there are more people competing for the spot. At the same time that also puts a lot of pressure on you I guess”.

When they look back on the week, the East representatives have fond memories of their favorite day at Wildwood. Now that the camp is over, the group still remains in touch through Facebook and e-mail. Even though the week seemed to be all fun and games, they realize they gained a lot.

“YLI made me aware of the true meaning of a leader and how you can improve on leadership skills”, Dover said. “I feel that the camp made me more open about my opinions and I feel that it will make me a better leader”.

Darling changed his perspective on leadership. He now has a better understanding of how to connect with certain types of people by understanding how they learn so he can better approach them based on their personalities.

All of East representatives agree that the skills they learned during training will help him be a more effective leader at school when it comes to leading groups, speaking in public, and giving presentations. The program also was an inspiration for Munsch to run for StuCo representative, giving her confidence to try new things.

ALMOST FAMOUS

With her album recently recorded and settled on iTunes, senior Laura Wetzel is close to becoming...

» megshackelford

She wrote her first song last spring when she was sad over the seniors leaving and called it, “The Old Days.” From then on senior Laura Wetzel continued to write more. It was an easy way to deal with things happening in her life.

Then as she compiled more songs, the eight years of piano and three years of guitar lessons came in handy. An album was born.

“A lot of the songs are from my personal experiences,” Wetzel said. “The song ‘Tahoe Love’ was based on my experience at a STUCO leadership camp at Lake Tahoe.”

Wetzel always had a background in music. She learned piano from her mom, and caught onto guitar from her brother. So sitting down and thinking of a tune while playing her instruments just came naturally to her. Pretty soon she began to sing along to those tunes, and before she knew it they were recorded and settled on iTunes.

Recording was a tedious process. In early July, Wetzel drove up to Lawrence at least five or six times to her brother’s home studio that he shared with some friends. Besides her brother playing a few keyboard parts, she did all of it herself.

“We wouldn’t always be extremely productive,” Wetzel chuckles. “It took about 30 minutes to record just one song.”

All the elements of her songs had to be recorded individually—piano, harmony, vocals and guitar— and using a program called ProTools, they matched

» karenboomer

MUSIC SHE LOOKS TO FOR INSPIRATION :

STEPS TO GETTING ON iTUNES

Log on to Tunecore.com, read over their rights and then make an account.

1

2

Then, choose a retailer, such as iTunes.

Upload songs to the Tunecore server. In a month they’ll be processed!

3

Ben FoldsGive Judy My Notice Annie Waits Philosophy Norah JonesThe Painter Song Don’t Know Why Jack JohnsonPeople Watching Ben KwellerFalling

FEATURES

BY

Ben TaylorNothing I Can Do John MayerStop This Train Only Heart Love Song for Noone The ShinsAustralia Caring is Creepy Phantom Limb

9

each part perfectly.

When they finished in the studio, her brother found an online service called TuneCore. He had heard it was available to independent musicians.

If he uploaded her music on any retailer site, there was just a yearly fee to keep it up based on the album size. And since it was a profit-sharing system, she would get about 75 cents per song purchased. It sounded perfect. After only a month of being processed, anyone could search Laura Wetzel in their iTunes browser and her album would immediately pop up for purchase.

Senior Jenn Sunderland has been friends with Wetzel since freshman year. At that point she was only playing worship songs and learning Beatles songs on the piano.

“The thing about Laura is that it’s about her passion for music,” Sunderland said. “Not necessarily about iTunes or recording albums.”

Listening to Wetzel’s CD constantly is different for Sunderland because she knows the story behind each song. “The Old Days” makes her cry almost every time because the seniors Wetzel sings about are her friends too.

“She has such a unique voice that it’s hard to really compare her to any other artist,” she said. “I think she sounds a little like Norah Jones, and since she always sings Corinne Bailey Rae, I think she resembles her voice too.”

But it is artists like John Mayer and Ben Folds that Wetzel looks to for inspiration, because of how they lay out their chords and verses. She also scrutinizes their song patterns to try and not sound too repetitive in her own songs.

“I really can’t believe she’s written the number of songs that she has,” David Wetzel said. “When I was her age I just played other peoples’ songs. I can’t help but be really proud of her.”

HER TRACK LIST:

Rainbow I Need You My Smile The Old Days To Fall Time Will Tell Tahoe Love In The End

CLICK. . IT. . smeharbinger.net

see more related articles photos links lancer voices surveys

issue

1

BY

» michaelstolle

NOOILNER

SP

2007

THE SCAR: A must for any Harry Potter hopeful.

Freshman Elise Kuklenski sported her Harry Potter costume at the fifth movie’s premier. She shows us a good Gryffindor look.

THE CLOAK: What would Harry be without his Hogwarts cloak?

In its first 24 hours on sale, “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows” sold a record 8.3 million copies in the United States.

The sixth book in the series sold only 6.9 million copies in its first 24 hours on sale two years ago.

Borders sold about 1.2 million copies of the book worldwide at over 1,200 Borders and Waldenbooks stores on July 21.

At an average selling price of about $20, Americans spent close to $170 million on the book in one day.

COURTESY OF » www.nytimes.com

We’re going old-school to the first book. See how much you can remember from “The Sorcerer’s Stone.”

1 How old does Harry turn in book 1?

a) 10 b) 11 c) 12 2 Where does Harry live at the beginning? a) The second bedroom b) Cupboard under the stairs c) Gryffindor Tower, Hogwarts

3 Who invented the Stone?

a) Nicholas Flamel b) Sir. Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington c) Albus Dumbledore 4What is the name of the three-headed dog? a) Spot b) Snakebite c) Fluffy

QUIZ

4

SNAPSHOT: SUPERFAN

YOURSELF

As the time ran down to the midnight release of “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows,” the crowd began a countdown that ended in a deafening roar of cheers and applause.

At Borders on 91st and Metcalf, senior Stephen Fowler joined nearly 2,000 other avid Harry Potter fans dressed in their witches’ and wizards’ best as they awaited the release of the seventh and final book of the Harry Potter series.

Fowler had to arrive earlier in the day to receive a bracelet that signified what order he was to receive the book in. At night he returned to the bookstore around 11:30 p.m. to make sure he had enough time to get a spot in line.

“I was in the third group, so there were about 50 or 60 people in front of me, but it was relatively fast before I got my own copy,” Fowler said.

As the time ran down to the midnight release, the crowd began a countdown that ended in a deafening roar of cheers and applause.

“It was really exciting when I finally got the book. I’ve spent the greater part of the last decade reading the series, and wondering how it was going to eventually turn out,” Fowler said.

Fowler decided to space out his reading and not to take it as quickly as he had the other books.

“I knew I was going on vacation,” Fowler said. “So I wanted to save some reading to fill up some time during the car ride.”

THE BOOK: All true fans should When Fowler finally finished the series he was upset that there be well-read. were no more books to look forward to, but felt glad to get closure.

Fowler said he felt that J.K. Rowling had written the book well, and felt that she had ended it appropriately, but thought that the epilogue had not lived up to his expectations.

“I felt disappointed that she did not cover more characters [in the epilogue] or go into as much detail on the characters she did cover,” Fowler said.

This same midnight madness was not shared by senior Emily Patton, who was too worried that someone would ruin the ending while she was in line so she sent her parents to the bookstore to get it for her. When her parents got home she got right into the book.

“I read the book straight through and was finish in about a day,” Patton said.

Patton had a very positive reception of the final Harry Potter book.

“I was very pleased with the ending... there were things I liked and disliked [about the book], but I respect J.K. [Rowling]’s decisions... I enjoyed how she made readers feel the emotion,” Patton said.

Emily felt saddened that the series had come to an end, and plans to re-read the final novel as she has done with the other books, but said it was a relief to be finished, and that she will now be able to move on and read other books.

Senior English teacher Michael Pulsinelli, another Harry Potter loyal, purchased the book early the next morning as to avoid the frantic crowd.

“I read the book in about three days, and then again on a vacation we listened to the CD, so altogether I’ve read it twice,” he said.

Pulsinelli said he was more than satisfied with the book and loves J.K. Rowling’s writing. “[J.K. Rowling] is a great story teller, and it’s hard not to like her writing,” Pulsinelli said.

Though he enjoyed the book, Pulsinelli was one of many people who did not enjoy the epilogue.

“I felt the epilogue was very cheesy,” he said. “I think it would have been fine to end the book [before the epilogue] and leave the reader to make assumptions, and most likely the readers assumptions were 100 percent correct.”

Pulsinelli said he showed interest in reading a future J.K. Rowling novel, and thinks she will write another of the Harry Potter series because she is a relatively young writer, but feels that she was wise to get out when she did.

“I hope she leaves Harry alone…

I want more, but I think she finished it pretty well with all that she had sept. to tie up.”

» marygalvin

SCARRED

Potter fans deal with the end of the series

IFIED T R E C

ADDING IT UP

FEATURES

SHAKEN BUT NOT

ANSWERS 1) b 3) a 2) b 4) c

10

2007...

BY

» taylortwibell

H A E R S Annmarie Arensberg

Stephen Fowler

Missy Titus

Q: What do you like about being a SHARE Exec?

A: I love the responsibility; it’s so fun to have a leadership role at East.

Q: What do you like about being a SHARE Exec?

A: I like being able to oversee all of the different projects.

Q: Are there any new projects that SHARE has come up with?

A: There are 8-9 new projects that were created by the students who want to chair them, so it’s really cool to see what they came up with.

Q: What is your favorite SHARE project?

A: I have been doing Meals on Wheels for two years and chaired it one year, and that is by far my favorite.

Q: Are there any new projects that SHARE has come up with?

A: Freshman Firsts is a new project SHARE has started which makes it easier for freshmen to get involved.

We pulled a few projects in the area for them to participate in.

Q: What is your favorite SHARE project?

A: For the last two years I have chaired the “Children’s Center for the Visually Impaired.” I love it and it is so rewarding.

Q: What is your job as a SHARE exec?

A: We have to be leaders and make sure that we make SHARE look as fun as it really is. We also have to keep track of all the chairs and their projects.

Q: What other activities are you also participating in?

A: I am involved with DECA, and I am part of the swim team.

Q: Why should the students volunteer for SHARE? A: It’s really fun and it’s a great way to get involved.

Q: Why did you want to be a part of the SHARE program?

A: It seemed like fun and it was a great way to get involved in the school and the area.

Q: What is your favorite SHARE project?

A: My favorite SHARE project is UNITOWN, which is where different schools go and spend the night together and break down diversity barriers.

Q: What is your job as a SHARE exec?

A: I am in charge of my own projects as well as keeping my chairs doing what they are supposed to do.

Q: Why should people get involved in a program like SHARE? A: Really everyone should participate in the SHARE Fair...it really is the best way to get involved.

Brittany Barnds

Q: What do you like about being a SHARE Exec?

A: I like being a leader of something so many people participate in and I love helping the people in KC. Q: What is your favorite SHARE project?

A: Definitely birthday parties because it’s fun to celebrate the birthdays with the kids and it’s so rewarding.

Q: How did you get involved in SHARE? A: Sophomore year I went on a lot of fun projects then I just decided I wanted to be chair.

Q: What else are you involved in besides SHARE? A: I am a Lancer Link Crew Leader, a Heralder and in DECA. Q: What is the best way to learn about SHARE? A: The SHARE fair really is the best way to learn what is going on and how to get involved.

» all photos by taylerphillips

Groundhog Run for Children’s TLC Chairs: Kate Collison and Melissa McKittrick

Help at the only 5k/10k event in the nation that is run completely underground (January 27).

Brighton Gardens

Chairs: Rachel Mayfield and Ruth Stark

Visit Brighton Gardens for Bingo and interaction with the residents (dates vary).

Four projects to get you started when you’re wondering...

What can I do?

E X E C S

Finley Gates

Derek O’Grady

Q: What do you like about being a SHARE Exec?

A: I like the leadership role that it plays in the East community.

Q: What is your favorite thing about being a SHARE Exec?

A: I like knowing that what I do helps so many people in this area. No matter how corny that sounds, it’s true.

Q: What is your favorite SHARE project?

A: Birthdays, because it gives the kids a chance to have something they normally wouldn’t.

Q: What events that SHARE is in charge of are you most excited about?

A: The SHARE Fair is just a great way for everyone to get involved and see what we have to offer for this year.

Q: What is your job as a SHARE Exec?

A: I oversee the projects and let the parents and community know what is going on with SHARE. Q: How did you get involved in SHARE? A: My brother was a chair for three years and it looked like a really rewarding opportunity to get involved.

Central Birthday Parties Chair: Taylor Twibell

Go into inner-city schools to throw birthday parties for For a complete listing of projects, go to www.smsd.org and go to the SME homep- underprivileged children (every other month).

age. Then, click on “Links” --> “SHARE” --> “Our Projects.”

FEATURES

Your

11

“What Don’t They Do?” These six SHARE execs help lead one of the largest student-run volunteer organizations in the nation. This year’s execs plan to make the program more productive and more fun.

Q: What is your favorite SHARE project that you have done at East?

A: The Garage Sale... I have done it all four years and I always get all of my new clothes from there.

Q: What is your job as a SHARE exec?

A: To organize all the projects for everyone, and be a support system for all of the chairs.

Q: How did you get involved in the SHARE program at SME? A: My sister was a SHARE Exec and got me involved in the Garage Sale, and I have been doing it ever since. It is a very prestigious honor to be a SHARE Chair, and I also love helping out on all the foster kid projects.

Operation Iraqi Children

Chairs: Hallie McCormick and Adrienne Wood

Help run a school supplies drive. The supplies are sent to impoverished children in Iraq (dates vary).

issue

1

Ove

12

Local polic

» tylerroste

BY

1 2 3

4

sept.

2007

If reasonable suspicion doesn’t exist, the driver is given a pamphlet and is free to go.

If reasonable suspicion exists (smell of alcohol, admission, slurred speech, plain view evidence)...

Suspect is removed from the car.

The car is parked by an officer.

Suspect is escorted to the testing area.

Field sobriety tests are performed.

The suspect is then either released or arrested.

Source: Sobriety Checkpoint Briefing

consequen include a y program, fi time.

The typ on a numb which the DUI of oth were prese the area an at the time Howeve zero tolera under the a alcohol con to revoke t age of 21.

While d senior Jack 63rd St. an officer app to turn.

During the car, m decides du or not the driver and and the offi search the on the pass “I wasn “but after officers, I w An offic his breath car. The of air and ask eyes. He co

Field sob

Step by step – at a DUI checkpoint Officer greets the driver and asks if the driver has been drinking.

» rachelmayfield

It’s 12:15 a.m.

Red and blue lights flashed vividly a short distance away as traffic gradually slowed down to an idle pace. Senior Ginny Robinson pulled to a stop in front of a SOBRIETY CHECKPOINT AHEAD sign.

“My heart was racing even though I had nothing to be scared about,” Robinson said.

“They were stern with me, talking to me as if I had done something wrong but I was really surprised they didn’t ask me more questions.“ Robinson encountered a DUI checkpoint two weeks ago on her way home from a friend’s house. As she drove through the designated area, an officer signaled that Robinson should roll down her window.

Then he handed her a pamphlet about drunk driving, asked her how old she was and if she had had anything to drink that night.

When she replied no, the officer told her she was free to go.

It wasn’t the first time this year that East students have encountered DUI checkpoints, and it won’t be the last.

Although former Kansas governor Bill Graves signed a bill cracking down on DUIs in 2001, the metro area has only recently begun to crack down on the law. Following a new bill passed by the Kansas House of Representatives in May, police in the area have held numerous DUI checkpoints around the city in an attempt to stem the flow of drunk driving in Kansas City.

The new DUI bill takes a firm stand against driving under the influence and underlines the strict consequences from failing a DUI checkpoint. According to the bill,

WALK AND TURN

The driver will tak nine steps heel-to toe and then turn on on leg and walk nine steps back The officer will look for driv ers who have trouble keepin their balance, don’t put fee heel to toe and have troubl understanding directions. » annaleek

SPREAD

er the limit

13

ce aim to crack down on drunk drivers

nces for driving under the influence year-long drug or alcohol treatment fines, ignition interlocks and jail

pes of punishment are dependent ber of factors such as the state in arrest took place, if it was the first her conviction, whether children ent or could have been present in nd the drivers blood alcohol content he or she was driving. er, minimum drinking age and ance laws make it illegal for anyone age of 21 to drink alcohol. A blood ntent of 0.01 or 0.02 may be enough the license of someone under the

driving home in July, police stopped kson Lueg from turning left at the nd Mission Rd. intersection. An proached the car and told him not

a DUI checkpoint, an officer stops makes contact with the driver and uring the conversation whether e driver has been drinking. If the passengers in the car are underage ficer can smell alcohol, police can car and perform breathalyzer tests sengers. n’t freaked out at first,” Lueg said, I saw all the lights and police was a little nervous.” cer told Lueg he smelled alcohol on » and asked him to step out of his fficer shined a blue pen light in the ked Lueg to follow the light with his ould, and passed the sobriety test.

Police recommend never refusing a pretty much pointless and I didn’t even read breathalyzer test. Refusing a sobriety test the pamphlet they gave me.”

Whittaker thinks the only benefit of the could lead to a year’s license suspension. At a checkpoint, Miranda Rights do not apply checkpoints is that some kids get scared into until after the designated tests have been not drinking and driving, but most don’t care. performed or once the driver is in custody and under interrogation.

Lueg believes that the checkpoints are beneficial if they are done properly.

“They can be justified if police officers just do their job and obey people’s rights,” Lueg said. “They should make sure that they don’t take it any further than that though.”

Though searching everyone can be a hassle, Lueg feels that he was singled out, and that picking out people to check is not a good idea.

Although many people find DUI checkpoints bothersome and a waste of time, they are a necessary procedure for our safety. Detective Sullivan explained that the best way to handle a situation where you are funneled into a checkpoint is to just be cooperative.

“Just do what is asked, pass the test and you are good to go. There are no tricks,” Sullivan said. “We are just trying to do our job of keeping people safe.”

Cooperating is exactly what senior Kelsey Whittaker did when she went through another checkpoint at 63rd St. and Mission. Whitaker told the officers she was 17 and hadn’t been drinking that night and they sent her off with a pamphlet.

“I’m not an advocate of drunk driving at all, but the checkpoint wasn’t really a good A sheriff questions a driver during the DUI checkpoint at 135th and Quivira on Aug. 24. After passing the test, the officer gave the test of anything,” Whittaker said. “It was

briety tests

ke one k. vng et le

ONE LEG STAND The driver will stand on one leg and count by thousands for 30 seconds. The officer will look for swaying to maintain balance and putting the other foot down.

driver a pamphlet with information about drunk driving in Kansas and was allowed to leave.» mackenziewylie

HORIZONTAL GAZE TEST The police officer will hold a pen or flashlight in front of the driver’s face and move it horizontally. The officer will look for jerking of the eyes because intoxicated persons will have trouble smoothly following an object.

What is implied consent?

In the state of Kansas, driving is considered a privilege that comes with responsibility. Implied consent means that anyone driving on Kansas public roads and highways implicitly consents to drug and alcohol testing. Refusal to be tested can result in increased jail time and harsher penalties.

Source: Kansas Drunk Driving Prevention Office

Zero tolerance for youth If you are under 21, it is illegal to operate a vehicle in Kansas with a breath or blood alcohol content of .02 or greater.

First Offense: Driving privileges suspended for 30 days and restricted for 330 days (.02-.07 blood alcohol content); driving privileges suspended for up to one year (.08 or greater blood alcohol content).

Second Offense: Driving privileges suspended for one year.

Source: Kansas Drunk Driving Prevention Office

issue

1

FEATURES

14 Former East student Cybil Watson dropped out of school to get her life back on track and get ready to

Face life head on BY

»sylviashank

surrounded by pills and empty pill bottles.

She had swallowed almost everything in the medicine cabinet, which ironically included antidepressants.

Her friend called 911. The police decided she needed to go to the hospital, so she spent two weeks at Krittendon’s Mental Institution resting and recovering. The experience changed her outlook.

Death rejected her, and there must be a reason.

“I took it as a sign.”

It gave her life a new purpose and though the depression and anxiety continued, she did not attempt to take her own life again.

In her days at East, she’d worry about the future, her parents’ divorce, rejection from peers because she was openly gay. Constantly, anxious thoughts » mackenziewylie coursed through her head. movie theatre tearing tickets and making popcorn.

“I thought so much about what I’m gonna be doing in 20 years, for the rest of my life,” she said. “My classes Her friends are starting senior year and that breeds made me feel panicked and I had to deal with it on an some doubts about her decision to drop out.

The allure of senior year is strong: open lunch, a cap everyday basis.”

High school wasn’t working out for Watson. She took and gown and especially prom.

Since she was little, she’s had visions of dancing in a geometry three years in a row, and still didn’t pass. It glamorous black dress. had been the same in elementary school and in middle Sometimes she wishes she hadn’t dropped out. school, and it was discouraging. Her anxiety only got Despite missing out on her senior year, dropping out worse when she couldn’t focus. She felt out of control of has enabled Watson to be “the happiest I’ve ever been.” her schedule and her life.

She’s in charge of her life. She decides where she’ll Stephanie Graham, Watson’s mom, hoped a private school would eliminate some of these stresses by work, and how often. She doesn’t feel the pressure of providing smaller class sizes teachers or the stress of crowded hallways. And she’s planning for her future. and student body.

Watson plans to apply to the Art Institute of “I think she’d have been Pittsburgh to study photography. She’s been talking in a calmer environment to the admissions officers there and they say she has a there,” she said.

But the scholarship she good shot at getting in.

In the meantime, she works and saves up her applied for at Kansas City earnings.

She’s also adding to her portfolio.

Academy fell through.

“I take my camera everywhere,” she said. “A lot of my Without financial aid, “It was just too expensive.” friends are in bands, so I photograph their concerts.”

A GED is a series of five tests that individuals who did not complete high school may take through She’s also found a new philosophy of life and it helps Realizing she wouldn’t their state education system to qualify for a high school equivalency certificate. The test covers be able to change schools her when she’s feeling anxious.

“If it’s gonna happen, it’s gonna happen.” reading, writing, an essay section, social studies, science and mathematics. Many colleges accept this made her feel hopeless.

It was leaving the school environment that allowed as a form of a high school diploma.

In early December, her to become more optimistic. she decided to drop out.

To be eligible to receive a GED in Kansas you must: She doubts her decision from time to time, but Graham understood this > Must be at least 18 years of age or older was the right step for emotionally, she’s feeling at peace. > Must be a resident of Kansas “I’m really good these days,” she says. “I know how her daughter, but it still many people love me and I’m a lot happier person.” > Must have withdrawn from a regular high school program for at least six months concerned her.

Today, she has a girlfriend. She has a mother with > Not be a high school graduate “I was just worried she’ll whom she lives, a father she meets for dinner each week miss out on opportunities Scoring & Cost since the divorce. They go to O’Neill’s, eat chicken with because of it,” she said.

The score ranges from a minimum of 200 to a maximum of 800 on each subject section. The She wanted to be sure pasta and talk about photography or work. And she has minimum required on each section is 410. The total minimum required for all subject sections is 2050.

Watson would get her GED, her friends.

“She’s been doing much better since dropping out,” The cost to take the exam is $25, and you may retake the exam until you pass. Cost to retake the exam which she did in April. is also $25.

Before she took the senior Kelly Womack, a longtime friend, said. “For her, » courtesy of collegeboard.com exam for her GED, Watson it was the right move.”

It’s 1 p.m. on a Tuesday afternoon and Cybil Watson, a would-be senior, rips a movie ticket.

Her friends are in class, taking notes in Calc AB or Spanish. She’s working at Leawood movie theater.

“Theater seven, on your left,” Watson points it out to the elderly couple.

Watson works full time at the theatre. The job isn’t stressful. She likes its calm pace better than the rigors and tightly-controlled schedule of high school.

Watson isn’t good at school. She never was.

She struggled with the high school environment.

When teachers called on her, she’d feel so uncomfortable she’d have a mini panic attack. She had low performance.

Her self-esteem dwindled.

Last December, burdened by social anxieties and depression, she dropped out in the middle of her junior year.

Watson struggles with crowds in confined spaces.

This was always a challenge at East with just under 2000 students crowding the hallways every 50 minutes.

She realized the loud mob of people filing through the school raised her anxiety levels. It made her anxious, on the edge, and when she sat down in her next class she couldn’t focus.

She’d struggled with anxiety and depression since eighth grade, when she began to isolate herself. She wrote dark poetry which worried her friends when they read it.

One spring evening, a friend came over and found Watson sprawled on the living room floor

What is a GED?

4

sept.

2007

worked at Target. She then worked at Hot Topic clothing store.

Now she’s at Leawood

Blood,sex

A&E

15

and

War delivers a Jet Li thriller that is heavy on action, light on plot BY

» landonmcdonald

“War” explodes onto the screen in a barrage of bullets and heavily-accented English. This martial arts epic, notable for being the first to pit Western action hero Jason Statham against Eastern kung-fu prodigy Jet Li, spares no expense when it comes to thunderous shootouts, beautiful women, exotic car chases, bloody samurai sword duels to the death and lots of slow-mo entrances, all oozing vintage retro cool.

I’ll admit that I have a special soft spot for films like this, so what follows will probably be one of the best reviews this movie can hope to receive from snooty critics who crave thoughtful character dramas and surreal foreign films with four hour running times. Much like last year’s action powerhouse/acid dream “Crank” and last spring’s beautifully bloody salute to 70s trash culture “Grindhouse”, Philip G. Atwell’s “War” is cinematic entertainment in its rawest and rarest form. Stripped of nuisances like rational plot lines and the scientific laws of gravity, what emerges is a slick,

streamlined head trip into the murky depths of what gonzo reporter Dr. Hunter S. Thompson lovingly called “the freak kingdom.”

The film unfolds in the war-torn slums of San Francisco, where the Chinese Triads and the Japanese Yakuza crime syndicates are on the uneasy edge of open confrontation.

Stuck in the middle are two FBI agents, Jack Crawford (Statham) and Tom Lone (Terry Chen). After Lone and his wife and child are apparently massacred by an infamous hit man known only as Rogue (Li), an embittered Crawford swears revenge. The mysterious Rogue however, has plans of his own. Most of his myriad schemes involve playing both sides of the brewing conflict against each other, not so subtly pushing Triad grandmaster Chang (John Lone) into a gory gangland war with Yakuza head boss Shrio (Ryo Ishibashi) and his psychotic young daughter Kira (Devon Aoki from “Sin City”. Action highlights include a night club assassination set to seizure-inducing strobes, a super-stylized motorcycle and Ferrari chase into enemy gang territory, a massive shoot out in a restaurant with a nod to Quentin Tarantino and numerous classic samurai sword decapitations.

The dialogue is full of pulpy nonsense and

the predictable story sags in between the explosions, but Statham and Li are so into it that even watching them go through the revenge thriller motions can be a joy. Former “Transporter” and “Snatch” star Statham, perpetually scowling and growling in that throaty Cockney drawl, is the chrome-domed epitome of old school action. He might be the new Bruce Willis, or at least the new Vin Diesel.

Jet Li is suitably menacing, as long as he doesn’t have to talk, and his martial arts skills just seem to get more fluid and masterful with age. The ending is surprisingly hard to guess, but a subplot involving plastic surgery borrows a bit too much from last winter’s “Smokin’ Aces.”After a summer of bloodless threequels and mostly lame comedies, “War” delivers the red meat action and unintentional humor that this reviewer loves. Oscar winners have their hallowed place, but films like this deserve attention and praise too.

However, it must be said that this movie’s over-the-top violence and frenetic storyline may not appeal to everyone.

This is strictly guilty-pleasure stuff. The cheesy cinematic carnage continues on Aug. 31 with Kevin Bacon’s “Death Sentence” and on Sept. 7 with “Shoot ‘Em Up” starring Clive Owen, Monica Bellucci and the great Paul Giamatti.

What a great time to be an action movie fan.

star rating {

} www.movie

web.com

Rap for the Real World

Relevant social issues find their way into Kweli’s new album BY

» alexanderson

Produced by Kanye West, discovered with the rap legend Jay-Z, Talib Kweli seems to have everything going for him. So why hasn’t he gone to a mainstream label like the majority of today’s other current rappers? Kweli sticks to his own independent label Blacksmith records because it allows him the creative freedom to produce spectacular and soulful music that you won’t hear coming from mainstream rappers and his new album “Eardrum” is no exception. After critic’s claimed past albums have gone too mainstream and disappointed fans, Kweli returned to his underground roots and his new album finally finds the right rhythm.

On the first track titled “Everything Man” Kweli says “They say you can’t please everybody,” and he sure doesn’t try to. He sticks to his roots with verses filled with lyrical poetry about everything from death of friends to growing up on the streets.

Hailing from Brooklyn, New York, Kweli started rapping on the underground scene and caught his big break with BlackStar in the 1990s. His underground roots are readily apparent throughout his rap style and lyrics on “Eardrum”.

starscale

{ } poor {

} fair {

Kweli has released seven albums and eight mix tapes since then including “The Beautiful Struggle,” “Quality,” and most recently “Eardrum.” His popular singles have included “Get By” and “Rush”. “Eardrum” is his second solo project on his new label BlackSmith records In the song “Country Cousins,” Kweli exchanges verses with UGK and Raheem DeVaughn drawing parallels from growing up in Brooklyn to growing up in the South.

Where Kweli really separates himself from other rappers is with his masterfully crafted lyrics that flow beautifully. Each beat feels as though is also crafted perfectly to fit Kweli’s rap style.

In “Stay Around” Kweli raps over an almost electronic beat with a deep baseline about the current state of hip hop and the corruption of today’s society.

The difference between this CD and other current rap CDs is the simple fact that Kweli raps about topics that actually matter, not about how many cars he can afford to buy or how many times he has been shot. Instead Kweli raps for social change and other issues that have affected him personally. For example in the song “Give ‘Em Hell” Kweli raps about his views of organized religion by rapping “Who was King James and why did he think

} solid {

} excellent {

it was so vital to remove chapters and make his own version of the Bible”.

Kweli throws down the gauntlet with his new album and the results are spectacular especially on tracks like “Stay Around” and “NY Weather Report”. This isn’t a CD you play once or rip to iTunes and never listen to.

“Eardrum” will keep you hooked with its mix of colorful meaningful lyrics and gritty hip hop edge.

Kweli’s new album, although good, isn’t flawless. The beats in some songs seem to nearly overpower the songs lyrics and in the song “Hot Thing” the refrains seems overused and repetitive. These small flaws are easy to overlook when you look at the album as a whole.

This album has the potential to appeal to both hardcore hip hop fans and casual listeners alike with Kweli’s lyrical talent and a well produced CD. So if you enjoy hip hop a little off the beaten path and enjoy Kanye’s and Common’s meaningful lyrics, then I highly suggest you pick up this album because it could be the sleeper release of summer season as well as one of the best hip hop CD’s to come out this year.

star rating {

}

} masterpiece Star ratings based on writer’s opinion issue

1

MIXED

[ MIX

[

16

ALL.IN.THE. [ the page about life ]

THEULTIMATE

with...

10secondsAnousha Shirazi

COUNTDOWN

What was your favorite movie you saw this summer?

Harry Potter Do you suck or chew lollipops?

I suck on them.

What is your biggest fear?

Open water.

What was the last song you listened to?

“California Love” by 2Pac. When was the last time you baked cookies for Santa?

When I was 9 years old.

22 days ‘til Homecoming 46 days ‘til Mole Day [ scrapbooking ] 54 days ‘til Halloween 56 days ‘til MORP 66 days ‘til Winter Sports [ most popular things to scrapbook] 75 days ‘til Thanksgiving 105 days ‘til Winter Break [ main tools needed when scrapbooking]

A good hobby to pick up, The Scrapbook Page store gives some helpful tips when beginning a scrapbook.

-vacations -children’s activities -weddings -school & sport events

[ WORD of theWEEK

Gongoozler (noun) An idle spectator. Someone who stares at something for a long time.

4

sept.

2007

-an album -paper -cutting system -pen to journal

[ specialized classes] -photography classes - six different classes ranging from beginners to advanced scrapbookers -themed classes for certain types of scrapbooks for more information call The Scrapbook Page 913-383-1552

17

A&E

“Champ” not a

KO

Movie fought for greatness, but fell short due to wrong focus BY

» landonmcdonald

The main problem with the movie, directed by Rod Lurie and based on actual events, is that it focuses on the wrong character. Hartnett’s reporter is not really that likeable of a guy and the film spends too much time on his underdeveloped relationship with his divorced wife and annoyingly cloying kid. Erik lies to his son about being friends with John Elway, shooting free-throws with Shaq and golfing with Muhammad Ali. Are we really supposed to feel sorry for this hopeless liar when he’s inevitably exposed? He’s also a poor journalist who fails to notice essential holes in Champ’s story and purposely misleads his trusting boss Metz (Alan Alda), who ends up getting sued for libel in the end by Satterfield’s vengeful son (Harry J. Lennix). Jackson’s Champ character on the other hand, although deceitful, manages to inject the story with the humor and heart a male tearjerker like this needs to connect with its audience. Champ, his mind rattled and slowed from too many connecting uppercuts, has a Forrest Gump-like innocence and wisdom about him that proves endearing. If this were a better film, Mr. Jackson could have been looking at his first Oscar nomination since “Pulp Fiction.”

By the time the third act rolls around, the movie seems destined for mediocrity at best. Then, suddenly, things start looking up. The Hartnett character matures and becomes more sympathetic as he learns the price of celebrity and the ruin of defamation. Erik forgives Champ for his follies and makes amends with his own disillusioned son. This ending is almost flawless because its point rings so true.

The death of childhood begins with the death of supposed truth, when we find our fathers and heroes aren’t the faultless supermen we thought they were. Books like the Harry

»www.movieweb.com

“Resurrecting the Champ” spars with your inner critic for nearly two hours, lithely maneuvering past plot holes and undeveloped characters in the first round, pulling dramatic cheap shots with schmaltz and stereotypes to spare in the second, and nearly knocking you out with its overblown morality in the third. However, ludicrous as it may seem, the movie redeems itself in the end, with a quiet, thoughtful meditation on the power of truth and the fragile bond between fathers and sons.

Ambitious young sports writer Erik Kernan, diligently played with unexpected depth and range by Josh Hartnett, is desperate for prestige and recognition in his job at the Denver Times. He needs the success to win back his estranged wife Joyce (Kathryn Morris), impress his adoring young son Teddy (Dakota Goyo) and escape the shadow of his famous radio announcer father. His opportunity arrives in the form of the Champ, a crusty old homeless man who claims to be Battling Bob Satterfield, a renowned boxer who was once number three in the world. Champ, portrayed by a disheveled and dreadlocked Samuel L. Jackson with a high croak of a voice that calls to mind Dave Chappelle’s itchy crack head Tyrone, is saved by Erik from a gang of adolescent abusers. In gratitude, Champ agrees to tell his story to Erik for a magazine article.

The story goes to print and is an instant success with national media attention. Champ receives town hero status and daily monetary donations from admirers everywhere. Erik goes to work for Showtime’s boxing segment, where he meets Andrea Flak (Teri Hatcher), a predatory Hollywood producer typecast whose presence offsets the movie’s message. All this sensation comes crashing down on Erik, however when it’s revealed that Champ may not be who he says he is.

Potter series and movies like Tim Burton’s whimsical masterpiece “Big Fish” have taught this same lesson before and far better, but this flawed, humble film deserves credit just for trying. } star rating {

{Inside the ring: the real BOB SATTERFIELD} 3.

1.

2.

4. starscale

He was once ranked 58th on a list of 100 greatest punchers of all time by Ring Magazine.

At the peak of his fighting career he was nicknamed “Battling Bob Satterfield.”

Satterfield served in the United States Army from 1942 until 1945.

He went from being the Chicago City Golden Gloves Champion in 1941 to being homeless.

{ } poor {

} fair {

} solid {

} excellent {

} masterpiece Star ratings based on writer’s opinion issue

1

17

A&E

“Champ” not a

KO

Movie fought for greatness, but fell short due to wrong focus BY

» landonmcdonald

The main problem with the movie, directed by Rod Lurie and based on actual events, is that it focuses on the wrong character. Hartnett’s reporter is not really that likeable of a guy and the film spends too much time on his underdeveloped relationship with his divorced wife and annoyingly cloying kid. Erik lies to his son about being friends with John Elway, shooting free-throws with Shaq and golfing with Muhammad Ali. Are we really supposed to feel sorry for this hopeless liar when he’s inevitably exposed? He’s also a poor journalist who fails to notice essential holes in Champ’s story and purposely misleads his trusting boss Metz (Alan Alda), who ends up getting sued for libel in the end by Satterfield’s vengeful son (Harry J. Lennix). Jackson’s Champ character on the other hand, although deceitful, manages to inject the story with the humor and heart a male tearjerker like this needs to connect with its audience. Champ, his mind rattled and slowed from too many connecting uppercuts, has a Forrest Gump-like innocence and wisdom about him that proves endearing. If this were a better film, Mr. Jackson could have been looking at his first Oscar nomination since “Pulp Fiction.”

By the time the third act rolls around, the movie seems destined for mediocrity at best. Then, suddenly, things start looking up. The Hartnett character matures and becomes more sympathetic as he learns the price of celebrity and the ruin of defamation. Erik forgives Champ for his follies and makes amends with his own disillusioned son. This ending is almost flawless because its point rings so true.

The death of childhood begins with the death of supposed truth, when we find our fathers and heroes aren’t the faultless supermen we thought they were. Books like the Harry

»www.movieweb.com

“Resurrecting the Champ” spars with your inner critic for nearly two hours, lithely maneuvering past plot holes and undeveloped characters in the first round, pulling dramatic cheap shots with schmaltz and stereotypes to spare in the second, and nearly knocking you out with its overblown morality in the third. However, ludicrous as it may seem, the movie redeems itself in the end, with a quiet, thoughtful meditation on the power of truth and the fragile bond between fathers and sons.

Ambitious young sports writer Erik Kernan, diligently played with unexpected depth and range by Josh Hartnett, is desperate for prestige and recognition in his job at the Denver Times. He needs the success to win back his estranged wife Joyce (Kathryn Morris), impress his adoring young son Teddy (Dakota Goyo) and escape the shadow of his famous radio announcer father. His opportunity arrives in the form of the Champ, a crusty old homeless man who claims to be Battling Bob Satterfield, a renowned boxer who was once number three in the world. Champ, portrayed by a disheveled and dreadlocked Samuel L. Jackson with a high croak of a voice that calls to mind Dave Chappelle’s itchy crack head Tyrone, is saved by Erik from a gang of adolescent abusers. In gratitude, Champ agrees to tell his story to Erik for a magazine article.

The story goes to print and is an instant success with national media attention. Champ receives town hero status and daily monetary donations from admirers everywhere. Erik goes to work for Showtime’s boxing segment, where he meets Andrea Flak (Teri Hatcher), a predatory Hollywood producer typecast whose presence offsets the movie’s message. All this sensation comes crashing down on Erik, however when it’s revealed that Champ may not be who he says he is.

Potter series and movies like Tim Burton’s whimsical masterpiece “Big Fish” have taught this same lesson before and far better, but this flawed, humble film deserves credit just for trying. } star rating {

{Inside the ring: the real BOB SATTERFIELD} 3.

1.

2.

4. starscale

He was once ranked 58th on a list of 100 greatest punchers of all time by Ring Magazine.

At the peak of his fighting career he was nicknamed “Battling Bob Satterfield.”

Satterfield served in the United States Army from 1942 until 1945.

He went from being the Chicago City Golden Gloves Champion in 1941 to being homeless.

{ } poor {

} fair {

} solid {

} excellent {

} masterpiece Star ratings based on writer’s opinion issue

1

SPORTS

19

Making the JUMP

Freshmen Heather Nelson, Kristen Fischer and Lauren Fischer practice the toe touch form the varsity cheerleaders demonstrated for them at try-out clinics. » kristinbarker

Thirty-five freshman girls spent three days at cheer clinic competing for 16 spots on the freshman squad

ABOVE: Junior Katie Bartow and senior Matthew Pope liven things up with moose ears. » kristinbarker Left: Pope lands a toe touch demonstrating how to do one of the three jumps the freshmen would have to do for tryouts. The girls had to do a herkey, toe touch and a jump of their choice in order to make the team, as well as do a chant, a cheer and a dance. »mackenziewylie

ABOVE: Varsity cheerleaders sophomore Ellie Kessinger and senior Candyze Harris play around during try-out clinics. »laurenbleakley

issue

1

SPORTS

20

the

Scouting Report:

5

PLAYERS

TO WATCH OUT FOR

COMPILED BY

»

sarahluby

5 Matt Baker LB

Senior Matt Baker is one of the more intense players on the team. His intensity makes it hard for others to stop him and makes him major threat on defense as a linebacker. He always goes for the ball until the whistle blows. He plays hard and never gives up. His three years of varsity experience make him one of the respected leaders of the linemen.

4 Terrance Thomas DB

Although senior Terrance Thomas is recovering from a shoulder injury, he’s still on the team. Thomas is the kick returner for this season. He looks to be back up to full speed after his shoulder surgery. He’ll see time as a running back, wide reciever and defensive back. As the only senior that has been on varsity all four years, Thomas is a key player. Wherever he lines up, he a definite threat.

3

Daren Chesbrough

WR

Senior Daren Chesbrough is expected to follow in Bobby Miller’s footsteps. As a three year letter winner, Chesbrough has what it takes. Agility. Poise. Commitment. He’s a fast runner and runs great routes. When he plays corner, he follows his man well. As one of the hardest working players on the team, Chesbrough always gives 110 percent.

2 Marcus Webb RB

When Colin Hertel got hurt early in the season last year, then-sophomore Marcus Webb was forced to fill his shoes. After being thrown into the mix, Webb only got better. Last year helped him gain a lot of experience and now he knows what to look for from the defense.

This season Webb is unstoppable, throwing off the defense left and right and getting past almost any guy that comes near him. His performance on the field is only getting better. He pushes hard through the pocket and doesn’t give up. He stays low, feet moving, and sprints all the way.

Before this season started, senior Forrest Miller was expected to step up and fulfill the senior leadership position. And he’s done just that. His communication skills have tremendously improved. His teammates look up to him for guidence and support; Miller is clearly in command of his team. If someone is lined up wrong or runs the wrong route, Miller is quick to let that person know how to fix the mistake and change to make it better.

This year he has a quicker release, letting him complete more passes and causing his passing percentage to increase. If his consistency keeps up, this will be one of East’s best season in years.

» tylerroste

QB

photo illistration by » sarahluby

1

Forrest Miller

Team New soccer coach says the key to success is Unity BY

» nickratliff

On a cloudy day after school in room 125, the floors donned with Manchester United rugs, the walls covered with David Beckham posters and soccer scarves, new head soccer coach Jamie Kelly watches a highlight tape of his favorite player, Wayne Rooney, with his team. But instead of having some fun, the team has to actually get down to business. The players are getting together to write down their goals and name team captains.

“I believe that communication on and off the field is key,” Kelly said. “If we want to be a team, we’re going to need to build some camaraderie off the field.”

Kelly focuses on words like team, unit and cohesiveness a lot, sticking to a philosophy of team play and camaraderie to try and build a winning soccer program for years to come. Those are words that mean a lot to him, and words that he’s trying to impress hard upon his players this year.

Kelly feels that having fun with his players will help him get to know them better and make them a closer knit group.

“Coach Kelly plays Halo with us sometimes,” senior forward Derek O’Grady said. “I think the fun times will help us complete our goals and expectations we have this season.”

Back in the team meeting, the players all stand up sept. and read the three goals that they wrote down. The most

4

2007

common goals of all the players are to win state and play well as a team. Kelly will try to help his players reach those goals by being a friend and an authority figure at the same time.

For example, at the annual Blue vs. Black scrimmage, a frustrated O’Grady was taken out of the game because he contested a call that he thought should have gone the other way. Kelly pulled O’Grady to the side, calmed him down and put him back in a few minutes later. O’Grady ended up scoring and Kelly and him were joking by the end of the game.

Some of the veteran players on the team had to adjust to a new style after playing three years under former coach Jim Ricker, but noticed some similarities between styles as well. Ricker made it known a few years ago that he would be stepping down as the boys’ coach, but would remain as the girls’ coach.

“Kelly focuses a lot more on fitness and running and playing as a team,” senior defender Owen Craig said.

“Ricker focused on being physical and picking the bigger players to play.”

The Lancers completed Kelly’s expectations, winning 4-0 in their first game last Tuesday against SM North.

With all of the good things that come out of coaching, winning included, a major downside to Kelly is lack of

time for his family.

Kelly loves to play with his daughter Emily in his free time, along with watching Manchester United and playing fantasy football.

“My fantasy football team is looking all right this year,” Kelly said. “I’ve got LaDainian Tomlinson, so I think I’ll be all right.”

Despite sharing common interests with his players, Kelly doesn’t see many advantages to being a younger coach, other than that he can relate to them.

“I just need to lead them the right way to earn their respect,” Kelly said.

Kelly led by example in his playing days. An East grad, he is the Lancers’ all-time leading goal scorer. He went on to play at Missouri Valley College on a scholarship. Many other area schools also recruited him, including Ottawa, Baker, Benedictine, Avila and State Fair College.

“Being a former player really helps me as a coach as well,” Kelly said. “I’ve seen my fair share of good and bad coaches, so I know what to do and what not to do.”

To get to know his team even more, the team will get together for some team bonding sessions throughout the year.

The plan for those team bonding sessions?

Play Halo, of course.

Cross Country newcomer hopes for a bright future after successful past BY

SPORTS

FRESHMAN FRONTRUNNER

21

» jordandietrich

It was just cross country practice. But with 200 meters left, all freshman Connor Wilkins could do was stay focused on finishing the race strong. How would he keep his lead? When would he kick it in? It all streamed through his mind. Wilkins fell to second place with only 150 meters left, then third. When it looked as though Wilkins would finish in a respectable fifth, he kicked up his pace in the last 50 meters, finishing nothing less than first.

“I knew I was going to win. It was just keeping mentally focused down the stretch,” Wilkins said. “I know it’s just practice, but I like winning. I want to become one of the top runners on this team.”

It’s not like Wilkins hasn’t been a “top runner” before. He has been training to be an elite athlete since the fifth grade. Hard work with the K.C. Flyers running club for six months of the year has paid off greatly. Stretching, weight lifting, foot drills, and track workouts have steadily improved his times. Wilkins recently placed seventh in the 1500 meter run in the USATF National Junior Olympic Track and Field Championship, not to mention being national champion in the 3000 meter run in 2005.

With this resume, cross country head coach Tricia Beaham wants to make sure that the building hype will not hurt his performance. “(The coaches) don’t want to put too much pressure on him. Right now, we want to create the atmosphere where we don’t even know he’s good. Hopefully, it will be for the best. We’ll find out.”

Wilkins has yet to feel any pressure. His experience in state, regional, and national competition has allowed him to feel comfortable at all levels. Wilkins doesn’t want to use pressure as an excuse for poor running. He believes that his perseverance allows him to work through any stressful times. He wants his natural ability and hard work to continue his success.

This is why Beaham is already expecting quality results from Wilkins.

“Connor has the skills and work ethic. He’s already shown that in the first few days of practice. He’ll be one of the top five runners right away.”

Teammates of Wilkins believe that he has a bright future. They all ready see the talent and leadership qualities that will make him successful.

“Connor leads by example. It’s like he doesn’t even have to try. That’s how talented he is,” senior running mate Will Kobylinski.

Wilkins has always been an academic athlete, ever since his parents turned him onto the sport.

Along with taking three honors classes this year, he plans to become an AP student in the near future. Not only is Wilkins a hard worker in school, but he tries to stay on top of his diet too.

“I have two to three servings of fruit everyday, and I load up on a steady diet of protein. I definitely try to stay hydrated throughout the day. No pop. It’s either water or Gatorade. It’s the best thing to do for me to stay in shape, since my knee injury hasn’t allowed me to run as much.”

An Osgood Slaughters injury has plagued

Mary Galvin, The wise man also said twice is better than once. He was right again.

Homecoming?

-Sam

him this past year. The disease is an inflammation of the growth plate two inches below the kneecap. Although the injury limits his reps in drills, Wilkins says that the injury doesn’t make him slower. He is hopeful of becoming a steady performing on the cross country team.

“I’m definitely excited about our team. The coaches are supportive and really push me. And that’s what I want. They push me to my peak. And the seniors are great. They give me great leadership and motivation. They do all that I can ask,” he said.

Wilkins has benchmarks to run a 16 minute 5K this year, and hopes to achieve a scholarship in running in the near future.

But when asked what his biggest goal of the season was, Wilkins firmly replied, “All I want is a state championship.”

FRESHMAN Conner Wilkins hopes that his success at the youth level will continue to the beginning of his high school career. » karenboomer

Rose Nails

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SPORTS

22

BY

- You commonly select your team through a draft, which will take place online most of the time. Yahoo! and ESPN are two popular league hosts.

- Points are given for touchdowns, yards gained, field goals, defensive points allowed, and taken away for fumbles and interceptions.

- In head-to-head leagues, two teams will battle each week. The team with the most points in that week gets the win.

- The most common type of league is yearly and drafts new rosters each year.

- There are also “keeper” leagues, where managers get to protect players from last year’s team to have on their team again.

- Each manager gets to make one selection at a time, in order, until all the starting lineups and bench spots are filled.

- Look out for bye weeks. If you can, make sure that your backup running back’s bye week is different than that of your starter.

However, don’t pass up talent for bye week help.

- Don’t drop your big players because of a bad Week One. It takes some guys a few weeks to get going, and others will have the best game of their life in Week One. -Don’t be a homer. The Chiefs are bad. Face the facts. LJ is the only one who can help.

The Harbinger has its own league, and the draft was August 22. Three of eight managers run through their teams, their sleepers and bust picks, and who will eventually become fantasy’s top player.

Yahoo! Sports Top 10 Rankings

Yahoo! fantasy expert Andy Behrens and FFToolbox. com creator Jeff Christiansen, along with other experts, give you their advice and keys for victory.

“ “ “ “

Play a lot. Read a lot. Gain experience. Losing is maybe the best teacher. Also, think of it as a game. Don’t pretend that you’re building a real team, full of nice guys. You just need their statistics.

-Behrens, Yahoo! Sports

”

Pick running back-running back in the first two rounds. Don’t pick a QB until the later rounds unless you can get a top-tier QB like Manning or Brady.

”

-junior Joe Lynch, fantasy owner for six years

Magazines printed in June or July won’t be of much assistance when you draft at the end of August or September. For a league with a unique scoring system -- internet sites such as ours will be more helpful in preparing you.

”

-Christiansen, FFToolbox.com

Don’t draft a kicker before the last round because there isn’t much difference and there is a lot of luck involved. Also, take RBs early because they are more valuable than WRs.

4 sept.

2007

-Have fun. It’s the most important thing.

”

-senior Mark Barnett, longtime fantasy owner

1- LaDanian Tomlinson, San Diego 2- Steven Jackson, St. Louis 3- Larry Johnson, Kansas City 4- Joseph Addai, Indianapolis 5- Shaun Alexander, Seattle 6- Frank Gore, San Francisco 7- Rudi Johnson, Cincinnati 8- Laurence Maroney, New England 9- Brian Westbrook, Philadelphia 10- Willie Parker, Pittsburgh

ROSTER

sam LOGAN nickRATLIFF clark GOBLE

- Basic rosters will have one QB, two RBs, three WRs, one TE, one K and one Team Defense.

» clarkgoble

Yahoo! Sports fantasy expert Andy Behrens’ first fantasy football draft took place in a basement. Not some house’s basement, but the basement of a friend’s office. At 11 p.m.

They used a cooking timer to make sure no one took too long to pick, and wrote each pick on a chalkboard they found in a utility closet.

“It took five hours… Lots of smoking.

We were disgusting slobs,” Behrens said. “And it was awesome.”

Jeff Christiansen, the creator of FFToolbox.com, a fantasy help site, took part in his first fantasy football league started in 1994. They drafted in a Holiday Inn lobby, not an ESPN Online Draft Lobby. Instead of using the internet to host the league, his brother calculated results through the newspaper. It would take until Friday to calculate the standings and results of the previous weeks’ games.

The times have changed.

Drafting online is now the norm.

Fantasy scores and stats are updated after every play. Reading the newspaper for football statistics is so 1985.

So how did something so geeky, so hard to manage, so stupid, become so popular?

The move of many leagues to the Internet in 1997 changed things forever.

Both experts agree that after that year, the popularity of fantasy football

took off. Yahoo! Sports has had an increase in fantasy football leagues every year since. According to both Christiansen and Behrens, there are many reasons why, but one stands out.

Direct TV’s Sunday Ticket package, which allows fans all over the country to choose which NFL game they want to watch and flip between when they feel a switch is needed, is one of the main reasons for the boom.

“Fans are now just generally more aware of players across every league,” Behrens said. “Millions of fans are now keenly aware of the numbers that contribute to winning and losing.”

Behrens also notes that the NFL began to realize they could profit from these fantasy games.

“Pro sports leagues and media companies realized they could make hundreds of millions of dollars from it,” Behrens said. “So they started to advertise it, and all of sudden, it’s the best thing since sliced bread.”

In the end, both experts hope the game continues to be a fun way for a bunch of people to get together and show who knows football the best.

“Get in a league with a bunch of people you like, people you’d like to have an excuse to know ten years from now,” Behrens said. “I have friendships that have been held together by fantasy sports.

“As long as football grows, fantasy football will grow. They complement each other perfectly.”

QB- D. McNabb- If he’s healthy, he’s a top 3 QB. QB- A. Smith- Banking on San Fran improving their offense.

RB- R. Johnson- Good for 12+ TDs a year. Mr. Consistency.

RB- W. Parker- Not a one year wonder. Big expectations.

WR- C. Johnson- Big mouth, bigger game.

WR- R. Williams- Won’t see double teams with Calvin.

WR- B. Edwards- Tons of potential, but poor team.

RB/WR- T. Jones- A pure bruiser.

Top Scorer- Frank Gore TE- K. Winslow- Could be top 3 TE. Super Sleeper- James Jones K- S. Gostkowski- Big in playoffs last year.

Big Bust- Shaun Alexander DEF- Chicago- Lots of INTs, lots of TDs.

ROSTER

QB- C. Palmer- Could be better than Manning.

QB- J. Kitna- Good weapons in Detroit. Will throw to them a lot.

RB- F. Gore- 49ers are a sleeper team. Gore will benefit.

RB- E. James- Needs to break out of slump.

WR- M. Harrison- Extremely consistent. Manning to Harrison all day.

WR- S. Smith- Best receiver in the game.

WR- H. Ward- Roethlisberger’s #1 man in Pittsburgh.

RB/WR- A. Peterson- Best rookie. Just needs to get the job.

Top Scorer- LaDanian Tomlinson TE- V. Davis- His breakout year.

Super Sleeper- Adrian Peterson K- J. Brown- Former NU Husker.

Def- Pittsburgh- Famously consistent. Big Bust- Vince Young

ROSTER

QB- D. Brees- A proven winner, Brees can win in his weaker division.

QB- M. Leinart- A young quarterback, he leads a potentially upstart team.

RB- S. Alexander- Yard after yard, his Seahawks are Super Bowl contenders.

RB- C. Benson- A tough team, he’ll get the yards they need.

WR- T. Houshmanzadeh- A receiver for a top team, his QB could be MVP. WR- A. Boldin- Leinart’s top receiver, they could be a deadly connection.

WR- S. Moss- Athleticism and a trusty QB will get him to the endzone.

RB/WR- M. Clayton- A top athlete, his line will get him yardage.

TE- A. Crumpler- Defying all odds. Top Scorer- LaDanian Tomlinson K- J. Elam- Proven veteran Super Sleeper- Adrian Peterson DEF- Dallas- A well-coached team. Big Bust- Randy Moss

sophomore • tennis

Sophomore Nikki Reber had a successful freshman year. She and partner Finley Gates took ninth at the state tournament in doubles last fall. She is now partners with junior Sarah Luby, another state qualifier from last year, and expectations run high.

On expectations- We are expected to win it all

(State doubles). A lot of seniors graduated and I think we are in line.

On her partner- Sarah’s left handed, so having On her pre-match routine- I usually jump rope

a lefty and righty is a good thing. We can cut to get my feet moving and talk to my coaches. off a lot of shots. She’s probably a better net I also listen to my iPod a lot. Mostly pump-up player than I am because she is up there more, music like Black-Eyed Peas and stuff. but we are pretty balanced players.

On the pressure of getting to state- I don’t On her tennis history- I’ve been playing since I think I’ll worry about it too much. When we was 10. I think I just picked it up for something start getting up to the higher pressure matchto do. I played a lot of sports but tennis was es like League, maybe I’ll feel it then. But for duals and stuff, not really. what I really loved.

coach’s clipboard

nikki reber

» clarkgoble

5 p.m.

WEEK

ahead what’s up this week in Lancer sports

TW T F

Varsity soccer @ KA-MO Tournament vs.

Topeka- Coach Kelly runs into his first true test at

the Blue Valley District Complex. Topeka was 14-3-1 last year and returns several starters. The Lancers will need fan support to win it all. At the Blue-Black scrimmage, these fans showed a lot of spirit.

GAME of the WEEK

the

5 p.m.

Varsity volleyball @ SM East QuadWhile they lost much of their squad to graduation, the volleyball team is still expected to do big things. They are ranked third in the 6A preseason poll, behind Washburn Rural and Blue Valley West.

Senior Kasey Sauls is the top returner.

4:15 p.m.

Varsity football @ SM West- Not the easiest start to the Lancers’ season. West lost a lot of quality seniors but still has workhorse running back JD Steffen. Expect him to get 30 or more carries. The key to this game will be the Lancers’ ability to convert on key third downs through the air.

» tylerroste

This is a pretty common play. The split end (right) runs a post and the right tight end runs a quick out. The other tight end runs a flag and the H-Back runs an In. The running back can either block or slip out into open space for a safety outlet. “It’s a pretty simple play, but it works a lot,” senior receiver Daren Chesbrough said.

we diagram a successful Lancer play... without giving too much away

&

my me team Joe Craig, a sophomore striker on varsity soccer, lets us know the jokers, the leaders and the team bonding of this year’s team.

1

We all laugh at (senior Alex) Rathbun. He just

2

The captains are definitely the leaders. Owen

3

We all play Halo. We usually play at [Stuart Jones’], but we are going to play at Wolf’s soon. I think we are going to play in the morning and then come up to East to play dodgeball later that day.

4 5

The team chemistry is really good. We are all pretty

7 p.m.

Boys’ freshman A football @ Lawrence Central JHSNinth graders in Lawrence are still in junior high, so all of the stud freshmen will be playing. The freshman team has had a reputation of blowing teams out, but this is one of the few games the team could lose. The black and blue scrimmage (below) was good preparation for the season.

594 Opposite

SPORTS

5 minutes with...

23

says some of the funniest stuff during games and practices. One practice, he asked somebody if he had to “presentate” in class the next day.

[Craig], Derek [O’Grady] and Jeremy [Wolf] get us pumped up and stuff. Derek is in really good shape so he leads the running and Jeremy and Owen are on the back line, so they can see the whole field.

good friends on and off the field, and we have a lot of fun. The team bonding and everything just has made us pretty good friends.

I think the team will be really successful. We all have different roles and I think we fill them well.

The varsity team heads into the KA-MO Shootout with a 4-0 victory over SM North last Tuesday. The Indians, however, are not anywhere near the caliber of the teams the Lancers may face in the tournament.

issue

1

A Fresh Start

PHOTO ESSAY

24

4 sept.

2007

While the returning East students slept in, the incoming freshmen started school a day earlier this year to be apart of a freshman orientation program called Lancer Link.

Schedule for Orientation Day

7:40-9:40

Freshmen arrive in the cafeteria and then gather in the gym for an opening welcome and icebreaker activities.

9:40-11:05

Pairs of upperclassmen mentors work with small groups of freshmen to help them to complete several challenges that expose them to some of the challenges they may face in high school.

11:05-12:00

Campus tour that includes dressing up in costumes to make each small group stand out.

12:00-2:40

Mini schedule with 12 minute classes and a 26 minute lunch.

Far left: As an icebreaker activity, senior Link Leader Jeremy Williams gives a back rub to the freshmen around him. » karenboomer Center: Senior Link Leader Emily Cray helps her small group complete a challenge called “64 Squares.” This teamwork building challenge is intended to illustrate the challenges students must face during high school. » karenboomer Below: Senior Madison Stock and freshman Jeremy Steiner are introduced to each other as they try to pop a balloon without using their hands.

» karenboomer

FRESHMEN attempt to play “Simon Says” as part of the icebreaker activities intended to wake up the freshmen and get them excited to be a part of East. » annaleek