Issue 5 by The Harbinger

harbinger SHAWNEE MISSION EAST

What’s Inside

ISSUE 5, NOV. 3, 2003

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Midseason sports New DVD releases Behind the scenes on “The Adding Machine”

As the fall play approaches, actors get ready to

take center

photo by Jessie Fetterling

STAGE

PENCIL PUSHER: Mr. Zero (senior Charlie Thurston) pokes adding machine buttons with a giant pencil during rehearsal. Oversized props like the pencil are common in The Adding Machine.

Cynthia Goldman A boy spits out tongue twisters amidst a whirl of actors. The rhymes serve as stress relief and practice of what is to come. Another boy leaps up and down in anxiety. One girl sits alone concentrating on her monologue seemingly calm. The three students have one thing in common: they’ve been waiting for a shot in this season’s school play, “The Adding Machine.” Written by Elmer Rice, the play will be showing November 6, 7, and 8. These students await only the first obstacle in creating the finished product- the fall play. “Oh my gosh! I thought I was going to cry! But it was dark so that helped me! But I was so nervous!” exclaims a flushed freshman bustling out of the auditorium to join her friends. Taking place in an enormous, chilly auditorium, auditions tend to be the most nerve-racking experience for the actors. The room is completely dark except for a row of bright lights beaming down profusely on a single solitary stool in the center of the stage. Three teachers- Brian Cappello, Tom DeFeo and Janet White- sit in the back seats waiting to judge the next try-out. It’s “make or break” for the serious thespians and this

is only the beginning. “It’s such a relief to not try-out this year. It’s so intense,” senior Ellen Vessels said. Vessels is the student director for “The Adding Machine.” In the past, she’s been a props crew chief for “Gypsy” and “Little Shop of Horrors.” She is currently president of the Thespian Troop. “I’m so excited for this show! It’s my first time directing!“ Vessels is suddenly interrupted from her director duties by an exuberant freshman Abby Bavley. “[Cappello] told me to stay around for callbacks!” “That’s great!” “Do you think I got a part?” “Maybe. We’ll find out for sure tomorrow.” The next day, first time thespian Bavley finds out she got the part of one of the three Joes, described by another Joe, senior Cassie Creek, as “demon slaves to the Devil.” Almost two months later, Creek and sophomore Jonathan Lerner sit backstage waiting for their cue during one of the many rehearsals the drama department has had for the performance. “The show’s about a guy named Mr. Zero who hates his nagging wife (Claire Wyatt) and

his boss (Ed Fogel),” Lerner explains, “To make a long story short, there’s some murder involved and Mr. Zero ends up in hell.” Both Creek and Lerner describe the show as “expressionistic.” “It’s a one person view of reality,” drama teacher Capello said, “Elmer Rice is commenting on society and the world ethic to a view of humanity getting stuck in ruts. His portrayal of that is with all very startling, disturbing images. He has no attempt to keep in reality. He keeps to his views.” With such an abstract and difficult tone, “Adding Machine” ends up being a challenge for teenage students. “Capello tells us that high schools simply don’t even attempt to do this show because it’s too hard,” Lerner said, “I mean Capello isn’t an idiot. He wouldn’t have us do it if we couldn’t.” Lerner excuses himself and quickly assembles with the rest of the actors in the following scene. Lerner plays Mr. Three, one of the many friends of the Zeros, all with names like Mrs. Four and Mr. Six. They enter the stage robotically, lowering

and raising arms in a complete synchronized fashion. But precision and unusual subject content aren’t the only struggles. Straying away from students’ own personalities proves to be a difficult task as well. “It’s definitely the hardest part I’ve ever had,” junior Lauren Berman said of her part as Judy O’Grady. “First of all, I play a prostitute, which obviously I’m not in real life. And I’m also a [comedian in the play]. I’ve always told myself that I’m not a [comedian]. So I’ve put a lot of time out of rehearsal and practiced in my room many times.” Even with run-throughs of the play almost everyday, the drama team claims they still haven’t reached perfection. More long hours await. “I’m going to run backstage and grab some food. I’m going to be here until really late!” Bavley cries overwhelmed by the long day’s rehearsal, “If I don’t eat, I’m gonna die!” Junior techie and actress Katelyn Stroud who is accustomed to a play workload after three years, smiles knowingly, “Welcome to Main Stage!”

news 2

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Essay writing to be added to the SAT starting in 2004

Cappuccino Cash

photo by Jessie Fetterling

Andrew Finnerty

Due to the work of an SME parent, Sam’s Club donated $1000 to SM East in the form of a large check that is currently displayed in the library. Sam’s Club donated the money to the store when Senior Brett Miller’s mom Peggy Miller tried to get special coupons available from the store to organizations to help pay for the Cappuccino Day supplies purchased there. “Thirty or forty days later the marketing manager called me back and was intrigued by us and

Library uses $1000 donated by Sam’s Club on new books

our diligence in fund-raising,” Miller said. The marketing manager at Sam’s Club noticed that because much of the library budget had been cut, the SME library was constantly trying to raise funds with events such as Cappuccino Day, and that many students use the library. Instead of giving the library $25 or $50 coupons, Sam’s Club received permission to give a mini-grant, which is a grant given to area schools.

“I asked [the marketing manager] how much the check was, but she said it was a surprise,” Miller said. It was presented at a formal ceremony and turned out to be for $1000. Though Sam’s Club said that the money does not have to be used for the library, it will be used there and put to good use. “We will use [the money] for new books. We’re trying to rebuild the biography section because right now kids aren’t interested in it,” Librarian Kathy Knop said.

Joe West For a long time, the SAT has been devoted to filling bubbles on multiple-choice answers. The only writing required was filling in your name and school, letter by letter in small boxes. Thanks to College Board, administrators of the SAT, writing will jump into the SAT. Along with other changes, the major factor in the decision was to satisfy the University of California, who has threatened to drop the SAT as a requirement for admissions. The SAT includes changes in the math, reading, and grammar sections. The writing will consist of a blank sheet and 25 minutes of responding to statements. With these changes in place, the goal seems to have shifted to more test prepping. Those who are not prepared will have much more of a disadvantage. Students will be able to be coached on essay writing techniques. College Board has also made a proposal to copy essays

to the Internet for teachers and students to compare. Essays will give gifted writers an advantage. “Critical Reading” is expected to take the place of the analogies section, expanding the Criticalreading passages, and “sentence completion.” Since analogies will be replaced, the need for vocabulary knowledge will not be as important as subjects such as reading faster and comprehension. As far as math is concerned, Algebra 2 will be added to Basic Algebra and Math Reasoning, which will take the place of Quantitative Comparison. The changes being made in 2004 for the class of 2006 will no longer be about filling in bubbles, but also about filing large, emtpy spaces on paper to demonstrate writing skills. This is to create an advantage for students to demonstrate what they are taught in school.

3 opinion

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MP3s are MVPS 3

MP Players emerge as multimedia standard Carson Black I don’t understand how a product that supports illegally pirated music wouldn’t come under-fire, and I don’t care. For music lovers, it doesn’t get any better than an MP3 player. A cheap MP3 player will last you longer than any CD player. You can carry them much easier than most CD players, you never have to make a new CD of recent songs, because you can load a new playlist anytime you want. The files are small, but of high quality, and the players themselves are incredibly durable. You can drop ‘em, throw ‘em, toss ‘em (although I wouldn’t recommend it). You don’t have to worry about scratching CD’s, or cradling your WalkMan so it doesn’t skip. They don’t eat batteries, and they’ll fit in almost any pocket. I, Carson Black, embrace the changes in music technology. Every year, it becomes more and more senseless to lug around 400 CD binders and arcane stereo equipment, when it all could be much simpler. Why deal with all of this stuff when you can have hundreds of music files on a palmsized device, subject to your perusal. The possibilities are endless. Endless! Pro #1: With CD’s you continually have to switch discs to quench your particular thirst that day. Now, you can make a Carson greatest hits album (no songs actually performed by myself). Pro #2: Digital music is advancing in both its vastness and its quality. Jump on the bandwagon and get an MP3 player, which save you money in the long term. Purchasing songs on the internet is becoming a much larger practice, with more files added each day, including entire albums. Con #1: Consumer products typically cost money, and an MP3 player is no exception. Now, let’s discuss the types of players. If you have a Macintosh computer, and I-Pod is as good as it gets. Overall, it’s the best of all the players, but of course, you have to be an Apple-lover. A Rio is the next best type of player, and it’s capable with any Operating System. Other, smaller party MP3 players are good, but aren’t as reliable, in terms of how durable they are. Rio and Apple are established businesses, where there is enough customer support and a quality product. These smaller companies’ products are often cheaper, but inferior because of the features of the forerunners. Whether you decide they are a good idea or not, MP3 players are perfect for anything from mowing the lawn to doing homework. Plug it in, download it and you’ve got yourself a whole new groove. I don’t know how anyone could live without one.

R O I SEN KING PAR

you drive me CRAZY! Holly Garringer I remember a day not long ago when I dreamed about parking in the senior lot. It seemed to me that as soon as I got there, I would experience kind and wise drivers, as well as a plethora of parking spaces. Cheese and crackers, was I ever wrong. The first day of school my senior year, I was here bright and early. The sun shining down on the black tar in the lot was glorious. With a smile on my face, I parked in the third row from the front. Everything was coming up Holly. After a day of wonderful education, I happily skipped out to my gallant blue Honda. With a twist of my wrist I started my car and looked out my back window to see if it was safe to pull out and be on my way home. It was not safe and it wouldn’t be for another twenty minutes. No one would let me in, no matter how far I inched out. My day, which had started out so well, was turning sour. Finally an older woman in a mini van waved me in. But it was too late my happiness had turned to cynicism. Now I take my time going out to the parking lot so that I won’t have to fight the cutthroat student drivers. The whole experience, plus subsequent similar ones, made me question the way things work in the lot. We have a large lot with plenty of room for all the seniors. Most of the drivers have had at least two years experience under their belts. So why are things so crazy out there? To answer my questions I came up with a list that should allow us to better ourselves. The following are the biggest

problems in the lot as I see them. And since I am a bossy person, I have also added what I feel to be adequate solutions. 1. “I have to get out of this parking lot right now!!” This seems to be the common mantra of East students after school. Here is a newsflash that might shock some of you roadsters: The speed limit in the lot is not forty-five mph. Here is a good rule of thumb to remind you of the actual speed limit- take whatever speed it is that you usually drive, subtract thirty, take away another five, and then subtract twenty from that speed. That’s how fast you should be going in the lot. 2. “ I see that car in front of me, but I am going to keep driving anyway.” Fender benders are pretty much an everyday occurrence in the East parking lot. I am guilty of this one as well. In the first five months that I could drive, I got in three car accidents. Two were here at East. One was my fault. The other my lawyer has advised me not to speak of due to the legal repercussions I might face. All I can say is that everybody needs to watch what they’re doing rather than putting all their attention into what radio station to leave it on. 3. “See that sign that says, ‘No left turn from 7:00 A.M. to 3:30 P.M.’ Well I am pretty sure that doesn’t apply to me because I need to turn left. So I am going to turn anyway.” Everyone, students, teachers, and parents alike break this rule. The main entrance to the senior lot locates the sign. By going left you would be going north on

Mission Road. This is a problem because it creates two lines of traffic going out of the lot and leaves no room to be able to pull out of any of the parking spots. The school is attempting to remedy this by having a police officer stand in the left lane, thus preventing anyone from turning. However, some still think they can turn left, even if it’s from the right lane. 4. “ Oh my gosh, there’s Tiffany and Amber! They both looked so cute today! I am going to ignore all the cars behind me and slam on my brakes so I can talk to them for ten minutes! This will no doubt cause a line of traffic to form behind me but who cares? I have to know where they bought their clothes.” No matter what you have to say, it can wait. And since cell phones are passed out at this school like bubblegum, I think you can call them later. And please note, this is not just a female issue. For this to apply to males replace the names Tiffany and Amber with Bruce and Vincent and substitute the clothes conversation with one about sports. 5. And speaking of cell phones…. “ Ok, it’s 2:41, even though it can wait, I better call my voice mail and make sure no one called me during the seven hours that I was in school.” This one speaks for itself. Stay off your cell phone when you are driving. Anyone that says they can drive and dial is a liar who is telling lies to those that will listen. So that’s it, kiddos. These are the five biggest problems in the lot. Seniors this is mainly pointed towards you. However these kinds of problems plague the junior lot too. And sophomores, I guess parking on Delmar is sort of like this. Freshmen if you are driving to school, just get out of my sight. That’s just ridiculous.

editorial

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��

needle

Alex Abnos Dianne Smith Libby Nelson Annie Harrigan Lindsey Melvin

in the hay

VOLLEY BALL CHAMP

MASTER

Annie Harrigan I’m Annie, and I, uh...draw cartoons...

super student

Patrick Menihan Andrew Finnerty Corban Goble Courtney Condron Cynthia Goldman Barrett Emke Gordon Culver Katie Patrick

Photo Editor Editorial Section Editor Opinion Section Editor News Section Editor Features Section Editor A&E Section Editor Sports Section Editor Ads Manager

Joe West Business Manager Joanna Cross Subscription Managers Gordon Culver

Staff Editorial Violent culture due to more than video games actually is. Violence has gone from being simply reported to being used as an attention-getter. If this trend of violence continues, American society is in trouble, and so is the rest of the world. America has now gone as far as to actually declare all-out war against several nations, some of which may have nuclear capabilities. A mere fourteen years ago, during the Cold War, no wars were declared at all, despite the political situation then being even more shaky than it is now. Many different factors attributed to the prevention of war back then, but one of the most important factors was our knowledge – and healthy fear – of the effects of violence. The local news then wasn’t all murders, all the time. There was no Halo, no Medal of Honor. Violence could still shock us,

Art and Design Editor Head Copy Editor

Stephen McKim Copy Editors Corban Goble Carson Black

CHEF

You can see it every time you turn on the news. It’s the first local story every day: a man was killed, a woman was killed, a child was killed today in the Kansas City metro area, now here’s our correspondent on the scene. You can see it every time you walk into a video game store. An eight-yearold wanting a game like Halo or Medal of Honor, even though it’s rated “mature” for violence. There is a point when this gets out of hand, and that point is now.Violence is a growing factor in our daily lives. Video games that involve heavy amounts of violence are now some of the most popular. Five of the top ten best selling video games – like Halo, Medal of Honor, and Grand Theft Auto -- have violence as a central theme. The focus on violence doesn’t end there. It moves from the presentation fictional violence in video games, to the presentation of real-life violence on the local news. While the Kansas City murder rate is actually declining, local murders are reported first more and more, making the city seem m o r e violent than it

Editor-in-chief Assistant Editors

and we knew that if we went to war, it wouldn’t always be “somebody else” who died. We knew we couldn’t press restart and “play again” if we lost. So what will stop us now? There is no national program we can implement to stop the trend, because it not a national problem. It’s local. The problem starts getting solved when the first thing we hear out of the newscaster’s mouth on the news every morning ,is about something other than murder. It starts when the guy at the local video game store actually enforces the ratings that are put on the back of every game. If all of the small things fall into place, then finally, the nation will realize exactly what violence does, without needing a war to do so.

Patrick Haverty Ian Stanford Evan Favreau Carson Black Tierney Weed Alex Helmuth Ian McFarland

Sports Page Editors A&E Page Editor Features Page Editor Photo Essay Editor Asst. Photo Essay Editor Asst. Ads Manager

Barrett Emke Staff Artists Cynthia Goldman Ian McFarland Jessie Fetterling Staff Photographers Linda Howard Joanna Cross Jessie Fetterling Staff Writers Annie Fuhrman Patrick Ryan Paul Thompson David Vranicar Holly Garringer Dow Tate Adviser

Got something to say? The Harbinger welcomes reader letters Send them to Alex Abnos, Editor-in-Chief, in Room 512 or e-mail them to us at smeharbie@hotmail.com Letters must be signed and may be edited for length and clarity. Publishing of letters is up to the editor’s discretion.

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5 features LUAU FOR HAITI: Students in Mr. DeBartheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s World History class fasted anywhere from one to six days, raising money for schools in Haiti. Last Sunday they had a Luau to celebrate the money raised for the children. photos by Tierney Weed

L U A U

features 6

It’s ten o’clock on Columbus Day morning, and already the sounds of table saws, hammering, and the mechanical whirring of the hydraulic Genie lift echo throughout the auditorium. Dotted around the set flats lie Mountain Dew cans, along with boxes and boxes of assorted Krispy Kreme donuts. Stage lights shine on and off as stage managers and crewmembers walk across the stage, dodging scenery flats and the emerging set of the play The Adding Machine. The Adding Machine, written by Elmer Rice, chronicles the drab and boring life of Mr. Zero who spends all of his time adding numbers. Through Zero, Rice’s play comments on how technology can so easily replace the human being, eventually making the human unnecessary. Since September, the 56-member stage crew has been working to transform the stage into the expressionistic and dreamlike corporate world in which Zero lives and works. Through the set, the crew has been able to create Rice’s expressionistic world of The Adding Machine. The set is almost completely black, the stage walks are covered with sketches of numbers, and tubes full of a special paint glow in the dark when light by black lights. “When you view the show visually, [it] immediately throws you into thought,” director Tom DeFeo said. “Something is different and odd.” The dinner table that flies from the ceiling during the play is the size of a student desk, but the desk that Mr. Zero (Charlie Thurston) uses is over 6 feet high. The clock on the wall is warped and looks like a half-melted Hershey’s Kiss. “As an audience member, you see the walks and platforms taken at such a drastic degree,” director Brian Cappello said. You look at it and it doesn’t make sense.” To fully create a set that exemplifies the proper tone and affect on the audience is the task of set crew chief Scott Fischer. Fischer, who received a plot designed by DeFeo, gets started on actual construction of the set. “Some things we keep the same, but a lot gets changed, “ Fischer said. “If something doesn’t work, we have to change it.” The modification and actual construction of the set is a very time-consuming job. So far, Fischer has been working on the set every day from 3 till 9 on weekdays and 8:30 till 9 at night on Saturdays. In addition to the set, it is the task of lights crew chief Ann Sitzman to create the proper lighting effects to show the mood and reinforce the tone of The Adding Machine. Sitzman’s job is to coordinate how the lights and the set interact. This interaction is created by placing a cookie-cutter like cover, called a gobo, over the light. This changes the beam of light into an unfocused and blotchy one. The dark blue, red and green light creates an eerie feeling that covers the entire stage. To further this feeling, Sitzman uses white spotlights that shine up and from the sides of the stage onto the actor. This creates shadows that cover part of the actor’s face. These harsh angles create a feeling of emptiness for the audience.

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“[The audience] is not getting the full story. They are not getting a spoon-fed storybook. You have to get it yourself,” DeFeo said. To accomplish this emotional effect on the audience takes experience. Sitzman must make sure that the lights are focused on the right places and wired to the booth at the back of the auditorium. From there, Sitzman has to make sure that each light is timed correctly. “It sounds so easy to just set up lights, but you have to communicate with your crews and design where the cables need to go,” Sitzman said. Further transforming the atmosphere of the stage is sound crew chief Colin Barnes.. Since the end of September, Barnes has been arranging groupings of music and other sounds to create an irritating effect for the audience. A lot of the sound and music, DeFeo says, will be played during the scenes in which actors are speaking. “[The audience] struggles to know what to focus on,” DeFeo said. “The actors have body mics…[but] you have to work to listen.” The use of “subliminal” background music helps the audience to actually feel the emotions of the characters and become part of the play. “The sound crew creates music to help keep the audience uncomfortable,” Cappello said. The biggest challenge Barnes faces is making sure the sound effects sound like what the director wants. Part of this challenge comes from the oddity of some of the sound effects. Instead of using the sound of a regular doorbell, the sound is instead replaced with the sound of the return of a typewriter. So the audience understands this effect, Barnes has to make sure that the timing is done correctly. [We] do lots of practice to get the timing,” Barnes said. “A lot of it is experience to make sure the timing is right.” Along with sound, the costumes and makeup of the actors help to further support the dream-like reality of the play. “The sets, costumes, makeup… everything we do is to give a sense of reality that is to the nth degree,” Cappello said. To do this, the costumes and makeup of characters Mr. and Mrs. One, Two, Three, Four, Five and Six are all designed to look 2-D. “[The characters] talk in stereotypical broad terms,” Cappello said. “Instead of developing each individual character, you see the same thing.” Mr. Zero is different. His costume and makeup are designed to show how hard a life he has led. “Mr. Zero has old age lines because he doesn’t realize how bad of a life he has,” makeup crew chief Katelyn Stroud said. The set, lights, sound, costumes and makeup all come together to get the audience into a creative thought process. It is this extension of the play to the audience that makes The Adding Machine so unique and special. “Some people might feel anxiety,” DeFeo said. “Some people are like, ‘this is the best ice-cream ever!’ and others will be like ‘to much salt, not my flavor.’ You have to come in with an open mind.”

CAST

Mr. Zero • Charlie Thurston Mrs. Zero • Claire Wyatt Mr. One • Austin Roberts Mrs. One • Mary Walsh Mr. Two • Alex Bergin Mrs. Two • Rachel Sixta Mr. Three •Johnathan Lerner Mrs. Three • Camryn Renolds Mr. Four • Conner Hendriks Mr. Five • Seth Lyon Mrs. Five • Caitlin Hall Mr. Six • Reed Fagan

Behind th students costumes, sound to eerie atmo The Addin

ADDING

story by Steph photos by Jess and Pat

PERFORM

NEEDLE AND THREAD: Costumes crew chief Arwen Thomas has sewn over 15 matching hats for characters.

Playcuts: 3rd hour Wednes Performances: Thursday, N Friday, Nov 7 p.m. Tickets to performances a during lunch.

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CREW

Costumes: Arwen Thomas, Sarah Frederickson Lights: Ann Sitzman, Afton Beebe Make-Up: Katelyn Stroud Paint: Aimee Slater, Jillian Shoptaw Props:Lora Hawkins, Hilah Vander Lippe Set: Ashley Walsh, Scott Fischer) Sound: Spencer Fleeman, Colin Barnes Video: Eric Sisco

Stage Manager: Jaclyn Larson

7 features

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IN THE MACHINE: Sophomore Charlie Ehler is one of the many techies acting as a button during The Adding Machine.

SOUND SYSTEM: Assistant stage manager Katie Beth Hundley reads through a script at rehearsal.

8 Album Review a&e

Ian Stanford

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Trice andRapper friends deliver debut enlists help of shady characters for new album

photo courtesy of Shady Records

rapping about more emotional subjects. Instead of making a gun reference every “OK, okie-dokie Obie’s here,” jests other verse as 50 does, Obie raps about Obie Trice on his debut album, Cheers. an array of sensitive, personal subjects Obie Trice, Eminem’s second protégé, has that few rappers ever touch on. inherited the challenge of emerging from The album starts out slow but picks up 50 Cent’s shadow, which lingers over steam and really gets going by track five, the entire rap world. Obie handles the titled “Don’t Come Down.” In the song, pressure well by delivering a solid first Obie Trice gives an ode to his dear but album. 50 Cent may be better at flowing distant mother. Obie explains how hard rhymes, but Obie makes up for this by it was for his mother raising a child as a single parent in an inner city Detroit neighborhood. With his crisp, clear delivery he explains that his mother kicked him out of the house at age 17 when she discovered “plastic freezer bags with dope inside of ‘em.” The story progresses when Obie picks up a new hobby of rapping and by the end of the song Obie rhymes, “When they ask about me now you don’t just put your head down/ straighten up ma’/ you can smile now/ be proud/ everything’s kosher with the boasterous Obster/ let’s get closer/ so regrets never approach us.” The next song, “The Setup” featuring Nate Dogg, is about a man’s doubt that his girlfriend is staying loyal to him. With his CHEERS: Shady Records debuts Thrice. mellifluous voice, Nate Dogg

What’s Annie Harrigan

sings, “Sex on her mind all the time/ and you think that that’s your baby/ you don’t know!” Later in the same refrain he sings, “If you’re cool and she’s satisfied/ then why’d that ***** just page me/ you don’t know!” Other tracks such as “Look in My Eyes”, “Bad *****”, Spread Yo ****, and “Outro” hinder the otherwise consistently solid album. These songs, as evident from the titles, are laced with unnecessary profanity and are poorly written. Guest appearances keep the album fresh. The best tracks are those with someone other than Obie singing the chorus because he is strictly a rapper and doesn’t sing in this album. Other artists that make appearances include Eminem (on four tracks), Nate Dogg (on two tracks), Timbaland, Dr. Dre, 50 Cent, G-Unit, D12 (on two tracks), and Busta Rhymes. In “Oh” featuring Busta Rhymes, Dr. Dre lays down a head-bobbing beat that is almost as good as the one from 50 Cent’s “In Da Club.” Dre uses a steady drum beat and mixes in keyboards and a cello sound, which works to make this song a potential club hit. Eminem, who produces nine tracks, adds complex, bold beats that could only have been put together by the Dre protégé himself. On “Lady,” Eminem blends two

new on DVD

The Anna Nicole Show It’s almost painful to watch The Anna Nicole Show on E!. Sure, it’s enjoyable to watch Anna Nicole Smith stumble around in a daze and chase her beloved poochie, Sugar Pie. But when you realize that she’s making thousands of dollars doing so is when the pleasure turns to pain.

Rated: Not Rated List Price: $34.99

Finding Nemo

sets of lyrics together during the refrain by faintly echoing in one verse while the other is heard dominantly. This works well with the hard clap beat of the song. Obie Trice shines the brightest when working with Eminem. The two have a good chemistry in the studio and seem comfortable rapping together. In “Hands on You”, a love (ok, sex) song, which features and was produced by Eminem, Obie delivers his strongest lyrical performance of the album. “Talk when we see each other/ we got it all chalked out when we see each other/ under them covers/ I’m your lover/ I’m your friend/ I’m your man/ but I’m sayin’/ who needs a label/ we roll hand in hand/ visions of you havin’ my little man/ we joke/ you call me George For-man/ ‘cuse I’m namin’ him O/ number ‘fo/ me I’m three…” Few rappers show the maturity and depth that Obie Trice portrays in his debut album, Cheers. Without all of the great guest appearances however, the album would lose the punch that makes it enjoyable. Also, great beats from Eminem and Dr. Dre overshadow the sometime mediocre lyrics from Obie. As a rapper, Trice is good but not even close to his mentors, who make this album commendable.

Harbinger reviews are based on a four-star scale.

Scheduled to be released Tues., Nov. 4

The Adventures of Indiana Jones Collection Steven Spielbeg’s adventure trilogy is released for the first time in a three-DVD box set. You’ll laugh-- at the “monkey brains” scene in Temple of Doom! You’ll cry-- over the “tender” father-son scenes in Last Crusade! You’ll boo-- at both the Nazis and at Last Crusade’s Billie, the lamest female protagonist in film history!

Rated: PG List Price: $69.98

Legally Blonde 2: Red, White & Blonde

There’s really no question why Nemo is the highest-grossing movie of 2003. It combines amazing computer-generated seascapes, character-derived comedy and the most tenderhearted story Pixar has told to date. Nemo also gave us the funniest and most quotable Disney character in years-Dory (voiced by Ellen DeGeneres.) Just TRY to get through the movie without laughing at one of her hilarious lines.

Patriotism must be hip this week, because Elle Woods (Reese Witherspoon) is back--and she’s in the White House! No, really. The Fashionplate of thePeople is laboring for animal-rights legislation, but why can’t she look fabulous while doing so? Well, there is the whole issue of no one taking her seriously...nevertheless, this sequel is frothy good fun.

Rated: G List Price: $29.99

Rating: PG-13 List Price: $27.98

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a&e

Movie Review

Just not “Scary” anymore

The third film in the series doesn’t live up to its predecessors Ian McFarland

POWER, NOT BRAINS Leslie Neilson plays a president lacking smarts in “Scary Movie 3.”

Movie Review

Scary Movie 3 drops the Wayans brothers for David Zucker, ditches the R rating for a more accesssble PG-13, and consequently loses the personality that defined the movie series. After taking aim at teenage horror flicks ala Scream and I Know What You Did Last Summer in the first Scary Movie, and mocking the horror movie genre with The Exorcist and Poltergeist in Scary Movie 2, the third installment parodies supernatural movies, mainly

The Ring and Signs The movie starts off pretty funny, with a straight-on spoof of the opening scene from last year’s The Ring. Unfortunately, about half of the scene had been given away in the ad campaign for the movie. In fact, I kept missing out on most of the funniest bits because I had already laughed at them many times during the commercials. As the movie goes on, either the jokes get worse, or I just got tired of them. But I went from laughing a mile a minute to a chuckle on occasion. The new director, David Zucker has

An almost perfect “Jury” Evan Favreau While watching Runaway Jury, it seemed that the cast and crew was making this movie the appropriate way. It’s a thriller with a fresh idea, a solid script and better-then-average acting. They also knew it was a film that didn’t take itself too seriously, and were satisfied with that. But in the end they messed it all up. The plot in itself promises excitement. A lawsuit is brought upon a gun company by the wife of a shooting victim. Her by-thebooks lawyer, Wendell Rohr (Dustin Hoffman,) feels this lawsuit can be a

breakthrough against gun companies. The defense realizes this, so they hire jury consultant Rankin Fitch (Gene Hackman) to twist the jury in their favor. The only problem is that juror Nicholas Easter (John Cusack) and his girlfrend Marlee (Rachel Weisz) seize control of the jury themselves and will turn them to either verdict for a price. The screenplay for this film is solid, pacing the film perfectly. New twistsare continually supplied, preventing the film from becoming stale. Due to this, the film doesn’t seem too long despite a runtime of over two hours. The acting in the film is excellent for this type of popcorn movie. Gene Hackman, portraying what would be considered the bad guy, gives a

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great performance that really makes you hate the character. Rachel Weisz is also good considering her career consited of The Mummy series, featuring her as somewhat whiny and annoying. Despite the films good qualities, I found two issues with this movie. The first is that the movie doesn’t really tell you to who the hero should be, even though this type of movie calls for one. My other complaint is that the ending is too cheesy, even for a popcorn movie. The rest of the movie is fine and very enjoyable. The film will keep your attention with the excellent screenplay and acting, even if the end is a little off.

an impressive resume including the likes of Airplane and The Naked Gun, easily two of the funniest movies of the 80s. Scary Movie 3 has a lot of the silly jokes from Zucker’s past films, only a lot dirtier (so dirty in fact this movie really should have been rated R.) In addition to a new director, the only returning cast member is Anna Faris, meaning we lost the Wayons, Tim Curry and Chris Elliot. The replacements aren’t that bad, though it is pretty bland and I miss Marlon Wayan’s character, Shorty, though I did enjoy Leslie Nielson’s interpretation of the President. I suppose this movie is better than the second chapter in the series, but at least Scary Movie 2 had it’s own personality. I feel like I’ve seen this movie before through Zucker’s previous films. I didn’t really dislike this movie so much as I didn’t really see it as one complete movie. They went to far in making this movie a spoof and not an actual movie of it’s own. The criss-crossed plot of The Ring and Signs just doesn’t feel natural, and though funny, the scene parodying 8 Mile, which for no reason makes one of the main charecters into an aspiring rapper for one scene, doesn’t even come close to fitting into the movie. Sure, the movie gave me some laughs, but the prepubecent humor gives this film a very limited appeal But if you still haven’t heeded my warnings, I would suggest that you see The Ring and Signs before seeing this unfortunate atrocity.

Harbinger reviews are based on a four-star scale.

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In the world of college football, the teams look...

Allthe

Corban Goble

I’ll have a coffee, to mill it all over, but please hold the Sugar. Maybe the Oranges will wake me up, you know, all that Vitamin C. But then again, there is nothing like Roses in the morning, or maybe an early Fiesta. Anything to take my mind off the College Football bowl situation or the BCS system. As the college football season comes to a close, things are a bit…hazy. Nebulous. Cloudy. Foggy. Unclear. Five teams are making their bids for New Orleans, the indoor college football Mecca, to decide who takes it all home in 2003. Ohio State. Oklahoma. Miami. Virginia Tech. Georgia. Well, some have better odds than others. Unbeatens Oklahoma and Miami are in the driver’s seat, but have tough games ahead. Ohio States back stretch, is, well, back-heavy, and Virginia Tech and Georgia will need a little help. So what do those three even matter? OU and the ‘Canes will cruise, right? Maybe. Miami has yet to tango with

Same

Tennessee and Syracuse at home, and Virginia Tech and Pitt away. The Hurricanes have been stuck between a few rocks and in a few hard places, but they keep on winning (think at the Swamp, think West Virginia). Oklahoma still has to face Oklahoma State, a team that has beaten them two years in a row, and then the Big 12 North winner in the Big 12 Championship, probably Nebraska. VT, Georgia and Ohio State aren’t knocked out-yet. Ohio State still has yet to face Big 10 rivals Michigan State, Penn State, Purdue, and Michigan, all of those teams (except Penn State) foaming at the mouth to spill Buckeye blood. Georgia will need the most help, because they would have to run the table AND beat the SEC West team in the SEC Championship game (most likely LSU).

Longshots include Florida State and Washington State. Florida State may cruise to another ACC Title (automatic BCS bid, anyone) but still have to play at the Swamp against the increasingly treacherous Gators. WSU has USC this weekend in SoCal, and USC has

hardly slipped up. Come to think of it, USC has a pretty good chance also. As it gets deeper and deeper in this race for the Sugar Bowl, one team will slip up and another will surely take advantage, and the whole BCS standings could be turned upside down like an hourglass. With the Rose Bowl free of allegiances to the Pac-10 and Big 10 Conferences, who knows will play in Pasadena. If Florida State locks up the ACC (they probably will), they have to have a spot in one of the four BCS bowls. SEC Champions, Big 12 Champs, ACC Champs, Big 10 Champs-grab four of the eight BCS bowl spots. That leaves four spots empty for at-large bids. We may have an Oklahoma-Miami title game, or it could be Nebraska vs. Georgia (don’t hold your breath), but no matter what, they still play the games on turf, not paper. First of all, turf is more resilient, and using paper is

plain stupid and expensive. Anyways, I think we should all just sit back and watch winter’s greatest drama, NCAA Football.

The Run Down National Rankings 1. Oklahoma 2. Miami 3. USC 4.Georgia 5.Florida State Passing Leader BJ Symones 3914 Rushing Leader Chris Perry 1094 Receiving Larry Fitzgerald 1018 Remaining Big Games Florida v Florida State Miami v Tennessee Ohio State v Michigan Nebraska v K-State Georgia v Auburn SEC Title Game Big XII Title Game Heisman Leaders Jason White Larry Fitzgerald Eli Manning

The Contenders

The Pretenders

The Darkhorses

The Sooners control their own destiny being the number one team in the nation and one of the only three undefeated teams, including TCU. They have potential pitfall against a talented Oklahoma State team which they have lost to the last two years. The Sooner look to be playing on a level all by themselves. Odds on making the Sugar Bowl: even

The Bulldogs have one lose in their record and this could hurt them if either of the two big undefeated teams don’t lose and if USC wins out. The Bulldogs have big games at Florida, at Georgia Tech and at home against Auburn, all of which could be stumbling blocks. Odds on making the Sugar Bowl: 14:1

The Cowboys lost their first game of the season at Nebraska. Since then they have won seven games in a row. They still have big games against Oklahoma and Texas. With wins here they would control the Big Twelve South. Odds on making the Sugar Bowl: 35:1

Oklahoma Sooners

Miami Hurricanes

The Hurricanes also control their own destiny. They are really the only other team in the nation that has comprable talent to the Sooners. If they begin to play up to their ability they will most definately make the national title game. They face big tests against Virginia Tech and Tennessee. Unless the offense gets its act together this team could stumble. Odds on making the Sugar Bowl: 3:1

USC Trojans

The Trojans have one lose so they have to count on one of the top two teams to lose. If either of the other two lose the trojans look to step up and into the national title game. They have a nice schedule with their toughest game against no. 6 Washington State at home. Odds on making the Sugar Bowl: 8:1

Georgia Bulldogs

Florida State Seminoles

The Seminoles regrouped well after being defeated by the Hurricanes in Tallahassee. They need to stay alert because they still have tough games at Notre Dame, and against ACC challenger NC State. They close the season at an always improving Florida Team. Odds on making the Sugar Bowl: 20:1

Washington State Cougars

The Cougars only loss of the season came in their first game at Notre Dame. They have one real test the rest of the season and that is at USC and will determine where they will end up in the Pac 10 and the nation. The only other roadblock would be the always dangerous in state game against Washington. Odds on making the Sugar Bowl: 25:1

Oklahoma St. Cowboys

Louisiana State Tigers

The Tigers suffered a lose at the hands of the Florida Gators but responded well with a win the next week over the surgins Auburn Tigers. The Tigers control the SEC West and if they can win out and win the SEC title game they may be able to sneak into the Sugar Bowl. Odds on making the Sugar Bowl: 40:1

Ohio State Buckeyes

Even with home games against Michigan State and Purdue and a big season finally at Michigan, the Buckeyes are in a good place. Wins against these teams will boost their BCS ranking. The defending national champs are still alive. Odds of making the Sugar Bowl: 45:1

THE HARBINGER

Cryin’ Cats What happened to the dream? The first ever 15-0 season, a national title, the best team in college football. What happened to all the fans tooting the horns of the Cats? Gordon Culver E v e r y t h i n g was falling right into place for the Kansas State Wildcats coming into the season; they had two Heisman Trophy candidates in senior Ell Roberson and junior Darren Sproles leading a high powered offense. The Cats had every piece in place for greatness, or so they all thought. Three loses later things look a little different. The dream is shattered, because 15-0 is impossible, but more disturbing to me, all the noise that the Cat’s fans were making before the season has stopped. The season opened as it was supposed to, an easy victory at Arrowhead Stadium here in Kansas City against an overmatched California team. The thousands of K-State fans were going crazy in the stands because they had beat yet another “cream puff ” in the Bill Snyder era. They acted as if this first win vaulted them into greatness, not just a 1-0 start. The fans talked and talked how this was the year. The next three opponents, Troy State, McNeese State and Massachusetts all rolled into Manhattan and were killed by the Cats, each game in front of a sold out crowd yelling and screaming. At the end of each game the fans acted like beating any of those three opponents was a real accomplishment. Two of the teams, McNeese State and Massachusetts aren’t, even division 1A teams (but K-State fans will remind you that McNeese State is

number one in division 1AA). Number six in the nation, a 4-0 record, a jammed packed KSU Stadium and another lesser opponent arriving in Manhattan created a feeling of a 5-0 start going into conference play. The fans talked the next stop being the Sugar Bowl, never mind the games at Texas, Oklahoma State and Nebraska much less the Marshall game. They were in baby, no question. But even with all of this going for the Cats, they were getting blasted by the national media, acually being called the most overrated team in college football by Trev Alberts. I couldn’t’ understand this, the best team in college football, overrated? He must have been joking. This statement was no joke though, it proved true by the end of that fifth game, as K-State fell to, Marshall, (gasp) a MAC team. Mind you this is not the Marshall team that last year had Byron Leftwitch leading their offense, nor is it the Marshall team that had Chad Pennington throwing to Randy Moss, this was a 1-2 Marshall team devoid of superstars. Wildcat nation had never looked darker, but the fans stayed true to their team, they were still vocal and still annoying as ever claiming they were still going to win the national title even with one loss. The Cats had a bye before the Texas

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K-State’s prediction for a BCS title falls short game which gave them time to regroup, but time did nothing to help them. They were beaten by an opportunistic Texas team and then beaten again the next week by a superior Oklahoma State team. With t h r e e losses in a row the Cats feel to 4-3 and out of the top 25. An odd thing happened at this point, all the predictions of a national title, all of the cries for love and respect ceased. All of the K-State fans seemed to disappear. It all of a sudden became uncool to be a KState fan. I guess the point of all of this is really to ask, where is the loyalty? Fans never came to the K-State games before they became a good team in the early 90’s and now with three losses and any real chance of winning the Big 12 and getting to a BCS game out the window, the fans once again have disappeared, not from the stadium because it is true that attendance has increased with the coming of the Big 12 season, but that is because the teams coming to town are actually credible football teams, but from view of any non K-State fans. The fans may say in their defense, “Well, there are never any people at the KU football games because they are

so bad,” but you have to look at the facts, and the facts are that KU didn’t even sell out their football games when they were good, most notably in 1995 when they finished number nine in the nation. Fans never talked about KU football, KU basketball is all that has ever mattered. And the Missouri fans have still sold out or nearly sold out their games regardless of the success of their team. Their fans still talk about the team, they hold on to every hope of making a bowl game and I commend them for this. They would do anything for a football team as quality as the K-State tame, and frankly I think that they deserve it more than the K-State fans do. It’s true I dislike K-State, but I dislike the fan’s lack of loyalty even more. I’m not saying that every K-State fan is disloyal because there are those fans that stay true to the team. There are those fans that would go see the Cats play if they were the “cream puff” team playing a nationally ranked team. They would watch the games just for some hope of knocking off a national power house, and Marshall showed that there always is hope. There are those that would do anything for K-State football, but the fact is those are the people that are the quietest and do the least talking until there is actual reason to talk, say after an undefeated regular season going into the Big 12 Title game. I respect the true fan. Sure the dream is dead, the hope for a 15-0 season is gone, but I still want to see the K-State football team getting some love because they are a good team, but not a great one. The K-State fans need to get their loving in during football season because lord knows you would never want to rest any hope on the K-State basketball team. art by Annie Harrigan

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THE HARBINGER

photo by Alex Helmuth

MAKINGTheir MARK

Athletes have caught eyes of many at early age

DIAPER DANDIES: The two underclassmen have made an impact on their respectable teams.

goals scored by Webb in his first varsity game

points Christie scored in his first varsity

game

Scoring three goals in one game or averaging 13 points per game are not easy tasks. However, they have been accomplished by two sophomore athletes, who are not only playing varsity, but making an impact. Sophomore soccer player Garret Webb was called up to varsity halfway through freshman year, and started as forward his sophomore season. “Everyone pretty much embraced me, being a freshman on varsity. The ones that didn’t embrace me played harder, so I wouldn’t get their spot,” Webb said. Webb was able to mesh with the upperclassmen this year, since he played with most of them on junior varsity last year. “This year’s group of seniors has really helped me, and made me fit in. It wasn’t awkward, and

they trusted me with my skills,” Webb said. Webb has already achieved the attention and experience with Varsity soccer that most players don’t get until junior or senior year. “Last year the attention was a lot more than I expected, and maybe more than I wanted. It helped build my confidence though, and so did playing with three division one players,” Webb said. During the fall season, sophomore JD Christie could be seen playing alongside of Webb in the Varsity soccer games or kicking off for the football team, until torn ligaments in his foot sidelined him for the rest of the season. As for the winter, Christie is working hard to recover from his injury in time for his second season on varsity basketball. This is where Christie has made

Record smasher

Senior delivers a record-breaking performance against Blue Valley West Patrick Haverty

Most running backs go through their entire career not rushing for 300 yards. Senior Kyle Rensenhouse did it in just his fifth game at the position, Watching Kyle run that game, you would never know that that was only his fifth game ever playing tailback. Besides playing a few plays at tailback his sophomore year, Kyle has always been a quarterback. When the season started this year, it was obvious to Coach Stonner that Kyle could contribute more to the team at tailback than at quarterback. “After watching Kyle at 7-on-7 this summer, we realized that he was a good, hard runner, and his position was at tailback, not quarterback, because that is where he could help the team the most,” said Stonner. This meant that Kyle would go from the general, to being the key executer on every play. “I really didn’t care; I just wanted to play were I could contribute to the team the most,” Said Rensenhouse. “There are things that I like and

don’t like about both positions. I like Tailback a lot because I get the ball most of the plays, and being the go-to guy, but I don’t like getting hit on every single play.” Kyle says that the transition has been easier because his line has blocked well for him and enabled him to make plays. The line was a big factor in helping Kyle with his breakout performance, and also helping average around 126 yards per game. “I credit the line for opening up holes, and letting me make big plays, they were a big factor in me running for 308 yards.” According to Stonner, what he does after the blocks are made is what makes him really good. “What makes Kyle a great runner is that he has the ability to run hard and read his blocks really well,” said Stonner. Rensenhouse has impacted the team in a way he hadn’t envisioned as tailback. Instead of finding the holes in the defense at quarterback, he finds them in the line.

5 Rensenhouse rushed for

308 in his 5th game at tailback

20 The number of points

the Lancers lost to Blue Valley West by in his big game

7 Rensenhouse’s number 2-6 The Lancers record

after the Blue Valley North game

126 Yards Rensenhouse

averages per game

photo by Megan Shay

Courtney Condron

his largest impact, and what seemed to make everyone know his name, even as a freshman. “People I don’t really know will sometimes come up to me and ask how the team is looking and stuff. I just try to ensure them that we’re working hard and are looking good,” Christie said. Christie was named first team all league last year and has already received mail from division one colleges showing interest in him playing there. “The colleges I’ve gotten mail from that I’m interested in right now are Ole’ Miss, Oklahoma, and Indiana, but I just hope I get the chance to play division one,” Christie said. Whether on the court or on the field, these two underclassmen are proving that they can be just as vital to the team’s success as anyone else.