Issue 5

the

Issue 5 11.1.04

harbinger

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

Cellular Static

Cell phone rules at school are fuzzy to both students and teachers

Story on page 14

news

M

Bryan Dykman

rp

No date, no problem. Grab the craziest, most ridiculous out of fashion clothing you can and make a date with East’s allschool dance, MORP, Friday, Nov. 12.

“Last year I got ready about two hours before the dance,” junior Megan Sayler said. “I didn’t have to worry about doing my hair or makeup, my friends and I dressed up in suspenders, tutus, leggings, glitter and snow boots. It was a great time.”

The atmosphere is relaxed and meant to create a good time where students can dance and hangout with friends without having to experience the pressures of having to find a date and a way to pay for dinner.

“It is similar to Homecoming as far as the dance goes, however, the atmosphere is completely different. You get to dance without worrying who to dance with. You can be as uncoordinated or dysfunctional as you want because MORP is about you having a good time,” junior Peter Fields said.

The only expense for the night will be a $5 charge at the door. The school will donate all money raised at MORP to the

news BRIEFS

Presidential posers In the spirit of tomorrow’s election, juniors Brian Rubaie and Sean Stenger staged a mock presidential debate. They held an hour and a half debate on Monday, Oct. 25, at the 91st and Metcalf Epoch Assisted Living facility.

Rubaie works at Epoch Assisted Living and was asked to stage a debate when the residents found out he was in debate and was interested in politics.

Rubaie and Stenger argued four topics: Medicare, perscription drugs from Canada, the war in Iraq and Social Security. Stenger represented President George W. Bush and Rubaie represented presidential candidate John Kerry.

The residents then held a mock presidential election the next day on the basis of their views prior to the debate and also on the information that they gained from the debate. Kerry won, with 18 votes to 13.

Wear school spirit As a DECA project through Marketing 2, seniors Tom Darnall, Maggie Masterson and Bridget Howland have designed Lancer apparel that is now available for purchase in room 505 or the student store.

Apparel includes three different styles of t-shirts that each feature a different slogan. Sweatshirts and sweatpants are also available.

the harbinger

Where stripes and polka dots meet and pink boas are more common than Ralph Lauren polos

he handled his business, but he also would allow students to request songs, a much-needed change from last year,” StuCo president Brady Myers said.

The DJ from Homecoming, hired from Events Company Incorporated, will be in attendance keeping the music flowing, the lights pulsing and the party going the entire night.

Another change to MORP this year is that students will not be able to invite anyone from any outside schools. Two years ago at ROMP (a similar dance in the springtime) a girl from the Blue Valley School district was drinking and had to go to the hospital to get her stomach pumped.

“Students were showing up intoxicated. Students that didn’t even attend East were showing up without any accompaniment from other East students. Overall the attitude of the students was simply unruly, especially toward the chaperones,” said StuCo sponsor Brenda Fishman said.

For this reason, the administration and StuCo have canceled ROMP and closed the door on all students from outside schools for MORP. If all behavior goes well at MORP, StuCo says it is possible for a second casual dance to be scheduled.

Bring some cash, help feed the homeless, get your groove on and no matter who you bring or don’t bring, MORP will still go on supplying a crazy, casual, fun-filled evening. photo illustration by Kevin Grunwald

2

all-school can drive.

“It’s going to be great night,” junior Alex Kane said. “Not only will I be able to have a great time dancing, but I also will know that I am helping some homeless guy get a free meal.”

Some changes have occurred from last year’s venue.

Last year many students complained that the DJ was bad, so Student Council hired a new one.

“This new DJ was not only more professional in the way

StuCo works for electronic marquee Sylvia Shank The East marquee stands overlooking the intersection of 75th and Mission Road, a symbol of the school’s pride and spirit. From a passing car, this sign appears dirty. An even closer look reveals a filthy, fogged-up glass plate covering the text on the sign. Under the glass plate are lines of text proclaiming upcoming sports games and school events.

The third line down reads: WED VOLLEYBAL, with the last ‘L’ drooping sideways and falling partially into the fourth line. “This sign is falling apart,” Brady Myers, student council president said.

For three months, Student Council members have been trying to get approval on a proposition to replace the current sign with a new electronic sign. This sign would be built in the same spot as the current sign and could be digitally programmed to display electronic messages.

“Electronic signs are prohibited by the Prairie Village sign ordinance,” Ruth Hopkins, a Prairie Village City Council member said. “This is why a new sign would have to receive approval.”

East is hoping for approval.

“We want a new sign for a couple of reasons,” Myers said, “First of all, changing the sign’s text is difficult because we have to put up letters by hand, plus the sign is basically falling apart.” A new sign may be necessary, but approval on the issue would be hard to come by.

“I do favor the new sign for East, but the decision is not as simple as it seems on the surface,” Hopkins said. “We cannot allow just East to have a sign. Once the sign ordinance is changed, other retail and commercial businesses, churches, and schools will have the right to request an electronic sign.

The planning commission and the council must look at the city as a whole and be concerned about how we want the city to look in the future. The citizens want to maintain the hometown feeling of Prairie Village and we consider it our job to honor that request.”

Nov. 1, 2004

The cost of a new sign would be between $7,000 and $10,000 according to StuCo sponsor Brenda Fishman.

“Our funding would come from the Athletic Booster Board, the Student Council, the Pep Club, and possibly family donations,” Fishman said. Funding will only be an issue if StuCo receives approval from the Planning Commission, and then the city council.

“Right now, we’ve appealed to the Prairie Village City Planning Commission, but they still haven’t decided,” Betsy Morris, sophomore StuCo class president said. “They would have to change part of their laws which could take a while. Also, the Planning Commission meets infrequently, so we may have to wait two or three months to find out if the sign is a go.”

If it is approved by the planning commission, StuCo will still have to take its case to the Prairie Village City Hall to figure out how to change the law without allowing other organizations to use electronic signs. This could potentially take another three month waiting period because of the infrequency of meetings and the magnitude of changing an ordinance.

“We, the City Council, need to make sure that the wording in the ordinance gives us enough control to keep the city mostly electronic ‘sign-free’ in the future.” Hopkins said. “We do not want to hurry into passing an ordinance that we may regret later. We need to consider all of the ramifications of the change.”

The electronic sign proposition could be denied because of these complications.

“Things are definitely not looking hopeful,” said Myers, “It is hard to change a long-standing ordinance, but we are still working on it and we won’t give up until our appeal is rejected.”

StuCo is hoping for, but does not count on, the approval of their sign.

“It just shows that we care about our school and want to keep it updated and in good condition,” Myers said.

news

issue 5

Film Club is back again

Students pick and watch obscure movies every Thursday Lauren Kelly

Last year, Film Club made its debut in the library where they found out how to get a copyright with the help of senior Simon Kass. Unfortunately, a few license.

“We found out that due to the fact that we have meetings later, it was put on hold due to the copyright laws brought to the schools attention by the districts such a large population at East, $450 is what it instructional television coordinator Karen Romang. During would cost to get a license,” said Kass. a conversation between Romang and Kass knew he could not pay or raise the money on his librarian Kathi Knop, Film Club was “I think it’s important for brought up. Romang said that she own, so he decided to appeal to the PTA. He wrote a formal told Knops that she’d dealt with the the kids to be involved in application for a grant and they issue of a film club at other schools decided that Film Club was a and said it was fine to have one as after school activities like good idea, and gave him half of what long as the schools has some sort of Film Club.” copyright license.

- principal Angelo Cocolis he needed: $250.

With half the money already “It was an issue of fairness,” said collected, Kass decided to plea his Romang. case to East principal Dr. Cocolis. Dr. In the federal copyright act it states that copyrighted materials (such as movies) whether they Cocolis agreed and took $200 from the school’s fund and are rented or owned, may not be shown legally outside gave it to Kass to put towards getting a copyright license.

“I think it’s important for the kids to be involved in after the persons home. In order for Film Club to continue, they would need to obtain a Public Performance copyright school activities like Film Club,” said Dr. Cocolis.

Once the $450 was raised, Kass filled out the license which allows movies to be shown after school, during a holiday program, etc. This would insure that Film applications and sent in the $450 with it. Soon after, he received the license, which granted him permission Club would be okay to show videos after school.

Kass took the initiative and retrieved the information on to show videos from Blockbuster or his own personal how to get a license. Kass and sophomore English teacher collection. Movies produced by major studios like Walt Kelly Fast went to a website they found, www.movlic.com, Disney, Paramount, DreamWorks, etc. are now perfectly

Nov. 1, 2004

3

Eternal Sunshine...

Ringu

A couple undergo a procedure to erase each other from their memories when their relationship turns sour, but then they discover what they had to begin with.

This Japanese horror is full of urban savvy and chilling hooks. It’s a sort of sinister intelligence that slowly creeps up and permeates the shield of your nervous system.

Members of Film Club meet every Thursday and watch a film chosen the previous Friday by a group vote.

The reason Film Club was originally canceled was that the group didn’t have the copyright permit to show movies. legal to show here at East outside school hours.

Kass had overcome the feat of having to raise $450 and getting the copyright license. But there was still one other problem: film club needed a teacher sponsor in order to be official club. Kass asked Mr. Fast to fill the role.

“I had Mr. Fast for sophomore English and knew he was a big movie fan because we would talk about films after class. So I asked him to sponsor Film club and he agreed,” Kass said.

Mr. Fast said that he thinks Simon is a great student and that he happily agreed.

Film club is back in business, for this year at least. The Public Performance license will expire in one year. But for now Film Club meets every Thursday at 3:15 p. m. in room 301. So far this year, they’ve shown Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and Cool Hand Luke.

4

news

the harbinger

Fasting for World Hunger

BANNED

DeBarthe’s World History students find different ways to raise money for starving children in Haiti

Ally Heisdorffer

Haiti Fundraiser

photo by Kevin Grunwald

World History teacher Paul DeBarthe teaches his students each year about the poorest country in the western hemisphere, Haiti. Each year Haiti loses 12 million children to starvation, and about 35,000 people die every day from hunger. Every citizen is expected to survive with a dollar a day or less. DeBarthe’s lecture resulted in a student’s idea to fast to relate with world hunger. Eventually that idea evolved into the “fast-a-thon”, which many of DeBarthe’s students participated in for the past three years, until this year.

This year the “fast-a-thon” was banned by the administration because it has been proclaimed “unhealthy and unnecessary.” During previous years, students could find a sponsor who would donate a dollar for each hour they fasted. The fasting process was voluntary, but if student wished to participate, they could receive a project grade for DeBarthe’s class. All of the money raised by the students would be sent to Haiti to help finance a school, a teacher, and school lunches for a year.

“For me, it was quite a shock to discover that this was not an appropriate activity,” DeBarthe said.

The obstacle was created when parents called principal Angelo Cocolis about their children fasting for a grade. One family was particularly upset because one member had died from anorexia.

“I personally feel that fasting is unnecessary, unhealthy, and dangerous,” Cocolis said. “There are other means to support the children in Haiti.”

The administration had never heard of the “fast-athon” fundraiser that DeBarthe had been doing for the past three years until this year. Cocolis stopped the fundraiser because it could result in several lawsuits.

“There are so many things that could happen,” Cocolis said. “What if there was a kid that was anemic, or a kid was involved with athletics and fasted for a day or two, then couldn’t perform? My job is to keep students safe and I just think there are other options we could choose.”

Instead of giving up on helping the starving people

in Haiti, a group of seven U.S. History students came together to think of new ideas to raise money. The group came up with the idea of getting the administration to volunteer to either be pied, get a water balloon thrown at them or even have hair cut off.

“I know it’s going to boost my school spirit to see Dr. Cocolis get pied in the face,” sophomore Nathan Yaffe, DeBarthe’s student, said.

A member of the seven that are organizing these events will come around at lunchtime to collect money for whichever teacher that has volunteered to get pied or have hair removed.

DeBarthe has made a promise to shave his mustache if the school raises $1,000, to shave his head, the school must raise $5,000, and he will shave his eyebrows if $10,000 is raised in his name.

“I think that we should help the people in Haiti and I feel very good about the process going on now,” Cocolis said.

With all of the excitement, the group that organized these events plans on getting a minimum of $3,000 donated to help Haiti. For the people in Haiti that are accustomed to making it on a meal or two a day, having $3,000 donated to help fund education and school lunches for a year would be a big help, according to DeBarthe, but not enough. It takes $10,000 to build a school, pay for a teacher, and give students free lunches for just one year.

It’s important to help raise the money each year just so the kids in Haiti can have the benefit of at least one solid meal.

“If you give [the school] a reason to care for a cause, they will rise to the occasion,” DeBarthe said.

Even though the “fasta-thon” was banned as a school project, students can still voluntarily fast on their own time. DeBarthe is not allowed to promote or encourage fasting in any way.

“I still think it’s a value for people to fast in identification to kids in Haiti, but they can do that if it’s appropriate to their health,” DeBarthe said.

Sophomore Alex Hodges decided to find a sponsor and continue with the idea of fasting by himself.

“I wanted to experience SOPHOMORE Abigail Harlam, sophomore Garret Degregory, and Mr Debarthe talk what the kids in Haiti were

• Mr. Royer: buzz cut for $500 • Ms.Mountjoy: hot pink hair for $400 • Mr. Chaffee: shaved moustache for $150 and shaved beard for $250 • Ms. McKinney: pied for $200 • Ms. Stucky: pied for $300 • Ms. Manville: pied for $300 • Mr. Pulsinelli: water ballooned for $200 • Dr. Cocolis: pied for $400 • Mr. Nickels: pied for $300 • Mr. DeBarthe: shaved moustache for $1,000, shaved head for $5,000, and shaved eyebrows for $10,000

about new ideas to get the school involved to raise money for Haiti.

Nov. 1, 2004

going through,” Hodges said. “I wanted to do something else to help them, something that not everyone else was doing.”

DeBarthe’s interest with Haiti began when he was teaching International Relations and Haiti’s starvation problem was always a topic of concern.

His wife and him then joined a support team for Haitian immigration. Under these circumstances, DeBarthe became more educated of Haiti’s problems.

DeBarthe is also interested with the political corruption of Haiti. During his term, President Bush recalled the $15 million grant promised to the Haitian people by Mr.. Clinton in 2001. According to attorney general John Ashcroft, Haiti was expected to produce terrorism, so Bush sent in troops to carry away the Haitian leader and keep him in custody, further increasing Haiti’s governmental problems. “[Disrupting their government] is a very dangerous thing for our government to be doing,” DeBarthe said.

Right now in America, Haitians can be detained without recourse. Many American citizens have created a bias against Haitians out of fear of a non-existent terrorist society Ashcroft has claimed they have.

“To hear [Haitians] cry when U.N. trucks pull away without getting any food, or to see parents feeding their children clay cakes is awful,” DeBarthe said.

“Let’s do something about it; something profound.”

issue 5

social hosting

news

5

FINES

MINOR parties in

An res ew la Ho pons w ho w m ible ld uc for s pa ho un rent Ste f a d dera s m ph hen PTA en iffe ge ore Vice President Mc K ren dri im Debbie Kornhaus first heard about ce nkin Senate Bill 197, she was confused. And wil talking with other parents about the new law l it g. didn’t help either. In her mind, the new law, ma which criminally charges adults for providing do not ke? alcohol to minors, left more questions than it own the property that the

W

did answers.

“I felt that it was very unclear what the law was saying, “ Kornhaus said. “In talking with a lot of parents, we discovered that none of us understood what the law was.”

Kornhaus’s confusion, along with other parents’, prompted the East PTA to hold a meeting to discuss what the law will mean for parents and students, as well as helping parents become aware of what the new law says.

“The PTA executive board felt like this was an issue that needed to be addressed,” Kornhaus said. “As a parent, I want to understand what these laws mean.”

Before the law was passed, officers who arrived at a party due to complaints would hand out MIP, provision to minors, and minor in consumption charges to minors. In addition, officers would take down names of parents and minors who hosted the party.

But since July 1, when the bill was enacted into law, the Kansas State Legislature passed what has now become known as the Social Hosting statute. Instead of simply taking down names of parents and minors who host the party, police can charge those persons for knowingly providing alcohol to minors.

One of the key concerns that parents had regarding the law, was whether or not they would be held responsible if a party was hosted at their house and they were not aware of the presence of alcohol. According to Assistant District Attorney John Fritz, who helped to draft the law, the law takes into account what he calls the “knowingly requirement”.

“We put in the law that there is a knowingly requirement. You have to knowingly let [the party] happen,” Fritz said. “The police will ask questions to see if an adult knew that the party would be going on. When somebody knows about the party, they have a duty to try and break it up.”

Parents and minors, however, who do knowingly allow the consumption of alcohol at a party, are liable under the Social Hosting statute.

The new statute states that minors−those under age 21 and older than 18−and those hosting minors who are consuming any alcohol beverages can be fined up to $200.

Both parents and minors can face criminal charges in addition to the $200 fine.

Those who attend the party and drink, but

POSSESSION

party is hosted on, are not liable under the Social Hosting statute, but still can be charged with a MIP or for consuming alcohol.

Minors can also have their driving privileges suspended for up to a year, be required to perform 40 hours of community service, and take classes describing the effects of alcohol consumption “[We] wanted parents to understand that there are serious consequences for violating drinking laws,” said PTA President Cynthia Jarrold. “If parents understand the ramifications of [their] actions, that would work to decrease underage drinking in Johnson County and East.”

Since the Statute passed in July, three cases have been filed in Johnson County, all of which are still pending results. In each case, police officers treated the situation and filed charges just like in any other circumstance.

“The main purpose is to disperse the party, but [that] won’t be much different,” Detective Steve Taylor said. “With the Senate Bill, we can add additional charges.”

Upon responding to complaints about a party from neighbors, officers arrive at the party and investigate if alcohol is present. If it is, minors can now face up to four different charges: a MIP, minor in consumption, provision of alcohol and social hosting.

Parents can also be charged with social hosting, in addition to provision of alcohol.

Contrary to the belief that the Social Hosting statute was put in place as a form of punishment, the law’s ultimate goal, said Jarrold, is to limit underage alcohol consumption.

“There has been a culture so long in Johnson County, an unspoken culture that says that kids will be kids and drink and try these things,” Jarrold said. “But some of that can be stopped by parents taking responsibility.”

Statistically, Johnson County has had lower percentages of students who have drunk an alcoholic beverage compared to the state as a whole. According to the Regional Prevention Center of Johnson, Leavenworth and Miami counties, a survey conducted in 2004 reported that 48.6% of students say that they have used alcohol at least once in their lifetime. In the state of Kansas as a whole, 53.2% of students said they had used alcohol at least once.

parents JAIL

However, the percentages are just a ballpark estimate, said prevention specialist Karen Leisner.

“Not every school participates in the survey,” Leisner said. “We might be missing an entire school district in the county.”

One of the surveys that students in Johnson, Leavenworth the Prevention Center uses, and Miami counties who have tried The Kansas Communities alcohol at least once That Care Survey, reported that in the 2003 school year, 32% of students said they had drank alcohol in the past 30 days. In 2004, that percentage dropped to 31.1%.

Despite the decrease in students in the same counties who numbers, Johnson County have drunk alcohol in the past 30 days police officers still reported 499 alcohol-related accidents in 2002, and issued 393 MIP charges in 2003.

According to Fritz, the Social Hosting statute will provide police officers one more tool to keep alcohol away from minors.

MIP charges filed in 2003 “When they find evidence at parties, they will go beyond simply documenting who is drinking,” Fritz said. “They will look into what adults were around, what they knew about it, and what extent they went to stop what was Alcohol-related accidents going on.” reported in 2002 Ultimately, the Statute still aims at raising the awareness among parents about the activities of their teens, as well as raising the level of awareness of teens’ activities in the neighborhood.

“For me, it means that I will clarify once again with my kids that there will Fine for drinking minors and not be alcohol served to minors in my hosts under new statute home,” Jarrold said. “It won’t happen when I’m gone and the people in my community know I don’t allow that.”

Nov. 1, 2004

48.6%

31.1%

393 499 $200

6

opinion

Cross-

the harbinger their teammates. Whether it’s for pacing in a race, encouragement on the sidelines or pushing the speed on that last hill during practice, we need each other to improve and run our best.

We start the race as a team, score points as a team and officially win or lose meets as a team. When the Varsity boys didn’t qualify for State two weekends ago, it wasn’t just those seven runners who were upset; it was everyone.

Myth 2: Cross-Country runners aren’t true athletes: Regardless of a sport’s nature, an athlete is an athlete; the only differences come in what the athlete’s training for. Unlike other sports, cross-country isn’t all about strength.

Endurance and mental preparation are more important; you can’t give up or run slow in a race. Ever. And how many of these “true” athletes like football and basketball players actually continue the sports they play in after high school? The vast majority will probably grow up to be overweight businessmen whose only exercise consists of walking to the kitchen during halftime to replenish their source of carbs. At the same time, their high school cross-country counterparts will be out on the streets burning those carbs. Runners aren’t just athletes for high school, they’re athletes for life.

Myth 3: Cross-Country races are boring and no one attends.

Every year we have a new guy that quits soccer or football for whatever reason and joins the team. And every year it’s always “I never knew” to describe the craziness of running against hundreds of others. Just like any other kind of race, when the stakes are high it can be just as nerve wracking and exciting for the spectators as a basketball game with a one-point difference and two

Country: aneed for

Respect Ross Boomer in my own words

As I squeezed in between the other runners at the awards ceremony, I saw the truth right in front of me, soaked on the back of a sweaty shirt: “BALLS: We got ‘em. Other athletes just play with them”. After having to put up with t-shirts like “No Cheerleaders. No Water-boys. No Whining” that made cross-country look weak, I finally saw one that gave the sport the glory it deserved. Unfortunately, I was the only one to see the message.

Due to a number of myths, a general opinion exists among students that cross-country is only a second-rate activity, that in the pecking order of athletics it’s one step above cheerleading. After running four years, clocking in more than 2,500 miles and wearing out 10 pairs of running shoes, I would like to make something clear: You are wrong.

Myth 1: Cross-country isn’t a (team) sport.

Cross-country is a sport, it’s just not a game.

If the definition of “sport” is limited only to two teams playing against each other, then a world of individual sports –swimming, diving, gymnastics, etc. –becomes obsolete. Cross-country is a team sport. Although running is individual in nature, cross-country runners are always depending on

seconds on the clock. As for attendance, consider this: the average meet contains 15 teams with about 50 runners on each team. Each runner then has at least two friends or family members watching them. You do the math.

Myth 4: Cross-Country doesn’t require talent.

Cross-country is the only fall sport that doesn’t cut. At the same time, though, not everyone becomes varsity. S o m e runners are natural born athletes. They are the kids who were three minutes ahead of you when you ran the mile in grade school. Others come on the team

with little or no experience and have to sacrifice a lot of time and sanity to succeed.

Take me for

instance: before cross-country I was the chubby kid on the soccer field

only there for the coke at the end. At my freshman time trial I was close to the last out of 60 other guys. But I stuck with it.

I had the determination to continue the sport and run non-stop for the next three years, putting up with the all the painful and exhausting workouts; this year I finished third on Varsity. Running crosscountry well requires strong willpower to finish a race, to finish a season. It’s easy to drop, but the real talent is deciding to stay.

Myth 5: There is no glory in running a race.

Cross-country athletes experience the same – if not more – amount of torture and fatigue in 18 minutes than other athletes experience in a twohour setting. A race transforms a perfectly normal person into a dying victim struggling for survival, concentrating on every step, every stride. All. The. Pain. At the finish line many new runners feel intimidated or overwhelmed by the race, but veterans learn to crave the feeling of accomplishment at the end.

When you finish a race you don’t care whether others find your actions worthy or not. Your glory came in winning an 18minute battle for your life.

Running has determined battles, broken racial barriers, and started an international symbol of American culture, Nike. Running is the most vital aspect of East’s favorite sports: a football or basketball player who can’t run well is worthless. Cross-country runners may not be as strong or tough as other athletes, but they do have one thing in common.

Balls.

Hemp... an unexpected remedy Hemp can be resourcefully used in industry, clothing and more if it was only legal to grow

G e o r g e Wa s h i n g t o n grew hemp.

Yes, our founding father was a hemp farmer. In fact, hemp has been around a long time, long before Washington. There’s evidence that as early as 8000 B.C. hemp was being used to make clothing. Its use grew more widespread over the next few thousand years until the late 1800’s when it became the world’s largest cash crop.

Today hemp is illegal to grow in the U.S. and, because of its illegality, the potential benefits hemp could give us are not being utilized due to this prohibition. Over thirty industrialized nations grow hemp including all the countries in the European Union and Canada, yet here it still remains illegal. Any hemp found in America has been processed and imported from other countries. But what good is hemp?

Well, hemp is all kinds of good. It’s an alternative for fuel, clothing, and paper. Hemp could even be used to help lower the world’s dependency on oil.

Hemp, while a stylish fashion accessory, can be used to make much more useful products. If legalized in the U.S. we could reverse the current trend environmental malevolence In the current state of global affairs, one of the main products used in the production of textiles, plastics and gasoline is oil. This is fine now, but eventually the world’s oil

Derek Martin in my own words

supply will run out. Some scientists estimate the amount of oil available to the public might start declining as early as 2008.

But what are we going to do about this? Hemp, it seems, can be used to make numerous industrial products that are currently made using oil or other non-renewable fuel sources. The main things industrial hemp could be used to make are plastic, textiles and even fuel for our cars.

According to the Hemp Industries Association, hemp biomass is an untapped resource for fuel. Almost any biomass material can be converted to create ethanol or methanol fuels which burn cleanly with less carbon monoxide and higher octane than the current fuel options. This fuel made from hemp would be much cheaper than oil-based gas, as hemp costs more less to produce and process. Cars have already been outfitted to run on this fuel. Actor Woody Harrelson toured the country on a bus run completely by hemp.

Aside from fuel and plastic, hemp can also be used to make paper. Paper made from hemp lasts longer, avoids yellowing with age and no trees need to be destroyed to make hemp paper. An average hemp crop takes one hundred days to grow and harvest, whereas a forest takes many years to grow back, if it ever does.

Clothing made of hemp is very strong and warm. It’s more natural than current clothing and it’s completely biodegradable making it very eco-friendly. Clothing made of hemp is not itchy and can be quite comfortable to wear.

Nov. 1, 2004

With all the potential benefits legalized hemp would harbor it’s a wonder hemp still remains illegal in this country, the most highly industrialized nation on Earth.

The reason for this is simple: it’s hard for politicians to distinguish hemp from it’s cousin, marijuana.

But in fact, hemp and marijuana aren’t that much alike.

They are both members of the Cannabis sativa L, but hemp contains less than 1% THC, the psychoactive chemical in marijuana. Comparing hemp to marijuana is like comparing a red rose to a white one, they’re both roses, but they’re different flowers.

When hemp gets thrown in the mix with marijuana the stigma which the latter plant holds is applied unfairly to hemp. Hemp cannot get anyone high. As a matter of fact, if one were to smoke a hemp necklace they would get a headache similar to if they smoked a corn stalk.

Some look at hemp legalization as a way to sneak legal marijuana into law, but this is just not true. If companies needed a special license to grow hemp the government would know just who is allowed to grow the crop. They could then monitor those farms to make sure the only plant grown is hemp for industrial use, not recreational.

Skeptics to the legalization argument say that if hemp has all these benefits why haven’t other parts of the world, where hemp is legal, began to further utilize it. Well, sometimes it takes a leader to get the ball rolling. We, the United States can be that leader that helps the world enter a new, environment-friendly, age.

opinion

issue 5

Premature Planning

7

Starting college preparation too early causes complications

UR

YO

2008 ition: al ed

PLANNI

not that I had a lot of pressure on me to think about college, but that I did go to College Clinic my freshman year. As best as I can remember, I managed to collect a bunch of brightly colored brochures that gathered dust in my closet until I finally took them out one day last spring when I realized I probably should start deciding where I wanted to look. If I’d made a list when I was 14, none of the eight schools I’m applying to would have been on it. Two 8 0 of them I’d 0 :2 n never heard of, o diti e let alone considered; l cia three seemed too selective, spe expensive and out of reach.

Two I’d seen on family trips but never thought of as somewhere I might go. The last – KU – had always been a vague option, but not, I thought, a match for me.

So much for planning ahead.

Four years later, I’m still sitting there, staring at my pile of unwritten essays.

I’m just glad I didn’t waste any more time worrying about it.

for

speci

four that they wanted to be an astronaut, or the ones who can predict their graduation GPA within a hundredth of a point, Libby Nelson there are still too many other factors to consider. Money: in my own words no one can foresee layoffs or crashes—or promotions that put more money It was the classic college away for college. Love: who knows applications moment: I was if seniors will suddenly choose to sitting at my computer in the be near a sibling, a best friend, a sunshine, drinking a Coke and girlfriend or boyfriend? In either staring at the piles of college and case, closing off options too scholarship applications that I early is a mistake. could swear were getting thicker even as I watched.

And I speak from The applications that were filled out so incompletely that experience. It’s I’d managed to get my first name on them—except the one where I’d spelled it wrong. The applications with page-long essays that hadn’t even been started, much less finished. The applications due in exactly 12 days.

And then it came. The inevitable moment of self-reproach. The moment I glared at my reflection in the computer screen and cursed my habit of procrastination.

“This is what happens when you don’t start preparing for college as a freshman!”

Yes. As a freshman.

East takes college preparation to a new level next week, when the freshmen and sophomores will get a “College Connection” night all to themselves.

Forget the next three years! Start thinking about the four after that! Oh yes. After all, you don’t need high school – it’s time to focus on college.

It’s not that there isn’t information about college that might even be useful to freshmen. How your GPA is calculated.

What you’ll have to face on the new PSAT next year, if you choose to take it as a art by Davin Phillips sophomore. What courses you need for Kansas qualified admissions. But what college admissions officers really want to see on your resume? Even seniors, no matter how well-prepared, are still just guessing about that one. For all I know, college admissions could throw the stack of applications down the stairs and admit the students who land on an odd-numbered step. Preparing for a questions like those is only adding to the worries of high school.

Freshmen, after all, have very little to base this planning on. They haven’t taken a single College Board test. Their transcripts are empty. Half of them haven’t even figured out the assembly schedule. For them, guessing where they’ll Freshman Sophomore be able to get in—and where they might want to try—is just that: guessing. Is that Ivy League impossibly out of reach?

Tommy Kennedy Sara Corazzin Or do they have as much of a chance as any top ten student in the country? Without at least a year and a half of grades and a test score or two, it’s pretty hard to tell.

But even more important, grades aside, is that Ivy League right for that student? Most freshmen haven’t a clue what they might want to do with their life (some freshmen in college don’t have a clue what they want to do with their life). Those that have might change their minds over the next four years. They’re still frantically putting gym, health and computer applications behind them; they haven’t had “It’s We Didn’t “Right now it’s a chance to take that one elective that could help show Start the Fire Sweet Home them their path – whether they find it from directing their first play in the Little Theater or dissecting a cat in human

by Billy Joel. It’s Alabama by Lynyrd anatomy. And though they certainly don’t need a career so amazingly Skynyrd.” ready to go before they can pick a college, it’d be helpful to awesome.” know whether it should be MIT for engineering or UMKC for the conservatory.

Even for those students who’ve known since they were

for FRESHMA

WELCOME TO EAST NOW GET TO COLLE

COLLEGES

UNIVERSITIES IN 2008

KIDS in the Hall

Nov. 1, 2004

E R U

T U F

ES I M

M U D

What is your cell phone ringtone?

Junior Nathan Stepp

Senior Nick Lyles

“A tune that came with the phone called Just Jazzy. It goes ‘bu doo doo bu doo doo bu doo.’”

“The Kill Bill soundtrack. But sometimes it’s the Mortal Kombat one. I’ve got a few select ones.”

8

editorial

the harbinger

Student

Seniors afforded privileges deserved by all students

(dis)Connect

Editorial Cartoon

High school is stressful because of grades. classes of seniors are being used as lab rats to test There are other contributions and combinations out the idea of Parent Connect for students. This is of pressures, but when it comes down to it, the because Mrs. Ostemeyer, who originated the idea of focus, the center, the whole point of high school is extension to students, believes that once you reach grades and what a person can do with them. It’s a a certain point in your development you should be nameless, passive way of judging someone without responsible for yourself—and she’s right. Allowing knowing them: the higher grade point average is seniors this opportunity is the first step in putting superior. Perhaps some of that stress could be students grades even more into students hands. relieved if students had half the opportunity that Students gain a great measure of calm and parents do to keep track of their grades. With new collectiveness when they know what their grades possible changes to the Parent Connect program, are and can see their goals and prerogatives clearly. it’s happening.

They lose that calm clarity when teachers refuse Last year an option was extended to the parents to give grade updates, parents refuse to share of all SME students: they have the ability to know their Parent Connect passwords and students are their child’s grades at any time. They can hop on left without information that they need. In some the Internet, as they do classes, recording every grade every day anyway, type in a student gets is an assignment, a website address, plug in and Parent Connect will make Parents and students their special, personally doing this infinitely easier. If should have equal access chosen password and enter you miss a day, you know to student grades their child’s world—all in exactly what you missed. If about thirty seconds. They you received a worse grade on a get to know how many quiz than you anticipated, you points you got on your last will be one of the first to know, homework assignment, allowing you to take steps to agree disagree absent when was the last time you prepare yourself in the future. got an F on a test, what your Of course, every student participation grades have will not take advantage of this been over the last week, and if you’ve been absent. privilege, but those who do will certainly make This option is the infamous Parent Connect. extending the project worthwhile, considering that The very idea of this program makes students it will be of no extra cost to the school. nervous for obvious reasons: all year teens work The only reason that the Parent Connect so hard to allow as little information as possible opportunity was never offered to students is to filter through to their parents. Students mark because no one anticipated students being up grade cards, fake signatures and burn progress interested. It’s possible that student interest comes reports constantly in hopes of maintaining use of mostly from the feeling of exclusion, and the fact the car, and that’s a lot of effort to waste. But that’s that students don’t understand why they weren’t not main dilemma for Parent Connect. The main included in the first place. dilemma is that Parent Connect is only extended All parents would agree that anything that to—well, parents. can offer even the tiniest ounce of control (or the Although Parent Connect offers no ability to illusion of it) to a student, therefore subtracting change your grades, the school has never extended from them that much angst, is worth the very low the privilege to students. Until now. amount of trouble it would cost to construct.

As of this year, Mr. Brewster’s government

Michael Pope

7-0-4

BRIEFS

BRIEFS

the

harbinger

Shawnee Mission East Editor In Chief Assistant Editors

Art/Design Editors Head Copy Editor Photo Editor News Editor News Page Editors Features Editor Features Page Editors

Libby Nelson Annie Fuhrman Gordon Culver Cynthia Goldman Mallory Toombs Stephen McKim Linda Howard Courtney Condron Katie Jones Ally Heisdorffer Ellie Weed Kathleen Bole Jayne Shelton Madi Moedritzer

A&E Editors A&E Page Editor Sports Editor Sports Page Editors Opinion Editor Opinion Page Editor Editorial Editor Special Section Editor Copy Editors

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

Ian McFarland Evan Favreau Erin Morrissey Curtis Shank Peter Goehausen Frances Lafferty Sara Steinwart Tom Grotewohl Cay Fogel Amanda Allison Amanda Allison Courtney Condron Cay Fogel Curtis Shank Ian Stanford Katie Jones Evan Favreau

The United States has suffered a huge shortage of flu vaccines for the upcoming winter.

Some SME students will spend Election Day helping out at local polling places.

Staff Writers

Patrick Haverty Ross Boomer Derek Martin Meg Fracol Andy Launder Scott Peterson Staff Artists Davin Phillips Michael Pope Ads/Business Manager Bryan Dykman Asst. Ads/Biz Ben Whitsitt Maggie DiSilvestro Lauren Kelly Contest Coordinator Erin Morrissey Public Relations Meg Fracol Photographers Emily Rappold Samantha Ludington Molly Magoon Kevin Grunwald 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 East or SMSD faculty, student body, or administration.

Nov. 1, 2004

issue 5

New life in the

features

9

Kelly and Molly Fast surprised with baby girl after expecting a boy

Maggie DiSilvestro “I was relieved everything was fine,” he said.

When the Fast’s arrived home on Oct. Molly Fast is doing fine and is now at home.

15, Veronica was asleep. Her grand parents Veronica, weighing 7.13 pounds, has dark hair and were on their way, but for now the Fasts brown eyes. Kelly and Beachy agree that Veronica looks happily let her sleep. They placed her more like her mother, Molly, than her father. in her crib in her pale-yellow room and that was that. She was While the doctors, nurses and Kelly were home. focused on Molly the day she was born, Beachy took Veronica to a window and showed her the Only four days earlier on world that had been waiting to meet her. After Oct. 12, Molly Fast had endured full name: that they had some girl time, as Beachy called 12 hours of labor to give birth to it.

Veronica Lee Fast at 11:09 a.m.

Veronica Lee Fast During their four-day stay at the hospital, Molly was expecting a boy so it the Fasts were tired since Molly had to wake took her a while to get used to date of birth: up every few hours to feed the baby and the surprise of having a girl. have tests done to ensure she stays healthy.

English teacher Laura Oct. 12, 2004 Kelly was up for three days straight.

Beachy went to see her the Molly is ready to be a mom. She feels night she was born.

11:09 a.m. that both she and Kelly being teachers will “[Veronica was] tiny and help them to be better parents. sweet and beautiful... she weight: 7.13 lbs “We know how to be consistent and fair was very dainty and girlish,” in discipline and we know to treat kids as Beachy said. length: 21in adults,” they said.

“Is she okay?” Kelly said in While Kelly has to do most of the his first reaction. eyes: brown cooking, cleaning, and shopping, he will After the doctors preformed be spending some time at home to be with the usual Apgar test, they hair: dark brown Veronica. It is limited, however, because of assured him she was.

Reality check Curtis Shank

Ian Renwick envisioned himself standing before Simon, Randy and Paula, the famous judges of the FOX hit show American Idol. He would stand in front of them, sing, and be showered with praises about his singing ability.

He never made it this far. On Oct. 25 in San Francisco, he auditioned, along with thousands of others, to be the next Idol. The tryout process lasted over seven hours, over five of them spent standing in line outside a conference center.

But even though the former East student didn’t make it past the first round of tryouts, he was still glad he tried out.

“It was fun to compare myself to the other singers,” he said.

Renwick, a senior, moved to Santa Cruz, California during the summer after his father’s job was transferred there. He was a Chamber singer in the choir and has picked up jazz choir in his new home.

Renwick often auditions for solos in concerts and musicals, and he viewed Idol as the same as any tryout.

“I said, ‘I can sing way better than any of these guys, so I might as well give it a shot,’” he said. “It’s the same thought process I go through for any tryout.”

After he made his decision to tryout, Renwick began

Nov. 1, 2004

BABY Veronica sleeps peacefully- she is on a constant cycle: she sleeps for three hours and then eats after waking up. the district’s policy about maternity leave if both parents work in the same district. Any time he takes off comes out of his wife’s 12-week maternity leave.

For now Molly is totally focused on Veronica.

“I’m having a lot of fun and not thinking about school.

It’s all about her,” she said.

Former student tries out for reality tv show

practicing with earnest.

“I did what I do for any tryout: get plenty of rest, no strenuous vocal activity, and lots of water,” he said. “And put in hours practicing my audition song.”

Because Renwick wanted to be one of the first in line to get to the audition, he left for the tryouts from his home in nearby Santa Cruz two days early “to get mentally prepared.”

“When I got [to the convention center] on the day I was trying out, there were already 1,000 people in front of me,” he said.

At the end of the day over 7,000 people had tried out.

“I stood in line for five hours, waiting to get a wrist band which was my ticket inside,” he said.

Wristband in hand, he then sat in an auditorium for another hour while one of the show’s producers explained the schedule for tryouts. Renwick was then told to go back to his hotel and come back the next day.

The next morning, Renwick was grouped with four other people and judged by one of the 12 producers for the show.

“The judge points to you and says sing, and then he points to next one and says sing,” he said.

Renwick sang “Ain’t Too Proud to Beg” by the

“I said, ‘I can sing way better than any of these guys, so I might as well give it a shot.’”

-Ian Renwick

photo courtesy of the Fast Family

Baby Stats

Temptations. “I chose it because it’s an upbeat song that fits well within my range as a singer, and it would get more attention because I’m a white man singing a black song.”

He didn’t make it past the first round of judging.

“The guy who was judging me said, ‘You can really sing, but you’re not what we’re looking for,’” he said.

Renwick’s former choir teacher, Tracy Resseguie, agreed with the Idol judge’s assessment of his vocal ability.

“Ian is an excellent singer,” Resseguie said. “A few students of mine from about 10 years ago, as well as Ian all tried out and I’m very proud of that. Even though none of them made it past the first round it still reflects well on the choir program here at school.”

Had Renwick made it to the second round he would have sung in front of the show’s creator Nigel Lythgoe and after passing that, he would have tried out for Simon with the cameras on and the possibility of being on the show.

“I think I didn’t make it because [San Francisco] was the last city they were auditioning in and they were looking primarily for bad [singers],” he said.

In the end, Renwick’s most memorable experience came not from the thrill of singing in front of a judge, but from singing at the very beginning of his tryouts, when all the hopefuls sang the “Star Spangled Banner.”

“Have you ever heard 4,000 good singers sing the national anthem together? It was awesome,” he said.

10

features

the harbinger

Powerful Tees A student uses her life struggle as inspiration to become a Share Chair Ellie Weed Dealing with high school isn’t painless for anyone. Not everyone’s friendly, and most people are ruthlessly pushing their way around to find where they best fit in. It hasn’t been any different for senior Tina Fancher.

So many times, she’d heard people say, “Tina, you’re so skinny,” or “Tina, you need to eat,” but no one had ever been willing to sit down and learn all the details behind her disease.

There was always the group that she thought as the “in crowd,” that she had strived to be a part of, but after a while, she started questioning how great it really was to be a part of that.

“I wanted to fit in, but at the same time, I really didn’t want to be with those people,” Fancher said. “[Some people] weren’t always nice to me.”

It was always important, though, so Fancher chose bulimia as the cure. Using it as a coping mechanism, Fancher didn’t realize the plan would backfire. Bulimia, a severe eating disorder, causes its patients to eat- sometimes in large amounts- and then vomit to avoid gaining weight.

“I was isolating myself,” she said.

“I wouldn’t go out with my friends, because I couldn’t eat.”

People around the school, even with good intentions, didn’t know what to say to her. No one understood, and no one was willing

to sit down and see what was really going on in her life.

Even after being on the drill team every year, she still couldn’t find her nitch.

“Drill team never really helped,” Fancher said. “They didn’t really understand what it was like.”

After finally realizing it was time to change, Fancher started rehabbing her way out of her disease. Through all the struggles, she wished everyone else could rehab their way out of their bad habits of enmity.

“I was never happy with what I was doing, I knew it wasn’t right,” Fancher said. “Life kinda sucked, and high school just sucks in general.

I wish someone had sat me down and told me that.”

But after 4 or 5 rough years and some exposure to the high school scene, Fancher decided that maybe showing kindness to other people would make them realize what kind of difference their actions make.

After wearing a couple of shirts last year with kindness sayings on the front, a couple of people started to catch on.

Now the SHARE Chairperson for the project “Dare to Care,” Fancher is making more and more t-shirts for other students to wear.

“I ended up with 5 t-shirts in my closet and I thought maybe I should have other people wear them,” Fancher said.

Each t-shirt is hand-made by

Fancher with a quote or popular saying on them. After wearing the shirt, a name is signed on the back and passed on to another person along with a note to that person of why they are respectable. It doesn’t have to be a best friend, just someone who can be thought of as a benevolent and humane person.

“I want these phrases [about kindness] put in front of people’s faces and make them think about how they are treating people,” she said.

Certain sayings, like “Kindness is contagious” and “Kindness is power, even when fondness is not” are some common phrases, along with many others.

“My boyfriend last year said that he saw my shirt and remembered what it said [about being nice] when a girl dropped her books in the hall and he helped her pick them up,” Fancher said. “It’s a nice feeling to know that someone actually took it into consideration.”

This project- in hopes that it succeeds- will create a united student body.

But just like her eating disorder, the hostility will never completely go away. And just like the eating disorder, you can’t get better or change until you’re ready.

“I’ve learned so much, I’ve grown so much, and I love how I have a different outlook on everything,” Fancher said.

Nov. 1, 2004

Bulimia Side Effects o Since bulimia involves vomiting regularly, the gastric acid from your stomach settles inside the mouth and cause teeth and gum problems. o Purging makes your body dehydrated, so there is less potassium in the blood. Low potassium causes fatigue, and the heart to have irregular rhythms. o Purging can cause digestive problems because it irritates the walls of the esophogus and rectum. Purging repeatedly can cause constipation. o Bulimia can lead to depression and could be the cause of many impulsive behaviors. Examples of this would be sexual promiscuity, stealing, alcohol and drug abuse. o Many of the over-the-counter drugs that might be used during purge cycles can cause dependency on the drug. These drugs could be appetite reducers or laxatives.

features

issue 5

Picturing

11

photo courtesy of Maddie Simpson

Yourself College visits help students choose the school that’s right for them Mallory Toombs Sitting at home sifting through piles of college mailings, flipping through hundreds of pages of guide books and surfing endless college websites are all popular options for trying to pick a college, but none of them can capture a school’s true essence. As an alternative, students turn to the more hands-on approach of seeing the campus in person.

“Actually visiting a college puts it in a dimension completely different from reading about it on paper,” senior Doug Brake said. “You can get a better feel for the atmosphere and what college will be like. Then, when they are processing my application, I am a face as opposed to a statistic.”

Both high school counselors and college admissions representatives strongly encourage students to visit the campuses they are considering. There are many things that a student can to prepare for their visit.

“Students need to do their homework. They should read up on the school and think of questions to ask while they are there. It is extremely important for them to schedule an appointment with an admissions officer for an interview,” counselor Deanna Hunter said.

Senior Jack Lynch has had interviews at many of the schools he is considering. Some of his interviews have been a traditional interview with an admissions representative, while others have been an informal interview with a current student.

“It’s important for you to conduct an interview so that you can find out more about the university as the university is finding more out about you,” Keith Stanford, Associate Director of Admissions at DePauw University said.

Although students may think that they can get a good feel for the campus without doing an organized tour, the scheduled tours can give valuable insight.

“Often the tour guide will tell us about funny stories, embarrassing moments to avoid, traditions for students, and the best places to live on campus,” senior Maddie Simpson said. She believes that participating in a campus tour is a great way to see the buildings where she will potentially be taking classes.

These tours are often led by current students who provide information that the senior might not think to ask about.

Schools recommend that you make reservations for your campus tours, according to their websites.

“I call ahead to see what the school I am visiting offers in the way of tours and informational sessions,” Brake said.

Many college websites offer schedules for their tours and special programs. A standard campus visit at DePauw University consists of a walking tour led by a current student and an appointment with an admissions officer.

Although DePauw’s day does not include an informational session, other colleges do offer them. Information sessions include a video on the school, and a presentation by an admissions representative addressing information on academics, scholarships and financial aid.

Admissions representatives agree that campus visits are the best way for students to learn about campus life, especially if the university is in session.

Before arriving on the campus, Simpson thinks that it is important to call any students she knows that are currently attending the school.

“When you talk to students you learn the truth about the school as opposed to the admissions view. You can get a better feel for the social aspect of the campus and what goes on for fun,” Simpson said.

For students traveling on their own, several schools offer student host programs. DePauw University has a program for high school seniors. With this, the visiting student spends their first night on campus with a host student. The next day they are then able to go about their scheduled activities. The university believes that this is a great way for seniors to get a feel for dorm life.

At University of Mississippi students have an opportunity to participate in their “Be a UM Student for a Day” program. It is offered to high school seniors as a chance to attend classes with a UM student, participate in information sessions, go on a campus tour, eat lunch in the university cafeteria, visit a residence hall, talk with a student panel and meet with school representatives.

“It is a good idea to try and sit in on a class and just observe and see how the students respond to the teacher and vice versa. You want to be in an environment where people want to learn,” Hunter said.

She recommends that students try to schedule a time to sit in on a class to get a feel for class size and faculty. In order to do this students must schedule their visits during the school week as opposed to weekends.

Sitting in on a class also allows visiting seniors to get a feel for the mix of students at the university.

“Come prepared to meet the students and don’t be shy to talk with anyone you come in contact with to find out how their college experience is developing,” Stanford said.

Nov. 1, 2004

Maddie Simpson and her father standing in front of Syracuse

Texas Christian University Offers visits with admission officers, student-led tours and small group information sessions.

To schedule personal visit: 800-828-3764 or 817-257-7490

Colorado State Hosts Visit Day Programs: attend academic information sessions, and campus walking tours.

The visit days are from 8:15 a.m.-3 p.m. Visit the website for visit dates. www.admissions.colostate.edu

Syracuse University Offers personal interviews with a member of the Admissions Committee for high school seniors.

Interviews must be scheduled in advance. (212) 826-0335

If you can’t visit the college....

1 2 3

Make sure to check out the college’s website Most school have online virtual campus tours E-mail the college advisers

telling them you can’t visit

12

features

Making it on her own

One East student hangs on for her mom’s life and her parent’s relationsh

Amanda Allison

It was times like the annual Father/Daughter breakfast that Senior Ashley Weaver wanted a dad.

Times like the Father/Daughter dances and times like Valentine’s Day when her friends’ dads bought them pretty heart shaped necklaces.

And it’s times like basketball tryouts, and first days of school and those days when she just felt too ill to get out of bed that Ashley’s mom, Susan Weaver, wishes her daughter had a dad; had someone else.

But Ashley doesn’t.

Her parents got divorced when she was two years old.

So to Ashley, it’s always been she and her mom. **** “I wanted the perfect dad for my perfect girl,” Ashley’s mom, Susan Weaver said. “But that just didn’t work out.”

After a turbulent marriage and painful divorce, Weaver needed a change: she needed more support. So, she packed up three year-old Ashley and moved from their Phoenix, Arizona home to Kansas City.

“I cried everyday for a year,” Weaver said. “I had grown up with all of my friends there [in Arizona] and I loved living in the desert. But, Ashley needed a family.”

And a family is just what Ashley got in KC. Her grandfather, Warren Weaver, stepped in and took the role of father, attending school functions and helping out while Ashley’s mom suffered through years of sickness.

A sickness that, a few times, Weaver thought she wouldn’t make it through.

Ashley’s mom suffers from a rare form of Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis, called Spill’s Disease. Instead of the arthritis affecting her joints, like it does most people, her organs are the battleground for the painful malady. Weaver’s organs become inflamed, as she runs high fevers and experiences an inability to do anything other than lie still for hours.

In those hours that her mother lay in pain on her bed, Ashley grew up.

“I definitely learned how to be more independent… more than most kids my age,” Ashley said.

Those were the times that both mother and daughter, wished that there were someone else: a father.

But then, Ashley would look at her mother and realize that in fact, she loved her life. She loved her mom and they were doing pretty okay.

She was glad things had worked out like they did: The times Weaver couldn’t cook dinner, Ashley found

leftovers or her grandparents provided a meal. And when Weaver couldn’t drive her daughter to school, a taxi provided by the elementary school was always outside waiting.

“I remember watching Ashley walk down the street to meet the taxi,” Weaver said. “She was this little girl being so grown up and independent.”

There were times though, that Weaver thought she wouldn’t make it.

Plans were made, that in the event of her death, Ashley would live with her aunt’s family.

“I was always very open about this with Ashley,” Weaver said. “I knew that it would be hard for her [if I didn’t make it] but I knew that she would be okay.”

For years, Weaver would rest during the day in order to have energy to be with Ashley when she got home from school.

“I remember we would play Nintendo or read,” Ashley said. “I always loved seeing her after school. Sometimes we would do nothing, but it was so nice.”

Life ran like this until Ashley was in sixth grade, and then, as suddenly as it had flared up, Weaver’s symptoms disappeared. The trips to the Mayo clinic and the many surgeries had paid off. Ashley’s mom was okay for now.

Degrees of

**** During the course of her m o t h e r ’s sickness, Ashley d i d visit her re-

Separation

married father and stepmother sporadically, spendin with them during the summers. The only things she those visits are vague memories of how different she w mom: “She was so over the top; she would perm her hair up all the time. I was not one of those prissy girly types fit in there.”

Those visits lasted for a few years, up until Ashle suddenly ended.

“I went there around Christmas and he gave me a L was it,” Ashley said. “I haven’t heard from him since.”

Since her father was no longer part of her life, Ash she no longer wanted to bear his name. So, she and h the social security office and that was that. She was n Ritterback after her father, but Ashley Weaver, unify daughter forever. **** “I’m not emotionally scarred,” Ashley said fla why my mom did everything like sh that one day I will make the sam Life is running now for both Ashley Weaver hasn’t been sic now, her only difficult hearing, which thanks to music as a kid, now suffer “It will get worse, but completely deaf,” Ashley sa not a big deal; everyone is us Ashley still has no contac but for right now, that’s okay she would like to possibly con down the road.

“I know that I have a father b know that I don’t have one emotiona She holds no grudges and is glad th like they did; it has been so much ea compared to her father being in her lif “It would be too messy,” both moth said.

Though the two don’t agree on what play in the car, they do agree that they a that Weaver is no longer sick; happy that A well in school; and happy that it’s just the tw will always be.

hip

By the Numbers 1970-1996

ng a week or so remembers from was from her step-

child under 18 living with one parent grew from 12% to 28%

r and wear make s, so I didn’t really

since 1972

ey was eight, but

Lite-Brite and that

hley realized that her mom went to no longer Ashley ying mother and

atly. “I understand he did and I hope me decisions.” pretty smoothly and her mother. ck for some time ty in life is her o listening to loud rs. t she’ll never go aid. “It’s basically sed to it now.” ct with her father with her, though ntact him further

biologically, but I ally,” Ashley said. hings worked out asier and simpler fe. her and daughter

at radio station to are happy. Happy Ashley is doing so wo of them, like it

Split.

features

1 million American children per year have seen parents divorce

1950

2.6 divorces per 1,000 people

2001 4 divorces per 1,000 people

����� �� ������ ����� �������

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

����� �� ������ ��� �������

More people today are part of second marriages than first Census Bureau predicts that 50% of marriages right now will eventually end in divorce In 2000, there were over 21 million divorces 1/4 of all Americans have experienced at least one divorce source: www.marriage-realtionships.com source: www.divorceform.org

13

Divorce changes perspective on marriage for three students

Sarah Burford When their parents called the family meeting “I would rather they had been happy seven years ago, freshman Lauren Cody together,” Lauren said. expected something about chores. The Cody The kids enjoy their parents’ extreme kids, Claire, Lauren and Reed (then going into differences in interests, but not in the same fourth, second and first grade) never enjoyed house. these meetings – they didn’t usually portend “Mom thought it was fun to dress up; dad well. But the three siblings never suspected wanted to go canoeing,” Lauren said. this.

Arguments would arise over trivial issues.

Tears streamed down Claire’s and Reed’s Consequently, Lauren and Claire have lost faith chins as their parents explained the plans: they in the cliché “opposites attract”; some common were separating. Just for a little while, just to try ground is necessary to have a good relationship. it… Lauren immediately formulated a plan – the “They have different values,” Claire said. best one a six-year-old could come up with. She “If they had stayed together, our view of blasted Shania Twain’s “From This Moment On” relationships would have been skewed.” loud enough for her parents to hear it, hoping to Janet is certain that the divorce has caused spark a connection between them; that was the her children undue stress and hardships. first time Lauren ever saw her dad cry. But the “They’ve had to face a serious upheaval in kids’ attempts to referee had started long before relationships at an earlier age, at a point in their that day. Even Reed, a five-year-old, would try to lives when everything should be a given,” she break up his parents’ quarrels. said. “[That’s] got to have an impact on [one’s] “Reed would march in with his little shot gun,” psyche.”

Lauren said of their parents disagreements.

Janet believes that children who grow up “I thought [the arguments] were normal and with divorced parents either readily accept okay.

On Arthur, the them as solutions to parents fought but always their own marriages, said they wouldn’t get or avoid them because “Tears streamed down divorced.” they remember the strife Junior Claire Cody, was that they endured as their chins as their parents the first to know about the children. explained the plans: a divorce. She was sitting in “I hope I can stay the living room, scribbling together with my separation. Just for a while, down answers to fourth husband,” Lauren said. just to try it...” grade homework, when “But it scares me that she overheard her mom, I won’t be able to; it Janet Cody, on the phone, makes me think more telling a friend about their about the type of person decision to divorce.

I want to marry.”

For what seemed like months, she kept the Though plenty has changed since the secret from her brother and sister until their divorce, including the kids’ perspectives on parents announced it. Claire struggled to marriage, Claire, Reed and Lauren are closer concentrate in school and burst into tears when than they ever were before. her teacher asked about it.

“We look up to Claire,” Lauren said. “It Divorces were rare at their Catholic school, bothers me when our parents fight and… my and Claire and Lauren’s friends couldn’t offer friends don’t understand, so I go to my sister.” much empathy but remained optimistic: surely Claire has been known on occasion to if the family in Parent Trap could get back challenge her parents’ unfair treatment of together, so could the Codys. each when tensions arise over the phone or in In addition to emotional stress, the divorce conversation. brought frequent trips between houses.

“I’d rather say something than not,” Claire Homework, clothes, retainers are frequently said.

MIA, leaving their owners wondering which After enduring the divorce, the Cody family house to ransack. agrees that marriage takes commitment from “It’s obviously inconvenient for the kids,” both sides. father Mark Cody said. “It introduces some “People have to give. If you don’t feel like you challenges that you have to work to overcome, can give, give, give, then you’re just not mature that wouldn’t happen in a household where enough for marriage,” Janet Cody said. parents aren’t divorced.”

Lauren believes that, once married, a couple However, there are some advantages to two needs to take its vows seriously. homes: double the birthday cake, double the “When you get married it’s a life commitment.

Christmas presents…

If there are problems you shouldn’t get divorced “All the conceited things work out perfectly,” or separated unless [an extreme circumstance Claire said. requires it],” Lauren said. “Try to work it out. It’s But nothing could compare to both parents life promise.” living under the same roof.

14

features

Can youCellhear me now? phone policy is not enforced

Madi Moedritzer

In fifth hour the class is nodding off and European History teacher Jane McCue is belaboring the importance of the Roman Empire, when a noise comes from the back of the room. RINGGGGG! The students look around at one another. One in the back of the room freezes.

“Michael,” McCue said sarcastically, “why are you getting so red?” The student furiously digs in his backpack to turn his phone off. The other students in the class laugh and ask if she is going to take it away.

“No,” McCue said, “I think he’s had enough embarrassment for today.”

This is not an uncommon situation when a cell phone goes off in the middle of class. But the actual consequences vary from teacher to teacher.

“If a student’s cell phone rings in class so that it is a disruption I keep it until after school, but if I just see it out then I’ll ask the student to put it away,” Biology teacher Mary Bocox said.

Another teacher, just down the hall has a different view on the subject. “I hate cell phones in class. If I see one I’ll take it away and give it to the office. Kids shouldn’t be checking messages in class,” history teacher Clem Rogers said.

It all depends on which classroom a student’s in when the phone rings.

The official rule regarding electronic devices states that students may not carry cellular phones in school or on school premises. If a student should be caught with a cell phone, it will be confiscated and the violator is subject to suspension. The phone can then only be returned to the parents.

So why is this rule not always enforced?

“It depends on the nature. If a student is using a cell phone, I will take it and arrange for parents to pick it up, but if I just see it then I will remind the student that cell phones aren’t allowed,” associate principal Dr. Ron Mersch said.

However, suspension for bringing a cell phone has never occurred. “The student is subject for suspension if it is a matter of disrespect when I ask the student to put the phone away, but not just for having a phone,” Mersch said.

Even though bringing a cell phone to school can result in such consequences many students still take that chance. During passing period, and even in class, students are text messaging and making calls.

“I text message because I get bored during the day and I like to talk with my friends,”

the harbinger

sophomore Annie Brill said.

Text messaging is becoming increasingly more popular. “It’s easy to do during school because you don’t actually have to be talking with the other person, and you can text when you have time,” said Brill.

Students who are involved in afterschool activities use their cell phones to arrange rides home if they aren’t able to drive themselves.

Despite the fact that the policy says cell phones aren’t allowed, most teachers don’t care if a cell phone is being used after school.

“Before school, during lunch and after school I think it’s all right for students to have their cell phones, but they should not be using them in class,” Bocox said. There are also a number of phones placed throughout the building available for the students to use free of charge.

When teachers give different consequences it makes students feel as if the rule doesn’t apply.

“I think teachers are pretty lenient. I’ve been told to put my cell phone away by a teacher, but I’ve never had it taken away from me,” senior Claire Anderson said.

In some uncommon cases, however, teachers treat incidents differently. “When I had my cell phone out in the hall, Dr. Font took it away, and my mom had to come and get it from the office,” sophomore Quinn Stauffer said.

The policy with cell phones is changing.

Teachers who only saw cell phones as a method of cheating now understand why a cell phone can be a good thing.

“Having a cell phone is becoming more of a safety issue than anything. I am a parent of a high school junior and I always want her to have access to her cell phone in case of an emergency,” Mersch said.

Bring your spare

C H A N G E Support the

Coin Drop

Nov. 1, 2004

Swing swing

issue 5

features

15

‘20s dancing style experiences a revival Skirts flail and shoes scuff on the dance floor, a customary sight in swing dancing. The only illumination comes from orange-like lights on either side of the floor.

The place is Louis and Company; the time is Saturday night, otherwise known as Swing Night. The dance floor is full of couples of all ages, the lifelong swing dancers who have enjoyed the thrills of swing for years, and the teenagers, the same ones that go to high schools, and some of them to East. Swing dancing, with it’s twirling and dipping, takes a mood. This mood is a natural one created by groups of friends.

Louis and Company is one place that many East students go. Most say they hear of swing dancing from their friends.

“My friend had done [swing dancing] a few summers ago, and she said it was really fun, so I decided to try it for myself,” junior Chris Gordon said.

Since so many of the dancers hear of it from friends, that is mostly what can be found at Swing Nights. It is a great thing to do with a group, and dance with just one person. Junior Chris Burnett said the he likes being able to go have fun his friends he doesn’t normally get to talk to. “It is a good way to get away and be with just one person, too,” Burnett said.

While bowling is a great way to get with friends and have fun with them, it is not quite as decorative a swing dancing. Dressing up is completely optional, but adds

a fun touch to the night. It is also a good way to set up the mood to decades over 50 years ago. “The clothes take you back a few decades,” Gordon said, “they seem to serve the purpose.” Not all swing dancers dress up, however. Burnett said “I have the shoes, but I don’t have the pants. Usually swingsters wear the pants, but I’m definitely not a swingster.”

While the dancers get into the swing mode by dressing up, the atmosphere of the dance floor must help to do the same. The atmosphere of Louis and Company does this job for the people who attend Swing Night there. The atmosphere is contributive to the mood for dancing. There are dark maroon walls with low lighting, giving a romantic feel, and tall mirrors on the wall to watch yourself move. The mirrors are especially helpful when dancing in lines. Gordon said “I liked how dark it was inside, and how there were so many diverse people dancing there.” The environment is somewhat unwinding in itself. That type of environment was sophomore Rachel Young needed. “The instructers kept having to tell me to relax more when I danced. I found it was nice just not to think,” Young said.

Swing dancers use the dancing to take their minds off of everyday 2004. It helps them to relax and connect with a different eras and ideas.

“It was fun to just…dance,” Gordon said.

Nov. 1, 2004

photo by Molly Magoon

Jayne Shelton

JUNIOR Chris Burnett and sophomore Rachel Young practice their swing dancing moves at the Prairie Village YMCA

S 16

student profiles. college previews. hot spots. scholarship info. health advice. tshirt of the week. snapshot. price check. the a grade. rate the water fountains. room profiles. cool jobs. teacher of the week. hot spots. scholarship info. student profiles. college previews. scholarshipstudent profiles. college previews. hot spots. scholarship info. health advice. t-shirt of the week. snapshot. price check. the a grade. rate the water fountains. room profiles. cool jobs. teacher of the week. hot spots. scholarship info. student profiles. college previews. scholarship student profiles. college previews. hot spots. scholarship info. health advice. t-shirt of the week. snapshot. price check. the a grade. rate the water founatins. room profiles. cool jobs. teacher of the week. hot spots. scholarship info. student profiles. college previews. scholarship student pro-

pecial ection

aced

a look at student life, teachers, and the world outside East

aced (inf.) make the grade

today.

You’re only as cool as your pen twirl.

And with the many variations of it, you are sure to be entertained for hour upon hour. Hey, even if you can’t twirl (loser!) you can still watch others suffer through the agonizing training that makes you, my dear people, expert pen twirlers.

Onlyb e s t the

the harbinger

Is there really one water fountain that stands out among all others at East?

One staffer thinks so.

Location: south end, across from 516 Having tasted the many varieties of water that this fine establishment provides, I believe that I am seasoned enough to judge which water fountain, dear people, provides the highest quality of

H2O. Out of all the drinking fountains in the school that are accessible to everyone in need of a dandy drink to their health, I have concluded that this one stands out. Not only does it supply its consumers with

the coldest, most mountain springlike aqua tickle to the tongue, it reduces the the hassles of spraying water up and down, a tantalizing game played by all those who fill water bottles.

Stay tuned for more winners

story by Jayne Shelton

inside outside

L

O

O

K

C

yesterday.

Come on...who just sits at their desk daydreaming. Okay, well, some people do. But not the cool people.

l o o k o u t Pretty soon kids will be participating in an allschool thumb war during their math classes.

There will be winners, yes; prizes will be given and children will cry when they lose. But it will be worth it, for sure.

olgate College is located in Hamilton, New York. Its campus includes hiking trails going through the Adirondack Mountains and exciting New York City only hours away.

Curriculum: “The Core” is the Liberal Arts curriculum that all Colgate students learn by. It includes 51 resource-rich concentrations available for majors and minors alike.

Colgate’s off campus study program is one of the strongest in the nation.

It was ranked seventeenth overall

by U.S News and World Report. The most popular majors are political

science and government and English and literature.

Extracurricular Activities: Colgate is located in a lush environment, with historic sites such as Cooperstown only hours away. 90% of students stay on campus during the weekends.Colgate is a charter member of the Patriot League, which leads the NCAA in Division I

graduation rates among student athletes.

Enrollment:2,769 full time students; 50% male and 50% female; 0% American Indian; 4% black; 3% Hispanic.

Admission: very selective: 6,789 applied in 2003 and only 2,126 were accepted. Either SAT or ACT required; 64% of applicants were in top tenth of grade and 88% were in the top quarter.

Tuition: The cost is $31,440 and room and board is $7,620.

Contact: Phone 315.228.1000

30 second thoughts

The Guru

with

1. How many pairs of shoes do you own?

7 or 8.

with Nurse Barner

2. What song do you sing in the shower?

“1985” by Bowling for Soup

“

Some viruses can live for more than two hours on surfaces like doorknobs and desks

3. Which celebrity bathroom would you use and why?

Beyonce’s, because I saw it on “Cribs” and it was really cool.

4. Which Oscar would the movie of your life win?

Best Supporting Actress

Nov. 1, 2004

5. What one word sums you up?

Energetic

issue 5

Game Warfare Michael Pope

For a game with such high expectations, Rockstar Games’ third and possibly final action-adventure -thug-life-simulator Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, it nevertheless received the same treatment as Barbie’s Equestrian Adventure or any other brand-new game that I bring home.

I quickly ripped the plastic straightjacket off the case, sliced through the anti-theft sticker, removed the game and immediately tossed it into my PlayStation 2 without glancing once at the instruction booklet. I dimmed the lights and made sure the proper audio and video levels on my TV were set, and then I waited to begin like I had done so many times before. But, unlike those other times, this one was actually worth all of my excessive preparations.

It all starts out like the perfect gangster flick: five years ago, Carl “CJ” Johnston left the pressures of life in Los Santos, San Andreas, to start again in Liberty City (the same city the franchise visited in GTA 3) free from the gangs, drugs and corruption he had left behind. Now, it’s the early ‘90s and Carl has got to go home; his mother has been killed, his once prominent family is being torn apart, and he’s the only one who can make things right again.

It looks like smooth sailing until he is met at the gate by his old nemesis Officer Tenpenny - voiced by none other than Samuel L. Jackson - who assures CJ that he’s keeping tabs on him and frames him for homicide just to keep him honest. And if you think that’s the worst of your troubles, then you haven’t played a Grand Theft Auto game.

I am not in any way unfamiliar with the franchise. I’ve learned to instinctually memorize common routes and shortcuts, learned how to adeptly dart through traffic in even the most unaccommodating of vehicles, learned just how many pedestrians I could run over before the fuzz took notice. And if the same applies to you, then, as the title track from Guns n’ Roses so adequately puts it: “Welcome to the Jungle”.

Each of the in-game cities that make up San Andreas, Rockstar’s answer to the real West Coast, is roughly the same size as the entire navigable area in their previous game, GTA: Vice City. This can pose some problems, namely if you’re looking to go somewhere specific within a limited amount of time. The developers realized this and have beefed up the map in the pause menu to allow you to target any point on it and create your own little blip which will show up on the radar in your HUD (heads-up display). Still, it’s too bad Mapquest wasn’t around back then.

Most of these new obstacles are dealt with easily enough except for one that hit especially close to home: the lack of D-pad control, which in a franchise that prides

GTA: San Andreas

itself on allowing thousands of ways to play the same game is just outright puzzling to me. The D-pad is now used to toggle the aggression of your gang (yes, earn enough respect and people will actually follow you) and to respond positively or negatively to comments by the exponentially more lifelike pedestrians roaming the streets.

And that’s not the only thing that will leave a “who put their RPG in my action game?” taste in your mouth. At the press of a button, you can view CJ’s ever-changing stats: Respect, Stamina, Muscle, Fat, and Sex Appeal. Kill enough rival gang members and floss your own gang colors to earn respect, run or swim to build stamina, and work out in the gym to build muscle and learn new hand-to-hand combat moves. The last two, Fat and Sex Appeal, are directly affected by the previous three.

So, if you’ve got a totally ripped physique but hide it under some ratty old clothes, the chicks aren’t gonna be digging your style.

Custom haircuts and tattoos can also boost these levels.

And the hits just keep on coming.

Health is gained by either picking up the corresponding icons scattered throughout the map (of which I’ve currently located zero) or by dining at one of the many fine fast-food establishments located around the

Nov. 1, 2004

17

Grand Theft Auto takes to the streets

city. A few are within walking distance of CJ’s hood, but you bought this game for the transportation, right?

Each vehicle handles differently, and you can increase your driving or cycling skill the more you ride. And, in a nice twist, each vehicle also has different audio levels corresponding to its type: lowriders have the bass cranked while four-door station wagons favor the treble. These settings can be altered in the pause menu to suit your own tastes, something I think should have been saved for altering the controller configuration instead.

Regardless, you shouldn’t be spending too much time behind the wheel anyway, or else the Fat meter will creep up on you as the other stats start to plummet. After all, you can’t command much respect when you can barely fit into your gang’s threads.

These stats must be monitored and kept in check constantly, which affords a certain responsibility where once there was none, and I don’t know if I like it. I can see how it adds to the involvement and realism of the game’s environment and gives those restless players some structure in their gameplay, but for me it seems much more of a hassle.

In previous Grand Theft iterations, I used to love loading a saved game and just striking out into the world, terrorizing anyone and anything I felt like in an all-out rampage with no consequences whatsoever. If I died, got arrested or pissed off the wrong gang I could always reload my save and start over again without worrying that I missed something. But in San Andreas, where every new adventure offers the potential to gain some stat points or cash or precious respect, it’s nearly impossible to reload that saved game without feeling at least a little guilty. What a sneaky way for Rockstar to add a linear structure to a supposedly non-linear game.

Simply put, this is the greatest PS2 title to date in terms of production value and overall gameplay, though it still has its quirks; the framerate stutters at certain points and slowdown can occur, collision physics and graphics-related bugs are still present, and all lumped together like that it would spell certain doom for any lesser game. However, the sheer size of this technological masterpiece more than makes up for these tiny inconsistencies, and the frequency at which they occur is so lopsided that you’ll forget they even exist until they actually happen.

Rockstar so adequately captures the feel of early ‘90s thug life by borrowing heavily from Spike Lee and John Singleton films of the era, immersing the player in a funk of West Coast drama so thick that you’ll actually begin to care about your character.

But that won’t stop you from throwing him off a highway overpass just to see what happens.

“ ” Simply put, this is the greatest PS2 title to date.

a&e

Roots

Grand Theft Auto - PlayStation

GTA 2 - PlayStation

Grand Theft Auto 3 - PS2

Grand Theft Auto: Vice City - PS2

the harbinger

It’s the first day of November, and you know what that means: OSCAR SEASON!! As the studios prep their big guns for release, here’s a look at some of the biggest holiday flicks BY IAN MCFARLAND

HOLIDAY MOVIES

18

a&e

THE ACTORS: Colin Farrell, Rosario Dawson, Angelina Jolie, Anthony Hopkins. THE STORY: It’s a biopic on Alexander the Great, who by the time he was 32 years old had amassed one of the largest empires in history. THE GOOD: It’s being directed by Oliver Stone, often regarded as one of the greatest living American directors. THE BAD: Farrell’s acting hasn’t been the best in the past, can he lead an epic?

THE VERDICT: Look for Alexander to be one of the most critically acclaimed movies of the year. OPENS NOVEMBER 26

Alexander

Finding Neverland

The Incredibles

The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou

Meet the Fockers

Ocean’s Twelve

THE ACTORS: Johnny Depp, Kate Winslet, Dustin Hoffman. THE STORY: Another biopic, but luckily it’s not about a certain pop singer.

Neverland follows the experience of J.M. Barrie, who wrote Peter Pan as he creates the world that made him famous. THE GOOD: The movie is being touted as the one that brings Depp his well-deserved acting Oscar. THE BAD: The trailers make this movie look like it may be too saccharine to sit through for two hours. THE VERDICT: Expect Finding Neverland to be one splendorous experience.

OPENS NOVEMBER 24

THE ACTORS: Craig T. Nelson, Holly Hunter, Samuel L. Jackson, Jason Lee. THE STORY: After retiring, Mr. Incredible and his family of superheroes are forced back into action when the world’s saftey is at stake. THE GOOD: Pixar, the studio who created this film, has one of the best track records in Hollywood, with classics like Toy Story and Finding Nemo. THE BAD: Seeing any Pixar film, which makes movies that greatly appeal to kids, means going to a theater packed with loud five-year-olds THE VERDICT: How could the guys who made Finding Nemo go wrong? OPENS FRIDAY

THE ACTORS: Bill Murray, Owen Wilson, Anjelica Housten, Cate Blanchett, WIllem Dafoe. THE STORY: Steve Zissou (Murray), a world renowned submarine diver, and his team set out to kill the “jaguar shark” to garner revenge for his late partner. THE GOOD: Writer/ director Wes Anderson has brought us classics like Rushmore and The Royal Tenenbaums. THE BAD: Anderson’s eccentric style has been known to alienate many. THE VERDICT: Eccentric as it may be, The Life Aquatic is likely to be one of the funniest movies of the year. OPENS DECEMBER 25

THE ACTORS: Ben Stiller, Robert DeNiro, Dustin Hoffman, Barbra Streisand. THE STORY: Three years after Meet The Parents, we get to meet The Fockers. Now that Greg (Stiller) has his girlfriend’s father’s permission to wed, the couple’s parents decide to meet for the first time. Awkward moments abound. THE GOOD: Parents was a comedic masterpiece, where everything that could go wrong did go wrong. THE BAD: Can lightning strike twice? THE VERDICT: While the movie’s box office figures are more than likely to be a success, the jury is still out on this film’s quality. OPENS DECEMBER 22 THE ACTORS: George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Julia Roberts, and everyone else who was in the original. THE STORY: The old gang of 11 theives from Ocean’s Eleven reunite to rob three joints. But this time, the setting is Europe and the joints are art museums. THE GOOD: Ocean’s Eleven was one of the best films of 2001. THE BAD: With a new setting, and a completely different look, can Twelve match the supreme sense of style that dominated the first flim? THE VERDICT: Even if Ocean’s Eleven didn’t have its style it would have been a great heist movie, so be sure to mark this one down in your calender.

OPENS DECEMBER 10

Also look for: The Aviator, Blade: Trinity, Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason, Closer, Lemony Snicket’s a Series of Unfortunate Events, National Treasure, The Polar Express, The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie and Spanglish

Nov. 1 2004

Tuning Internet

a&e

issue 5

the

art by Michael Pope

The megabyte age of music media is here, and with it comes myraid choices.

We take a look at some of them. Evan Favreau

File Sharing Programs -

www.limewire.com, www.kazaa.com Pricing: free CD Burning: All files can be burned to through a seperate program of your choice Exclusives Example: anything Summary: File sharing programs have the biggest draw and the biggest drawback: they are completely free and easily have the widest selection, but they have been ruled illegal in the past. There are several different programs you can use, the most popular ones being LimeWire and Kazaa, and they are generally all the same. The pluses to file sharing programs are the huge selection of possible songs: almost every song can be found. In order to find the right quality of song you may need to have some patience, but it pays off in the end. Another huge plus is the other things that can be downloaded. Images, videos and programs can all be downloaded. Programs like iTunes and Rhapsody may have a cleaner interface, but for the money and selection, you can’t beat file sharing.

Grade: A

iTunes - www.itunes.com

19

Pricing: free iTunes program download, $.99 song download, at least $9.99 fo an album download CD Burning: all downloaded songs can be burned through the iTunes program Exclusives Example: U2 - “Vertigo” Summary: There is one huge advantage when it comes to iTunes: exclusive compatability with the iPod. If you own one of these expensive gadgets then iTunes is the definitely the way to go. When compared to Rhapsody, however, iTunes has a few shortcomings. Before paying $.99 for a song, one can only listen to 30 seconds of it, though that’s the tradeoff for not paying a monthly fee. Also, the program’s interface is not as clean and easy to use as Rhapsody’s.

The iTunes does differentiate itself since it can be used as a media player for other files.

Grade: B-

Rhapsody - www.rhapsody.com Pricing: $9.95 monthly or $24.95 quarterly. $.79 to burn a song CD Burning: Most songs can be burned but there are exceptions Exclusives Example: Bowling For Soup acoustic songs Summary: Rhapsody is best suited for the person who likes to listen to music while online with a mini-player available for easy control while on the computer. And since songs cost $.79 to burn, a frequent burner can save money in the end. When it comes to selection there are some ups and downs. Rhapsody easily has the largest selection compared to iTunes and Wal-Mart, though some major players like Led Zepplein are missing.

And some CDs don’t have all tracks available. But in the end these problems don’t detract from the program.

Grade: B+

Wal-Mart Music Downloads - musicdownloads.walmart.com Pricing: free optional Windows Media plug-in, $.88 per song download, discounts on full albums CD Burning: all downloaded songs can be burned through a seperate program of your choice Exclusives Example: Tim McGraw - “Live Like You Were Dying” Summary: When comparing the prices with iTunes, the Wal-Mart music download program is obviously in direct competition with the Apple program. By offering lower prices on their individual songs and CDs they hope to entice possible iTunes consumers. However, their program is not yet at the standard set by iTunes. The only program accompanying Wal-Mart downloads is a plug-in for Windows Media, which means that those without that program are left out. And without that program the burning is up to you, making the process drag out longer. And with an already established fanbase, iTunes offers more in the way of exclusives and special features. But if its the price that you are worried about, then Wal-Mart may be your option.

Grade: C+

Nov. 1, 2004

20 sports

the harbinger

Andy Launder

Junior and player for KC Hammer Time Logan Wysong said.

Other skilled teams to look for are the West Side Connection, which is made up of all juniors and the Ragin’ Asians, who are another all senior team that was close to beating Struttin’ last year.

“It was pretty even throughout the game and we were up in the second to last inning but we lost because one of our players hit the school sign (negative runs),” senior and player for the Ragin’ Asians Frankie Emert said.

“This year we think we have a good chance and we are ready for a rematch.”

There are also many underclassmen teams.

Upperclassmen feel they don’t have the Wiffle ball experience it takes to do well in the tournament. This is because of Coach Reed’s departure and his curriculum that consisted of almost as much Wiffle ball as weight lifting.

“Coming into this they never had the East Wiffle ball experience and the legend of Coach Reed, Steadman said. “Because they took Wiffle ball out of weights even we need to have a practice or two to get back in the flow of the game.”

Experienced or not the teams are ready to put the bat to the ball and start playing.

The games will be held on Wednesday, Nov. 3, Tuesday, Nov. 9, and Thursday, Nov. 11 from 7-9 p.m. in the gym.

As fall sports are winding down and winter sports are yet to begin, there is another sports season upon us here at East: Wiffle ball season.

The Intramural Wiffle Ball Tournament begins Wednesday and teams are gearing up for the competition.

“We are getting new shirts and getting pumped about the games,” senior Adam Miller said.

Miller plays for Struttin’, which consists of seniors Tom Darnall, Jeff Winters, Blake Goodman, Scott Miller, Marshall Martens, Todd Crawford, Jordan Steadman and Tyler Harrelson. They won the tournament last year and haven’t lost in two years.

“It is our duty to win this year,” Winters said.

The team is confident and they feel they are equipped with the necessary weapons to do the same damage they have done the last two years.

“Everybody can be potentially fatal with the bat,” Steadman said.

Struttin’ will have to live up to their potential because they will be competing against many other talented teams. One being KC Hammer Time, who lost to Struttin’ in last years championship game.

The game went into extra innings and was won when Steadman hit a home run which hit a sign.

“Struttin’ is overrated and we are going to hand it to them this year,”

It’s Back!

Teams prepare for the annual can drive Wiffle ball tournament

R E C Y C L E Nov. 1, 2004

issue 5

One True

Ian Stanford

Passion

Medical problems have kept sophomore from playing sports, but not from loving them

fistula in his left arm, is cleaned in the dialysis machine, and then reenters the blood supply. The machine performs the John Owen was born with kidney failure and has a function a normal kidney would. slew of other medical problems. Predicted by doctors to Owen and twelve other kids went through treatment in die before the age of one, Owen is a living miracle. He the same hospital room. During the entire four-hour process spent much of his young life in the hopital. At age three he Owen had to lie in a hospital bed. He passed the time by went into a 28-day coma, during which doctors suggested watching TV, sleeping, talking to the other kids and ordering pulling the plug on his life support. Trish Owen, John’s chicken nuggets, French toast sticks and hash browns from mother, refused and never has lost hope for her son. By the hospital cafeteria. the age of six, Owen’s medical bill was $1 million. This Owen didn’t let repeated absenses due to dialysis get in added stress along with a brutal rape sent Trish into the the way of schoolwork. world of drugs. When Owen was nine, Trish signed over “John always makes up his work. He makes sure he temporary custody to Owen’s aunt, Shirley. Since then, doesn’t fall behind. He’s very hard working,” said Trudy Trish has made a full recovery. Owen has been living on Lounds, Owen’s English and American History teacher. damaged kidneys his whole life, and they could fail at any During Owen’s freshman year he earned a 3.2 GPA. time. This is the story of John Owen.

In the summer of 2004, doctors at Children’s Mercy Hospital were ready to put Owen on the waiting list for a Part 2 kidney. They organized a meeting with Owen’s family first John Owen dribbled down the court, determined to and asked if any family member was willing to donate a score his first basket. The referee looked away when Owen kidney to John. Both Trish Owen, John’s mother, and her double dribbled. How could anyone deny an eight-year boyfriend Jimmy volunteered.

-old chronically ill child a chance at scoring a basket? Eyes “I didn’t hesitate a second,” Trish said. locked onto the basketball, Owen himself didn’t know Before the transplant could be done, many tests had to where he was going. be performed on Trish to determine if her kidneys were “Shoot!” yelled everyone in the gym all at once, even the healthy and if her blood type matched Owen’s. opposing team and crowd.

Questions arose as to whether Trish’s kidneys were Owen pulled up his dribble, stopped and, mustering all healthy because she was a recovered drug addict. his energy, threw up a granny shot.

When all the tests came back about a month later Trish’s Swish! The gym exploded. kidneys were found not only to be completely healthy, but Little Owen jumped up and down, pumping his arms they were also a perfect match for Owen. as high as his contracted extremities would allow him. He “When Trish told him that she was going to donate her celebrated so hard that he fell and hit his chin on the gym kidney, John’s face lit up like you wouldn’t believe. He was floor. on top of the world,” Aunt Shirley said.

The crowd gasped. Owen popped up, laughed, and ran John and Trish went into surgery on July 13. The whole back to the other end of the court to get surgery lasted from 7 a.m. until 4 back on defense. Nothing could ruin this p.m. and was a success. John couldn’t rare moment for John Michael Owen.

He may not be able to play remember the next few days, he *** said, because of the heavy doses of Sophomore John Owen has been as much as he wants to, but medicine he took to prevent his body interested in sports since a very young Owen’s body doesn’t stop from rejecting the foreign kidney. age.

A couple of days later Owen felt the him from staying involved “My dad would always play with my difference of a healthy kidney. brother and I. We played basketball, with his passion – sports.

“I felt the best I’ve ever felt in my football, baseball, everything,” Owen whole life,” said Owen. “I now have said. much more stamina and strength than Today Jimmy Orwick, John’s brother, plays soccer, I did during dialysis.” football, basketball and baseball.

Even though Owen now has a healthy kidney, he still has And Owen plays nothing. to take care of it. Owen must take five pills at 6:20 a.m. and Owen’s health problems have prevented him from six pills at 6:20 p.m. to prevent his body from rejecting the playing sports as well as living a normal life. kidney. Not taking the anti-rejection pills within an hour of Owen suffers from kidney failure. Up until age fourteen, the prescribed time can cause Owen’s body to start rejecting Owen was living on his damaged kidneys. his kidney. If his kidney was ever rejected, it would mean “From birth John’s doctors at Children’s Mercy Hospital dialysis again until he could get another kidney. knew that his kidneys would fail eventually,” Aunt Shirley, Now that Owen has a healthy kidney and no more Owe’s aunt, said. “It was just a matter of when.” dialysis treatments, he can focus on doing what he loves: In October 2003, Owen’s freshman year, doctors found sports. a dangerous level of creatine in his blood. A creatine level *** is a measure of kidney function. A measure of .8 to 1.2 is Owen can be seen on the sidelines of the varsity football considered normal. Owen’s was 1.9. Anything above normal games and on the practice field with the baseball team. Not means the kidneys are not functioning correctly. Owen’s as a player, but as a team manager. level meant that he would require dialysis treatments and Owen first became a team manager after being cut by the would soon need a new kidney. baseball team.

Owen had dialysis treatments every Monday, Wednesday “I asked Coach Oehme and Ottmeier if there was anyway and Friday for nine months. To make time for the treatments I could stay involved,” said Owen. “They told me I could be Owen would attend morning classes, eat lunch and then a team manager.” leave for Children’s Mercy Hospital at 11:30 a.m. Treatment As team manager, Owen couldn’t hit the cutoff man, would start at 12:30. During dialysis, blood exits through a

21

sports

Nov. 1, 2004

photo by Kevin Grunwald

Contunued From Issue 4

SOPHOMORE John Owen throws the ball on the sidelines during football practice

knock in the winning RBI, or take a walk. Instead, he helped the team by filling water bottles, setting up drills and collecting batting practice balls.

“I have fun managing the baseball team and feeling like I’m part of the team,” Owen said.

After the baseball season head football and baseball coach John Stonner invited Owen to be football team manager as well.

“I knew he wanted to get involved with football,” said Stonner, who visited Owen at the hospital the Friday after the transplant. “He had such a great time bonding with the baseball team. He just really enjoys being out there.”

“It’s cool to be so close to the action and to know that everyone in the stands is watching you,” Owen said.

Being a team manager is good practice for Owen’s career aspirations.

“I want to do something with sports like sports medicine, announcing or coaching,” said Owen.

Owen’s medical history has given him a solid background in medicine. He reads about kidney failure and about his other problems.

“I like to know what’s going on inside my body,” Owen said.

“I believe in him completely. He’s a smart kid and he’ll do whatever he wants to do,” Aunt Shirley said.

In the meantime Owen is going to focus on high school life. This winter he will manage the varsity basketball team.

He will watch Coach Hair yell and J.D. Christie dunk.

“I can’t handle being away from sports. I’ve got to be part of the action,” Owen said. Hopefully for him, he’ll never be away from the action again.

22

sports

the harbinger

Setting up for a strong ending As the fall sports season comes to a close, the athletic teams end their season on a high note Patrick Haverty

•

• • • SENIOR Greer Donelly, a varsity captain, helped lead her team to the state tournament last Friday and Saturday in Topeka

•

Girls’ Golf

The turning point of this season occurred when the team finished second in the Sunflower League as a team. Their ability to chip well, and make their puts, saved the team a lot of strokes. Catherine Ward shot an 85 and finished third individually at the tournament, which was held at Meadowbrook country club. They team lost to Olathe East by 11 strokes.

Catherine Ward had a hot streak this year: she shot a 85 at league and finished third individually; a 87 at Regionals, where she finished second individually; and a 81 at state, where she finished 13th individually.

The key injury this year was to sophomore co-captain Ellie Leek, who jammed her hand in a car door. She was not able to swing the club like she could when her hand was normal, so this affected her scores in the tournaments before league.

Catherine Ward was the player who stepped up this year. She was a freshman, and had the best scores on the team from the very beginning. Ritchll says what makes her good is she has a sound swing, and was able to recover well from bad tee shots, by making the right second shot. He calls her the best player he has ever had in his 9 years coaching here at East.

The best shot of the season was when senior Claire Anderson put her drive within six inches of the pin on a par 3 at Lawrence Country Club.

Girls’ Volleyball • ∞ • •

The Lady Lancers started off the season rusty, when they went 2-2 in a tournament at JUCO and lost their number one ranking in 6A Kansas State. After that tournament, the team has gone 29-4 helping them advance to the state tournament.

The team’s hottest streak was in the middle of season when they won 15 straight including the Senior Night matches at East. This helped bolster the teams record to 31-6, which it holds now.

Player of the Year, Senior Stephanie Bruggeman had a career season this year as she prepares for play at Texas State next fall. She set state career records in kills, with over 2,000, and aces with over 500. She is ranked top six in the nation in career kills.

Last Fridays state tournament games against Whicta North, Maize, and St. Thomas Aquinas. If they took two out of the three, the competed Saturday in four team final.

Lawrence Free- State and Washburn Rural were two of the opponents the team expected to compete against.

Football

• In the first two games of the season, the Lancers came out rumbling with their first 2-0 start since 1998. After the first two wins, the team looked as if they would have a legitimate chance at competing in the state tournament.

• After beating former Coach Dain and his Olathe Northwest Ravens, though, the Lancers went on a four-game losing skid. Senior slot back/ linebacker Jarred Hodgeson was lost for the season to a leg injury.

• Key Injury: Though injuries came often and in great extent, the injury to Jarred Hodgeson hurt the team the most. They went 1-4 with him not in the lineup.

• Biggest game: Last Friday’s game against rival SM South was the biggest. Though they had already qualified for sub-state before this, it was the game that set their tone for this Friday’s game.

• • • • •

Girls’ Tennis

Turning Point: Didn’t really have a turning point, but instead a high point, and that was when Kristen Bleakley won the State singles championship.

Hot streak: Kristen Bleakley’s play throughout the State tournament. According to coach Sue Chipman, “Through patience, few errors, and good serves, Kristen was able to win all of her matches in the state tournament.”

Key Injury: The only injury was to senior Paige Sutherland, who injured her ankle running down the hill at the KU Football game. She wasn’t able to play the entire year.

Player who stepped up: Lanie Mackey improved her serve, net play, and ground strokes, enabling her to be a part of the #2 varsity doubles team.

Biggest match: Was the first set of the State Championship match. Kristen Bleakley got up 4-0 on Blue Valley North’s Kelcie Klockenga, and saw her lead dwindle as Klockenga took the lead 6-5, and was serving for the set. According to Chipman, Bleakley was able keep calm, and she tied the set, and ended up winning it, and would go on to win the match.

Nov. 1, 2004

Kristen Bleakley’s run to the State Title * The first Lady Lancer to win the 6A singles title since 1995 *During the season, Bleakely’s only losses came to Bishop Miege’s Colleen Reilly and Klockenga * At state, she only lost 9 games, and those came in her quarterfinal and final matches. *In the quarterfinal, she beat SMNW’s Nicole Ruiz 6-0, 6-1 * In her her finals match, she beat Kelci Klockenga from BV North, 7-6(7-5) and 6-2

23

sports

issue 5

A balancing act

Sophomore juggles three sports despite criticism

photos by Samantha Ludington and Kevin Grunwald

Meg Fracol “Did you hear about Natashia?”

“Yeah, she’s doing both, isn’t she?”

“That’s so selfish.”

“She could be taking another girl’s spot!”

Natashia Howell wanted to be it all, gymnast, dancer, and cheerleader. She also heard it all. The rumors, the second glances, even her friends talking behind her back. So when the JV drill team turned to look and whisper when she walked into third hour, Howell couldn’t take it anymore.

The one group of girls that shared her love for dancing and they couldn’t understand.

It wasn’t about the pompoms, the glittery eyes, the skirts, or the dance pants. It was about doing what she loved; performing and being good at it.

Howell was a performer. If she wanted to be a cheerleader, a dancer, and a gymnast all at once, she could handle everything.

She could do three practices a day, two performances every Friday night game, and carry a load of extra uniforms.

But could she handle everyone? *** Quit. That’s what she wanted to do.

That’s what she would do.

Natashia Howell sat down at the dinner table.

“Mom, I think I want to quit one of the teams,” Howell said.

“What?” Mrs. Howell asked.

“Well, everyone’s mad at me and nobody wants me on both teams, and I don’t know if I can handle all the stress,” Howell

explained.

“No,” Mrs. Howell answered. “Don’t quit.

That would be like giving in to everyone and proving them right. Do you really want to do that?”

Howell thought.

She didn’t want to quit. *** A pile of clothes sat on the floor, ready for the night’s football game. Silver drill team uniforms and pleated cheer skirts lay intertwined, waiting to be packed or worn.

Howell walked into her room and added a blue, sparkling leotard to the pile.

Looking around the room, different pairs of eyes winked from the flimsy school sports picture frames. The gymnastics team smiled from one corner, a JV and Varsity Drill Team posed next to each other, and the cheerleading squad rahed from their own picture frame. In the middle of it all, Howell and friend Ashley Taylor laughed from the confines of their buddy picture.

Sorting through the pile of clothes, Howell looked at each of her striped, zigzagging, or criss-crossing cheer uniforms.

“Which one are we wearing tonight?” she thought. “Oh, whatever, I’ll just bring them all.”

With that, Howell stuffed the three uniforms into her sports bag, along with her silver drill team unitard, black dance shoes, white cheer shoes, a pair of socks, and her gymnastics leotard. Pulling her hair back into a bun, she added her black cheerleading

ribbon to the bag as an afterthought.

With a last glance at the medals hanging from her wall and a flick of the lights, Howell was headed to the Friday night football game. She was prepared and she was ready for whatever role she might play; cheerleader, dancer, or gymnast. *** All things just keep getting better.

The Varsity drill team ended their dance as students clapped and cheered at the pep assembly. While the other girls smiled and reflected on their performance, Natashia Howell was thinking of something else.

Cheerleading. Quick Change.

The girls exited off the gym floor together, but Howell ran ahead out the gym doors.

Running up the stairs and throwing the small gym doors open, Howell scanned the floor for her cheer uniform. It lay in a neat stack on the floor, with a giant “E” standing out against the black background. Glancing at the clock, Howell grabbed the clothes and put them on as fast as was possible for a cheerleading uniform. She glanced at the clock once more (two minutes had passed) before heading out the door to become a part of a new team, the cheerleading squad.

Entering the big gym as quietly as possible, Natashia melted in with the 50 other matching girls; an army of cheerleaders. Lane Green looked over and nodded, acknowledging her switchover.

Howell could be it all. She was a gymnast, a dancer, and a cheerleader.

HOWELL at gymnastics practice, which she goes to every day after school. She practices drill team during first hour and cheers once a week after school.

7 PM Thursday, Nov. 4 SHAWNEE MISSION EAST GYM

WIFFLE BALL TOURNAMENT CAN YOU HANDLE IT?

Nov. 1, 2004

24 photo essay

the harbinger

JOHN SULLIVAN, Mark Modrcin, and Michael Horvath eat their bagels and help each other with chemistry homework during the festivities.

AFTER waiting patiently in line, junior Mike Chalfant receives extra credit from chemistry teacher Cole Ogdon for attending the Mole Day celebration.

Moles Gone

Wild

Students crowd into the cafeteria at 6:02 a.m. to celebrate Mole Day

THE MOLE secretly gets dressed into his costume before he makes his big entrance in the cafeteria. The identity of the Mole is supposed to remain a mystery.

photos by Linda Howard and Sara Theurer ADAM ROSS, Drew Robinson, Christina Strange and Laura Nelson fight for chairs during “Molesical Chairs� as students stand around the circle cheering on their friends. The Mole keeps the energy of the game up by dancing to the music in the middle of the circle.

Nov. 1, 2004