Issue 4

harbinger

issue 4 / october 17, 2005 / 7500 mission road prairie village, kansas

a r o f e

g d do

E S U

A C

Students gather to play dodgeball and help save a life by clark goble Most people would head out to Rolling Hills Church at 95th and Nall to talk with their friends in youth group or to sing in the worship. But on Monday afternoons in the auxiliary gym of the church, the only thing being worshipped is dodgeball.

“It’s become more than a hobby, it’s a lifestyle,” junior Tyler Enders said.

Every Monday, a group of 20-30 East students, mainly upperclassmen, do not meet in the small gym to gossip, discuss the Chiefs game or talk about their grade on that brutal Calc 3 exam. They meet, instead, to knock each other’s heads off with a red dodgeball.

“It combines aspects of the best sports,” senior Graham Stark said. “You throw the dodgeball just like a baseball, and you dodge and become aware of the other team’s strategy just like football.”

The weekly games were started when co-founders Stark and Enders became interested in holding pick-up games. In the beginning, the games were held on the tennis courts at Kansas City Country Club, but were moved to Rolling Hills after Enders realized his church had an air-conditioned gym. “(The Rolling Hills staff) was nice enough to let us play when we wanted,” Stark said. “We can play more games because people don’t get tired as fast as they do outside.”

The rules were modified when the games were moved into the small gym. When a player makes a basket on the basketball goals in the gym from the other side of the floor,

everyone on the team who had been knocked out of the match is allowed back onto the court.

“The team goes wild when you swish a shot and get them all back in,” sophomore Gage Brummer said.

Dodgeball leagues, featuring similar rules, have been created across the U.S. due to the blockbuster movie ‘Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story,’ according to Bill Dupue, spokesman and founder for the National Amateur Dodgeball Association.

“We saw a huge increase after the movie came out,” Dupue said. “It became popular with the younger generation because dodgeball wasn’t taught as much in schools in the 90s, and once they saw the movie, they recognized what the game was about.”

The rules and strategies are no longer taught in Shawnee Mission schools because of the dangerous aspects of the game, which include throwing small rubber balls at high speeds.

“We don’t teach the game (at Belinder Elementary) because of the possible injuries to students,” LeAnn Carver Jones, P.E. teacher, said.

The throbbing knees, the rubber burns, or the turned ankles suffered by many of the players don’t make them want to quit. Instead, they wanted to hold a tournament.

The tournament, held Oct. 10 and 11 in the gym, didn’t just pit East’s most dangerous dodgeball teams against each other.

After the thousands of dollars raised in SM North’s dodgeball tournament last year, SHARE chair Will Gates presented the idea of holding the tournament in honor of

former East student Allison Owens, who will need a kidney transplant in the future. All participants either donated $10 or showed they were organ donors by providing their license.

“It’s cool that we can have fun playing dodgeball, and create awareness for organ donations at East at the same time,” senior John McCormick said.

There were 20 teams of 8 players entered into the tournament, including one that consisted of Coach Hair and Coach Ricker among others. Sophomore Sam Watson’s team drew the staff team in the first round of the tournament.

“We knew it was going to be a tough match,” Watson said.

Watson’s team was swept in the best-of-three battle, but still has high hopes for his team if another tournament is held this year, which is a definite possibility due to the high level of participation in this year’s event, Stark said.

Two senior-led teams, the Shockers and the Soul, met in the final of the two-night tournament. The Shockers won the first and third games of a three-game series, taking home the glory and the title.

Even with a few hardcore teams leaving the gym disappointed in their team’s outcome, almost all will return today, and every Monday, to the small gym where it all was started to have fun playing a game they love. To seek revenge on the team that knocked them out of the tournament. And of course, to dodge.

page 2 / news / the harbinger

Breaking the

Norm

East students form a club to provide activities for students to do other than drinking

by clare jordan When Elise Langtry transferred to East last year as a sophomore, like any other new student she met different groups of people and was invited to their parties. But to her all the groups and all the parties had something in common: it was considered the norm to drink alcohol and sometimes use other abusive drugs.

When people found out she didn’t want to participate they would make comments about how everyone at East finds entertainment from binge drinking and she probably would start soon.

“People should know there is another side to East that isn’t drinking and smoking,” Langtry said, “There are better alternatives.”

Instead of pulling out the Coors every weekend Langtry wanted to start a program that emphasized fun by going to swing dances or laser tag.

Earlier this school year, Langtry, along with juniors Shelby Burford, Melissa •3000 young people become Engelhardt and Besty Morris, went on a regular smokers everyday leadership program •More than 80% of high with counselor school students will have Deb Atkinson that focused on how consumed alcohol by the to better their time they graduate school. The four • More than five million came together high school students and discussed the prevalence of binge drink at least once drinking and drugs a month at East.

• 60 percent of repeat “In every class marajuana users smoked you hear about cigarettes first who drank what and who smoked • Junior and senior high what and it just gets school students conannoying how much sume 1.1 billion cans you hear about it,” of beer per year Engelhardt said.

They decided their way of bettering East was to start a program that made people aware of options b e s i d e s art by sara mcelhaney drinking and

Teen Drinking and Smoking

N News Briefs B

smoking. The group has begun meeting on Thursdays at 2:45 in room 321. It is led by the four, but itstarted with an attendence of 15-20 students.

Jill Beyer is one junior who has been attending and thinks it’s an organization that was needed at East.

“I’m a member because there are better things to do than to get drunk and get high,” Beyer said, “ You can have a lot of fun without doing that.”

They discuss what they would like to do for East to help people see the problems with drinking and doing drugs. They plan on starting a newsletter announcing the activities the group is planning. For this month they already have planned to go to haunted houses on a Friday or Saturday. For the future they are considering renting out King Louie’s and other forms of a entertainment to counter the regular East parties.

“I think it’s better to have fun while being sober because you can remember it and it doesn’t hurt you,” Langtry said.

Each month the group is going to focus on a different abusive decision. This month they are starting with drinking because they feel it is most prevalent, but they hope to cover the issues of other drugs and eating disorders as well. Since SADD was shut down because the Shawnee Mission district felt it supported the use of designated driver, the group is hoping to take over some of the methods SADD used. They are going to paint notes on people’s cars with statistics of how these abusive decisions hurt people.

“I think an anti-drug club was needed at East especially now that SADD is gone,” Langtry said.

Burford’s hope is that if other people realize there are other people out there that aren’t into drinking they may not feel the need to get started.

“The main thing is it is something that can lead to other irresponsible choices and you take the safety of others into your own hands,” Burford said.

Langtry finds it wrong on two levels: she is morally against it and it is illegal.

“I’m a Christian and the body is a temple of God, not to mention that it’s illegal for a reason,” Langtry said, “The body and mind doesn’t stop growing until 21.”

Some people don’t see the great need for an anti-drug club at East.

“I think it speaks badly of our school,” senior John Debrick said, “It implies we have a drug problem.”

The four realize this club may not change everyone, but they hope it will make some think twice about their entertainment for the weekend.

“Those who are morally opposed to drinking and drugs or just want to have fun without participating now have a place to go where others share their opinion,” Engelhardt said.

statistics from pediatrics.about.com

Blood Drive Who: Students and local citizens

Scholarship Opportunities

What do you think of the club?

Freshman Clark Waldon “I think it is a good idea so that people don’t get in trouble, but they can still have fun.”

Sophomore Emily Whitney “For people that want to go it is a good idea, but I don’t think it will actually change people.”

Junior Whitney Van Way “I think it’s good to have a club where people don’t drink, but it won’t stop some teens.”

Senior Matthew Schulte “I wish that this club would work, but I don’t think that it actually will. These people are not cops, they won’t have any impact.”

Canceled Assembly

Who: Johnson County high school Who: Mr. DeBarthe and students What: Donate blood for the Red seniors What: An assembly to present the Cross What: Apply for three scholarships statistics of world hunger was canceled for reasons that would not be When: Friday, Nov. 4 from 8 a.m. awarded annually by the Hidden released to 3 p.m.

Glen Arts Festival Why: To help the medical society Where: Hidden Glen Arts Festival have a supply of blood How: Demonstrate a genuine Reward: After donating blood interest in pursuing a career in the each donator has a chance to visual arts and submit samples of win an iPod shuffle in a drawing work

Why: To educate the student body about the problems of world hunger When: It is currently canceled but there will be an attempt to reschedule it for November

issue 4 / october 17, 2005 / news / page 3

Cell Phone Restrictions by rachel mayfield The dangerous habit of driving while talking on a cell phone may soon become illegal. On average, more than 120 people ages 15 to 20 die each week due to car accidents. Because these numbers are so high, the National Transportation Safety Board is looking for ways to push laws banning such practices. In order to fix this problem, they are pushing laws to be passed on teen drivers that make it illegal to use cell phones while driving.

In Kansas, lawmakers have considered cell phone laws three times in the past five years. No comments have been made on the topic recently, but it all depends on if it is brought up this January.

Tom Hogardy, Traffic Supervisor at Leawood Police Department sees all kinds of wrecks.

“About 20 to 30 percent of the wrecks I see are due to people not paying attention,” Hogardy said. “Cell phones are a distraction and it is very possible they could have caused the accident.”

Representative Terrie Huntington (R-district 25) has had several doctors talk to her about passing the law because they see the injuries after the car accidents and are concerned.

“I wouldn’t be opposed to the law but I admit, I drive and

New laws proposed, banning cell phone use in cars for teenagers

talk on my cell phone,” Huntington said. “I don’t think the law would pass but it is one of those situations where you would have to ask your district how they felt about it and let them decide.”

Currently, there are 11 states that have laws against learner’s permit holders and semi-experienced license holders and the use of cell phones in the car. However, only eight out of the 11 states have made cell phone bans primary enforcement laws. The law mainly targets beginning drivers because when first starting to drive, getting to know your car and how it works is the most important step, and any distraction could cause a problem. In Maryland and Colorado, it is a secondary enforcement law, which means it can only be enforced when a driver is pulled over for another violation.

The consequences tend to vary depending upon the state. For instance, New York has had the cell phone law since December of 2001 and violating the law can result in a $100 - $250 fine. The only way that a fine can be wavered is if the violator can prove they were using some sort of hands free device with their cell phone within the first month that the ticket was issued. So far, about 280,000 tickets have been issued in New York.

Some states are mainly voting against the law because they feel that by supporting the law, it will put a stop to technology advancements in the car.

Representative Huntington points out that although cell phones are dangerous, they also can be very helpful. In case of a car accident, a cell phone would come in handy. A majority of drivers would rather be safe and turn off cell phones while driving as opposed to risking getting in a car accident when they weren’t paying attention because they were talking on the phone. Cell phone accidents aren’t as big a problem in Kansas but it is still a concern.

Junior Tim Akhmedov sometimes uses his cell phone in the car and drives without any problems.

“The law is dumb,” says Akhmedov. “People would still talk on their cell phones, including me.

If they want to lower the number of car crashes, they should do something different like be more strict on age, more selective, or make the drivers test more difficult so that bad drivers, like my mom, can’t pass it.”

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page 4 /1opinion / the harbinger issue / september 6, 2005

Standing Out

East students have a convoluted perspective on what’s important

an opinion of ally heisdorffer Around twenty years ago, a group of East kids were creating a poster and had intended to draw a peace sign. Instead, they created the Mercedes logo, sparking the interest of locals who all wondered the same thing: “How in the world could you confuse a symbol of love with a logo for an expensive vehicle?”

East is so obsessed with possessions that making this mistake isn’t too difficult.

Walking through the hallways I see an assortment of popped collared Polo’s, (p.s. the cool thing to do is to buy the ones that say “preppy” underneath the collars just so, when you pop them, everyone knows). The shimmer of Tiffany’s bling blinds me as girls walk by. The clinking of Jeep key chains echo through the hallways as students rush to peel out of the parking lot.

East is always getting a bad wrap for being the preppiest, snobbiest kids in the district, but there’s not a whole lot we can say that disproves that theory. Our school is not only located in Johnson County, one of the wealthiest areas in the nation, but is also a neighbor to Mission Hills, which doesn’t even need an explanation.

East is the only school I can think of that has more Jeeps sitting in the parking lot than the number of classes offered.

Known for our country club sports, expensive cars and the money to bring the necessities to the parties, most East kids fit the stereotype that has been placed upon them.

Others, though, have taken on the difficult task of standing out in the sea of designer labels and Birkenstocks.

Some of the most interesting and amazing people I have ever met were the ones that weren’t like every body else.

Branching out has taught me several things and learning to

accept people who don’t conform is definitely something I’m glad I know how to do. It’s just too bad that there aren’t many kids at East like that.

The kids in our school are materialistic.

No longer can our generation be pleased with the things we need, but rather with how many things we own.

Unfortunately, most of the student body does lead their life that way.

Objects now make up the person that we are. The things we own create a status symbol for us and let us know where we rank on the social ladder that is Shawnee Mission East.

Looking around at the kids that are considered “popular,” I wonder what makes them so well known. Is it that they are

taking all honors classes? Are they the most valuable chess player on the team? Have they won the national science fair?

No, what makes kids popular is what they own.

Running around in outfits pulled directly from Standard’s window display, some people just can’t see past that image o expensive things into what is more important.

Our parents and grandparents have worked hard to create the stereotype that our school has today, but instead of understanding the work that they have done to create the comfortable lives we have today, kids are ungrateful and close minded. Broaden your horizons. Be thankful for wha you have. Stand out.

Seniors Spacing Out Junior parking spaces block out seniors an opinion of kevin grunwald

Getting out of my car, I reached under the wiper and picked up a piece of yellow paper. It felt heavier than it should have, and, after scanning it, I realized why.

Even so, I couldn’t resist an irritated chuckle.

You see, I had received a ticket for parking in a spot that legally belonged to me. Well, at least it did two days before.

Because there were vacant spots in the senior lot, campus police and administrators decided it would be fair to give parking spots to juniors. Their reasoning included the fact that there are at least 80 more juniors in need of parking than seniors. The words “junior parking” were painted on twenty formally senior spots. One week later, another 25 were given to juniors.

This year is the first year I’ve driven myself to school. My schedule isn’t quite like everyone else’s. I take an advertising class at JCCC. This allows me to sleep in until about 7:50 or 8:00 and still get here for English at 8:30.

Here lies my problem. Since the back row is now unavailable, I can no longer waltz in an hour late like a VIP and still expect an open spot. Now that I am a senior, I have more options of what to do with my day. I don’t want to come on time. I want to show up late. And I want a parking space.

I’m not trying to be mean, I’m not trying to be unfair, but I deserve a parking space, be it an hour before school starts or even several hours later—I want to park.

Seniors have been here four years. We shouldn’t have to get here early, park by the pool or run a marathon to get to class after parking on Delmar. As a last favor to the senior class, convenient parking should be available on any day of the week, at any time and without the threat of being ticketed.

Don’t worry about the juniors; they have next year to look forward to.

The rules state that all parking is “first come, first serve”.

Therefore, if I arrive before any juniors, I shouldn’t have to pass up a parking space for more students that “might” come.

Okay, so they gave away 20 spots, then another 25 were donated to the underclassmen cause, and then they gave 5 back to the seniors, and…make up your mind. There is more logic in the names of where we park than the new rules that govern the respective areas. Seniors should park in the senior lot, juniors in the junior lot. Junior parking in the senior lot either should have never happened or else been limited to 20 spots. With 40 spots, the juniors have a handful of extra spots and I don’t even have one.

I paid for my $60 parking permit with my own money, now let me use it.

Dr. Mersch and campus officer Belzer felt differently.

According to them, reserved parking is reserved parking, and I don’t have a pass for junior. Mersch was kind as he welcomed me into his office, but when I brought up the subject of parking, he seemed terse. I suppose that can happen after being forced to listen to high school students argue about $10 parking fines. He told me that he wasn’t going to make a decision on this relatively new question.

Never before had seniors been tempted to take a junior spot.

So, my question of seniority over juniors is the first of its kind.

“Allocations are not given for seniors that do not have a first hour,” he said.

Sweet. Keep that in mind next week—you’ll be seeing me at the appeal court.

issue 4 / october 17, 2005 / editorial / page 5

issue 1 / september 6, 2005

Help Wanted:

by sara mcelhaney

No Experience Required

To be an effective Supreme Court justice, one does not need to have experience as a judge. All that is necessary for a justice to succeed is experience in the courtroom and a firm understanding of constitutional law.

It has been questioned whether Dallas lawyer Harriet Miers, Bush’s most recent nominee to the Supreme Court, will be able to succeed in the highest court of the land when she has never once worn a black robe, slammed down a gavel or delivered a verdict. Miers, though, will be able to

rise above these uncertainties and use her career experiences and moderate republican views to be a fair and effective judge.

Miers will find success because she adds a fresh, unbiased feel to the Supreme Court. In being new to the judgeship, she brings ideas from outside the courtroom which add to the perspective of the veteran judges who have been serving for decades.

Throughout the history of country, one third of all nominated under Supreme Court justices had no prior experience as a judge. A president: few examples are Justices Earl Gerald R. Ford Warren and John Marshall, both of whom contributed to growth our nation with norm-defying and courageous decisions.

Ronald Reagan Warren fought for racial integration laws and is famous for presiding over White House Staff Secretary gave her Ronald Reagan the monumental Brown important experience with the political v. Board of Education system. Miers will be able to successfully Lack of judicial experience case, which officially draw from these past experiences and should not be a factor in George Bush desegregated the public make up for never having been a judge. determining whether or not school system.

John Since Miers is replacing Sandra Day Harriet Miers should be acMarshall is considered O’Connor, the fact that she is a woman is George Bush cepted as a justice on the the father of the Supreme extremely important. A gender balance Supreme Court.

Court.

Although he in the court is critical to making sure that was not the first justice the views of both men and women are Bill Clinton to serve, his verdict in represented.

Marbury v. Madison All the factors of Harriet Miers’ past established the Supreme point to her serving as an effective justice. agree disagree absent Bill Clinton Court as the powerful She has had extensive experience in a institution it is known as position where she was expected to vote today. on important issues, much as she will be Instead of being a judge, Miers has served expected to do on the Supreme Court. She has experience George W. Bush as a member of the Dallas City Council and as dealing with the political system, and she has an extensive the White House staff secretary. Serving on the background in law. These factors more than make up for Dallas City Council, she received critical decision- her never having been a judge.

George W. Bush making experience. Holding the position of the

current justices justice and year elected:

John Paul Stevens 1975

Antonin Scalia 1986

Anthony Kennedy 1988

David Souter 1990

Clarence Thomas 1991

Ruth Bader Ginsburg 1993

Stephen Breyer 1994

John Roberts 2005

???

“If we can’t reel her in, at least pop the balloon.”

7-4-0

harbinger

editor-in-chief annie fuhrman

news editor sara steinwart

center spread editor laura nelson

photo editor linda howard

assistant editors amanda allison evan favreau

news page editors melissa lem rachel mayfield

center spread assistant editor jenn sunderland

assistant photo editor samantha ludington

art & design editor ian mcfarland

opinion editor cay fogel

mixed editor libby nachman

ads/buisness kristen crawford claire marston

head copy editor bryan dykman

opinion page editor clare jordan editorial editor foster tidwell features editor ellie weed features page editors katie jones hallie mccormick sylvia shank

a&e editor derek martin

circulation davin phillips

a&e page editor kevin grunwald sports editor peter goehausen sports page editors bobby miller ben whitsitt

Letters to the editor should be sent to room 521 or smeharbinger@gmail.com.

Letters may be edited for clarity, length, libel and mechanics and accepted or rejected at the editor’s discretion.

copy editors amanda allison bryan dykman evan favreau annie fuhrman laura nelson sara steinwart jenn sunderland ellie weed

staff writers joe demarco clark goble ally heidorffer jayne shelton joey soptic michelle sprehe photographers katie james frances lafferty emily rappold kelsey stabenow katie woods advisor dow tate

The Harbinger is a student run publication. The contents and views are produced solely by the staff and do not represent the shawnee mission east or smsd faculty, or administration.

page 6 / features / the harbinger

a smaller punch Rumors blow minor fights out of proportion by cay fogel The receptionist picks up the phone on the front desk of the administration office. The room is broken up into its separate pieces of purpose; a teacher is checking her box, a student is waiting for a package.

“Hello,” she says. Pause. “Okay.”

She drops the phone and spins in her seat. “Fight on the fourth floor.” She announces to the room.

The administrative office snaps to attention as though a whip has been cracked. The call rings out: “Fight!

Fourth floor!” Counselors come bounding out of their offices. There’s no clear procedure, no definite plan. Dr. Mersch says that it’s usually the teacher present at the scene who stops a fight. In a matter of moments half the student body has been informed of the sketchy details and exaggerated images.

Vague rumors in the hall go a long way, and the word “fight” is a powerful one. It’s hard for students to gage the regularity—one good fight story has enough momentum to carry itself for a month.

“We’ve already had a few fights, and the year’s just started. I’d say we have about 20 fights a year,” said Thomas Duncan, a freshman who says he’s already witnessed a small fistfight that was broken up by a teacher.

Mostly people, when asked what they estimated the

number of school fights to be, put their number near 20 or 25. The truth is, the number of fights that take place at East in a year is closer to ten or 12, and serious injuries are rarely an issue.

The high voltage charge that these fights carry is deceiving in many ways. There have been four or five fights already this year, suggesting that there’s some kind of abnormality, a jump in the number of school fights, a higher level of tension, but Dr. Mersch insists that there is nothing strange or unusual about this.

“At the beginning of every school year there is a certain amount of spill over, from the summer, from the previous school year,” he said. “Sometimes that makes it seem like there are more fights than average.”

Sophomore Cody Hatcher estimated closer to ten fights a year. Hatcher has also seen a few fights at east, one that even ended in hospitalization, but he says he never feels unsafe and guesses we probably have less fights than most schools.

“East is at the top of the district in academics; that probably has to do with the low number of fights,” Hatcher said.

SROs insist that fights are few and far between. They believe that East is in good shape when compared to the

rest of the district.

“From what I’ve been told, we have as few or fewer fights than most schools,” Officer John Belzer said.

He says that while random punches or slaps are sometimes reported after the fact, there are very few fights that are full scale enough that they ever need breaking up. “We’ve got a good group of kids here.”

Associate principal Steve Loe, who came this year from working at Shawnee Mission West, says that knockdown, drag-out fights aren’t common in his experience.

“I spent eight years at West and only saw one fight,” he said. “But West did seem to have a little more tension between the classes.”

Despite appearances sometimes, and the sneaky ability that rumors have to magnify themselves, East is average and completely safe. There are schools where students have to worry about their safety every day.

Where teachers fear their students.

“We’re fortunate. We don’t have any of that feeling in this school,” Mersch said.

photo by samantha ludington

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issue 4 / october 17, 2005 / features / page 7

Learn to SHARE by jenn sunderland

SHARE is the largest student-lead community service program in a high school in the entire nation. That’s a fact.

Why do students participate? Here are a two kids who do it for more than just a pat on the back. *** Freshman Lucy O’Connor said goodbye as always when her best friend and cousin Jake Clough left her house. As he was riding his bike home, Clough was involved in a bike accident. Luckily, he was wearing a helmet, which saved his life. Weeks later, however, Clough died of unrelated complications.

Headstrong for Jake is a new SHARE project in memory of Clough. O’Connor is the chairperson for the project, along with Peter Gohausen.

“We wanted to do something for him, and raise money in his name,” O’Connor said.

Since Jake was proudly wearing the Lance Armstrong “Livestrong” bracelet when the accident occurred, the SHARE project decided to sell matching bracelets in his name. Each bracelet reads “Headstrong for Jake” and is lime green, his favorite color. The project sells bracelets at local events to raise money. Money raised by Headstrong for Jake goes towards kids in the community.

“We get them new helmets and fit them for free,” O’Connor said.

She continues to keep her head high and plans even more for the future. They’re organizing a bike rodeo this spring including all of the area elementary schools. The group, she says, is “trying to take a tragic loss and turn it into something positive. Hopefully we can do some good!” *** Jack Melvin is 5 years old. He can’t tie his shoes, and he’s still working on his speech, which took him longer to learn than most kids. Jack has Down Syndrome, a disorder that includes birth defects such as mental retardation.

“Their minds know what they want, but they can’t express it,” said Jack’s sister, junior Jessica Melvin.

Learning how to work with her brother has lead Melvin to continue helping other people in our community affected by Down Syndrome. She cochairs the Down Syndrome project for share, along with junior Kelsey Brown.

The group baby-sits children with Down syndrome and their siblings once a month at Down Syndrome Guild meetings.

During this time their parents can attend seminars. They also put on a Sweetheart Dance for older teens and adults affected by Down syndrome.

J e s s i c a’s involvement in SHARE is all thanks to Jack and the positive effect he’s had on her.

“He’s so much fun. He’s just been a blessing to our family,” Melvin said. *** These kids know why they’re in SHARE; they do it because it matters to them.

Facebook me! by joe demarco

Nick Loscalzo, a senior at Shawnee Mission East, got hooked when he found some old classmates that he hadn’t seen since elementary school. Next he used the online system to track down people he knew at Shawnee Mission East and other grade schools.

No wonder the Facebook is an internet sensation at high school and campuses across the nation.

Facebook is constantly updated by its 2.8 million registered users at more than 800 colleges and universities, and now thousands of high schools. This makes Facebook one of the most popular websites on the web.

The Facebook was originally started by three Harvard sophomores two years ago as an online directory to connect college students through social networks It now registers more than 5,800 new users a day.

“It becomes part of your daily routine,” said Loscalzo. “Its email, the news, the weather, Facebook.”

Facebook users can post a photo and a profile of themselves for free. The profiles include as little or as much information as the user desires, including basic biographies, lists of hobbies and interests, favorite quotes, and even an address and phone number.

Users control who can see their profiles--from only friends to all other users. Other users can then search the profiles for classmates or for people who share common interests.

Junior Chris Day says the reason he enjoys using Facebook is because it allows him to meet new people.

“It’s pretty cool to find someone you haven’t talked to in a long time, and start talking to them again.”

When users identify someone on the site they’d like to meet, they can ask to be designated as a “friend.” The request can come from anyone on the Facebook site.

“Even someone who lives across the nation,” Loscalzo explained.

“Headstrong”Bands: These bands were made in Jake Clough’s honor since he was wearing a “Livestrong” band when the acceident happend. photo by Frances Lafferty

New internet sensation now offered to high schoolers

Creators Mark Zuckerberg, Chris Hughes and Dustin Moskovitz were roommates at Harvard when they designed Facebook. Facebook was designed so fellow Harvard students could get to know those living in other dorms and houses off the Harvard campus. The website was so popular that the group made it available to students at Columbia, Stanford and Yale within less than a month.

The Facebook team’s profit is generated mainly from advertising; however, no one from the team has disclosed how much money they have actually made.

Advertising isn’t the only money generated by Facebook.

Some investments have boosted it as well. Paypal recently invested $500,000. Users can register on the site only with a college e-mail address, which serves as verification that users are students.

If you are trying to register and you’re a high school student, you must be invited from someone who already has Facebook, via email. Statistics show that over 60 percent of the site’s users log in daily during the school year, and about half log in daily over the summer.

“I usually log in once to twice a day,” said Day. “Just to see who has messaged me and what not.”

Students also meet on the site through groups. These virtual clusters of users organize members by school or a common interest. Loscalzo is a member of the “Shawnee Mission East” group. There are also other groups such as the “SME Theater” group.

Entirely new social protocols have formed around Facebook.

One surrounds confirming friend requests. For some, a person’s friend count is a social barometer.

“I know a few people who try to rack up as many friends as possible.” said Loscalzo.

Challenges in their lives cause two East students to be involved with SHARE.

How did the facebook start?

Mark Zuckerberg, Chris Hughes, and Dustin Moskovitz, three students at Harvard, wanted to prove a friend wrong that said Harvard was a “rather unfriendly place”. the outcome was facebook: an online directory of students friends.

What is the facebook?

It is basically an electronic list of your friends.

It allows you to “poke” your friends.

Meaning that you noticed them, and they can poke you back.

The facebook also notifies you three days before one of your friends birthdays. source: http://gsbwww.uchicago.edu/ computing/training/facebook.pdf

band page 8 / features / the harbinger

in with the by missy lem

“There are cigarette butts and chewing tobacco scattered everywhere,” Yaffe said. “It’s pretty heinous.”

In addition to the filthy working conditions, there are constantly “roadies” of the band running around shouting orders at everyone, making the environment very stressful, especially for his crew chief that has to deal with it all.

Cussing is heard in every other sentence and backstage is always crowded. During night concerts, Yaffe normally has to work in the dark, so he has memorized each button and knob on the console.

A typical paycheck for Yaffe varies depending on the venue of the event. He’s usually paid between $10 and $25 per hour. A show generally lasts four hours. When he works after midnight, he gets paid double.

His job has a few drawbacks. He doesn’t get to work too often, he works once a week at the most and when he does work, he doesn’t find out when or where he’s working until the day before the event. Working the lights at dance recitals, the Kansas City Philharmonic, and plays are all in the job description as well. The work is physically grueling: pushing box after box of lighting equipment is strenuous and backstage is very hectic with the “roadies.”

Fortunately, he’s used to the chaos. He grew up around theater because of his dad’s company and he’s almost prone to shouting people, crowded quarters, and the stress.

Yaffe loves his job.

“I get to watch concerts for free, work only four hours and

Starting with a soft glow, the lights get a little brighter until finally a sudden flash illuminates the entire stage and the crowd screams with anticipation. Junior Nathan Yaffe controls the moving light console from only a few feet from the stage.

Yaffe works for the union International Alliance of Theatrical and Stage Employees (IATSE) as a stagehand setting up the stage, operating the moving light console, packing up the sets, and loading the equipment onto trucks.

He has worked the lights and helped out backstage at dozens of concerts this summer including Willie Nelson, Rascal Flatts, Alanis Morresette, Jason Mraz, Weezer and Cake.

His dad owns a lighting design company and rents his equipment out to many local venues. His job was offered to him from an employee of IASTE whom he knew through his dad. He gladly accepted the offer.

He started working for the union this summer. Prior to working for IASTE, Yaffe worked for his dad at his warehouse downtown. This is where he learned how to operate the lighting equipment. Each console has hundreds of levers and buttons that correspond to a certain light on the stage. Pulling the wrong lever or pushing the incorrect button could change the lighting completely.

At 16 years old, he is the youngest employee by at least 10 years. Because of the age difference, he experiences a totally different atmosphere than most working teenagers.

Some bands he’s worked for:

Cake

Junior Nathan Yaffe finds a job setting up for major musicians

Weezer

Journey

Willie Nelson

QUESTIONS ANSWERS and

by davin phillips

NELSON’S GIFT:Yaffe received this pick from Willie Nelson after working at his show. photo taken by Samantha Ludington

get paid really well.” said Yaffe. “I get free concert t-shirts, too.

I’m really happy with my job.”

Yaffe even had a run-in with a famous singer/songwriter, Jason Mraz.

“I was the moving light operator that show and (Mraz) had just come off stage,” said Yaffe. “He asked me if I was a musician and I said yes since I play the guitar.”

Ironically, Yaffe had learned to play Mraz’s song “The Remedy” a few days earlier. “(Mraz) asked me to play the song on his guitar with his pick” Yaffe said. “It was cool. I think the only reason he talked to me was because he was bored.”

Mraz let Yaffe keep his pick as a memento from the concert.

He has also acquired another guitar pick from a famous musician: Willie Nelson. Nelson gave Yaffe’s crew chief one of his guitar picks. His crew chief knew that he played the guitar and passed the pick onto Yaffe.

“When I was little, I thought the equipment was so cool,” Yaffe said. “I never thought that I’d be doing what my dad does.”

He’s unsure about whether he wants to pursue a career in lighting operations when he’s older like his dad, but he recognizes how fortunate he is to have his job.

“I’d much rather have (my job) than be a pizza boy or something.”

Alanis Morrisette

Rascal Flatts

Jason Mraz

Junior wins an award as one of the most caring people in the country

WITH AISHLINN O’CONNOR

What is one of the many volunteer projects that you have done?

I started when I was 9 with a program called Kids Helping Kids. [My siblings and I] helped victims of Hurricane Mitch, collected children’s books for the Sioux Indian tribe in South Dakota, and raised $70,000 for an intergenerational playground and wheelchair garden in Swope Ridge Corridor.

What got you into volunteering?

My mom wanted us to volunteer outside of Shawnee Mission. We went down to Children’s Mercy and their policy was that anyone under fourteen couldn’t volunteer. So we got a list form Children’s Mercy of things they needed, and we decided to collect crayons. Our goal that year was $5,000 and we actually collected $400,000. Our motto that summer was “every box of crayons equals a smile on a child’s face.” We made other kids’ lives better and that’s what we wanted to do.

Is there anyone that you remember from a project particularly?

They’re two: an African American women who talked about her childhood and she said to me, “See? I’m right.

White people are okay.” She couldn’t understand why she wasn’t supposed to be friends with white kids when she was growing up in segregated America.

The other woman couldn’t talk and she always drew the same picture of a house with flower boxes and a boy and girl. Sometimes the colors would change and the location of the boy and girl was would change, but otherwise it was always the same. When she became more involved, she started speaking, and by the end of the summer she could speak in complete sentences. She told stories to us and it turned out that the boy and the girl were her son and daughter and the house was the house she raised them in.

How does it feel to receive this award?

My grandmother and Ms. Manville, my debate teacher, nominated me last April. In June I heard I was a semi-finalist. Then in September, I received a phone call from Val Halamandaris, the founder and executive director. She told me I was one of five to receive the award. I was in shock. I didn’t have anything to say and that doesn’t happen to me a lot.

HELPING OTHERS: O’Connor spends time with the elderly through her project Kids Helping Kids.

She built a swing set with the intention of bringing together the adolecents and the elderly of the community.

A Different Kind of

Learning

jayne shelton

Senior Josh Nasseri is in class taking notes from a lecture.

He only writes down the things that help him remember the lecture. One of his methods is skipping every ‘of’ and ‘the.’

Efficiently paraphrasing is one of the skills Nasseri learned at the Accelerated School.

Accelerated is an private school that uses individualized teaching, daily report cards and small student teacher ratios to help struggling students improve.

“Our goal is to develop academic skills and study skills so they can get back on track and at a point to make the transition back to a normal school setting,” Accelerated director Jane Curran said.

For student motivation, Accelerated uses “an effective reward management system” also known as money. The money is taken from the student’s tuition. The parents decide how much money they think their student needs for spending money, and each day the student has to earn it with good behavior and completed homework. The typical high school student is paid about $5 daily according to Curran. They also receive 10 cents per page of notes. Senior Josh Nasseri was paid about $7 a day when he attended Accelerated in eighth and ninth grade.

“When you get $5 a day for page pay (for notes) and $7 a day for going, it adds up to a lot,” Nasseri said.

The normal day at accelerated consists of the four core classes (science, social studies, math, and English) in the morning. Science and social studies are classes with other kids in the same level. The classes are in a classroom and the students read and listen together as well as discuss the material.

The other two classes, math and English, have lectures on tape, and the student listens individually to it and takes notes or does the problems out of the book.

“They listen to taped material so they can listen and take notes. They can also stop and rewind and go over it again.

Sometimes a teacher says something and just keeps on going.

This way you can just rewind,” Curran said.

Being an auditory learner, the listening and paraphrasing worked for Nasseri.

“You remember [the material] because [the teaching style]

issue 4 / october 17, 2005 / features / page 9

Students lacking motivation get paid to go to accelerated school

$$$

is so radical and you’re not used to it. I remember the Orwell book 1984 really well,” Nasseri said, “I really remember the part at the end when they were torturing him.”

Accelerated students take two scheduled field trips a week. They go with their classes to places that somehow relates to the material i n the class. They can go anyplace in Kansas City relating to school like Union Station, the Coterie Theater and the American Royal.

“If you were studying World War I then you might go to the Liberty Memorial, or for World War II you might go to the Truman Library,” Curran said.

Since Accelerated has no gym, they take field trips to get in their physical education credits. They go bowling, snow skiing at Snow Creek in Westin Missouri or ice-skating. When they go skiing, they take the whole day and go snowboarding and do other snow sports. It is fake snow most of the time, but it still counts.

“We do just about anything physical where you exert any kind of physical energy,” Nasseri said. “[At an off site gym] we’d play indoor tennis and go to the basketball courts and shoot some hoops.”

The thing that Nasseri liked best about Accelerated was the people. Most of the kids there were on probation or diversion, so they weren’t discriminatory towards anyone.

“There were lots of cool people, we were like a cool gang of outcasts,” Nasseri said.

For him, Accelerated was a way to get back on the academic track.

“Like in the boxing ring where they have the rings that bounce the fighters back,” Nasseri said. “That is what Accelerated does, helps you bounce back.”

photo illustration by linda howard

Accelerated: The General Info

• Accelerated school is for students with low motivation.

• Students learn by listening to tape recorded information and taking notes.

• Most students recieve six dollars a day for attending school.

• For every page of notes the students write, they recieve 10 cents.

• All programs are available year round.

• Special tutoring is available at the school.

Student Discount with School I.D.

OVERLAND PHOTO SUPPLY 8967 Metcalf Ave. Overland Park, KS 66212 10-7 Mon-Fri 10-5 Sat

913-648-5950

page 10 / spread/ the harbinger

finding

Reading, n

faith

Muslim and Hindu students learn more about religions through spiritual holidays and practices

Junior Iqra Akhtar has been waiting food, but because she’s communing wi She is fasting for Ramadan: the n which, for the next thirty days, she w sunrise to sunset in order to understa help her to become connected with the all Muslims, regardless of race or econ fasting and prayer.

Akhtar is one of only a very few M seem, Akhtar has never felt out of pla predominantly Christian community.

Koran, she has worked with her paren eastern roots and her western home. A trouble finding balance between the M never seemed to be an issue.

No head scarf, no prayer vigil fiv covering her figure: Akhtar’s faith is no instead is centered around the hours s the teachings of the Koran.

“Some Muslims think women shou some say you should cover everything belief.”

Akhtar’s belief began to solidify whe she completed the fast for Ramadan.

mark you

calend Sunday

16

23

Islam: 1 17 Ramadan continues

Judaism: Sukkot continues Islam: Ramadan continues

2

Students fin

Finding a balance: Senior Kristen Crawford prays during a temple service at the Hindu Temple and Cultural Center of Kansas City. About 1200 people attend the Temple. photo by megan koch

Senior Kristen Crawford walks up and Cultural center of Kansas City. reaches up and touches her heart and “The feet are a sacred part of the ground or touching the feet of the go is showing respect, gratefulness. It religions—it is showing submissiven Crawford is attending temple to (Nav-ra-tri), a nine day festival celebra over the demon Ravana as well as th her shoes and enters the main room each goddess and saying her prayers “Navaratri is my chance to show m have given me,” Crawford said. “It is the sacrifices the gods have made for The Temple that Crawford and sen 1200 members of the Indian commun area. The holiday season of during th there are a lot more festivals and cha temple in prayer.

The priest sits in front of the sta

issue 4 / october 17, 2005 / spread / page 11

not seeing, defines junior’s beliefs by bryan dykman

g all day to eat. Not because she’s lacking ith God. ninth month in the Islamic calendar in will be doing without food or drink from and how the less privileged feel. This will e global Muslim community, knowing that nomic status, are spending the month in

Muslims at East. As isolating as this may ace with her non-Muslim friends or in her Since first beginning to understand the nts, trying to find a balance between her Akhtar said that some Muslims may have Muslim and American worlds, but for her it

ve times a day, no garment completely ot based on her outward appearance, but spent alone and with her family studying

uld just cover their hair, some say mouth, g but the eyes. But it’s all based upon your

en she was in seventh grade, the first time

“At first, I fasted mainly because my parents thought it was important,” said Akhtar. “But then I wanted to see if I could do it by myself. When I completed [all thirty days of the fast] I felt like I was on the same level as everyone else.”

Akhtar felt for the first time that she was a full member among the Muslim community, not just a child in class learning the teachings second hand.

The fast was the first step in Akhtar’s religious pilgrimage. With the help of her mother, she translated the entire Koran, word for word, day by day.

“The stories speak about today even though they were written hundreds of years ago,” Akhtar said. “That’s what speaks to me about the entire religion, its continued relevance today.”

Akhtar worked with her mother everyday translating one section a day, sometimes getting stuck on a single word for hours. The translation took nearly four years, but at the end, she felt like she had completed yet another step towards the main teachings of Islam.

The main tenet, central to Islam, is the absolute sense that there can only be one God. All people should become a single or community, witnessing to the [acceptance of one God], according to Islam for Today, an organization promoting the Muslim faith.

“I feel like I am really following what the religion wants me to do,” Akhtar said. “[After completing the fast and translating the Koran] I finally felt like I had completed two of the main parts of my life.”

The final step on every Muslim’s journey is a pilgrimage to Mecca, the birthplace of the prophet Mohammad. Akhtar believes that one day she will make the journey. But that’s all in the future.

Right now she is a student, and she has history next hour.

holidays: defined as

Different religions are all celebrating holidays in the coming months. What are they?

Sukkot (Jewish): eight day festival; recalls the Israelites’ exodus from Egypt Karwa Chauth: (Hindu) married women fast and pray for a day to increase their husbands’ well-being Shemini Atzeret: (Jewish) marks the beginning of the rainy season with weather prayers Simchat Torah (Jewish): a rejoicing in the end of the annual Torah reading cycle Lailat el Qadr (Islam): the end of Ramadan Diwali (Hindu): referred to as Hindu “New Year” and Festival of Lights courtesy of wikipedia.org

ur

dar

1718

24

This and next month, many students from different religions are celebrating holidays.

Monday

Judaism: Sukkot begins

18

Judaism: Sukkot continues Islam: Ramadan continues

25

Tuesday

Judaism: 19 Sukkot continues Islam: Ramadan continues

Judaism: Shemini Atzeret Islam: Ramadan continues

26

Wednesday Judaism: Sukkot continues Islam: Ramadan continues

20

Judaism: Simchat Torah Islam: Ramadan continues

27

Thursday

Judaism: Sukkot continues Hindu: Karwa Chauth Islam: Ramadan continues Islam: Ramadan continues

Saturday

Friday

21

Judaism: Judaism: 22 Sukkot continues Sukkot continues Islam; Islam: Ramadan continues Ramadan continues

28

29

Islam: Ramadan continues

Hindu: Diwali continues Islam: Lailat el Qadr continues

nds serenity, guidance in Temple rituals and worship by annie fuhrman

p the steps in front of the Hindu Temple She stoops to touch the third step then d her forehead. e body,” she said, “and by touching the od then touching your heart or head it is like bowing your head in Christian ness.” celebrate the Hindu holiday Navratari ating the triumph of Rama, a hindu god, he Mother Goddess, Durga. She takes off of the Temple, stopping at the statue of s. my gratitude to the everything the gods s me sacrificing something small for all r me.” nior Sid Kumar attend, along with about nity of Kansas City, is the only one in the he months October and November mean ances to join the other members of the

atue of the mother goddess, which is

lavishly decorated with flowers, gold streamers and sacred blankets because she is a main focus of the holiday. He tosses flower petals on the statue and rings a bell while he chants in Sanskrit. For the holiday he will chant these prayers each night for hours. Along with these prayers there are dances and festivals for all members of the Temple to attend.

On the nights of the festivals, worshippers, some dressed in traditional Indian saris, bring in offerings of fruit, candy, desserts, flowers and even gallons of milk. These offerings are set on the altar for the gods, and then after the prayer they become a feast for all those attending the dance. “[The festivals] are all about bringing family and friends together,” Ajay Sood, who is a teacher of inter-faith classes and yoga, said. “It is a festivity where you bring people together to share food and distribute wealth. It is like any other religious holiday.”

While some worshippers come in full Indian dress, some also come in jeans and t-shirts, which adds to the relaxed and comfortable feeling of the Temple. The whole room smells of burning incense and fresh flowers.

“The temple feels like serenity,” Kumar said. “Peacefulness and calmness and lots of serenity. I feel peaceful right when [I walk in].”

While the followers of the religion recognize one main deity, it recognizes other deities as well, each representing a characteristic of the main God, Brahman. Because there are so many gods representing many things, they are worshipped not only on holidays but everyday.

“Each day is a god,” Sood said. “Everyday is a prayer day.”

Because each day is sacred, there is no limit to how often worshippers can attend the temple to pray. Along with that, attending the temple only sporadically is still enough to be spiritually active in the Temple. For Kumar, it is hard to find time to attend the Temple, but not to find room for his faith in his life.

“I’ve been really busy with college stuff - I used to go every Friday, but now I go about once a month.” Kumar said. “[Going to the temple] gives me peace [and] calmness. I become more relaxed. I will definitely [always find time for prayer] because it keeps me calm and focused, and relieves stress.”

Kumar uses his faith as a way of life. Every Sunday he and his parents attend Swadhyay, a class that offers advice and teachings on how to lead their lives, think and worship, which are three of the main ideas presented in the holy texts of Hinduism, the Ramayana (Rami-ana) and the Bhagavad-Gita, more commonly called the Gita.

“It has changed me a lot,” Kumar said. “It’s [a] more spiritual and emotional [change]. It changed me for the better.” *** Crawford circles the altar, saying her prayer to each goddess. When Crawford is done with her prayers, she rings the bell hanging from the ceiling making the sound “ohm” and bringing focus to her prayers. She returns to the coat room and puts on her shoes. On her way out she stops at the communion table and receives her communion: two bananas.

“I told my parents I’d get them something.”

page 12 / features / the harbinger

hunting for a hobby East students use weekends to hunt with family and friends by ellie weed

Aiming For The Target: Ross Simpson, left, and Brandon Barnds hunt for turkeys. photo by samantha ludington

Necessary Gear The following are needed for sucessful hunting: •12 or 20 gauge shotgun for ducks •Bow or rifle for deer •Camouflage gear for disguise in foliage; include pants, hat and jacket •Waterproof boots for hunting in rain, snow or anything other condition •Waders for duck hunting. The rubber overalls protect in water when chasing duck into water

The sun hasn’t risen yet, but junior Ross Simpson is already up and getting dressed. After putting on sweatpants and a fleece, he adds a camouflage jacket and pants. He ties his boots up tight and secures his fleece-lined camouflage hat over his ears.

It’s time go to turkey hunting.

With a shotgun in hand, Simpson and the other men of his family make their way out to the field where the turkeys are sleeping.

Simpson isn’t always just with his family; he’s been hunting with other family friends all his life. When he was eight years old, he took a Hunter’s Safety class in Wyandotte with senior Brandon Barnds. Senior Mark Wood also took his hunting safety class when he was eight years old, but at American Legion.

Regardless of where the class was taken, 11-15 hours of class and comprehensive test had to be completed. Only after receiving a Hunter’s Safety certificate, were Simpson, Barnds and Woods allowed to legally hunt and shoot their own turkey and other fowl.

Back in the misty field, the turkeys fly out of the trees and into the vast fields of Great Bend, Kansas. Using a call, Simpson beckons a turkey toward him.

He shoots and kills it, or, in more technical terms, harvests it.

Simpson goes to pick it up out of the field. He doesn’t feel guilty about shooting it, because hunting has been a tradition in his family for generations. Since he was in preschool he has seen his dad, uncles and grandfather carrying birds into the house that they had shot that day. The idea of bringing harm to these animals has never really phased him.

Barnds has had the same exposure to the harvesting of animals. He points out that many of the animals that he shoots are overpopulated as it is. According to Barnds, there are towns in Montana and South Dakota where the deer are such a hazard for drivers, they encourage hunting in those areas.

“The only time I ever really feel guilty about shooting an animal is when it suffers,” Barnds said. “I always try my best to shoot [an animal] so that it dies within seconds, if not on contact.” *** The next step in the hunting process is to clean the bird.

After clipping off the wings, spurs (hind part of the foot), and beard of a turkey, the next step is to open up the breast plate.

“It sounds really gross, but after that you just take out the organs and put them in a big trash bag,” Simpson said. “I don’t really know what my dad does with it, I think he may just send it away with the trash.”

upcoming hunting seasons: Waterfoul: (duck and geese) Sept. 24 at noon-Nov. 22 Deer: Guns, Nov. 19-27 Bows, Sept. 17 - Nov. 17; Nov. 28; Jan. 3 Turkey: Oct. 1-Nov. 9

While this process used to bother Simpson when he was younger, it has always intrigued Barnds. He’s been helping his dad clean birds and other animals since he was in preschool.

In fact, he considers it one of the main reasons why being a doctor or surgeon has become one of his goals.

“When I was little, I would ask my dad if I could ride home with the bird on my lap from the Duck Club that we belong to,” Barnds said. “I’ve always been so fascinated by the insides of it.”

Though Simpson disposes turkey’s organs, they don’t throw away the meat, beard or spurs. The beard and spurs of each turkey shot are mounted on their garage wall.

“In our family, hunting is really competitive,” Simpon said.

Having the heads and body parts on the wall is a way for the family to show off all the turkeys that shot.

They always cook and eat the meat of the animal they shot.

Barnds and Wood have even looked up some popular duck recipes that they cook for their friends. Simpson’s family also has countless duck and turkey recipes in their cookbook.

“The food is great that my family cooks,” Simpson’s cousin, junior Kristin Simpson said. “The duck just tastes like chicken.

I just don’t think about how it got to the table, I just think that it’s some other dish your mom put on the kitchen table for dinner.” *** National Rifle Association license plates, duck bumper stickers, stuffed ducks in the family room, wild turkey for Thanksgiving dinner at the cabin, and even a deer head mounted above the fireplace proves these student’s passion for the sport, so much so that it has transcended into other parts of their lives.

Simpson has been able to go out to his cabin in Great Bend, Kansas for years and keep the family tradition of hunting alive.

Next month, on Thanksgiving day, his whole extended family will trudge through the woods and fields in search of turkeys, pheasants, and if they are lucky, a deer. Though the ladies in the family have their hunting liscenses, they do not shoot anything as they accompany the men.

Hunting and the elements surround it have influenced Barnds’ political views. He is a strong Bush supporter because the president has been fighting to reserve the right of Americans to own and use a gun. Bush has also helped the National Rifle Association (NRA) to stay strong and influential.

Wood has hunting to keep him busy during an autumn that would normally be spent with varsity football games and practices. After multiple knee surgeries within the past year, he decided to give up football.

Just in time for duck season.

“Duck Surprise”

Simmer for 10 minutes with duck: 1 cup salad oil 1/2 cup white vinegar 1/4 cup soy sauce 6 cloves garlic (crushed) 1 sprig of fresh rosemary 1 tbsp celery seed salt and pepper for taste •let mix cool to room temp.

•marinade ducks in cooled mixture for 1-4 hours.

•baste ducks and grill over an open flame.

-courtesy of Ross Simpson

schedule and recipes

The Catch: Mark Woods with a turkey. photo courtesy of ross simpson

mphoto album x e dseas in n Piano: Senior Charlie Ehler plays the piano in the hall outside the student store every Friday after 6th hour. photo by Linda Howard

what’s hot what’s cool

yesterday

This might come as a shock to you.

A long, long, incredibly long time ago, TVs didn’t exist. People didn’t live vicariously, week to week, through beautiful, intelligent, yet stoic characters that somehow, beating all odds, got their way. Uh, no. We, as a people, used to have lives. OUR OWN. Not those written up by writers high on Starbucks coffee. Before TVs, kids got out and played in the yard after getting home.

They would yell at their parents about their “Crappy day!” and then go hula hoop or play kick the can. In the past, there was more of a quality to life. It was more genuine and real; shows today influence us in more ways than we know, whether they are subconsciously telling us to buy those Jimmy Choos or to cheat on our boyfriends. What we’re all missing is a good game of Hop Skotch, not WB soaps.

today

I like, totally want to live on the beach with Marissa and that supremely cute Ryan. Oh my. We could go shopping ≠and eat ice cream and hold hands as we frolic under the California sun.

Wait. Hold it. You mean, THE “O.C” ISN’T GOING TO BE ON UNTIL NOVEMBER?!?!

Ha. You kill me, you really do. The entire population (ages 12-22) are in a severe state of grief at the current junction due to news that their mellifluous dramedy won’t be returning for another, holy cow, MONTH. This development has had horrendous effects on family members and friends of “O.C” addicts: females have gone on mad shopping sprees, and although this assists our faltering economy, has left families broke and living out of cardboard boxes (on the Plaza of course).

tomorrow

a peek at what’s been going on

We will turn to plastic, I promise. Pumped with Botox and Silicon, as we strive to look more like those housewives that are desperate, our population will become unreal. Non-fiction life will end. Unecessary drama will be created for the sole purpose of obtaining a lifestyle more like those on our favorite TV shows. Fake tears will be shed, unnatural laughs will be heard, all for the sake of resembling those characters we love so much.

Don’t worry, as long as you choose the prettiest of the fictional beings, you will be accepted in our perfect society.

steps

beat the Monday morning blues

1 2 3 4 5

Lay out your outfit, pack your backpack, etc. on Sunday night.

Get out of bed immediately; staying in bed makes it harder to get up.

End your shower with cold water to wake you up.

Drink coffee or something with caffeine to give you a boost.

Backup Saxophone: Junior Quin Jackson and senior Eric Kelly play saxophone along with Ehler. photo by Samantha Ludington

by Amanda Allison

5to...

issue 4 / october 17, 2005 / mixed / page 13

30

seconds with...

On Friday afternoon, don’t leave anything that you’ll have to fix on Monday.

improve your handwriting Find an example that you like and want to imitate.

1 2 3 4 5

Use a pen or pencil you are comfortable with.

Start with individual letters.

Focus on things like letter formation and slant.

Rebecca Mosley

HOW DO YOU LIKE YOUR EGGS? I like them in an omlette.

WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU PAINT THE SKY? Green...the Earth’s green so it should be green.

WHERE’S THE COOLEST PLACE YOU’VE BEEN? The sculpture garden in Minneapolis. It has this giant cherry on this giant spoon.

WHAT DO YOU DO TO STAY AWAKE IN CLASS? If I’m not paying attention, I just try to stay focused.

WHAT DO YOU EAT YOUR PEANUT BUTTER ON? I usually eat it on bread...and sometimes with or without jelly.

Write words too. Focus on character and word spacing and the flow from one letter to the next.

Practice until you like the way your handwriting looks.

give your ferret a bath

1 2 3 4 5

Fill a sink or bathtub with very warm, shallow water (over 102°).

Put your ferret gently into the water up to its belly (higher if it likes to swim around).

Gently pour water on it until its fur is completely wet.

Apply ferret shampoo and ferret conditioner by rubbing in dime-sized drops, rinsing after each.

Put towels on the floor, and your ferret will rub itself dry. from www.ehow.com

page 14 / a&e / the harbinger

Mexican Mexican

Word on the street for where to eat:

by derek martin

Panzon’s:

This sit-down Mexican restaurant at the corner of 87th and Lackman in Lenexa is the perfect blend of a creatively charged atmosphere and a refreshing dose of Mexican food in the suburbs. While most of what this restaurant pride’s itself on is of the alcoholic variety, the food is no slouch. Whether it be enchiladas, flautas, or just plain tacos, if it’s served at Panzon’s, “obscenely packed with flavor” is an understatement.

As soon as you enter the restaurant one sees brightly colored wooden parrots hanging from the ceiling. The walls are painted in bright colors; there isn’t anything bland to be found in the place. This adds to the friendly and inviting atmosphere of the restaurant.

Qdoba:

Think Chipotle, only with a wider selecton and a different name. Qdoba, located at 39th and State Line across from the Med Center, offers a mix of big burritos and tasty quesadillas, all of which are made from scratch.

Walking into Qdoba, it’s hard to tell what makes this place any different from the fast-foodMexican staple, Chipotle. But a quick glance at the menu reveals a variety of dishes not even conceived by those behind the counter at other Mexican restaurants. For instance, the grilled vegetable burrito, a blend of fresh grilled red pepper, yellow squash and zucchini sautéed in a garlic herb seasoning. This burrito is not simply a salad wrapped in a tortilla, packed full

A quick scan of the crowd and it’s easy to see this restaurant caters to all types. Whether it be large family gatherings, a few close friends getting together for lunch or a couple out on a date, Panzon’s works for all sorts of people. In addition, the prices range from $6 to $10, making it easily affordable.

The menu offers mostly traditional MexicanAmerican faire including tacos, enchiladas and burritos. They offer six different kinds of quesadillas, eight types of nachos and a multitude of salsas to dip a freshly baked tortilla chip into. Their guacamole, while very good, unfortunately has more lettuce in the dish than actual guacamole.

Even with this blemish on their record, I can say in no uncertain terms, Panzon’s knows Mexican.

They manage to mix tasty food, friendly service, and an unusual and exciting restaurant layout into an excellent dining experience.

of susitenance and flavor.

Those wanting to indulge their carnivorous side might prefer the Poblano Pesto Burrito.

Filled with grilled chicken marinated in sauce of roasted poblano peppers, almonds, cilantro and pine nuts. This is the Porsche of the fast food burrito world, it’s in a league of its own. For those counting carbs, all the burritos can be ordered “naked,” which means they’re served in a bowl with a tortilla optional on the side.

Beyond burritos, Qdoba serves a variety of nacho’s or quesadillas for those with a smaller appetite. Whatever you prefer, Qdoba can ease your hunger without breaking the bank. Try signing up for their “Q Card” which enables you to get food and discounts after so many purchases.

Margarita’s: When you first enter the restaurant, you instantly smell a mix of meat and beans cooking, in the kitchen on the lower level. You descend down the staircase into a cozy, but somewhat tightly packed dining area.

When the restaurant is full, you almost get the feeling that you’re at some hole-in-the-wall place only the locals know about, but Margarita’s is no hole in the wall.

Serving home-style Mexican food in a clean, friendly environment, Margarita’s offers some of the best and biggest burritos in the city. For those who are addicted to the free chips and salsa before the meal, Margarita’s will please you with their homemade sauce and freshly backed tortilla chips.

Opening the menu, one will find a variety of

traditional Mexican foods such as tamales and tortilla based dishes, like enchiladas and flautas. Or, if you prefer the more Tex-Mex style of cuisine, they have many-a-dish to choose from. When you break them all down though, most are a combination of tacos and burritos with various things inside.

The service left a little to be desired as after I ordered, I saw my waitress twice, when the food arrived, and then the bill. This wasn’t all that bad though; it gave me room to breathe as I ate rather than a server who hocks everything on the menu.

With a very relaxed atmosphere and pretty decent food, Margarita’s is a great place just to hang out and talk. If you order burritos you might want to stick to just one, as the helpings are pretty big. Before you leave you might want to pick up two jars of their home made salsa, having it once just isn’t enough.

issue 4 / october 17, 2005 / a&e / page 15

Go visit “Elizabethtown” by evan favreau

Some of the best movies that can be enjoyed today are films that, while making an intelligent and emotional connection with the audience, also embrace the idea that they are purely celluloid entertainment. “Elizabethtown,” written and directed by Cameron Crowe, is a prime example of this and is a great movie because of it.

Orlando Bloom, starring in quite possibly his first movie set in the present day, is Drew Baylor.

He has just lost the shoe company he works for almost a billion dollars. After he is fired, he returns home in a suicidal haze to find that his father has died while visiting Elizabethtown, Kentucky. During his trip to retrieve his dad’s body Drew finds his family, love and a little bit of himself.

Yeah, it sounds cheesy, and it kind of is. But this tone is one of the best things in “Elizabethtown.” Crowe (“Jerry Maguire,” “Almost Famous”) has, once again, created a movie that is clearly a movie. Most of what happens is incredibly improbable and greatly exaggerated, but who cares? Crowe understands that movies are the place where you can present

FULL OF CHARACTER: ABOVE: Kirsten Dunst poses for the camera RIGHT: Some of the characters encountered in the film photos courtesy Paramount Pictures

something semi-ridiculous and it’s alright. Here it works because the movie doesn’t feel like it’s pounding the viewer over the head to make the point that it’s clever. The story is real enough to care about and appreciate, but the details that fit so nicely together are undeniably cinematic.

The subtlety really shines through Orlando Bloom’s performance. Bloom pulls off the sulky, romantic wannabe perfectly. He plays it to a point where his mood blends in with and becomes a part of the story evolving around him.

Kirsten Dunst, on the other hand, provides a sharp contrast by playing up her character’s obvious quirkiness. Though her character maybe feels a bit like a stock “free-spirit” character we’ve seen before, Dunst’s performance and screen presence show’s that she is capable of surprising range.

Also surprising is the tone of the film: this is a funny, funny movie. Most of the humor comes from the colorful characters encountered throughout the film. You’ve got Chuck and Cindy and their grand wedding. You’ve got the children’s film host that likes to blow up houses. And you’ve got Alec Baldwin, as Bloom’s boss, who provides the comic highlight of the film.

Despite the film being funnier than Crowe’s previous works, the film is clearly a work of his thanks to the soundtrack. The movie is saturated in somewhat obscure songs that are just as important as the images he puts on the screen, even though the barrage of songs can get be a bit overkill at times.

Like “Jerry Maguire,” “Elizabethtown” exploits the fact that doesn’t have to be realistic. The result is a hilarious, unabashedly romantic film that knows what it is: cinema. GRADE: A-

Evolution rock by joey soptic

Most times a band has established a set style for themselves by their fifth or sixth album. By that time most bands have a set mold that each album is sort of cast from.

I say most, though, because that isn’t always the case. With O.A.R.’s new album, “Stories of a Stranger,” they tossed a slightly different style into the mix. Removing some of the reggae element to their music, they compensated with a more relaxed style, and singer Marc Roberge’s vocalist talent is much more evident in this album. The band did some tweaking to their music, and they came out all the better with this reputable addition to their cache of well-written albums.

The first noticeable difference in the music is evident very quickly: Roberge’s vocals. With ease, he hits higher notes and seems to have more difficult parts to sing. It’s a definite plus to hear that his singing has improved. In “Daylight the Dog” for example, Roberge trills out lyrics that hit high notes not found in earlier albums.

There isn’t as much of the scraping reggae guitar riffs found in “Stories.” Who knows how that will go over with people who found O.A.R. so appealing because of its blended rock/reggae/jam band music. Still blending lots of different styles, the band is just switching up an even greater variety of them. Roberge still brings back a bit of reggae now and then during some songs. Good news for the fans of the bands reggae side comes in the form of “Program Director,” a nice reggae track about the Program Director on the radio who won’t play his music; A good song to

O.A.R.’s latest has a new sound but still features the goods

keep ones ears buried in this CD. The band also uses a great hook for an opening song, “Heard the World,” with its catchy chorus, and George Harrison style slide guitar work. I found myself listening to it several times before I even went on to the rest of the CD. It is a perfect way to flow into the rest of the album, if you can keep yourself from repeating it over and over.

At the end of the CD, they throw a slight curveball into the mix with “52-50,” a song that they have been playing live for a couple of years and just now got recorded. It draws you in with a bass riff that faintly reminds one of “Dareh Meyod,” a song from their last CD, “In Between Now and Then.” This is also one song where you really get to hear the sax come through. There was less of the saxophone in the new album too which is a bit of a disappointment.

Another thing the band is really known for is the rock plus saxophone that they play. I enjoyed how on older CD’s like “Any Time Now,” the sax has as many solos as the lead guitar. “52-50” is definitely a good way to close out the album with a song that reminds of previous work and finish the job.

A new O.A.R. emerges in this album and they prove with “Stranger” that they can manipulate and tweak their style, without any kind of negative coming from it. The change of style will surprise, but is very good nonetheless. GRADE: A

OF A REVOLUTION: The rock group O.A.R.’s newest CD, “Stories of a Stranger,” continues to evolve the band’s sound.

page 16 / sports / the harbinger

Staring into the future

As the seniors try to make their final impact in their athletics, a group of talented athletes are being recruited to make an impact on their future colleges

Bleakley With a resume including two state tennis championships and possibly a third, senior Kristin Bleakley’s college recruitment began and ended as quickly as one of her matches.

“It was a huge relief to get it over with,” Bleakley said. “I am very excited about the decision.”

Bleakley verbally committed to North Carolina State in Raleigh North, Carolina. She chose NC State over Illinois, Alabama, and Louisiana State.

“Everything just felt right when I was there,” Bleakley said. “The location( an hour from the Atlantic Ocean), the girls, and the coaches were just awesome.”

Bleakley, who won 6A singles last season and helped the East win the team title two years ago, moved over to doubles this season, with junior Lanie Mackie. She made the switch because in college all of the tennis players play both singles and doubles.

“I love to play both,” Bleakley said. “ In doubles I can express with another person and in singles I can express the really competitive side in me.”

Her desire to play college tennis started when she was a freshman playing on the varsity level. It became evident she was headed for college after going 18-4 her sophomore year playing number one singles. She says she got a big boost in her play when joined Mike Wolf’s Overland Park Tennis Academy. She also credits the academy instructors for motivating her to get better.

“They has helped me a lot with the recruiting process,” Bleakly said. “They would call colleges and tell them I was interested and they ended up helping me find the right one.”

In tennis, coaches don’t only base their recruits on their ability but also on how they get along with other players on the court and coaches off the court.

College coaches attended the majority of Kristin’s tournaments during the summer and offered her a scholarship at the beginning of this year.

Though Kristin is “excited about her decision” she says she’ll miss the East tennis team.

“We’ve had so much fun together,” Bleakley said. “and we’ve also made so much of an improvement since my freshman year.”

by peter goehausen

Duvall For the last eight years senior John Duvall has played football with most of his current teammates. As the group of 17 seniors prepares to wrap up their senior football season and career in the next month, Duvall is trying to determine who his new teammates will be over the next four years.

“We have spent a huge amount of time together,” Duvall said. “It has really given us a chance to bond.

I have to try to find that same bond in four years in college.”

Duvall’s passion to play college football hit him his sophomore year when he got his first varsity action in a game against Wyandotte. John, who was far back on the depth chart, made his way to the endzone that game with a short touchdown run. His older brother Michael also was going through his recruitment at the time, and later signed with Yale.

“After that touchdown I knew I was way ahead of where I though I would be,” Duvall said. “Also I knew I was better than my brother and when he committed I knew I’d be able to play college football.”

Duvall’s recruitment has been completely different than that of the other D-1 athletes because he intends to play at an Ivy League school. In the Ivy League an athlete has to qualify for the school academically before they can even think about playing football.

“They don’t pay attention to you unless you have

grades,” Duvall said. “ They are only allowed two studentsathletes to attend the school who wouldn’t get into the school academically.”

Dartmouth, Cornell, Harvard, Princeton, and Yale are all recruiting Duvall to play linebacker and tight end. One of the biggest things that has helped Duvall get so much interest is attending multiple football camps over the summer at Harvard, Yale, and Princeton.

“The camps are perfect to show off your ability,” Duvall said.

“You get to work with the coaches and then they take notes and decide whether or not they want you.”

Duvall plans to announce his intentions of where he will play college football in the upcoming weeks. His two favorites are Harvard and Princeton though nothing is official.

“I want to do be able to do my own thing,” Duvall said. “I want to go head-to-head with my brother instead of always being in his shadow.”

Before Duvall is able to do his own thing he feels he needs to get stronger and be able to read plays better. Also, he has spent his senior season making the change from fullback to tight end.

Instead of having the ball and finding a whole, he has been working on finding a whole to catch the ball. Overall, he feels that his recruitment has helped become a better player this season.

“Being recruited has given me an extra incentive this year,” Duvall said. “Every play I have to play my hardest because it will be on the film sent to the colleges.

I always feel like I have to go make that extra block or gain the extra yard.”

photos by Kathleen Sprouse and Katie Westphal

Christie An all expense paid trip to Laguna and Newport Beach, California would be a dream for most people. For senior basketball player J.D. Christie it was just another weekend on the recruiting trail.

“This has been something I have always wanted,” Christie said. “Every since freshman year I have worked to play college basketball.”

Since dominating the varsity basketball ranks Christie has received hundreds of letters from college who are interested in recruiting him. Freshman year D-1 powers such as Oklahoma and Arkansas were in constant contact with him. As he has gotten older though, he has received fewer and fewer letters.

“The older you get, the more the coaches know what kind of player you are,” Christie. “And the coaches recruit on whether or not you will fit in with the program.”

The college coaches haven’t only been watching Christie during the high school season, the coaches have recruited him

harder in the summer months. This summer he played on Pump ‘N Run team, that features such athletes as Brady Morningstar who committed to KU. He also attended the Adidas Superstar camp, that features some of the countries most elite high school basketball players.

“It was just cool to be included amongst those kind of players,” Christie said. “Everyone is as good or better then you.”

That is something J.D. will have to get accustomed when he has to start his legacy all over. He will most likely being playing the forward position next year which will continue to give him a chance to drive and shoot from behind the perimeter.

“I have built my game off of getting to basket,” Christie said. “ But in college your going to have to be able to do it all.”

Christie has decided to show college coaches he can “do it all” and has elected to wait to commit until after his senior season is over. Right now his top two

schools are California Irvin and TCU in Fort Worth, Texas.

“A lot will change after the early signing in November,” Christie said. “ Most of the top players will sign then and it will open up some opportunities for me.”

Waiting until the April signing period will also give him a chance to show college coaches his physical strength, which is something he feels he needs to improve. The non-stop transition game will be the other area he will work on in his senior season.

“You have to learn things at such a rapid pace,” Christie said. “You either learn or you leave.”

In the end Christie’s commitment will come down to where he feels he will fit.

“I have accepted my skill level as to where I can play next year,” Christie said. “I know it won’t be somewhere like Duke but it can be at a good mid-major school.”

issue 4 / october 17, 2005 / sports / page 17

Running Ahead of the Class Allie Marquis leads the girls cross country team, and she is just a freshman

IN STRIDE: Allie Marquis warms up before a recent practice. photo by katie james

by michelle sprehe As she approached the orange cones 400 yards from the end of the course, varsity runner freshman Allie

Marquis kept her steady pace to remain in third place at the SM West invitational cross country meet Oct.. 8. She was then passed by two other girls, causing her to come in fifth, but first place among the SM East freshman girls.

Marquis has been ranked SM East’s number one female runner all season And she’s only a freshman.

Marquis’ older sister, junior Kristen Marquis, who is on the junior varsity team, got Allie interested in cross country team.

“I’ve always liked running,” Allie said. “So my sister told me to join the team with her.”

People who don’t know the Marquis’s may expect there to have been tension between the girls when Allie made varsity and her older sister only made junior varsity, but this is not the case.

“I doesn’t really affect us,” Kristen said. “I’m happy for her and proud of her.”

The sisters also realize that younger girls tend to be faster than older girls.

“It’s not unusual for the underclassmen girls to dominate the team,” varsity cross country senior, Courtney Held, said. “As girls get older, they tend to slow down because of their changing bodies.”

Despite being on different teams, cross country has helped to make the sister’s bond stronger. Since being on the team, they’ve noticed that they tend to talk to each other more and get along better at home.

“We get to see each other a lot more,” Kristen said. “We run together and go to practices and meets together. And now we share some of the same friends.”

They also go to Friday night cross country carbo-loads, where everyone on the team indulges on carbohydrates to prepare for a meet the next morning.

Allie has altered her eating habits a little in order to condition her body for cross country.

“I try to drink a bottle of water everyday before school,” Allie said. “Then one or two more before and after lunch.

And then I continue drinking water after practice until I go to bed.”

Allie has also cut back on soda pop and caffeine and has started drinking more Gatorade.

“I get dehydrated easily and I have low blood pressure,” Allie said. “So the doctor told me to drink Gatorade to help with that.”

Allie’s low blood pressure and dehydration has gotten so severe that she has fainted. She sometimes gets dizzy after a race and has to put her head between her legs so that all the blood that her legs were using goes back up to her brain. So far this season, she’s only fainted twice, usually after a 5k run.

“I used to worry about her, but not so much now,” Kristen said. “She’s pretty independent and can take care of herself.”

Allie isn’t willing to let her low blood pressure stop her from doing her best this year. She thinks she can hold her number one spot, but if she doesn’t, that’s okay with her.

“I’m not just on the team for the running part,” Marquis said. “I love just hanging out with the team and meeting new people. That’s what really makes me love cross country.”

Keeping Their Eyes on the Prize The girls golf team after many hours of playing won league and has advanced to the state championship today

by bobby miller Playing a round of golf is one of the longest sporting events that an athlete can take part in. Compared to a highschool basketball game, which could last as long as two hours, or a baseball game that could be played for up to three hours, a round of golf can take from five to six hours to complete.

So when the girls golf team won league and advanced to state they felt like all their time of walking mile after mile and carrying their 45 pound golf bags had paid off.

The golf team won league by eleven strokes over rival Shawnee Mission South. It was the first time that the girls’ golf team had won league since 1996. They accomplished this feat by beating out their opponents at both Lawrence and Iron Horse Country Club.

“Playing for six hours every round is mentally draining,” said sophomore Catherine Ward. “It was exciting to know that after all of the six hour tournaments it finally paid off.”

During the tournaments the team passes their time walking to their ball by having fun and making friends with other people in their playing group. Their groups consist of three other girls from different schools and sometimes they find friends out of it.

“It is always fun to see the girls from other school’s and see what they are up to,” said junior Caroline Jones, “I met this girl from South and we plan on hanging out soon.”

Ward, who leads the team averaging in the low 90s a round, began playing golf when she was in fourth grade.

She started by playing with her mom and grandma and now plays for around 80 hours every summer.

Last season as a freshman she was the only player to advance to the state tournament for East. Last Tuesday she led the team to the State tournament shooting a 78 at

How Low Can They Go All six girls shot under their averages at regionals last Tuesday at Painted Hills Golf Course Regionals

Catherine Ward Ellie Leek Caroline Jones Valerie Fagan Abbey Gloe Emily Hennig

78 89 93 97 98 88

Average 90 92 97 101 102 104

regionals, which placed her in second for the day. That was the best score that she has recorded while on the Lancer team.

The golf team sacrifices a lot of time on and off the course trying to drop their scores. They play every day, except for Fridays, for two hours. They are also forced to miss their fifth through seventh hour classes a couple of days a week whenever they have a tournament because they have to finish their round before sunset.

“It’s hard to make up all your classes. Especially when you have tough classes,” said Jones. “You have to spend a lot of time making up the work.”

The girls are also not just given spots to play; they have to earn the right to play in tournaments. With 13 girls on the team only six of them can play in a varsity tournament and the six can change from week to week. Coach Ermanno

TEEING UP: Sophomore Catherine Ward follows her shot at a recent tournament. photo by frances lafferty

Ritschl decides on who plays by who has best performed in recent practices and tournaments.

“Each tournament we have a different person step up,” said Coach Ritschl. “It will be nice when we all come together at the same time. It is nice to win league and know you haven’t peaked yet.”

At regionals the team seemed to be peaking with all six girls shooting below their averages. Today the team competes in Salina for the state title. Their goals are to finish in the top half of the standings. Any accomplishment will feel good after all the time they have spent playing golf.

page 18 / sports / the harbinger

Class performance sidelines athlete

Student’s grades cause him to be ineligible to play on the soccer team by joey soptic From the sideline, junior Peter Krivena watches as his team plays on without him. He gently kicks a ball between his feet as he watches. Only a year before, he would have been out on the field helping the team rack up vital points and working with his teammates towards winning.

Even playing a key role on the team couldn’t save him from the three failing grades he received, making him ineligible to play in his junior season. His absence put a gap in the team.

“It was because I wasn’t preparing for tests, and I was getting caught up in poker,” he said. “It was almost every day after school and it was with seniors, who were actually able to really go out on week nights.”

“I didn’t even realize that the rule included the previous semester,” Krivena said. He was only aware of the current semester grades having to be passing, and it came as a surprise when the next semester arrived.

The rule for the Shawnee Mission School District states that every student must have passed 5 or more classes the previous semester and must be passing the same in the current semester.

“I should never have failed those classes,” he said.

“There’s really no excuse for it. I just have to realize that,

what’s the

rule?

:

you know, school is more important than going out with friends.”

Whether by staying a little late after school to finish an assignment or finding other ways of making sure school work is done and handed in on time, he is learning ways to get good grades this year. It’s working, too. As of right now his grades are all A’s and B’s.

“I definitely disagree with the rule,” Krivena said. “The rule should be that the student keeps his grades up for that season, and he should be able to play.”

Although he may have much better grades this year. The failed classes will keep him ineligible and off the field.

“He’s really good.” senior teammate Brian Humphrey said. “It would be much better to have him. He could definitely play in college if he wanted.”

The team keeps nearly the same formation with Krivena missing, but at times puts more pressure on other players.

“A person’s first responsibility is to be a student, then to be an athlete. Whatever level [the athlete], may be at; collegiate, or high school, there are always standards to uphold,” athletic director Lane Green said.

Although all must abide by the district rules, coaches can set their own guidelines for their teams.

Jim Ricker, coach of the soccer team, has his own rules

for the team.

“I have higher standards than I have to,” he said. “The players have to have a C or better in all of their classes. If they have a D, they have to sit unless they go in and get help and a signed note saying that they are trying to improve.”

In Krivena’s case it was out of season, and he was also unaware that his previous semester grades could make him ineligible.

Any player with an F on Ricker’s team is automatically benched.

“If someone has an F, it’s for one reason: they aren’t putting the effort into their work,” he said. “Some of my players are out right now, and it kills me, but I’m sure it’s worse for them.”

Also, to stay in the game and in shape during this period, Krivena and some other East students formed a recreational team for the fall season, The Shockers. The team is in the All American Indoor Sports League. He also works out at the YMCA, preparing for his indoor club team, The Legends.

With grades on the rise this year, Krivena will be back.

“I had to set my priorities straight,” he said. “I had to realize what’s more important, and I’m just learning it the hard way this time.”

Ricker’s: Player must have a C or above to play. D or F gets you a ticket straight to the bench.

District’s: Pass five classes previous semester and be passing five classes current

semester.

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issue 4 / october 17 2005 / sports / page 19

“

LIFE ON AND OFF THE FIELD ON THE ADRENALINE RUSH YOU GET WHEN YOU RETURN A KICKOFF FOR A TOUCHDOWN I don’t know what is going on when it happens. It is all on instinct and finding the hole and hitting it. It is awesome to see all of the fans and teammates going crazy and getting excited.

ON WHICH IS BETTER, SCORING TWO RECEIVING TOUCHDOWNS OR A RETURN TOUCHDOWN Probably a kick return because it gets the team more excited. It gives us more of an energy boosts. It also always shifts the momentum in the game in our favor.

ON YOUR TEAMS SHOT AFTER REGIONALS. I feel that we have a really good shot. This team doesn’t want to lose and we’ll do anything we can to win the football game. This is the last hooray for us so we are not going to give up easily.

Receiving touchdowns, returning touchdowns, and tackles, senior Kelly Zumbehl has helped East win games in every possible way. photo by linda howard

ON YOUR SENIOR CLASS They are the best group of I could possibly be around. We all get along really well.

ON COACH STONNER CREATING A POSITION, H-BACK, FOR YOU It has helped me play more of an impact role in the offense. I think it is beneficiary to the whole team. I am also flattered that he did create it for me as well.

ON HOW TRACK HELPS YOU IN FOOTBALL It has helped me a lot in

both sports. It has obviously made me a lot faster in football because I have developed a better running technique. Football has improved my track also, football is all about instinct and quickness and that has helped me get off the block in track better.

ON BEING THE FASTEST KID IN THE SCHOOL to me it is just something I have become accustomed too. Not to be cocky but I have always been one of the faster kids in my class, and if I wasn’t I would work to try to be the fastest.

ON WHETHER YOU LIKE BEING COMPARED TO DANTE HALL OR MAURICE GREENE (ISSUE 15, 2005) BETTER I’d probably have to go with Dante Hall because I have played football my whole life where track I just started last year. Football is more fulfilling to me.

ON THE ONE PIECE OF ADVICE YOU WOULD GIVE THE ORIGINAL X-FACTOR, DANTE HALL My advice to him? I wish he would give me advice first. But if I had to give him some advice I would tell him what Coach Oehme always tells me, follow your wedge and try to not go to far outside. You have to trust your blockers.

”

Zumbehl, who celebrates his 18th birthday Wednesday, has scored four touchdowns in the last three games. His explosiveness has helped the offense the last couple weeks.

Zumbehl will lead the Lancers against Harmon on Thursday at senior night.

As told by Peter Goehausen

The Week Ahead

What to watch for in Lancer Athletics By Peter Goehausen MONDAY 10/17

Girls Golf at State

After winning league for the first time since 1996, the girls golf team should be confident heading into state. Sophomore Katherine Ward should especially be confident in her second year at state. She shot a career low of 78 at regionals last Tuesday, as she is proving to be the most clutch golfer on the team, she shot a 79 at state last year. This year she has led the girl’s with an average in the low 90’s. She is followed by juniors Caroline Jones and Ellie Leek.

THURSDAY 10/20

Football vs. Harmon Senior Night

The end of the season is fast approaching for what Stonner labeled as his “best senior class ever.” The seventeen seniors should lead the Lancers to an easy victory over Harmon. If they beat Harmon and beat South next week, the Lancers will win their district. They better enjoy the easy district while they can because next Harmon and Wyandotte are dropping down to 5A next

SATURDAY 10/22

Girls Volleyball at Sub-State

With a 26-7 record the girls volleyball finished third in Sunflower League.

Rival SM West won the Sunflower League. At sub-state the Lancers will have to beat West and another hot team BV North. The Lancers have seen great play from sophomores Leah Mauer and Casey Sauls.

TUESDAY 10/20

GAME OF THE WEEK- Soccer vs. Olathe Northwest It is the beginning of the end for the soccer team and the 12 seniors. Senior Night is Tuesday at the Complex. After going 1-2-1 in their last three games, the team needs to finish their season on a win over a strong Olathe Northwest team, third in the Sunflower League and SM North on Thursday. Though East lost their chance of win inng league, after a loss to Olathe East and a tie to Olathe North, they can still move up in Sunflower League and make their regional play easier if they win their last two

Cross Country at Regionals

After setting a personal record (16:17) and a first place finish at Shawnee Mission Park two weeks ago, senior John McCormick seems poised to break that record this Saturday at Shawnee Mission Park at Regionals. McCormick who has been num ber one on varsity all year has been backed up by junior Peter Reisz. They hope to lead the boys team to state and junior Patty Blair and freshman Allie Marquis, page 17, are hoping to lead the girls to an appearance at Oct. 29 at Rim Rock in Lawrence.

senior Connor Dennis

photos by linda howard and katie woods

page 20 / photo essay / the harbinger

160 students 40 games 20 teams

1 Winner

Pumped Up: Senior Megan Sayler screams to pump up her team before their first game against The Catalyst while everyone cheers and jumps up and down. The Unicorns were the underdogs and wound up winning two of their games. With the support of two junior boys, the senior girls battled it out. photo by linda howard

Students compete in the first ever SHARE sponsored Dodgeball Tournament Charge: The Holla Ballas took the court by storm as they all attacked a team of sophomores at once. The Holla Ballas proudly defeated their opponents and moved on to the next round. All the teams advanced into a winners or losers bracket.

The very best team got to compete against a team of teachers in the very end. photo by samantha ludington

Black Attack: Seniors Alex Talley, Paige Peeke, Emilee Weltner and Brooke Bublitz sit on the sideline and watch other teams play, awating their next game. The girls were all part of the team The Three Toed Sloths. Their all black attire and painted faces added to the festive mood of the tournament. photo by linda howard Fighting to Win: Junior Reid Robson hurdles the ball at the other team, trying to knock someone out. Reid’s team, The Team, beat their opponents The Domination Delegation in a hard, drawn out match. photo by samantha ludington