Issue 6

THE

HARBINGER

issue six november 13 2006

Shawnee Mission East 7500 Mission Rd. Prairie Village, KS 66208

8

PEER TUTORING

9 13

STUDENT PHOBIAS

citric acid. taurine. sodium citrate. sodium benzoate. carnitine fumarate. niacinamide. guarana extraact. gum arabic. ascorbic PARIS PASSION acid. potassium benzoate. calcium pantothenate. panax ginseng. citric acid. taurine. sodium. citrate sodium. benzoate. carnitine fumarate. niacinamide. guarna extract. gum arabic. ascorbic acid. potassium benzoate. calcium pantothenate. panax ginseng. citric acid. taurine. sodium. citrate sodium. benzoate. carnitine. fumarate. niacinamide. guarna extract. gum arabic. ascortic acid. potassium benzoate. calcium pantothenate. panax. ginseng. citric acid. taurine. sodium. citrate sodium. guarna extract. citric acid. taurine. sodium citrate. fumarate. niacinamide. guarna extract. niacinamide. guarana extract. panax. potassium. gum arabic. ascortic acid. panax ginseng. taurine. guarna extract. niacinamide. guarna extract. niacinamide. gum arabic. taurine. benzoate. calcium. citric acid. taurine. benzoate. carnitine fumarate. benzoate. carnitine fumarate. niacinamide. guarana extract. gum arabic. ascorbic acid. potassium benzoate.taurine. sodium. cit rate.carnitine. niacinamide. calcium. gum arabic. pantothenate. guarana extact. benzoate. potassium. calcium. panax. ginseng. citric acid. taurine. guarna extract.t benzoate. fumarate. niacinamide.

B What’s O YOUR O ST in

Full of harmful ingredients, energy drinks are a dangerous necessity for many teenagers.

Find out the health risks. see story on page 12

page 2 [news]

New York, New York Marketing II students to take trip to NYC for leadership conference by [davin phillips]

new new Photo by Annie Krieg

with... with...

news news briefs briefs

... the nation

... East

Teen Studies

NAHS Despite the last-minute location change due to rain, NAHS was able to raise $1300 for Friends of Thomas Hart Benton at their art auction on Oct. 21. NAHS is now working on a charity event, Hats for Hope.

Former Marketing II students met with Diane Sawyer, co-host of “Good Morning America.” This year, students will be touring NBC Studios and exploring Chinatown and Little Italy.

After-school hours are almost as dangerous for teenage drivers as the peak hours on Friday and Saturday nights, according to a new study released by AAA. The study found that almost as many people died in crashes between 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. on weekdays as on Friday and Saturday nights, which are considered the deadliets time for teen drivers. AAA examined fatal crash numbers involving 16 and 17 year olds from 2002 to 2005.

Photo by Katie Woods

whats whats

run. They will also be able to talk with different business leaders and workers to get a better feel for what the jobs they do everyday are like.

Getting contacts from people for co-ops and internships for over the summer or for after college will be an advantage students receive from meeting different business leaders.

“I’m trying to decide between two careers right now,” senior Taja Loren said. “I believe this trip will definitely help me in deciding what I’ll do in the future.”

Past trips have given students great opportunities that are expected to be part of the experience this year as well, including talks with New York’s Mayor Michael Bloomberg and “Good Morning America”’s Diana Sawyer and Mark Gibson.

“The scope [of marketing jobs] is huge,” Rasmussen said. “We try to take students to many different types of business events so they can get an idea of what they want to go into after college.”

Students who haven’t been to New York not only have the benefit of seeing different job opportunities, but are also able to have the experience of being in a big city.

“I’ve never been to New York and I don’t know how it’s going to look and feel,” Arensberg said. “I’m excited about going to Chinatown and Soho for the different experience and the shopping.”

Financial Aid Night To provide parents with an overview of financial aid, there will be a College Financial Aid Night on, Nov. 15 at 7 p.m. at Northwest. Topics discussed will include scholarships and grants, unique financial issues, private lenders and tax credits.

Feast for East The fouth annual Feast for East: Jeans and Jazz, which is a fundraiser for the East Fund, will be on Sat. November 18 at St. Ann’s at 7 p.m. The event will feature live music by Blue Knights and Blue Notes, as well as a silent auction. New this year is a drawing with prizes such as a big screen television, restaurant gift certificates and a night on the Plaza. Tickets cost $25.

the [harbinger]

The

Agenda for the Big Apple

Here’s an itinerary of what the Marketing students will be doing on Wednesday, Nov. 15:

8:00

Macy’s presentation Madison Square Garden tour

10:00

Bloomberg reports tour

2:00

TRL taping

3:30

NBC studio tour Ground Zero tour

6:00 Dinner at Hard Rock Cafe in Times Square

Photos courtesy of Mercedes Rasmussen

They will go to see the creation of fashion designs, the hustle of television crews trying to get the show on the air, the haste of the stock exchange and the production of a Broadway show. They won’t be in Kansas anymore, that’s for sure.

Tomorrow, 32 seniors in Marketing II will leave for the yearly New York Exchange Leadership Conference trip for DECA. DECA is an international marketing club that students in Marketing I and II compete in with presentations, tests and role-plays in front of business people from the community. The conference, which is different from the DECA competitions, involves tapings of shows, company tours and presentations of potential jobs from the finance district to the fashion industry.

“I’m a DECA Officer this year so I had heard about the trip last year when I ran for office,” senior Briana Arensberg said. “It’s just going to be a great opportunity to explore the business world and see how business works in the big city.”

Each student paid $807 for the trip. The New York Hotel Pennsylvania is where the group will be staying. Marketing teacher Mercedes Rasmussen, Coach Jim Ricker, Assistant Principle Steve Loe and Jennifer Zerrer are all chaperoning the trip.

“I have older siblings that had gone and had a lot of fun,” senior Caroline Gray said. “It will be interesting to see all the businesses.”

An itinerary has been planned out for the students to follow.

Several months prior to the trip, Rasmussen reserved times for tours and planned out the other activities and historical sights that they will visit.

“Being able to go and see all the behind the scenes of how these different places work will be a great experience,” senior Brian Goldman said. “All we know about these businesses is what we’ve learned and have seen from a distance. This way we’ll get a more in-depth feel of how it is actually run.”

A better idea of the careers available for marketing and what these jobs entail are the main goal for the students to learn while on this trip. With back-stage passes and tours through business buildings, the students will be to see how the different businesses are actually

With the Statue of Liberty in the background, former Marketing II students posed for a picture on the trip last year. This year, 32 seniors will be attending the conference.

...events around the world

Saddam Hussein Iraq’s High Tribunal found Saddam Hussein guilty of crimes against humanity for the 1982 killing of 148 Shiites in the city of Dujail, and sentenced him to death by hanging. Hussein’s half-brother, along with the head of the former Revolutionary Court were also sentenced to death. The death sentences will go a nine-judge appeal panel, and if the verdicts and sentences are upheld, the executions will occur within 30 days.

National Merit Commended Students Twenty-three seniors have been named commended students in the 2007 National Merit Scholarship Program. The students are Weston Anderson, Kate Burgers, Max Clinkingbeard, Lindy Cope, Thomas Cranor, Cole Easterday, Tyler Enders, Sarah Forster, Amanda Hemmingsen, Jessica

Holmes, Sam Lawler, Daniel Lawrence, Samantha Ludington, Erin Morrissey, Michael Owens, Cary Paulette, Peter Reisz, Emmy Scott, Christian Steadman, Jeff Straub, Duncan Symon, Molly Werts and Nathan Yaffe. They are among the top 5% of students who took the 2005 PSAT/NMQST.

page 3 [editorial]

Hussein

What you didn’t know

about

condemned

Saddam Hussein

hang Death by hanging is primitive and inhumane to

in prison and think about the atrocities that he has committed? After all, Taha Ramadan, Saddam’s Vice President, was sentence to life in prison.

Saddam has already filed for an appeal, and the court is most likely to reach a final decision on whether to hear the appeal by next spring. If his appeal is thrown out, his sentence is to be carried out within 30 days. The Iraqi government, not the coalition forces, will carry out the execution.

Another concern for the United States is how will this affect the sectarian violence in Iraq. Iraqis had mixed reactions, some were jubilant and some were furious. There were countless protests in the streets of Baghdad; hanging Saddam could make him into a martyr for the terrorist and possibly fuel the fire of sectarian violence in Iraq.

If the United States wants to improve their standing in the world, they should condemn the cruel punishment of hanging for Saddam. The war in Iraq is more than a war for “weapons of mass destruction” or liberating the people. The war is about compassion and trying to gain a sense of humanity in the Middle East.

Found guilty of Crimes Against Humanity for the gassing of the Kurds in Northern Iraq in 1982 His crimes earned him the nickname “Butcher of Baghdad” The prosecution collected forensic evidence from 200 mass graves, studied two million documents and interviewed 7,000 witnesses before his trial began

The trial had 39 sessions and stretched over nine months

The majority opinion of the

Harbinger Editorial Board Each issue the 12 members of the board choose a topic and a member writes the editorial. Before being published a general consensus is made and the results are published here.

li

the

HARBINGER staff

Editor-in-Chief

AMANDA ALLISON

Assistant Editor

PETER GOEHAUSEN LAURA NELSON HALLIE MCCORMICK

Head Copy Editor Art/Design Editor Photo Editor

DEREK MARTIN ELLIE WEED SAMANTHA LUDINGTON

Assistant Photo Editor News Section Editor News Page Editor

PAIGE CORNWELL BERNADETTE MYERS

Op/Ed Section Editor Opinion Page Editor

KATIE WOODS

RUTH STARK RONAN MCGHIE CLARE JORDAN

Features Section Editor SARA STEINWART Features Page Editors Spread Editor

JENN SUNDERLAND RACHEL MAYFIELD LIBBY NACHMAN

Assistant Spread Editor STEPHEN NICHOLS Mixed Editor A&E Section Editor A&E Page Editors Sports Section Editor Sports Page Editors

MEG SHACKLEFORD KATIE JONES JOHNNY MCGUIRE JOEY SOPTIC CLARK GOBLE JAYNE SHELTON NICK RATLIFF

Nov. 13, 2006

information from foxnews.com

It was estimated that the prosecution’s evidence weighed over two tons

art by ren

In a time of war humanity often gets overlooked. This is especially true when we take a look at the actions of Saddam Hussein in 1982 when he gassed the Kurds in northern Iraq. He and his advisors were on trial for crimes against humanity for almost a year, and on November 3 he was sentenced to death by the Iraqi high court.

Few will argue with the conviction of Saddam, but the punishment is controversial. Death by hanging. In a world where human rights are often overlooked the question becomes does Saddam deserve to be killed in such a disrespectful way?

Despite Saddam’s two-decade reign as the leader of Iraq, he was tried as a civilian. According to the penal code of Iraq, civilians convicted to death are to be hung, a dishonorable death for a leader who was so powerful only five years ago. The penal code also says that military criminals are to be killed by a firing squad, which Saddam requested. He protested and shouted, “Allah Akhbar,” (God is great) during the reading of his sentence.

The United States did away with punishments like the electric chair and hangings in the mid 20th century.

By outlawing those practices the United States took the stance that we do not agree with cruel and unusual punishments. Although the US didn’t sentence Saddam, we should still condemn the primitive practice.

President Bush has praised the court’s decision, saying that it is a “a milestone in the Iraqi people’s effort to replace the rule of a tyrant with the rule of law.” But that rule of law should not permit cruel and unusual punishments.

The Vatican calls it “punishing a crime with another crime.” Does killing Saddam in such a manner really solve the problem? What is wrong with letting him sit

Saddam stood trial for the killing of 148 people in the Shiite town of Dujail

Copy Editors

AMANDA ALLISON TOM GROTEWOHL LAURA NELSON HALLIE MCCORMICK SYLVIA SHANK JENN SUNDERLAND ADRIENNE WOOD Staff Writers HANNA COSGROVE MEG FRACOL MICHAEL HAKE DANIEL HEADY ALLY HEISDORFFER ERIN MORRISEY NORA SALLE ADRIENNE WOOD NATHAN YAFFE FOSTER TIDWELL

Ads/Business RACHEL BIRKENMEIER Circulation DAVIN PHILLIPS Photographers KAREN BOOMER ABBA GOEHAUSEN JENNY HOWARD FRANCES LAFFERTY PATRICK MAYFIELD TAYLER PHILLIPS KELSEY STABENOW RACHEL WOOLDRIDGE RACHEL YOUNG Adviser

DOW TATE

The Harbinger is a student-run publication.

Please bring Letters to the Editor to Room 521 or e-mail it to smeharbinger@gmail.com

page 4 [ opinion]

The Way I See It # 165 Liberian refugee’s story sheds light on the consequences of compassion

Conflict in Liberia by the Numbers

Hope for Haiti

el wooldridge

the [harbinger]

coffee we waste $4 on comes in a recycled cup when those $4 could feed Solo’s family for days. The irony of the situation hit me hard.

As I listened to him talk, though, I thought to myself that stories like his are both a blessing and a curse. Don’t get me wrong; his was a beautiful story: coming to America with the dream of getting an education so he can go back and help his people. Stories like that are made into movies someday.

But that’s part of the problem: we look at it like it’s a movie. And like all movies, sooner or later the film runs out and the projector goes dark. We leave the theater with an overwhelming sense of sadness and feel disgusted with the way we live, but feelings like that are temporary. So after we’ve lingered for a moment with a borrowed story, we step out of that story and into our own lives again.

We feel like we should feel guilty, so we put in our time as sympathizers. We share our compassion, but never our action. We tell Solo we can’t even imagine what he’s been through and that something needs to be done. But if we truly believe the plight of people like Solo must be remedied, we can find the best solutions in the mirror.

You don’t have to be the person who feels the worst about the greatest number of issues. In fact, I would advise against it. It’s not realistic. It can’t last. And in the end, it doesn’t accomplish anything.

Nor do you have to come up with groundbreaking new perspectives on insoluble international quagmires. Pop pundits who editorialize on every contemporary issue are appropriately dismissed.

No, the little steps are the steps that matter.

If there’s one issue you develop a well-articulated position on, that’s enough. If enough people hear you say something about it, you can influence a policy or the outcome of an election.

If there’s one organization whose work excites your passion, make a small donation every month. Through years of support, that dependable donation can be put to work changing hundreds of lives.

Because the truth is that we’re in this for the long haul.

We face problems that have been around since the beginning of history, so we have to match their persistence with equal diligence if we hope to stand a chance. We don’t need to change our lives, but we need to be consistent to an extent that’s at odds with our inclination to ignore problems until we need a miracle pill to solve them.

The concept of spurning that miracle pill in favor of consistency is foreign in America, and one need not look any further than the Lancer student body to see it. We never study until we have to cram and never do homework until it’s midnight. But instead of doing our work steadily, we’d rather complain the day of the test that we only got 2 hours of sleep and we can’t keep our eyes open.

But this approach doesn’t work when it comes to people like Solo. As we commiserate his hardships, another rebel war is quietly developing in another remote nation. That’s why he wasn’t looking for pity when he looked into my eyes. He knows what pity does: nothing.

No, Solo was looking for a partner.

And though I’ve never met anyone quite like Solo, I imagine others in his position are after the same thing. The choice is before us to lend our pity or our partnership. One option makes us feel better about ourselves; the other stands the chance, somewhere off in the distance, to make this world a better place. photo by rach

I was 10 minutes late, but that didn’t matter. Speeding south on Mission, the opposite direction from my destination, I made a last minute pit stop at Starbucks for a cappuccino. There’s always enough time an opinion of for that sugary, caffeine-infused blast of happiness. By the end of the night those $4 would have a different meaning to me, but I didn’t know that yet.

Jogging to my car, I tried to keep the coffee dripping down my hand from staining the sleeve of my suit and thought about the opening ceremonies I would miss.

Fast-forward through 20 minutes of frenzied driving and coffee gulping, and I’ve successfully reached my destination. Throwing my empty 10 percent post-consumer fiber cup into the trash bin outside Nathan Yaffe the Hyatt Regency at Crown Center, I took the stairs two at a time up to the entry booths.

A lucky break—it was scheduled to start at 7 p.m., not 6:30.

“Name please?”

I was in: The Mayor’s Annual United Nations Dinner.

Every year, select Model UN students get invited to this event that draws everyone from teachers to UN top brass. This year, the -1989 Charles Taylor’s National Patriotic Front started panel of speakers included senior World Health Organization Ofits march towards the capital, where they killed then ficial Dr. David Nabarro, Mayor Kay Barnes and three former KC President Samuel Doe and instated Taylor as the new mayors—Congressman Emanuel Cleaver, Charles Wheeler and head of the country.

Richard Berkley. But the most moving story of the night would -200,000 Liberians were killed in the process of estabcome from my own table, not from the podium. lishing his rule between 1990 and 1996.

I took my seat between Paul DeBarthe, my former world history teacher, and one of his current students at Northeast High -800,000 refugees were dispersed during the course of School: Solo Zinna. his presidency, which ended in 2003.

Funny name? I thought about inquiring, but I was distracted by the beautiful spread of salads and bread bowls laid out before us.

I did what any hungry teenager would do: dig in.

It was only when I had polished off my plate of greens that I noticed my dinner partner, Solo, had hardly taken two bites.

Again, I did what any teenager would do: I asked.

The answer I got was more than I was prepared for.

I often find myself frustrated with Zinna told me he grew up in war-torn Liberia where he and columns that advocate for lifestyle changes without his family were in a constant struggle for survival against the providing much insight as to how to enact them. So equally terrible forces of starvation and rebel militias. Some I’d like to share how the changes I talked about beof more than a million people dispersed by a seven-year rebcame a part—however small—of my daily routine. el war begun in 1989, Zinna and his family were constantly Since the UN dinner, I’ve spent my lunches going on the move, looking for food and shelter in a country that table-to-table telling students about a simple fundwas both starving and incredibly dangerous. raiser sponsored by Outreach International, a MisI thought to myself that if I’d spent the first 14 years of my souri-based non-profit. life in the torturous purgatory of a war refugee’s existence, I The idea of the fundraiser is that students fast for certainly wouldn’t be pecking at a free meal now. a day and get one sponsor who pays them 50 cents for “But why are you hardly eating?” I asked. every hour they fast. * The $12 that raises is enough to He looked me straight in the eyes. His face didn’t ask send a kid in Haiti to school for a year. for pity, as one might expect from someone with his past.

During the week of April 9-14, participating students He simply exuded the candor of someone whose bank of will fast with the goal of raising $10,000, which is enough experiences was so large it could swallow mine, digest it to provide for the construction of a school, a teacher’s and spit it out without batting an eyelid. salary, and school lunches for 100 kids for a year.

He picked up his plate and let it bounce idly in his right Ours is a world in which 3.5 billion people live on less hand. than $2 a day and 35,000 people starve to death every 24 “If my family had this salad, we would be happy for a hours. The opportunity to build a school in Haiti at the rate week,” he said. of just $5 from each student at East is a hard one to pass Picking up the bread bowl with his free hand, he conup. tinued, “If we had this basket, we would be happy for a Telling 20 people a day about that opportunity is the month. There is no food like this in my country.” kind of small step I’m talking about. It doesn’t take changing Four children, two parents. your life. It just takes that tiny effort—half an hour a day durWith one salad—less than an appetizer to people ing lunch—to make a difference that will be felt by hundreds. like us—they could get by for a week. * Students are assured that anyone who may suffer With one bowl of bread—a bowl my family would harmful side effects from fasting—either health-related or go through in 10 minutes—they could survive in a otherwise—should refrain. They can still sponsor someone country ravished by war for a month. who fasts or just make a donation.

I remembered my Starbucks cup outside in the trash bin. We think we’re good people because the

page 5 [opinion]

Finding motivation for education

Students forced to take classes they will never use again

an opinion of

Michael Hake Sitting in second hour Physics the other day, I contemplated when I would ever use vector addition or projectile motion. Vectors aren’t even real objects.

Projectile motion won’t help me get a job.

And to be completely honest, my chances of putting this material to use as a scientist someday are about as good as George Dubya pronouncing the word “nuclear” correctly.

I looked around the class and saw other students staring blankly towards the front of the room, while the teacher desperately tried to force some life from the class (Bueller…Bueller…).

Refocused, I was ready to try to understand how physics pertained to real life, but even Einstein himself might have laughed at the next example. My teacher was showing us a game on the computer where the object is to drop a water balloon out of a window and hit the person standing below, only in this game we had to aim the balloon by adjusting the velocity,

Lancer Voice

acceleration, etc. I like launching a water balloon (or anything for that matter) out a tall building’s window, but I’m not about to calculate the physical properties and aerodynamics before I do so.

That’s just one example of why I think learning higher-level science and math isn’t a realistic expectation for students who aren’t planning on majoring in the subject. Each career path has a different set of skills required to get the job done.

In other words, if you plan on being a rocket scientist or mathematician, knock yourself out. But for students who aren’t going into science- or math-related fields, taking advanced courses in those subjects is about as useful as Jessica Simpson in a book club.

In reality, it takes a more specialized education in your most likely career path in order to be successful. I’m going to take wild a guess that Donald Trump didn’t achieve his position by acing every calc test, but rather by learning the ins and outs of real estate and money management. While I don’t plan on being a multi-billionaire business mogul, I too tend to focus more on a possible career path (journalism). If you don’t believe me, just ask a certain one of my teachers, who wrote me up for reading the sports section during class the other day.

I’m not saying that the school should change the classes we are required to take, because, not only would the district not allow it, but cancelling activities the students like seems to keep the administration busy enough.

My suggestion instead is this: Get used to being assigned work you don’t like, as this will most likely happen even more in the near future.

To say that math is pointless would be wrong, as some can come in handy once in a while. The other day I used math to calculate my hourly wage mowing/raking leaves for the day, and recognized that it can serve a purpose. As for Algebra 2, Calculus and Trigonometry, well, at least the textbook makes a good doorstop.

Some feel differently, however.

“Even if your career doesn’t involve higher level math or science, one thing we’re trying to get across is how to reason abstractly,” Algebra 2 teacher Chris Burrows said. “If there are two nations and one requires students to go through rigorous academics and one doesn’t, who do you think will have the advantage in the world marketplace?”

Well, that’s comforting. Next time I’m in Physics I’ll remember that vector addition will help me reason abstractly. Funny, all it’s helped me do in the past is fall asleep.

Required Courses for Graduation:

4 years of language 3 math credits 3 years of social studies 2 years of science 1 unit physical education .5 units of health including Government, World Geography and U.S. History

1 must be a lab science

Computers: Application class or test out

Do you think that students should be able to choose their own courses or should be required to take certain classes?

all photos by patrick mayfield

I think that elective classes should not be required, like art, but english and stuff should because you learn a lot that will benefit you in the future.

-Lauren Riley, freshman

[We] should be required to take some courses like math and and english, but once you get older it should be more your decision.

-Lyndsey Seck, sophomore

We should be able to choose because our interests should determine our courses.

-Kevin Medina, junior

Nov. 13, 2006

I think we should choose their own classes because it would allow expertise and passion and encourage students to pursue studies to a greater extent.

-Peter Reisz, senior

? NUMBER...

howpagesmart 8 [features] are the kids at

EAST

ACT’s

how do we compare to everyone else in the district?

EAST DISTRICT KANSAS USA

25.1 23.6 21.8 21.1

*based off last year’s test scores

OUR STAFF

107/138 of our teachers have a master’s degree 9/138 of our teachers have a doctorate The teachers at East have an overall average of 19 years of teaching for each teacher.

what’s the difference

between WEIGHTED and

UN-WEIGHTED

GPAs?

• In an honors, AP, or IB class, if a grade is weighted, an A counts as a 5.0 and a B counts as a 4.0 • When a GPA is NOT weighted, every A counts as a 4.0 and every B counts as a 3.0, regardless of whether or not it’s an honors class.

• WHY DOES THIS MATTER? When a student is applying to college, some of the more selective schools may ask for your unweighted GPA to see not only your course load, but also to see if that high GPA is a result of cushioning from 5.0’s.

BEING

re o m o oph Sophomore

s U O GH

Young Hou is enrolled in two science classes, Calculus, Spanish 4, EHAP and English Honors. He is ranked in the top five of his class but isn’t necessarily focused on maintaining his GPA. “There are easy classes that are considered honors classes, but if you’re just taking them to add a 5.0 by [jenn sunderland] to your GPA and you’re not learning anything, I don’t Some students focus on grades and others don’t. Either way, really seen the point in they’re a huge part of everyone’s future. taking them,” he said.

“We consistently hear from colleges that a student’s grades are School is something the most important thing on their application,” counselor Heather Royce said. “A lot of schools would say they try to downplay test he enjoys. He gets excited scores, but the bottom line is that colleges have to have a way to about teachers such as quantify grades.”

Chemistry teacher Cole Top students from each class give their opinion on working Ogdon and Algebra 2 hard and why grades shouldn’t be so important. teacher Carolyn Seeley, who have influenced his high school career “In elementary school I didn’t want to be in E.L. because I didn’t positively thus far. Since want to be different from everyone else,” senior Carrie Paulett said. he motivates himself, “Now I’m in I.B. and I love it.” there’s no need for him to Paulett is ranked second in the senior class. She’s worked hard to feel pressured to do well in get there, but tries not to focus on it too much. school.

“I don’t think class rank is that big of a deal,” Paulett said. “The “My dad works difference between one and two is like point one. If you try and work really hard and hopes I your hardest, GPA and class rank shouldn’t be that important.” do too,” Hou said. “He Paulett takes ballet classes six days a week to keep her mind off of doesn’t require me to do school. anything though. It’s just “It’s a fun way to forget about the school work,” she said. “I don’t understood.” want to be a professional or anything, it’s just a nice break.”

This attitude keeps Hou As a serious student, though, she keeps it from interfering with from caring too much about her studies. his GPA or class rank. He Junior Nandini Sarma has “School is the most important thing I do,” she said. doesn’t think any students should been in the top five of her class “I’ve only skipped ballet once because of homework worry too much about their own, or anyone else’s. since freshman year. this year.

School is my top priority, but I also try my “I don’t really go into detail to see who I’m competing “The way society views best to make everything fit in.” with,” Hou said. “It just doesn’t really matter to me, school is a competition, even if and it shouldn’t.” that’s not a good representation

what it’s like

N YOU

CARRIE PAULETTE senior

NANDINI SARMA junior

info compiled by www.smecounselor.com and www.smsd.org of what we’re actually doing

here,” Sarma said. Still, she knows better than to worry too much about it.

“I don’t constantly think about it. I take the classes I want to take, and since I’m in I.B., that usually means taking higher level courses anyways,” she said.

Her interest in dancing, tennis, soccer and science keep her busy in and out of school.

“There’s definitely those days when you come home at 10 p.m. and just want to watch a movie and forget about homework, but you work through that,” she said.

For Sarma, sacrificing the time to dance and compete in science programs is worth it, but she knows that her busy lifestyle isn’t for anyone.

TTTT

JACK WALKER freshman

_________________ creative

NUMBERmean ONEto you?

It isn’t necessarily important, but the competition may be important, and it’s good to strive to be no. 1.

GRANT WEDKESSER freshman

I don’t think being it’s important, because a person shouldn’t be defined by a number, it should be about their personality.

TESS HEDRICK senior TESS HEDRICK senior

GO LANCERS!

memories

Winter sports begin today!

your life | your story | your way

TTTT

Want help creating a family keepsake?

It’s easy to do, and I’d love to help you get started. Feel free to call me at (913) 362-7279, or visit my Web site at www.mycmsite.com/lucytidwell.

Lucy Tidwell

10% off with School I.D.

what does being

Freshman Jack Walker is enrolled in all honors classes and will likely finish this year at the top of his class.

“I’d like to graduate near the top of my class,” he said. “But I think it’s too early to really tell.”

For now, he’s just trying to adjust to the switch from middle school to high school. Later, he’ll try to focus more on school.

“I’m interested in I.B. – I’ve heard it’s challenging and fun, and you meet a lot of interesting people. Plus, it’s recognized world wide,” He said.

Walker is an avid swimmer and plays tennis as well. He knows that being a good high school student will also be a time commitment.

“You have to be dedicated and willing to work hard,” he said. “I’m not worried though, just excited.”

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the [harbinger]

It’s great to be a Lancer!

JUMPERS to JEANS

page 7 [features]

from

Students describe experience of transferring between Catholic high schools and East

by ab photos

h ba goe

ausen

by [stephen nichols]

It was spring of Lucas Satterlee’s freshman year when he decided that a private school wasn’t for him. The teaching style Rockhurst offered didn’t fit Saterlee’s learning style.

Senior Dylan Ballard found himself in a similar situation at Bishop Miege during his freshman year. His frustration with the class schedules and regulations led him to transfer to East as well and he saw immediate improvements.

“There was a huge difference… [at Miege] I felt like I was locked up all the time instead of expressing myself,” Ballard said.

Although Catholic school transfers make up only a small amount of the East student body, they offer a look at the differences between public versus private high schools.

So, why transfer? Counselor Heather Royce hears several reasons from students and their parents who are considering make the switch to East.

“The reasons tend to be very diverse,” Royce said. “Sometimes it’s financial, social or peer, or it could be the result of a negative experience.”

As proven by Ballard and Satterlee, there can be any combination of reasons that lead to a transfer to a public school.

However, transferring works both ways.

Junior Marielle Hense left East to attend St.

Teresa’s Academy. Although she liked East’s coed atmosphere, the close friendships and smaller class sizes of STA attracted her.

Hense, a Catholic, believes that religion is important, but it doesn’t have to be a student’s deciding factor in making the choice between a public or private high school.

“If [religion] matters to you, you’ll make it a part of your life, even at East,” Hense said.

As the Director of Admissions and Financial Aid for Rockhurst high school, Jack Reichmeier, feels that religion is an important aspect of the high school experience.

“Our guys start our day and end our day with prayer,” Reichmier said. “If you’re a good role model in your faith life, then you have a chance to make a difference.”

Every student has a different high school experience in mind and Ballard, Satterlee, and Hense have had to switch schools to find it. For Saterlee, he’s found one he’s comfortable with at East.

“Their idea of school is to shape you into somebody,” Satterlee said. “At East, they help you find out who you are.”

JCCC now offers three ways to prepare for a career in the growing field of biotechnology: - One-year certificate program - Associate in Applied Science Degree - Associate of Science Degree Trained to work in industrial, academic or biomedical research laboratories For more information: Joe Gadberry, 913-469-3826 www.jccc.edu/home/depts/001251 Johnson County Community College 12345 College Blvd., Overland Park, KS 66210 Winner, 2003 Kansas Excellence Award

Nov. 13, 2006

photo by Patrick Mayfield

page 8 [features]

scare fright agitation Facing aversion awe Fears panic cold sweat dread

The effects of phobias and how they alter every day lives by [libby nachman] Senior Annie Krieg hates feet. Feet in shoes are all right.

Feet in socks are pushing it. Bare feet make her nauseated.

“It’s not really a phobia, but I hate feet,” she said. “There are few things I feel more uncomfortable around than feet.”

Krieg is one of many students whose lives are disrupted over seemingly trivial things. Feet. Eels. Spiders. Tight spaces. In fact, a study done by the American Psychological Association said that nearly 18 percent of Americans have a phobia of some kind.

Both Krieg and junior Natalie Eisenach have phobias of things that are a little out of the ordinary. While Krieg has an aversion to feet, Eisenach fears eels. Moray eels, to be exact.

“I realize how stupid it is and they can’t hurt me,” Eisenach said. “[But] they do scare me.”

Eisenach was snorkeling in St. John in 2003 when her dad cried, “Look, there’s an eel!” He didn’t realize she was afraid of them.

“I started screaming and started swimming fast toward shore,” Eisenach said. “I got jittery and couldn’t look at it. I can’t look at pictures.”

Junior Sarah Carlson and senior Abby Fritts have more common phobias: arachnophobia and claustrophobia, respectively. Carlson’s arachnophobia, which is the fear of spiders, may have begun on a school trip in elementary school. She remembers coming to the Environmental Education room and being shown the school’s tarantula.

She reflexively backed away, scared. Today, she has a similar reaction to the same spider.

“In Environmental Ed., Mr. Lockard was pulling out the tarantula,” she said, “and he looked up at me and I was near

tears and I couldn’t handle it.”

Fritts’ reaction is much greater. She has panic attacks that can be caused by claustrophobia. Last year at a basketball game, she had a very severe attack.

“I was there probably until first quarter,” she said.

“We were at South and it was really hot – there were a lot of people. I was below [other] people on the floor of the bleachers.”

Fritts became hot, anxious and couldn’t breathe. She soon began to hyperventilate. She had to go out into the hall and then had to leave. She was taken home so her mom could help her stop hyperventilating by using techniques learned from her doctor. By the time she got home, she had almost passed out.

“Once I get to the point where someone’s with me, it takes about 10 to 15 minutes to calm down,” Fritts said.

Besides being bothersome and occasionally causing extreme reactions, the phobias only marginally affect the girls’ lives.

Krieg does her best simply not to come into contact with feet.

“If they’re at a distance, I won’t look at them,” she said.

“If they’re close, I feel repelled and I feel nauseous.”

Her only real annoyance stems from the teasing she can get.

“A lot of people try to see how far I will not like it, if that makes any sense,” she said. Even younger, at sleepovers, her friends would try and touch their feet to her. During Truth or Dare, people always dared her to touch a foot. She never would.

Carlson’s phobia is so discomforting that it is affecting

Annie Krieg podophobia- fear of feet

her schoolwork in Environmental Education. In addition to the tarantula that lives in the room, the unit on spiders gave her problems.

“We were learning about spiders,” Carlson said, “and we were watching a video about them and I had to close my eyes and just listen to the narrator. I couldn’t watch.”

On their worksheets and diagrams, she had to copy other students’ work. She couldn’t study the spiders on her own.

Before being in this class, however, her arachnophobia didn’t give her any problems.

Except for being in oceans, Eisenach’s phobia only is a problem when her brother teases her.

“My brother used to put pictures of eels on my wallpaper on my computer,” she said. “There’s an initial shock and I’ve got to get away from it and then I am fine.”

Fritts’ phobia, though causing more severe reactions, doesn’t prevent her from doing many things.

“It’s one thing to keep in mind,” she said. “If I know I’m going to be in a situation like that, I know ways to get out and relax.”

In the long term, though, the phobias won’t cause any life changes.

Said Krieg, “I’m never going to be a pedicurist.”

Top 5 most common phobias:

1. Social Phobia- fear of being evaluated negatively in social situations.

2. Aerophobia- fear of flying 3. Agoraphobia- fear of being in a situation where escaping may be difficult and develop panic like symptoms.

4. Claustrophobia- fear of being trapped in small confined places.

5. Acrophobia- fear of heights.

Aphenphosmphobia - Fear of being touched Bibliophobia - Fear of books Coulrophobia - Fear of clowns Dendrophobia - Fear of trees Ephebiphobia - Fear of teenagers Gamophobia - Fear of marriage Homichlophobia- Fear of fog Isolophobia- Fear of solitude, being alone Japanophobia- Fear of Japanese Kynophobia- Fear of rabies Lockiophobia- Fear of childbirth Myrmecophobia- Fear of ants Numerophobia- Fear of numbers Obesophobia- Fear of gaining

weight Pediophobia- Fear of dolls Ranidaphobia- Fear of frogs Rhytiphobia- Fear of getting wrinkles Scolionophobia- Fear of school Tremophobia- Fear of trembling Urophobia- Fear of urine Vestiphobia- Fear of clothing Wiccaphobia- Fear of witches Xenophobia- Fear of strangers Zelophobia- Fear of jealousy Zoophobia- Fear of animals

Phobias

Abby Fritts claustrophobia-fear of tight areas Natalie Eisenach fear of eels

Sarah Carlson arachnophobia- fear of spiders

Some more phobias:

the [harbinger]

info from http://phobialist.com /

A

Make the Gr de

page 9 [features]

Tutoring program helps students by [erin morrissey] It began at Shawnee Mission West, and, in the last 10 years, it’s moved to East and grown. Counselor Laura Lamb’s peer tutoring program, which she created a decade ago, continues to help students in a unique way.

On a table in the counseling office rests a big black binder.

Inside are laminated forms, filled out in scribbled ink, listing subjects a student is capable of teaching to others. On the back of each form, there is a photo of the student, a portrait of a grinning, eager peer tutor.

“I tell the students, it’s not a dating service,” Lamb said.

“But sometimes kids only know each other by face, not name.”

The notebook is open to anyone, namely East students who need extra assistance. Sometimes, the teacher of their subject doesn’t have enough time to give them all the oneon-one help they need. And, professional tutors can cost parents upwards of $30 an hour—something not all families are capable of financing. That’s where peer tutors come in.

“I really believe in it,” Lamb said. “Last year, about 150 students took advantage of the program. That’s a lot of kids to be helping.”

Although the program is geared toward East students, Lamb says she sees parents of elementary and middle school kids coming in to look for a tutor. Because the notebook is public, it is simply up to the tutor if they want a younger pupil.

This kind of success is what keeps Lamb involved with the program. Last year, she handed over the reins to the National Honor Society. However, this year, Lamb has resumed her position as head of the tutors.

“It’s a lot of work,” Lamb said. “And I really want to keep it going and be able to reach a lot of kids.”

Teachers are asked to recommend students who excelled in their classes: students who they feel will be able to reteach the material to others. Students who accept the invitation then go through a two-hour training conducted by Lamb.

This training is slated to occur during the second week in November.

The students receiving tutoring are not the only ones being benefited by the program. Tutors are able to put the title “Student Tutor” on their high school resume. Many colleges will see this as a desirable quality in a potential student.

“It’s mutually beneficial,” Lamb said. “I’ve so far never heard of a situation that resulted in a complaint or concern.”

Above senior Kortney Jones tutors fellow senior Jordan Botts in chemistry at a recent peer tutoring session. Tutoring is offered in all subject areas. photo by rachael wooldridge Right sophomore Jack Booton looks for help in the peer tutoring notebook in the counseling office. The notebook has information sheets for every student volunteer in the tutoring program. photo by patrick mayfield

8

www.h-zone.org

Click it: www.tutor.org Tutoring www.smartthinking.org www.e-tutor.com

Bearde` Beauty Warehouse & Salon 5420 Johnson Drive Mission, KS 66205 (913) 236-4744 25% off all retail sizes Matrix, Redken, Tigi, Rnsk, & Pureology Hair Products

Nov. 13, 2006

MAKING

page 10 [spread]

is it a

LIE ?

WATCH EYES THE

How to tell if you’re talking to a liar

A liar will usually...

Have limited physical expression Touch their face, throat and mouth Have emotions contradict gestures Get defensive about the lie Never use contractions

Eye positioning gives clues to a lie Eyes to the LEFT = auditory imagining

theStudent Body

Eyes to the RIGHT = auditory remembering Eyes DOWN to the RIGHT = internal dialogue

Eyes DOWN to the LEFT = remembering emotion

HOW IS THIS USED?

courtesy of http://www.blifaloo.com/info/lies.php

Reading

Eyes UP to the RIGHT = visual remembering

Eyes UP to the LEFT = visual imagining

If you ask a person what someone said and they look to the left, they are making a sound up, not remembering it. Look for contradictory eye movement.

POIN

forehead

Our teacher panel, consisting of Michael Chaffee, Vicki Ardnt-Helgesen and Laura Beachy, break down the body language of three students

mouth

all photos by tayler phillips

Mr. Chaffee Not Focused. It looks as if he’s participating in some new sport where you stick your pencil up your snout and he’s not doing a very good job of it.

Slacking. The slumping head resting on her hand makes it look like she doesn’t want to be there.

On the Ball. It looks as if she’s doing what she’s supposed to be doing, if you use the context of the students behind her.

Disengaged. Her arms are folded in against herself, her eyes are down and she’s slumped.

It looks like she’s almost asleep.

Focused. She has an upright posture, both hands are engaged, and her head is tilted toward her work.

Not Actively Engaged. She’s leaning back in her chair, has a sour look, and is at least acting tired. Her book is shut and she looks bored.

On Task. She has her pencil in her hand, an upright posture, and both hands are on the desktop. She is clearly attending to the paper.

Mrs. Arndt-Helgesen Mixed Message. His head is up and he has a more limited type of concentration. He’s not giving me a lot to read from.

Mrs. Beachy Concentration. It looks like he’s twiddling his fingers, but that could mean he’s concentrating really hard because his eyes are on his paper.

the [harbinger]

hands

THE ART O BODY LANGU

G your

NT

eyes

neck

OF UAGE

page 11 [spread]

Body language gives better view of feelings and emotions than verbal language by [adrienne wood] It is the only language as old as humanity and is spoken by every person on earth. It makes up more than half of all communication and reveals emotions and attitudes, yet it is so subtle and subconscious most people are not even aware of it.

Body language—the hand gestures, posture, use of space, eye contact and facial expressions that accompany every message we send—comprises 55 percent of communication, while the spoken words are only seven percent, according to College Journal. From the time babies are born, they learn to use a combination of instinctive and acquired nonverbal messages that are essential to communication throughout their lives.

“Much of the most powerful messages are from nonverbal communication,” Sociology teacher Vicki Arndt-Helgesen said. “We take in so many pieces without knowing that we are reading them. About 90 percent of the messages we understand we take in by reading the whole—the body language and the verbal combined.”

Whether we are consciously aware of it or not, we constantly pick up and send out nonverbal signals. We communicate on several different levels at once, but are mostly aware of the verbal dialogue.

“Nonverbal communication is really important,” Psychology student junior Kathryne Munsch said. “For instance, sometimes I don’t feel like saying stuff that I am feeling, but people can tell by my facial expressions what I’m thinking.”

Because nonverbal communication is subconsciously used, it often reveals truer feelings than dialogue.

“If you see a friend looking downcast, but they say nothing is wrong, you are going to believe the body language over the verbal answer,” Arndt-Helgesen said.

Arndt-Helgesen recognizes classroom dynamics and enjoys observing her students’ body language towards her and other students.

“Watch a class sometime,” she said. “You get messages of who’s engaged, and who’s interested in something else. I like to see the nature of the interaction between students.”

In an AP American History class, the students were divided into groups of three to share their information on the previous night’s reading. While most students were leaning forward, maintaining eye contact with each other and sharing the discussion, one boy had his body tilted away from the group and his eyes to the ground. “[His posture] made it obvious that he was uninterested and removed,” ArndtHelgesen said. “He had limited engagement with the group.”

When a listener wants to show interest in the person speaking, he or she will usually look at the speaker’s face, especially shifting his or her gaze from one eye to the other. Imitating this action can give the impression that you are paying attention.

Stand ng Out DO Remember these do’s and don’ts when preparing for your college interviews

DON’T

“If you maintain eye contact with a teacher or someone speaking, they will think you are listening,” Psychology teacher Nick Paris said. “Nod your head occasionally, and the teacher will think that you agree with what they said and that you are paying attention.”

But, in the most absent-minded moments, Arndt-Helgesen provides a simple if desperate way to avoid being called on.

“I tell kids that if they haven’t been paying attention or don’t know the answer to a question, they should look scribble furiously like they are taking notes,” ArndtHelgesen said. “When the student immediately looks down after I ask a question, then, they are dead meat. I’m going to call on them.”

Although some nonverbal expressions are often hard to verbally describe or pinpoint, we immediately recognize the emotions behind them.

“When someone doesn’t understand something in class, teachers can tell just by looking at them,” Munsch said. “They have a really lost, confused, ‘I have no idea what you’re talking about’ face.”

Arndt-Helgesen suggests that teachers dealing with apparently uninterested students should move closer to the students to engage them.

“Sometimes [students] send out the ‘bored’ signal, but what we really are saying is ‘weary,’ or ‘stressed,’” she said. “And sometimes we take it personally. But in all truth, in my classroom, kids are tired for a variety of reasons but they are never bored. They know they can’t trust me.”

According to anthropologist Edward T. Hall, it is harder to consciously deceive through nonverbal communication than verbal communication. Picking up on the incongruity between a lying person’s body language and verbal defense gives us a feeling that they are not telling the truth.

“When someone’s lying, they don’t look you in the eye,” Munsch said. “They get really fidgety and quickly try to change the subject.”

Arndt-Helgesen refers to the clues that give away a lie as “leaky channels.”

“Lying is given away through contradictions between different elements,” she said. “Often times, it is facial expressions because we are least able to control them. The leakiest part is the eyes, because things like length of eye contact are natural. When lying, a person tries to control them, creating incongruence. Your sense of a person’s untruthfulness is based on your knowledge of the individual and their history, as well as their culture.”

Paris describes the skills mastered by convincing liars.

“The best liars look you straight in the eye,” Paris said. “They act earnest and sincere and their tone of voice does not vary. Rapid blinking is a lying indicator, so don’t blink too much.”

Because subconscious eye reactions are so difficult to control, Arndt-Helgesen provides a solution to hide emotions.

“Mirrored sunglasses.”

Shake hands, making sure your hand is clean, warm, free of perspiration and that you have a firm grip. Smile and make eye contact.

Fidget or drum fingers – this makes you seem impatient.

Smile and tilt the head to the side while you nod to show interest.

Look down or away or stare.

Walk slowly, deliberately, and tall upon entering the room.

Rapidly nod – it makes you seem too eager and impatient.

Maintain a naturally alert head position; keep your head up and your eyes front at all times.

Touch the mouth frequently, crack your knuckles, fake a cough, bite your lips. It makes you seem insecure.

courtesy of http://www.uwm.edu/~ceil/career/jobs/body.htm

INTERPRET IT

Open palm

Patting hair

Tilted head

Locked ankles

Here are some common gestures and their meanings

Sincerity, openness

Insecurity

Interest

Apprehension

courtesy of http://www.deltabravo.net/custody/body.php

Nov. 13, 2006

AUT I

ON

page 12 [features]

what are you

?

drinking the good

CAU TI

ON

CAU

Coffee may prove to be healthy compared to other drinks

by [hanna cosgrove]

Millions of Americans depend on their morning coffee fix to get their day started. Coffee chains such as Starbucks and Latte Land teem with people buying coffee for an average of $3 per cup. East students and teachers who drink it know that it give them an energy boost.

But what many Americans don’t know is that coffee can be healthy. This beverage, commonly accused only of being addictive and bone weakening, is America’s No. 1 source of antioxidants.

Joe Vinson, Ph. D, is a professor in the department of chemistry at the University of Scranton in Pennsylvania. In 2005, Vinson led a study to find foods with the most antioxidants. He found that in a typical American life, coffee is the number one provider of antioxidants, with tea second and chocolate third.

“I didn’t look at coffee for a long time,” Vinson said. “But because it is the most consumed beverage in America, other than soft drinks and water, we found that it is the No. 1 source for antioxidants in America.”

Antioxidants slow down the aging process by counteracting the effects of oxygen on tissue. They are also effective in preventing cancer, heart disease and strokes.

These results are based on drinking three cups per day. Coffee, like many things, is only healthy if consumed in moderation. Drinking more than three cups a day becomes unhealthy, causing elevated blood pressure and heart rate from the high amount of caffeine. 16

5

the bad Cocaine

“Speed In A Can”

Although Cocaine Energy drink doesn’t have actual cocaine in it, has 280 milligrams of caffeine in it. The only way possible to get more caffeine per ounce is with an espresso. The drink is 350% stronger than Red Bull.

1

Red Bull “Red Bull gives you wings”

The energy drink was made to fight off mind and physical fatigue. Although Red Bull has become extremely successful, there are potential health risks. One of the ingredients in the drink is glucuronolactone, a naturally occurring chemical compound that is produced by the metobalization of glucose in the liver. Energy drinks usually contain glucuronolactone because it has been shown to improve memory preservation and acts as an antidepressant and stimulant. There is three times as much caffeine in a Red Bull drink as there is in Coca-Cola can.

The top five energy drinks and why not to drink them by [rachel mayfield]

4

Amp

“Turn Up Your Energy”

3

AMP energy drink is owned by Pepsi and is designed to give the consumer a burst of energy. This drink contains an ingredient called guarana, which causes addiction. Guarana is another form of caffiene that is used to promote health and weight loss.

2

-20 fluid ounces is the recommended amount, according to Vinson.

Along with its health benefits, the caffeine in coffee increases alertness. East students and teachers appreciate on the energy boost.

“Not only do I like coffee,” math teacher Mr. Chris Burrows said, “but it definitely helps me wake up in the morning.”

Sophomore Jacob Hamilton also drinks coffee to wake up in the morning.

“Coffee gives me an extra boost when I’m trying to get off my feet in the morning,” Hamilton said. “And after I read that it could be healthy, I was even more comfortable drinking it.”

Decaf coffee is another alternative. It provides the antioxidants without the adrenaline rush of caffeine. Caffeine can be good for cognitive function, but if consumed in the evening, it makes sleeping difficult.

The latest studies prove that the long time myth that coffee is unhealthy is starting to be shifted, if not eliminated. Dr. Vinson continues to re-examine his study and is currently working on a new study about the effects of caffeine.

“Nothing is a magic bullet,” Dr. Vinson said. “But the antioxidants in coffee are very beneficial to our health.”

He hopes that these results will encourage people to drink coffee.

But like all things in life, moderation is key.

Full Throttle “Let Your Man Out”

Full Throttle energy drink is owned by Coca-Cola. Both Full Throttle and Sugar Free Full Throttle contain 72mg of caffeine per 8 ounce serving.

A 16 ounce can of Full Throttle contains more than four times the caffeine of a 12 ounce can of Coca-Cola Classic.

High fructose corn syrup, is an active ingredient in the drink, is a sugar replacement which lead to a high risk of cardiovascular disease.

Monster

“Unleash the Beast”

This energy drink has become a hit because of its sweeter taste and lower carbohydrates. This year, Monster Beverage Company stopped putting Vitamin C in the drink because of a study done by the FDA which said that Vitamin C in the drink may lead to an increase of benzene in the can. Benzene, also known as benzol, is a colorless and flammable liquid with a sweet smell. It is carcinogenic and is usually used as an additive in gasoline.

the [harbinger]

mixed

Q & A

Ø Sounds ofØ

photos by katie woods

ion

ct e l l o ec

th

things to be thankful for :

has about 650 CDs has about 600 vinyl records

- senior, Kelby Polfer

“

Pumpkin pie, my family’s health, and that the stock market is up. - junior, Drew Popplewell

Tips

I’m thankful I get to have a break from school.

- junior, Annie Richmond

“ “

I’m thankful for my parents and that they’re alive.

- freshman, Maddy Rich

- senior, Alex Sigel

Being able to be together with my family.

- junior, Kristen Martin

- sophomore Hannah Eggleston

“

“

- sophomore Greg Guthrie

karen boomer

“

Turkey.

p by tos

I’m thankful for all the food on the table.

- freshman, Paul Wolff

quick [at home] remedies by [rachel mayfield] Oily skin? No problem. Make a homemade mask by combining one egg white and a teaspoon of lemon juice.

Apply mask and rinse with warm water after 20 minutes.

Wanting lovely locks? Mix the juice of one lemon with a cup of water. After normal hair washing, apply this rinse.

It will shine even the dullest hair.

ho

All my friends.

“

Having a home.

alphabetizes them all by composer, rock ‘n’ roll and alphabetizes the artist by show/ soundtrack

andTricks

“

“

I’m thankful for living in a semi-egalitarian society. - junior, David Isenberg

donated 2900 of both to a library when he moved

photo by patrick mayfield

“

All the good things in life!

favorite album, “pure gold”

original Led Zeppelin vinyl record

since Thanksgiving is around the corner...

1“ 2“ 3“ 4“ 5“ 6“ 7“ 8“ 9“ 10 “

Ø

by [ronan mcghie]

photos by jenny howard

10

page 13 [mixed]

ØMr. Paris

Why do you like music so much?

I started off as a kid listening to various pieces, I loved rock and roll and I got hooked on classical.

I have been collecting pop since high school when I got a stereo for graduation.

I have collected all the hits in an era. I have all the tapes or vinyl’s from ’55 to ‘58 How much time in a day do you listen to music?

At least 45 minutes but up to 2 or 3 hours. I used to watch football when I was young and have headphones on and listen to music. I didn’t care about what the commentators were saying.

How much money have you spent on your music?

Not very much recently, my granddaughters and daughter give me gift certificates to Barnes and Noble.

Do you still keep up with pop music?

I usually get the Grammy award winners. Sometimes I get some of the NOW albums. Some songs I really like.

How many albums do you own?

3,500 vinyls but I have moved down to 600 when I moved. I’ve started CDs, I play music in the car all the time.

What type of music do you listen to?

Popular, jazz, classical, and some show tunes.

What is your favorite album?

Ella Fitzgerald Songbook and Original Led Zeppelin #1 Song?

Dazed and Confused. I crank it up to 7 or 8 and play air guitar and sing it. It just gets me.

Ultimate listening experience?

Ring Cycle by Wagner, its like climbing Mt. Everest. The first time I just let my record go for 20 minutes. I was overwhelmed. It is the ultimate, ultimate experience.

Top

Ø

Bad headache? Drink two glasses of Gatorade and it will relieve pain almost immediately.

Nov. 13, 2006 photo by patrick mayfield

separate yet equal

page 14 [features]

by [bernadette myers]

their papers and circled all the times they used the word “important”.

Based on the similarity of the English classes, students like Collison and Haun don’t feel like they’re being left behind. The only differences are based on the two teachers’ personalities.

Pulsinelli wore a Star Wars costume on Halloween and dressed up for spirit week. Fast wears a suit everyday, but the first five minutes of class usually involves discussions over the many flavors of dum dums or how throwing up feels weird.

“I try to treat my students professionally, but I also want them to feel comfortable enough to speak up in class,” Fast said.

In the foreign language department, Linda Sieck’s Spanish Three class learned 40 verbs and what their conjugations were in the present tense. Sheryl Chamberlain’s class is learning six verbs at a time, but with five different conjugations.

“We really just don’t have time [to collaborate],” Chamberlain said. “We’re lucky if we say ‘hi’ to each other in the bathroom.”

Just because students may not be learning in the same order doesn’t mean they’ll be less prepared for Spanish Four.

The object of both classes is to start speaking more Spanish.

The teachers just go about different ways of doing this.

In the chemistry department, there are three different teachers: Cole Ogden, Steve Appier and Jeremy Higgins.

Working together like Pulsineli and Fast, these teachers get together every two weeks to make sure they’re on the same page. Students are all graded exactly the same with the same tests and worksheets. The main differences come in the presentation of the material.

“We are all a little bit different because we have to adapt the content to our own teaching,” Ogden said. “I would say my style is more traditional than that of Mr. Appier or Mr. Higgins.”

When learning about trends on the periodic table, Ogden’s class took notes on a provided worksheet. Then he listed all of the trends on the white board. Appier’s class took their notes on notebook paper, but participated in discussion where students answered questions asked by the teacher.

“[Appier] has a really good speaking voice that fills my mind with atoms and neutrons and what not,” junior Parker Hine said. “Sometimes he’ll change the tone of his voice or yell random words out to make sure we are paying attention.”

These kinds of tactics and the many other methods teachers give students a chance to find out how they learn best.

“The most wonderful thing that [students] have is very creative teachers doing different things in different classrooms,” Chamberlain said. “It’s not a cookie cutter type of education.”

how do you learn?

Kinesthetic Learners

learn through motion...

Kinesthetic persons learn best through a hands-on approach, actively exploring the physical world around them.

Auditory Learners

learn through listening...

They learn best through verbal lectures, discussions, talking things through and listening to what others have to say. Auditory learners interpret the underlying meanings of speech through listening to tone of voice, pitch, speed and other nuances. Written information may have little meaning until it is heard.

Visual Learners

learn through seeing...

These learners need to see the teacher’s body language and facial expression to fully understand the content of a lesson. They tend to prefer sitting at the front of the classroom to avoid visual obstructions (e.g. people’s heads). They may think in pictures and learn best from visual displays including: diagrams, illustrated text books, overhead transparencies, videos, flipcharts and hand-outs.

information courtesy of learning-styles-online.com

When sophomore Grace Haun received her schedule in the mail over the summer, she tore it open, eager to see who she got for honors English.

“My sister had Mr. Fast and she really liked him,” Haun said. “But Mr. Pulsinelli is a really fun teacher, too.”

Haun got honors English teacher Kelly Fast, but some of her friends got Michael Pulsinelli. She thought this would make it harder for them to work together, but was surprised at how alike the two teachers were.

Many of the same classes at East are taught by different teachers. Some teachers teach almost word for word while others don’t even have time to talk to the other teacher of that subject. But, whether one class is actually harder than the other depends on the learning styles of the students.

“I am a visual learner,” said Haun. “I have to see things and write them down before I understand them.

For teachers like Fast and Pulsinelli, Haun wouldn’t find a difference in the classes. Both classes cover the same materials everyday.

“The first year [of teaching together], I was over at Mr. Fast’s place once a week just planning stuff,” Pulsinelli said.

“Even now, we’re on the phone every other night just to check in to see what we’re doing.”

Both these classes are discussion-based with an emphasis on learning to write college papers. For students like sophomore Kate Collison, a student of Pulsinelli, the synchronization makes learning much easier.

“I can get study groups together with just about any of my friends and we can help each other with our essays,” Collison said. Students can even present their book reports with either teacher.

The teachers are so in sync that during completely different classes they used the same example to illustrate concision in writing. Both had teachers once went through

teachers use different techniques to coordinate the same courses

texting: a new way 2 connect

Hey, what’s up? How was your weekend? Will you go out with me? What happened last night? When’s the party? Are you parents mad? What time do you get off work? What is taking so long? Where have you been? What’s new? How are you and your boy? Why are you doing that? Do you like me? What are you doing tonight? Who do you like? What’s going on? Why are we even friends? Will you please text me back? What is taking you so long tonight? Hey, what’s up? How was your weekend? Will you go out with me? What happened last night? When’s the party? Are you parents mad? What time do you get off work? What is taking so long? Where have you been? What’s new? How are you and your boy? Why are you doing that? Do you like me? What are you doing tonight? Who do you like? What’s going on? Why are we even friends? Will you please text me back? What is taking you so long tonight? Hey, what’s up? How was your weekend? Will you go out with me? What happened last night? When’s the party? Are you parents mad? What time do you get

photo by Patrick Mayfield

new impersonal technique spreads rapidly through a high tech generation by [nora salle]

Sophomore Paige Kuklinski sits in Cure’ of Ars Catholic Church on Sunday morning.

During the sermon, Kuklinski flips open her red and gray Sprint LG cell phone and opens up a new page for a text message.

“What did you do last night?” Kuklinski texts to her friend Hannah Gassaway.

Not one minute later Kuklinski’s phone vibrates in her pocket. Kuklinski takes out her phone and reads the text from Gassaway.

“Not much really, you?” Gassaway writes from home.

Kuklinski prepares to text Gassaway back, but is stopped by her mom glaring and motioning for her to put it away, Text messaging is transforming the way and where teens communicate with each other. Texting, is becoming just as prevalent as phone calls of talking on the Internet.

Teens can send text messages wherever

they are: school, at work, in the shower, or at the movies without disturbing the people around them or being listened to. It’s modern, it’s fast and it’s private.

“I was at the doctor’s office one time and there was me and three other teenagers there,” sophomore Chelsea Olson said. “Every single teen there was on their phones texting, including me, while the adults sat there and read magazines. It seems like teens just have to be in contact with their friends at all times and with text messaging they can.”

Text messaging is being used widely throughout the country. According to a survey taken by The Wireless Trade Association around 5 billion text messages are sent a month in the U.S.A, up from 2.8 billion a year ago.

About 63 percent of Americans ages 18 to 27 send text messages, according to a Pew Internet & American Life Project survey. Those young people are bringing text

messaging to their parents and to older colleagues. Now 31 percent of cell phone owners ages 28 to 39 use text messaging and 18 percent of people ages 40 to 49 do.

Olson taught her parents, how to use text messaging too.

“My mom had a lot of trouble with texting at first but now she will send me a message if she needs to tell me something during school,” Olsen said. “And my dad texts my sister a lot now that she is in college.”

Sophomore Maddy Weist, an owner of a T-mobile side-kick, which is a cell phone with a keyboard designed for sending text messages, sends anywhere from 15 to 50 text messages a day.

“Texting is an easier way to tell someone something important without hassle,” Weist said. “I can text anywhere. I can even text during class if I need to get a hold of someone while I’m in school, or even if I’m bored.”

At East the use of cell phones during school hours is prohibited and can result

the [harbinger]

confiscation of one’s cell phone, but this still isn’t stopping students from sending texts during class.

“We probably get somewhere around four to five phones a week that have been confiscated by teachers.” Secretary Loretta Preno said. Preno keeps the cells phones that have been confiscated until a parent comes to pick it up.

World History and Psychology teacher Nick Paris is glad cell phones aren’t allowed out during school hours.

“When students have their cell phones out during class it distracts them and prohibits them from learning the material at hand,” Paris said.

People use text messaging for all sorts of reasons. Whether it is to keep in contact at work, to stay awake in class, or just to talk to friends, text messaging is virtually transforming communication today.

page 15 [features]

Does stress affect your life?

Y

N

Homework load and pressure for grades is too much for some students by [paige cornwell] Sophomore Tommy Gray couldn’t take it anymore. He had been working on his physics, algebra II and English homework for the past four hours. And he still hadn’t finished his Spanish conjugation worksheet and EHAP reading.

Tired, he could feel himself ready to have a nervous breakdown.

“It’s fine,” he told himself. “Don’t do this homework assignment, and get some sleep. It’s more important.”

But the next day, he regretted it.

“I felt mad at myself because I chose to sleep instead of do my homework,” Gray said. “It seems like if you’re in all honors classes, which you pretty much have to be to at our school to rank high, you are just very consumed with school. I also feel bad cause I can’t please everyone. I get overwhelmed, then stressed. I break down.”

According to Mayo Clinic, a nervous or emotional breakdown is a non-medical term that the public uses to characterize a range of mental illnesses, but does not indicate one specific illness. Generally, it describes a person who is severely emotionally distraught and unable to function at his or her level.

Symptoms for a nervous breakdown include an inability to focus, inability to get work done, emotional outbursts and fatigue, according to Dennis Weiser, who has an M.A. in philosophy and currently works at the Midtown Psychological Center. He says that nervous breakdowns are an epidemic among college-age students and are also highly present with high school students.

For sophomore Alison Meagher-Manson, nervous breakdowns are a common occurrence.

“I will be sitting there with my homework and get overwhelmed and just start crying, which stresses me out

even more, but I feel I can’t talk to anyone about it,” MeagherManson said.

Meagher-Manson has always been prone to becoming easily stressed.

“If you try to not be stressed, that’s stressful,” MeagherManson said. “You can’t win. Compared to other people, I am a huge procrastinator. I think about the homework but don’t do it and then it piles up and I rush to get it done in a small amount of time.”

Meagher-Manson is currently on medication to help her deal with the stress, but the medication doesn’t prevent her from having the breakdowns a few times a month, and it didn’t prevent her hospital visit a few weeks ago. The nervous breakdown occurred after a week where she was unusually tired due to homework that she had put off.

She was in her art class when the heavy breathing started.

“I remember I was really scared and nervous, then I started hyperventilating and everyone was surrounding me, asking me to go to the nurse.” She went to the nurse, then to the hospital, where she was put under watch. The doctors concluded that there was nothing wrong with her and sent her home, where she slept for over 24 hours.

“It’s not that my classes are hard, it’s that I don’t want to do the work,” Meagher-Manson said. “But now I’m communicating with my teachers and not ignoring what I haven’t done.”

According to Weiser, grade pressure is a leading cause of nervous breakdowns, as well as pressure from family dysfunction.

Grades were a contributor to junior Lexie Burger’s nervous breakdown freshman year.

Wear Your Retainers!

November 13, 2006

“I remember specifically working at about three in the morning on an essay freshman year and realizing that what I was doing wasn’t going to work,” Burgers said.

She started hyperventilating, but her sister was also awake working, and was able to help her calm down. Since then, Burgers has worked to prevent over-stressing.

“Sometimes I look at everything I have to do and I start to feel really overwhelmed and almost break down,” Burgers said. “But I think the key is to just to take things one by one and not let everything stack up on you.”

Weiser has found that people who have nervous breakdowns just need somebody to listen. “[Students] need someone who can support their emotions,” Weiser said. “They need somebody who can listen actively with an emotional ear.”

Stressful Statistics • 75 percent of the general population experiences some sort of stress every two weeks.

• Stress contributes to high blood pressure, strokes and other illnesses.

• Stress can also lead to alcoholism, obesity, drug addiction and other harmful behaviors.

• Workers compensation claims because of stress rose 200-700 percent in many states during the ‘80s; however, other causes stayed the same.

Information from The Health Resource Network

page 16 [a&e]

CSI. Lost. Project. Runway. Scrubs. Desperate Housewives. Gilmore Girls.

Grey’s Anatomy. Top Chef. One Tree Hill. Survivor. Wife Swap. Laguna Beach. Law and Order. Carnivale. Boston Legal. American Idol. House.

As the fall TVGrey’s season continues, groups of Carnivale.

Anatomy.

House. friends watch their favorite shows together Lost. CSI. Project Runway.by [jayne Glimore Girls. shelton] One Tree Hill. Scrubs. Laguna Beach.

Fans Unite

It is a Wednesday night in the middle of summer and senior Abbey Bavely is wearing a cocktail dress. She is cooking pasta and garlic bread and setting her dining room table with glass tableware. But she isn’t setting up for a dance or cotillion, she is getting ready for “Project Runway” night. Every Wednesday she and her group of fellow fans got together to watch the show. Cooking, decorating and having friends over to watch weekly TV shows is a growing trend that is bringing friends and fans together.

This summer Bavely and her group came together to watch the show through their jobs as teachers for an acting camp. “[Everyone I worked with] brought their friends, and some people just kept coming back,” Bavely said.

One of the people who kept coming back every Wednesday was sophomore Christina Beynon. Beynon grew closer with the people who started the group as they watched the show. The group made watching this show special by cooking and dressing up for the show every week. While they normally brought candy, one time a girl made cookies with all the designers’ faces on them. For the last episode, the group dressed up as one of the designers.

“We wear sweats, eat and cuddle,” Bavely said, “It’s a great time.”

Another thing that brought them together was the debating over the fashions on the show.

“I always hated what [one of the judges] would say,” Beynon said, “And the disagreements provoked yelling.”

Bavely liked the way that watching the show sparked so much emotion within the group. Everyone had their favorite designer and would defend their work until the end.

Everyone would argue with each other and the judges on TV “There were always people yelling at the TV together,” Bavely said, “We take our Runway very seriously.”

When one of the favored designers of the group was voted off, the group expressed their disappointment.

“One night we said that if Kayne got kicked off we would wear black the next day,” Beynon said, “The next day I saw [a group member] in the hall in all black.”

Bavely also felt an attachment to this particular designer. Since she liked him so

much, and the judges didn’t, it caused more controversy.

“I loved Kayne,” Bavely said, “The judges thought his stuff was gaudy, but I thought it was awesome. It’s probably a personality thing.”

The show’s season finale was a month ago, so now the group is looking for another show to watch together. They are deciding between the “O.C.” and the “Real World”.

Beynon especially wants to find a show to watch together and is looking forward to next season.

“We can talk about what we like and what we don’t like,” Beynon said. “If I were watching it at home I wouldn’t think about what I don’t like about it.”

Bavely misses the community feeling she got from the group, and although she had to drive people home, she remembers what is important about the network she created this summer.

• 3 New Events Regina Spektor

“It was nice,” Bavely said “There was always someone to watch Runway with.”

Taking a closer look at three ticker events

This Innovative Anti-Folk artist performs in KC tonight

photo from www.hellogoodbye.net

Hellogoodbye

Ad Astra Per Aspera Lawrence-based band graces the Ghost Parlor this Friday

• Regina Spektor is a Russian-born American singer-songwriter and pianist. Her music is associated with the anti-folk scene centered on New York City’s East Village.

• She’s been playing on a bright red Baldwin baby grand piano around the world since roughly 2005.

SynthPop band begins their tour • Hellogoodbye touring around the U.S., accompanied by Reggie and the Full Effect, Ozma, Cut Is What We Aim For, Dave Melillo, and Peachcake.

• The four-man band from Huntington Beach, California released their first fulllength album in 2006, entitled “Zombies!

Aliens! Vampires! Dinosaurs!

What’s New New • a&e event ticker What’s

photo from www.adastraperaspera.com

photo from http://www.reginaspektor.com

• Although the up-coming concert’s venue is a bit of a drive, it might be worth it if one’s a fan of the unusual, screeching, sometimes carnival-esque music Ad Astra Per Aspera pumps out.

~Girl Scout honor honor Regina Spektor, Record Bar, Today • Hellogoodbye, Reggie and the Full Effect, Granada, Nov. 15 • Ad Astra Per Aspera, Ghost~Girl Parlor,Scout Nov. 18, (Manhattan) the [harbinger]

page 17 [a&e]

photo by samantha ludington

Is it loud enough?

iPod and MP3 ear phones predicted to cause hearing problems by [sara steinwart]

the brain, which it interprets as sound. But when repeatedly exposed to uncomfortably loud noises (80 decibels or louder) those hair cells require a rush of blood or oxygen, otherwise they die out. Temporary hearing loss or ringing in the ears, is a sign that hair cells are trying to recover. Over time, however, recovery becomes impossible and hearing is permanently impaired.

Royal National Institute for the Deaf show that hearing loss will be a greater problem than ever during the next few decades since 39 percent of listeners between 18 and 24 years of age do not practice safe listening habits. 12.5 percent of children aged six to 19, about 5.2 million people, already have noise-induced hearing loss.

Teenagers and young adults have a tendency to listen to their MP3 players for hours on end at loud volumes. Since, damage to hearing caused by high volume is determined by its duration, continuous listening, can damage the damage the hair cells that transmit sound impulses to the brain, even at a reasonable level.

“I have headaches sometimes because I listen to my i-Pod too long,” junior David Shrunk said. “It really doesn’t matter to me

though.”

Doctors researching hearing have proven that actions such as Shurnk’s can be very detrimental.

“Studies have shown that people exposed to 85 decibels of sounds for eight hours tend to develop nearly instant hearing loss,” Brian Fligor, ScD, said.

He explains that every time the sound level is increased by three decibels, listening for half as long will produce the same amount of hearing loss. If someone is listening in a 100 to 105 decibel range, the device shouldn’t be listened to for more than eight- 15 minutes.

“I don’t listen to my i-Pod on very loud so I don’t really worry very much about hearing problems,” Jennings said.

According to Fligor, after hearing damage has occurred, people may begin to notice that voices sound muffled, and that they have a reduced ability to follow a conversation in a noisy environment such as a restaurant or a party. Ringing may begin in the ears, and in the worst forms that ringing may begin to interfere with sleep.

My iPod... photo by patrick mayfield

It was said that loud music contributed to hearing loss among baby boomers. However, there is an even worse source of hearing loss evolving in new technology: MP3 players.

MP3 players are suspected to lead to an ever greater problem then loud music could ever be. Not noticing the warning of possible hearing loss on the label, senior Abby Jennings bought a brand new i-Pod. It didn’t matter to her that she could have long term repercussions due to her choice in listening device, she just wanted one.

Like Jennings, thousands of Americans purchase i-Pods or other form of MP3 players each week without taking into consideration the long term hearing effects of listening to them.

The main reason that MP3 players or so detrimental is because they can hold thousands of songs and can play for hours without recharging. This causes users to listen continuously for hours at a time. They don’t have to stop and give their ears a rest as is done when a CD or player need to be changed.

Audiologist Angela King explains that people with good hearing have tiny hair cells that line the inner ear and transmit signals to

Senior George Hart 1. I Found Out- John Lennon 2. Don’t Let it Bring You Down-Neil Young 3. Black Country RockDavid Bowie 4. A Love SupremeJohn Coltrane 5. Bones- Radiohead

‘Borat’ comes to America... nice! by [ally heisdorffer]

photo c o u rt e sy of mo vieweb.c om

Since “Borat” premiered as a feature film, Sacha Baron Cohen (Borat) has incurred a lawsuit with the nation of Kazahkstan for the misinterpretation of the country.

The Kazakstani government claims the movie is “frustrating” and “fictional”. Making a high offensive film at another’s disadvantage may not be appropriate, but it was an effective way to point out the flaws of our great nation.

It’s depressing that people have based their opinion of Kazakhstan on the film’s racist and poverty-stricken portrayal of the country, but at least Cohen makes his point: Americans are closed-minded and gullible.

I never really knew how ignorant Americans were, myself included. While watching “Borat,”

I realized that I had no idea where Kazakhstan, the ninth largest country in the world, was located. And if I had not known previously, I would have assumed that Borat was indeed speaking the native tongue of Kazakhstan. In fact the language he speaks is just gibberish with a little Hebrew and Polish thrown in. Walking out of the theater, I even heard a man ask his friend if mentally handicapped people were actually kept in cages in Kazakhstan. Wow. Although highly offensive to some, “Borat” was innovative and unique. The movie was shot as a “crummy documentary” with no official script. It depicts Borat and his sidekick, Azamat, traveling the country in search of cultural understandings of America – and after seeing an episode of Baywatch, Pamela Anderson. I was amazed to discover that the situations Borat encounters with Americans are mostly real. A car salesman in New York actually tells Borat precisely how fast he should go in a Hummer in order to kill someone. Another man at a rodeo tells Borat that his moustache makes him look like a terrorist and if he shaves it he might be able to pass for an Italian. Every encounter Borat has is either racist, sexist or astoundingly offensive.

In his cheap and smelly blue-gray suit and annoyingly large grin, Borat interviews anyone who will give him the time. He is shocked by the fact that women can be educated, and can choose who they have sex with. From one situation to the next, I was never bored watching Borat learn more about American culture. He made me swim in my seat with discomfort for the poor people he was duping.

Borat may be ridiculous, but most of the things

Americans are caught saying are more ridiculous. Many people confessed to having the same values as Borat such as homophobia, anti-Semitism, anti-feminism, and pro-slavery.

The Christians Borat encounters also speak in tongues.

While Borat pokes fun at them as he plays along getting “saved”, the Baptists take the entire ceremony seriously.

Borat speaking gibberish is the same thing as the gibberish coming out of these zealots.

The Jewish jokes were a little extreme at times, but in order for Cohen to be taken seriously that extreme anti-Semitism is idiotic, they had to be. I felt uncomfortable watching Borat announce the running of the Jew in his home country, but at the same time I tried to hide a snigger. The entire audience was laughing at the very thing we were supposed to be appalled at. Blaming the Jews for 9/11 was a bit extreme, but I laughed.

Sacha Baron Cohen has been playing the character on the “Ali G Show” since 2003. In the HBO series, Cohen interviews random people as one of his three characters: Borat, Ali G, or Bruno. Now, having made a movie about Borat, there is talk that Cohen will start filming another movie in one of his other characters. Strangely endearing and absolutely hilarious, the character of Borat worked very well. His inappropriate and overeager catchphrases: “I like!” “Sexytime!” “Very nice!” are too funny not to laugh at. He also takes the film to a deeper level, revealing regular Americans’ shocking beliefs, prejudices, and racism. This movie succeeds in being both thought-provoking, and gut-busting. “Borat” is worth the lawsuit.

Bret Michaels, Voodoo Lounge, 11/16 • Flickerstick, Grand Emporium, 11/29 • Kottonmouth Kings, Beaumont Club, 11/29 • Bob Segar, Kemper Arena, 12/02 Nov. 13, 2006

page 1 8 [sports]

Diving

INTO THE

by [nick ratliff]

Season

It only took one minute and 38 seconds for the East boys’ swimming team to win their first event, the 200 medley relay, and establish their dominance at the state championship meet last year.

After that, the Lancers never looked back. The team won their second straight

championship, winning by 134.5 points. And they are confident that they can do the same thing again this year.

“We all want to win state this year,” last year’s State Swimmer of the Year, Luke Tanner, said. “That’s our main goal. We want it really badly,” Even with all of the success, the team still needs some motivation. Coach Wiley Wright provides that.

“Coach Wright is a very motivational coach,” Runion said. “He makes it so you want to swim, not like you’re being told to.”

Wright, about to start his 22nd season of coaching at East, is confident that photo by samantha ludington his team will be successful again this year.

panel

the

nick

RATLIFF clark

GOBLE peter

GOEHAUSEN jayne

SHELTON

The boys’ swim team hopes to win state one more time

“Ideally, we would like to be in the top three in league and state this year,” Wright said.

The Lancers are in very good position to reach those goals, as they return 12 out of 20 state qualifiers from last year. They will have strong competition from Olathe East in the Sunflower league and Blue Valley North in state competition.

Wright has seen many great teams come through East in the past, but he says there is something different about this year’s team.

“I think we can be successful this year because we have a strong core of upperclassmen,” Wright said. “Some underclassmen will have to step up though. I think we have more quality than in years past.”

By the end of the season, the team wants to have another championship ring to prove that.

Boys’ Swimming

#3 KU vs. #1 Florida

#1 Ohio St. vs #2 Michigan

SM East

Girls’ Basketball Wichita Heights

SM East

KU 91-88

Michigan 24-21

SM East

Olathe South

BV North

KU 88-82 KU 83-82

Ohio St. 23-17

Boys’ Basketball

SM East SM East

BV North Olathe North

the [harbinger]

SM East SM East

college basketball

Florida 75-63

college football

Michigan 28- 17 Ohio St. 17-14

Looking past the Leotard

page 19 [sports]

The Harbinger’s

Senior takes in the state gymnastics tournament and comes away with respect for the sport

an opinion of

As a w a l k i n g advertisement f o r testosterone, I’m not the kind of person might derek martin you expect to find in the bleachers at a gymnastics meet. I can grow a beard, change the channel with my foot, and kill every spider that comes within a mile of my house. I’ve spent more time complaining about gymnastics than actually watching it. So when I set out to cover the state gymnastics tournament on Nov. 4 all I had to rely on were my preconceived notions and a notebook.

Gymnastics, I thought, was that sport where the really muscular short dudes jump around in tights and do incredible feats of strength at the Olympics. Their counterparts, the hot Asian chicks in leotards do equally impressive stunts on bars and beams and mats, and the nation is riveted for all of three days until gymnastics recedes to the ranks of curling in the eyes of the American populace.

Knowing how I feel, and who I am, it might be hard to imagine me finding anything positive to say that wouldn’t be completely based on hormonal reactions to the uniforms the girls were wearing, but surprisingly enough I walked away not only pleased, but impressed. It seems gymnastics has more to offer than good-looking Asian women.

For those of you who have never been, allow me to set

the scene of the meet for you. A gymnastics meet consists of four events, the balance beam, floor exercise, vault and uneven bars. Teams compete by having each team member do each event; the scores are then averaged, and totaled across the four events leaving the team with their final score.

Each event lasts anywhere from a minute to two minutes meaning that in a given meet, each gymnast will actually only be competing for somewhere around five minutes.

Five minutes to account for years of gymnastics lessons.

Five minutes to show perfect balance after a thousand falls.

Five minutes to prove to the judges that you are the best gymnast there that day. You have to prove your worth in the time it takes to walk between classes.

Imagine if a football game was condensed down to five minutes. It’s barely enough time for Marcus Webb to sack a QB and score a touchdown, let alone kick the extra point.

How many football players would go to practice every day to get their four minutes of playing time every Friday night?

In most sports, the outcome is determined by some objective measure, the time, the score, the man left standing. Gymnasts though, get judged on everything from difficulty of their routine to how long they hold their final position. The foundation of gymnastics lies in the ability of one person to judge another. Even the most experienced judges will be far more subjective than a scoreboard or a stopwatch; gymnasts though have to deal with this critical eye every time they take to the mat. The pressure of having every movement watched and interpreted can make even the most experienced athletes squirm, but in gymnastics there’s no other way.

ON THE MEND

fantasy football league STANDINGS RECORD POINTS Clark Goble

8-1

7065.40

Perhaps the Daniel Heady 6-3 5720.80 most humbling Derek Martin 5-4 6187.30 thing about Johnny McGuire 5-4 5177.50 gymnastics is the lack of a Patrick Mayfield 4-5 5329.40 material regard Stephen Nichols 3-6 5367.80 for being the 3647.30 best. As long as Peter Goehausen 3-6 a shot as it may Nick Ratliff 2-7 4379.00 be, basketball, point system- 60 for rushing TD, 40 for passing baseball and TD, 1 point for 2 yards rushing/receiving, 1 point football players for 5 yards passing can dream about playing in their respective professional leagues. There are no professional gymnasts. Consequently, it makes the motivations and goals of gymnasts different than in other sports.

In my entire time at the state tournament, perhaps the most endearing image I’m left with is that of the girl who fell off the balance beam four times during her routine. After the second fall, you could tell she was upset, but she kept going as her teammates shouted words of encouragement.

When this girl did the final tumble and stuck her landing with perfection, I joined with the rest of the crowd in giving her a round of applause.

As I left the gym that day, I realized that I no longer felt the same way about gymnastics. This wasn’t just a glorified tumbling club; it was a real sport, with real athletes, and real passion. I learned that gymnastics is about a lot more than Olympic hopefuls and girls in leotards.

Injury forces a lost senior season, but it won’t limit one running back’s future expectations

photo by karen boomer

by [peter goehausen]

Senior Colin Hertel spends his time on the sideline after a knee injury

Dick Hertel first sensed it in his son, senior Colin Hertel, when he was in third grade. In a game against Turner, Dick got upset with Colin’s team after they allowed a touchdown. Then on the ensuing extra point try, Colin made up for it when he came out of nowhere and laid out the ball carrier, in what his dad described as a “big time hit.” Ever since then, Dick has known that his son was going to be a special football player.

Even a college football player.

“I’ve always dreamed about [ playing in college],” Hertel said. “ I just couldn’t imagine myself not playing football.”

Coming into this season, his ninth season of football, Hertel knew exactly what he was going to do. More so, what he had to do to guarantee his playing days wouldn’t be over: surpass 1,300 rushing yards and score over 15 touchdowns.

He had to show people that he was the “best running back in Kansas.”

Following his second season of playing varsity, a season in which he rushed for over 1,100 yards, scored nine touchdowns and was named to the honorable mention in the Sunflower League, Hertel was stronger and faster than he had ever been. His BMOC, an index of how much he lifts per pound on his body, was a 6.74, the highest at East in the last three years. His 4.78 second 40-yard dash was the fastest he had ever ran.

“He was going to show people he was the best running back in the state,” head coach John Stonner said.

Two days before the season opener against SM West, the top ranked team in Kansas, Hertel’s chance to prove he was the best running back in the state disappeared.

Towards the end of practice the starting offense was practicing their goal line offense when they called a 28 toss to Hertel, a toss right. As he was getting ready to make a cut back he planted his left foot when someone hit the outside of his knee.

“I heard a loud pop when I got hit,” Hertel said. “ ‘[My knee] didn’t hurt but when I walked on it, it kept popping out of place.”

Later that Wednesday night, Hertel went to see his doctor to learn the extent of his injury. After an examination, Hertel learned that he had sprained his MCL, a ligament in his knee. He also learned that the

Nov. 13, 2006

sprained ligament would sideline him for three to six weeks.

“I was a wreck that whole night,” Hertel said. “But at that point I thought it would be possible to come back.”

Four weeks later, things quickly went from bad to worse: Hertel learned the knee cartilage was hanging on by threads. The running back who rushed for over 240 yards in his first varsity game, who never missed one summer weight training in four years, who was named captain as a junior, would never play another snap in high school.

Hertel’s disappoint of the injury lasted all of two minutes, his mom Judy Hertel said. His only concerns were his team and getting back to his old self. There were the times when his parents would catch him taking off his knee brace trying to bend it. Or the time numerous times he went to the gym to try to use the elliptical machine.

“It’s discouraging because he has done all of the right things,” Judy said. “He just wanted to do everything he could to get back.”

Instead of showing college coaches what he could to, he turned into a coach. Hertel never missed a practice and only missed the game against SM Northwest because he was in surgery. He coached the scout team offense and defense while tutoring sophomore running backs Eric Ellwood and his replacement Marcus Webb.

“The players all have a great respect for him,” Stonner said. “When he talks, people listen.”

Aside from his new coaching role, Hertel began rehabilitation for his knee. To meet his targeted return date of Jan. 5 for basketball, Hertel began training with East trainer Jenny Edwards. His workout consists of training in the pool, using the stem machine--a machine that re-teaches the muscle-- and various leg lifts.

As far as next year goes, Hertel is still optimistic about chasing his dream of playing college football. With the help of Stonner, he has begun sending out his junior game film and contacting coaches. Currently, Baker, in Baldwin, Kansas, a member of the NAIA, is very interested in him, but a seemingly uninterested Hertel said if he doesn’t get something he’s happy with, he’ll just walk on.

Whatever happens he knows he will make the best of the situation, because just like his first against Turner, he always has.

page 20 [photo essay]

Left: Senior Ellie Weed, freshman Jack Logan and sophomore David Spero represent their classes by participating in the can race. This race was based off the ketchup, mustard and relish race at Kauffman Stadium. photo by karen boomer Above: Senior Joey Soptic plays guitar for his band The Case while junior Michael Lebovitz pretends to play along. photo by karen boomer

Assemble the Cans

StuCo sponsors an assembly to get support for the Can Drive.

Left: Varsity cheerleaders gather in a huddle to discuss strategies before they begin their basketball game against the varsity Lancer Dancers. photo by samantha ludington

Right Junior Michelle Parsons shares a joke with junior Paige Brulator as they stretch and warm up to prepare for the basketball game. photo by karen boomer

Above: Senior Natashia Howell from the varsity Lancer Dancers guards the ball from senior Bailey Thomas of the varsity cheerleaders. photo by karen boomer

the [harbinger]