Issue 4

the

ISSUE 4 SHAWNEE MISSION EAST PRAIRIE VILLAGE, KS OCTOBER 19, 2009

An investigation into the opportunities for purchasing locally grown products versus mass-produced food

T

>>DuncanMcHenry

he chicken nugget gets around.

For instance, the nuggets sold in the East cafeteria typically come from plants in North Carolina or Pennsylvania, according to Gary Mickelson, the media contact for Tyson Foods. The nuggets are produced and immediately frozen to zero degrees Fahrenheit, before traveling hundreds of miles to a distribution warehouse, then hundreds more to East.

According to Diana Endicott, head of the local organization Good Natured Family Farms, which supplies local stores like Hen House with a variety of products such as beef, chicken, milk and produce, the local farmers she works with produce all of their meat within a 200 mile radius of Prairie Village. Their produce comes from within 40 to 45 miles, under an hour’s drive away, and they don’t freeze any products because they arrive at their destination within 24 hours of being shipped.

School districts around the country have begun integrating locally grown products

such as these into their cafeteria menus. Many of them are allied with the Farm to School organization, a national group that aims to connect schools with local farmers. These districts have found that buying locally helps them know exactly where the foods students are eating come from and how they’re produced, and benefits them in other ways.

Primarily, buying locally grown food greatly shortens the distance that products must travel before reaching a school. According to Endicott, when foods such as fruits and vegetables are shipped over long distances they start losing nutritional value and taste after about 24 hours. This is due to changing conditions and the amount of time spent in transit.

East currently doesn’t purchase any locally farmed foods, and many of the cafeteria products travel by truck from as far as Pennsylvania or California before reaching the school.

According to District Food Services Manager Nancy Coughenour, the SMSD purchases the majority of its cafeteria food from a small group of large distribution companies known as

“prime venders,” such as U.S. Foodservice.

These venders provide the school’s perishable items such as milk and produce.

By the time a product reaches East from one of these distribution companies, it has changed hands several times. First, the product must be shipped from the farm to the distribution company’s warehouse where it is stored for an indefinite amount of time before being shipped to the school.

According to the Center for Food Safety, large American distribution companies such as these truck their products an average of about 1500 miles before they reach a local grocery store or cafeteria.

Another benefit to buying local food is that it helps area farmers economically, according to Tony Schwager, a local beekeeper and owner of the company Anthony’s Bee Hive. Schwager’s company is allied with Endicott’s Good Natured Family Farms.

>>continued on page 12

>>photo illustration by Mackenzie Wylie

INSIDE: Halloween section FEATURES: Junior deals with new child (pg. 15) SPORTS: Volleyball team state-bound (pg. 22)

Mr. Obama

Homework:

Education Overhaul

>>AlysabethAlbano

President Barack Obama’s proposed Recovery Act allots around $69 billion from the national budget for the reform of the nation’s education system. This Act, passed on Aug. 17, focuses on a high-quality education as the key to addressing and helping the country’s economic problems and offering global opportunity by way of job creation.

Through strong education, Obama and Vice President Biden say, comes better employment and strong local communities.

Obama hopes to reform the No Child Left Behind Act, which was put into place in 2001 by former President George W. Bush. It was signed into law under the assumption that setting high standards and establishing goals could improve a student’s performance. The main focus of NCLB was to prepare students for standardized testing and scoring well.

Both the President and Vice President agree that the initial goal of NCLB was good, but they feel that it has demoralized educators and broken the promise made to the nation’s students. English teacher Meredith Birt shares this feeling with the president.

“I do think that teachers are run down and feel ‘demoralized’ [by NCLB] both in this district and especially in other districts,” Birt said. “I think that most of that feeling comes from inner-city schools or rural education systems.”

Obama plans to recruit, prepare, retain and reward America’s teachers. His proposal calls for creating Teacher Service Scholarships that cover the training costs for educators. This would enforce performance-based teacher education, requiring evidence of a teacher’s performance by their students’ test scores. Social studies teacher David Muhammad thinks that school is more than testing and student test results are not enough to show reliability.

“It’s time for teachers to be held accountable in class, but there needs to be a more

diverse spectrum to look at,” Muhammad said.

In hopes of retaining the high-quality educators, Obama and Biden plan to offer mentoring and paid common planning time to come up with better ways to teach as a group. They also have plans to develop the Career Ladder Initiative. This would include support of new teachers, vast opportunities for advancement, and more financial compensation such as annual bonuses for displaying deep knowledge in the area of which they teach.

Obama also proposes adding additional learning time in the hopes of reducing drop out rates and closing the achievement gap between social classes. He argues that kids spend too little time in school which puts them at a disadvantage with the other students across the globe. In his conference with the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, Obama explains that eight states in the nation have such low scores that they place in the bottom 40 percent of the world. But not all states score this low. In Massachusetts, eighth graders are tied for first in the world in science education. However, Muhammad does not agree with longer education time.

In his opinion, teachers need a break after a taxing year. He also believes the school year is long enough and it is what you do with time that truly matters.

“Just because the year is longer doesn’t mean there will be better teaching, Muhammad said. “It is all about adequately using the time provided.”

United Sates Education Secretary Arne Duncan revealed some of the plan’s motives in a press conference on March 11.

“Our school calendar is based upon the agrarian economy and not too many of our kids are working the fields today,” Duncan said.

Both Duncan and Obama agree that the country’s students need longer school hours so they can keep up with other countries.

“Young people in other countries are going to school

25, 30 percent longer than our students here,” Duncan said. “I want to just level the playing field.”

Brookings Institution researcher Tom Loveless studied how added math class time affected math scores in other countries. He found that they rose significantly, especially in countries that added minutes to the day, rather than days to the year. If ten minutes were added to each class offered in school, Obama predicts test scores would rise and put us back as a contender against the world.

Obama would also would like schools to stay open later, and let kids in on the weekends. They hope that this will portray schools as a more safe place.

This may seem like a good idea, but not everyone supports the plan. The biggest complaint is the cost. A similar program, although not government funded, in Massachusetts cost each student $1,300, which is 12 to 15 percent more than regular student spending each year. It was this program, however, that helped the state’s science program reach number one in the world.

The Obama-Biden plan comes with a sizable commitment from taxpayers. Obama predicts that this plan will cost the nation about $18 billion a year. However, he stresses that the money spent on educational reforms won’t increase the deficit, but will simply come from redirecting school funding. Muhammad believes that no amount of money is too much to pay for better education. In his opinion, children are the future and education is the key to success.

“We have to continue to educate ourselves with up to date technology,” Muhammad said. “As long as [the budget] is well divided, it is a good move.”

Obama has high hopes that through his efforts, the nation’s school system truly can be reformed. With his help, he believes that the eight states can be pulled from the bottom 40 percent and the entire country can be put back in the top rankings of the world.

In his opinion, any child, no matter of their race, faith, or social status, can overcome obstacles to reach their full potential.

“The future belongs to the nation that best educates it’s citizens,” Obama said. “We have everything we need to be that nation.”

>>KennedyBurgess

page 2 news 10.19.09

>>www.woodlands-junior.kent.sch.ulk/customs/questions/schterms.html.com

>>NEWS BRIEFS Culver’s Night

>>

>> East will receive 10 percent of all sales made during the hours of the event. East staff members will be donning Culver’s gear and serving up the orders. >> 5 to 8 p.m. on Wednesday at the Culver’s on State Line

>>

ACT Test

>>

>> This will be the second-to-last ACT testing day of 2009. Students may register for the ACT test online at www.act.org. >> Saturday

>>

StuCo Bonfire

>> >> StuCo will be hosting a bonfire. All students are encouraged to attend. The bonfire will honor all the fall sports and their accomplishments. >> 7 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 27 on the East softball field

>>

Mole Day

>> >>

All East students are encouraged to join in on the annual celebration of one of the basic chemistry measuring units. The event will once again be hosted by the Chem 2 students. This year’s theme is Molestock; dress to impress.

Contact your science teacher for more information and possible extra-credit opportunities.

Snacks will be provided and games will be played with prizes available. >> 6:02 a.m. on Friday in the cafeteria

>>

Report Cards

>> >> Report cards will be distributed by teachers

to students. >> Third hour on Friday

>>

Parent-Principal Coffee

>> >> Broadmoor’s principal, Julie Crain, will be

on hand to talk about the programs offered at Broadmoor and will also lead a tour of the newly renovated building. Principal Karl Krawitz will also be available. >> 7 p.m. on Tuesday in the Bistro at Broadmoor Technical Center

>>

College Applications

>> >> Requests for transcripts and/or letters of

recommendation for all applications due on Dec. 1 must be turned in to the counseling department.

Nov. 3

>>

Citizenship Competition

>> >>

Freshmen entering a poem or essay for the Citizenship competition need to do so by the date below. The theme is the impact of this year’s historic Presidential inauguration. Contact your English or social studies teacher for more information. >> Friday

>>

Visit www.smeharbinger.net for new and updated coverage of East news

Too Sweet To Sell

issue 4 news page 3

>>photo illustration Lindsey Hartnett

New law bans the sale of flavored cigarettes to halt teen smoking >>TimShedor

All candy or fruit-like cigarette flavors will now be banned from purchase or sale according to a U.S. Food and Drug Administration press release on Sept. 22.

FDA commissioner Margaret A. Hamburg cited in the official press release of the ban that “flavored cigarettes are a gateway for many children and young adults to become regular smokers.” According to the press release, 17-year-old smokers are three times as likely to use flavored cigarettes as smokers over the age of 25.

Senior Franklin Johnson* said that he began smoking cigarettes as early as 15 because he liked the clove-flavored taste. Now, he smokes approximately one cigarette a day and smokes only real tobacco. “[The ban] is probably a good thing,” Johnson said. “It’ll probably save a lot of people.”

The ban comes as the first law under President Barack Obama’s Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act, signed into effect earlier this year, which gave the FDA power to regulate tobacco products.

Within the next two years, the FDA plans to heavily modify labels on smoking cartons, as well as censor tobacco company logos at entertainment venues. There may eventually be bans on flavored tobacco products that are not wrapped, such as spit and Snus.

In 2003, cigarette companies were barred from the ad-

The Ban Bar

vertising spectrum by the Tobacco Regulation Act of 2003, as well as the Tobacco Promotions and Advertising Acts of 2003 and 2005, inhibiting tobacco companies from marketing using “paid media.”

“Manufacturers were not allowed then to directly target young kids and teens with their messages,” Eldonna Chestnut, Adult & Child Care Facilities Division Director within the Johnson County Health Department, said. “They couldn’t use the cool fast cars and all the things directed at that population to try to get them started. I think eliminating that market should have helped, hopefully it has helped.”

But according to Chestnut, after the ban, tobacco companies became more creative with their product promotion by passing out free samples of snuff and chew at county fairs.

With this ban, companies may find similar loopholes in the official ban, such as in the wording of the official release.

The ban is loosely worded because it defines cigarettes as tobacco within any wrapped product, but doesn’t specify what type of wrapping or what size. With this context, the ban may later include cigars and cigarellas.

“We want to draw attention to the portion of the [law’s] definition of cigarette which specifically refers to the appearance of the product and how it is perceived and offered for sale,” Catherine Lorraine, head lawyer of the FDA’s tobacco center, said at the press conference announcing the ban.

June 2009 The Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act is signed into law.

Jan. 2010 Tobacco manufacturers will be required by the FDA to submit information about all the ingredients and additives in their tobacco products.

Sept. 2009 FDA announces that the purchase or sale of candy or fruit-like flavored cigarettes will be banned.

“We will look at products on an individual basis.”

Yet cigarette chain smoking has been on a decline as strict taxes and Surgeon General Warnings have been on the rise.

For this reason, cigar and cigarellas, smaller cigars, have become more and more popular.

“I’m hoping [the ban is effective],” Chestnut said. “I’m not for sure. It’s hard to say because we don’t know all the details.

I think education is our best place to start. If we educate kids especially about what the dangers are of smoking and what can happen when they do smoke, as well as what health risks they’re putting themselves at when they do smoke. The more we educate early the better off kids will be.”

According to WebMD.com, cigarette smoking may lead to an early death by lung cancer, heart attack and stroke, gum disease, impotence and fertility problems.

“It’s a very addictive habit,” Chestnut said. “And if they start young….they would be affected the rest of their life.

And obviously we know that smoking causes a lot of health issues, so if we can prevent kids from ever starting, we may have a healthier Kansas and a healthier community because of the fewer diseases and health problems associated with smoking.” *Real name substituted with a fake name to protect identity

July 2010 Warning labels on smokeless tobacco products will be strengthened by the FDA.

April 2010 The FDA will try to reduce tobacco use among young people by reissuing its 1996 regulations. For example, the use of tobacco company logos will be banned at sports or entertainment events.

Oct. 2012 The FDA will revise and strengthen the warning labels they put on cigarettes.

July 2010 Tobacco companies will no longer be allowed to use the terms “light,” “low” and “mild” on their tobacco products.

page 4 news 10.19.09

Too

Sick Too

Quick

Frequent absences in the winter have become more common during the fall

By the

numbers

Total count of students absent from school due to sickness

10/6

145

10/7

136

10/8

115

10/9

116

10/10

91

>>KatieEast

>>MollyTroutman and JackHowland

Every year an estimated 200,000 people are hospitalized with Above all else, basic precautions are the key to prevention. symptoms of influenza. On Oct. 8, just four days after the Cen“We’re suggesting everybody wash their hands often, cover ter for Disease Control’s official beginning of the yearly flu sea- your coughs and go home when you’re sick. Those are the best son, 145 East students were absent or left school early due to flu things you can do,” Mitchell said. “And we’re making sure we’ve symptoms. got media campaigns that talk about that, not only in Johnson Many worry that the flu season has hit harder and earlier this County but on a metro wide level.” year.

Although proper precautions are being taken, the sickness “It certainly is starting earlier than a normal flu season would,” has progressively gotten worse. During the week ending SeptemHealth Education Division Director Barbara Mitchell said. ber 26, the CDC reported 49,661 cases of the flu excluding the Principal Dr. Karl Krawitz says this has been one of the worst 47,918 cases of H1N1. flu seasons in his educational career. In a normal year, the flu According to Dr. Chad Brands of the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, season usually begins in January. This year, high numbers of sick Minnesota, H1N1 is more common this year than regular influstudents are already being reported just weeks into October. enza and has been a major cause of absences. CDC states that the Class attendance at East continmajor difference between H1N1 and the regular ues to decline as sickness spreads flu is that H1N1 is a mutated type of virus, so noYou have to only promote body in the U.S. has any immunity to it. amongst students. The scarcity in each class is becoming evident as the “I don’t think [the fact that the flu season has what you obviously can do year goes on. come early is] what the CDC is saying,” Brands and hope that those efforts “I feel like I could get sick any mosaid. “What we’re seeing in the country right minimize contamination ment,” freshman Maddie Carver said. now is H1N1.”

“It feels like the classes are empty.”

H1N1 has played a major role in the increase and sickness in others.

Teachers are noticing the deof absences. Mitchell has held her position for >>Principal Dr. Karl Krawitz crease in student attendance. many years and she has never seen a flu season “There has not been a drop in teachers being at school, not of this magnitude. The arrival of swine flu this year makes her yet, as far as I can see,” Marketing teacher Mercedes Rasmussen believe that it is the main cause. said. “It does seem that I have had an awful lot of students absent “We’re assuming that a lot of sickness is because of H1N1 and on a daily basis.” not seasonal flu,” Mitchell said. “So it’s a different thing.”

As more kids are being sent home, the district is becoming Different is just one word that describes this flu season. Abmore cautious. sences due to sickness are as evident as ever, H1N1 continues to “We are trying to provide all teachers with hand sanitizers spread and there’s no sign of it slowing down. But despite stats since the fastest way of transferring disease is by hand,” Dr. that stack up against East and all other schools, Dr. Krawitz is not Krawitz said. holding back in his efforts to fight off the flu. He is determined For H1N1, more commonly known as the swine flu, the district and will not rest until it ceases. is already considering providing vaccines. Krawitz thinks being “You have to only promote what you obviously can do and proactive plays a huge role in fighting the battle against the flu. hope that those efforts minimize contamination and sickness in “I think you’ve got to do whatever you can to be as preventa- others.” tive as possible,” Dr. Krawitz said.

“

”

Saving Summer

issue 4 editorial page 5

>>

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.

The

VOTE

The majority opinion of the Harbinger Editorial Board

for

>>Photo Illustration by Dan Stewart

against absent

11 0 0

Before shortening vacation and lengthening schooldays, education reform needs to happen on a local level

Comparing Class time

1,146 1,013 Taiwan 1,005 Hong Kong 1,005 Japan 903 Singapore

>>news.yahoo.com

United States

On the other side of the Pacific, students in Japan spend about 1,005 hours in school, while US students spend 1,146. That’s about three more weeks of school. And yet, Japan routinely outscores the US in math and science testing.

Despite this, some US politicians, including President Obama and his Education Secretary Arne Duncan, want to add school time to improve education – either lengthening the school day or the school year.

Taking strong action on education is commendable but this plan is too ambitious. The proposal has two key flaws. First, there is no guarantee that adding time to the day will improve scores. Some studies do confirm that extra time works. Tom Loveless of the Brookings Institution, the nation’s most cited think tank, found that when some countries added time to their school days, their scores went up.

But others find that unless extra time is very focused, it doesn’t help. According to a 2007 NY Times article, centrist think tank the Education Sector showed that students only benefit if the additional time is highly engaging. Besides, US students already attend more school than students in countries

the

A look at the yearly school hours of the Asian countries outscoring

us in math and science testing

a publication of shawnee mission east high school 7500 Mission Road, Prairie Village, KS 66208

Editors-In-Chief >>Tim Shedor >>Phoebe Unterman Assistant Editors >>Sam Logan >>Kevin Simpson Head Copy Editor >>Andrew Goble Art and Design Editor >>Michael Stolle News Editor >>Logan Heley News Page Editors >>Kennedy Burgess >>Kiki Sykes

oct. 19, 2009 issue 4, vol. 51

Editorial Editor >>Lilly Myers Opinion Editor >>Duncan McHenry Opinion Page Editors >>Kat Buchanan >>Raina Weinberg Features Editor >>Annie Sgroi Feature Page Editors >>>Kathleen Ireland >> Molly Troutman Spread Editor >>Aubrey Leiter Asst. Spread Editor >>Ian Wiseman

A&E Editor >>Mac Tamblyn A&E Page Editors >>Colleen Ireland >>Christa McKittrick Mixed Editor >>Emma Pennington Sports Editor >>Sam Logan Sports Page Editors >>Corbin Barnds >>Conor Twibell Photo Editor >>Mackenzie Wylie Assistant Photo Editor >>Katie East Freelance Page Editors >>>Maddy Bailey >> Sarah McKittrick Copy Editors >>Andrew Goble

whose scores are higher. If Obama and Duncan plan to spend or redirect $18 billion on a solution, it should be one that has conclusive evidence that it works.

Not only is it unclear that more time is the solution, it’s not even clear that time is the problem. Obama and Duncan cite South Korea’s educational system as one where a longer school day is more effective. However, South Korea and other high-performing countries don’t necessarily do better just because they have more time. It’s not just how much time is spent, it’s also the way time is spent.

If we’re going to look at how much time other countries spend in school, we should also look at how their schools work. Other countries’ methods of teaching or administrating may be more significant than just how much time they spend in school.

The second problem is even if this solution definitely worked on a local level, it wouldn’t necessarily work on a national level. Schools have success when extra time is used efficiently. But making that time effective for every school in the country would be difficult.

It’s hard enough making extra time efficient for even one school.

Take East, for example. We already have

a version of extra time, seminar. While seminar can be productive, there are no objectives or standards to meet. Students can work on homework -- but they can also sleep, read or just goof around.

The only real way to hold students accountable for that time would be to test them on what they learned. However, as No Child Left Behind showed, subjecting students to more testing doesn’t solve the problem. And if students still aren’t learning the material, the proposal has no answers for them. If two more hours of lectures and worksheets don’t work, it’s unlikely that three will.

In theory, extra time can be effective. If a student needs help in chemistry and gets an extra hour one-on-one with a teacher, that’s time well spent. However, ensuring that experience for every student in a school would require enormous resources.

What would likely then happen is that students will simply attend extra classes. But sitting through another calculus class with 40 other tired kids who understand won’t solve the problem. As Einstein put it, repeating an action and expecting different results is insanity.

>>Logan Heley >>Jack Howland >>Sam Kovzan >>Annie Sgroi >>Tim Shedor >>Kevin Simpson >>Michael Stolle >>Phoebe Unterman

>>Sam Logan >>Lilly Myers >>Annie Sgroi >>Tim Shedor >>Kevin Simpson >>Michael Stolle >>Mac Tamblyn >>Phoebe Unterman

Staff Writers >>Griffin Bur >>Grant Kendall >>Alex Lamb >>Bob Martin >>Haley Martin >>Shannon McGinley >>Ian Wiseman >>Alysabeth Albano Editorial Board >>Griffin Bur >>Andrew Goble >>Logan Heley

Photographers >>Jeff Cole >>Lindsey Hartnett >>Taylor Odell >>Dan Stewart Staff Artists >>Kennedy Burgess >>Morgan Christian Circulation Manager >>Matt Gannon Ads Manager >>Morgan Christian Online Editors

>>Taylor Haviland >>Elizabeth McGranahan Webmaster >>Joe Craig >>Pat McGannon Online Section Editor >>Evan Nichols Online Staff Writer >>Christopher Heady >>Haley Martin >>Katy Westhoff Online Photographer >>Max Stitt Anchor/Vlogger >>Andrew Goble >>Tom Lynch Videographer >>Alex Lamb Adviser >>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 School District, East faculty, or school administration.

Halloween is in 12 days visit the harbinger online at www.smeharbinger.net Blogs, video of sports games, late-breaking updates Advertise with

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ONLY 2 MORE REGULAR SEASON FOOTBALL GAMES

love in this pub

issue 4 opinion page 7

Sophomore hopes new O’Neill’s location stays true to its neighborhood ties One hundred forty-seven.

It’s the number of days left until St. Patrick’s >>MorganChristian Day- a fact made known to the communities of Prairie Village, Leawood and Overland Park by a sign just inside the door of neighborhood eatery O’Neill’s Restaurant & Bar. A fact I reported to my dad each time we ate there when I was six years old.

We had just moved in two minutes down the road from O’Neill’s. Because we were so close and my divorced dad didn’t cook much, the restaurant became somewhat of a regular site for family dinners.

Always reminded by the plaque on the wall, our meals ended with a declaration of how many days were left until March 17.

Ever since that time, O’Neill’s has always touched my weekly routine in some way or another, whether I was dining

an opinion of

in or carrying out. A tradition of eating that. A new Walgreen’s would be bumpthere on Friday or Saturday nights de- ing it east across Mission Road to Ranch veloped for my family, along with movie Mart North Shopping Center in the fall.

Fall has come now, and the former renting at Blockbuster afterward. It’s been a constant, unlike the rest of the area. Ein- building has been reduced to rubble. The smell of the grill and the burble stein Bros. Taco Villa. Pumpernick’s. of voices have traveled from All were neighborhood restauLeawood to Prairie Village. rants. All closed down over the But this new location hasn’t years.

1 4 7 diminished what’s special So when I saw a white sign on about O’Neill’s. the restaurant’s door driving by some months ago, I was shocked, The familiar faces of the staff still greet families at the and sad. Surely O’Neill’s wouldn’t door. Green, gold and black be joining that list. The place has hues and dark wood panelbeen around for the last ten years of ing still define the restaumy life. As I’ve grown up, it’s grown out, expanding to serve as the neighrant. Even the same sports borhood kitchen. It’s where I learned, memorabilia hang on the walls as beby playing a family version of Hollywood fore, from autographed Royals jerseys to Squares with the tic-tac-toe games on the pictures of Sion’s golf team.

Not much is different at all, and I find kids’ menu, where people like Condoleezthat comforting. The only changes comza Rice, Bill Gates and Bono were.

But after I took the time to stop by and ing to the restaurant are a private party read the posted sign, I was able to breathe room and outdoor patio. And of course, a sigh of relief about the future of the res- the change of date on the countdown taurant. It wasn’t closing, but moving- plaque with each passing day, as St. Patand by only a couple hundred yards at ty’s day draws closer each year.

irishdelights The CHRISTIAN family’s favorites

the canterbury pasta Lightly breaded chicken sautéed with mushrooms, garlic, and lemon juice in a creamy alfredo sauce served over a bed of linguini and topped with Parmesan cheese, diced tomatoes, and lemon wheels.

...............................................$12.59

NO LOVE IN THE PUB

the o’neill’s reuben Sliced corned beef, melted swiss cheese, seasoned sauerkraut, and thousand island dressing served on a toasted marble rye.

...............................................$8.99

A look around the restaurant’s new location tourdeo’neill’s .........................................................................

the irish pot roast Tender pot roast served over a bed of homemade mashed potatoes and topped with sautéed carrots, celery, mushrooms, and our homemade cabernet sauce.

...............................................$11.99

>>all photos by Jeff Cole

www.kconeills.com

Trophy Tribulation

JUNIOR TIMMYAHERN

>>lancervoice

page 8 opinion 10.19.09

Q: Greinke, Sabathia or Hernandez?

A: Greinke; he is the best pitcher in the league.

Q: Best

an opinion of

Young Award.

When it comes to post-season baseball awards, the Cy Young is the Heisman trophy of baseball. If a pitcher wants to even get a sniff of the Hall of Fame, the Cy Young plaque must be hanging in his trophy cabinet.

First, the American League Cy Young committee will look at the pitcher’s number of wins. Unfortunately, Greinke won’t be near the top in this category, and he won’t even be close.

Greinke racked up only 16 wins and eight losses this season, slamming him at seventh place among the candidates, tied with three others.

However, the three whom with he is tied have never been considered when discussing the Cy, whereas Zack is in the top three. Although no player since 1994 has had 16 wins or less and won the award, there are several factors why Greinke is still the most deserving of the award in this year’s bunch.

The other top contenders besides Greinke are Sabathia from the Yankees, known for his explosive fastSeptember 22 ball and devastating “Greinke went six scoreless slider, who put up innings against the Red Sox 19 wins and had an which gave some meaning for ERA (runs scored the Royals this late in the season upon per start) of and guarenteed the Cy award for 3.37, and Hernanhim.” dez from the Mariners, who throws a nasty curveball, April 8, 13, 18, 24 and also posted “Greinke was quoted in the spring 19 wins and an that he didnt think he ‘got any ERA of 2.49. Howworse, and the spring really stunk.’ ever, according to His runless coming out party was numerous analyst great but then he did it again, and and baseball aficioagain, and again making it four nados, Greinke has straight scoreless games.” had the widest and deadliest array of pitches of any pitcher in the majors. In six games this season, Greinke didn’t get a win while only giving up

Though some of you may not have realized it, the Royals season is once again over. for those of >>CorbinBarnds And you that didn’t just go to a Royals game or two for the social scene, the renowned people watching or for the possibility that you could be plastered upon the 8.3 million dollar scoreboard that cost about the salaries of 2 1/3 Zack Greinkes, I seriously applaud you because I know that there are fewer of you in the school than the 65 wins in the Royals record. But even though the Royals are not striking out through October, you battered and few loyal fans know that Zack Greinke is being considered for one of the highest pitching honors in major league baseball, the Cy

Top Greinke moments

zero to one run. But due to our batting line-up of over the hill, washed up, fringe major leaguers, Greinke’s remarkable season was in a way wasted; just imagine if Greinke had the help of a $250 million batting lineup like the Yankees, for example. He could have had 28 wins and the best season ever for a pitcher.

Greinke’s wins sure aren’t Cy Young-esque, but his ERA of 2.16 is. Along with leading the league and the other Cy Young candidates, his ERA is better than 8 out of the last 10 winners.

Greinke has also given up the least hits, runs and has the most tough losses compared to the other big two.

During the season; Greinke had to remain motivated and composed to continue to pitch at a high level for a team that was out of the running for the playoffs in mid-summer. This should be the deciding factor on why he should win the Cy. In an article in the New York Post, Greinke told his feelings on the season.

“It’s not as fun because there’s nothing really to play for,” Greinke said. “I don’t want to pitch for New York in the playoffs, I want to pitch for Kansas City in the playoffs.”

In a world of pro-athletes quick to hit the loaf button, Greinke went against the grain.

The committee should look at this and see an opportunity to send a message to everyone from the t-ballers to the entire Royals payroll (I guess we did turn it on late) that even when there is no chance of winning, don’t give up.

On Nov. 13 the Cy Young will be announced and if the committee has seen the same Zack Greinke as I, then there is no doubt he will get named the Cy. He is or was the best pitcher to have ever played for the Royals, and next season he may be playing in the pin-stripes of the Yankees or any other team willing to pay Greinke’s ransom in a trade. Personally, I hope for Kansas City’s sake we lock him up, because truthfully who is going to go to a Royals game without him on the mound? I guess there are always those battered and few loyal Royals fans.

JUNIOR JEREMYSTEINER

>> All photos by KatieEast

SENIOR GABEMILLER

Sophomore feels that Royal’s pitcher should be top candidate for Cy Young award

SENIOR STEWARTJENSEN

Greinke moment?

A: Probably when he struck out 16 in a game.

Q: Soon to be a former Royal’s player?

A: He will stay with the Royal’s because he knows the fans appreciate him.

Q: Cocky or modest?

A: Modest.

Q: Greinke, Sabathia or Hernandez?

A: Greinke; even though he had three less wins than everyone else, if he was on a better team, he’d have 20+ wins.

Q: Best Greinke moment?

A: When he was on the SI cover, Q: Soon to be a former Royal’s player?

A: If he plays with us next year, it will be his last year.

Q: Cocky or modest?

A: He deserves to be cocky, but he is modest.

Q: Greinke, Sabathia or Hernandez?

A: Greinke, he’s a stud and I’m impartial to Kansas.

Q: Best Greinke moment A: When he almost had a no hitter.

Q: Soon to be a former Royal’s player?

A: No, he is going to be a staple in the Royal’s organization and will hopefully be with them for a long time.

Q: Cocky or modest?

A: Modest young gentleman.

Q: Greinke, Sabathia or Hernandez?

A: Definitely Greinke. Put him on any other team and he would have 20 wins.

Q:Best Greinke moment?

A: His eight inning one-hitter against Seattle.

Q: Soon to be a former Royal’s player?

A: I hope not.

Q: Cocky or modest?

A: I think he’s crazy and a little psycho.

issue 4 photoessay page 9

home away from home Gymnastics team’s only home meet is held at Shawnee Mission South due to the incomplete gym

ABOVE Senior Grace Gillaspie does a back handspring, soaring over the rest of the team, who watches her floor routine from the edge of the mat. The team has a cheer they do for each girl as they go up to the mat.

RIGHT Junior Katy Bever works to point her toe during a back bend in the middle of her routine on the balance beam. The gymnastic equipment was set up on the stage floor of the Shawnee Mission South gymnasium.

TOP Juniors Andrea Zecy and Lindy Blackman and Senior Lexi Mische gossip with some of the girls as the rest of them take turns warming up on the uneven bars.

ABOVE Senior Katy Kettler swings through on the uneven bars.

BOTTOM Junior Andrea Zecy applies chalk to her hands after the vault routines and before she takes to the uneven bars.

>>all photos by Katie East

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issue 4 features page 11 After growing up with her church restricting reading, Vicki Tucker has held onto her love of literature and is still

changing

CHAPTERS >>AnnieSgroi When Vicki Tucker remembers books,

she remembers the time and place where she read them.

“The Incredible Journey” — as a young child in bed with the measles, hanging on her mom’s every word.

“Jane Eyre”—16 years old in the backseat of the family car on a road trip.

“Middlemarch”— in college on her bed with light pouring in from the window.

And then there are the countless others she read sitting in a church pew, instead of the Bible.

***

Growing up in Weslaco, Texas, Tucker and her family attended the Seventh Day Adventist Church. And they didn’t just go on Sunday. Saturday morning, Saturday night, Friday night and Wednesday night were all times of worship. The church was central in their lives, including the church’s rules regarding books. Fiction books were discouraged. Nature stories, Bible stories, and uplifting moral stories took their place.

There was no punishment for reading fiction, but Tucker’s parents and other members of the church tried to guide her towards books they preferred. They’d tell her to keep her mind on God, or that the Holy Spirit couldn’t talk to her if she read works of fiction. Tucker didn’t mind when she was young and just listening to books her mom read out loud.

But once she learned to read on her own, Tucker wanted to read everything.

When Tucker really loved a book, such as “Treasure Island,” she would take it with her everywhere, including to church. She would hide the books inside black book covers so no one would know.

Tucker said her parents didn’t hate fiction, they just felt she should read something with a moral message, not what they saw as sensationalized adventure tales.

“It’s not like [“Treasure Island”] was a bad book,” Tucker said.” But you’d be better off reading a Bible story than reading something about pieces of eight, Long John Silver and deceit.”

***

In the 70s, Tucker went to high school at Valley Grande Academy. Even though the school was affiliated with her church, they studied fiction there. Now direction about what to read wasn’t coming from her parents, but from her Bible studies teachers.

“Unless it was assigned in school and you had somebody telling you basically how to interpret it, they just thought you shouldn’t be reading [fiction],” Tucker said.

Tucker wanted to read beyond what she was assigned. She wanted to read “In Cold Blood” by Truman Capote, but she knew her teachers would disapprove.

So Tucker got good at hiding her book in plain sight. She would carry it with her everywhere, but kept the cover hidden from view. When teachers walked by, she would stuff the book into her bag or cover the front with a sheet of notebook paper.

During high school, teachers got used to Tucker having a book in her hands. Eventually, they stopped questioning what it was.

***

Tucker became known for always having a book in her hand. So it came as no surprise to her family and congregation, when she decided to major in music and minor in English at Southwestern Adventist College near Fort Worth, Tex. At S.A.C., she enrolled in literature classes, but they had a twist.

It wasn’t the curriculum that made the classes different - in her Great Books class they read books such as “War and Peace” and “Ivanhoe.” What was unique was how the teachers approached class discussions.

There was less analysis of the meanings of symbols than in a typical English class.

Instead, the focus was on the spiritual significance of the books.

In 1982, Tucker went to the University of California at Riverside to work on her Masters in Literature studies. It was there that Tucker’s shift in thinking happened. Before her religion shaped how she thought about books, but now the tables were turned. Now literature made her critique her beliefs and question what she was being taught in church.

Tucker remembers one book in particular affecting her because of the author’s own changes in religion—“Middlemarch”

by George Eliot. George Eliot was the pen name of a woman named Mary Ann Evans, who used a man’s name because in 19th Century England female writers weren’t respected. Evans grew up in a fundamentalist Christian church and lost her faith when she turned to science, feeling she couldn’t believe in both. Tucker said that although the rules of Evans’s church were probably stricter than in hers, she identified with the author’s struggle to find out what she believed.

“It’s not that I felt I should become agnostic because that writer was,” Tucker said. “But I realized that there are different ways of finding out what’s valuable and important in life and it doesn’t always have to come through a church.”

Tucker said that after considering the

>>all photos by DanStewart beliefs of authors like Eliot, she discovered some of priorities. She realized that one thing that really mattered to her had been hidden in her school bag all along.

For Tucker, literature became almost a religion. “ Instead of getting my beliefs from an organized religion it was like formulating my beliefs through the minds of great thinkers,” Tucker said.

***

Now teaching English 11 AP, Tucker still takes books with her everywhere she goes—including to the grocery store, because there might be time to read another page.

She cherishes literature and enjoys teaching it in class. Books aren’t her religious guidance anymore, they’ve become works of art.

“Since I teach it [literature] so much, it’s an art now to be analyzed more than to be inspired by,” Tucker said.

Tucker loves this process. She loves showing students parallels between novels and pointing out symbols they might have missed. But most of all, she loves the moments when she knows students understand a new theme in a book.

“It’s almost breath-taking when you realize you’ve gotten a very difficult concept across to somebody or to the whole class,” Tucker said.

Tucker still attends church when she can, but recently she hasn’t because there are few Seventh Day Adventist churches in the Kansas City area. She hasn’t rejected her childhood religion, but she has broadened her views. Reading about different authors’ beliefs has made her evaluate her own more closely. She stopped judging the authors’ religious beliefs and started to see the common goals they had with her own.

“I realized that this is what they believe and it was serving the same purpose of helping them cope with daily life,” Tucker said.

Tucker tries to instill a love of literature in her students. Through outside reading lists that she develops herself, she hopes to expose her students to many genres of books. She hopes each student will find a book that excites them.

“I think reading is a way into another world,” Tucker said. “Reading is a way to help people work through problems.

Reading helps you see things you would never have seen otherwise.”

NOW&THEN A look at some of Tucker’s current favorite books and favorites from her childhood “The Guernsey Literary & Potato Peel Pie Society” Mary Ann Schaffer & Annie Barrows “The island was occupied by German soldiers and they developed a literary society for survivial. They found inspiration and hope in what they were reading.”

“Born on a Blue Day” Daniel Tammet “It was a personal thing because my son has Asperger’s and so it was nice to hear how someone could overcome a lot of the problems and live independently.

“The Lord of the Rings Series” J.R.R. Tolkien “I couldn’t believe that he could create an Elvish language.

He could create languages and the scope of what he was doing was huge.”

“Black Beauty” Anna Sewell

“My first all time favorite was Black Beauty. I must have read that 100 times. I loved horses and I loved the fact that the horse was the narrator.”

page 12 spread 10.19.09

FIGHTI

FOR LOCAL F

The Harbinger investigates how purchasing local foods for our ca able, healthy alternative to the food East has now.

>>continuedfrompageone

GNFF is made up of more than 100 local family farms, who, according to their Web site, goodnatured.net, “raise [their] animals humanely and care for the earth in a sustainable fashion.” By working together to market and distribute their products, these farmers have benefitted from the revival in local purchasing that Endicott’s organization ignited when it began 10 years ago.

With local products, it’s also certain that everything is grown naturally, according to Endicott. The farmers who work with Endicott cooperatively produce fruits and vegetables without using pesticides and raise livestock without using any growth hormones or extra antibiotics, which are commonly used by bigger, mass-production farmers.

Endicott said that as people are becoming more aware of the concerns connected with long-distance food shipping and mass farming, opportunities to solve them by buying locally are opening up. Endicott thinks that it’s becoming more possible for a district the size of the SMSD to gradually incorporate some local foods into its school cafeterias. *** A number of factors make it difficult for the district to begin purchasing locally, according to Coughenour. Primarily, Coughenour and her staff don’t receive any annual money from the district to operate. The Food Service department pays for all food, equipment, salaries, benefits, insurance and other needs, and the district pays for new kitchen facilities, and provides some capital improvement money. This must be specially requested by the Food Service department, and is sometimes not approved. All expenses must be offset with revenue, which comes from students and staff purchasing meals, catering jobs and a small amount of state and federal aid money. This aid money consists of $0.26 for every breakfast served, and $0.49 for every lunch.

Kansas Senator and member of the state Agriculture Committee Jim Barnett said that while some state funding has been directed at making locally grown foods available to senior citizens, there currently isn’t any available for schools.

While the state budget is down due to the nation’s economy, Barnett sees future possibility for funding.

“Right now we have a really tight budget, so it’s going to be hard to find new dollars in the face of budget cuts,” Barnett said. “But in the long term, it seems that there’s good reason to consider applying this policy to schools.”

Coughenour said that while the district has looked into buying locally before, the question of whether students will actually choose to eat locally farmed, natural foods comes into play since profit or loss is determined entirely by what stu-

dents choose to buy.

“It’s kind of a balancing game that we play, between price, taste and healthiness,” Coughenour said. “We want the students to consume the fresh foods, and you can tell we don’t have Twinkies anymore, but we lost money on that, because if a student goes down to QuikTrip and buys one there instead, that hurts my revenue.”

According to Coughenour, the district also hasn’t been able to find any farmers who can provide for the size of the SMSD, and because local produce is grown during the summertime, many products wouldn’t be available during school.

Despite being located in a city surrounded by livestock farmers, Coughenour also said that purchasing local meat products would be difficult because most cafeteria meats currently come already processed. This way, cafeteria employees only have to heat up products such as chicken nuggets in an oven.

“I don’t go out and buy a live chicken and cut up the chicken,” Coughenour said. “We have to buy from a company that’s going to take that product and process it. We don’t want to deal with having an animal slaughtered, plucked and all that.”

The meat that goes into these processed products comes from animals that are raised on large to mid-size factory livestock farms, known by the government as Confined Animal Feeding Operations. The larger ones are defined as having at least 1,000 cattle, 2500 hogs over 55 pounds or 125,000 chickens, according to the Center for Food Safety. The ethics of how animals in these operations are treated and killed have been brought into question before by companies such as PETA, and by a recent documentary entitled “Food Inc.” While the issues of processing, seasonality and quantity stand in the way of purchasing local foods, Coughenour emphasized that the students’ choices in the cafeteria remain the deciding factor in what the district purchases. According to Coughenour, previous attempts by the district to incorporate foods with more natural ingredients into the menu were unsuccessful.

“Probably four or five years ago, they came out with a chicken nugget with a whole grain breading on it,” Coughenour said. “In theory that sounds fabulous, but when you put that in your mouth, it wasn’t acceptable to the students.”

While the district has many concerns when it comes to purchasing local foods, Coughenour said that she would be more than willing to try if outside grants or funding become available. *** Endicott believes that with the help of organizations such as Farm to School,

Next, it goes to the distribution company’s warehouse. It is stored here for an indefinite amount of time.

THE PROCESS Take a look at the process that the cafeteria food goes through before it reaches the school.

the local foods movement will the nation. According to Endic the challenge.

“I think that farmers would c essary quantities,” Endicott sai already, but if everyone knew th tomatoes, then the farmers wou Schwager said that if local s it would not only be a possibil like him.

“It’s going to help the farmer place to do that would be in a the whole local community. You from, and that holds you more things like that.”

Endicott said that a good w corporating local food would be local milk, tomatoes, apples or this strategy to educate student “If you picked one local prod nutritional quality and give the taste will sell,” Endicott said.

Crystal Weber, Community D souri, agreed that for the SMSD from local farmers, they would the long run, though, because o “With products grown loca to get it from point A to point B picked at the peak of ripeness, fruition resulting in a better ta and vegetables.”

The nine chapters and over School Initiative have begun slo rias. Currently, each chapter re for purchasing locally.

These chapters have also str have been started in the chap

The food in our cafeteria begins at a farm.

>>www.sxc.hu

issue 4 spread page 13

ING

The

Healthier Side...

ADVANCE AND TYSON (NATIONAL)

FOODS

14

rs’ business by training future consumers; the best school,” Schwager said. “It also kind of benefits u can trace the food easily back to where it came e accountable for improper use of chemicals and

way for a district like Shawnee Mission to start ine to highlight a single product each week, such as r cheese. Endicott also said the district could use ts about what they’re eating. duct a week, highlight that product, talk about the e kids an opportunity to taste it, I think definitely

Development Specialist with the University of MisD to begin purchasing even a portion of their menu d have to start small. She feels that it’s worth it in of the environmental and nutritional benefits. ally, there’s significantly less of a petroleum cost B,” Weber said. “Also, when grown locally, it’ll be so the sugars in a fruit, for example, will come to aste, which encourages people to eat more fruits

20,000 students participating in the Iowa Farm to owly incorporating local produce into their cafeteeceives up to $5,000 of state funding specifically

ressed nutritional education. Some initiatives that pters include producing brochures to inform stu-

dents about local Iowa agriculture, giving presentations to teach students about the process of growing food and taking students to purchase their own local foods at farmer’s markets.

Tammy Stotts, Marketing Specialist for the Iowa Department of Agriculture, said that the Iowa chapters have faced similar issues to those of the East foods department in terms of local farmers being able to provide enough food, as well as serving foods grown in the summertime when school is in session. However, she said schools are finding ways around the problems.

“Typically what’s happened is that a school will start with apples, then move to sweet corn, zucchini, green beans, peppers, strawberries etc.,” Stotts said.

“Then they have volunteers come in during the summer, who process it, clean it, slice it and freeze it to serve later in the year.”

Endicott agreed that freezing would be a possible strategy, but also said that there are plenty of locally grown products available well into the school year.

“There’s other products, like apples, different types of squash and Missouri pecans that are available well into the fall,” Endicott said. “Then you also have products like cheeses, milk and honey that are non-seasonal products.”

According to Endicott, the economic side of local farming has improved since the Good Natured Family Farms organization began. There are now numerous funding opportunities through the Farm to School organization, and local farmers are able to be competitive in grocery stores and produce higher quantities by working together.

“We do what we call an economy of scale, so by all of us joining together we’re able to share in distribution and marketing costs,” Endicott said. “A lot of these farmers weren’t on a scale to service a school, and now that the movement has grown people are working more closely together to be able to get larger volumes.”

According to Stotts, the Iowa DOA also encourages districts that are beginning to purchase locally to focus in on one or two foods initially. After building relationships with the farmers, they should then expand into more foods that the farmers have available. Stotts said she’s optimistic about the possibilities of more school districts around the country integrating local foods into their cafeterias.

“I think there’s a lot of hope, and it’s going to go a lot more local,” Stotts said.

“There’s a lot of focus on child nutrition right now, and as we’re talking about it more, I think we’ll see more interest from growers. It’s just the beginning.”

Then the food is put into trucks. These trucks travel hundreds of miles on average.

GRAMS OF FAT

CALORIES

>>Grant Kendall

come to the forefront and start producing the necid. “With some products the quantities are there hat say, in August in the SMSD we need this many uld plant to try to peak at that time.” schools began showing interest in buying locally, lity, but would be an economic boost for farmers

vs.

BEEF PATTY

afeteria could be a more reason-

continue to catch on with more districts around cott, many area farmers would be ready to meet

of buying local

Comparing the food in the cafeteria to a local company.

310

GOOD NATURED FAMILY FARMS (LOCAL)

8

GROUND BEEF GRAMS OF FAT

CALORIES

211

CHICKEN PATTY

SKINLESS CHICKEN

15

7.5

GRAMS OF FAT

CALORIES

230

CHEESEBURGER

15

GRAMS OF FAT

CALORIES

328

GRAMS OF FAT

CALORIES

150

1/4 LB. BISON BURGER

2

GRAMS OF FAT

CALORIES

160

>>goodnatured.net

DID YOU KNOW? DID YOU KNOW? DID YOU KNOW?

DID YOU KNOW? DID YOU KNOW? DID YOU KNOW? -When you purchase Nabisco Cookies in the lunch room, your supporting a tobacco company called Altria Group. The Altria group is partially owned by Kraft, who also owns Nabisco.

-Long distance food shipping accounts for 38,000 tons of greenhouse gas emissions per year.

-20,000 kids participated in the Iowa farm to school initiative.

Finally, after this long process, the food reaches the cafeteria and is prepared for the students.

>>Mackenzie Wylie

>>Erik Dayton

>>Erik Dayton

Getting into the

HalloweenSpirit

>>

>>

>>

>> Trying to piece together the perfect costume?

Working your way through a maze of Halloween festivities

The Top 10 Horror Movies, Paranormal Activity review

The dark depths of Shawnee Mission East

page 2

page 5

pages 6-7

page 4 >>AlishkaJolitz

mixed mixed mixed mixed mixed

–––

page 2 halloween 10.19.09

mixed mixed

{the page about halloween}

to

HOW

throw together a Halloween costume

Black Eyed Peas

Captain Underpants

Bag of Jelly Belly’s

find a pair of your sister’s tights

find a plain white undershirt

get a clear trash bag and cut a hole for your head and arms

put some whitey tighties over the tights

take a sharpie and draw the letter “P” on the front of the shirt

fill the bag with colorful balloons

tie a beach towel around your neck

put face paint on to make it look like you have a black eye

print off the Jelly Belly logo and tape it to the front.

30

top halloween costumes of 2009

seconds with...

Lois Wetzel senior

• What was the best costume you’ve ever worn for Halloween?

>>Alyssa Jolitz

In fourth grade I was a Miami Dolphins football player because that is what I wanted to be when I grew up.

• When did you stop trick-or-treating? Why? I stopped in eighth grade because that’s when my friends started to have parties instead.

• What is your least favorite candy?

Almond Joys.

• Were you a “counter” with your Halloween candy?

What is the top amount of candy you got in one night?

Yes, I always counted my candy then would trade with my sister. We always got about 150-170.

• What is your favorite thing to carve in a pumpkin?

Harry Potter characters.

What to do if

...you’re given fruit instead of candy Resist the urge to throw it back in their face, and instead, smile, say thank you, and remember never to come back to that house. Then quickly move on to a house smart enough to buy the good stuff.

>>Senior Annie Bennett >>

4 “

Popular costumes this year may be: Michael Jackson, Harry Potter, Billy Mays, President Obama or even a Shawnee Mission East Lancer.

>>Jeff Cole

teachers share their favorite memories of Halloween

In third or fourth grade my friends and I were trick-ortreating and we were running from house to house. As we were running I got clotheslined by a tree’s stability wire. So be careful when you are trick-or-treating and go around wires. >>Chip Ufford

One time my friends made a dummie and hung it up on a tree over a road. Then when cars would drive by they would drop the dummie and the people in the cars would freak out. Sometimes the cars would even chase after them.

” “ “ Last Halloween I dressed up as a hurricane. I wore a rain coat and held a squirt bottle.

Then when people asked me what I was I just squirted them in the face.

>>Jason Filbeck

>>John Nickels

Last year I was in Austin, Tex. and I was dressed as bikers for Wham! They’re the greatest band of all time and I was just a hot biker chick and wore all my Wham! memorabilia. >>Jodie Schnakenberg

issue 4 halloween page 3

aSCREAM for HALLOWEEN Sophomore staffer’s pleads for social acceptance of highschool tricker-or-treaters an opinion of

>> ChrisHeady

1

If you were like me, trick-or-treating on Halloween was the highlight of your fall. Once October came around you didn’t stop thinking about it, even though it was a good 30 days away. Your friends would talk about costumes and the neighborhood route at recess. And when Halloween was said and done and you had concluded your trick-or-treat expedition, you were ecstatic counting your Reeses, Laffy Taffies and Hershey bars. Competitions for heaviest pillow cases were fierce and secret candy poker was held in the basement afterward.

Nowadays, however, it’s frowned upon for a high school-

What Did We Ever Do Wrong?

I give the first reason to you as a question. Why not?

What’s so morally incorrect about dressing up as ketchup and mustard bottles while accumulating free candy with your best bud? I see no wrong in this. I only see opportunity. Besides, sometimes the best costumes require pubescent features like facial hair, broad shoulders, or a deep voice.

4

Teenage Metabolism in Overdrive

2

Many younger trick-or-treaters are fighting childhood obesity, and Halloween night doesn’t help the issue. But many teenagers don’t have to worry about getting fat. Well, not yet anyway. Most of us are in respectable physical condition and won’t get rolls by stuffing our faces with Crunch bars and Snickers. A lot of us are active through sports and extracurricular activities. Thus, we have no worries about our weight or wellness. So if you’re going to go crazy and eat you’re face off, what’s better than Halloween?

It’s Just Not Quite the Same Without it

3

Think about the first time you didn’t trick-or-treat. It’s like being sick during Christmas. You’re there, but you don’t get to have any of the fun. It may be okay for a 40-year old parent to do, but passing out candy to pirates and dead celebrities doesn’t exactly tickle my fancy. Plus, parents and counselors always tell us to “get involved” in the community. Well parents and counselors, here’s you’re number one idea.

er to go trick-or-treating on Halloween. Once you are in high school, it’s suddenly not okay to walk down the street in a “Lord of the Rings” elf outfit. Nowadays housewives and grandmothers label it as “creepy” or “inappropriate” and give older teenagers death stares, as if we’re plaguing society.

But don’t start ghost busting us high schoolers just yet.

There is no legitimate reason we shouldn’t be able to experience trick-or-treating as young adults. For those of you who disagree, I present to you five flavorful reasons why.

We Must Protect This Housese With older kids trick-or-treating, the little children are less likely to get creeped on by the neighbor freak show. Lets think about this rationally. Little kids plus cute little costumes plus Herbert the Pervert equals not such a solid situation. But with older students prowling the streets, little Jimmy and Sarah will be safer from harm. It will be our brotherly or sisterly duty to watch over all of the cute little Snow Whites and Cinderellas.

Child Within is Getting Lonely

5

For too long we’ve been told “you’re too old to do stuff like that” and blah blah blah. Well, on this night you can release your inner child and become a Teenage-Mutant-Ninja-Turtle or a fairy princess or whatever you want to be and go out and get all the candy your pillow case can hold. Trick-or-treating is something that I think should be practiced from age one to 95. Because after that you really don’t need a costume.

So there you have it. Five reasons why you, the high school student, should go out there and have a blast wandering from house to house and satisfying you’re sweet tooth. Blow off those teenage trick-or-treating naysayers and judgmental housewives and go off and have a delicious time. All I know is, once I figure out a way to slip in my Batman costume without it penetrating my skin because it’s so tight, I’m going to go out there and trick or treat my 16 year-old butt off. And you should too.

What to do if

...it’s not a costume party after all “First I would act like my banana costume wasn’t a costume at all just my daily get up. Then I would go grab some punch and get in on >>www.moviewebs.com a game of twister.””

>>Sophomore Jack Sayler

page 4 halloween 10.19.09

the

dark

cornersof east East’s rarely explored depths are put in the limelight >>BobMartin

BOILER ROOM (BR)

No matter what the building, the boiler room always seems to be the pinnacle of dark, grimy and creepy places to be, specifically at night. With very few lights, the dark room grumbles and moans as the boilers and other machines labor on. Assorted puddles of water cover random spots on the murky concrete floor, and the sheer number of pipes make it an obstacle course to walk through.

Like the catwalks, this room, if it can even be called that, serves a very important purpose. The large machines here are solely responsible for heating and cooling the building, a hefty task considering it must cover all five floors. Connected directly to the janitor's garage, not many students will ever set foot here before their final departure from Shawnee Mission East.

Where to look...

Locations as indicated by their abbreviations

LOWER /UPPER ARCHIVES (A) With the ambience and feel of a dungeon, the East Archives are rarely-seen storage areas that would fit in just about any 80s slasher flick. With two locations, directly next to the gym entrance and in the basement near the boys’ locker room, the archives are extremely unkempt and completely disorganized. Arriving in the upper archives, it becomes apparent that this is one of the least presentable places in the building.

A 1984 East regional champions cross country plaque seems eerily out of place gathering dust near an air conditioning unit, rather than glimmering in a trophy case. Wood boards and random debris on the floor keep with the theme. Still, faculty members have found a way to take advantage of it. In preparation for last year's play "Woyzeck", drama teacher Brian Capello instructed 2009 graduate Alec Hynes to hide in the pitch black archives, and then sent senior Kat Jaeger to find him with nothing but a candle for light. The exercise was meant to help the two develop the sinister characters that they would soon portray.

"I know its very dark and cold up there," Capello said. "And the experience just threw [Jaeger] off, and got her in the same mood as we were going for in the show."

The lower archives provide much of the same eerie experience, with years of old computer equipment and desks surrounding large machinery and pipes. This location is significantly larger though, because it doubles as the school's fallout shelter, a relic of its 1950s construction.

UPPER

What to do if

...you end up with too much candy Share the love. Invite over some ladies and turn on a WNBA game, preferably Seattle Storm. Put out light, Triscuit-like snacks to offset the caloric value of the Halloween candy. You should be set after that. >>Freshman Chris Watkins

NORTH

T BR

>>all photos by Mackenzie Wylie

TUNNELS (T)

One of the building's best kept secrets, and the topic of excessive rumor, the basement actually contains a large tunnel system that runs under both ramps. Pitch black, the tunnel entrance is found via a janitor’s closet near room 106. Once here, a ladder placed against a six to seven foot wall must be climbed to gain access. The tunnels are without a doubt the darkest and surely creepiest of all in East, because of the small number of people who have ever even been through them. Custodian Mike Webb admits that the only time he's ever near the passageway is a oncea-month checkup involving a quick shine of a flashlight to look for mold and other residue. Otherwise, the tunnels are always empty. The only reason these dark corridors even exist is to feed different electrical lines through the building, giving them far reach, but keeping them out of sight. Most students don't realize it, but every trip taken up or down the ramps is a trip directly above a dark and lonesome tunnel.

A C

>>file photo

SOUTH

CATWALKS (C)

Situated 30 feet above the audience in the auditorium, the catwalks are unsteady, wobbly and easily one of the most unsettling places to find yourself at East. Going past the sound board, and into the control room at the rear of the auditorium, a nearby metal staircase leads right to them. Initially looking in, the assortment of old wooden-board pathways and shaky railing looks far from safe, but taking a step forward onto the creaky floorboards is a bit more reassuring.

Underneath the walkways lies normal carpeting, but the rails are in place for a reason.

Anyone that would step out into this no-man’s-land

would fall right through the ceiling, a far from comforting thought. Musty and dark, random assortments of wires are scattered all around, but these pathways do serve an important purpose to the theater department.

It is here that much of the lighting for performances are hung and maintenanced on a regular basis.

While generally safe, the area still poses a risk to those who don't know what they're doing, and for this reason the only people allowed up are those who are working on a show or somehow involved with an East stage production. For junior stage manager Ricky Latshaw, the old catwalks have become a part of his routine and are necessary to pull off a good show, but caution is still necessary every trip up.

"The first time I went up was my freshman year on a workday, I was kind of nervous then, not knowing what to expect," Latshaw said. "Now I don't even think about it when I go up there, it's like walking down the hallway to me"

An amazeing experience

issue 4 halloween page 5

Despite its distant location, Louisberg Cider Mill proves an enjoyable time with friends

>>ColleenIreland

When my friends and I walked through the gravel parking lot of the Louisburg Cider Mill, Pumpkin Patch and Corn Maze, one scent prevailed. It smelled like the natural fertilizer provided to us by cows, but after a more thorough investigation I discovered from the ticket booth worker that it was a compost pile of apple pulp leftover from the cider process. Thankfully, this did not foreshadow the rest of the day at Louisburg Cider Mill.

The smell disappeared after a short walk in the opposite direction. Although it was a chilly day, the fun times could not be prevented. For $7.50 I got to visit the pumpkin patch, corn maze, petting zoo, hayride and children’s play area.

The corn maze was 10 acres of unforgiving routes that often lead back to the same spot. There were maps located at various spots throughout the maze to provide aid to anyone who got lost, which definitely happened often. We considered having a race to the center. It would have been difficult because we’d have to dodge a large number of parents and their 3 foot tall youngsters, but the competition would make the success more entertaining. To make it to the center of the maze would have been an impressive feat, which we did not accomplish,

Pee Yoo! |

but we were in it less for the completion and more for the fun so we decided to do one of the alternatives. Our options were to take a word puzzle offered at the ticket booth and complete it with letters given in the maze, try to make our own routes by navigating through the uncharted rows in between corn stalks or merely try to walk the entire maze, and get some calories burnt before visiting the gift shop for treats. We decided to combine the last two options by taking no notice of the maps in an attempt to reach the goal on our own and occasionally going off the beaten path.

The hayride was a nice break after the corn maze, though you should dress a little warmer than I did considering it’s not quite as fun sitting still with a constant wind in your face if you’re wearing an inadequate outfit of jeans and a sweatshirt like me. I wouldn’t have survived without the help of a friend who willingly provided me with an extra layer. Contrary to what you might think, I enjoyed being pulled at a sluggish 5 mph by a tractor, on a dirt road that went over a bump at least every 3 seconds.

With 10 acres of pumpkins to choose from, it wasn’t hard to find the perfect miniature sized pumpkin I searched for in the pumpkin patch. The pumpkins ranged

| Stay home |

from $2-$8 but there was every size and shape of pumpkin you could possibly want: from a tall one destined to be used to roast pumpkin seeds with, or your classic short, impeccably round one headed to a future as a jack-o-lantern.

After hours in the frosty autumn air it was nice to retreat to the Country Store to indulge in some hot apple cider that was sure to thaw us out, or a delicious cider doughnut covered in cinnamon sugar. I went with an apple slush, which is frozen apple cider, and though it was cold it was also yummy. Along with these treats there are caramel apples, other beverages like root beer floats or coffee, and a store full of pantry goodies like preserves, snacks or maybe a bag of cider doughnut mix so you can even enjoy it away from the mill.

With so many opportunities available to take advantage of, the Louisburg Cider Mill is a great way to spend a day. For the cost of $10-$15 you get hours of entertainment and relaxation, and leave with as many souvenirs and treats as you come across. I enjoyed every aspect of the cider mill apart from the initial smell and weather, but that can’t be avoided. Overall, it was an entertaining day outside filled with fun activities, cheerful people and tasty food.

| Worth the drive |

| Rompin’ good time |

|

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page 4 halloween 10.19.09

Breaking the ‘Silence’ of ‘Lamb’ Harbinger movie fanatic explains his top 10 favorite horror flicks

1) The Shining (1980)

6) Quarantine (2008)

Master director Stanley Kubrick’s epic slow-build creepfest is not only one of the scariest films ever made, but also one of horror’s most iconic and successful displays of style, story and suspense. A family lives in and works as a ghostly hotel’s caretakers during its closed winter months, while the father (Jack Nicholson), influenced by the resident spirits, slowly spirals into murderous madness and turns on his wife and young son.

While John Erick Dowdle’s firstperson, shaky-cam infection flick is by no means perfect, it does manage to supply an engagingly styled, continuously intense thrill ride that never lets up, proving that sometimes American remakes actually can be good. A television reporter and her cameraman, paired with some firemen out on a routine call, become trapped inside an apartment building after it’s sealed off, leaving them to handle the infected residents on their own.

2) The Silence of the Lambs (1991)

Jonathan Demme’s utterly chilling serial killer investigation not only contains one of the greatest and most haunting performances of all time, but is one of only three movies to have ever won all five major Oscars, and currently the only Best Picture-winning horror film. To catch another serial killer, rookie FBI agent Clarice Starling (Jodie Foster) must seek help from and open up to an imprisoned killer and cannibal, Dr. Hannibal Lecter (Anthony Hopkins).

7) Planet Terror (2007)

Robert Rodriguez’s half of “Grindhouse” was not only the better movie of the double feature, but also one of the coolest zombie films in recent memory, rife with explosive and over the top action, irreverent humor and gross, creepy monsters. While it starts out as (somewhat) regular horror, it transitions into extreme zombie action comedy about half way through, especially after the heroine (Rose McGowan) starts using her machine gun leg to save the day.

3) The Thing (1982) Arguably John Carpenter’s greatest work as well as the epitome of awesome 80s special effects, this paranoia-laced creature feature stars the always bad-ass Kurt Russell in the lead, and provides tons of unique thrills, astounding gore and finely crafted tension. After a group of scientists encounters an alien in Antarctica, it starts killing off and imitating them, so no one can trust each other as they all try to find out who’s still human and destroy the impostors.

8) Let the Right One In (2008) Tomas Alfredson’s majestic, Swedish piece of art house horror tells not only one of the best grown-up fantasy stories of this generation, but also one of the most brilliant, effective vampire tales in history. A bullied young boy makes an unlikely friendship with an odd little girl, who turns out to be a vampire, and the two of them develop a romance where they both protect and care for each other in different ways.

4) Alien (1979)

Ridley Scott’s big break is still one of the most terrifying pieces of either the science fiction or horror genres, with some of the best sets and creature designs ever conceived and a female heroine (Sigourney Weaver) who proves girls really can kick ass. After a mining spaceship finds a new alien lifeform, the specimen quickly evolves into a sneaking monster and starts taking out the crew one by one, turning a routine mission into a claustrophobic fight for survival.

9) Evil Dead II (1981)

Sam Raimi’s remake/re-imagining of his original cult classic “Evil Dead” takes a less serious approach to the “cabin in hell” situation compared to the first, balancing the horror with gutbusting, wonderfully cheesy humor and utilizing the incredible charm and awesomeness of its star Bruce Campbell to its advantage. After a book awakens the dead, a lone survivor must defeat an assault of demons or suffer the same fate as the creatures he battles.

5) The Exorcist (1973)

William Friedkin’s undoubted masterpiece, this tale about a young girl’s possession by the devil horrified audiences when it was first released, and has lost little of its chilling power in the 36 years since. Particularly shocking is the extended climax of the film, the exorcism itself, which highlights the incredible acting present throughout, the well-developed story and the extreme tension that have made this a classic.

10) Psycho (1960)

What to do if your mom wants you to wear the same costume

Kris: I would say hell no and refuse to wear a costume Kevin: I would absolutely not let her make us wear the same costume. >>www.moviewebs.com >> Seniors Kris and Kevin Hertel

>>AlexLamb

t tit xS

Ma

>>

Tomas Alfredson’s majestic, Swedish piece of art house horror tells not only one of the best grownup fantasy stories of this generation, but also one of the most brilliant, effective vampire tales in history. A bullied young boy makes an unlikely friendship with an odd little girl, who turns out to be a vampire, and the two of them develop a romance where they both protect and care for each other in different ways. all photos courtesy of www.movieweb.com

‘Paranormal’ly Frightening

issue 4 halloween page 7

Spine-tingling independent gem shocks audiences to the core

>>AlexLamb

Forget “The Blair Witch Project,” “Cloverfield” and “Quar- particularly with an overlaid humming frequency, everantine,” “Paranormal Activity” sets a new standard for the present sense of foreboding and by raising the stakes each faux-documentary fright-fest. Never have I been so consis- day. There are no hollow pop-out thrills here; every scare tently creeped out during one movie as with this subtle, yet is hard-earned and hits home. Whenever the light down truly eerie story of a supernatural haunting. From hardcore the hall mysteriously turns on or the sheet is pulled off the horror fans to those who just like to be freaked out once in bed by the invisible force, goosebumps and chills will run a while, this is the must-see shocker of the Halloween sea- throughout your entire body, especially down the spine. son.

Peli makes these moments so powerfully unnerving Not since watching “Signs,” which gave my mom night- through the absence of computer animation, flashy gimmares for two weeks and convinced her to stay out of the micks or even any gore. Almost all of the extremely low-key dank, dark depths of our house’s basement whenever pos- effects are done practically, which aids in making each one sible, have I seen a horror film able to strike feel totally real and thus more such dreadful fear throughout a viewer’s And because the Low Budget Activity disturbing. psyche, especially to this great an effect. fiend can’t be physically seen And that uneasy feeling continues long afand is usually just out of view, THE CONCEPT ter it’s over, too. but is often heard, this leaves Shot in director Oren Peli’s home One reason “Paranormal Activity” a good deal up to the imaginaFilming took one week induces such disquieting terror, and so tion, raising the intensity to Budget of $15,000 successfully might I add, is due to its simHitchcockian levels at some plicity. There are only two prominent charpoints. One scene leading to Initial release in select cities acters in the movie, Katie (Katie Featherthe attic is incredibly tense, ston) and Micah (Micah Sloat), a couple specifically because you can THE RESULT who’s being harassed in their home by see something up there but Was nearly remade until a screening some otherworldly force. Micah buys a hihave no idea what it is, so of the original got rave reviews tech camera (which serves as the perspecyou’ll imagine the worst.

Received a nationwide release after tive for the audience) and audio recorders Also integral to the believhigh demand to Paramount Pictures so he can document whatever is troubling ability of “Paranormal Activity” them, and as its tormenting intensifies is the acting. In a cheap little Gross revenue of nearly $10.5 million over time, both the young couple as well independent flick like this, real through Oct. 14. as the viewer become increasingly frightactors can’t be afforded, so un>>imdb.com knowns must be used instead. ened to find out what it will do next.

The cocky and at first unafraid Micah This actually works as a benvideotapes his and Katie’s activities at home efit for the film rather than a with the camera, carrying it around during the day as they detriment, because recognizable actors would help slowly learn more about their situation and leaving it on in bring about the realization, while you’re watching the corner for a wide shot of their bedroom while they sleep. it, that this is in fact a fictitious movie and didn’t Most of the time it’s during the middle of the nights that the actually happen. Due to the unknowns, you’ll stay evil spirit makes its presence known, where proof of its ex- immersed for the entire runtime, and won’t recogistence is captured on camera. It starts by knocking keys nize the film isn’t a part of reality until after leaving off a table, then by making loud noises a floor below, and the theater. progresses to sneaking into their room and slamming the Sloat and Featherston manage to make everydoor. But that’s not the least of it. thing feel real, from their interaction with each othHowever, if there wasn’t any suspense developed before er to their horrified reactions while being haunted. these actions, they would only be slightly spooky at most. The endearing Sloat imbues the movie with most Thankfully, first time writer and director Oren Peli steadily of its humor, which usually provides a nice change builds the tension for each night’s paranormal activity, of pace during the daytime, as Micah’s sarcasm

supplies many laughs while the two characters are developed. Featherston proves herself also quite likable, but she really shines whenever Katie is alarmed and shocked. The viewer becomes emotionally invested in this couple, getting just as wrapped up within their world and afraid as they are, so Micah and Katie feel like actual people throughout the whole film, never like actors portraying characters.

But the man who truly deserves applause here is Peli.

With a minuscule budget of only $15,000 and using a single house as the set for the full movie, he has crafted one of the most efficient and atmospheric horror films of all time. Each night is more ominous than the last, creating a crescendo for the creepiness. And while he doesn’t make any incident completely terrifying until the finale, the ending is all the more effective because of that, and was one of the most frightening things I’ve ever seen.

“Paranormal Activity” is not a film for those who can’t handle legitimate scares. Some audience members were physically and psychologically shaken by the movie, and took quite some time to leave their seats after the credits.

More than just a film, this is a superbly suspenseful, expertly executed and wholly unforgettable experience, the best and most chilling I’ve had at the theater yet in the horror genre.

Don’t say I didn’t warn you.

|

What to do if

...someone smashes your pumpkin

>>imdb.com

Stay home |

| Rental at best |

| Worth seeing |

First of all, you punch them in the face. You have to smash their face in for smashing your pumpkin.

It’s only right, they ruined my Halloween spirit. Don’t mess with me.

>>

>>Junior Riley Watson

| Instant Classic |

|

issue 4 halloween page 8

From sophomores

>>Katie East

>>PhoebeUnterman

On Friday, Saturday and Sunday afternoons this month, something magical happens in the courtyard between the ordinary Worlds of Fun employee locker room and the more ordinary administrative offices.

On picnic tables in broad daylight, evillooking clowns work on homework, a rabid bunny walks around without his head on, and girls wearing leather mini-skirts and covered in fake blood knock back energy drinks.

It’s a place caught between the real world and that of the Worlds of Fun Halloween Haunt, which is open on weekends through Nov. 1. The employees, called screamsters, range in age from 16 to 82 and come from all over the Kansas City area. Among them are sophomores Maddy Pigeon and Nicole Koch.

In this strange realm between actual and unreal, screamsters wait in line for over an hour to get their makeup done. Pigeon waits, already in her costume: striped dress, ruffle collar, purple leggings. She wears a wig of neon pink ringlets with a sparkly green top hat balanced atop her curls.

“When you go in, the makeup artist asks you, ‘How did you die?’” Pigeon said.

Pigeon emerges with a thick coat of clown paint and blood on her face. Blood streams Joker-like from the corners of her mouth.

“I told her I like to eat children,” Pigeon said.

The screamsters gather and discuss scare tactics, how they are going to stay awake until midnight and whether or not there really is a snake lady there that has live snakes.

Both Pigeon and Koch love the screamster community—the people are one of their favorite parts of the job.

Because the only rules are to steer

Sophomores Nicole Koch and Maddy Pigeon work at Worlds of Fun haunted houses

clear of little kids and not stalk, chase or touch anyone, the job attracts an interesting applicant pool. Koch realized at her interview that this was a different kind of job interview.

“They didn’t care about the piercings, the hair color, anything,” Koch said. “And it’s kind of cool because you meet some really unique people.”

A group of girls scantily clad in shiny black miniskirts laced up the front, called the “Dominatrix Barbies” according to Pigeon, come out of the locker room, “My friends would freak out if they saw all these people,” Pigeon said.

----It starts to get darker, and the screamsters line up by house for the parade. There are nine houses, which are scattered around the park and each have a different theme.

Pigeon is an evil clown in CarnEvil, while Koch scares in Bloodshed. Rivalry between the houses is strong, and fueled by awards for the best scaring given every night.

“You’re really loyal to your house,” Koch said. “It’s kind of like being from East— when you talk to people from South, you kind of defend East. You do that with your haunted house too.”

However, all the In the Brophy family, we have a houses unite for a tradition where we weigh our loot parade around the and the winner of the night gets grounds before first pick of the candy we have left the screamsters over from home. So if no one sees have to report to >>www.moviewebs.com me, I would dump the entire bucket their houses. The into my pillow sack. parade is a free>>Junior George Brophy for-all scare time.

What to do if

to screamsters

...there’s a sign that says ‘take one’

The man with the chainsaw runs up to a group of little girls and revs the engine, making them scream. Another man wearing stilts and a tarantula outfit follows a woman who breaks into a run when she glances over her shoulder and sees him.

Pigeon leads the clowns behind the wheel of the orange clown car. It’s her favorite part of the night.

Pigeon found about the job when surfing the net shortly after her sixteenth birthday, in search of a source of gas money. Her personality seemed a perfect match—she loves theater, has no problem socializing with people she doesn’t know and has more energy than most.

Koch wasn’t as sure it was for her when she first heard about it. “[It] sounded like a cool job,” Koch said.

“But it didn’t sound like something I would do because I don’t do any drama or acting— I hate being on stage.”

In addition, Koch is afraid of the dark.

She can’t watch scary movies or even CSI, because the dead bodies “freak her out.”

She went for it anyway, thinking maybe it would cure her nyctophobia.

“I figure I’m either going to come out of this not scared of the dark anymore,” Koch said. “Or I’m going to be absolutely terrified.”

----It’s 8 p.m., finally pitch black out, and the screamsters take their positions at their houses. Pigeon begins the night standing behind the podium at CarnEvil’s entrance.

As the greeter, she screeches “Come in!” to passersby, leaning over the desk with a menacing grin on her face. From 8 until the park closes, Pigeon slips from reality and

becomes a crazed clown with a shriek as piercing as her heavily lined eyes.

“You turn into that character for so long that you kind of become that person,” Pigeon said. “I can’t think of half the things I said [at night] the next day because I don’t even know where [they] came from.”

Some nights, Pigeon says she and the other clowns sit around waiting for people to scare, while other times it’s so crowded in CarnEvil that it’s hard to walk through.

Up the path from CarnEvil, Bloodshed is a dark, narrow labyrinth of hallways and rooms, thick with fog and great hiding places to jump out of. Three weekends ago, Koch spent five hours in a closet-sized room full of bloody rubber chickens and feathers.

“The energy just drains from you like halfway through the night no matter how much caffeine you drink,” Koch said.

After the initial burst of energy, Pigeon says the rest of the night becomes a cold, tiring blur of scare, move on, scare, move on until closing time, which is midnight on Fridays and 1 a.m. on Saturdays.

Exhausted, aching and freezing, Pigeon and Koch trudge back to the employee parking lot and collapse in Pigeon’s gray RAV4. After the half hour car ride, they get home around 1 or 2 a.m., depending on the night.

Once home, Koch peels off her bloody gashes, made of paint, latex and tissue paper.

“It feels like ripping off a really bad band-aid off your face,” Koch said.

As soon as their makeup’s off, their toes thawed and their costumes put away, it’s back to the real world. Until next weekend.

page 14 features 10.19.09 East students get involved in Christian-based fellowships to

keep good faith

>>Mackenzie Wylie

>>KikiSykes

>>MaddyBailey

Since 1954, the Fellowship of Christian Athletes has been challenging coaches and athletes on the professional, collegiate, high school and youth levels to use the powerful medium of athletics to impact the world for Christ. FCA is the largest Christian sports organization in America. Seniors Haley Dalgleish and Lauren Dodd and junior Will Severns are three of the thousands of student leader across the nation. By leading FCA, they strive to influence their peers to not achieve greatness in sports for one’s own glory, but for the glory of God. They lead through FCA’s vision—to see the world impacted for Jesus Christ through the influence of athletes and coaches.

Harbinger- What is one of your goals for FCA? Dodd- “Haley and I want to make sure it keeps going strong in the future years. We hope that new leaders will step up. We want to be encouraging so we can make that happen.”

Severns- “Yeah, people get the perception of FCA that you have to be an athlete, but that’s not it at all. One of the great things about it is that whether you are in sports, band, theater or anything like that, FCA gives you hope outside of those things. People at school just empty themselves into that part of their lives, so it’s cool that we can come together and talk about how there is so much more than that.”

Harbinger- How do you set an example while playing sports?

Severns- “I think it’s important in everything you do to glorify God because the athletic ability that anyone has was given by God. I want to let everyone in FCA know that there is a reason they are so talented in their abilities. I try to build my teammates up just through my actions and encouragement.”

Dalgleish- “Before basketball games, we always have a moment of silence in our huddles. I always pray for my teammates during that time. I try to be unselfish when I play and really stand out by having good sportsmanship.”

Harbinger- What personal experiences do you have that could relate to other athletes?

Dodd- “My sophomore year during soccer I tore my ACL and I had to get surgery. It usually it takes over 9 months to heal an ACL, so it got really frustrating during those months. I had to do so much to rebuild my leg, but when

FCA

basketball came around I still didn’t have my speed back. I almost was mad at God for that, but then I realized that sports are not all there is. I have God to trust in. I knew that he has other things in store me. I have to enjoy playing because I never know when my last time will be. I want to let others know that sports aren’t everything and injuries happen.”

Harbinger- What makes each of you a leader apart from others?

Severns- “I think I am a vocal leader. I try not to complain because it’s so easy to give up when things aren’t going your way. It’s influential to others when times are tough and there is someone always staying positive.

People will notice there is something different about you.”

Harbinger- What new ideas have you brought to FCA this year?

Severns- “Lately we have started off meetings with games to get people involved, like a half-court shoot-out. Since I work at Chick-FilA, I can get coupons to give out for prizes.”

Dodd- “Last year around Thanksgiving, we made gift bags for the coaches with a Bible in it. And definitely it would be fun to get more people involved in that.”

Harbinger- How do you achieve fellowship in FCA? Dalgleish- “I want to be a leader and a friend to athletes in FCA. Usually before we start our meetings we all hang out and eat food. I don’t want anyone to be intimidated by me. I want underclassmen to know that they are able to talk to me about anything.”

Severns- “It’s great when we all come together and even if I don’t know all the people that well, I still feel closer to them because we have a relationship that is centered on God. We have that common interest.”

Harbinger- What message do you want to send as a leader of FCA? Dalgleish- “It’s important for us to know that God is the one who gave us our athletic talents, so we should strive to glorify him, not ourselves.”

Dodd- “If people come to FCA, they can get a new perspective, whether you are in good times or bad times. Athletes need God because you can’t just rely on your own strength.

God is the one who gave us our talents and strengths.”

Young Life >> KikiSykes

With sleeping bags covering their bodies, the brave few who volunteered for the weekly Young Life game prepared themselves for the match. Even though they couldn’t see anything through the darkness, two kids started for each other and began wrestling. Hopping around, the wrestling match continued until the participants finally collapsed, more from laughter than pain.

Each Wednesday from 8-9 p.m., high school students meet at different volunteer’s homes for songs, skits, games and worship. The Young Life club locations change each week but are often at either junior John Schrock’s house or senior Grant Stauffer’s home.

Wendy Bell Franco and her husband David Franco lead the Young Life club at East. Wendy Franco went to club as a high school student and has been involved ever since. She is now the area director of Young Life for the Shawnee Mission School District and began leading East’s Young Life two years ago.

At each meeting, youth gather in one room and begin the night by singing songs together.

“This is my favorite part because everyone sings,” freshman Caroline Creidenberg said. “We just sing fun, up to date songs that are on the radio.”

After singing, there is always a skit put on by the leaders and students, and then they play a game. Last week for the nightly game, two kids each put on sleeping bags and wrestled each other.

Although the games have no connection to the theme of the worship and may sound a little out of the ordinary, they help every one get to know each other and make the night more fun.

Each week, Young Life club ends with about a 10-minute worship. They normally talk about a bible verse and everyone sits in one big group with one of the leaders in front talking. “[The worship] is not too heavy,” freshman Chloe Stradinger said. “The whole point is to get people to come and have fun with a little bit of worship, not to overwhelm them.”

Young Life aims to get kids to have fun together in fellowship. It is not exclusive and everyone is encouraged to come and participate.

“Anybody who’s new that shows up feels comfortable, that’s the goal,” Stauffer said. “I love the outreach of community and how accepting everyone is.”

Along with the weekly club nights, Young Life plans many other events.

Recently, all of the Shawnee Mission School’s Young Life clubs had the annual muck fest. The name truly sums up what happens on this night. Teens met at Shawnee Mission Park and engaged in an epic mud fight that also included foods such as flour and whipped cream.

“Basically anything to get you dirty was involved,” Stauffer said. “I remember some kids had squirt guns filled with sardine juice.”

On Thursday, Young Life hosted another annual event- Late Night. Students from all the Shawnee Mission schools went to two different haunted houses to start off the night. They then went to Skate World from there. To end the night there was an intense dance party until 2 a.m. Anyone and everyone was encouraged to participate in the Late Night, even for only part of the night.

Both the Young Life events and weekly club are aimed to bring kids together to worship Christ. Young Life began in 1938 by a young, Presbyterian youth leader named Jim Rayburn. He was asked by a local minister to try to reach out to kids who had no interest in church and get them involved. He decided to start a weekly club that involved singing, a skit and taught a simple message about Jesus Christ. By hosting the club at kids’ homes, he found that attendance increased drastically. The Young Life club at East still follows this same weekly routine and works towards Young Life’s ultimate goal-- to introduce Jesus Christ into kid’s lives and help them grow in faith.

“At Young Life we talk about who Jesus is, why he existed, his mission, and how faith can apply to your life today,” Wendy said.

According to Stradinger, Young Life attracts a wide range of kids that mix well together. No matter where they may come from or what group they hang out with, at Young Life they all strive towards one common goal- to grow in faith and have a good time along the way.

“Young Life is a place for people to hear about Jesus without the pressure to believe it,” Wendy said. “As leaders, we love building relationships with students not based on whether or not they believe.”

issue 4 features page 15 good hands here and I didn’t want him to wonder where his mother was everyday.”

Jamie spent the next three months of her pregnancy contemplating when and how she would tell her father. To hide her baby bump, she sucked in her stomach whenever she was around him. Finally in April, five months into her pregnancy, she told him. Although Joe Reece was initially disappointed in his daughter, his anger vanished when he saw the sonogram and realized the blessing in the situation.

“We decided to look at it as a positive thing and we made it work,” Joe said.

***

motherly

instincts Former East student adjusts to her new life as a teenage mom

>>Mackenzie Wylie

>>AubreyLeiter

In August, junior Jamie Reece got to spend a night out of the house at a Green Day concert. While enjoying her time singing and dancing at the Sprint Center, Reece observed lead singer Billy Joe Armstrong. His eyes were covered in guyliner and his purposefully unkempt hair waved as he strummed on the guitar.

Then it hit her.

William Joseph, with the nickname of Billy Joe, was the perfect name for the baby she was pregnant with.

***

Since the day in December when the baby was conceived, Jamie had a gut feeling that she was pregnant. She got the courage to take a pregnancy test two months later in a Price Chopper bathroom. When she saw the two red dashes on the white stick, many panicked thoughts raced through her mind.

She thought about was how hard it would be to tell her family, how her life was about to change dramatically, and most importantly, how she would be able to handle the difficult task of motherhood. She took three more tests that day, all were positive, and Jamie knew she had a decision to make.

She told the baby’s father, a current junior at North, about the pregnancy. However, he ignored the problem and refused to accept any responsibility in the situation.

Jamie went to her friends next. Some of them tried to convince her to get an abortion. But Jamie had promised herself she would never do that, especially because of her pro-life stance. She considered adoption but then realized it wasn’t for her.

“I read stuff on the Internet and a lot of people said they woke up everyday wondering where their child was, and I didn’t want to go through that,” Jamie said. “I know he is in

Two months into the pregnancy, Jamie missed two weeks of school due to illness. A notification from East revealed that she would have to repeat her sophomore year if she missed anymore school. Jamie worked to improve her grades and was able to finish the school year.

Throughout the rest of the pregnancy, Jamie experienced normal symptoms: sickness, nausea, heartburn, backaches. She had frequent food cravings for eggs, orange juice and fried twinkies. She spent the last four months of her pregnancy at her house, only going out twice.

Although she had been greatly discomforted while stranded at home, Jamie was rewarded beautifully on September 17, the day William was born - the day she considers to be the best of her life. All feelings of regret and grief were gone. Her painful symptoms of pregnancy were now replaced with the love and affection for her newborn child. After 26 hours of labor, William Joseph now lay in her arms.

“I felt relief that he was finally here, and that labor was over,” Jamie said.

The awe of having her child, something so small and fragile, right in front of her took Jamie’s breath away. She was shaking uncontrollably and wasn’t able to hold William for two hours.

Her cousin, aunt, grandmother, and father were in the hospital room with her, passing their newest family member around. Jamie was relieved and happy.

But that night, the baby stopped breathing. *** *** Jamie was in the bathroom with her nurse when they received a panicked knock on the door from Joe. “There is something bubbling in William’s mouth, and he is turning blue.”

The nurse dashed William out of the room. Jamie was terrified as she waited for doctors to return and tell them what was going on.

“I was freaking out and crying,” Jamie said. “I couldn’t stop thinking ‘what if something happens to him? Did I do something wrong when I was pregnant?’ All of the worst possible things kept going through my mind.”

About an hour later, the nurse came back and explained that William’s lungs had been filled with liquid, and since he was lying on his back, this caused him to choke. She also stressed that everything would be okay, but he would have to stay in the hospital for a few more days.

The nurse’s words didn’t comfort Jamie.

“What did I do wrong?” she asked her father.

“You didn’t do anything wrong, everything will be okay,” her father said, trying to relieve his emotional daughter.

Since William had gone stiff when the liquids choked him, the doctors thought that he may have had a seizure. They instructed to have him sleep on his stomach. Even though William is one month old, every night he sleeps stomach-down against his mother’s chest.

“Now every time he makes a noise, I freak out thinking something is wrong,” Jamie said.

***

One of Jamie’s main concerns going into motherhood was how tough it would be. She thought it would be difficult to wake up every few hours in the middle of the night to feed him. Now that William is here, however, she realizes that these tasks just take motherly instinct. She admits being a mom is tough, but it is worth the lack of sleep, stress and

responsibility.

Even though one of her biggest fears going into the pregnancy was what her family and friends would think, the support of her family has helped her through the process tremendously.

Jamie has help from her grandmother and aunt to watch William if she wants to sneak a quick nap. Joe loves having a baby boy around the house, and jokes about how hopefully he’ll do a better job raising him.

“Jamie is being a great mother so far, [but] not so much in housekeeping though,” he said.

Jamie explains that it is seemingly impossible to keep a clean house with a young baby around. Cleaning, she admits, is not one of her priorities.

While watching William, Jamie has a routine. She’ll feed him, burp him and then rock him to sleep. Then she’ll do the same routine all over again three hours later, all day and all night.

One of Jamie’s friends in particular has supported her throughout. Junior Maggie McGilley went over to Jamie’s house the day she found out her friend was pregnant.

“Jamie is doing really well so far. She has been through a lot and is sticking in there,” McGilley said. “I’m so proud of her.”

Unfortunately, not all of Jamie’s friends have been as supportive as McGilley. Many gradually stopped calling, texting and talking to Reece when they found out she was pregnant.

“Her friends shouldn’t have abandoned her,” McGilley said. “This time in her life was when she needed them most.

When things like this happen to people, it’s the best time to find out who your true friends are and who accepts you for you, and I think Jamie has realized that.”

***

For now, Jamie is focusing on being the best mom possible and finishing her junior year online. She takes five hours of class per day, five days per week. She hopes to come back to East for her senior year and says that college is definitely a goal. She doesn’t want William to be the reason for not finishing school. Rather, she wants a solid education for William’s sake.

“I want William to have a normal life,” Jamie said. “Just because his mom is young, I don’t want him to have a bad future.”

Young& Pregnant facts about teen pregnancy

1st

The United States ranks first in teen pregnancy rates among countries in the industrialized world An estimated 750,000 teens will become

750,000 pregnant this year

33%

One in three women will become pregnant before the age of 20

1.5%

Only 1.5 percent of teen mothers will have a college degree by the age 30

33%

Only 33 percent of teen mothers receive their high school diploma

>>dosomething.org

page 16 features 10.19.09

of

a New Way THINKING >>LillyMyers

Philosophy Club is on a different level of thought. Discussing ideas such as solipsism, the idea that one’s mind is all that exists, or relativism, the idea that some aspects of experience or culture are dependent upon other aspects, is the bases of meetings.

In its fourth year at East, Philosophy Club is gathering interest as a place for students to not only debate different sides of a subject through reason, but also to learn from others’ views with an open mind.

When Andrew Lee, now a sophomore at Brown University, started the club three years ago, his only goal was to help students u n d e r st a n d the reasoning behind philosophy.

“I think a lot of people have misconceptions about what it is,” Lee said.

“They think it’s people randomly expressing their opinions about anything.” >>Photo illustration byLindsey Hartnett and Kathleen Ireland This year, se-

Philosophy club works on shifting their discussions from moral feelings to philosophical reasoning

niors Natalie Hine and Bridget Bergin are leading the club. Before she went to a meeting her junior year, Hine admits to having the same view towards philosophy as everyone else: that it was just secretive people talking about confusing things.

“I think the general connotation with philosophy is that it’s very esoteric and pretentious,” Hine said. “It seems kind of lofty.”

Even as a junior, Hine initially felt intimidated by the seniors and their discussion of determinism, the view that all events, including those pertaining to humans, are determined by a chain of prior occurrences.

“I didn’t want to say anything because I was afraid they’d say I wasn’t smart enough to be in the club,” Hine said. “But I eventually chimed in and it ended up being really cool. It wasn’t as judgmental as I thought it was going to be.”

This year, Hine and Bergin hope to change this intimidation factor by encouraging new members to give their input and by holding more structured meetings. Hine said that many times last year the leaders came unprepared, leading to a weak base for discussion and a change of topic mid-meeting.

While Lee felt that he was adequately prepared for each meeting, he wishes he had given a better background for the overall direction of the club, so as to better prepare students for each discussion.

“Most people don’t encounter philosophy until college, so it’s difficult to have good discussions about topics that people don’t really know much about,” Lee said.

Keeping this in mind, Hine and Bergin are aiming to research the topics better prior to meetings. With a more thorough presentation the girls are hoping to easily spark discussion and prompt newer members.

“We try not to be pretentious about it,” Bergin said. “We try to just make it fun and encourage the people who we have never met before to get involved and incorporate their comments

into the argument more.”

Encouragement can come from simply asking members their thoughts and involving everyone at the meeting in conversation. Participation from everyone in discussions is key, even seemingly unfamiliar topics. Hine is hoping to incorporate the ideas of German philosopher Immanuel Kant this year, while Bergin wants to get into ancient philosophy, such as the ideas of Socrates.

Overall, the one thing Hine and Bergin are trying to avoid discussing is moral arguments, as they defeat the purpose of philosophy.

“It brings it away from talking about ideas and turns into just talking about feelings,” Bergin said.

Last year, a meeting regarding government unraveled into an argument over abortion. In this year’s first meeting, the group discussed existentialism, which filtered into religion.

“We had some people that were trying to give their beliefs based on things that they’d just been taught,” Hine said. “It wasn’t really supported by knowledge or theory.”

Hine can sense that a discussion is heading in the wrong direction when she hears “I think” or “I feel.” When this happens, Hine says they need to remind people that, while they respect their beliefs, the club is there to discuss based on fact. She’s noticed that people tend to get defensive about topics involving religion, and after the first meeting, Hine and Bergin had to make clear the aims of the club.

For both girls, knowledge and learning are a big part of the club. Through philosophy club, Hine and Bergin want to interest people in something out of the ordinary and create an awareness about different thoughts.

“My main goal is to get people to have a common interest of philosophy,” Bergin said.

“To have a place where people can discuss different ways to approach thing, and different ways to think.”

Q: What is an experience you remember from Philosophy Club?

A: Sometimes we get to meet at Foo’s on the weekend when people have things to do.

Q: What is one thing you would like others to know about Philosophy Club?

A: It’s great for anyone who likes to talk about a lot of different types of things with a group.

SENIOR JOEDENG

Q: What is an experience you remember from Philosophy Club?

A: Talking about materialism last year, people got really upset because they all had polar opinions.

Q: What is one thing you would like others to know about Philosophy Club?

A: We don’t just sit around and read books. It’s pretty lively and people get really passionate about it.

SENIOR BRICEROBERTS

Q: What is an experience you remember from Philosophy Club?

A: The first meeting of the year we talk about different systems of morals and it’s always a big debate.

Q: What is one thing you would like others to know about Philosophy Club?

A: It doesn’t require any prior knowledge, just the things you already know in a discussion format.

SENIOR JOHNTROUP

SOPHOMORE SPENCERDAVIS

Questions for the Club Members reflect on past meetings and what the Philosophy Club means to them Q: What is an experience you remember from Philosophy Club?

A: At pretty much all of the meetings most of us end up arguing by the end.

Q: What is one thing you would like others to know about Philosophy Club?

A: We’re trying to change the structure this year to focus more on schools of thought and less on arguing.

HiHat

>>EmmaPennington

HiHat coffeehouse is a less-ismore kind of place. A one-room small brick cottage, Hi Hat makes up for it’s lack of space with it’s friendly baristas, eclectic decor and an inviting coffee aroma.

Driving down State Line Road, just a few blocks North of Shawnee Mission Parkway, it’s easy to overlook the tiny building. There are only six parking spots and a few tables out on the patio. It sure doesn’t look like much, but Hi Hat doesn’t need a big name like Starbucks or

>>Taylor Odell Latte Land for customers to fall in love with their drinks. Neighbors and local students have been coming to Hi Hat for years.

Walking in, I was surprised to find just one barista behind the bar. Although busy making drinks for other customers she took the time to greet me and ask me about my day. Inside, there is just one little table and a few barstools, which makes the small space very crowded. The few tables outside quickly become nonfunctioning as

the temperature drops. I would definitely recommend just ‘grab and go’ with your drinks in the winter because the seating is so limited.

Scanning the drink items mounted on the exposed brick wall, we decided to get a peach jet tea, the house coffee and a chai tea.

While waiting for our drinks I spotted a small torn out section of the newspaper taped up on the wall.

It was a short article about how Hi Hat had been named 2009’s best coffeehouse of Kansas City.

A local artist had a small painting on the wall and Polaroid pictures of winning customers line the ceiling. Customers can choose to put their business card in a bowl to enter in the daily drawing for a free bag of coffee beans.

In just a few minutes the chai tea was ready. It was rich and creamy, with a perfect blend of spices and strong flavor of cinnamon. The chai tea was just what I needed to warm me up on this fall afternoon.

The steaming house coffee seemed slightly plain after tasting the chai tea. Though if a cup of joe

issue 4 a&e page 17

is what you’re looking for this will definitely satisfy your taste buds. It was the perfect temperature and had a nice, simple coffee taste.

Although it was cool outside, the frozen peach jet tea was still refreshing. It tasted so fresh it seemed as if I was just biting into a peach. It was smooth, with none of those disgusting chunks of ice or peaches. The jet tea was by far my favorite of the three.

Enjoying the drinks, I sat down on a barstool and looked at the metal bulletin board covered in various business cards and newspaper clippings. There were people to help with learning how to play piano, reorganize a closet or put a house on the market.

They don’t have flashy signs or advertising campaigns, but still have a strong customer base. The appeal of Hi Hat is just that -- it’s not Starbucks, but it doesn’t try to be.

|

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’ s l r i G e e ff o C ‘ o t ff o s ’ t ‘Ha offee c e r a t a H ’s Hi

>>

estwood W d n a s l r i The Edith wrap looked wonCoffee G e h T ’s o d derful. It was sliced in half showl Wa After giving our order to an ing the basil, tomatoes, mozza-

EmmaPennington

I felt the vibe of The Coffee Girls before even entering.

Looking through the glass front I could see the fluorescent orange chairs and metal tables.

The modern decor was carried throughout the restaurant with sharp edged tables and counter tops and several orange chandeliers hanging from the ceiling.

Once entering, I noticed that there was no wall on the left half of the restaurant but instead it was wide open to the outside.

Yes, this let a few leaves and bugs in but also a nice cool breeze.

After looking around, I looked through the fairly small selection of healthy food and decided what I wanted for lunch. I decided on the Edith Wrap and picked from one of their 10 juice combinations a Liquid Sunshine. We also got a June salad, My Mango smoothie and a Coffee Girl coffee.

The prices seem reasonable, $7 and under, comparable to Panera and less then the Mixx or Dean and Deluca.

The specialty drinks, juices and smoothies were a little pricier being anywhere from $3.45 to $5.

Check please |

edgy, tattooed man, we were handed a jumbo nine of diamonds card and sent to find a table. From there, I watched the man blend my carrot, strawberry, orange, lime and apple juice (Liquid Sunshine) then quickly grabbed it from the counter when I saw it was ready.

I was expecting a sweet, more apple juice tasting drink, but was pleasantly surprised tasting new flavors like carrot and lime juice.

I didn’t know it was possible to mess up a mango smoothie.

They did. The My Mango smoothie was way too bland, it tasted like one part mango to thirty parts vanilla yogurt.

Finally, signature Coffee Girl coffee was creamy and had a strong coffee taste with a touch of sweetness. In my opinion I think it is good enough to have a whole restaurant named after it.

We sat down at the bar which looked out upon the street. The wrap and salad were brought out only minutes after we started sipping on our drinks.

| Lukewarm |

rella, spinach and onions. Biting into it, the flavors were all very fresh and organic. The crunch of the grape tomatoes went perfectly with the creaminess of the cheese.

As good as the wrap was, I was expecting something great out of the salad. Unfortunately, it was too much spinach not enough of anything else. There were a few diced up apples, a little bit of mozzarella cheese and some dried cranberries thrown on top drizzled with a bit of raspberry vinaigrette. Yeah,

havens

sounds good until all the good stuff is gone and I was left with a plate full of spinach.

Finishing up our food we bussed our table and headed out the door. Leaving, we walked past a sign saying “Thank You, love the Coffee Girls and Jim”.

As we pull away I was pleased, feeling healthy and full but not stuffed. The Coffee Girls is a fun place to grab a light, inexpensive lunch while shopping with some girlfriends.

|

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What’s in the drink?

Caffé Americano

Hot, smooth coffee made with a single or double shot of espresso and hot water using an espresso machine.

Caffé au Lait

Equal parts of coffee and milk.

Caffé Latté

Espresso with steamed milk forming a small topping of foam. It has less foam than a cappuccino.

Caffé Mocha

A latte or a cappuccino with chocolate syrup or hot cocoa.

Cappuccino

Cappuccino is a mixture of foam and espresso.

Because of the large amount of foam, it is less filling.

Espresso

Espresso has a very strong flavor, typically ordered “regular coffee with a shot of expresso added”.

Espresso Macchiato

Espresso with a small amount of hot, foamed milk on top.

Iced Espresso

>>Taylor Odell

Coffee Girls

| Dietary Delight |

A double shot of espresso over crushed ice, with whipped cream. http://ezinearticles.com

| Delectable |

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BLUEBERRY 7,172 Possibilities

page 18 a&e 10.19.09

MANGO BANANA

KIWI

Frozen yogurt bar in the One Nineteen shopping center offers 4 flavors and 22 topping choices, providing everyone with something they will like

East y Katie otos b

BLACKBERRY >>

>>all ph

FRUITY PEBBLES CRUSHED WALNUTS ChristaMckittrick

Walking up to Mochi-Yo, I knew it wasn’t your typical ice cream parlor. Sitting outside under a hip sign reading ‘Mochi-Yo’ were tangerine-toned chairs accompanying crisp white tables. Unique, up-scale stores like Solstice Sunglass Boutique and Natural Body Shop framed Mochi-Yo in the newer section of Town Center.

Stepping inside, I immediately felt stylish.

Lime green walls and orange accents gave a retro, welcoming feel. Soft Reggae music was invigorating yet peaceful, high ceilings and natural wood counters gave this yogurt bar an earthy tone; I could tell I liked this place before even stepping up to the counter.

The menu wasn’t very extensive, several smoothie and coffee options and only four flavors of yogurt: original, green tea, and the two flavors of the month, strawberry, and watermelon. There was only one man working there but he was pleasant and efficient as he helped the couple in front of us.

Chatting with the employee, I learned that the original idea of Mochi-Yo stemmed from the fro-yo trend in Korea that co-owner Edward Song saw when visiting his family. Together with partners Kirk Goza and Weston Bergmann, Song opened the one-and-only MochiYo in Town Center, Leawood. This yogurt bar is also loosely modeled after Pink Berry and Red Mango, frozen yogurt hot spots on the East and West coasts.

I tried each of the four flavors, finally settling on the original because it was my favorite. It had a slightly tart taste that didn’t resemble the usual vanilla flavoring you find with ice cream or frozen yogurt. The texture was smooth and creamy, thicker than frozen yogurt and a little more on the yogurt side.

The green tea yogurt didn’t have a very distinguished tea flavor but it was still my second favorite due to its undertone of sweetness. I was expecting the green tea to taste like green tea

ice cream I have had before which left a bad after taste, but this green tea yogurt was a pleasant surprise. The watermelon didn’t taste as natural as I expected but it was refreshing and left a lingering sense of summer on my tongue.

The only flavor I was truly disappointed in was the strawberry. I was expecting a sweet sample of one of my favorite fruits but instead got a mouthful of thick strawberry Yoplait yogurt.

Not that Yoplait isn’t good, but it’s not what I would consider treat worthy; it’s more the kind of snack I eat when trying to be healthy.

For toppings, they had anything from fresh fruits such as mango or blueberries to classics like gummi bears and chocolate chips to unique mochi-balls. Mochi balls are a sweet topping made with rice cakes, which come in original, green tea, and strawberry flavor. I was a little leery to try them but went out on a limb.

I was not disappointed. Although the strawberry mochi balls didn’t have a very strong flavor, they were still an interesting treat and fun to eat. They are very much like square gummi bears only less tough and coated with a thin layer of sugar. They’re definitely a must-try.

Mochi-Yo is a fun and unique experience. I can easily see stylish couples in their late 20s sharing a cozy cup of yogurt or high school friends stopping for a snack run after a late night soccer game. It’s modern enough to be sophisticated, yet still delicious enough to interest the ice cream crowd.

Next time you’re craving a frozen treat, skip the Qt and TCBY runs in favor of a stop at MochiYo, the one of a kind yogurt-bar.

GUMMY BEAR COCONUT

RASPBERRY

BLUEBERRY KIWI

MINI CHOCOLATE CHIPS

YOGURT CHIPS BANANAMANGO The four toppings that Christa loves the most Chocolate Chips

I love chocolate and so these mini chocolate pieces blended perfectly with the yogurt and added texture.

-

Strawberry Mochi Balls

CRUSHED WALNUTS FRUITY PEBBLES MINI CHOCOLATE CHIPS

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Mochi Balls are something that aren’t the usual candy so they were something new to try.

-BLACKBERRY Graham Crackers

Graham crackers are sweet but not too sugary so I love having them crumbled as a topping.

-

NUTRICIOUS GRANOLA COCONUT Gummi Bears

RASPBERRY

YOGURT CHIPS

CRUSHED WALNUTS

Gummi bears are one of my favorite candies, they taste good, and are fun to eat on top of yogurt.

Where is Mochi-Yo? SLICED ALMONDS

Step-by-step directions on how to reach this Fro Yo destination roe ave.

KIWI

Check please |

| Lukewarm |

| Dietary Delight |

83rd st.

Mochi Yo

119th st.

COCONUT MINI CHOCOLATE CHIPS . nall ave.

SME

mission rd.

| Delectable |

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LOGIC

Staffer gives input on cutting-edge products in electronics industry

>>TomLynch

Technology today is changing too fast to follow. With it seeming like Apple releases a new iPod every week, and other companies releasing electronics that look the same as the old ones, but touting them as bigger and better than the last, it can be hard to keep up. But worry not, I have tested the products and verified that there is a difference between the old and the new, so that you don’t waste your money on something you already have.

video iPod Nano 5th Generation with capability

Bose QuietComfort noise-cancelling headphones Back in August, Bose released their latest noisecancelling headphones, the QuietComfort 15s. The new headphones are a replacement for their QC2s which have been discontinued.

I had the pleasure of trying out these bad boys at the Bose outlet located in San Marco, Texas. While my mom was paroozing the likes of Coach and Kate Spade on a hunt for a new purse, I stood in place, in front of the counter that flaunted the newest addition to the Bose line.

The experience felt awkward, because, for most of the time I was the store’s only patron. As all three employees stood beside each-other and looked on from four feet away, I slipped the headphones’ oblong cups over my ears. Immediately, the mumble of the music emitting from the stereos, as well as the pitter-patter of the rain outside was silenced (this was even before I had activated the noise cancellation). After sliding the noise cancelling switch to on, I felt as though I was in the deep-end of a pool; there was slight pressure on my ears coupled with a complete silence from the surrounding noise, something that I had never enjoyed with QC2s.

While the two pairs look virtually identical, the

PANEL

ae &

>>all photosfrom Apple Store

TECHNO-

issue 4 a&e page 19

QC2s and the QC15s have some noticeable differences in sound. When I pressed play on the counter and the U2 song began to stream through my ears there was less of a strain (not that the QC2s had much of one) on my ears than I have experienced with the QC2s. It appears that Bose has reduced the bass that had been present in their audio headphones as well as the QC2s making much more of a tonally balanced sound. One warning though, the headphones do create a slight pressure and for some this might be quite an annoyance, but Bose does allow a 30-day home trial, so you can return they headphones if you can’t stand the pressure.

The QC15s run on a single AAA battery with a battery life of around 35 hours. The cups swivel to fit and fit into a stylish carrying case, this feature should not be taken for granted, because I can’t count how many lower end headphones I’ve broken after stuffing them into my backpack. All these features come at the steep price of $299.95 and they are only worth it for the frequent traveler who needs to silence the roar of a jet engine or maybe for the babysitter who needs to drown out the screams of younger siblings.

The iPod Nano is already on its fifth generation (I still remember pleading with Nicole in my World Geo class to let me test the new “shake to shuffle” feature on her fourth gen’ less than a year ago in). The fifth gen’ iPod Nano, along with minor revisions to the iPod classic’s, and the iPod Shuffle’s third and sixth generations respectively, came out September 9 with TV spots boasting of the newest feature to iPods: video capture.

I’m sorry to break the news to you Nicole, but capturing video is a lot better than making a moron out of yourself hammering your iPod into the air to change the song. But if you really do enjoy doing that, the fifth gen’ won’t rain on your parade. Yes, the newest iPod though probably only for another week, looking at the rate Apple is popping them out has it all. Though probably oonly for another week, looking at the rate Apple is popping them out.

The Nano’s video capapbilities were preempted by the iPhone

3GS which was released over the summer as the first iPod to provide video capture. The video is no where close to high-def, but it should be just fine for recoding and posting you and your friends’ “Party in the USA” dance-off on Youtube or Facebook… in-fact, I’m glad those won’t be in HD. It makes sense why Apple would pick the Nano to be the first iPod after the iPhone to capture video, seeing as it is the most popular one. However, the largest Nano is only 16 gigabytes. This size might suffice for some, but for others, like me, who enjoy having all 5,059 songs as well as your favorite TV shows and movies synched to your iPod. All that to make sure your iPod is prepared for any mood you may be in. If you’re like that, you won’t be able to store too many “self-captured vids.’”

So, while the video-capture may come in handy, I’m going to hold out for the next iPod Classic which will surely include some type of video capture.

Entertainment of the fall season Favorite song on “Glee?”

‘It’s My Life/My Confessions’

Mashup...enough said. The cast makes this song so catchy, that I find Photo Editor myself singing it all the time.

Phrase you can’t stop saying?

Horror movie so bad that it made you laugh?

Favorite line in ‘Party In the USA?’

The Sixth Sense

“Noddin’ my head like yeahhhh”

“Did I ask?”

If you watch it more than once, you get it...

“Sup chilla?”

I saw it in theaters and I was the only one laughing among middle schoolers screaming every two seconds.

MACKENZIE WYLIE

‘Don’t Stop Believin’

Freelance Page Editor

MADDY BAILEY

Definitely the cast’s best performance. I like when Artie, the guy in the wheelchair, plays the guitar solo.

‘Somebody To Love’

Spread Editor

AUBREY LEITER

Mercedes’ solo at the end is incredible.

“Awk”

It’s my fav abbrev.

Prom Night

Darkness Falls

It’s about a killer toothfairy.

Enough said.

“Movin’ my hips like yeahhh”

“Like who’s that chick that’s rockin’ kicks?”

C U LV E R S N I G H T I S FROM 5-8 O N W E D N E S D AY

A C T T E S T I N G OCTBER IS ON 26 IS A S AT U R D AY PRIVATE SCHOOL SHADOW DAY GO EPILOGUE IS

L A N C - THE DEATH OF ERS

JOURNALISM. epiloguemagazine.com

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issue 4 sports page 21

sizing up the competition

Freshman Anne Willman seeks a state title with the girls’ golf team

>>Anna Petrow

>>Shannon McGinley

Freshman Anne Willman steps up to the tee and takes a deep, relaxing breath to calm her nerves. She tells herself to settle down and take it one shot at a time. As she starts her backswing, the nerves go away — at least until the next round. After a risky shot out of the rough, she steps onto the green of the 18th , and sees the five footer that lies between her and her fifth birdie.

Pulling out her putter, she squats and surveys the putt from three different angles to get the right read. She takes a few practice strokes. If she misses this, she knows she would still shoot a decent score. Taking one last relaxing breath, she taps the ball. Her birdie rolls in. Looking at the scores, Willman sees that she shot a 70, her best score yet, and that East won the St. Andrews golf tournament, their third win this year.

In her first year at East, Willman holds the number one spot on the East varsity golf squad. So far, she contributed to an East win at the Shawnee Heights Invitational in Topeka and at St. Andrews, tied for first at Overland Park, placed third at Lawrence Country Club and took fifth at Meadowbrook. The Lancers also won the Sunflower League and regionals at Painted Hills Golf course, sending them to state.

Willman took second individually with a score of 81.

Willman started playing golf at a young age and ever since has dealt with the pressure of the sport.

“Every tournament we have been close to winning or doing pretty well,” Anne said. “I think our team has done really well this year.”

Getting to represent East as number one was not an easy accomplishment for Willman, as her new teammates started playing nine hole courses at practices. Once they had turned in scores, the coaches would look them over and players would go to tournaments based on what they shot.

“All of our golfers have been really close together in shooting scores,” Anne said. “So it’s really good competition between our team.”

For Willman, coming onto the team wasn’t a stressful experience. She already knew a few girls from summer tournament golf. Feeling very included and accepted by all of her teammates has helped her

well as he did,” Anne said.

Coming from a family of golfers has helped Anne enjoy the game, especially when they travel to Longboat Key, Florida on their annual family vacation. There, Anne gets the chance to play on her favorite course, Longboat Key Club, with her family by her side.

“We periodically go there,” Anne said. “It’s just a fun course and it’s really pretty and scenic and I enjoy that.”

Anne also gets to spend time playing golf with her brother Scott, who currently plays golf for the University of Nebraska. With his helpful tips and pointers, Scott helped Anne prepare for her freshman year at East.

“I play with my brother a lot,” Anne said. “He is a role model and shows me what I can do, and encourages me through whenever I’m having a hard time and cheers me on.”

So, as the East golf season draws to a close, with a Sunflower League and Regional championship in their pocket, Anne and her teammates can’t help but set their goals even higher — the state championship.

“I think Anne will continue to have more great scores and that will help the overall team score,” Genton said, “It will motivate us to do well and want to be up there with her and hopefully win state.”

Shooting her new best score of 70, Anne is ready for her first state appearance.

“I think our entire golf team can win state,” Anne said. “I think that we have some great players and we all can come together and shoot Under Par some low scores.”

Willman’s top scores this season In the off season, Anne plans to continue practicing and playing with her family, as long Willman won the AttheLawrenceFree On the final day of the as snow isn’t on the ground. She will continue Olathe East InvitaState Invitational at Sunflower League playing competitive summer golf and looks fortional by shooting Lawrence Country golf tournament, ward to her promising years at East. She hopes a one under par at Club, Willman finWillman placed first to eventually look into to playing in college, just St. Andrews Golf ished with the third with the lowest score like her older brother.

Course. place trophy. of the day.

“After seeing my brother play in college,” Anne said. “I think it would be really cool to go travel to places and play in big tournaments.” since she is the only freshman on varsity. For senior Kristina Genton, Willman has been a great team member and friend.

“She’s really passionate about the team,” Genton said.

“It’s really great to see someone come out and really care and be so nice.”

Willman was introduced to the sport of golf by her parents Steve and Diana Willman and her brother Scott. Playing with her big brother’s old set of clubs, she learned the game, and eventually got her own set of custom golf clubs.

“As a family we’d go out and play golf, and she was probably four or five years old when we first started dragging her out there,” Steve said.

When Anne reached the fifth grade she started playing competitive golf, and after winning a few nine hole events, she found a love for the game.

“I think it’s a fun thing to do with friends,” Anne said.

“It’s also fun to see yourself get better and progress over the years.”

As she watched her big brother Scott place second in state individually his sophomore year and win state with the team his senior year, Anne knew she had to step up her game if she wanted to experience similar success. She started practicing at her home course, Nicklaus Golf Club at LionsGate, and taking lessons from golf instructor Rob Shipman.

“After seeing what my brother has done overall in golf, it’s pushed me to work hard and do well because I want to do as

707973

The road to#1

page 22 sports 10.19.09

A look at the Lady Lancers’ successes and future plans for state

Monica Talavera

#23

Lindsey Sauls

#17

Kareen Schwartze

#10

Alex Dahlgren

#3

STATE IN SIGHT With an undefeated Sunflower league record, the Lady Lancers strive for a state victory and #1 ranking MattGannon

>>

While many sports fans watch the freezing cold football games as the team’s chances of a victorious season look slim, the varsity volleyball team is heating things up with a strong record in the Sunflower League as they fight for a shot at state.

The volleyball team has made some huge strides since head coach Scott Dowis took over the program four years ago. This year, Dowis has coached the varsity squad to a 21-7 record and the number two spot in the Kansas Volleyball Association rankings.

Dowis believes that a reason for the success was the change in Kansas State High School Activities Association rules for summer sports training. In the past, coaches were not allowed to coach players throughout the summer, and they were only allowed a school camp and one team camp. With the rule change this summer, coaches were given unlimited access to their players, and were able to train and coach them throughout the summer.

“Every year I tweak something,” Dowis said. “I think there is a major pitfall for coaches who have been around for a while to start to believe that they know most everything there is know about teaching their sport.

Dowis took advantage of the rule change and the team began training two to three times a week and playing in the summer league on Tuesday nights at Fitness Plus, while still participating in the traditional camps, such as the Kansas University volleyball camp.

Sophomore Leyann Dahlgren has played on the varsity squad the past two years and participated in the summer activities along with the rest of her teammates.

“The summer practices weren’t as hard as the season practices, but they were definitely helpful,” Dahlgren said. “They brought us closer and prepared us for the season. Last year, we lacked good leadership, and that is something we fixed this year through bonding. We spend a lot of time together and we have a lot of fun, but we know that to get to state we have to continue playing well. We always knew this success was possible, and now we have to follow through.”

The new rule created about 20 additional days of

training in which the team was able implement the offensive and defensive systems.

Beat Olathe South “I think the truly great coaches continue to evolve their techThe Lady Lancers beat the Olathe South Falcons, previnique each year,” Dowis said. “I strive to do that and feel that each ouly undefeated, on their own court. This was the first year I do a few things a little better than the year before.”

After a difficult losing season last year, the team began work- big win of the year for the varsity girls. ing on their teamwork and bonded. They spent more time watching game tape and giving each other feedback on their fundamentals.

This team is very special to Dowis, not because of the early success, but because it is the first group of players that have been under his leadership for their entire high school volleyball career. Some girls started on varsity as freshmen, while others have worked their way up from the freshman team.

“We have a good blend of upper and underclassmen,” Dowis said. “The seniors provide great leadership on and off the court, and the mixture of youth and experience has been a good combination with this group.”

Senior Kareen Schwartze has played varsity for Dowis the past four years and is a key leader on the squad.

“This year’s team has great chemistry and Dowis is a fun coach Beat Blue Valley North to play for,” Schwartze said. “We are having a lot fun this year and I After suffering a loss early in the season to BVN, the think that is why the team is doing so well.”

Schwartze, Dahlgren and the rest of the varsity squad aren’t team answered back with a victory over the Mustangs sidetracked by the success though. Their only focus is on winning at the Olathe South Quad. sub-state on Oct. 30 and proving that this closely-knit group has got a shot at state.

“Just because a poll is declaring us the number two team in the state really doesn’t mean much to me,” Dowis said.

“When we look back at the season and each player can honestly say that she gave everything she had playing her absolute hardest and smartest in each match and every practice and that she left nothing on the court when day was finished, well, then we can say we were successful.”

Work on playing consistently This a key area to work on according to Lindsey Sauls, a varsity senior. “We’re very hot and cold,” said Sauls.

“Sometimes, we get ahead of ourselves.”

The next big match: Aquinas

>>all photos by Mackenzie Wylie

The winners of the Eastern Kansas League, Aquinas will prove to be a serious threat for the girls but nonetheless a great match for fans to watch.

?

issue 4 sports page 23

:03....... games

FINDING

MONDAY, 10/19 -Girls’ Golf @ State

ANSWERS

After a Sunflower League championship where freshman Anne Willman edged Olathe East’s first-year phenom Jordan Chael by one stroke for first place, Willman and the Lancers hope to capitalize on that success today at the state championship tournament in Dodge City. The girls’ team hasn’t placed first in Kansas since 1987 but has all the pieces in place to get the job done this year.

TUESDAY, 10/20

A season filled with hope and high expectations, the football team has seen its highs and lows after starting the season 2-4. Here’s how they’ll fix it for next year.

A. Q. A. Q. A. Q. A.

Though he was hired in January of last year, he wasn’t announced as head coach until April and wasn’t able to start working with the boys until the same time. That left them with almost five months of offseason work without a head coach. This year he’ll be able to hit the weight room with them for conditioning and team building.

At the end of this season, the team will lose 22 seniors, will that be a tough amount to make up for?

Though the Lancers will lose a decent amount of players in skill positions, they will return varsity backups that can fill the spot well. Both the sophomore and freshman teams were very big this season and will most likely return a good majority of those players for Coach Sherman’s second season at the helm.

Among those players coming back, a good bunch are returning starters, where do you see them stepping up again?

After switching almost every offensive possesion this year, junior quarterbacks Robby Moriarty and John Schrock will both be back for another campaign. Junior Josh Mais will be back to carry a linebacking trio that will have to stop the stronger Olathe schools as juniors Alex Pirotte, Krey Bradley and Grant Ellis will be the focus of a receiving corps to complement the quarterbacks.

the

It’s tough for a first year coach to take over a team with a losing record and make them a powerhouse. Where are we headed?

Coach Sherman is a proven winner, even at a school that lacks in football tradition, as shown in his one-year stint at Salina South. He will make this team stronger in the offseason as he continues to implement his offense with a group of guys who have gotten a taste of it. If Sherman sticks around for years to come, the football tide could rise at this school... starting next year.

PostseasonPredictor FOOTBALL

need to heat up

not likely

Despite a bright outlook, the Lancers struggled but will see good shot a sharp turn in their reputation as Shernear- man’s tenure at East lock continues.

Lacking depth, the boys’ and girls’ squads are both very young good shot and will see success in the coming years near- as some runners will lock be stronger and more experienced.

A hyped team all fall, the girls hope to capitalize on their League good shot success at the State level. Teams they’ve near- met will be up with lock them but may not be able to hang around.

CROSS COUNTRY need to heat up not likely

VOLLEYBALL

need to heat up

not likely

In a season filled with success the volleyball team hasn’t seen in years, the girls’ will end their regular season tomorrow night at home. St. Thomas Aquinas and Olathe South, two top five teams in their respective class, will visit the new auxiliary gym for a senior night that will prove the Lancers strength going into the postseason. Olathe South suffered one of their two losses to our girls this year in what ended up being the deciding factor for the Sunflower League first place spot.

giving you insight on our championship chances

GIRLS’ GOLF need to heat up

not likely

SATURDAY, 10/24 -Cross Country @ Regionals

It has been three seasons since a boy qualified for the cross country state championship, but every year the girls manage to get a runner in for the final meet of the fall. This weekend the team will run at Shawnee Mission park for the Regional meet against other area varsity squads where the girls and boys have a good shot at qualifying runners for another week.

:02....... names

MIMI FOTOPOLOUS- TENNIS- 10 The girls’ tennis team’s star sophomore took the regional singles cham-

pionship last week after taking the Sunflower League crown. Fotopolous held a win streak of 22-0 going into the state tournament, which was this last weekend.

JERROD RYHERD- BASEBALL- C After Coach Jarrell’s dismissal at the end of last season, the head coach-

ing position for the boys’ baseball team has been left empty. Two weeks ago, though, the school announced Jerrod Ryherd would take over the job this spring. For the last five years, he has been an assistant varsity and head JV coach for Shawnee Mission South, a team that finished last year with a record of 15-6.

:01....... frame

This could finally be the year the girls’ are better than the boys good shot in golf if sophomore Anne Willman can near- shoot low at today’s lock state meet.

Loaded with talent, the girls will have to get their difficulty up good shot on the bar and floor routines to top SM near- North along with lock sticking the landing on the beams.

Having lost a core of seniors this year, the team struggled but will good shot be more experienced >>KatieEast as they prepare for HEAD FOOTBALL COACH Chip Sherman takes the podium at his first ever near- next year.

Lancer Day pep rally. That night his varsity squad went on to defeat Leaven-

GYMNASTICS need to heat up not likely

>>Mackenzie Wylie

Q.

-Girls’ Volleyball @ SM East Tri

The team only had four months to prepare for the season with Coach Sherman last year, how will a full offseason help?

BOYS’ SOCCER need to heat up

not likely lock *Girls’ Tennis not included, state match was between deadline and publication.

worth 34-6 in the Homecoming game, Oct. 3.

home

not so

page 24 photo essay 10.19.09

sweet

home

Volleyball team loses its first four home games in the new auxiliary gym

FAR ABOVE: Sophomore Hayley Hansford (left) and junior Julie Aliber jump for a block during the Lancers’ match against O’Hara High School on Oct. 13.>>Mackenzie Wylie ABOVE: Junior Logan Weckbaugh prepares for the serve from O’Hara. Weckbaugh has been playing in the East volleyball program since freshman year. >>Mackenzie Wylie ABOVE RIGHT: From left, senior Monica Talavera, junior Julie Aliber and senior Lindsey Sauls dance to Miley Cyrus’ “Party in the U.S.A.” at senior Alex Dahlgren’s house before their matches. >>Mackenzie Wylie

FAR ABOVE: Senior Lindsey Sauls wipes a tear from her eye after the team’s losses. >>Michael Stolle ABOVE: Senior Monica Talavera celebrates after a kill during the Lancers match against St. James High school. >>Mackenzie Wylie LEFT: Seniors P.J. Guignon, Scott Kennedy and Harper Coulson cheer on the Lancers after a big point.

>>Mackenzie Wylie