Issue 3

the

Issue 3 10.05.04

harbinger

a publication of Shawnee Mission East • 7500 Mission Road • Prairie Village, KS • 66208

Family Fears Girl Prairie Village Girl, 13, AbductedJuly 9, 1974 Missing Girls Parents Plead for her Safe ReturnFamily of Missing Girl Pleads...-July 10, 1974 Friends Gather to Pray as Search for Girl Goes On Search Goes on for Missing Girl-

for Girl Field- Jan. 8, 1975 ily Fears Girl Prairie Village Girl, 13, AbductedMissing Girls Parents Plead for her Safe Re9, 1974 turn-July 10, 1974 Family of Missing Girl Pleads...-July 10, 1974 Friends Gather to Pray as Search for Girl Goes On- July 11, 1974 Search Goes on for Missing Girl- July 12, 1974 Reward to $43,000 in Search for Girl Authorities Request Public to Help Locate Missing Girl - July 15, 1974 Authorities Continue Search for Girl Story pg.

2 Family reaches closure after custodian found guilty July 16, 1974 Lizabeth Wilson’s Skull Found in Field- Jan. 8,

1974

Finding an

Ending

2004

2

news

the harbinger

Homicide relived 30 years later When Gini Colburn received a call on July 7, 1974 from Lizabeth Wilson’s mom asking if she was at her house, Colburn didn’t think much of it. The kids in the neighborhood were always in and out of each other’s homes, and Lizabeth had just started babysitting for the Colburns.

When Colburn, an English teacher at East, received a second call, she started to get worried.

“Liz was supposed to be home, but we’ve looked everywhere and we can’t find her,” Kay Wilson, Lizabeth’s mother told her.

Colburn could tell Kay was getting scared, so she sent her husband, Larry Colburn a science teacher at East, to help look for 13-year-old Lizabeth. They never found her, and she was missing until her remains were discovered six months later in a Lenexa field.

Thirty years later, Colburn and Lizabeth’s family are reliving the pain and grief of those six months as the case that questioned the safety of Prairie Village is reopened.

Finally, John Henry Horton a former East custodian, has been convicted in the kidnapping and murder of Lizabeth in 1974.

The day that Lizabeth disappeared in 1974, Horton approached another girl, 16-year-old Carrie Barnthouse.

Barnthouse had been at cheerleading practice at East, and had walked up to the gym doors. Horton unlocked the door and asked if she wanted in. Barnthouse declined, and Horton told her there was a band concert that night and he was wondering if she was with that group.

“I thought it was strange since it was a Sunday and the school was dark and empty, and there was no band concert that night,” Barnthouse said.

Police assume that Horton lured Lizabeth inside of the school shortly after this. Lizabeth was walking home from the Prairie Village pool when she disappeared. Her brother John ran ahead of her and last saw her walking across what is now the senior lot. John hid behind a column in the front circle to wait for her, so that he could jump out and scare her.

Lizabeth never came.

“Lizabeth was a wonderful girl: reliable, responsible and trustworthy,” Colburn said. “We knew she hadn’t run away or anything.”

The police were notified that night, and a few days later, dogs were flown in from Philadelphia to search the school.

According to the Associate Principal in 1974, Art Newcomer, the dogs seemed to find a scent near the south entrance, what is now referred to as the senior doors.

“I couldn’t believe this happened in Prairie Village, much less in the school,” Barnthouse said.

According to 1974 P.V. Police Lieutenant Lou Lemanske,

news BRIEFS

Orchestra fundraisers

The orchestra will be travelling to Montreal, Canada for the Festival of Music next Spring.

In order to make the trip happen, students and parents will be working hard at fundraising.

They will be selling cookie dough, holiday greenery and more. To make a purchase or donation, see any orchestra student, call (913) 963-2371 or email muowens@cs.com. You may also visit the website at SMEMontreal2005.com.

Horton was a suspect by noon the next day. Horton was a custodian at East, and was working the day Lizabeth disappeared.

Police searched Horton’s car, and in the trunk they found three bottles of chloroform, a butcher knife, a bottle of ether, two canvas bags and sulfuric acid. The chemicals had been taken from the school’s chemistry rooms on what is now the fourth floor.

Although Horton was the main suspect, he was never put on trial. Even when Lizabeth’s remains were found in Lenexa six months later, police could not build a solid case on him.

“This was the most horrific unsolved case in Prairie Village,” Lemanske said. “There was never an officer R ROOM 310: The a when I was there that didn’t work on that case at some room where m point. Everyone wanted to solve it.” p Lizabeth was 314 316 313 Although Horton was never put on trial, he was W terminated from his job at East. alledgedly murThe doors where “It was sad that nothing was resolved even though dered.

Lizabeth entered everyone knew he did it,” Barnthouse said. with Horton.

Lizabeth’s disappearance also had a large impact Graphic by Courtney Condron Little Theater on the neighborhood surrounding the school.

312 310 “It changed the way we parented and watched our kids,” Colburn said. “We watched them like a hawk; it wasn’t the same after that.” is now the teacher’s office next to the Barnthouse’s daughter played tennis for Blue Valley Little Theater.

North and every time they came to a meet at East, Barnthouse Barnthouse testified on the first and the last day of the would tell her daughter the story of what happened to her in trial. She spoke to John Wilson after the trial and told him order to remind her to be careful. how she had always felt so bad for him, because he could “My parents always emphasized safety and I was so glad have never known what was going to happen. they did, because it might have saved my life,” Barnthouse “Yeah it changed all our lives didn’t it?” John replied. said.

After six days of testimony, it took the jury only an hour The case was reopened in 2001 due to advanced DNA and 32 minutes to find Horton guilty in the kidnapping and testing and additional evidence. On Sept. 20, 2004 Horton murder of Lizabeth. was finally put on trial.

After the trial was over, Colburn attended a victory party Prosecuting Attorney Rick Guinn said in his opening at the Wilson’s. statements that it was likely that Horton had intended to “The family was pleased that something was finally knock out Lizabeth with the chloroform in order to sexually done,” Colburn said. “They always had hope, but they assault her. However, he most likely gave her a lethal dose. wondered if there would ever be a trial.”

Police discovered in August 2002 that another woman had The family is now taking a vacation at the Lake of the been sexually assaulted by Horton when she was 14-years- Ozarks. old. The woman testified that Horton had used a brown liquid “They are such a wonderful family. They are caring and to knock her out and when she regained consciousness, he loving, and they became the victims of the worst possible was molesting her. crime,” Colburn said.

“The defendant [Horton] forced a rag of chloroform to Horton is now facing life in prison with no chance of her [Lizabeth’s] mouth, and based on hair samples found in parole for 15 years, which is the punishment of the 1974 law. the audio visual room, she was most likely attacked there; His sentencing will be in November. she died there, and she was loaded into the canvas bag “I was stunned and delighted when they found him and taken out to a rural area of this county,” Guinn said in guilty,” Colburn said. “This is the best possible ending.” opening statements.

The audiovisual room that Lizabeth allegedly died in photo by Kevin Grunwald

Courtney Condron

Cell phone tracking Harbinger wins NSPA awards

If parents don’t have enough control over their children’s lives already, they can now locate them at all times with their cell phone. Using the government’s Global Positioning System (GPS) parents can now: • View the locations of family members on the web site or cell phone • Review all locations visitied during a certain time period • Allow others to view family members’ location on a temporary basis • Be alerted when individuals arrive or leave certain locations Currently, this feature is only available on Mororola phones through Nextel, Southern LINC and TELUS Mobility.

Oct. 5, 2004

East placed more students than any other school in the country in the National Picture, Design and Story of the Year competitions.

Senior Celene Reynolds won the National Sports Picture of the Year contest for her photo shown at the right.

Raegan Brown, a 2004 graduate, won third place National News Picture of the Year.

Senior Libby Nelson won second place in the National Design of the Year competition in the Newspaper Page One category.

Senior Stephen McKim won honorable mention in the National Story of the Year sports story division.

news

issue 3

3

&

Courtney Condron

Prairie Village Shopping Center has added two new places for food and dessert in the past month. Applebee’s opens tomorrow where Movie Gallery used to be, and Cold Stone Creamery has been open for a week and a half.

Coldstone Creamery is an ice cream store known for its 32 original mixes, such as Chocolate Devotion and Birthday Cake Remix. Before opening a week and a half ago, Cold Stone had an employee training night on Tuesday where they gave away free ice cream to friends and family.

According to store owner Cane Newman, the line was out the door all night.

“We had a lot more customers than I had expected. We were on our feet all night,” senior and Coldstone employee Bridget Howland said.

To be hired at Coldstone, Howland had to got to an interviews that included singing, dancing and performing a skit. Every time they are given a tip at Coldstone the employees have to sing a song.

Newman decided to open the store in Prairie Village, because he felt it ws the perfect area and that the neighborhood needs it. He will eventually be opening another one on Mission and Johnson Drive.

A block away from Coldstone, Applebee’s will be opening

tomorrow. Manager Jim Testerman feels Prairie Village will be “an excellent area for the restaurant.”

Applebee’s features the new “Carside To Go” service where people can call their order in ahead and then go pick it up. This would be an ideal way for seniors to get lunch there, since sitting down would take too long.

Applebee’s will always be accepting applications for jobs, but those under 18 years old can only be hosts.

The opening of these new establishments presents increased competition to other store in the shopping center.

“I feel that there is plenty of business around here for everyone,” Newman said.

Coldstone may present a threat to the long established TCBY, a frozen yogurt shop a few blocks away.

“They are such different products and TCBY has very loyal customers, so it shouldn’t be a huge loss,” senior Becca Hayes said, who has worked at TCBY for two years.

Applebee’s finds competition in restaurants such as Blue Moose, Minsky’s and Waids.

“In my experience in the past at other locations new restaurants bring traffic, and so everyone benefits,” Testerman said.

Employee Reccomendations

photo by Samantha Ludington

bring competition for local restaurants

Junior Albert Redwine works hard making ice cream mixes for customers on the marble slab.

Applebee’s Weight Watchers Menu - Tortilla Chicken Melt 240 Calories 6g Fat

- Grilled Citrus Chicken Salad

Annie Thompson Chocolate Devotion - Chocolate ice cream - Fudge brownie - Chocolate chips - Fudge syrup

Lights DJ Mallory Toombs

Bridget Howland Coffee Lovers Only - Coffee ice cream - Heath bar - Almonds

Homecoming

Senior Ada Johnson and junior Courtney Held have spent the last month planning homecoming. They know what it is going to look like Saturday down to every last detail. When they walk into they gymnasium they will be not surprised by any means as to how it looks.

Stucco has been brainstorming themes and decorations to come up with what they thought would suit this dance all-around. After a vote by the social committee, Cirque du Soleil was chosen.

“We wanted to do something cultural without the theme being too overwhelming. Although the theme in the end is simplistic, it will work well in setting the mood for the evening,” Johnson said. The theme will be played up through a series of bright color and correlating lights. The same company will be assisting stucco in the decorating

430 Calories 13g Fat

- Tariyaki Shrimp Skewers 260 Calories 2g Fat

This year’s new DJ brings a different atmosphere to the Homecoming dance

that has been used in the past. They help to hang objects from the ceiling and have delivered the rented supplies in the past. They will not be using intricate design elimantes, instead they are using simple lines and a small range of tones. Stucco has advised students not to expect the performers from Cirque du Soleil, but instead, expect the colors and lighting effects. It will be vibrant and energetic.

The social committee bought the fabric that they will be using from Theme Party Emporium. It is the company that provides the decorations for Jewel Ball, and because the fabric is being reused, they gave Stucco a discount.

Along with this simplistic theme, Stucco has also hired a new D.J. Due to complaints about the music being played last year, and because their contract had expired with their previous DJ, Stucco searched around for someone new.

Oct. 5, 2004

This DJ not only had quite the resume, but he also offered East quite a deal. For Homecoming he will be incorporating his lighting system into the theme. Unlike last year, the DJ will be accepting student requests which was part of his appeal.

“We wanted to find someone that would allow requests and would play a wide variety of music. He also said he has the ability to mix songs,” Held said. “Because of his technology, he just seems like a better match for East.”

Even though Stucco has benefited from many of the changes that have been made, most have been made so that the students will enjoy homecoming even more.

“We just wanted to listen to what students had to say about the dances, and make the necessary changes, Held said.

4

A matter

of

money

the harbinger

Schools could be closed; SMSD could lose $35 million

school finance at a glance

Libby Nelson

When the Kansas Supreme Court rules on school finance law, the decision could mean no new sports equipment from the All-Sports Booster club, or less money for field trips. It could mean parents paying more for their kids to participate in sports, or fewer teachers teaching bigger classes six hours per day. It could even bring a cutoff of all public school funding until the legislature fixes the system.

“It’s hard to believe how serious this is,” principal Angelo Cocolis said. “There are people in the legislature who have been extremely irresponsible with regards to education… and these are the consequences.”

The court could rule as early as Oct. 15 on whether the current method of funding schools is constitutional, meaning that it provides an equal, “suitable” education for students across the state. The current formula allows districts to tax themselves in order to get more money—a process called the local option budget that gives the Shawnee Mission School District $30 million every year. It also allows local groups, such as booster clubs or endowment funds, to contribute to school programs.

But the court could rule either the entire formula or any of its parts unconstitutional – placing the district’s current funding system in jeopardy.

The controversy goes back to a lawsuit filed in 1999. In it, the Dodge City and Salina school districts said that the Kansas school finance formula is unconstitutional for two reasons: that the state was not giving enough money to the schools, and that the money was not distributed fairly across the state. Because wealthier communities could afford the higher taxes to fund their schools while others could not, they said, all students were not getting the same quality of education. Shawnee County District Court Judge Terry Bullock agreed with them last December, declaring the formula unconstitutional, and the case was appealed to the Kansas Supreme Court.

When the Supreme Court rules on the appeal, all local sources of funding could be included in the decisions because they give more affluent districts an advantage.

This includes not only the local option budget but also booster club money and proceeds from the endowment fund.

Right now, Shawnee Mission district patrons have voted to tax themselves an additional 25 percent – as much as they can – to provide funding for the schools.

Depending on the court’s decision, the district could lose the money it gains from that local option budget ≠– $30 million, plus $5.5 million from sales taxes – in order to give schools across the state more equal funding.

“I feel very strongly that… [losing the local option budget would] have a very negative impact on our school,” principal Angelo Cocolis said. “ [ Wit h the current formula] teachers are pushed to larger classes. Some a r e teaching s i x sections p e r day.

They don’t have

enough pay increases. We’re operating cut to the bone already.”

Cutting teachers or other staff, Cocolis said, would mean still larger classes, worsening the situation.

“You don’t just build a school and that’s it,” he said. “If there’s no increase in budget, [money for maintenance] comes out of human resources. You get 30 to 40 kids in a class instead of 26 or 28 and it’s not a good situation… Adequately educating kids the way we’re used to is in jeopardy if [legislators] don’t get their act together.”

While the district has not yet decided where they would cut if the $30 million is lost, district finance director Tim Rooney said that cuts in staff are the most likely, because salaries are 87 percent of the district’s expenses.

“We’ve already cut $23 million [in the past two years],” Rooney said. “We’re already deficit spending…

[Cutting another $30 million] is just too difficult to imagine.”

But the loss of that money is still hypothetical.

According to state senator John Vratil (R-Leawood), the court could find all, none or parts of the formula constitutional.

“I think the Supreme Court will say pretty much what they said in 1994: that the legislature has wide digression in school funding and, absent some irrational action, the courts will stay out of it,” leaving the formula basically the same, Vratil said.

He said another consequence, the loss of East’s booster club and endowment fund money, was even less likely.

However, because booster clubs and endowment funds give money to schools that other districts cannot afford to give, it could be covered by the ruling.

“If Judge Bullock’s view of the world would be law, all the money a school district receives would be state money,” Rooney said. “Booster club money would have to be sent to Topeka and sent around the state.”

The loss of the East All-Sports Booster Club’s funding would mean the loss of supplies, equipment and new uniforms for teams. In the past, they’ve paid for trophy cases and banners in the gym; they finance some teams’ medical coverage and help pay for the Lancer Day Parade.

If this money were lost, Cocolis said, a way to cover the costs would be increasing parent fees for student activities from what they already are, a method called pay-to-play.

Though East has not decided on how much pay-to-play fees would be, Cocolis said they would be a substantial increase from this year’s $80 that parents pay for their children to participate in sports or other activities.

The most drastic consequence – the schools being closed while the legislature wrote a new formula – is extremely unlikely but possible, according to Cocolis, Rooney and Vratil. When Bullock originally ruled, he asked the legislature to write a new formula by the end of the May 2004 session. When they had not, he ordered the schools to stop spending money – in effect, to close – until the legislature wrote a new formula.

When the case was appealed to the Supreme Court, the order was postponed. When the Supreme Court rules, though, they could theoretically reinstate the order to close the

Oct. 5, 2004

The state gives every school a base amount of money per student.

“Weighting factors” are added in for students in certain categories: for example, five students learning English as a second language get as much money as six regular students would.

Districts can currently tax themselves up to 25% more than usual to provide more funds for their schools. .

schools.

“It’s very unrealistic, but it could happen,” Rooney said.

But even if the schools stay open, even if neither the local option budget nor the booster club money is lost, the issue of budget won’t go away, he said.

“It’ll still be a problem. It’ll always be a problem,” he said. “It’s a constant battle when we have to meet more and more standards, seeing how much we’re willing to afford, how much is adequate for the district.”

Because districts get less money as their enrollments decline, but are still asked to progress every year, Shawnee Mission is constantly balancing funding and improvement.

“On the face of it, it doesn’t seem like a big issue,” Rooney said. “But say the amount of students is spread out over 50 schools and you only lose one student per grade [at each school]. You haven’t lost enough to reduce a teacher, but you still have less money.”

While East’s enrollment is stable, the declining district population still causes funding problems.

“We’re very stretched,” Cocolis said. “Johnson County funds the majority of taxes, but we get one of the lowest amounts [of funding] per student. Schools like us usually have four or five assistant principals. I have three. Our test scores prove we’re getting a big bang for our buck ….

We do the most with less.”

And so leaving the formula as it is isn’t what Vratil, Cocolis or Rooney want. They say the best-case scenario is a new or revised funding formula, and both Vratil and Rooney are proposing new plans that aim to do this.

“There’s significant support [in the legislature] for restructuring the formula,” Vratil said. “It can be done in one legislative session, in time to benefit the district for the 2005-2006 school year.”

Rooney said that the best way to fund the district and, he believes, schools across the state would be to provide districts with more local control.

“We’ve been in this case before,” Cocolis said. “The majority of people in the legislature are irresponsible, but there are some people who are really working hard for education. I’m optimistic.”

news

issue 3

Teacher awarded for creativity

5

Indian Hills history teacher wins Kansas “Teacher of the Year” award for her creative teaching technique

Lauren Kelly

photo by Kevin Grunwald

Eighth grader Christina Mendez said, “Mrs. Indian Hills Middle School social studies teacher Martha Howard won the Teaching to the Event: Howard connects with the kids and challenges us with Experiencing American History award on May 24 projects like the colonial mobile and her pressure on for creativity in teaching American history. This is us to do vocabulary cards every week!”

Mrs. Howard talks about some of Mrs. Howard’s first time ever her role models that helped pave the winning the award, and she says “it was a wonderful to her winning the award, “She really made us work hard road“Linda Braude was a gifted surprise.” The award can only be won once, which she and helped us prepare for high teacher who taught with strength, said added to its significance. school. I’m happy to hear that her also Deloris Furtado working with kids to vote makes her a tremendous Present at the award hard work has paid off.” ceremony was the principal resource.”

- Sophomore Nathan Yaffe When Sophmore Nathan Yaffe of Indian Hills Carla Allen, heard about Mrs. Howard winning Doctor Kaplan, Martha Howard, and congressman the award, he said “she really made us work hard and helped prepare us Dennis Moore. Her prize was $1000 spending cash and $1000 in books and CD’s for high school. I am happy to hear that her hard work for the classroom. Mrs. Howard sent the committee has paid off.”

Projects like the mock elections and World projects she had done from 1990 to 2004 so the award commitee could make their decision.

War One memorial are what caught the eye of the One main project sent in was her September committee.

“I like to make teaching fun. Projects like Rosie 11 project called Voices of Hope in which students compiled a poster board with songs and poems Riveter Day an suffragette Barbie help kids remember they had written about September 11 and a video. World War II events,” Howard said.

Mrs. Howard said the Teaching to the Event isn’t On working on projects throughout the years, Mrs. Howard comments, that “Rather than working alone, the only away she won. On November 6, she is going it is wonderful working together with others on to Topeka to accept the award. projects like Voices of Hope and the mock elections.”

IHMS teacher Martha Howard holds up her award with pride.

Oct. 5, 2004

6

news

CHANGING THE SYSTEM

New eligibility process put on athletic participation Curtis Shank

This year, he process for determining athletic eligibility has changed. Each student who was not on the honor roll last semester is required to fill out the gray eligibility cards with their grades in each of their seven classes.

Last year teachers were supposed to send e-mails to coaches if their player was failing their class. Teachers had to look through a list of 400 athletes to find their students and remember to report their grades.

“The main problem with the old system was that the teachers were busy and sometimes were not getting back to coaches about a student’s grades,” athletic director Lane Green said. “But the main reason for the change was to put the responsibility of proving eligibility back on the kids.”

Head soccer coach Jim Ricker approves the change.

“Kids used to say ‘I don’t have to do this assignment because coach isn’t going to know if I don’t’,” he says. “Now coaches know every week exactly how a student is doing in a particular class, which almost never happened last year.”

Students must be passing five classes to be eligible to participate in sports.

English teacher Laura Beachy, however, sees the process as a

the harbinger

What’s Good

bit tedious.

“When I get five cards in one class period, I sometimes can’t get them all done during class,” she says. “Then the kids have to stay after and wait while I fill them out.”

She thinks the system could be improved by eliminating the requirement for some students that consistently show success.

“After a few weeks, if a kid has had consistently good grades in a particular class, he should be able to drop those classes from his eligibility card,” she says.

Freshman football player Ben Edmonds agrees with Beachy.

“It’s stupid to have to keep filling the cards out when I’m not even close to failing any of my classes,” he says. “At this point in the quarter, you can’t drop from an ‘A’ to an ‘F’ in just a week.”

The consensus however, is that the benefits greatly outweigh the costs.

“Any coach would say it’s a positive thing,” Ricker said.

- “Now coaches know every week exactly how a student is doing in a particular class...”

Coach Jim Ricker - “...to put the responsponsibility of proving eligibility back on the kids.”

Athletic Director Lane Green

What’s Bad

- “When I get five cards in one class period, I sometimes can’t get them all done during class.”

Teacher Laura Beachy - “It’s stupid to have to keep filling the cards out when I’m not even close to failing any of my classes.”

Freshman Ben Edmonds

Choir to sing with KC Wind Symphony

The choir whiteboard shows a countdown. They began working on the masterwork Carmina Burana at the very beginning of school and have been toiling away ever since.

They work every day during class: together and in sections with altos, and sopranos and the other parts breaking up into different parts practicing is one aspect of the class. The rest is spent in lessons in the background of the piece.

There is less than one month to go until the performance.

All SM East choral students will be performing Carmina

Annie Fuhrman

Burana, the stage piece by Carl Orff, with the Kansas City Wind Symphony on Oct 28 at Yardley Hall.

“I can’t wait to get it all together and see what it will sound like with the instrumental parts,” junior Mary Dolliver said.

This compilation of several secular Latin and German poems is one of the more difficult pieces the choir has done because of the many movements and because different parts are all singing different things at the same time. This year, instead of using only the most advanced choir, Choraliers, all of the choirs will be involved.

“It’s exciting, and I feel kind of special to get to be a part of this,” sophomore Courtney Newell said.

“It is just so different than anything we have ever done

Oct. 5 2004

before,” junior Ashley Coffyn said. “It is so emotional and really intense when we sing it.”

The Carmina Burana has been used for many purposes.

It has been with many instrumental parts, as performance pieces and even set to choreography.

“When Orff heard all of the poems together it was just so complete, and overwhelming that he did this,” choir instructor Tracy Resuguie said.

“There is just so much history,” junior Lauren Hoover said. “You can really feel it when you sing.

issue 3

Separation anxiety

Ellie Weed in my own words

opinion

7

Younger siblings are having trouble coping with siblings going to college

I’ve been away from my sister before. There’s been camps, vacations, and then last year she was a senior - she was never home. It’s not any new thing now that she’s gone at college. To be honest, for a while I didn’t even notice. Even now, I still sometimes forget. But recently, it’s really sunk in.

It’s mostly just the little things at this point that I really tend to pick up on.

I’m not used to talking to her online or getting e-mails from her there’s never been a need.

Her room has that fresh, just-cleaned scent. It’s never smelled like that. Impeccable cleanliness doesn’t exactly run in the family, so a clean room is always a shock.

When a family friend calls and always guesses who answers the phone, I never get a “Tierney?” any longer. Mostly the phone’s just for me anymore, anyways.

My favorite part is when I’m bored in the car, I can sit and tap on the window to the beat of a song for hours without someone telling me not to - that’s one of her pet peeves. But I have to say, it’s not nearly as entertaining when there’s not someone next to me yelling “Ellie, oh my GOD, STOP!” There was a big digital clock on her bedside table that I always used to look at when I walked in the front door. Now I have to walk all the way to the kitchen just to see what time it is.

There’s always benefits - my CDs and clothes are exactly where I left them last, everything she left at home became mine - including the car - and I don’t have to worry about people walking in on me while I’m singing and dancing in the shower.

We’ve always shared a bathroom, and now it’s all mine. There are two sinks - one for each of us - and I like to use them both; I don’t want hers to go unused.

Even though I don’t like to admit it, the philosophy is true for me - when your older sibling leaves and you’re the only one left, you really do get whatever you want.

I’m lucky because I have so many friends that had siblings leave, too. All the moms and families get together or call to talk about sororities and fraternities and get in on all the college gossip. Everyone’s going through the same thing - just waiting for Thanksgiving or the next break where their kid will be home and the whole group will be back together again.

A lot of things are the same, even while she’s gone. My family still watches “Everwood” together on Monday nights, and I know my sister does too because I’m always waiting for that call from her that comes 30 seconds after the show’s over analyzing everything that happened. It’s like she’s right next to me on the couch.

I still talk to her and think about her as much as I did when she was home. Whenever I’m out shopping, I’ll always pick out something that she might like, when I finish a good book or listen to a good CD, I’ll tell her about it, and when I meet a new guy, she’s always one of the first to know. Within the past week, I’ve gotten a lot more comfortable with the whole “leisurely talking” thing. Before, I’d say things like “So, how’s school?” Now, whenever I pick up the phone, we say things to each other like “Hey, freak, what’s up?”

I like it better that way.

I still feel guilty wearing her clothes, and rush home to take them off, thinking she’ll come into my room to reprimand me about it. Even though I use her things and wear her leftover shirts and jewelry, I tend to cherish her things a little more and respect her property. I’m sure she’d wish I’d done that before she left for college.

Stopping spam? Good luck with that Michael Pope in my own words

Pop-ups control the lives of Internet searchers

Every day I check my email and I see the same thing. “Michael, click HERE to learn more about natural male enhancement!!!”

I sigh as I repeat the actions like they were read right from a shampoo label: Scroll. Close.

Repeat.

Spam. Oh, how I wish it would stop; the never-ending flow of fake contest awards and “Offers of a Lifetime!” And sometimes I get those pop-ups within pop-ups; those suck too. What I wanna know is how these guys find me. I mean, I almost never give out my personal information on the Internet; I never sign up for anything that looks even slightly suspicious, like eBay. I swear that’s the Devil’s Own right there, sporting a recently-auctioned suit coat. Yet somehow I’ve most likely blown my chance at retrieving my share of billions of dollars in cash and merchandise by constantly shooting down all of those friendly little reminders that interrupt my intense endeavors into cyberspace.

I realize that in the past 10 years we’ve seen a makeshift cultural revolution with the increasing availability of internet connectivity to almost every household, and modern society has completely embraced the Connectivity Age with advertising closely riding its coattails. Not only can we pay our bills and file our taxes online now, but we can also order pizza and rent movies. Hell, as I was cruising past a squad car earlier today I attempted to end my life in a fatal car wreck after happening to spot the police headquarters’ URL painted on the side of the vehicle.

Has anybody wondered just exactly who it was that thought up this sort of advertising scheme just so that they could have the pleasure of watching them suffer a slow and agonizing death? I wish that I could travel back in time to

when they first thought up the idea. Oh, to be a fly on the wall at that business meeting: Boss: Ok, we’ve already infiltrated movie previews, TV, radio, billboards, professional sports, major architectural structures and charity events, but we still aren’t getting in the consumer’s face enough.

Any suggestions?

Satan: Well, there’s this new thing called the “Internet” going around...sprung straight outta Silicon Valley. Anyway, it seems to be a big hit among the general public; studies show that a lot of them spend the majority of their day on it. We could try to rig something up there; you know, something that would just pop right out at them so that they couldn’t just ignore it.

Boss: That’s a brilliant idea! My boy, how did you become so damn good at being evil?

Satan: I’ve had some practice.

Wasn’t there some sort of bill that was passed to limit and / or completely eradicate this stuff altogether? It had something to do with telemarketers too, but I’m not about to declare victory yet since they still keep calling me during

Oct. 5, 2004

dinner and my soaps. If you’re looking for a good way to exploit the ineptitude of the government, look no further than the “success” of this bill.

Advertising companies deliberately break each and every law concerning privacy when it comes to this spyware crap too. Supposedly, what they do is they all gather around the big pentagram drawn in goat blood on their office floor, link hands and chant a few incantations to open the Ninth Gate of Hell and unleash an evil spirit upon your unsuspecting PC, where it will continually crash your computer with massive waves of pop-up ads. It will also record every single dirty website that you visit, pick out the most embarrassing of the lot and use your email service to send it to all of your friends who will laugh at you contemptuously from their own corner offices with windows that look out upon the veranda. Or, if there is no veranda where you work, the windows will have a tremendous view of the skyline at sunset as the waning light catches the thick, brown smog just right to produce any other color than raw sewage.

So I guess there’s nothing to do but give in to the siren call of the chance to be put into a raffle to win a free* DVD player, or to fill out the necessary forms to claim your very own brand* new* car*!*!*!* Or you could stick it to the Man and just keep closing those boxes. But you could’ve won a Porsche.

8

opinion

the harbinger

Striking the Wrong Chord Music is heading in the wrong direction Bryan Dykman in my own words

Ever since I bought my iPod I have been spared from listening to commercial interruptions, annoying disc jockeys, and the bad music that seems to be streaming out of the radio these days. A couple of days ago I left my iPod at home and was forced to listen to the radio. In the fifteenminute commute to school, I heard bands such as Creed, Nickleback, and Linkin Park. The problem with the music was that all the songs sounded the same. The grimy, meaningless lyrics were woven into instrumentals that were about the quality of the sounds I made during my first piano lesson.

I questioned where rock and roll was going and it became strikingly apparent that music is going nowhere.

Are all rock artists today so standardized that they don’t feel the need to push music to its next level? Do artists really lack the technical and lyrical means to produce music that has substance and isn’t just a copy of whatever topped the chart last week? Or is it simply that rock has no one to follow anymore?

In all generations music has had an idol: someone who was inventive and revolutionary. In 1964 the phenomenon known as the Beatles grabbed a hold of the world and, 1.3 billion album sales later, had successfully combined pop, blues, psychedelic, and classical music into the most popular act of the ‘60s, if not the 20th century. Following the genesis of rock and roll were new prophets such as Jimi Hendrix, Black Sabbath, The Rolling Stones, and Neil Young. These bands continued to expand upon the groundwork laid by the Beatles.

In the‘70s bands such as Led Zeppelin, The Who and AC/DC continued the tradition of their elders. With the rock genre firmly established, these artists now seized the opportunity to reinterpret the idea of rock. Led Zeppelin took center stage by establishing a link between rock and blues while AC/DC used the fast upbeat rifts of Chuck Berry and combined them with the grinding heavy metal

sludge of Black Sabbath.

In the ‘80s, Pink Floyd reached its peak with the release of The Wall, reaffirming pyscadellica in rock and roll. Metallica and Guns N’ Roses surfaced and confirmed the rock star image as a drinking, partying, and loud mouth artists that every mother wanted to hide her child from.

Suddenly the party came to a halt: John Lennon was shot, and a decade later Kurt Cobain died. Suddenly rock was without an icon. In the years that followed, rock and roll lost all direction. The new bands that came after Cobian’s untimely death seemed to lack the creative genius and enthusiasm it takes to play rock and roll.

Even artists that existed before Cobain suffered from the lack of an icon. Take Green Day for example. Green Day was an amazing band in the mid ‘90s. They were creating classics like “Time of your Life,” “When I Come Around,” and “Basket Case”. These songs may have lacked instrumental brilliance, but they were a perfect representation of teenage culture.

Today, the post-Cobain Green Day’s lyrics are clichéd and meaningless. Their new album, “American Idiot,” is directionless, repetitive, and emotionless. The title track opens with the lyrics, “Don’t want to be an American idiot.” So don’t. Start by not writing songs like this.

Perhaps artists these days are not sure as to how rock and roll came this far. Look no farther than the classics. We can’t start playing classic rock again because rock can’t move forward by just looking backwards. Instead, artists need to follow their example of innovation, style, and lyrical ingenuity.

These are the artists that weren’t afraid of being different. They saw music evolve and decided to put their two cents in, which turned out to be more like a million bucks worth of inspiration. These are the legends like Jimi Hendrix, who played with his teeth, and while his guitar was on fire, and with enough emotion that his music lives on even though he was only a superstar for four years. Legends like Jimmy Page, who added twelve extra strings to his guitar.

This blended all that was good about music in the past with all that was good about music at the time, which ultimately created “Stairway to Heaven,” a song widely regarded as the best song ever.

Music needs inspiration and direction. Without a rock god to rise up and break the norms that society currently has on music, we will never experience another Stairway to Heaven. Only an idiot America.

“The grimy, meaningless lyrics were woven into instrumentals that were about the qualities of the sounds I made during my first piano lesson. I questioned where rock and roll was going and it became strikingly apparent that music is going nowhere.”

Oct. 5, 2004

How was your first quarter of school?

Freshman Meg Sterchi “Kind of stressful. There’s a lot of homework, but it’s starting to even out.”

Sophomore Abby Gloe “It was fun. I really enjoyed it; the teachers were nice, everything.”

Junior Jay Piper “I was slacking off in class, not doing homework, basically doing whatever I wanted.”

Senior Isabel Mandelkern “The general senior consesus is that it’s pointless to be here.”

editorial

the harbinger

Editorial Cartoon

Cynthia Goldman the

Thank you for dinner! I had a wonderful night!

Thank you for inviting me!

harbinger

Shawnee Mission East

I don’t think he should be the one she’s thanking!

7500 Mission Rd Rm 521 (913) 993-6688

Editor In Chief Assistant Editors Art/Design Editors Head Copy Editor Photo Editor News Editor News Page Editors Features Editor Features Page Editors A&E Editors A&E Page Editor Sports Editor Sports Page Editors Opinion Editor Opinion Page Editor Editorial Editor Special Section Editor Copy Editors

The after nightHomecoming... of Homecoming Night

Smokingat

SCHOOL

9

Staff Writers

Staff Artists art by Davin Phillips

Shawnee Misson’s policies on smoking are out of line For a high school student, 18 is a magic number. It doesn’t is left to you. DARE and high school Health class, allied with matter what you call fun. An 18-year-old is legal to vote, to plenty of programs, public service announcements and go into strip clubs, buy porn, and buy and smoke cigarettes assemblies have perpared students with the information and other “tobaccos products,” as our school administration to deal with the legal health risks of smokeing, and a good calls it. At 18, students who have been worried and careful percentage of teens have taken those precautions to heart. about keeping their smoking habits under wraps heave an But the fact is that people have preferences, and people take audible and well-deserved sigh of relief; they’re in the clear, risks under their own guidance. The school is trying to delay completely legal. Except… not this unavoidable development as long as quite. possible and it’s helping no one.

Thwarted yet again by the Using the possibility that legally-aged Legal teens should be able SME drugs policy; smoking on students would hand out packs of cigarettes to smoke tobacco legally on like candy all over the school to under-aged school property and grounds is school grounds illegal, for students, for teachers, freshmen is not an excuse for this senseless for student teachers; they’ve got policy. Being afraid that legal students will a no-tolerance policy towards sell tobacco products to younger friends tobacco. Even if you are 18, isn’t a groundless concern; students do buy even if you bought your own for each other, it’s common, not shady or agree disagree absent underground, it happens often. But keeping cigarettes three blocks away at the local gas station, even if you them from doing it on school campus isn’t didn’t sell or give to anyone, even slowing down the rate of exchange, or if you aren’t actually smoking said cigarettes and just have a making it any harder for students to accomplish it. sealed pack of Marlboro Lights in the glove compartment of Weightier than any of these complaints is this basic fact: your car: you are breaking school policy, and state law has there is a certain point teenagers reach when it becomes little to do with it. “none of your business”. Most students would say that this High school property is one of the only places in the US point arrives a lot earlier then the federal government would where legal-age smokers are not allowed to smoke outside have people believe, but everyone can agree on age 18. 18 for fear of suspension or even the possibility of a legal is the age when sex is legal; it’s the age at which people are hearing in the case of repeat offenses. criminally charged as adults; it’s the age that men can be This rule has no bearing in common sense. The state drafted into the army. It’s the age when people can buy and of Kansas says that when you turn 18 you are a legal adult, smoke cigarrettes, and any teen will tell you that it feels like and although you got the keys to the car years ago, you are it’s been a long time. finally handed over the keys to your own body; the decision

8-1-2

Oct. 5, 2004

Ads/Business Manager Asst. Ads/Biz Contest Coordinator Public Relations Photographers

Adviser

Libby Nelson Annie Fuhrman Gordon Culver Cynthia Goldman Mallory Toombs Stephen McKim Linda Howard Courtney Condron Katie Jones Ally Heisdorffer Ellie Weed Kathleen Bole Jayne Shelton Madi Moedritzer Ian McFarland Evan Favreau Erin Morrissey Curtis Shank Peter Goehausen Frances Lafferty Sara Steinwart Tom Grotewohl Cay Fogel Amanda Allison Amanda Allison Courtney Condron Cay Fogel Curtis Shank Ian Stanford Katie Jones Evan Favreau Patrick Haverty Ross Boomer Derek Martin Meg Fracol Andy Launder Scott Peterson Davin Phillips Alyssa Jones Michael Pope Bryan Dykman Ben Whitsitt Maggie DiSilvestro Lauren Kelly Erin Morrissey Meg Fracol Kevin Grunwald Emily Rappold Samantha Ludington Molly Magoon Dow Tate

Letters to the editor should be sent to Rm 521 or smeharbinger@gmail.com. Letters can be edited for length, clarity, mechanics, and libel, and accepted or rejected at the editors discretion.

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, student body, or administration.

What happens if...

I get caught smoking? You will be suspended for a period of 3-5 days.

I get caught smoking for the second time? It’s likely you will get suspended again, for a period of 5-10 days.

I get caught smoking for the third time? If you are caught smoking for the third time or more, it could lead to a legal hearing, which could in turn lead to extended suspension.

10 features

ExtendedLeave

the harbinger

Amanda Allison

Freshman Lee Culp opens the door and walks into the house. He sighs; it has been a long day at school, but at least he doesn’t have his usual headache. It takes him a minute dgh Wednesday, Feb. 18, to realize what’s wrong: the house is empty.

Empty and quiet. No familiar buzz of the television; no one yelling to keep it down 2004 while dad tries to nap.

The military owns It hits him. your day Though he is alone now, his mother and older sister will be back.

0200-The alarm rings His dad will not: he is on a business trip.

1002 I took a seat [on the A six-month long business trip plane], like a hammock, in Iraq; the middle of a war. made for paratroopers Richard Culp, father of four, including freshman Lee and junior 1003 I noticed the flight Grace, left for Iraq the first time on attendents wore guns Feb. 11, the day before Grace’s 16th birthday. After being laid off from 1245 Wished I hadn’t eaten his long time position with Black such a large breakfast and Veatch, Culp was in need of employment.

1602 Wondering why I Thanks to a neighbor’s took this assignment recommendation, he was offered a 1910 Phoned home job with the United States government to serve as Manager of Projects, 2230 Went to bed in a tent which dealt with the rebuilding and made for 100 people modification of Iraq. He would be dealing Thursday, Feb. 19, 2004 with the clean up process; putting in sewage lines and installing traffic lights.

I feel like I am in the The shift Culp was to serve was scheduled to last for six months. Away from friends and army In a war-torn country.

My next fear? The showers. family.

“I just try and think that it’s only another Recall the movie with Demi business trip,” Lee said. “He’s just on another trip…”

Moore where she decides Though Culp was gone almost every to become a Navy Seal? week while working as a financial adviser The scene where she has to for Black and Veatch, it’s different knowing shower with other soldiers? that he is in the middle of a war.

“He’s not just doing his rounds in Florida Yes. This came to mind. If and Detroit,” Grace said. she can do it, so can I. I’ll do With their dad gone, the two try and live life as normally as possible. That can be it for Demi! difficult though, as Culp has missed major events in his kids’ lives.

He wasn’t there for Grace’s first prom last year. He isn’t in any photos from the special

“

”

night.

“It was sad because my older sisters have each had him home for all of their dances,” Grace said. “This was my first major one and he wasn’t there.”

Along with feeling a definite void at his confirmation, which occurred just four days before his dad returned, Lee missed his father while buying his first electric guitar.

The two, father and son, had planned to learn how to play together.

“We were going to progress and learn the same things,” Lee said. “I bought it and he wasn’t there to see.”

It’s not the big events like these that Culp SIBLINGS Grace and Lee culp are only three has missed out on the most. He has missed grades apart and very close out on his kids growing up and simply sleep in tents made for 100 and sometimes experiencing life. have 26-hour workdays. Transportation is a “I think that all parents miss important process in its self: traveling in HUMV’s loaded things in their kids’ lives,” Grace said. “It’s just up with 50 caliber machine guns and flying on that he’s missed a lot in our lives.” planes with armed flight attendants.

In the past, the house was filled with a Culp returned home on Aug. 29 after forced silence, brought on by Culp’s need for completing his initial contract. In need of afternoon naps. Now, with his being gone, it’s another job, he applied with a private company. a natural quiet.

Working with this new company led Culp back “I walk in and it’s just different,” Grace said. to Iraq on Oct. 2 where he is overseeing power “You know he’s not there…I miss his presence plants within the house.”

He will spend one week in Pennsylvania Family traditions have dwindled; they receiving immunizations and will then proceed rarely have dinner together and the annual to the Pentagon in Washington, D.C. for more Man Movie on Friday nights is shown to one: training. From D.C, Culp will fly to Amsterdam, Lee. Kuwait and finally Baghdad.

“We used to get corny, manly movies like Though Culp resides and works in the Animal House,” Lee said. “Now I just watch Green Zone, an area designated as safe, both them by myself because I’m the only one Grace and Lee worry about their dad’s safety. besides my dad that likes them.”

Car bombs have gone off and one of Culp’s During the summer, Culp’s absence was felt friends was killed while buying his weekly more than ever. Grace and Lee experienced steak outside of the safe zone. more freedoms, a result of their mother “I think about all the kidnappings that have working and father away. occurred over there…. I do worry and think “I was more on my own then…mom about his safety all the time,” Grace said. didn’t make any meals and I was just very Just before Culp left, he redid the living independent with work and everything,” Grace room, but didn’t quite get a chance to finish. said. “The fact is though, is that it’s still mom, For now, it sits empty. Freshly painted walls Grace, and Lee, in that order. Always.” are bare; only a plant and small rug inhabit the In Culp’s first emails home, the family’s space. It’s waiting for Culp to come back home primary source of communication, their father and finish what he started. described how he felt like he was actually in the army instead of simply a businessman. They

Oct. 5, 2004

photo by Linda Howard

photo courtesy of Grace Culp

features

issue 3

Junior enjoys challenge of balancing academics and extracurriculars

Meg Fracol

photo by Emily Rappold

5:55 a.m. Junior John Duvall to the IB students on their way to class. They exchange a looked at the clock. He lay in silence, waiting for the alarm. good morning and talk until reaching the classroom. Duvall sits down and yawns, It was the sound he dreaded even though it’s only every morning.

There his first class of the were still five minutes to day. wait and fall back asleep in By 7:30 their perfect bliss. Instead, he zero hour is over just waited, because there and Duvall has ten was no avoiding what the minutes to get books alarm would bring: another from his locker long day. and walk to first 5:59 a.m. Where had hour, Chemistry the minutes gone? Sitting 2 IB. Sitting at his up in bed, Duvall prepared desk, he takes out his ears for the little pop, his lucky Lancer a precursor to his stereo blue pencil. The alarm each morning. It bell rings and wasn’t the sound he class begins. dreaded so much. It started JUNIOR John Duvall work on his chemistry 2 IB homework. The class is Mr. Appier asks a new day. Yet, also the studying stoichiometry right now. who can explain same endless routine that meant 15 hours of nonstop thinking and preparing for stoichiometry.

“Let’s see, that’s where we decide if a double English classes, for Chemistry tests, for football practice, displacement reaction is happening or not, isn’t it?” Duvall and for 4 hours of homework.

6:00 a.m. And then he heard it. The click of gears being thinks to himself. “Then what does molarity and volume put into place. A slight buzz of the CD beginning to spin. do? Oh yeah, those are to find the limiting reagents, and With that, “I Saw the Sign” by Ace of Base began playing, then moles and grams in products.”

Sorting out concepts like stoichiometry and back titration signaling the start of the day, the never ending classes that are all a part of the IB classes, and especially Chem 2. Hard made his brain feel like mush, and the same old routine. ideas to grasp are why there are only seven students in the class. This course is offered to very few and is extremely John Duvall is an IB student. IB stands for International tough “conceptually and mathematically.”

Baccalaureate, a rigorous program of higher-level classes In his next three classes, Duvall struggles to keep his that grade students on an international level. The program eyes open, and even more to keep up with the discussions. is more essay-based and tends to have fewer students than It’s not because they are boring, but because he’s already the AP program, although they are similar in difficulty. It been listening to teachers and quizzing himself so much in can be very time consuming, especially with an extra zero his first two classes that he starts to drift off. hour class they tack on, Theory of Knowledge. Shawnee “The IB classes are different in that they make you think Mission East is currently the only school in the district a lot more, especially in my English class, the books we read to offer the IB program and there are about 39 students don’t just give you information, they give you a personal currently enrolled. account of what happened and we have to synthesize ideas that go with each other… . It’s almost like we put the history together from these ideas,” Duvall said.

6:35 a.m. As students are getting out of bed, Duvall 2:40 p.m. The school day is done, but Duvall’s work is hops into his car and takes off for school. He rolls down the not. Making a stop at his locker to pick up books, he goes windows, letting the cool wind hit his face to wake himself through the homework in all his classes. Spanish book, up. Every morning, excluding Tuesdays, he has to be at Calculus book, English book, History book, Chemistry school at 6:40 a.m., just in time for his zero hour, Theory book. With that, Duvall zips up his backpack and shuts his of Knowledge. They talk about philosophers who have locker. As most of his friends are meeting to go play their changed eastern and western ways of thinking and relate daily game of poker, Duvall heads to the locker rooms alone them to life today. for football practice.

By the time Duvall gets to school at 6:40 a.m., there are “I know I miss a lot of week day stuff with my friends, only about fifteen other cars in the parking lot, all belonging

•••

•••

Behind the curtains

Katie Jones

Winding through the woodchip paths teeming with people, gnawing at a hulk of turkey leg while saying “good day” to men in multicolored tights is what the Renaissance Festival is all about. However, behind the scenes is a different matter. For some employees it involves sitting behind a wooden counter in a bodice and skirts selling jewelry, food or artwork. For others, such as senior Jillian Shoptaw, it involves street clothes and headphones.

Shoptaw works at the media booth where she stays mostly behind the scenes and helps news channels film commercials

and news briefs about events around the festival. She also deals with unruly patrons, works out kinks in shows, and deals with other various complications around the festival.

“I try to help out when mics don’t work in shows or if someone forgets their lines or they run out of tickets at the front gate, stuff like that,” Shoptaw said.

Jillian started working at the Renaissance Festival at a young age. She got the job from her mom, who is now the general manager.

While Jillian got her job with the help of her mom, that’s not the case for the potential actors who try out at auditions during April.

which is why football is a totally different group for me [than school],” Duvall said.

Since his IB classes are with the same group of 16 students, Duvall sees a limited amount of people each day.

None of his closest friends are in the IB classes, so football is a good time for him to talk and catch up on stuff he misses out on during the day. However, he can’t fool around as a linebacker for the Varsity team this year because there are several other guys competing for the same position. Duvall works to keep up in the drills and daily practices so he can play in the games and won’t have his position taken over by someone else.

With warm up sprints, offensive drills, individual defense, practice plays, team offense, team defense, and conditioning, practices can last until 7 p.m. This causes conflicts in Duvall’s schedule sometimes. Last week he had a national honor society meeting to attend either Tuesday after school at 3 p.m., or Wednesday before school at 7 a.m.

With football practice after school and zero hour before school, Duvall had to find time for the meeting.

“I have to work through that kind of stuff all the time because my teachers don’t want me missing and my coach doesn’t want me missing and the people running the meeting don’t want me missing, and that kind of stuff is really difficult to work around, or else you get in trouble with one of them and you don’t want to,” Duvall explained.

7:30 p.m. A 20-minute dinner and chat with his mother and sister later, Duvall heads up the stairs for a shower then three or four more hours of homework. As he switches his homework from one class to the next, Duvall spends five to ten minutes just reviewing notes of that day. Going from Calculus to Chemistry to Spanish to History to English and maybe some Theory of Knowledge on presentation weeks, Duvall has no time for a break. Homework doesn’t take so long because he messes around, but because he has to sort through all the ideas, like events in history or the characters of a story, to understand it all.

“I guess that’s why I’m in these classes because they make you think really hard and if it weren’t a challenge (because I know I could take easier classes) … I wouldn’t feel like I was accomplishing anything at school, so while I’m at school I might as well apply myself and work hard as I can because I know that this is in turn going to help out with college and a good college will help me with a good career,” Duvall said.

By the time he hits the bed at 11 or 12 at night, Duvall can hardly keep his eyes open. Setting his alarm for 5:55 a.m., Duvall lies down and waits for those 6 or so hours until he hears the soft click of the C.D. once again, beginning a new day and another old routine. He pulls out the current book he’s reading, A Heartbreaking Work, Staggering Genius, and reads until his eyes will stay open no longer.

Student works in Renaissance media booth

Those accepted take history and language classes all through the summer. On Sept. 4 after the classes and rehearsals are over, the festival begins and Shoptaw works every weekend from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. until the festival ends on Oct. 17.

Jillian enjoys working at the festival. “It’s the best job I’ve ever had,” Shoptaw said. “I love the time period and the atmosphere…people are singing or playing instruments constantly and I have a good time working behind the scenes, kind of like being a techie!”

Oct. 5, 2004

11

12 features

the harbinger

New poker trend is dealing students a royal flush

With his hand covering his mouth, Junior Garrett Dunseth sat and contemplated a make or break decision.

He could call the $20 bet and risk a sizeable amount of his chips, or he could fold and discard his chances at winning big. After waiting another thirty seconds or so, he made his decision, and, with a mere flick of his wrist, cast his cards into the middle of the table. “I didn’t have it,” he said matterof-factly, “I couldn’t do it.”

Poker, specifically Texas Hold ‘Em, is a new craze sweeping the nation. Shows such as the World Poker Tour (WPT) and the World Series of Poker (WSOP) have brought the game to a broader audience by attracting new players every day. For one group of Shawnee Mission East students, who play weekly, poker has become more than a fad.

It was at one of these games where nine guys, six of them East students found themselves on Friday afternoon a week ago. Matt Imig, Garret Dunseth, Cullen Rice, Bentley Devilling, Duncan Renfrow-Simon and Will Cheek sat around two tables in the corner of a basement in comfortable Leawood, making uncomfortable decisions the whole time.

“It’s a rush knowing that you can win or lose a lot of money in an instant,” said sophomore Bradley Meyers, “it’s awesome.”

While the rush can be enticing, not all poker players play solely for that thrill.

“It’s fun to be with friends,” said junior Cullen Rice, “plus it’s always in the back of your mind that you might win.”

CAFFEINE CRAZY Madi Moedritzer

It’s 7 a.m. at Hi Hat, the local coffee shop in Westwood Hills; Sophomore Ellie Leak waits in line with all the other half-awake customers. She counts down the people in front of her, until she finally gets to the counter. Ellie orders her usual, a latte, and patiently waits while it brews. Finally the employee calls out her order. Ellie smiles as she sips her latte. She knows it will be a good day, all because she’s had her morning dose of caffeine.

“When I have coffee in the morning it helps me to wake up and I become more alert and hyper,” said Leak. Alertness is one of the most common effects of caffeine. People drink it because they think about that and not about its negative effects.

But it does have its negative effects. Doctor Beth Cameron, of Shawnee Mission Medical Center, has studied the effects of caffeine on the body. According to Cameron, caffeine can cause difficulty concentrating, increase in blood pressure and heart rate, sleep deprivation, and a jittery feeling.

“When I have coffee in my system I have trouble sleeping that night and my body becomes shaky,” said Leak.

One cup of coffee twice a week won’t have much of an effect on the body, but someone drinking coffee, coke or anything with caffeine in it, as much as three times a day, in Leak’s case, will

about it for three hours and the guy who wins just moves on.”

After Rice was knocked out he proclaimed to the group, “I’m think done for today, I’ll just hang out for a little while.”

A mere five minutes later, he had bought back in $10.

“We don’t put a limit on how many times people can buy in,” Welch said. “Pots get pretty big like $300-$400 a night.”

With that much money on the line getting good cards is a blessing. But as Welch said, “It doesn’t matter what your starting hand is, you can win.”

It’s here that the line is drawn between a good player and a great one.

“Anyone can win with four of a kind,” said Meyers, “it’s the guy that wins with a Jack/7 off suit that knows what he’s doing.”

photo by Molly Magoon

Derek Martin

Sophomore Duncan RenfrowSimon agreed, “It has something for everyone,” he said, “competition, reasoning, the rush, it has it all.”

The players put on their “poker face” to try and hide nuances about themselves, but nobody is perfect. Some hold their faces in their hands as if trying to pull the luck from within. Some, like Senior Will Cheek, choose to wear sunglasses. What each player does varies on his or her style of play. However, the way one acts must be moderated, for every twitch or glance can reveal a wealth of information about the hand each player holds.

“If someone contemplates a call for a long time it usually means they don’t have that strong of a hand,” said Dunseth.

“You just have to get a feel, and that comes from playing again and again.”

As the game went on, and a beautiful Friday afternoon turned to night, a trend began to develop. While some hands would go different ways, the people who had the most chips never seemed to change. Even after a big loss or two, those with the tallest stacks remained the same.

Renfrow-Simon said this is just further evidence that poker is by no means a game of chance. “It obviously involves skill, you see the same people winning over and over again, that’s not luck.”

One particular game-breaking exchange during the game between Cullen Rice and Joe Jackson, a Junior a BVNW, demonstrated the ups and downs of poker. After the flop Rice went all in, Jackson called and they revealed their hands. Rice held pocket aces, the best starting hand, and with an ace on the board he had three of a kind. Jackson, on the other hand, held a seven/eight suited and had a straight draw. The fifth and final card fell – a nine. Jackson had made his straight and Rice was eliminated.

“That was probably one of my worst beats, “ Rice said.

Mike Welch, a former East student and a Junior at BVNW this year, said, “The guy who gets beat always remembers longer than the guy who wins, because he sits their sulking

JUNIOR GARRET Dunseth places a bet

Students depend on caffeine to pull them through the day

be affected. “When I go a day without drinking coffee I become really tired and I’m usually in a bad mood,” said Leak.

In fact, the effects of caffeine are so strong they can lead to an addiction. The amount that qualifies a person as having a caffeine addiction ranges from person to person, according to Cameron. “For some people two diet cokes a day can cause all the negative symptoms, it just depends on the person’s body.”

When the body is used to having caffeine on a regular basis, it can experience caffeine withdrawal when there is no caffeine intake. “I sometimes have headaches and become unusually tired when I haven’t had coffee that day.”

Cameron qualifies a caffeine addiction as “when a person can feel the effects when the caffeine intake starts to wear off, and they feel like they have to have more.”

When asked if she thinks she has a caffeine addiction Leak responded with,“I bet I do.” When all the symptoms are there, as in her case, the best thing to do it take your caffeine in moderation and temper down slowly.

How to energize yourself without caffeine

Oct. 5, 2004

get a good night’s sleep go for a short walk to get your body stimulated eat healthy don’t skip meals

photo by Kevin Grunwald

It’s in the

Features

issue 3

13

Ray crosses Hollywood Senior Heather Ray shows support Boulevard for Hollywood and the homeless Cynthia Goldman Senior Heather Ray dares to standout in Hollywood... by carrying an 8 ffoot cross for the homeless.

1. What exactly did you do this summer?

I walked down Hollywood boulevard with a bunch of gutterpunks carrying an eight-foot cross, handing out new testament bibles and bottles of water. We asked if they needed anything, we’d pray with them. They told us their stories on why they’d lived on the streets.

2. Why did you do it?

4. How did you find out about this event?

I went to California with my sister, and we met up with my sister’s boyfriend. He does it every Thursday, but I just did it once.

5. What kind of reaction did you get?

I dunno. {I did it} to pray for the city.

3. For religious reasons?

I’m not really religious. I thought it was a fun thing to do. Not everyone can say they went down Hollywood Boulevard with an eight-foot cross.

We definitely got weird looks and a bunch of “Jesus freaks!” and “F-- you!”

photo by Kevin Grunwald

��������������������������

����������������������������������������������������������� �����������������������������������������������������������������

��

�������

�������

������������������������������������������������������

���� ���������������� �������������������������������������� ����������������������������������������������������������

Oct. 5, 2004

ADAM MILLER BRADY MYERS DAYTON BOTTS

“ “

WILL FRITZ

No one woke me up so my mom just told me, so I went to McDonalds and was like ‘Am I supposed to be here?’

DOUG BRAKE

MARK MODRCIN

“

JOE FALK

CIRQ du SO

A New Wake-U Ellie Weed

“

SCOTT BORGMEIR

I heard my dog barking and someone came into my room. It was kind of awkward...but it was fun.

“

PATRICK ARDINGER

“

Boys

Homecom

I was already awake and watching TV, and they came in and told me that I ruined it.

SCOTT BORGMEIR

It’s 5:45 in the morning, and the STUCO members are getting ready to make their rounds. Equipped with pots and pans and other accessories, they’re prepared to go wake up 13 senior boys at their houses along with the 13 senior girls and surprise them with the news of their nomination for homecoming king or queen. Sometimes it’s just a nice little tap to wake them up, other times it’s more extravagant- like sophomore Abbey Blick’s method of banging kitchen utensils together.

A few times, it doesn’t exactly work out as intended to. One nominee was out of town, one lived too far away, and a few were

MARSHALL MARTENS

MATT BECKER BLAKE GOODMAN TODD CRAWFORD WILL FRITZ

DOUG BRAKE K

QUE OLEIL

Girls

ming 2004

ALEX HELMUTH MEGAN WELTNER RACHEL BECK BRITTON ETZENHOUSER

ALLISON OWENS

ALLISON OWENS

I was in the bathroom and [they] came up behind me banging on MEGAN McCADDON pots and pans congratulating me.

BRITTON ETZENHOUSER

“

“

e just early risers.

“I was in the shower, and my y d mom told me to come out and - put a towel on because I had a surprise,” nominee Camryn Reynolds r said. “A good surprise.”

Another senior came accross s s nearly the same incident.

“I was in my closet and it was weird to see Nathan Stepp behind m the door when I closed it,” he said.

No matter what method, no s matter what hour, no matter what STUCO member waking you up, no one can be disappointed with y a nomination for one of the biggest social events of the year, even e if only a couple of hours of sleep were squeezed in the night before.

“ “

“ “

Kind of Up Call

Someone jumped on my bed and started shaking me and I had no clue what it was for.

They shook me and MAGGIE MASTERSON told me that they were going to buy me breakfast at McDonald’s, which was exciting!

KATHERINE MINGLE SARAH WELTNER MEREDITH LOONEY

LIBBY DIX

CAMRYN REYNOLDS

LIBBY DIX

ALLISON ISENBERG

16 features

the harbinger

A life set in stones

An East teacher of 35 years shares his own biography Sarah Burford

photo by Emily Rappold

“Go to work!” old. Instead of becoming discouraged, he was determined teachers despite East’s decrease in population since then.

Metal files clang, silver flecks fly, sand belts whirr, to excel despite the odds. In fact, Crawford makes it look so One addition that Crawford helped create was the Art torches shoot blue flames. A blond girl bends over a vise easy that the potters he has taught often want to throw pots Seminar class. Due to his extensive career at East, great holding her precious project, and watches her instructor’s with just one hand. skill, and lovable character, Crawford’s colleagues have moves closely; she nods in understanding and goes away “I try not to let it get in the way,” he said. “Sometimes gained a respect for him. to work on it. Scribbles and sketches, silver and inlay, files it’s danged inconvenient, but if I want to do it, I can usually “He runs one of the best high school jewelry programs in and drills cover the well-worn desk. Students surround it figure out how to do it.” the United States,” Shellie Trewolla said. “It’s one of the top in a long line, awaiting advice from their teacher, Chuck In addition to ceramics, Crawford has taught every art five, and all the rest are fine arts schools.”

Crawford. class at East except photo and painting. Jewelry, with which Catherine Siegel, a teacher at East for three years, From feeding chickens in Paola to soldering silver in current students most associate him, came as quite a shock. admires Crawford’s “understanding of jewelry.”

Shawnee Mission, Crawford has done it all. For 35 years, Just three days before school started, the administration “He’s taught generations – parents, teachers – and is at East students have applied his careful instruction to sprung the class on him. “So I learned to silver solder quick such a mastery level,” she said. “He’s really laid-back and hundreds of projects, as he continues to create on his own. and away we went,” Crawford said. The jewelry classes easy to work with.”

Though students C r a w f o r d ’s will kill for a spot in style of teaching the crowded jewelry has made students room, and some want to work for have taken his class him rather than feel six or seven times, obligated. Creativity very few know cannot result much about his life from commands, history.

Crawford says; he Chuck Crawford wants them to do grew up in the work that they like to tiny town of do.

Paola, Kansas “He gives you the on his family’s opportunity to do farm.

The onewhatever you want room schoolhouse and make the most consisted of 13 of your ideas,” senior students in grades Kate Mallula said.

1-8; Crawford’s only Though Crawford classmate was his enjoys teaching cousin. Though a and loves kids, he small boy, Crawford does plan to retire still pulled his in about two years. weight around the Most of all, he will farm by feeding the miss his students chickens. After his and co-workers. dad’s back couldn’t One thing he will take the tractor not miss, however, anymore, he got a job is the growing use of with an insulation computers. company and they “If I could teach moved to Wellsville. and only teach, I They later moved could teach forever,” back to Paola and he said. Before- and Crawford graduated after-school time from Paola High is spent writing School, which had e-mails and dealing TEACHER CHUCK CRAWFORD aids a student with her jewelry project. Mr. Crawford has been teaching East students with their art for 35 with an excellent drafting administrative program. He went to years. issues instead of with Pittsburgh State University to study architecture but soon increased to the six that he teaches today, each with about his students. “It’s frustrating not spending time on the kids,” switched to art education for a more right-brained career. 28 students. he said.

Crawford’s expectations are high: he wants his students “I’d rather draw curved lines,” he said.

Crawford believes in practicing what he preaches by It was at Pitt State that Crawford met his wife Charlotte. on the same level as he was in graduate school. “And they continuing to work as an artist, but he has less and less time Though they met in freshman English, they didn’t date until have long surpassed me,” he said. to do it.

Many times, students’ ideas are difficult to put into graduate school. Once married, they moved to Kansas City “A good art teacher is a good artist; if you’re not and never left. With an undergraduate degree in painting, products. But Crawford is optimistic. performing as an artist, your not being a good teacher,” he “We’ll find a way to make it work. There are lots of things said. a Masters in printmaking, and a love for people, Crawford applied to the Shawnee Mission School District and became I haven’t done before, but that’s what makes it fun,” he said.

And he has lived by that doctrine. Having taught himself Senior Charlotte Hecht, currently in her fourth jewelry jewelry and excelled as a master craftsman with only one an art teacher at Hillcrest Junior High (now Westridge Middle School). But after teaching there for a year, Crawford class, knows how accommodating Crawford is when it functional hand, Chuck Crawford has gained the utmost comes to projects. decided high school was his preference. respect and love from, not only his colleagues, but his “He doesn’t leave his work here – he’s always thinking … students also.

“I’d rather work on a little higher level of project,” he about how to make things work,” she said. said.

He loves his trade, he loves the kids, but the thing he East’s art program has grown considerably since loves most of all about teaching is “watching kids’ creativity; In 1969, Crawford moved to Shawnee Mission East as the ceramics teacher. But he was unlike most potters. Polio Crawford first arrived. With less than three teachers and it just boggles my mind.” had rendered one hand useless when he was just two years a larger student body in 1969, it has grown to seven art

Oct. 5, 2004

aced

special section

Snapshot pecial ection

issue 3

aced (inf.) make the grade of A

What is IN regarding style, events, and most importantly, attitude. All approved by the Harbinger staff.

Today

Official presidential debates: Thursday 8 p.m on CBS

student profiles. college previews. hot spots. scholarship info. student profiles. college previews. scholarship info. student profiles. college previews. hot spots. scholarship info. student profiles. college previews. scholarship info. student profiles. college previews. hot spots. scholarship info. student profiles. college previews. scholarship info. student profiles. college previews. hot spots. scholarship info. student profiles. college previews. scholarship info. student profiles. college previews. hot spots. scholarship info. student profiles. college previews. scholarship info. student profiles. college previews. hot spots. scholarship info. student profiles. college previews. scholarship info. student profiles. college previews. hot spots. scholarship info. student profiles. college previews. scholarship info. student profiles. college previews. hot spots. scholarship info. student profiles. college previews. scholarship info. student profiles. college previews. hot spots. scholarship info. student profiles. college previews. scholarship info. student profiles. college previews. hot spots. scholarship info. student profiles. college previews. scholarship

a look at students, colleges, KC, and so much more

inside outside

Yesterday The common attitude of: Like, omigosh! I am totally missing my Real World episodes.

Lookout Political yard signs in every yard, T.V shows clipped down to 10 min. in order to accomodate campaign ads, and Gap being turned into a Nader paraphenalia boutique (okay, maybe an exaggeration, but you never know).

Scholarships Discover Card Tribute Award contact: http:// discovercard.com/tribute.htm requirements: Must be a junior with a 2.75 GPA, excel in Special Talents, Leadership and Community Service.

Total Award: $2,500 to $25,000

17

L

L

O

O

ocated in Welleseley, MA, this allgirls school is ranked fourth in the nation among liberal arts colleges in U.S News &World Report survey, Wellesley is widely acknowledged as the college that best provides an education for women.

Curriculum: You can choose from moret than 1,000 courses and 52 majors that allow you to tailor your college education to fit your exact needs. You are required to take a writing course, to fulful a quantitative reasoning requirment and to complete at least one course with a multicultural focus.

Most common majors: 32.9% receive

K

M r. N i cke ls p u rch a o n h i s ne w ly s e d s c o o te r

a Humanities major; 36.5% major in Social Sciences; and 14.6% receive a Math-

ematics and Sciences major. The final 16% receive an Interdisciplinary major in either Int. Relations, American Studies, or Peace and Justice.

Extracurricular Activities: Home to the second oldest acapella choir in the nation and a strong theatre program. The Waldorf Warriors participate in the NAIA Midwest Classic Conference.

Enrollment: 2,219 full time students, 93 part time. The male members of the faculty make up the 1% of males in the school.

55% are white, while 26% are Asian and 17% are international students.

Admission: One of the most selective schools in the country.

75% are in the top tenth of their high school, while 95% are in the top quarter.

ACT and SAT required.

Tuition: $29,796 while room and board is $9,202. Wellesley does have one of the largest endowment funds, reaching over $1 billion.

Contact:Phone (781)283.2270

30 ssecond econd thoughts

with

Patrick Montgomery 1. What is the first thing your would do if you were invisible?

Steal a guitar and reak havoc.

2. If you were Dr. Cocolis for a day, what would you do?

Loosen school policy and open lunch up for everyone 3. What one word sums you up?

Musical 4. If you could record an album with anyone, who would it be?

Led Zeppelin 5. What song do you sing in the shower?

America by Simon and Garfunkel

18

a&e

the harbinger

Save the last dance... AND YOUR MONEY!

Shall We Dance serves as one bad proposition of a movie

GEAR with Lopez, and (below) Surrandon in Shall We Dance

Scott Peterson Even before the commercials began to run, I knew this was going to be a bad experience. Maybe 40 people had shown up for the sneak preview of Shall We Dance, a romantic comedy featuring Richard Gere, Jennifer Lopez and Susan Sarandon. Eighty percent of those people were senior women.

The remaining people were couples on dates, probably the only two types of people that this movie will attract.

Gere plays John Clark, an accountant who feels that his life is too routine. On his way home on Chicago’s El train one day, he looks up and sees a beautiful, but depressed, woman (Lopez) looking out the window of Miss Mitzi’s Dance Studio.

For the next few days he always looks up and she is always looking out of the window into space, just on the verge of tears. For some unknown reason, this inspires him to take up dancing at Miss Mitzi’s studio, and

Shark Afloat

Computer animated Shark Tale is as much fun as a rainy day at sea

Ian McFarland

enrolls in the beginner course.

Miss Mitzi herself is the dance instructor, and her assistant is Paulina.

About three quarters of the movie is him taking lessons at this studio, with his wife (Sarandon) growing more and more suspicious that he is up to no good, and even hires a private detective.

The first half hour or so of this is pleasant, and romantic. I felt no great suspense, there weren’t any shocking edge of your seat plot twists, but there were a number of funny situations, like when John would practice at home with his broomstick as a partner, unaware that his daughter is watching.

Shortly after that the movie becomes predictable.

It loses its witty edge, and becomes a dull, pointless movie. Every time it would be the same dance, at the same place, with the same people; there wasn’t very much change. John wanted to get rid of his routine life, but from what I can see, he settled back into one. My watch soon became my only companion, as I was constantly checking it to see when this torture would be over. And how the minutes slowly ticked by.

The last interesting thing that kept my interest was Link Peterson (Stanley Tucci),

Finding Nemo might be the best computer animated movie to date. With rich characters, sharp wit, and a genuinely powerful story, it’s hard to deny Nemo’s greatness. So it’s hard to understand how Shark Tale, a similarly themed film, can be so, well, so-so.

In Shark Tale, we find Oscar (Will Smith), a little fish with big dreams. Whenever he’s not working at the whale wash, he’s daydreaming about or concocting some big idea that’s supposed to take him to the top. Of course, by the end of the movie he actually makes it the top and realizes it’s not what he expected. It really is amazing how original this idea is, as we’ve only seen this premise in 8 Mile, Aladdin, Boogie Nights, A Bug ’s Life, Bruce Almighty, Chicago, Rookie of the Year, The Waterboy…

The voice acting is all subpar at best. Though Robert De Niro gives an enthusiastic performance as Don Lino the Godfather of a shark run mafia, there is virtually no other actor in this movie who entertains the audience.

“

John’s balding co-worker who pretends to be a sports fanatic in front of people. What he really enjoys is ballroom dancing in sequins, but he wears a very long wig so that no one notices him. John finds out, and they become friends, and Link is constantly trying to prove to other people that he isn’t gay—he just likes to dance. He provides quite a few clever one-liners throughout.

The final scenes of my gruesome torture were the repetitive dance scenes, which, although they produced some laughs first, were the same things with different partners.

Okay, I get it, John just learned how to waltz, can we move on now? Nope, one more time, and again. Oh good, his partner is now none other than the great Paulina herself; too bad it’s the same stupid dance.

If you are on a date, then this would be a good choice to see. It’s most certainly relaxing, maybe to a fault, and the plot is relatively simple. If you are looking for a movie with entertainment value, or you are out with your friends, then do not waste your eight dollars and fifty cents on this, as there are plenty of other movies this fall that actually involve some point to the story.

I was constantly checking [my watch] to see when this torture would be over.

”

Smith is over the top and puts a fin over the line of irritation. Martin Scorsese starts out as entertaining as the owner of the whale wash, but ends up becoming a banal wigger. Everyone else is just not there.

The only substantially entertaining aspect of Shark Tale is it’s amusing references to pop culture. It’s stuff like a fish run sushi bar, a threat of a loved one sleeping with the fishes (the dead ones anyway,) and a shrimp with a voice as high pitched as a tuning fork telling a shark to say hello to his little friend that keeps you from falling asleep.

If you’re under the age of 8, it’s guaranteed you’ll like Shark Tale. There are bright colors, talking animals, and a very foreseeable happy ending. But if you’re over the age limit, you might ask yourself “Why didn’t I just see 8 Mile, or Aladdin, or Boogie Nights...”

SMITH plays Oscar in Shark Tale

Oct. 5 2004

a&e

issue 3

Brand-new Day It’s sometimes rare to see a band break away from stereotypes and succeed in exploring new realms of music. That is precisely what Green Day accomplished with their new album American Idiot, which is the bands first release of new material since 2000’s Warning.

To listen to the album all the way through is like going on an adventure, filled with unexpected twists and turns.

Throughout the album the band throws out curveballs with songs like “Extraordinary Girl”, which opens with an Eastern sound and “Wake Me Up When September Ends” which contains every element of a power ballad.

This album is also setup differently than any previous Green Day album.

The songs “Jesus of Suburbia” and “Homecoming” are both approximately 9 minutes long, containing about four to five chapters. This is a rare concept, especially with such serious punk rock bands as Green Day. Another group to play around with the idea was Pink Floyd with their 1975 album Wish You Were Here.

Although varying enormously in sound, the two albums are set up similarly around the same concept.

With these chapters, Green Day is able to tell a story. “Jesus of Suburbia” is a character the band takes through life, adding plenty of misfortunes and struggles the character has to cope with. The band tells his story through five chapters, using segues in-between to create the feeling of a story.

Another interesting aspect of the album is getting to hear lead guitar / vocalist Billie Joe Armstrong play multiple guitar solos throughout the album. That’s right: a guitar solo performed by Billie Joe. Those of you familiar with the band’s previous albums realize just how non-existent this concept was. Just being able to say that you heard a Green Day song with a guitar solo should be enough incentive to buy the album.

Many associate a band’s release of their Greatest Hits with the end of their career. This is not the case for Green Day; International Superhits came out in 2002 and with the release of American Idiot the band seems to have been born again with a creative new sound.

Andy Launder

19

Green Day returns with a rock opera

But if you’re a Green Day fan of old, there’s no reason to worry; their trademark sound can still be found on the album.

Songs like “American Idiot”, “She’s a Rebel” and “St. Jimmy” all contain the 3-chord vintage pop / punk rock that put them on the map.

American Idiot is the kind of album you can throw in the CD player and listen from beginning to end and never get bored; something that cannot be said about previous Green Day albums, which can get extremely monotonoussounding.

It comes as no surprise that the album is very enjoyable to listen to if you’re just in the mood to rock out, but either way the rock gods have given us a delicious piece of meat to chew on for awhile.

American Idiot

“ ” Just being able to say that you heard a Green Day song with a guitar solo should be enough...

GREEN DAY consists of Billie Joe Armstrong (center; lead vocals / guitar), Mike Dirnt (left; bass guitar / vocals) and Tre’ Cool (right; drums).

Track Listing

1. American Idiot 2. Jesus of Suburbia I. City of the Damned II. I Don’t Care III. Dearly Beloved IV. Tales of Another Broken Home 3. Holiday 4. Boulevard of Broken Dreams 5. Are We the Waiting 6. St. Jimmy 7. Give Me Novocaine 8. She’s a Rebel 9. Extraordinary Girl 10. Letterbomb 11. Wake Me Up When September Ends 12. Homecoming I. The Death of St. Jimmy II. East 12th St. III. Nobody Likes You IV. Rock and Roll Girlfriend V. We’re Coming Home Again 13. Whatsername

College Night Oct. 13 Oct. 5, 2004

20

a&e

ABSURD!

Cay Fogel in my own words

My grandmother sits on my living room couch, watching as the celebrity presenters hand over the Emmy for best comedy series to the cast and crew of a new and unlikely show on the Fox network called Arrested Development.

“I don’t know that show,” she says in her over-loud voice.

“It’s new. It’s really funny,” my brother promises as I nod, and we set into a detailed description of the comedy produced by A Beautiful Mind director Ron Howard.

We tell her about the main focus of the show: the Dysfunctional (that’s right, with a capital “d”) family with the rich, high society mother who is hilariously evil; the father who, in the pilot of the series is sent to prision for shady business dealings, adopts Judaism; the protagonist, a widower with one son who is by far both the most normal and the most shunned of the family; the sister, who— “You wouldn’t like it, mom,” my father interrupts, rather rudely. “It’s a bit too… absurd…for your tastes.”

I can’t honestly say that he’s wrong. Development is funny, even hilarious at times, but it’s humor is a new brash kind of humor that wouldn’t appeal to my seventy-two year old grandmother who is to this day trying to convince me that modern music is tuneless and that Tom Selleck is attractive. On that same note, it’s not likely to be one of the most appealing shows to the older generation. It’s far from politically correct, and it possesses a weird, unsteady sense of structure that seems to annoy those over fifty.

I think my father had the wording just right; the show is absurd. It has interludes of complete madness and characters alike: one of the most prominent of these is the brother-in-law, obviously a closeted homosexual who has an intense, irrational photo courtesy of FOX fear of being completely naked.

Television’s newest genre of comedy is here

THE GANG from Arrested Development goes on a fateful fishing trip

the harbinger

Oct. 5, 2004

This is not the first, nor is it probably the last, of television comedies that my grandmother will neither like nor understand. Development is only one of the most recent in a brand new, absurd genre that is picking up speed and mass like a snowball rolling down a hill. This genre includes such well-known titles as Curb Your Enthusiasm, an HBO series created out of improvised scenes with famous actors and actresses, and Scrubs, an NBC comedy series about the terrifying and hilarious work of ER doctors and residents.

Yes, okay, they are admittedly strange, but these shows all manage what they set out to accomplish: they make the audience crack up. They appeal to that little voice inside everyone that says “I want to see a midget ride on top of a fed-ex car into a big pile of garbage today.” They have interesting characters and strange plot twists, and although their characters and scenarios aren’t realistic, they are deeply honest. Both Development and Scrubs have a voiceover that comes through clearly, highlights a moral, and appeals to a sense of earnestness. There can even be found a glimmering moment of depth and humanity in these programs-- although it is quickly and purposely whipped away in exchange for an unpredicted laugh.

These shows do all of these things so well that they manage to escape the usually necessary detail of believability.

And you know what? It doesn’t matter at all. These programs changed my idea of what makes good television. Although my grandmother might not understand it, most people in a certain generational bracket can understand that this wild, absurd approach to entertainment is not only a means to a laugh, but a means to let go. A means to stop worrying about homework and boys that don’t say “hi” back and angry customers who didn’t get their salad on time. These shows are a fraction of an escape.

And America is watching. Not only watching, but commending, as was made obvious at the Emmys when Arrested Development walked off the Emmy stage with five little statues of a golden dude holding a big ball.

issue 3

256

a&e

Talking the talk

257

Tom Grotewohl

Is it chill to be a tweak around a sketchbag? Is it hella dank to holla at a fugly chick? If these questions are alien to you, then chances are you are out of touch with much of the language echoing through the East corridors. Slang is a rapidly evolving art form, and if you aren’t up-to-date on your vocabulary, you may find yourself unable to communicate with your more word-savvy friends. Luckily, I’ve compiled this glossary of terms to guide you in your quest to lingo enlightenment.

bounce Ex: Yo, this building is kind of on fire. Let’s bounce. v. 1. To leave.

hella Ex: The cops were chasing him, so he drove hella fast. But then adj. 1. In great amounts; very

they caught him, and now he’s busted. Hella busted.

holla

v. 1. To flirt with someone

Ex: He wanted to holla at the hot babe, but it turned out she was a dude.

po-po Ex: He thought robbing the bank was a good idea, but the po-po n. 1. A police officer.

believed otherwise.

n. 1. a stranger rando Ex: I can’t believe that rando asked for my number. It’s a good thing we gave him grandma’s instead!

chick Ex: I am sick of these lonely nights with Super Mario. I n. 1. A female

need to get me a chick.

chill Ex: Marianne treasured her time locked in the jail cell, for it was

adj. 1.odorous, smelly rank Ex: The dirty hippie smelled so rank that we each gave him five dollars just to take a shower.

adj. 1. cool; calm

the chillest experience of her life.

chill

sketch

adj. 1.risky; shady Ex: He wanted to cheat on the English test, but it seemed pretty sketch. Then he did anyway.

v. 1. To relax.

Ex: Dude, your ferret’s dead and he’s not coming back. Just chill.

dank

(adj) 1. good; high quality; awesome

who is dangerous sketchbag n.to be1.someone around

Ex:When Willard managed to fit the fifteenth marshmallow in his mouth, Joey declared it was a dank moment.

deck

Ex: You could say Jack the Ripper was a bit of a sketchbag. v. 1. To punch someone.

Ex: The mean guy kept making false claims, so I decided to deck him in the face.

false-baller Ex: Tyrelle once proclaimed he had the ability to walk on

n. 1. someone who lies about their skills

n. 1. someone who freaks out about things that tweak aren’t that big of a deal

water, but after giving him mouth-to-mouth the lifeguard labeled him a mere false-baller.

Ex: A shark bite? Just slap on a band-aid and quit being such a twear.

fugly Ex: What was the deal with you hitting on that fugly chick? She

v. 1. to freak out about things tweak Ex: Every time I come over your cat tweaks out and pees on

looked like a golden retriever.

my leg.

adj. 1. extremely unattractive

bounce

fugly

hella Oct. 5, 2004

tweak

21

22 a&e

the harbinger

photo by Linda Howard

Style Revival

Retro fashions become a trend among students Jayne Shelton Sophomore Abbey Bavely walks down the hallway with a contented look on her face and her hands bent at the wrist, like Miss America might have. She stands out; not only for her “Miss USA” walk, but for her ensemble as well.

Bavely is wearing a pink lace dress with layers, one you would expect a flapper to wear in the “Roaring Twenties“, a denim jacket with a sparkly brooch on the left side, and green leather ballet shoes. Bavely wears clothes like this everyday, a type of style referred to as vintage.

“I like vintage because it is original,” says Bavely, “You don’t see it on everyone.”

According to Bavely, a vintage twist to your style lets you dress differently from everyone else and allows you be an individual. Contrary to Bavely’s belief, vintage has become the fashion trend for one and all.

The vintage look will, continue to run this winter and spring, according to prestigious fashion magazines such as Elle and Vogue. The look is supposed to be a 1940’s style: classic and elegant. Stores like Arizona Trading Co. and Dottie Mae’s are becoming more popular. Arizona Trading Co. also known as A.T.C., is a second hand shop that is filled with vintage everything. It has belts, bags, and purses hanging from every column, and a corner filled with trucker hats and shoes. Every inch in between is crammed with pants, shirts, jeans, and jackets of all styles.

A representative of A.T.C., Kristina Feyerherm, says that she thinks the growth of popularity in vintage is great.

“Even the new designers are making clothes that are retro

inspired,” she said, “This stuff it is so classic that it keeps coming back over and over again.”

There is also “old and new” vintage, according to Feyerherm. The new style is clothes specially designed to look retro, and the old style is second hand clothes that are actually from the era. There are advantages to both. The benefit of old vintage clothes is that there is a good chance no one has it, and are probably one of a kind. Feyerherm says the benefit of new vintage clothes is that not only are they more fitting to your body, but they are just a better quality of clothes. Most athentic vintage stuff is made out of cheap fabrics like polyester and rayon. “I’m not a big fan of polyester,” she said.

Feyerherm thinks a good vintage look for girls is ladylike. “Tweed jackets and suits with a 1940’s feel to them complement any occasion,“ she said. The fashion-istas at Vogue feel the same way. Their website says “…tweed took center stage this season…the fabric was worked into equestrian-flavored jackets and strictly tailored suits.”

“I love A.T.C.” said Bavely, “the clothes are so cool, and so cheap.”

The inexpensive trait of vintage second hand garments is where Bavely says she got the idea for wearing vintage.

It doesn’t take much money to buy them and you can do whatever you want to them.

“You can buy them then just cut them up, and you don’t feel bad,” she said, “I totally just covered my jeans with paint once, just because I got them for $2.”

Oct. 5, 2004

Dottie Mae’s is a store filled with costumes, second hand clothes and mannequins. As you walk up to the door, you see mannequins adorned with faux jewelry, colored wigs, and period costumes. The entire store gives off a sense of bizarre-ness that the mannequins give at the door. There is a box of embroidered name patches that go on utility workers uniforms, stringy dyed wigs, headbands with head ornaments on them, and this is just the top floor.

In the double-room basement, there are the used clothes and Halloween costumes. On the costume side, there is everything from Tony the Tiger body suits to 1950’s house wife dresses with all the accessories. On the clothing side, the attire seems less intriguing, but is still classic vintage apparel.

Owner Dottie Mae Groves has definitely noticed more high school students, but she thinks it is because they are more aware of the store. As for “old and new” vintage, she prefers the old kind. “They have a look that says it is original and authentic,” Groves said, “Although they aren’t made as well as the clothes are today.”

The message is clear from almost every angle that vintage is ‘back in”, but that doesn’t take away from its unique attributes. Abbey Bavely, being only one of many examples for this declaration. “It gives you a chance to dress differently,” she said. While, it is not as different as it might have been, but there are definitely enough styles of vintage for everyone to have their own

23

sports

issue 3

Ping-pong pros Table tennis aficionados form tournament Patrick Haverty After countless weekends of dominating their friends in table tennis, avid Ping-Pong players Asa Wilder, Tyler Enders, and Johnny McGuire were in search of opponents worthy of challenging them.

“Tyler Enders and I were in the library one day and we thought that we could find people to play against by starting a table tennis club,” McGuire said.

Enders told Asa Wilder of the idea and Wilder approved.

“I’m a pretty hard-core ping pong player, and can beat pretty much everyone I’ve ever played.

I was looking for people to match my quality, so when Tyler told me of the club, I knew that that was a good place to start,” Wilder said.

The trio then approached teacher Kelly Fast about being a sponsor. Not interested, he directed them to fellow English teacher Michael Pulsinelli, who welcomed the idea.

“I said yes. It sounded like a fun. For whatever reason table tennis has reemerged as a fun thing to do,” Pulsinelli said.

The reemergence of table tennis was evident at the clubs first meeting as over fifty people showed up, far more than expected.

“We got way more [people] than I expected.

I was only expecting my friends to show up. When over fifty showed up I was really surprised. Table tennis fever is sweeping the school,” Wilder said.

While some are experienced players, others are just new to the sport. After a neck injury sidelined him for his career, varsity football player Brent Nye found a new sport to punish people in.

“Now that I can’t dominate people on the football field, I have quickly found a new sport that I like,” Nye said.

The club, whose official sponsorship from the school is currently pending, already has its

Coalition of Ping-Pong Founders: Asa Wilder, Tyler Enders, and Johnny McGuire The tourney: Single elimination, 64person tournament, every Thursday Sponsor: Michael Pulsinelli first tournament of sixty-four players planned.

The club has not decided whether the tourney will be at school or at seomeone’s house.

If the first one goes well there will be many tournaments to come. As for the future of the club, Pulsinelli says that he will continue to sponsor it as long as the interest is still there.

ports ticker•sports ticker•sports ticker•sports ticker•sports ticker•sports ticker•sports ticker•sports ticker•sports ticke Varsity Football (2-2) @ SM North (3-1) 7:00 Friday at SM North Stadium

After starting 2-0 the football team has been blown out in its last two games. Senior quarterback Mack Brown has D1 talent, and he will cause problems for the Lancer defense.

The Lancers aren’t supposed to win this game. A victory would be a pleasant Homecoming surprise.

By the Numbers

83 27

Points allowed by the varsity football team in their last two games, against Olathe East and Lawrence Points scored by the varsity team in these two games

Junior Varsity: Coach Jim Rick-

er says says the JV has struggled at times giving up goals and it shows in their record. They are 2-5-1 heading into their game against Olathe East.

C-Team: At 5-1-1 this team has

been doing well because of their defense, Ricker says. Freshman Joey Lutz is their leading scorer.

Kelly Dvorak Senior, middle, varsity volleyball Hillcrest tournament, September 18 Career high, 31 kills

Forward Varsity Soccer

There were five minutes left in the game and Shawnee Mission Northwest had just scroed and cut the lead to one goal.

Junior Garrett Webb walked up to the ball and took the ensuing kickoff, promptly beating five opposing players and scoring his second goal of the game. It took him eight seconds.

The goal, his team leading seventh of the season, gave Webb controls the ball and looks the varsity soccer team a two downfield during a recent game goal lead and they won 5-3.

Boys Soccer Cross-country Varsity: After their win against SM Northwest, the team moved to 5-3-1 on the season. Up next is Olathe East tonight at 7.

Other Top Performers

Player of the Week Garrett Webb

Metro Championships Varsity Boys 1. John McCormick (17:19) 2. Will Gates (17:21) Girls 1. Meg Sterchi (21:19) 2. Patti Blair (21:35)

Junior Varsity Boys 1. Connor Dennis (18:06) 2. Stephen McKim (18:07) Girls 1. Alicia Anderson (23:11) 2. Kristen Marquis (23:12)

Emily Rappold

Game of the Week

Volleyball Varsity: Senior Jesse Sargent is the team’s new setter, the “quarterback of volleyball,” says head coach Terry Wright. After a 2-2 record in their first tournament, Sargent has lead them to a 14-1 record in their last 15 games.

Junior Varsity: Freshman Kasey Sauls and sophomore Sidney Pemberton have lead the team to a 20-4 record so far.

Sophomore: At 15-6, the

sophomores have their coach Mark Bunker saying “we need more competition.”

Oct. 5, 2004

Colin Hertel Sophomore, running back, varsity football 97 carries, 525 yards, second in Sunflower League

Injury Report

Mikey Horrell Senior, Varsity Cross-country torn knee tendon, returned last meet Brent Nye Junior, Varsity football sprained neck, out for season

Football Varsity: A seven turnover performance against Olathe South and a blowout loss to Lawrence has soured the team’s 2-0 start.

Senior Logan Rutherford has 49 tackles through four games.

Junior Varsity: Offensive line injuries and defensive struggles have lead to an 0-3 start. Sophomores Peter Fetterling and Beau Sutherland have been impact receivers, however.

Sophomore: Like JV, offensive line injuries have dropped the team to a 1-3 record.

Gymnastics Varsity: Seven members from last year’s varsity team made 98% of their points and all of them graduated. After struggling at the beginning of the season, the team has made continual improvement.

Natasha Howell has been the most consistent gymnast and has a chance at making state, head coach Larry Colburn says.

Junior Varsity: Sophomore

Jane Opshal and freshman Candyze Harris lead this young team.

They have been “right with” their competition Colburn says.

24

sports

the harbinger

Rushing to their goals

As football team prepares for district play, their main focus will be their skilled running game

T

he top rusher in the Sunflower League who already broke the school record for rushing yards in a game, a 2-0 start and a favorable schedule. Only a few weeks ago, the Lancer football team had all these things going for them. Feeding off the energy a fast start brings, the team looked to turn recent history around and have a dominant season.

“We were really confident coming out of these two games, but we were realistic because we knew that we had our two toughest games coming up immediately following them and we really needed to buckle down,” junior Johnny Duvall said.

It turns out that it was only the fastest way to fall to 2-2. After losses to the heavily favored Olathe East Eagles and the previously winless Lawrence Lions, the team has seen all of the progress that made in the first two weeks disappear.

“The team was disappointed about the losses but when the schedule came out we knew that these would be very tough games. We just have to move on and keep preparing for the next game,” head football coach John Stonner said.

Now it is time to regain the momentum and start the season over again. To make the playoffs the Lancers need to finish in the top two of a division that has perennial bottom feeders like SM South, Harmon and Wyandotte High School. This is a goal that should be easily attained if the Lancers can return to their winning ways they showcased in the first two Junior Brian Tagg hauls in a 66 yard pass from quarterback Brett Condie in a 47-28 loss to Lawrence. Tagg was chased down at the games of the season.

8 yard line.

“We are right on target in terms of where we are and and the deep ball very effectively. He is the best pocket the bottom third of the Sunflower League in total offense. where we want to be,” Stonner said. “We were hoping “The defense just could never get in sync. We have a to be 4-2 when we hit districts and we are on pace to get passer in the league. He also has a senior dominated team there. When the schedule came out we circled the Olathe around him which makes them a great team,” Stonner lot of injuries, especially in the linebacking corps which made it very difficult to compete with the Lawrence East and Lawrence games as being tough games for us. said.

The fastest way for the team to get back on track against offense. They are bigger and more physical than we are We are confident that we can still achieve our goal.”

The team will need to come out strong Friday in the SM North is to continue to give the ball to sophomore to begin with even with our starters on the field,” Stonner homecoming game against a solid SM North team. The standout Colin Hertel. He is in the top ten in total offense said.

Finishing the season strong and making the playoffs first step the team will need to take in stopping the Indians and the second best rusher in the sunflower league this season having rushed for over 528 yards through the fi rst has been a goal for this team from the outset and it doesn’t will be to slow the potent passing attack that senior Mack look as though the team is going to let two early season Brown brings to the field. He is the top passer in the four games.

“Colin is just a special runner. He is a natural runner. losses stop them from achieving their goals.

Sunflower League and has already thrown for more than He sees the field well and can see the holes develop so “We never give up.” Stonner said, “The coaches never ten touchdowns.

“Brown has a great arm. He can throw the short ball he can hit them in a hurry,” Stonner said. “As he plays give up, the players never give up, no matter how far up or more and gets used to the offensive line he will progress down we are in a game, we never give up.” even more. He has become the players that the freshman coaches last year told me he could be.”

Though Hertel is a talented runner, he still has to depend on his offensive line to make the holes for him to hit. A talented offensive line is anchored by senior center Carries- 94 carries in four games Andy Logan. He is joined by a line that is getting better with every play.

Yards- 525 (Second leading rusher in the “I am joined on the line by a bunch of junior guys. I Sunflower League) am the only one that has come back from last year and you could tell at the beginning of the season,” senior Andy Yards per carry- 5.58 yards per carry Logan said. “The line though is really coming together Touchdowns- 3 touchdowns and you can tell that the younger guys are working hard and getting a lot better.”

“Hert’s (Hertel) success is not a The defense has multiple issues that need to be fl uke.

He has been dedicated since he addressed. In the first two games they were spectacular, started playing. In the weightroom, holding the Cougars and Ravens to 10 points and 3 points during practice, he is always at 110 %.” respectively. In the last two games, though, they have Sophomore defensive back Bobby given up 35 points to the Eagles and a demoralizing 48 Junior John Duvall breaks tackles to run for one of his carries in points to the Lions,who had previously been ranked in Miller the loss to Lawrence.

running wild

photo by KatiWestphal

Colin Hertel

20

Oct. 5, 2004

photo by Katie Westphal

Gordon Culver

25

sports

Struggling to

Losing six prominent seniors and dealing with injuries this season, the gymanstics team has lower scores, but their spirits are still up

Stick it

Ally Heisdorffer

“I love watching the girls when they get do their best, but says that gymnastics is an keeping the team’s motivation high, which is very important this year since done with the meet, when they’re smiling individual sport and the girls must work on they’re rebuilding with 12 new girls. and laughing and having fun,” said Howell. their own to achieve their goals.

The moms are a big support system for “Watching stronger gymnasts makes me Last year the gymnastics team lost six seniors who earned a majority of the their daughters. They sit in the audience want to be better,” Taylor said.

Each of the girls try their hardest to points for the team. Coach Larry Colburn cheering and sighing at all the right improve, but they’re having fun on the has to start new this year and encourage moments, praising the girls as they go. the girls to improve Howell has been road to perfection. The low scores aren’t doing gymnastics lowering their spirits and the loud roars of to make up for the loss.

“We may not have the since she was six and encouragement can be heard from the SME in all of the section at all the meets.

“We may not depth on gymnastics as participates events at the meets. have the depth on gymnastics as we we did last year, but we’re Senior Nikki did last year, but improving.”

Cameron is starting the season with we’re improving,” -Coach Larry Colburn Colburn said. a broken arm from falling off Improvement doesn’t come of the balance overnight and the girls are only scoring in beam at the beginning of the year.

“It was really hard [when I found the mid 80s now when the team last year was scoring in the upper 90s by this time, out I broke my arm], I thought I but that doesn’t hold them back from was going to be out all season,” Cameron said. keeping up their spirits.

Fortunately Cameron will heal Regardless of the team’s reputation so far, they have returning gymnasts who in time to be able to participate and contribute all of their efforts to the team. finish up the season.

Even though she’s not earning Among these promising gymnasts is SENIORS Emily Shoemaker (left) and Nicole returning sophomore Natashia Howell. points for her team now, all of the Padden walk on their hands during a pep assembly.

“My sister did gymnastics and I just girls look to her as a sort of second kind of followed in her footsteps,” Howell coach.

“She’s like a mom. She’s always said. “I told my sister that when I got here n between all the tumbling, balancing, I would beat all of her scores and that’s what helping us out and we can count on and swinging, the gymnastic girls sit makes me work hard.” her to spot us,” Taylor said. in groups and rub each other’s backs Howell’s sister Chenelle is a gymnastics “I love everything about while catching up on the latest gossip. This legend who still comes to watch her at the [gymnastics]. I don’t know what I’d was how the girls prepared for their next meets from time to time. do if I didn’t do this,” Cameron said. events at the SME Gymnastics Invitational “It’s not about winning,” said “You should have heard the gym when held at East for its fourth year.

Chenelle did her stunts for this one pep Paden. “It’s about doing what we East ended the meet placing thirteenth. assembly,” Colburn said. “Their cheers love.”

The gymnastics team is the largest in the raised the roof.” Although her sister was Although the gymnastics team state and is made up of about 24 girls that a prodigy, Howell keeps improving her is not scoring as well as they have come to the gym to practice every day after gymnastics skills each year and as of now in previous years, they let their school until 5:30. is one of the main point scorers for their personal ambitions motivate them “The music really gets me started team and the one of the few most likely to to do as well as they can this year. at practice,” junior Ashley Taylor said. individually participate at state.

JUNIOR Ashley Taylor practices her floor “If a girl’s willing to work hard and “[Gymnastics] keeps me energetic and in Her mother, Janet Howell usually goes to participate, then there’s a place for routine at practice after school. shape.” every meet and supports and encourages them [on the team],” Colburn said.

Each member supports one another Howell all the time.

Colburn encourages each of the girls to

I

photo by Molly Magoon

photo by Linda Howard

issue 3

Mole Day 10/22/04

Ready? You better be.

Oct. 5, 2004

26 sports

getting

the harbinger

ready to 2 26.2 5

For

teachers,

are only

miles

days away

CHAFFEE stretches before a cross-country practice. He runs 4-7 miles every day with the team as well as longer runs on weekends.

Ross Boomer

I

t didn’t matter that it was late evening before an 18-year-old Michael Chaffee decided to run the race. Forcing his parents to drive him to Columbia at night, Chaffee was determined to run his first marathon.

“I hadn’t been training for it,” he said. “[But] I decided to run ...We arrived at 4 p.m., I slept for a couple hours, then the race started at 7 in the dark.”

Chaffee had only been running for two years, joining the school’s cross-country team the fall of his junior year. He finished with an average of 7 minutes 29 seconds per mile. For 26.2 miles.

Forty-one years, 29 marathons, and thousands of miles later the history teacher and cross-country coach is attempting yet another race: the Chicago marathon this coming Saturday. And he’s not the only one running a marathon. World Geography teacher Elizabeth Wallace and history teacher Brie Meschke are also training for the race.

For Chaffee running the race is part of new beginning after a 15-year break from marathons; for Meschke it’s a time to have fun after her elite Boston marathon last spring; and for Wallace it’s a way to support a loved one dying of cancer.

Earlier in the year, a friend of Wallace’s told her about Teams in Training, a program that trains people for marathons while raising money for cancer.

“I was like, ‘Oh yeah right, I can’t even run around the block,” she said.

When family friend Cele Gregory was diagnosed with multiple myeloma – a

photo by Samantha Ludington

RUN cancer that affects the immune system with a 30 percent survival rate – Wallace knew that, despite her lack of experience, joining the program and attempting a marathon was the right thing to do.

“I felt like the stars were aligning,” Wallace said. “My friend put [the idea] into my ear, I wanted to get back into getting exercise, and the training would support the type of cancer my friend had.”

In order to participate with Teams in Training she had to raise $3,700 in donations; she ended up with more than $6,100, the second most in Kansas City.

“I got support from friends and family and colleagues and teachers from East,” Wallace said. “Half of them were like, ‘you’ve got to be kidding me. If she’s willing to run a marathon, this person who doesn’t run…I want to see this.’ ” Wallace is running the Nike San Francisco Marathon Oct. 24, a new course only for women considered one of the hilliest. She has been meeting with her training group every Saturday since June. Starting with six miles, the group progressively adds mileage every other week, peaking at 22 and then going down.

Every month they also have a meeting to learn running tips like water intake and injury prevention.

Cancer patients are also brought in to remind them of what they’re running for.

“They talk about their chemo and it really inspires you,” Ms. Wallace said. “You think, ‘God I don’t want to run, I’ve worked all day,’ and then you hear these kids that

have IV’s in their arms talking about how this is their fourth time they’ve lost their hair…that’s nothing compared to sweating for forty-five minutes …but I’m still waiting for that passion that Chaffee and Meschke have.”

Chaffee and Meschke not only share this passion for running but also share a friendship as they along with fellow coach Tricia Beaham train for the Oct. 10 Chicago Marathon. “[The marathon] was kind of always one of my goals, but I wasn’t sure if I would have the time to train or anything with school,” Meschke said. “Then I found out it was pretty easy because everyone I hung out with was a runner.”

The Chicago marathon attracts over 40,000 runners and one million spectators.

“It’s a really flat course, so for a marathoner it’s pretty easy,” Meschke said.

“It’s also a cheap flight.”

In 1985 Chaffee attempted the marathon but dropped out at the 16-mile marker “only because I had a weak mind, not a weak body,” he said.

Chaffee cites the mental aspect of running a marathon as the hardest thing for him to overcome, completing only 14 of his first 28 marathons.

“I had a long record of dropping out of races because I wasn’t pleased with my running,” Chaffee said. “This marathon I will focus on my friendship with Meschke and Coach Beaham and how they’d look down on me if I didn’t finish.”

Oct. 5, 2004

Chaffee started up marathons again last spring, completing the Lincoln marathon.

“Earlier the marathon was a mystique,” Chaffee said, “If you were a runner that’s what you did…when Meschke and Tricia started marathons I saw the fun they had, the discipline they had, and I wanted to do it again. I also was looking for a good spot to shop in Chicago.”

This will be Meschke’s fourth marathon and her third time at Chicago. At last year’s race Meschke’s time qualified for the elite Boston Marathon. This year she’s not running to qualify.

“This is definitely more for fun,” she said. “None of us were really serious about it or wanting to qualify … [Anyway] it’s my first track season [as head coach] and I wouldn’t be able to train properly.”

For training, Meschke and Chaffee have been trying to run 40-50 miles a week, running the normal 4-7 miles a day with the cross-country and then a long run on the weekends. “[When I was training for the Boston Marathon] I sometimes would do a 13 mile run in the morning,” Meschke said. “I had a pretty specific training program I wanted to follow, and I followed it. This time I have missed workouts sometimes, but it doesn’t bother me.”

Meschke hopes she can take a break after this marathon.

“It’s contagious though,” she said. “Not only is it contagious, but also if any one of my friends wants to do one then everybody wants to do one. They’re addictive.”

issue 3

sports

New Strokes Underclassmen girls on the golf team still

27

have a lot to learn about the game

A

photo by Samantha Ludington

fter finishing fourth out of six teams in their first tournament of the year, the Girls golf team needs to improve on their consistency if they want to make it to state as a team.

Most people on the varsity team are capable of shooting in the nineties, which is where Coach Ermanno Ritschl says the team needs to be if they want to make state. It is another story when tournaments come around, as inexperienced players who are fully capable of shooting in the nineties, add ten strokes of inexperience to their score.

“We are a young team, with the exception of our three seniors, so in tournaments our youth does hurt us because were not used to some of the stressful situations,” said sophomore captain Ellie Leek.

Both Ritschl and Leek agree that the most talented player on the team is Catherine Ward.

“Catherine is our best and most consistent golfer, and she is only a freshman so she has a bright career

in front of her. She is shooting in the nineties right now and I think she is capable of shooting in the high eighties by the end of the season,” Ritschl said.

Although this team is inexperienced, Ritschl still thinks that this year’s team is better than last years due to the team’s depth.

“Catherine Ward has done a good job replacing Brooke Jandl, who was our only state qualifier last year. But I think we are better this year than we were last year because we have more depth, which will help us in making state,” Ritschl said.

Ritschl believes that because this team is so young that there is much room for improvement. This translates into it being more possible to shave strokes off scores, which would mean a state debut.

“I believe that if each girl can shave about 3 strokes off their scores that would give us a good chance of making state. I think this is a good possibility given how young our team is,” Ritschl said.

If the team keeps improving, and they can play consistently, look for the girl’s golf team to make big strides as the season goes along.

���������������

�������� KANSAS & MISSOURI students are eligible for major scholarships at the

University of Nebraska–Lincoln. �������������������� ������������������� �������������������� ����������������������� ��������������

�����������

������������ ���������������������� �����������������������������������������������������������������������������������

Oct. 5, 2004

photo by Megan Koch

Patrick Haverty.

TAKING A SWING: Abby Gloe is a sophomore on the varsity girls golf team

Have a great time at Homecoming!

Be safe!!

28 photo essay

the harbinger

A Bonding

Experience

STUCO members attending Adventure Woods developed strong team building skills and new friendships

GROUP MEMBERS work together in a trust building activity where they all hold up their group leader, Spanish teacher Linda Sieck. In this activity, one person falls back into the arms of their group members and then their group lifts them up and brings them back down.

JUNIOR NATHAN STEPP crawls under a wire while hanging onto a rope of bandanas tied together.

The goal of this challenge is to make it across an obstacle course without touching the ground.

Groups had to walk across wooden bridges, old tires and wooden blocks while staying connected at the same time. The skills of communication and working together helped them complete this challenge.

J.W. VANDERLOO and Abbey Blick work together with their group members to form a circle and pull backwards on a rope to balance eachother out. They then came up slowly at the same time so no one would fall over.

Oct. 5, 2004

photos by Linda Howard