Issue 5 by The Harbinger

the

ISSUE 5 SHAWNEE MISSION EAST PRAIRIE VILLAGE, KS NOV. 2, 2009

a startling

trend OxyContin abuse increases in Johnson County and serves as gateway to heroin story on page three

OPINION: Not “just” KU (pg. 9) SPREAD: Teachers’ alter egos (pg. 14-15) SPORTS: Golf team sets the score right (pg. 25)

page 2 news 11.02.09

aCrippling

Class

Doctors report an increasing number of Physical Education related injuries

>>MacTamblyn

Senior Grant Stauffer has been sent to the nurse’s office twice the past two years, each instance due to Team Games Ultimate Frisbee. During the second semester of Stauffer’s sophomore year, he tore three finger ligaments in his left hand and sprained his wrist after being upended by a competitor for a catch. His junior year, he severely scraped his elbow laying out for another catch on a tennis court. Both injuries required trips to the nurse, with the first one leading to x-rays at the hospital. A recent study done by the Center of Injury Research and Policy at Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, OH suggests that Stauffer may be a part of a trend. According to the study, injuries to 5-18 year olds in P.E. class involving visits to emergency departments increased 150 percent from 1997-2007 across the US. One possible reason attributed to this rise in injuries, according to the study, includes a movement towards “new P.E.,” which places emphasis on individual and lifelong sports. Another reason points to a decline in the number of school nurses nationwide. P.E. Department Head Shawn Hair, who is in his fourteenth year at East, does not believe P.E. related injuries have increased during his time as a Lancer. Since he arrived, he feels an effort has been made to actually increase safety in gym class. “Everything we do that involves a ball - if you’re throwing or catching it - you’re playing with a softer type of ball,” Hair said. “ From softball to water polo to football, which we aren’t playing with a hard, leather high school football. It’s a

rubber type of football.” The presence of a school nurse at East could be a support for Hair’s belief of less P.E. related injuries. Lara McKenzie, the study’s senior author, said the number of school nurses in the U.S. decreased during the period of the study. Fewer nurses in schools lead to more kids being sent straight to

Soccer 5.7% Gymnastics 5.4%

Q:Which P.E. activities have the largest number of injuries?

Basketball 20%

Football 7.8% Volleyball 5.4%

Running 25%

>>Center of Injury Research and Policy emergency departments, bypassing the checkup for less severe injuries. School nurse Susan Varner said injuries in P.E. class usually do not occur more than once or twice per week at East. According to Varner, a “very small percentage” of these kids are sent to emergency departments, due to the fact that most injuries are falls or scrapes. Varner said that ultimate frisbee was the most injury-prone activity, leading to more than

>> photoillustrationbyJeff Cole

just Stauffer’s injuries. Supervision, although a briefly mentioned point in the study, could also be contributing to increased injuries across the nation. Larger classes can limit a teacher’s ability to keep watch over individual students. As a gym teacher with over 20 years of experience, Hair manages his students so that games stay competitive, but not to the point where conflicts arise. “Sometimes emotions play a part of it,” Hair said. “If this team is playing that team, and that team scores, it may upset someone. You need to make sure they don’t do anything silly. Sometimes if you just say, ‘Hey, catch your breath, take a break, relax. This is physical education, not the state championship.’ Keeping it in perspective is good for kids.” The study mentions increased funding as a possible solution to this rise in injuries. According to McKenzie, funding could be used for extra training for teachers along with more safety precautions and safety equipment. “Being healthy doesn’t have to hurt,” McKenzie said. “You can have a physically active lifestyle, which is really important for kids in school. The long term effects of inactivity outweigh the relatively minor effects of P.E. related injuries.” McKenzie wants the study to raise awareness about the safety of P.E. class, not keep kids away from being active. “We want people to take gym,” McKenzie said. “We’re not saying people shouldn’t take gym, we just want them to do it as safely as possible.”

A harmful high Heroin and OxyContin overdoses are on the rise in Johnson County >>LoganHealey

Easy access and low prices have caused two drugs that have generally been uncommon in the area to become one of local law enforcement’s biggest problems. The Overland Park Police Department reported on Oct. 16 that OxyContin, a prescription painkiller, and heroin were the cause of 22 overdoses in the county through June 16; compare that to 24 cases in all of 2008 and 17 in 2007. County officials are alarmed by those statistics and are pursuing ways to reduce the problem, including a recently announced education campaign. Karen Bishop of the Johnson County Mental Health Adolescent Center for Treatment said that she has personally seen a decrease in overdose cases for other drugs. She also said that statistics might not even show the entire scope of the drug problem. “Reported overdoses are far fewer than actual overdoses,” Bishop said. “Most of the clients I see that have overdosed have never had police contact… The shocking numbers for me are now most kids that come in to residential treatment are using opiate (the base for drugs like heroin and OxyContin), and that was not true two years ago.” The reason for the increase has been traced back to several origins, according to East student resource officer Det. Brady Sullivan. One of these is cost. On the streets, OxyContin goes for about $30 to $40 a pill and heroin sells for between $50 to $100 according to Sullivan. Sullivan noted that Prairie Village’s undercover drug unit is buying more prescription pills like OxyContin from drug dealers than ever before. “My opinion is that that is just what’s prevalent and easy to get right now,” Sullivan said. “Drugs are like anything else… If three or four people get these clothes and everybody’s like ‘Oh, this is so cool! This is the greatest thing ever!’ then everybody wants those clothes.” Sullivan also cites the large quantities of

QA &

WITH A FORMER DRUG ABUSER AND CURRENT EAST STUDENT

Q: What made you turn to OxyContin in the first place? A: I just wanted to try it out, see what it was like. Some people I knew had used it and they said it was fun.

prescription pills available for sale on the streets as one of the main reasons they are so popular. In the past two years, Sullivan said, there has been one overdose because of OxyContin in Prairie Village, and during that time frame an East graduate died because of prescription drug abuse. “The stigma against it is that [OxyContin is] not one of those nasty horrible street drugs,” Sullivan said. “Prescription drugs, they gotta be healthy and good for you. But when you’re snorting them up your nose, chopping them up and taking eight instead of two, obviously that doesn’t do good things.” Senior Joe Woods* was injured in the summer of 2008. His doctor prescribed OxyContin and later hydrocodone to deal with the pain. The idea was that Woods would graduate from the OxyContin and move to the hydrocodone, a less potent painkiller. The key phrase “as needed” listed on his prescription became the problem. Woods originally kept with his normal dose of 10 pills every eight hours, but after a couple of weeks he began to notice more and more of an affinity for the pills. Soon he began mixing hydrocodone pills with alcohol and marijuana. When that wasn’t enough he would go back to his OxyContin stash and take those along with the hydrocodone. As the weeks went by, his hunger for the feeling the pills gave became less and less satiable. “It got to the point where I would be taking 11 hydro, five Oxy and five or six Tylenol,” Woods said. “If I wasn’t feeling the same [as I did after initially taking the pills] by the middle of the night, I’d snort one of the hydro and then take two or three Tylenol with that so I could get back to the same feeling.” Woods remembered times when he would take up to 25 pills everyday of the weekend, usually mixed with alcohol or marijuana. During a school day, Woods might “dip out” during lunch to take four or five pills and later that night take five to ten more. All his pills came from prescriptions and his parents never once caught

on during his one-year addiction. For parents who might try to detect if their child is addicted to prescription pills by looking at their school report card, Woods said that wouldn’t have been enough in his case. “It didn’t really affect me at school… for some reason I was smart around school because I knew I had to keep my grades up to cover the addiction,” Woods said. By law, Woods was allowed up to five refills of hydrocodone for each prescription he received. OxyContin prescriptions do not allow for any refills and a user must get a new prescription from their doctor for each new bottle. Woods only saw his doctor once throughout his whole addiction, when he was first prescribed to the drug. From then on Woods made regular trips every three months to his doctor’s office. There, without even a glimpse from his doctor, the office assistant would write him a new prescription with only a simple stamp of the doctor’s signature. This continued on for over a year, but Woods eventually beat his addiction with the help of drug counselors. The OPPD report tied heroin and OxyContin together because the two are closely related. Johnson County District Attorney Steve Howe has recognized the relation and knows what it can bring. “Because OxyContin’s high is very similar to that of heroin, its an easy segway and when you couple it with its cheaper to buy heroin than it is to buy pills of OxyContin it leads people down that road,” Howe said. In the 70s and 80s, heroin was about ten percent pure, but nowadays it is about 60 percent pure, according to Assistant District Attorney Don Hymer. County officials are citing purer heroin as the main cause for the increase in overdoses. An addict will become accustomed to using a certain amount in each high. But when the purity level increases in the heroin

issue 5 news page 3 by such a large amount, then their normal dose will have a much higher potency and is more likely to cause an overdose. According to Sullivan, the reason why heroin is not 100 percent pure when it gets to the user is because of a process called “cutting.” Each time the product is sold, he said, the dealer will generally mix the heroin with a similar looking substance so they can increase their profits. This means that when a user purchases ten grams of “heroin” only part of what they buy will be straight heroin; the rest could be a similar-looking substance like baking powder or brick dust. In the past three years, Howe has seen a substantial increase in the number of possession cases for the two narcotics, OxyContin and heroin. He said that those arrests correlate with the increase in overdose cases and requests for drug counseling the Johnson County Health Department has seen. But this year, the number of reported overdoses has jumped considerably and Bishop believes teenagers are the most affected age group. Because of these alarming numbers, Howe and other county officials are launching a public awareness campaign to help curb the problem. County officials and area teens will give the presentation to schools and community functions throughout the county. A video featuring a Johnson County teen that recently died due to an overdose will be shown along with the presentation. “We wanted to humanize it to let people know that this isn’t just some Hollywood deal or some news story, but this is something about people that you might actually know and go to school with,” Howe said. While the stats are sobering, Howe promises to continue the fight. “Our goal is for everyone to have a healthy and fruitful high school experience and we’re hoping that people will find alternatives to illegal narcotics because that’s a slippery slope that ends up many times in tragedy,” Howe said. *Name changed at source’s request

Q: Where did you get it from? A: Someone got it over the counter, it was prescription, and then I bought it from him. Q: What was the addiction like? A: I started liking it more and more and I started to take it, not because I wanted to but because I had to. Q: How did you kick the habit? A: I stopped buying it so I didn’t have any to take, and I haven’t gone back to it since.

>>photo illustration by Max Stitt

page 4 news 11.02.09

BRIEFS

Rep Theatre

>> >>Junior repertory theatre students are direct-

the new

ing 14 plays to be shown over two days. All plays are adapted from children’s books. >> 3 p.m. today and tomorrow in the Little Theatre

Hot Shot

Area Choral Festival

>> >> The East area choral festival will feature the

HPV vaccine becomes available for boys

choirs of East’s feeder schools along with a performance by East’s own choir. >> 7 p.m. tomorrow in the gym

College Planning Night

>> >>>> The East counseling department is hosting

a college planning night for freshman and sophomore students and their parents. >> 7 p.m. on Thursday in the library

Dollar Drop and Can Drive

>> >> Students and staff should bring in their ex-

tra dollars for the Dollar Drop. All proceeds go to the Johnson County Christmas Bureau. >> Today through Friday

>> >> >> Students are encouraged to bring non-per-

ishable food items, especially canned tomatoes, to school for the annual Can Drive. Proceeds go to the Johnson County Christmas Bureau. One dollar equals three cans. >> Nov. 9 through Nov. 20

Late Start

>> >> School will begin at 9:40 a.m. and there will

>> photo illustration by Dan Stewart

GrantKendall

In 2006, Gardasil was approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for use in girls to prevent cervical cancer. In 2008, Gardasil was FDA approved for girls to prevent even more types of cancer. And in 2009, the FDA just approved Gardasil to be used in boys. Gardasil protects against the human papillomavirus, a sexually transmitted disease that can cause genital warts in men. HPV can be spread through genital contact, most often during sexual intercourse. And it can lead up to cervical cancer in women. According to Dr. David Holleman, a pediatrician at St. Luke’s Hospital, genital warts may not be life-threatening but can cause discomfort. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there are 40 types of HPV that can cause cervical cancer in girls. After a successful female vaccine, Gardasil, a branch of the pharmaceutical company Merck, is coming out with a male version. There was controversy surrounding the release of the girls vaccine and now the same dilemma confronts teenager boys. Some parents worry that giving their children this vaccine is encouraging an active sex life. However, Dr. Jeff Young, father of sophomore Jeremy Young, believes that the Gardasil vaccine is a blessing. “[The vaccine] doesn’t mean you can go out and have rampant unprotected sex,” Dr. Young said. “It just means that I’m trying to protect you in case there is some mistake you make at some point in your life.” The HPV vaccine protects against only one type of STD in men

and against certain types of cancers in girls. A vaccinated patient may not be getting genital warts but still faces the risk of contracting another type of STD. Age has been an issue with this vaccine. The latest report done by the CDC says that the vaccine should be for boys from ages 9-26. That is the ideal target range because that is when men are most sexually active. The female version of the vaccine has been going strong since its release a few years ago. According to ABC News, 25 percent of all girls from ages 11-17 have received the vaccine. If the girls’ version of the vaccine has been this popular, then people should be expecting the same enthusiasm with the male version. The female vaccine is administered in a series of three shots and the male vaccine will most likely be administered in the same way. The FDA has approved the boy vaccine so it will most likely be coming out later this year or the year following. Safety is a common concern with vaccines, and the HPV vaccine is no different. So far, the only side effects from the vaccine have been minor in trial testing. These include headaches, vomiting, swelling, and fainting. Compared to other vaccines, this is a fairly safe one. “I think if, there is anything that you can give your child to decrease the risk of a life threatening illness like cancer, then I think its worthwhile to get the vaccine,” Dr. Young said.

not be seminar. >> Friday

MORP

>> >>The MORP dance has been postponed due to

the football team’s playoff qualification. Tickets are $10 in advance and $20 at the door. >> 7:30 p.m. on Nov. 20 in the cafeteria

Fall Play

>>>> The fall play this year is “The Grapes of

Wrath.” Tickets are $7 for the public, $5 for students and free for all East drama students. >> 7 p.m. on Nov. 12-14 in the auditorium

Mole Day

>>>> Around 350 students woke up bright and

early for Mole Day on Oct. 23. Seventeen different chemistry classes joined between 10 to 20 Physical Science students to celebrate Avogadro’s number: 6.02 x 10 23. Chemistry teacher Cole Ogdon said around 30 to 40 former students were in attendance along with past teachers such as Dr. Bartholow.

Debate Sweepstakes Win

>>>>The East debate team beat out 22 other

HPV vaccines by the

NUMB3RS

7,500 1,000 12,000 4,000 11-12 men are diagnosed with a HPV-related cancer a year

men die from HPV-related cancer a year

women are diagnosed with cervical cancer a year

women die from cervical cancer a year

ages for which the vaccine is recommended

>>www.cdc.gov

schools to win Sweepstakes at the BV North tournament on Oct. 23 and 24. Debate partners Tara Raghuveer and Sarah Sears individually won first place with a perfect eight win record. East is currently ranked first in the state.

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

Peaceful Protest North students counterprotest Fred Phelps over student production of RENT

>>IanWiseman

The moment the bell rings, SM North senior Nathaniel Zoschke rushes to the journalism room with his friend to pick up his “God is Love” sign. They head outside, and Zoschke stands at the top of the retaining wall that separates the student parking lot from the sidewalk. Though the counter-protest isn’t silent like it was planned, the loud cheers still send the right message. “We are here to exercise our First Amendment rights by organizing a peaceful counter-protest and spreading a positive message of peace and tolerance,” Zoschke said. He first heard the news of Phelps’ intentions as he was coming home from school one night, when he received a text from one of his friends. It informed him that radical Topeka pastor Fred Phelps and his group of followers intended to stand by North and picket the school’s production of RENT, a controversial Broadway musical that features openly gay and lesbian characters. Phelps and his church are notorious for picketing funerals of American soldiers, as well as condemning a variety of groups for going against their interpretation of the bible. “There was a churn in my stomach,” Zoschke said. “You know, that feeling in your stomach when you hear really bad news.” After confirming the news on Phelps’

Web site, Zoschke spoke with North Principal Richard Kramer to discuss what needed to be done about the situation. Kramer supported Zoschke’s idea to put on a counterprotest, set for Oct. 23, in which money would be collected for the RENT service project. “We knew our kids wanted to be heard and wanted to be able to express their thoughts, feelings and beliefs appropriately,” Kramer said. The project, titled the No Day But Today service project, began on October 7, long before news of Phelps arose. After learning Phelps was coming, Zoschke planned for money to be raised from passing cars during the counter-protest and donated to this project. No Day But Today would in turn use these donations to buy blankets, toiletries, food and coats for Project Warmth. Profits from ticket sales of RENT were also donated. “I was disappointed to hear that Phelps was coming, but by talking to Kramer I realized we could turn this situation into a positive,” Zoschke said. A similar counter-protest occurred last February right here at East. Phelps’ group of picketers stood on the corner of 83rd and Mission to protest East’s election of Matthew Pope as the 2007 homecoming king. As he passed by in his car, Zoschke was impressed by East’s turn-out. This is what Kramer wanted for North. With the plan in motion, it was time to get the word out. Zoschke set up CounterProtest Fred Phelps, which became one of the hottest Facebook groups among North students. Student body president Luke Calkins made an announcement to the school last Wednesday morning. Kramer advised him to discuss what to do, and more importantly, what not to do. “Any violence will take away from the message,” Kramer said. “And that message is one of service, which is one of the themes of RENT. It’s our message now, and it’s the one we’ve always had.” North theater teacher Maureen Davis

A. blankets

1. Sock it to ‘em

B. coats

2. Care of Poor People

C. children’s books

3. HeadStart

D. used cell phones

4. Johnson County Christmas Bureau

E. can drive

5. Rose Brooks Center for Battered Women

F. socks

6. Project Warmth

Mix n’ Match the item to its Match corresponding charity >>morguefile.com

issue 5 news page 5

Shawnee Mission North students hold up signs in the counterprotest against Fred Phelps. KatieEast

said raising money in this counter-protest wasn’t the point. It was all about publicity. “Saturday night’s performance was almost sold out,” Davis said. “Only a few odd seats weren’t sold.” East Gay-Straight Alliance member Austin Hunzeker believes that by not “stooping to their level,” North sent a positive message to the community, just as East had done. “We let the Phelps group know that we weren’t going to fight with them about this,” Hunzeker said, recalling East’s counter-protest. “We were there to support each other, and we were the bigger people because of it.” Zoschke feels that North students, like East’s, were the “bigger people” in the way they handled the counter-protest. “We will not tolerate this disrespect and this hatred toward our school and towards those who live alternate lifestyles,” Zoschke

Driven to Donate >>SarahMcKittrick

A coat drive in November, a shoe drive in January, a toiletry drive in April. In the past, SHARE has sponsored many different drives throughout the year. However, these monthly drives are now a thing of the past. This year, SHARE plans to host a “Jumbo Drive” from Nov. 2-6 where they will combine at least six different drives. Everything from used phones to toiletries will be collected and then donated to various charities. SHARE Director Pat Kaufman said that she and the SHARE Execs collaboratively came up with the idea of a Jumbo Drive in hopes that there will be less confusion about the drives and that more people will hear about it. “Small individual drives throughout the year can be annoying for people,” Kaufman said. “It’s much easier for people to look through all of their

said. According to Hunzeker, those ideas of peace and tolerance are what both East and North wanted to send through their counter-protests. “More good comes out of our message of love than does their signs of hate,” Hunzeker said. The proof of this statement is in the numbers. With about 30 boxes of donated pastas and cereals, a dressing room full of clothes and over $300 in ticket sales, North achieved their ultimate goal of servicing the community. Defeating Phelps was simply a side-effect.

SHARE hosts a “jumbo” drive for various charities

stuff at once for things to donate than throughout the year.” Previously, the volunteer program has separated the drives, but by combining the drives they hope to collect more donations. SHARE is also working hard to get the word out about the drive by putting up posters, passing out fliers and making announcements. Senior SHARE Exec Louisa Morton said that having one big drive will allow more people to be aware of the donations. “Hopefully combining the drives will allow for more awareness about the things people need and it will stick in their minds,” Morton said. SHARE is collecting blankets for the “Care of Poor People Project,” coats for “Project Warmth,” socks for “Sock it to ‘Em,” children’s books for “Headstart,” toiletries for the Village Food Pantry

and used phones for the Rose Brooks Battered Women’s Shelter. Donations will be collected in bins by the counseling and administrative offices. Although SHARE expects the drive to be more successful than individual drives of past years, Kaufman said that if this drive does not work, they can revise it for next year. However, she said that she is not worried because of the generosity of the community. Kaufman also said that any amount of donations will be beneficial to those in need. “Most people who are getting the donations could live on the car change we have in our cars for several days,” Kaufman said. “They wouldn’t accept the donations if they could afford it on their own.”

Answers: 1-F, 2-A, 3-C, 4-E, 5-D, 6-B

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Irritating Interrogations

issue 5 opinion page 7

Senior is tired of adults constantly asking about her college plans and future

>>PhoebeUnterman

If I had ten bucks for every time an adult asked me where I’m going to college next year, I would be able to single-handedly pay full tuition at any college of my choice. It’s getting ridiculous. What started with just my parents and close friends has become a topic of conversation with every adult I talk to these days: where am I going to college? And the even more irritating follow up, “What am I going to do with the rest of my life? So here’s an answer, and I think I speak for the majority of seniors when I say this: I have no freaking idea. I would like to offer some friendly advice to both the other seniors (and even juniors) who are feeling the heat and the adults who are beginning to drive us crazy:

For Parents:

A. Stick to the classics. Though some of you genuinely care, for many I think that these questions are simply your way of making small talk. Instead, stick to classic small talk topics including interesting weather patterns (It’s November so early snowstorms are fair game), the Chiefs (Todd Haley is the best love-to-hate public figure since Mark Funkhouser) and mutual funds (what are they anyway?). B. Now is not the time. We know you mean well, but, for our sanity, please limit yourselves. Right now, a lot of us have only just begun applying to colleges. Others are finished with applications, but won’t hear back until April. There are the lucky ones who have it all figured out by now, but don’t assume everyone does. To be safe, wait to ask until May 1, the date by which most are legally bound to make our decision. C. We’re sick of talking about it. Chances are, on any given day, we’ve already had to think about college about five times as much as we wanted to. The multiple supplement essays, extreme familiarization with websites like Common App and College Board and hours spent studying for the ACT are quite enough for the average senior. It’s just too much on top of that to have to explain to a complete stranger your reasoning for why you want to go to Grinnell College. D. The entire topic is not off-limits. It’s not that we aren’t excited about college. We just don’t want to talk about where we want to go or the application process. We would be much more willing to discuss: our preference is as far as the intensity of nightlife at the colleges we are considering, why we are excited to get out of high school and enjoy the independence of being a college kid and how many miles away from home we would like our school to be.

Annoying inquiries Phoebe explains her least favorite college-related questions

“You should check out [insert their alma mater]...” No offense, but if I listened to every stranger who told me that the school they went to was the best, I would have to spend about $200 thousand alone on application fees. Just because you went there during your 1970s Grateful Dead phase doesn’t mean it would be the school for me.

“Where are most of your friends going to school?” I don’t ask all my friends where they are going to college because if I did, I probably wouldn’t have written this column.

>> photo illustration by Dan Stewart

For Seniors: A. Avoid it altogether. When the person asking is someone you don’t know at all, for example, a stranger who comes into your place of work or the only other person in the waiting room at your dentist’s office, your best bet is to lie about your age. Tell people you are a sophomore and they will suddenly lose interest, try to pretend they weren’t talking to you in the first place, and you will be off the hook. Or tell people you are a freshman, which will cause them to automatically dislike you. Then they definitely won’t bother you. B. If you can’t beat them, join them. If adults can get away with asking us “Where are you going to school, what are you going to major in, and what are you going to do with your life?” as the automatic first three questions when they find out we are seniors, then we should be able to put them on the spot, too. Examples: When are you going to get married? Are you ever going to get a real job? Where do you see yourself in ten years? Don’t be afraid to be bold to get the point across. C. Have a plan. Be ready to make your answers stand out with a list in your mind of strange colleges and majors that you can use when asked these questions. It will be fun to watch people’s reactions. Some real college majors that you could say include Winemaking, Canadian Studies and Bowling industry management. Plus that would be a great segue into the topic of how there is a sufficient amount of information about Canada to constitute a college major. Or go an entirely different route and tell people you are enlisting in the military, backpacking around the world or trying out to be the Disney Channel’s new wonder-kid in the same vein as Lizzie McGuire, Raven Symone or even *gasp* Miley Cyrus. D. Use it to your advantage. For example, fire back with, “I’m not sure where I’m going, but I’m probably going to need help paying for it. Would you like to chip in? I’m currently taking pledges.” Everyone’s trained to not talk to panhandlers, so you probably won’t hear from that person again. Or you’ll get a full ride, so it’s basically a win-win.

The top

4 colleges for the class of ‘09 111 students

University of Kansas

65 students

Johnson County Community College

39 students Kansas State University

14 students

University of Missouri

4 www.sportslogos.net

page 8 editorial 11.02.09

Students are left out of the loop. Though it is the district officials job to mediate the functional and budgetary issues of the school district, ultimately it is the students who burden the impact of the boards decisions and who ought to have some influence. Now, when decisions like the proposed movement to unify the district under one scheduling system come to be decided, the majority of students are unlikely to know about the proposition until the decision is finalized and little to nothing can be done to change it. Currently, the only student influence on district decisions is a quarterly meeting of an advisory board made up of select StuCo members from the five high schools. They discuss the large scale issues under the districts domain, but do not meet regularly enough to give input on all the decisions impacting students. Though these ambassadors are sent to represent their respective student bodies, according to advisory board member Amanda Privitera, most kids do not offer any opinion one way or another. Establishing a system in which any interested student could be better involved in the decision would help more accurately represent the entire student population. This system would involve better communication on the part of the StuCo advisory board as well as a proper means of disseminating information on issues with the greatest impact on the part of the district. This discussion could start as a part of

The

VOTE

The majority opinion of the Harbinger Editorial Board

for

against absent

the

9 1 1

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

nov. 2, 2009 issue 5, 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

Social Studies classes, which would cary over to lunchroom discussion and talking to parents. Now that the student body is better informed, those issues which students may be concerned about can be voiced in a forum type setting with the district board, before they make the decisions that impact our day to day life. Although it is understandable that not every student cares about the inner-workings of the district board, at least attempting to better inform students, along with the opportunity for discussion would help to stifle dissent of decisions that might otherwise blindside students without warning. There is a concern with such a system that with these increased voices, the board decisions would become muddled and drawn out. However, it would only be students who are truly concerned on an issue that would offer input, and there is no reason that the board could not take time to hear out concerned students who may offer a side of an issue that they have yet to see. While economics are usually the driving factor behind these changes that might surprise students, better informed students could offer input on the issue that lessen the impact the decision would have on the student body of the district. For example, block scheduling takes more money to run. This is due to the extra compensation needed to keep more teachers at East for a longer time in order to supervise block.

Currently the district has three different scheduling systems, including two variations of block. The proposition to unify the district under one scheduling system would not only allow for more availability of Broadmoor by staggering seminar times, but also allow for the sharing of personnel to cut down on the number of teachers who are required to use this time period for seminar and not for say a planning period. While this proposition is driven largely because of economics, if more students were enlightened as to the specifics of the plan and were able to propose ideas of their own, the district might be able to reach a better consensus for a course of action -- one that they might not have already thought of. Also, by incorporating more students in the decision process, or at least by offering the opportunity to, students cannot complain when the decision is handed down, because they had the opportunity to contest the plan. In a district that touts itself for its academic prowess, considering input from those who are most impacted by its decisions, students, can only serve to be benefit the decision-making and evaluating process for the issues at hand.

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 editors’ discretion.

>>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 >>Dan Stewart Staff Artists >>Kennedy Burgess >>Morgan Christian Circulation Manager >>Matt Gannon Ads Manager >>Morgan Christian Online Editors >>Taylor Haviland

>>Elizabeth McGranahan Convergence Media Editor >>Michael Stolle 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.

FRESHMAN MARYDIEHL

SOPHOMORE RYANSEYBERT

JUNIOR JENNIFERGRAY

SENIOR MARGARETBRILL

>>lancervoice

Q: Do you think KU is just a fall back school? A: No, I do not think it is. Q: Would you consider go-

ing to KU? A: Yes, I am going there. Q: The lower the tuition, the worse the school? A: Not at all. Q: Would you say KU is a bigger version of East? A: No, you can easily make friends with people who aren’t from East. It’s what you make it. Q: Do you think KU is just a fall back school? A: No. It’s a good school overall. Q: Would you consider going to KU? A: Yes. It’s one of my big choices. Q: The lower the tuition, the worse the school? A: Not at all. It may attract more people but that isn’t a bad thing. Q: Would you say KU is a bigger version of East? A: There are a lot more kids there than just East students. Q:Do you think KU is just a fall back school? A: Yeah. You could get in with straight D’s. Q: Would you consider going to KU? A: Yeah, I basically am anyway. Q: The lower the tuition, the worse the school? A: No it would just bring a lot more people. Q: Would you say KU is a bigger version of East? A: No. It’s a big school. Q: Do you think KU is just a fall back school? A: No, it’s a good school. Q: Would you consider going to KU? A: Yes. It’s a fun school and I would know people. Q: The lower the tuition, the worse the school? A: Sometimes but KU is a good school. Q: Would you say KU is a bigger version of East? A: No, a lot of other places feed into it.

>>KevinSimpson

t was just a few days into my junior year when my parents asked me about where I wanted to take college visits. I told them there was no need. I’m going to KU. Not going to “just” KU, nor am I “settling for” KU. I’m going to the only university I’ve ever wanted to attend. The decision was made in 1965, long before I was born, when the Simpson family first purchased season tickets for football and basketball games. I’ve walked down Mount Oread and been carried up it (in my younger years) since I was four. When I was 10, my dad, brother and I bundled up with ponchos and headed into the stormy November weather. KU got pasted 64-0 by Kansas State, and our clothes were as defeated and drenched as our beloved Jayhawks. Freezing and tired, I was still immersed in the atmosphere, with the band, the cheerleaders and of course, the food. My passion for everything KU has taken me to games as far west as San Jose for the NCAA tournament and as far east as Miami for the Orange Bowl. I’ve seen games at campuses all over the midwest, such as Nebraska, Iowa State and Oklahoma. Each campus has further proven one thing. Lawrence is not just a great place to go to school: it’s the only place. Too many high school upperclassmen feel the need for a rationale for picking the local school. Recently, a classmate inquired what schools I was interested in. When I told him my plans, his initial response was, “Why?” He couldn’t understand why I would choose the local school so easily. It’s not just for the instate tuition. It’s for the deeply-rooted traditions that separate KU from the typical university. I can guarantee that this classmate has never seen 16,300 students pack Allen Fieldhouse for an exhibition game like they will tomorrow night against Fort Hays State. I can guarantee he’s never waved the wheat with 51,000 of their closest friends after yet another Reesing-

to-Briscoe touchdown connection. And I can guarantee he’s never gotten goosebumps as the Rock Chalk Chant echoes throughout a stadium, a university and a city after the Jayhawks seized the national title two Aprils ago. That’s why I couldn’t imagine attending a university where the stadiums are half full, and the school traditions are started by lame Youtube videos pleading for you to “Bring your power towel to every game.” Seriously. Look it up. Willie the Wildcat and a collection of KSU football players are playing guitars and imploring you not to forget your power towel. The video is properly titled, “Hey KSU: 1989 called, it wants it promotional video back!” Probably not coincidentally, the coach featured in the video has since been fired. Traditions aren’t something that can simply be manufactured; they must develop naturally over a long period of time. The Rock Chalk Chant originated in 1886 from the mind of a KU professor, not that of a creepy mascot with a Wildcat head and a man’s body. For the stubborn, the skeptical and the MU fans, here’s a few objective reasons why choosing KU is the right call: When an upperclassman is asked why they do not want to go to college in Lawrence, one of the most popular reasoning is that they don’t want to go somewhere made up entirely of East graduates. This is simply untrue. From the graduating class of 2009, 111 students moved on to KU. When that number is quadrupled to get a general feel for how many Lancers are now in Lawrence, it still only makes up under 1.5 percent of the total students at KU. Considering there are 197 new faces for every three East graduates on campus, I think the typical Lancer can manage to find new people. Besides, the students that make these claims are often the ones likely to stick to their old high school friends once they arrive at their university next fall. There’s no shame in picking the affordable,

issue 5 opinion page 9 area school that has proven year after year it can produce the cream of the crop. Notable alumni range from a Pulitzer Prize winner William Inge - to Vernon Smith, Nobel Prize winner in Economics. The founder of basketball coached there, and the only basketball player to score 100 points in a game played in Lawrence. Heck, even the mom from “Boy Meets World” - Betsy Randle - was a Jayhawk. If this isn’t enough, consider the economic benefits. Many of these students, whether or not they are from East, have found one thing in common -- nearly $15,000 in saved cash by choosing the affordable school just up K-10 over out-of-state alternatives. Attending KU costs $7,400 annually for in-state students. However, the price jumps to $11,000 at the average out of state university, according to CollegeBoard, an annual increase of $3600. Multiplied out over four years, and the in-state Jayhawks have $14,400 they can put towards the national championship memorabilia that will be available when the men’s basketball team brings home the title this spring. No longer should the average high school junior or senior feel ashamed to add an explanation to their in-state college choice. They’ve already got just under 15,000 reasons why staying close to home is the smart choice. Just because the tuition is cheap doesn’t make the academic experience second-rate. The Fiske Guide to Colleges ranked KU as one of its “best buys” for public schools in terms of academics related to cost. U.S. News came out with top 25 lists for several graduate programs, and KU had 25 of its programs make these lists. If these factors leave you unconvinced, there’s always that other deal breaker. Help with the laundry is only 45 minutes away.

Lovin’ Lawrence

Junior expresses feelings on KU being more than just a fall back school

>>DanStewart

page 10 features 11.02.09

Jose Pepper’s

NOW HIRING A look at local businesses where students can apply for jobs

>>ShannonMcGinley

Struggling to find a job? With the Holidays coming up, finding a job can be more challenging and more important than ever. Looking for enjoyable and well paying jobs is tedious, so to help narrow down your choices, here are a few awesome options for students.....

The restaurant is founded by Jose Pepper himself, a man who inherited his mother’s famous Mexican recipes after her death. He eventually opened “Jose Pepper’s” in Overland Park, and the restaurants have been growing in the Kansas City area ever since. With high standards of quality customer service, the family environment at Jose Pepper’s makes it a fun place to host and serve friendly, local guests. WHO: 16 and above. After applying you will have a sit-down interview to assess training, experience and qualities that you would bring to the workplace. Looking for a happy, upbeat and positive person with a good work ethic.

WHAT: Host/hostess and someone to bus tables. WHEN: Usual shift, between 5-9 p.m. after school. WHERE: Prairie Village 3901 Prairie Lane

>>all photos by Dan Stewart

The Learning Tree With two close locations and a store full of toys, The Learning Tree is a place for a committed student looking for a year-round job. With a goal to help kids grow, the toys and games in the store have many educational purposes. This requires any employee to be interested in the products and committed to the children they are given too.

WHO: 16 and above, outgoing, work experience, relates to customers, interest in products, confidence.

WHAT: Salesperson on the floor working 10-15 hours per week. WHEN: Two five-hour shifts a week after school and one or two weekend shifts. Park Place WHERE: Corinth Square 4004 West 83rd St. 11536 Ash St.

Ingredient Originating in Lawrence, this fast-yet-casual family restaurant has been rapidly spreading, with new stores popping up in Park Place and the Plaza. Its fancy menu of salads, sandwiches, and pizza that can be customized with a wide variety of different ingredients paired with the modern furniture and decor, make Ingredient a place to grab a job and serve friendly families.

WHO: Over 16, friendly, “personality is big when working with guests”, energetic and outgoing. WHAT: Cashier which includes handling money, and a food runner that runs food and talks to guests. WHEN: Depends on the person, afterschool hours from 4-8p.m. WHERE: 11563 Ash Street Park Place at 117th and Nall

NORTH Modern Italian Cuisine North Modern Italian Cuisine is a branch of FOX Restaraunt Concepts, an award-winning boutique restaurant group. This new restaurant offers polished funiture and a contemporary atmosphere, and the sophisticated, lively North would make a great place to work. It’s unique Modern Italian Cuisine includes antipasti, wood fired pizzas, and many pasta dishes, originating from an Italian trattoria.

WHO: 16 and above with restaurant experience, availibility and personality.

WHAT: Host/hostess to seat guests, servers and dishwashers. WHEN: Availibility of worker, after school hours 3-9 p.m. WHERE: oneNINETEEN 4579 West 119th St.

LIVING IN HORROR

issue 5 features page 11 >>ChristaMcKittrick

Squeezed into the lobby, the audience of “Maul of the Dead” has been waiting for 30 minutes for the show to start. The doors are closed and the lights dim slightly. Yelling comes from somewhere. As people anxiously look around, their eyes land on two men dressed in navy blue bolting down the hallway of Crown Center into the theater’s lobby. They frantically usher the audience into the theatre, JC Penney’s. Zombies of all types circle the glass windows of the lobby. People shrink back from the bloody ballerina. They run away from the praying nun with the torn dress. They hide behind strangers to get away from the young, limping baseball player, all wearing the same angry face covered with blood and dirt. This entrance into the theatre sets the mood of the play that sophomore Sam Rider and freshman Zoe Brian are in. “Maul of the Dead” is set in the 70s in a JC Penney’s store. It’s based off of “Dawn of the Dead,” which the Coterie performed last year. Zombies are taking over the mall and there are only six living people left: Wendy, a weather woman, John, her boyfriend, Frank and Louis, the two friends that ushered everyone into the theatre, and Donna, a sassy punk teenager. Everyone else in the cast plays a zombie who is trying to kill the living. The zombies range from 13 years old to 56 years old and anyone is welcome to join. Brian joined the “Maul of the Dead” cast because of her love of acting. As a kid, she took acting classes and was in her first stage performance as a pick-a-little lady in Indian Hills Middle School’s production of “The Music Man.” She was in the Coterie’s “Dawn of the Dead” last year, and this year, her dad wrote the script. Rider, on the other hand, joined the cast on a whim. His younger sister had seen “Dawn of the Dead” last year, and wanted to be in “Maul of the Dead” this year. Actors have to be 13 years old though, so his sister couldn’t participate, but Rider joined. To be a zombie in the show, actors go to a class that teaches them how to be a zombie and doubles as rehearsal. “We learned how to do makeup for the zombies, all the gore, and injuries.” Rider said. “We learned how to walk like a zombie-sort of zombie etiquette.” This class was mostly taught by stage manager Jaclyn Larson in the Coterie theatre so the cast would get used to their surroundings. “The best class was when we learned how to do the fast zombies,” Rider said. “There’s a gate in the show and we learned how to run and roll under it, then get back up quickly.” For Rider, this was his favorite part of the show. Brian’s favorite part, on the other hand, was getting to kill her best friend, Charlie. Brian played Mitzy, an ex-perfume counter assistant. “I really enjoy killing Charlie,” Brian said. “We have this blood packet and I squeeze it when I go in to bite her and it sprays up and the audience likes it.” Every night that Rider and Brian perform, they get ready the same way, which takes around 50 minutes. Rider pulls on tan bell bottoms and a Grateful Dead t-shirt. He has chosen to dress as a groupie of the band the Grateful Dead. Aviators and a red bandana finish the look. He prepares to put on his makeup, which must cover all of his skin. Meanwhile, Brian has on brown and orange paisley pants and a purple and orange striped shirt decorated with blue spirals. This is topped off with a smock. Now that their costumes are on, it’s time for makeup. They put wounds on first, followed by a base which is the blue makeup that goes everywhere. Veins and other marks on the body are next and, finally, blood is splattered on. Looking back at them from the mirrors isn’t Brian and Rider, but bluegrey faces with haunting red and black circles around their eyes and mouths and lots of blood and dirt. “People get really into it, Brian said. “A guy plays a zombie who died being run over by a car, and he actually took the clothes and ran over them with his truck. We put blood, dirt, everything on it and slash them all up, it’s great fun.” More than just the costumes and stunts, Rider and Brian love the people that are in the cast. STEP BY STEP PROCEDURE OF SAM AND ZOE’S MAKE-UP FOR THEIR ZOMBIE COSTUME “The people are just great,” Brian said. “Some are doing it as another acting exercise; some are doing it because they love zombies.” They begin by covering their entire face with a blue-gray PHOTO OF FINbase. The cast started out a little awkward because no one knew each other, but by the third or fourth rehearsal, everyone was comfortable. ISHED MAKE-UP “Throughout the whole process everyone sees who everyone is and They cover their eyelids with a dark red color, and add black eyeliner. bonds,” Brian explained. “No one doesn’t like each other, we’re all like family. They make an angry face and put black make-up in all the Though the entire cast is close, Brian, Rider and another zombie, Erin, creases on their face. are particularly close. “We see each other every night at the shows,” Brian said. “We formed a group we call the Zombie Breakfast Club.” They add black to their temples and under their chins. When the lights dim and the audience quiets, Rider, Brian, and the other zombies lose their friendly personalities and become the zombies they apThey are covered in “blood,” which is a thick chocolate pear to be. They limp out from behind the perfume counter. They crawl unsyrup that looks like blood. der the metal gate. Pale skin glowing, the show begins.

>>all photos by Lindsey Hartnett

Two East students perform in the Coterie Theatre’s production of ‘Maul of the Dead’

MAKING UP A MONSTER 1 2 3 4 5

page 12 features 11.02.09

>>KathleenIreland

It is 1:20 p.m. and while other East students where students must hold some form of a job are trying to pinch themselves awake in class, or internship to make up for the five hours of senior Maria Reyes is hard at work. Her desk at school they miss in a week, whether it be paid the NSPJ Architects design firm is covered with or unpaid. plans to file away and sticky notes with requests “It’s a chance for them to see their knowledge to look up pictures of tile and decorations. After working through professional experience,” Boycompleting these necessary daily jobs, she waer said. ters various plants scattered throughout the ofReyes didn’t have any solid ideas of where fice and enters different companies and projects she would like to work, so Boyer suggested she into NSPJ’s database. apply as an intern for NSPJ Architects. Boyer had Reyes didn’t quite know what to expect as met with them last spring to see if they would be an intern at a design firm, but the chores are all interested in hiring an intern during the year. small steps towards her goal of being an interior “As the Interior Design coordinator for the designer. district, I try to guide them towards good jobs,” She always enjoyed designing random projBoyer said. “But it’s up to them and the employer ects that involved art and watching shows like whether or not the job will work.” Trading Spaces on TLC and HGTV, so when Reyes was responsible for calling NSPJ to Reyes found out at the end of her freshman year request an appointment and application for the that East had an interior design class, it seemed internship. On Aug. 21, after being interviewed like an obvious match. Ultimately though, her about her experience and the company’s expecinterest ties back to her love of art. With classes tations, Reyes was immediately offered the job. like Commercial Art and Drawing under her belt, A tour of the office and a map of desks and their she feels prepared for the visual aspect of Inteowners’ names helped Reyes become familiar rior Design. with the building she’d be spending every Mon“I feel like I have a pretty good eye for style,” day, Wednesday, and Friday in after school for at Reyes said. “And a lot of it comes from art.” least the first semester of her senior year. In Interior Design I, Reyes learned about the NSPJ typically looks for interns that will be elements and principles of deon time with a positive sign, along with color theory and Right now I like mod- attitude and a good apschemes. Her favorite activity to represent ern, but not really, really pearance was the final project, where stutheir company. Reyes modern. There’s so many met all of their expectadents had to create a scale drawing of an apartment and then detions. She is even able [styles] to choose from. sign the entire space. to work individually >>Senior Maria Reyes “I liked how you got to use all with NSPJs designer, the design styles, and everything Lori Schiesen although we learned came together at the end,” Reyes everyone in the office is able to utilize her help. said. “Organizing the entire library of samples was Interior Design II reviews the elements and probably the worst thing I’ve had to do so far,” principles of design, as well, but students deReyes said. “But alphabetizing representatives sign an entire house for their final projects. The from different companies was pretty bad too.” class also incorporates current trends and styles, But Reyes does get to enjoy perks from her ranging from French Country to Mid-Century participation, like shopping for clients’ products Modern. with Schiesen. “There’s a lot of different cool styles I’m into,” “It’s a good experience to see how she works Reyes said. “Right now I like modern, but not rewith her clients and seeing all that is done to ally, really modern. There’s so many [styles] to make sure things fit well with the plans,” Reyes choose from.” said. Students that have taken Interior Design I Schiesen also hopes to involve Reyes more in or II can even count the classes towards college the client environment in the near future. And credit instead of having to take certain introducalthough scheduling conflicts have prevented tory design classes in college. Reyes from involvement in recent client meetReyes is currently enrolled in Interior Design ings, she looks forward to more inclusion as her III. Third-year students are involved in a comexperience grows. But both feel as though they bination of in-class applications and on-the job gain from the experience. training with teacher Marsha Boyer. During their “I get the benefit of having somebody that’s sixth-hour block, students get to apply informacapable of doing things I don’t have time to do,” tion learned during Interior Design I and II. Schiesen said. “It’s like an extra set of eyes to rep“They have to actually follow rules, but they resent the proper image to a client.” get to use more creativity,” Boyer said. Their seventh-hour block is dedicated to OJT,

“

>>photo illustration by Mackenzie Wylie

devoted to

Design

Senior interns at NJPJ Architects to gain on-the-job experience in interior design

Reyes’ Responsibilities

Shopping

>> Mackenzie Wylie

NSPJ designer Lori Schiesen takes Maria with her on runs to furniture stores and warehouses. They looks for pieces and materials requested by Schiesen’s clients as well as things requested by other designers’ clients.

Reorganizing

For her first big project, Maria reorganized the firm’s entire reference library--alphabetically. Maria was overwhelmed by the task at first but now she sees how much it taught her.

MATERIALS RESEARCH

”

This is one of Maria's everyday jobs. She looks up the materials individual clients want for their projects and tries to find examples of rooms that use the elements they want. Materials she seeks out range from specific types of tiles for a newly-renovated bathroom or a couch to match a living room's color scheme.

Hoping to Go on Site Maria wants to go to visit spaces the NSPJ Architects designers are working on. On site, Maria would get to consult about design decisions and observe the designer’s creative process.

SAFARI for CHANGE

issue 5 features page 13

Senior Kaley Herman will travel with Change the Truth, a non-profit organization, to Uganda in December to assist with orphanages

>>RainaWeinberg

SENIOR Kaley Herman poses with drawings from the children that she will be meeting in Uganda. Herman is going to Uganda in December with Change the Truth, a non-profit organization. Mackenzie Wylie

right blues, reds and purples were all over the room as people walked around the Change the Truth fund-raiser. The colors came from drawings, self- portraits and photographs that were centerpieces of the event. The art was created by children in Uganda and there was one thing certain about the art: it emanated hope. Joan Herman was one of many to attend the fund-raiser. After that night, she knew her daughter, senior Kaley Herman, had to go to Uganda and help. “I thought Kaley could really make a difference in these kids’ lives,” Joan Herman said. “And it would make a difference in her life as well.” ---The faces of 350 children looked back at Gloria Feinstein as she photographed them at the St. Mary Kevin School and Orphanage in Uganda. The distraught faces of the children stuck In Feinstein’s mind and that’s when she knew she couldn’t just take photo’s of them. Feinstein bonded with one boy in particular, Nikki. They had met on her first trip in 2006. Everyday Feinstein would offer an art class to the children and everyday he would be there. Even though he didn’t speak English very well, after seeing him periodically, she interviewed him

and found out that his parents had both been killed in war. “He couldn’t really talk,” Feinstein said. “He started crying and we just hugged each other and were close after that.” After two years, Nikki has developed better English speaking skills and high aspirations for the rest of his life. “He has turned into a remarkable young man,” Feinstein said. “He’s very smart and wants to become a doctor.” “I had spent three weeks photographing at different age orphanages,” Feinstein said. “Then I came home and decided I wanted to do something more than just file my pictures into my portfolio, I wanted to help.” Feinstein photographed many orphanages while in Uganda and out of them all, she chose St. Mary Kevin School and Orphanage because she fell in love with the children there. St. Mary Kevin has been run by Rosemary Kavulu and Joseph Kavulu since 1887. “They are really professional and very organized,” said Feinstein. “They are all about helping the children and giving them a better life.” Feinstein then created Change the Truth, a non-profit organization that helps support the St. Mary Kevin school and orphanage in Uganda. It was created in 2007 and since then, it has raised over $70,000 for the school. ---Herman sat at home doing homework when a surprising statement from her mother interrupted her thoughts. “She basically walked in after the fundraiser and said ‘your going to Uganda’ and all I could feel was shock and excitement,” Kaley said. “It was one of those surreal moments.” Toys, clothing and art supplies are just a few things taken over to Uganda every year. This year, Kaley will be joining eight other volunteers this December. The volunteers make art with the children and then the art is brought back and auctioned at the annual fund-raiser. All of the money raised from the auction goes straight back to the children. “It’s pretty cool to explain to the kids that they’re helping raise money for school, food and medical care by making artwork,” Feinstein said. Going to Uganda involves many sacrifices for Kaley. But the sacrifices made aren’t

nearly as important to her as what she will be missing them for. “I’m missing finals, Christmas, Hanukkah, and New Years,” Kaley said. “But I don’t really think of them as sacrifices because I think it’s a lot more important to be helping people rather than doing trivial things.” Gardening, painting and fixing various things around the school are just a few things that the volunteers do. “It’s a lot of hard work, emotionally and physically,” Feinstein said. “So it’s not for everyone.” All difficulties aside, the trip becomes worth it to everyone who goes. According to Feinstein, it goes from just a trip to a life changing experience that the volunteers hold with them forever. While the students of Shawnee Mission East will study for finals and worry about what gifts they will be receiving for the holidays, Kaley will be in Uganda helping those less fortunate and learning about the more important things in life. She hopes to gain an experience that will stay with her the rest of her life. “I want to be able to make a change for the kids,” said Kaley. “I just hope I can give them a happier life.”

Kaley Herman’s

Big Adventure Trip Details

Dec. 17 and returns on Jan. 1

Herman leaves on

She will fly through

Detroit, NYC & London

For a total of:

16.5 hours 8,146miles

“

I just hope to make someone’s life a little better. I want to make them happy, even for just two weeks. I want to be a part of something bigger.” >>Senior Kaley Herman

>>http://www.vmapas.com/

page 14 spread 11.02.09 History Teacher Hours... Sultan of Sale

FACS tea Hours... Queen

In the day...

After

Brenda Fishman Working alongside 70-year-old women, social studies teacher Brenda Fishman is one of the younger employees in the midst of seasoned retail veterans. After being hired as a teen at Macy’s for part time work during the holiday season, Fishman “just never quit” the job she loved so much and still works at the same store where she started, in the very same department: lingerie. “I think that since I’ve been there so long, Macy’s i s very cooperative about only scheduling me when I’m able to work,” Fishman said. In her 30 years of service with the store, the job has been something that Fishman has always enjoyed going back to. The time

In the day...

Julie Baker spent with the public, catching up with old students who come in to shop and spending most everything she earns from the job in the store itself have all been highlights in her career. Fishman believes the job has taught her a lot about not making quick judgements of others. When a customer comes in and looks too old or isn’t dressed the best, it doesn’t mean they aren’t going to buy a lot, and Fishman is often surprised by who buys what. As busy as the retail world is, teaching is still her passion, and it is what Fishman believes she must do for the rest of her life. “At some point in the summer, after working 20 or 30 hours during the week, there’s a point where it gets old kind of fast,” Fishman said. “And you’re glad you have teaching to come back to.”

History Teacher

After Hours...

Doctor of Drive

Fred Elliot The idea for social studies teacher Fred Elliot to open his own business originally came from his five-year-old daughter Ashley. “My little girl at the time said ‘Why don’t you open your own company, and call it Fred’s Drivers Ed?’” Elliot said. Shortly thereafter, Elliot established “Behind the Wheel” driving school in 1999, exactly one year before East cut its driver’s education program. Elliot had been teaching the class for 14 years at different high schools and concluded that with so few driving schools in the area, a selfemployed business would be successful. Located at 115th St. and Pflumn Rd. on St. Thomas Aquinas’ property, Elliot is busy handling “Behind the Wheel” every day of the week except Sunday. Often times, he’ll leave East at the end of the day and head directly to the driving school

to start work, where Elliot teaches the classroom portion of the class. While “Behind the Wheel” caters to a variety of students from different districts, Elliot has found many East students in his driving program. Once, while coasting down Shawnee Mission Parkway on a drive with Elliot one day, an East grad opened the trunk in the middle of the road launching the “Driver’s Ed” sign out into the crowded street. “We had to go back and get the sign, but besides that, no harm done,” Elliot said. Teaching students World Geography and teaching them to drive are very different things, but Elliot has found his way with both over the years. Teaching life skills and history while still finding time to spend with his five kids hasn’t always been easy, but they will be integrated soon. Ashley is almost old enough to drive.

When a client first proposes their ideal cake, only one thing runs through Foods teacher Julie Baker’s head — making that mental image edible. After hiring Phyllis Hildebrant, a baker with over 30 years of experience, to create her wedding cake, Baker began contacting Hildebrant on a regular basis to get advice on how to bake her own creations. After a bit of practice, Baker ended up working part time last summer at “Cup Cake a la Mode,” a specialty baking shop on the Plaza, and eventually began managing her own at-home bakery. Specializing in cakes, Baker has created all kind of works for events ranging from baptisms to going-away parties and more.

The average cak hours to design a ing the school ye frame requires h more careful abo she commits to. Pieces like int cakes can take up complete, and ma classes leaves no much work. This a lot more of the works during th and undertaking b on breaks. Despit goes into it, Baker work is far more than for money. “I love it, it’s s said. “I love to de just a talent that I’v and it has improve The cake cre stay exclusively a though; she has

During the school day, they’ But when the tie comes off,

ALT

acher n of Confections

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issue 5 spread page 15 In the day... Econ Teacher After Hours... Graphic Guru Robert Bickers

a cookie cake design contest into her “Focus on Foods” class, and even a 3-D cake design contest into her advanced foods curriculum. With prices starting at $25 for a 10x10 square cake, Baker has seen a lot of business in the form of teachers, friends, and even a student’s grandmother. Baker said that the majority of her business comes through word-ofmouth. “When you do your own business like this,” Baker said. “It’s either word of mouth, or sometimes [Phyllis Hildebrant] refers me to people as well.”

’re just normal teachers. , some turn to their mysterious

TER >>BobMartin

>>all photos by KatieEast

With six years of Photoshop experience on his record, Economics teacher Robert Bickers is well suited for the artistic world of graphic design. After being drafted to teach a Photoshop class at another school, Bickers started to turn his once hobby into a career while in grad school. His business first took off as several colleges, including the University of Kansas and Texas Christian University, contracted him to create posters, programs for music events and other assorted print designs. As he started creating more and more, it became clear to Bickers that the design process for a contract is very drawn-out. One program can take up to 20 hours to create. “It’s very tiring,” Bickers said. “I’ve started winding down the company because I was having 10 to 12 hours a week of it in addition to teaching.”

In the day...

The idea of a graphic design career had always intrigued Bickers, and the freedom to take an idea and run with it was exactly what he wanted to do. When a client has no preconception of what they want, Bickers loves having the ability to create something just crazy enough that it works perfectly. Since his name is on the end product, Bickers feels he must create the best product he can, if he’s on a strict guideline. This work ethic has kept a lasting relationship with the universities and private businesses that have hired him over the years. Even with the benefits that design work has brought him, Bickers still prefers teaching to the long nights in front of a computer screen. “Even with the freedom my clients give me, there’s more variety in teaching,” Bickers said. “Working at home gets kind of boring, my cats aren’t that great of conversation.”

Jewelry teacher

After Hours...

Savior of the Seas

Wanda Simchuck Jewelry teacher Wanda Simchuck’s love for water stems from time spent swimming as a child. So when the opportunity to manage a “beach” during the hot summer months presented itself, taking the job only seemed natural. With lifeguard experience and Red Cross certification from her high school years, Simchuck found herself once again on duty this past summer, as a manager at “Shawnee Mission Beach” located inside of Shawnee Mission Park. While the extra cash was nice, the work would mostly be a get away for Simchuck. The job required Simchuck to hire and train new life guards, organize shifts and everything else needed to make the beach function. Starting the position in the spring, Simchuck was under a lot of pressure with teaching, coaching the

East girl’s swim team and managing the job at the same time. This workload led to her decide that the secondary job just wouldn’t fit in next year. “If I could just work in the summer, and didn’t have to do all of the spring stuff, I would’ve probably have continued [the job],” Simchuck said. Staying busy is important to the teacher and the ability to have fun and be at the beach all day made the work a lot more enjoyable, even with the “lifeguard drama” that can add stress to the job. Despite Simchuck’s love of swimming and the cool water, she still believes teaching is the only thing she could ever do full time though. “I’ve taught for 20 years,” Simchuck said. “I’d never think about doing anything else for my primary job.”

the

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Blogs, video of sports games, late-breaking updates

issue 5 mixed page 17

{the page about life}

Take advantage of the beautiful fall weather and the redding trees while you still can. The sports are all coming to an end and the temperature is dropping quickly, so go outside and enjoy the leaves.

top

HOW

make the best of a fall day Chances are your parents will want help raking the leaves. You might as well have some fun during the chore and jump in a heaping pile of them.

Yes, it’s past Halloween but that doesn’t mean it’s too late for a good scare. Go down to the haunted houses for a night with your friends.

Start practicing for your family tagfootball game on Thanksgiving. You may think it’s just all fun and games, but we all know everyone wants to beat your dad and uncle on Thanksgiving afternoon.

1 2 3 4 5

things to do in the fall

leaf diving

fall’s just not quite complete until you dive into at least one pile of leaves.

apple cider

enjoy a glass of apple cider while it is available in stores.

drill team ball

all you dancers and cheerleaders get to ask a lucky fella to the drill team ball

jack-o-lantern

although it’s after Halloween, it’s not too late to carve a pumpkin.

thanksgiving

enjoy Turkey Day, spend time with family and share your thanks.

Q seconds with... A Sasha Niehorster-Cook Q A Q A Q A freshman

What other languages do you speak?

Some Spanish and German, but I have citizenship in Mexico, the Netherlands and the US because my mom was born and raised in Mexico and my grandparents were from the Netherlands.

>>Jeff Cole

5 top

HOW

VS.

Winter may seem far away, but it isn’t too early to start your preparations. Time to break out your Northfaces and Uggs. The slippery sub zero walk from the parking lot is about to begin and it won’t be long until students start praying for a snow day.

things to do in the winter

sledding

eggnog

3 4 5

wpa

make the best of a winter day

it’s freezing but still fun to slide down the hill then trudge back up for hours. only during the holiday season is eggnog available, so get it when you can. ladies’ turn to ask their man to WPA this season. gingerbread houses

there’s nothing quite better than making a house out of candy.

the holidays

decorate your house for the holidays and get in the holiday mood.

Why do you wear cow pants? Because I like them and they are comfortable, and I just like their style.

When did you start wearing them? Sixth grade. We had a Greek play, and I was a cow. Then I just kept wearing my costume.

How many pairs have you had? The pants are the same, but we have had new patches since then.

* * *

Take a trip down to Suicide Hill with your friends. Make a day of it and sip some hot chocolate afterwards to defrost.

You’ve been waiting for months to listen to your Christmas music. The wait is finally over. Jam out to “Rock’n Around The Christmas Tree” while you make a gingerbread house.

East’s basketball, swimming and wrestling teams have been very successful the past couple years. Go support them in the toasty gym.

Q A

Did you make the cow pants? The original pair was made by my mom. She hot-glued them on. Then later when they started to fall off. We stitched them back on.

Q A Q A

What kind of reactions do you get from people when you wear them? Most people think they are really cool and give me high-fives when I wear them.

Where do you buy your clothes? Once in awhile I go to Target, but I don’t really go out of my way to be in style.

valid school ID

A Perfect 10

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>>SamKovzan

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A Word from the Experts SENIOR

JEFF RUTHERFORD MANCHESTER UNITED GC8PJ1 * _flij X n\\b% 8e[ `kËj efk X ^Xd\# `kËj X nXp f] c`]\% 9<JK =<8KLI< F= =@=8 ('1 K_\ *-' [\^i\\ gcXp\i Zfekifc iX[`lj% @k dXb\j ^Xd\ gcXp dlZ_ dfi\ i\Xc`jk`Z%

È@ [feËk nXek kf Y\ NXpe\ Iffe\p# @ aljk nXek kf Y\ _`j Y\jk ]i`\e[%É

SENIOR

SAM KOVZAN WEST HAM & ARSENAL GC8PJ1 Fe =i`[Xpj Xe[ JXkli[Xpj ]fi Xe _fli fi jf% 9<JK =<8KLI< F= =@=8 ('1 ?fn i\Xc`jk`Z `k `j% 8JG@I<J KF 9< C@B<1 :\jZ =XYi\^Xj f] 8ij\eXc% È@ Zflc[ Y\ Xe \og\ik `] @ gcXp\[ Xj dlZ_ Xj jfd\ g\fgc\ @ befn%É

SENIOR

ALEX COX JUVENTUS & INTER MILAN GC8PJ1 K_\i\ n`cc Y\ [Xpj n_\e @ gcXp n`k_ ]i`\e[j ]fi c`b\ kfn _flij Xe[ k_\i\ n`cc Y\ [Xpj n_\e @ [feËk gcXp Xk Xcc jf `k bè[ f] \m\ej flk% 9<JK =<8KLI< F= =@=8 ('1 K_\ dfm\d\ekj f] k_\ gcXp\ij `j X cfk jdffk_\i k_Xe cXjk p\XiËj ^Xd\% È@Ëd fe\ f] k_\ Y\kk\i gcXp\ij è dp îflg f] ]i`\e[j jf X cfk f] g\fgc\ k_èb @Ëd k_\ Y\jk%É

STAR SCALE Glitches Galore r rSimulate itr

r‘Dece’r

rGamer’s Paradiser

page 20 a&e 11.02.09

A GOOD FLIGHT

Flight of the Conchords provide laughs once again, despite influx of lackluster electronic beats

>>catchseventy7.wordpress.com

>>JackHowland

With their first two albums, Flight of the Conchords established acoustic parodies, multiple musical genres and outlandish songs as their signature style. They belted out jams on everything from robots taking over the world to '80s rocker David Bowie trapped in outer space. And while they're still using these crazy antics to write songs on "I Told You I Was Freaky," the soft acoustics of previous CDs are noticeably absent. On their first EP album, "The Distant Future," an acoustic guitar and soft melodies were their go-to styles. Beautifully flowing chords graced most tracks (see "The Most Beautiful Girl In The Room"), with unexpected and uproarious lyrics following after. And while these types of songs are still present on their most recent album, the overall theme is digital, using their famed 1983 Casio DG-20 guitar and a recurring synthesizer. Throughout this techno-esque CD, resident comedians/ songwriters Jemaine Clement and Bret McKenzie maintain their keen sense of humor, making blunt and utterly hilarious observations. And while the genre of music they're playing differs, the self-proclaimed "fourth most popular folk-parody duo in New Zealand," keep their straight-faced comedy on hand in each song. This humor is evident from the beginning with the first track "Hurt Feelings." Reminiscent of the song, "Muthauckas" on their self-titled second album, this track is one of the catchiest and funniest on the CD. And it earns this because it equals out on a simple, yet effective equation that has consistently shown up throughout the Conchords’ song writing career -- Funny lyrics + unexpected instrumentals = hit song. Throughout the track, Jemaine and Bret rhyme about friends bailing on them, not complimenting their meals and not calling them on their birthday. While an artist like Jay-

Z rhymes about his "99 problems" and the ladies he picks up, Jemaine states with that soothing New Zealand infliction, "No one thinks about the way I feel, nobody compliments the meal," as he refers to his friends neglecting his cooking ability. In a time of rap songs reliant on cussing and boasting, it's comforting to hear this rap that teases and laughs in the face of hard-core songs. It's not only comforting, it's downright hilarious. The Conchords used the "let's rap about everyday things" strategy on their first albums with the songs "Hiphopapotamus vs. Rhymenocerus" and "Boom," but are lacking these types of tracks in their most recent. Instead, they are replaced by songs that sound like they belong on Lady Gaga CD, with plenty of heavy synthesizer hooks and whiny lyrics. These faux-Lady Gaga songs have gained popularity on iTunes, but may upset true Conchords supporters. But even if they lose a couple of dedicated followers, their modern and

‘Convenience’ at its finest

>>omniphonic.wordpress.com

STAR SCALE|

| Press ‘skip’|

|Borrow it |

youthful approach to comedy should bode well with fans. In the ninth track, "Too Many (expletive) (On the Dance Floor)," this new approach is instantly made noticeable with a deep synthesizer intro, setting a futuristic, dance club tone for the rest of the song. While the heavy beat echoes, Jemaine proceeds to rant about how there are too many men on the dance floor, and not enough women. With each contorted word that escapes from their mouths, the humor builds. Sounding like a New Zealand T-Pain, Jemaine proclaims, "the only boobs I'll see tonight will be made of origami." Each word he says oozes with the band's undeniable originality, as they make this comedy work in a seemingly electronic jam. The techno strategy is spot on in this track, but it is ineffective in others. In the song "Fashion is Danger," the humor is ultimately lost because the repetitive beat becomes tired and annoying as the song goes on. Consequently, it becomes a song you should skip. Throughout the album, there are many boring and comedy-impaired tracks that fit in this same category. The main reason they earn this title is because the comedy doesn't translate from their HBO series to the album. Some of the humor is lost when not seen in the context of an episode. But luckily, there is an abundance of songs that are relatable and universally funny, without the aid of live action. One notably solid track is "Carol Brown," which returns Bret and Jemaine back to their classic form, singing a soft yet humorous ode to Jemaine's failed relationships in the past. The cleverly written lyrics truly make the song, just as they do in the bonus track, "Pencils In the Wind." Like a classic Conchords love song, this track compares relationships to office supplies. These soft love songs, not to mention the upbeat rap songs, never fail in producing laughs, but the cutting edge material receives mixed results. But despite the few poor tracks, the dry and utterly hilarious sense of humor overpowers all. And although I enjoyed the first albums more than this one, the third installment of the Conchords music saga is still worth a buy. I mean, it's only a few bucks, doesn't the "fourth most popular" band deserve that much?

New Kings of Convenience album emphasizes simplicity

>>KennedyBurgess

The Kings of Convenience prove that you only need two guys and an old acoustic guitar to achieve perfection. The Norwegian duo is commonly known for their simplicity, something that is rare in music today. Their newest album “Declaration of Dependence” is a refreshing change from alternative music topping the charts these days and contains all the charming characteristics of 1960’s folk and you have Kings of Convenience's new album. “Declaration of Dependence” steers away from KOC’s past albums by completely eliminating any bass or drum licks, and replacing them with rich violin solos going all out folk. This is a risky jump considering KOC's previous albums - "Riot on an Empty Street," "Quiet is the New" and "Versus" - were more jazz influenced rather than folk. With "Declaration of Dependence," jazz isn't incorporated into the music. However, KOC doesn't lose anything from dipping into a different realm of music. The acoustic, folk side of KOC is just as respectable and charming. It almost fits their persona better and shows how folk can be badass. “Boat Behind” starts off with a catchy violin lick that gives a hint of western influence and quickly the soft lyrics of singer Eirik Glambek Bøe fill the listener's ears as he takes you for a walk through an old-fashioned love story. The

|Download it |

lyrics are really what carry the song, yet the soft strumming of the guitar is what makes it come to life. “24-25” is the first track of “Declaration of Dependence” and it proves to be my favorite song of the album. It starts off with enchanting lyrics as the guitar smoothly plays in the background. The lyrics and vocals keep building until finally the guitar solo takes control toward the last 50 seconds of the song. What’s so unique about this song is that the guitar isn’t amped to a sound system, and it’s not belting out fast transitions. It’s merely just a few simple yet beautiful notes flowing together. The style through this album is closely related to the famous folk sounds of Simon and Garfunkel. What I enjoy most about this album is that it’s not overproduced. Too many artists add in techno beats or worn out, cliché pop ballads. I would compare this to art. When I look at art, I want to see the artist’s stroke in their paint brush, their pencil line. “Declaration of Dependence” allows me to see KOC’s “brush stroke”. With every song there is a different strum to the guitar, a different story to be told. KOC doesn’t try to cover this up with added fluff in the production studio, they leave the music to speak for itself and in the end it payed off.

|Auditory Brilliance

page 21 a&e 11.02.09

t n e m n i a t r r e a h e & d t t n n e l e a arts& c NOV.4

at 6:30 p.m.

2012

This is one of those previews that has you literally frightened for life. The idea was based on the theory that the world will end in 2012 according to the Mayan calendar, the Tzolkin. Mayan scholars believe that on the Tzolkin 2012 marks the end of the “Great Cycle,” which supposedly results in a flip of the sun’s magnetic field, causing earthquakes and flooding on earth. Oh, so that explains why there is a giant erosion of tectonic plates causing large monuments to shoot into the air. For a second I thought the whole movie was just for visual effect.

New Moon

The much anticipated installment of the Twilight saga will arrive just 18 days from today. New Moon, the second of the series, is known as the most tedious of the four books, considering the whole time Bella is moping over Edward’s departure. Yet, she is spending time with Jacob Black (Taylor Lautner), who she discovers is a werewolf. So much drama. Director Chris Weitz said in article from the LA Times, “Certainly, there is the possibility that I can drop the ball. But at least people are going to go and see it.” Fortunately, there are bound to be intriguing special effects, such as Jacob’s werewolf transformation.

For all you piano players, this is a concert you Jim can’t miss. Jim Brickman’s dreamy piano sound Brickman has defined him as a contemporary artist and has brought him six Gold and Platinum selling albums. According to the Boston Herald, “Brickman is a crowd pleaser. His rhapsodic melodies coupled with considerable stage charm have made him a phenomenon.” Tickets- $30-$55 The Midland at 8 p.m.

SUNDAY

The show is still on! It was originally scheduled for Sept. 29, but was postponed due to the lead singer Hayley’s illness. According to MTV, Paramore announced that all dates through October 9th were postponed due to singer Hayley Williams’s a case of laryngitis. “Just know that we WILL be coming back for you guys,” Williams said in an MTV article. “The entire tour is going to happen ... and I’m psyched.”

1317 17

20 21 21 FRIDAY

NOV.

SAT. NOV.

27 FRIDAY

OCT.

Paramore

Tickets- $30 Uptown Theater at 7:30 p.m.

goes searching for a story The Men Who Aonreporter a military unit that trains psychic Stare at Goats soldiers, but ends up with an adventure of a lifetime with his psychic friend, Lyn Cassidy (George Clooney). The two journey to take down an enemy. The title comes from the scene where Cassidy is training his mind by staring goats in the eye causing them to fall over.

NOV.

Dashboard Confessional

NOV. 66 FRIDAY

TUESDAY

This alternative band’s style has gone from edgy punk to emo to slow rock over the course of their five albums since 2001. The instrumentals have progressed from album to album, but the whiny, yet charming vocals by lead singer Chris Carrabba haven’t changed a bit. The band will most likely by performing songs from their new album, “After the Tickets- $30 Beaumont Club Ending,” being released on Nov. 10.

WEDNESDAY

NOV.

a motion picture even more magical and adventurous than Polar Express. Dicken’s classic tale of Ebenezer Scrooge is rejuvenated by Disney Digital 3D motion pictures. Journey with Scrooge (Jim Carrey) through his past, present and future while he opens his heart in hopes to undo years of bitterness. Everyone could use a reminder that you only get one chance at life, so don’t make the same mistakes as Scrooge.

FRIDAY

A Christmas Carol Imagine

>>MaddyBailey

Take a look into November’s movies, concerts and more

One of pop music’s most beloved songwriter created his upcoming album, John Mayer: “Battle Studies,” with a new approach. Battle Studies According to iTunes, Mayer compressed his writing/demo/recording stages into one to create his most direct, instinctive musical expression. Anticipated tracks include “Half Of My Heart (with Taylor Swift)” and a cover of Bruce Springsteen’s “I’m On Fire.” Be prepared to laugh, cry and truly be inspired by this heartwarming story of the Baltimore Ravens’ newest offensive lineman, Michael Oher. Based off of Michael Lewis’ the non-fiction book, the story follows Oher’s growth into a passionate football player. Sandra Bullock and Tim McGraw, at first glance, are brilliant in their role as the conservative couple whom adopt Oher. Director John Lee Hancock promises “The Blind Side” will be a different kind of sports movie, according to the Balitmore Sun. It portrays the themes of family and strength on and off the football field.

The Blind Side

Airing weeknights at 11 p.m. on E!, Chelsea Handler uses her comical gift to comment on popculture and entertainment news while interacting with the public. Bringing refreshing new energy to a late night arena, Chelsea Lately is a one-of-a-kind, hilarious commentary on overbear- Tickets- $30-$50 The Midland at 8 p.m. ing celebrity culture.

Comedians of Chelsea Lately

>> allmoviephoto.com, idancerecords.com, fanpop.com

DEFENd

AGAINST CHOCONOGO P r e p a r e f o r b a t t l e . Te x t C H O C O t o 7 4 6 4 2 . S t a n d a r d t e x t a n d d a t a r a t e s a p p l y.

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issue 5 photoessay page 23

smoke

signals StuCo bonfire ushers in the playoffs for football and soccer

LEFT: Seniors Brooks Anthony, Ryan Olander and Will Penner roast marshmallows at the bonfire. “I don’t know much about roasting marshmallows,” Penner said. “But when it catches fire it’s probably done.” BELOW: STUCO held a bonfire Oct. 26 as a way to end the regular sports seasons and wish them well as they went on to regionals and substate.

ABOVE: Senior Joe Craig uses lighter fluid to make the fire big enough for everyone to gather around. LEFT: Varsity soccer players juniors CC Creidenberg, Zach Colby and Chris Melvin meet up at the bonfire. Creidenberg watches his burning marshmallow while Colby blocks his face from the heat and Melvin watches the flames. The boys went on to regionals last Tuesday playing Blue Valley West for the first time in school history. They lost 4-3.

ABOVE: Junior Robert Enders helps light the bonfire. “With a very generous donation of firewood from sophomore Megan Dexter we were able to make this year’s bonfire happen,” Enders said. “It took awhile to light the damp firewood, but we appreciate everyone for being cooperative.” >>Andrea Zecy

>>all photos by Katie East

page 24 sports 11.02.09

D-1

DUKE SOCCER

Duke freshman Libby Jandl had lived up to high expectations when it comes to school and soccer. Her brother, John, a soccer player at DePaul University, and both of her older sisters, Brooke and Katie, are Duke graduates. In high school, Libby helped the Lady Lancers to a 12-5-1 record in her senior season with 8 shutouts while playing the center back position. She was named to the first team All-State as well as the second team All-America. Jandl was also the female recipient of the Art Newcomer Scholarship Award, the highest honor given to a male and female East student-athlete. Now a student at Duke University and member of the Blue Devil soccer team, Jandl just hopes to see some time in games in her first season, something she didn’t have to worry about while playing at East. “As a freshman, I simply just wanted to see a little time on the field,” Jandl said. “I have started the past three games,

BRAD CRIST

CLASS OF 2009

and in those games, we have had three shutouts and I have scored once.” Jandl also has to devote time to her top priority: school. Academically, Duke is regarded as a top university in the country, and with that status comes rigorous and time-consuming school work. But Jandl feels that East was a good stepping stone to a school like Duke. “It is extremely tough [balancing school and soccer], but very manageable as long as you work hard,” Jandl said. “Literally, you cannot waste any time. I feel, however, East prepared me very well for Duke. I think the fact that I played two sports basically year round and was a part of IB has very much helped me be successful this year. It’s nothing I can’t handle.” Being a quality team player is also very important to Jandl. Right now, she just hopes to help her team out as much as she can so that the Blue Devils can have a success-

GEORGETOWN SWIMMING

Georgetown sophomore and East swimming record holder Brad Crist felt always sees room for improvement both academically and in the pool. Qualifying last year for the Big East Conference meet, he has set some higher goals for himself in his sophomore year. “The Hoya Swim and Dive team should move up several places in the Big East Conference meet,” Crist said. “I hope to contribute on relays and individual top 8 performances in the 100 breast and 50 free.” Just a few years ago, Crist was a part of the state winning East swim team, racing against rivals Olathe East and Blue Valley North. Now at Georgetown, he has some new rivals. “We’re looking forward to racing fast against rivals Seton

It wasn’t too long ago that East graduate Garrett Webb was sporting a blue- and white-checkered soccer jersey, walking to the midfield arm-in-arm with his teammates before and after each of his games. Now a senior playing soccer at Drake, Webb has progressively improved on his previous seasons. Before the season started, Webb was named a preseason third-team All-American by College Soccer News. But Webb’s highest accolade for the season is being named to the Missouri Athletic Club Hermann Trophy Watch List, which is considered the highest individual honor in intercollegiate soccer. Past winners include the likes of Kansas City Wizard star Claudio Reyna, former Wizard goalie Tony Meola and defender Alexi Lalas. Drake head coach Sean Holmes feels that having Webb

JUNIOR MollyRappold

I want to play in college because I like soccer so much and there is no way I could just stop in 2 years. I chose Nebraska because its very up-and-coming with its new recruits, and I love the coaching staff and the way they treat their athletes.

FORWARD

one of two Drake players named to the All-Missouri Valley Conference team. Webb’s junior year was also very successful, averaging 1.16 points per game, a statistic that was ranked sixty-ninth in the NCAA. “Garrett was a great teammate who put the us in front of ‘I,’ which is very rare with a kid with that talent,” former East soccer coach and current Athletic Director Jim Ricker said. “He was our goal scorer and one of our leaders on and off the field. He had the ability to raise everyone else’s level of play and expectations.”

East Athletes on Continuing their Sport in College SOPHOMORE MimiFotopolous

FREE & BREAST

town and the sense of pride to be a student-athlete and represent the blue and gray school colors, something he >>Drew Wiseman was familiar with while swimming for columbia blue, black and white. “I am close to my teammates as if they were brothers and sisters, and we motivate each other in and out of the pool,” Crist said. “The team spirit this year at Georgetown reminds me of swimming at SM East. It helped that we had an amazing coach in Wiley Wright to unify us.”

CLASS OF 2006

and fellow Drake teammate Kevin Shrout named to the Hermann Trophy Watch List shows the success and effort of the team as a whole. “We haven’t had anyone [on the list] in 24 years, and then we get two guys in one year, so its is exciting,” Holmes said. “Its a great honor for them but it also reflects the collective achievement of everyone, we become a better team and a better program and therefore our guys are getting notoriety. [Webb] brings physical presence, he is pretty big for a soccer player, and he’s very competitive. He’s a very unselfish player, so he does a lot of work for the other guys.” Webb has had a successful tenure at Drake. In his freshman year, Webb played in all 19 matches, starting in eight. As a sophomore, Webb led the Bulldogs in scoring and was

Signing the Line

ful run in the NCAA tournament. The ladies have proven so far this season that they have what it takes to play against the top teams in a tough ACC conference; they tied with fifth-ranked Wake Forest, and were barely edged out 2-1 against topranked North Carolina. This Wednesday, the Blue Devils will head into ACC Tournament play in Cary, North Carolina. Libby has high expectations for the Blue Devils in tournament play. They reached the Elite Eight in the past two seasons and finished their 2008 campaign ranked ninth in the country, so they hope to make it as far as the Final Four.

CLASS OF 2008

Hall, UConn and Villanova this season,” Crist said. Crist must also juggle the academic demands of a topnotch university like Georgetown, with division one swimming. Though still challenged this year with balancing his academics and swimming, along with social life and campus activities, Crist feels that being in the pool allows him the opportunity to get away from the strain of college. “I’ve learned to manage my time well, and I still make schoolwork my top priority,” Crist said. “Usually swimming is a stress release, so I try to sublimate any frustration in the classroom into practice.” Crist is very enthusiastic about the team spirit at George-

DRAKE SOCCER

GARRETT WEBB

DEFENDER

>>ConorTwibell

>>Max Turner

LIBBY JANDL

A look at the success of former East athletes in college

I've played tennis my whole life and I've always made it a goal of mine to play at a division one college level. I’m looking for a school with a good tennis program, great academics and a fun college atmosphere. Some schools I like are UCLA, Texas, North Carolina and Oklahoma.

A Breakdown of East Athletes in College Football: 7 Baseball: 8 Girls Soccer: 5 Boys Soccer: 3 Boys Basketball: 2 Girls Basketball: 1 Boys Swimming: 6 Girls Swimming: 2 Boys Cross Country: 1 Girls Cross Country: 1 Over All: 49

Chris Donohue

varsity weights Summer Workouts freshman jv starter

issue 5 sports page 25

After an error in last year’s state scoring, the boy’s golf team is trying to... >> photo illustration byLindseyHartnett

>>AndrewGoble

This has to be his third shot, Dr. Karl Krawitz thinks, watching then-senior Will Snyder walk up hole #9. It has to be, unless he drove it 350 yards. Krawitz knows no one drives it that far in high school. He, head coach Ermanno Ritschl and assistant coach Tim Burkindine stand near the Shawnee Country club clubhouse, where the state tournament is being played. They’ve all turned to watch Snyder. Snyder hits again, then lays up. That’s four, they count. The coaches and Dr. Krawitz are always trying to count in their heads — and for good reason. Sometimes parents argue. Sometimes the players don’t score their partners correctly. And sometimes, the official marker is just chatting away on his cell phone. It never hurts to keep track. Dr. Krawitz and Burkindine turn around to watch other holes. Snyder, according to Ritschl, three-puts; five, six, seven, Ritschl counts. Had they not been counting, no one would’ve ever known that East was scored incorrectly. “It’s was as benign as an error that could be made, “ Burkindine said, “but it had such a big impact.” Ritschl and Burkindine walk over to the van parked off to the side of the clubhouse. They hurry. They want to get to the team party back in Kansas City. East has just been awarded third place at the state tournament, narrowly beating out Blue Valley. It came down to the sixth player’s score. Their player had an 83; Snyder had an 82. East had won the tiebreaker. The awards have been handed out. The coaches glance at the hole-by-hole scoreboard on their way to the van. They hadn’t seen it all day. They stop. In a midst of red numbers, there’s one glaring black number. A different color means a score has changed. Scores rarely change after the official card has been signed. The “five” that the official marker gave Snyder on #9 has been changed to a “six.” But in the coaches’ minds, that wasn’t right either — they saw a seven. If no one catches the mistake by the time awards are handed out, then the Kansas State High School Activities Association, or KSHAA, considers it a done deal. The Later, they would learn, if Snyder’s “82” became an “83,” the team would still have won the next tiebreaker.

Set the score

RIGHT

But, as they knew, signing an incorrect card meant Snyder should have been disqualified. They both just felt East just didn’t deserve third place anymore.

“It elevates Shawnee Mission East to a level of integrity,” Ritschl said. “Nobody would’ve known anything different if we didn’t say anything, but I have to live with myself. We’re looking in the mirror saying “Is that right? Is that the right thing to do, to accept that under these conditions?’ My answer was no.” Months passed — June, July, early August. Ritschl, Snyder agrees. To him, the whole mix-up stemmed from Krawitz, and Burkindine met up shortly after the school him signing his card quickly after being upset with his score opened to look at the scores that they had kept in boxes at for the day. East during the summer. They all looked them over one last “I just signed what the marker had,” Snyder said. “I time and made a decision – even if there was nothing they thought I got a six, but other people said I didn’t and obvicould do, they had to at least try to find a solution. The score ously I didn’t. I guess it was just a mistake on either my part was wrong, and, according to Ritschl, they had to try their or the marker’s part. It’s not blamed on anyone, it’s just a best to “rectify the situmistake overall, and I guess ation.” [coach Ritschl] just decided “Everytime I to act on it.” looked at the plaque,” Ritschl and Krawitz both Ritschl said. “I thought called the KSHSAA and asked Explaining last year’s score card mistake that wasn’t the right if they could give the plaque The problem thing to do” to Blue Valley. A representaAll three empha- At last year’s state tournament, The East team attempted tive from KSHSAA said that sized that they sus- now college freshman Will Sny- to give the title to Blue they couldn’t, since the tourpected absolutely no der alledgedly signed a mis- Valley (who came in 4th) nament had been “closed” foul play. The coaches counted score card. Although but the KSHSAA would for almost three months. not allow the title to be and Snyder agreed the mistake would not have afAfter the awards ceremony, The solution that there probably fected the overall outcome, the moved because East Ritschl still called Blue Valley was an issue of mis- signing of a inaccurate score- never technically was to further explain that they communication with card, by the rules, should result disqualified. The title redid all they could to fix the mains at East. the official marker in disqualification. situation. >> photocourtesyofwww.swan.ac.uk when Snyder signed “We attempted to give the the card. When the player plaque to Blue Valley,” Ritschl comes off a round they aren’t happy with, Burkindine ex- said, “but [the Blue Valley coach] didn’t know anything plained, they usually just don’t think to check every single about it until I called them. The coach said ‘You know, I gotta hole. applaud you. Most coaches wouldn’t do anything.’” “We tell the kids on a regular basis ‘Don’t sign that card The plaque remains at East, and the coaches are proud until you know every number on that card is the right num- of the way their school is represented. According to Ritschl, ber,’ ” Burkindine said. “Well Will doesn’t look at the card, setting the manner straight will be important in defining the signs the card, and that’s it. Once you sign the card and walk way people will look at our golf team and school for a long out of the scoring area, it’s a done deal.” time. Ritschl explained that in-between the official marker, “Let’s not have Shawnee Mission East with a little asterwho is in charge for keeping the score of every player in the isk,” Ritschl said. “We don’t want people going behind our group, and the player, there can always be errors. However, back saying ‘East got third, but they really got fourth.’ We at since the coaches all were there to see and count the hole, least tried to do the best thing, the right thing to do.” they knew they had to do something.

TEE...OFF

page 26 sports 11.02.09

Tabletop Frenzy

>>photo illustration by Katie East

East’s table tennis club has grown rapidly since its creation in 2008 and is planning for even more activity this year >>SamLogan

>>SamLogan

For a kid whose resume contains titles like, “varsity soccer three-year starter,” “National Merit Semifinalist,” and “Student Body President,” there’s a lot to be brought to the table when it comes to college applications. In senior Joe Craig’s case, all of those plus one other are in play— he’s the president and founder of the Shawnee Mission East Table Tennis Coalition of Champions (SMETTCOC). In his mind, that leadership role was more than worthy to be the focus of the admissions essay he would send off to universities around the country. Yes, this is just table tennis, but for Craig it’s more. After creating the club last year with junior Jeff Lefko, SMETTCOC grew to a size neither expected, with the picture in the 200809 yearbook being a testament to that statement. This year, though, the club has obtained three tables for on-campus use and has plans to grow in size and popularity even more. All of this is at the hands of Craig and Lefko. “Obviously the new tables have gotten kids really excited for how much more we can do this year,” Craig said. “We didn’t lose more than about five seniors from last year and we have a lot of new freshmen this year so it’s definitely growing in every aspect.” One such way is through the introduction of tournaments at either East on the new tables Lefko acquired with funding from club t-shirt sales or at the Overland Park Racquet Club depending on the number of players signed up. According to Lefko, the club’s “ladder”— a list of rankings for every player— was up to 80 last year and is expected to be at 100 within the next month. On that ladder the higher ranked players could have more opportunities for competition. “Last year some other schools toyed with starting table tennis clubs, but we know for a fact this year there will be a few, so that can provide some outside competition,” Craig explained of the tournaments him and Lefko hope to organize. “Different things could happen with that; we could put our top five against their top five and have a team match

or we could just meet and have open table competition. tournament to kick off the year that Jeff and Joe hope to host Anything to get people more involved.” at the Overland Park Racquet Club. That, Craig feels, is what SMETTCOC is all about. If kids “It will be an all weekend kind of thing, kind of like the just want the t-shirt, he’s cool with it. If kids just want to NCAA tournament,” Lefko said. “This is one of the biggest come to the meetings and hang out with a bunch of people things we’re planning so 64 people in the club will get invited hitting a lightweight ball over a net, he’s cool with it. If to compete.” they’ve only played the sport once or twice in their life but With an amount of players as high as that, it’s hard not think it sounds like something they want to be a part of, he’s to consider it a team. But according to Craig, he’s happy cool with it. In his mind there’s no way you could say no to with just the “club” status rather than “club sport” title. Plus anyone wanting to participate. a team has to make cuts, and SMETTCOC prides itself on The top of the ladder sees competition from welcoming involvement from anyone in the the likes of seniors Jason Bates, Peter Chow school. and Jack Walker but the lower half consists of Current SMETTCOC Being STUCO executive president, Craig some of those players who simply enjoy the has a vision to possibly have a fundraiser Ladder: environment. where anyone in the school could come and “I think I take a more social role in the play a match in the hall during seminar. Joe Craig group. I’m not as good as these guys but I still Donations could be accepted and contributed like to play,” senior Brooks Anthony said of his towards a good cause that only furthers the involvement. “It’s just the attraction of playing club’s hope to welcome more members. After Peter Chow table tennis with some of my good friends all those new members will one year be the regardless of whether I lose or not that keeps Lefko or Craig of the club. Jason Bates me coming back.” “I make sure that there are a lot of people Anthony, who currently plays football, is in in it in every grade, Lefko said of his hope for the same boat as Craig in that a fall sport has its continuation after he’s graduated in 2011. Jeff Lefko gotten in the way of how much they would “I just want it to be that there are people that have liked to contribute so far. Starting this really love ping pong and want to be in the month SMETTCOC will be having meetings program.” Ben Carlson every Thursday to keep players moving up After all, when the junior-senior tandem and down the ladder based off their wins and started the group with Mr. Ogdon last school losses and to promote awareness of the club’s year, they were new to it, too. They’re activities. experienced now, though, and sit near the top of the ladder “For at least an hour after school, the tables will be out, so far. Despite that, they’re just two more students in the it’s open play,” Lefko said. “You just write your name down mass of many who have found SMETTCOC as a growing and you can start playing.” club they can connect with. The next two weeks will be “ladder play” in which Whether or not they connect with it so much they decide anybody can go to play to receive their rank on the ladder. to write their college application essays on it, though, that’s Based off their positioning, they may be invited to a a different story.

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fivemoments mattered

issue 5 sports page 27

>>all photos by Mackenzie Wylie

the Harbie gives you a recap of fall sports’ most memorable highlights

EXTENDED SEASON

After starting the season slower than hoped, coach Sherman and his boys turned the ship around and posted a 4-1 record for the five games leading up to, and including, Shawnee Mission Northwest. In that game, the Lancers won a close match, 13-12, anchored by two touchdowns by wide receiver Kevin Hertel in what was the deciding factor on opening the door for the team’s state playoff qualification. The team hasn’t made a postseason appearance in three years, so the game this Friday should be a shining light on the progress that Sherman has made in just one year.

HOMECOURT MAYHEM In opening up the brand new auxiliary gymnasium, the girls’ volleyball team hosted a Tri-Meet against Archbishop O’Hara and St. James Academy, two of the top teams in the Kansas City Area. The girls had just come off a Sunflower League championship and were preparing themselves for a postseason that had potential to bring great results, so the home crowd brought an energy rarely seen at a volleyball match. The rowdy atmosphere proved the dedication Lancers have to our teams, despite the girls losing both matches.

...Sidenotes

3 TEN MAN SALUTE

The boys’ soccer team celebrated its Senior Night against Lawrence on Oct. 21 by honoring former teammate Bryan Barrow. The Lancers dedicated the game to the midfielder who passed away last March in a car accident. In remembrance of him, coach Jaimie Kelly fielded only 10 players at the start of the game - one short of what’s required. Before the kickoff, Bryan’s parents were invited onto the field with the other senior families and were greeted by coach Kelly and the varsity squad. A touching moment and classy acknowledgement to a lost teammate, it had the power to overshadow the final score of the game.

If you could have played in any one game this fall, which would it be?

sam logan Volleyball @ Home vs. O’Hara & SJA. The girls in spandex know how to draw in a home crowd, and for the opening of the new auxiliary gym I wanted to be a part of it. On the court. Although dressing out in a matching uniform would’ve been an issue, appearance doesn’t mean everything in sports. For this match the student section was behind the girls 100 percent, and I’m confident my six foot frame could bring a presence to the court comparable to Andre the Giant picking on eighth graders. Even though I admittedly would be afraid to be on the receiving end of some girls’ spikes, I know I would be an asset to coach Dowis’ offense that not even the NBA roster-like defense of O’Hara could handle.

corbin barnds Football vs. SMNW: Playoff Maker Watching in the stands the Friday night our Lancers drove down the field against the 21-point favorite Cougars, I imagined what it would have been like to be involved in that game. Continuing to defy the odds and hacking off time with each QB sneak until the board read zero, the win had to be destined. That drive will symbolize the moment that East football finally crossed over the tip of the mountain, a mountain that our Lancers haven’t conquered since the glory days of Stew Stramm. Not only did the game solidify a spot in the playoffs, but it showed the rest of the Sunflower League the Shermanator has arrived and the Lancers’ glory days are upon us.

TANDEM TOPS ALL

For the second year in a row, senior Nikki Reber has found herself on the victorious side of the Kansas girls’ tennis doubles championship. This year she was paired with new partner sophomore Mollie Cooper after her former co-champion graduated. Reber and Cooper overcame a strong Blue Valley North pairing in three sets despite the Mustangs having the state singles champion in their duo. Though Reber and Cooper finished high, the team as a whole ended the weekend as runnersup to BV North. Sophomore Mimi Fotopoulos suffered her only loss of the season in the singles championship at Maize South High School.

A FROSH START

To cap off a season that was her first against high school competition, freshman Anne Willman set the stage for a career with great potential. Arguably the toughest conference in the state for girls’ golf, Willman took the Sunflower League title in early October. She edged out fellow freshman Jordan Chael from Olathe East. Willman also managed to hold off two-time defending Sunflower League champ, Olathe East senior Allison Forristal. The freshman didn’t place as high at the state meet but her team as a whole finished, tied for fourth: a worthy start to a long career of even more success.

the week ahead

conor twibell Football vs. SMN: Nut Cup Could it have been any sweeter? The Lancers defeated Shawnee Mission North on Oct. 16 in a last-minute thriller. Best of all, coach Chip Sherman and his Lancers brought the coveted Nut Cup back to the place it belongs: Shawnee Mission East. If I could be a part of any team this fall, playing in the Nut Cup game against North would be the best opportunity possible. Not only did we win, but it was in exciting fashion. With 10 seconds left on the clock in the fourth quarter, junior quarterback John Schrock went deep to senior Kevin Hertel in the end zone to win the game. This is the kind of game that 10-year-old flag football players dream of.

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Inactive Sports: Dead Week- As a majority of the fall sports seasons conclude, athletes participating in winter activities will get the chance to let their bodies recover in the days leading up to the new season. Whether they’re giving up the cleats for goggles or spikes for singlets, this is their chance to put the past behind them and get ready for what’s ahead.

Varsity Football @ Regionals-At the time of print deadline, an opponent hadn’t yet been determined, the football team will be heading to postseason play for the first time since 2006 on Friday night. Coach Sherman has re-energized a team that started with some tough losses, but he has the power to end the season with some big wins.

Sat

Gymnastics @ State Meet- After placing well in the regional competition last Wednesday, the girls will head to Newton this weekend for the final meet of the year. If they’re able to perform like they have all season long, they could finish higher than expected. Kansas only has 14 schools with gymnastics programs, so the smaller amount of competition will work in the Lancers’ favor as they hope to capitalize on their opponents’ mistakes by sticking their landings in all events.

page 28 photo essay 11.02.09

first inthree

TOP: A year-long tradition, varsity gathers around senior Stewart Jensen who yells “What time is it?” The team’s raucous response: “GAME TIME!” ABOVE: Coach Sherman and Coach Filbeck cheer on the offensive line as the Lancers move towards the end-zone. “It was a feeling of ease - we were cheering them on, encouraging them to get the couple yards they needed, and they did. “ Sherman said. >>all photos by Mackenzie Wylie

football team makes it to the district playoffs for the first time since 2006

ABOVE: Members of the team run to the crowd after the game to celebrate and sing the school song.

FAR ABOVE: Senior Jake Fleming gets on the bus after winning the game against Shawnee Mission Northwest. The game decided the varsity’s playoff entry. “When we lose it’s pretty quiet, but when we win everyone is so upbeat and excited,” Fleming said. ABOVE: “Playoffs” glares into the onto the bus window fog during the return trip to East.