Issue 7 by The Harbinger

harbinger SHAWNEE MISSION EAST

ISSUE 7, DEC. 1, 2003

What’s Inside

• •

Mrs. Ogden recovers from heart surgery Sports and the college choice Get your car ready for winter

Annie Fuhrman

ant a Kate Spade purse for $30? How about a Prada bag for $20? If the deal seems too good to be true, that’s because it is. These fake products are available, affordable and also illegal.

Counterfeit purses are cheap, fashionable and popular despite their contraband status. The look-alikes are a bargain: for the students who carry them, it’s all

in the

BAG

They are everywhere in big cities such as New York, Los Angeles, and Washington DC. Tables of fake purses and other counterfeit items line the streets of these big cities and are available in select small stores. While it may seem that the major supplies of these faux designer bags are in the bigger cities, fake purses are readily available in Kansas City too. The stores that sell the illegal merchandise are often off the beaten path and are selective with their customers, letting in only those with recommendation from previous customers and locking the doors behind them. Inside these stores are walls lined with “Coach” purses and “Gucci” bags. All of the purses are available for sale at a fraction of the designer prices. While owning counterfeit purses is not illegal, selling them is. The popular bags are illegal because of trademark infringement. The makers of the knockoffs steal the ideas and the logos from the companies that developed the products and made them popular. The designers are the big losers in this enterprise, losing money from sales of their bags to the fakes and watching their original designs and styles they paid to develop exploited by the knock offs. The Kate Spade Company alone loses an estimated 70 million dollars a year to the knockoffs. SM East is a place where the both worlds collide. Many original designer purses are available along with the fakes. Many students love the fact that the fake purses are available for sale. “I have three,” sophomore Emily Hennig said. “I love the fake ones! They are so awesome.” Fakes are in high supply and in high demand, as long as the bags look identical to the real thing. Senior Amy Abrams commented on the feeling she gets when people mistake her fake for an original. “When people are like, oh, is that real, and I say no, they are surprised because it looks real. If you can find a good fake purse that looks real, then it’s cool.” While some students are enjoying their fakes, others are enjoying the real thing, and feel resentful of the owners of the knockoffs. “When I see someone with the fake things, I’m not really mad, but I think it is just cooler to have the real thing,” sophomore Betsy Kennedy said. “I think if you can pay less for the real thing, then it’s pretty awesome,” sophomore Caitlin Brown said. The fake purses are popular with the people who want designer purses without designer prices.

WHICH IS WHICH?:

Designer companies are losing money on real bags (right) to illegal counterfeits (left). photos by Tierney Weed

counterfeit or couture?

how to distinguish

fake or real Kate Spade illegal expensive Coach leather or plastic designers cheap price authentic And look for... counterfeit differences what is real and what is not? behind counter legal expensive leather plastic labels designer fake or • Misspelleddifferences words like “Kade Spade” or is real LOGOS: In fakes, they could real Kate Spade illegal expensive Coach leather or plastic designers cheap price authentic counterfeit what “Drada” be sewn on crooked or contain and what is not? behind counter legal expensive leather plastic labels designer fake or real Kate•Spade illegal Mismatched stitchingexpensive Coach crooked, unevenly spaced letters • In is Coach purses, there is a counter serial numberlegal to or words or plastic designers cheap price authentic counterfeit differences what is real and what leather not? behind prove that they are original FABRIC:leather Counterfeitsplastic are made labels designer fake or real Kate Spade illegal expensive Coach leather or expensive plastic designers • And a less obvious one: on thecheap Burberryprice of pieces of leather or vinyl purses, the plaid is off-center authentic counterfeit “pleather” is used instead differences what is real and what is not? behind counter legal expensive leather plastic labels designer ZIPPERS: In real purses they’re metal, in fakes they’re plastic.

news 2

The Road to Recovery Stephen McKim

Debbie Ogden couldn’t stand the idea of leaving school. The idea of leaving the athletes on the tennis team that she coached as well as the students in her dance classes was out of the question. To her, both teaching students and dancing had always been a major part of her life. Nothing, it seemed, could upset such a long history of dancing and athleticism. Almost two years ago during a routine physical checkup, Ogden’s doctor discovered something that seemed to contradict a life of activity and athleticism. Ogden had an aortic aneurysm, a weakening of the heart vessel wall by a build-up of blood. Ogden was lucky to have the aneurysm detected, and her doctor said that she should have surgery to correct it. Having open-heart surgery was something she couldn’t afford to do. Coaching tennis and teaching her students was a rhythm and way of life that she didn’t want to give up, even if it meant that it could jeopardize her health. “I thought it would put a halt to what I was doing at that time. I couldn’t do that,” Ogden said. “I wanted to continue to teach and be active.” Instead, she opted to have her heart

monitored every six months. But after almost two years with nothing happening to her heart, Ogden found out at one of the sixmonth checkups that it was crucial that she have her heart repaired. The time had come when Ogden could not wait any longer. She had to go into surgery. “I remember when she told us when she was going to have surgery,” senior Kristen Buck said. “She cried a little. She started talking to us about how she is made to go into surgery and postponed it awhile so she could be tennis coach. It made me realize that she [was] was putting something important off for us kids.” The week after Ogden left was a busy one. The surgeon wanted to run a heart catheter test to know exactly what Ogden’s heart was like before the surgery. During that test, the surgeon found that Ogden’s aorta was nearly twice the normal size. “That was changing my mind some, knowing it was that big,” Ogden said. “I felt like it was a good decision, due to what [the doctor] found.” Ogden was alone the night before the surgery, doing what she knew would relax her.

THE HARBINGER

P.E. teacher Debbie Ogden is ready to get back to teaching after heart surgery

“I listened to a lot of music, and that helped me relax more,” Ogden said. “That helped me.” Early Friday morning, Ogden was admitted to St. Luke’s, and entered surgery around 10 am. The two-hour procedure was a success. Ogden spent less than a day in the Intensive Care Unit, and only 15 minutes on a bypass machine before she was moved to where other recovering heart surgery patients were. Because of Ogden’s athletic lifestyle, her heart was very strong. “A lot of people who come in are sick and weak,” Ogden said. “I came in strong.” After only five days in the hospital, Ogden was back home. For rehab, all Ogden has to do is walk. But right now, she says, all she can think about is getting back to teaching her students. “I am getting my new rosters for second semester ready. I should be there Monday the fifth, right after break,” Ogden said. “I am ready to teach.”

STUDENTS

SPEAK OUT Coach Ogden “Instead of just her up there and making up dances, she wants US to make some up. She lets us do our own thing, instead of just being taught.” -Senior Kristen Buck “Even after she told us, she didn’t let it bring down her teaching. She really just stayed the same.” - Sophomore Emily Hennig “She kind of makes you feel like you want to be there, and get somehting out of her classes, even if it is just dressing out and trying hard” -Sophomore Jennifer Sherry

3 news

THE HARBINGER

news BRIEFS Art Teachers’ Show When: Dec. 8-12 Where: In the library Who: The show is sponsored by the Art Department and the Library. How: Display cases will be available Dec. 8 to display artwork in. There is a reception for all of the artists on Dec. 10 after school in the library.

Awards 4

place was awarded to The Harbinger for National Best of Show at a journalism convention in Washington, D.C.

students received excellent honors: Alex Abnos in newspaper layout and Annie Harrigan in editorial cartooning.

students received honorable mentions: Perry Collins in computer headline design, Mariah Eilts in academic writing, Arielle Zarr in color yearbook photography, and Dianne Smith in advertising design.

Cans: 5,529 Total: 18,499

Sophomores Cans: 6,127 Total: 6,247

Juniors Cans: 4,580 Total: 7,560

1,920

A WINNING SMILE:

Senior Alex Abnos receives his award at the NSPA Journalism Convention in Washington, D.C.

photo by Nathaniel LaRue - SM North

Reflections Contest All students are invited to enter the Reflections Contest, sponsored by Shawnee Mission School District.

Seniors Cans: 2,119 Total: 3,710

2001 PT CRUISER FOR SALE! For Sale by Owner: 913-710-8339

-- senior editor Alex Abnos

students entered the competetion from all over the US as well as Taiwan and London.

Can Drive Totals Freshmen

I felt it was really important for the Harbinger to win an award...it was a sign that we had made a difference.

Deadline: Jan. 8, 2004 Entry forms are in the office.

Theme: “I am happy when....” Categories: photography, literature, music composition, and visual arts

*Silver *Five Speed *22,000 miles *$13,950

Contestants may enter up to four categories.

Correction In the Nov. 17 issue of the Harbinger, we incorrectly reported that the SM East gymnastics team finished 9th in the state gymnastics competition. They finished 7th.

news 4

THE HARBINGER

ACTING OUT

East senior gets a rare chance to fulfill her dream

Jesse Feterling Dreaming of becoming an actress is like dreaming about that cute boy in study hall asking you out. It most likely won’t happen. But for senior Kelli Jackson, it’s different. As the current best senior actress in the country, she is shipping out to LA in January to begin her acting career, trying out for multiple TV shows. “I liked acting, but I always thought of it as a hobby,” Jackson said. “ I didn’t think all of this would happen.” Jackson’s acting career started in eighth grade with the Kids on Kids production at Mission Valley. She continued at East when she participated in the Little Theater and played a waiter in the main stage show Scapino. Performing monologues for forensics is what really got her into acting. To practice for Forensics, Jackson would stand in front of a mirror for hours at a time looking at herself and trying several different actions to make her monologues look more natural. “Forensics just put me over the top. It gave me practice, and helped me figure out how to put my own mannerisms into my acting,” Jackson said. Over the summer, Jackson decided to audition for the Best New Talent Company at Crown Center after being cut at a tryout for the WB. People from all over the city tried out. Out of 100 people, Jackson and her sister, Mary, were picked to go to a talent scout competition in LA. This is where her good luck began. Well, kind of. When she arrived at her hotel in LA, she realized something in her bag had spilled all over her clothes. But that’s not all. After washing her clothes in a sink, she had to stand in line for five hours because their entry forms had been misplaced. “At that point, I just wanted to go home, but my sister asked me ‘Wouldn’t it be worth it if you got first place? And I was like, yeah, if I got first place,” Jackson said. Little did Jackson know that her sister was right. With 750 other contestants, she tried out in front of eight judges for three different categories: Monologue, Cold-Reading, and Commercial. Then, after the tryouts, the judges set up lists for people that they wanted to talk to or see again, kind of like a call back for a play. “I wasn’t on one judge’s list. I felt like such a loser, and I was sure I wouldn’t win anything,” Jackson said.

But Jackson’s feelings soon changed because she was chosen with only two other people to perform her monologue “Betrayal” in front of a couple thousand people in the Century Plaza Hotel. She played a teenage girl that was breaking up with her boyfriend because he had cheated on her. “Whenever I choose a monologue, I try to pick something I can relate to. As a teenage girl I could easily relate to this,” Jackson said. After the three performances, the winners were announced, and Jackson’s name was announced twice for first place in Monologue and Cold-Reading. Because she won, lots of agents talked to her about getting her jobs. As a result, in January, she’ll be off to LA for four months to tryout for TV pilots and possibly be on some television shows. There, she will most likely be living by herself. Her agent, Sheba Williams, will be helping her a lot by finding jobs. “I’m scared living on my own because I might screw up and get myself into something that I can’t get out of,” Jackson said, “I’m also scared of it being too quiet.” Since acting is a highly competitive business, Jackson is also scared of rejection. She already almost quit before she went and tried out for the Best New Talent Company. “My biggest fear is that I will come back to Kansas City with nothing. Even when I tried out for the Best New Talent Company, I thought I was such a loser and that I wouldn’t do well at all,” Jackson said. Now Jackson knows that she wants to go as far as she can in acting and is willing to accept rejection. Although she’s starting a career in acting, she still wants to go to college and double major in theater and law. “I’m mostly excited because I get to do the thing that I’m passionate about and meet new people in the meantime,” Jackson said. Although she will be away from East, she’ll be coming back for prom and to also support her theater friends in various shows that will be performed this spring. She will also be graduating with her class by taking a twelve lesson course over the internet for English, the only credit she needs to graduate. Then she will be off to college. Or maybe Hollywood?

Kelli Jackson auditions for a part photo by Jesse Feterling

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521 East 54th Street Kansas City, MO

THE HARBINGER

Drunk Thriving

Parties ruined because of drinking trend

Holly Garringer There is a growing epidemic in this school that must be remedied. Now Iʼm sure if you asked your older brothers or sisters they would tell you it was a problem when they were in school. Maybe your parents would agree. All the same, I think it is a problem that we as students can put a lid on. If I say ʻproblemʼ one more time will you catch my air of suspense? The problem is coming to school activities drunk. Maybe this is something that has been happening for years now, I donʼt know. But what I do know is that lately more and more students are getting caught. And this is making students angry. I canʼt understand the logic behind it all. Here is the typical conversation the week before a school dance: Student A: “You going to the dance next week?” Student B: “ Well, I was going to, but then I heard there were going to be breathalyzers, so I donʼt think I will. Why waste a night of perfectly good drinking for one that might possibly be fun? Plus, I am a really good drunk: no one ever suspects me of drinking, except for that time I got a DUI and that time I got an MIP.” Student B: “ That makes complete sense. Ok! Iʼll go! And nothing bad will happen because this plan could never fail.” Except it does, and Monday after the dance you hear first hour that both students and their dates were suspended for drinking on school property. But thatʼs not even the good part. No, then come the rumors. Gossiping Gus 1: “ Did you hear about Jack and Katy? They went to the dance Friday, and even though they didnʼt do anything, they got suspended.” Gossiping Gus 2: “Yeah, I heard that they were just standing there, doing nothing, when all of a sudden two administrators and three policemen jumped on them and clubbed them until they cracked

Jackʼs head open. I heard Katyʼs parents were going to sue the school.” The real story of course is that Jack and Katy were so drunk that Jack passed out and Katy threw up all over the gym floor. Why does it have to be like this? If I am correct in my thinking, the school provides dances and events for our pleasure. Why must drinking be a necessity before attending these functions? The answer to this is that students are just plain lazy. Thinking of things to do every night is hard. It is so much easier to get drunk and pass out then to actually live your life and have fun. Have you caught the sarcasm yet? To all those students that think they canʼt have fun when fun is provided, be it a school activity or just a regular night out, I say get a life. Getting drunk is such a pointless waste of time. Let me detail a night of drinking: 1. Find out who is having a party: who cares if you donʼt know the person? If beer is going to be present itʼs got to be great. 2. Barge into said personʼs house and demand your alcohol. 3. Drink until you canʼt see and then proceed to pass out. 4. Get so sick the next day that you canʼt move. Donʼt forget to tell your unsuspecting mother that itʼs the stomach flu thatʼs got you down; parents always fall for that line. Wow, that sounds like so much fun! Way more fun than say, going to a dance and having a good time. Or say, actually speaking to those you call friends. Students need to put down the bottle and start taking life seriously and living it to its fullest. Here is a newsflash: no one thinks itʼs cool when you throw up on him or her during a school dance. And hereʼs another more piece information that you can use: everyone can tell when you are drunk. You canʼt fool anyone, so letʼs try to stop drinking and start having fun. In the end, wouldnʼt it be nice to remember your high school years clearly rather than have them covered with a grainy alcohol cloud?

5 opinion

P.E.=PAIN

EDUCATION

Education is many young peoples lives. PE is the key to success. physical labor in an academic also a driving force behind many Youʼre a somebody program. academically challenged kids. PE with it, and youʼre o In many cases, if children may be the only reason some kids a nobody without arenʼt strong enough they to come to school, and for kids it. Without school, get failed. who enroll in sports related extrawe would not have a o On swimming days, curricular activities, it gives them place to go to to read students are required to the driving force to get better grades strip. so they can play on the team, and Ian McFarland d a z z l i n g pieces of All right, strip may be a harsh may introduce them to something literature, to learn about the secrets term, but strip is defined as “to they never wanted before: College. and wonders of nature, a place to deprive of clothing.” It may be for Iʼll even admit to enjoying Team go where we would be Games this semester, but by forced to run 2 miles in a no means was it worth the Wouldn’t it even make more half-hour. Boys Foundations course I was I donʼt think people sense to see adults do as many forced to take last semester really think about it after So should PE be required to sit-ups they can do in a minute? graduate? theyʼve finished it, but Not in the slightest. Physical Education is There are only a few kids that just plain unfair. I see no fit into the crowd that truly a brief moment, but I believe that reasoning for an academic school no institution can force others to need PE, and itʼs unfair to assume to require their students to take part do this. that everyone else needs it, with in physical activity. There is no And even the pros can be argued. the consequences being forcing reason for an administrator to say Do you see adults being required to innocent children and teenagers to to a student, “You may have gotten run a mile every year? Didnʼt think perform labor. a 5.0 in your academic classes, but so, this argument cannot stand well. When you show someone your we canʼt let you graduate unless you Wouldnʼt it even make more sense high school diploma, they see that pass PE.” to see adults do as many sit-ups you studied, battled finals, learned Letʼs take a good look at the pros as they can do in a minute, since the bare essentials to survive in life, and cons of requiring PE: they make up most of the nation? not that you swam laps and laps Pros: But this will never pass because off to some, never-ceasing agony, o Gives the nation an idea of Senators canʼt imagine making and being hit in the head with a the nationʼs fitness. ordinary grown citizens do physical heavy red ball. But hey, now we o Forces minors to get some work purely for statistical reasons. know how many times you can pull old fashioned exercise! But should PE be banned yourself up to a cold steel bar in 60 Cons: from school entirely? Of course seconds! o Forces minors to perform not. PE plays an important part in

letters

etters to the ditor

THE HARBINGER

Eastonian appeases and cartoon controversy

Cartoon Critics First of all, I don’t know where to begin. The writers of this article (Lies Exposes Truth , Issue 6, November 7th) state “It brings to attention the dirty politics of the Republican party.” What about the Democrats? They have dirty politics too! We all do. How naïve can you guys be? Another thing that got me thinking was how disrespectful your editorial cartoon was. I’m not talking about the presidents, but of Jessica Lynch’s cartoon. I doubt anyone in this school could imagine going to war for our amazing country, Not only that, but I doubt you could imagine being captured Along with all of that, Lynch also had BOTH legs, back, and right forearm broken, and she was raped. With the physical pain she was in, we could never guess the emotional pain she was in too. So with that stated, I think that there is so way you should have disrespected such a woman. Maybe if you went through it you would have room to talk. But you, sitting in your comfortable chairs, in an awesome school, should show more respect.

Underground Apology

I think there is no way you should have disrespected such a woman. Maybe if you went through it you would have room to talk. --Chris Burnett

-Chris Burnett

I did not have sex with that woman.

I am not a crook.

OUR NATIONAL LIES IN HISTORY

I’m a war hero.

Political cartoon published in Issue 6/Nov. 17 issue.

Dear Shawnee Mission East, We, the former editors of the Eastonian, would like to apologize for the hurtful things said in our publications. It was never our intent to harm people; unfortunately, we seem to have done so anyway. The publication was supposed to be satire, but instead it came out sounding hateful and unfair, the pain we caused was unjustified and wrong; if we could turn back the clock, we certainly would. Instead, this apology is the best we can do. We are sorry; truly and sincerely, we ask for your forgiveness. We were responsible for the first two issues of the Eastonian (those published on September 19th and October 2nd, respectively.) Let it be known that we quit immediately after publication of the second issue, due to the outrage of some and the pain of others. When the third issue arrived on October 31st, we were as appalled at its content and writing as many of you were. We strongly encourage the publishers of this third issue to come forward and remedy this painful situation. Shawnee Mission East is one of the best schools in the nation, both academically and socially. The staff is excellent, caring, and desires nothing more that to see us succeed. Expressing hurtful opinions, like those found in the Eastonian, significantly detracts from the positive learning environment our teachers have worked so hard to create. School should be about learning; in this environment, the maliciousness of the Eastonian has no place. The written word is a powerful thing. It has fueled revolutions, ignited wars, raised

How have your parents affected your stance on politics?

man to heights of emotion and plunged him into the darkness of depression. In these days of high-impact media and cheap laughs, the strength of the written word is easily forgotten. We didn’t realize how language could cut straight to the heart; now our words try to mend the wound. There is great responsibility upon the speakers in a public forum, both to themselves and to the listeners. We did not live up to this responsibility at first, but we hope to do so now. We abused our journalistic forum by printing quotations without making our status as reporters known. We printed things that were hurtful, insensitive, and callous, and did so carelessly, without considering the consequences. Our status as reporters should have been made known, and no quotations attributed. This publication did not deserve the title of underground newspaper. It was a joke rag, and nothing more. Thus, we apologize for wrongs committed, insensitive things printed, and feelings hurt. We overstepped the bounds of good taste and we hold ourselves accountable. Shawnee Mission East, we are sorry. If only we had learned out lesson sooner. Signed, The Former Editors of the Eastonian

etters to the Do you have

an interesting ditor viewpoint? Let us hear it! Drop a letter off

Corey Jones, Senior I’m the exact same as my parents. Was it your parents, or do you a gree with their views? A little of both. I’ll register as a Republican.

Matt Owens, Sophomore

Ming Qi, Junior

No. My mom is Republican and my dad is a Democrat. I don’t go against their views because they’re my parents, but I develop

NO. Everyone should be indepen-

my own opinon.

dent.

in room 520 or send them via e-mail to smeharbie@hotmail.com Letters may be edited for legth and clarity

editorial

THE HARBINGER

Staff Editorial

Libelous newspapers not protected by constitution After the administration’s recent Kansas Board of Education recognizes issues that need to be discussed. actions against the Eastonian it – controversial or political subjects Insulting students or groups or editors (see Letters to the Editor), the are not a reason for censorship. teachers for no reason except just Eastonian is, at least partially, a falling But the law also recognizes a line to insult has no purpose. When tradition. between commentary and insult, commentary turns into insults, The Eastonian has changed. It and it’s a line that the Eastonian has discussion only generates more changed from being a newspaper crossed. A newspaper that makes insults, and nothing gets done. that dealt with actual issues, to a legitimate commentary and generates An underground paper that newspaper that simply was used to discussion is welcome. A newspaper brought up issues, talked about insult students, teachers them, created discussion or groups at East. And and controversy would when it was used solely for be welcome, and the A newspaper that makes that purpose, it became a administration should tradition that had outlived welcome it. An underground legitimate commentary and its usefulness and wore out paper that is only used for generates discussion is welcome. its welcome. personal attacks should not A newspaper that insults and Underground and become a tradition in the first unofficial newspapers place. generates more harm is not. are a part of student life Free speech is a good almost everywhere. Some thing, but libel and pointless can be a part that is useful, insults are not protected by necessary and welcome. These that insults and generates more harm the 1st Ammendment. Just like you newspapers and their editors bring is not. can’t falsely shout “Fire!” in a crowded Under district policy, student theater and then justify it with the 1st up and make commentary on real issues – whether the commentary is newspapers such as the Eastonian Ammendment, people can’t write a social or political or satirical or simply can be banned if they cause a libelous paper that spews lies and humorous. Bringing up these possibly disruption in the school environment. overly profane insults at random sensitive issues, and generating Additionally, it is illegal for any students and teachers and then claim discussion about them, is a service to newspaper to publish libel, which was protection under the 1st Amendment. students. It’s a service that should be a main component of the Eastonian. Commentary can be pointed, but both protected and continued, and the it is meant to create discussion about

Editorial Cartoon

�� Alex Abnos Dianne Smith Libby Nelson Annie Harrigan Lindsey Melvin

Editor-in-chief Assistant Editors Art and Design Editor Head Copy Editor

Stephen McKim Copy Editors Corban Goble Carson Black Patrick Menihan Andrew Finnerty Corban Goble Courtney Condron Cynthia Goldman Barrett Emke Gordon Culver Katie Patrick

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

Joe West Business Manager Joanna Cross Subscription Managers Gordon Culver Patrick Haverty Ian Stanford Evan Favreau Carson Black Tierney Weed Alex Helmuth Ian McFarland

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

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

Ian McFarland

“The Holiday Spirit”

CHRISTMAS MUSIC!

more Christmas music...

&@#% CHRISTMAS!

features

THE HARBINGER

When the weather outside is

make sure your car’s

How to prepare your of winter days and h When starting a vehicle in cold Vehicle warm-up weather, allow the engine to idle for a few seconds before driving off to make sure proper oil flow and lubrication. Do not allow engine to idle for a long period after start up in cold weather. This wastes fuel and does not warm up drive train components. After starts, drive easily for several miles to make sure proper vehicle warm up.

Filters, coolant and hoses

Check coolant and thermostat to ensure proper engine warm up, as well as heater and defroster operation. Coolant should be changed every two years, unless you’re using the new types of extended life coolants, which last about five years. Check and replace leaking or soft hoses. Make sure all filters - oil, gas and air are in good condition.

Icy wi

Make sure Also, make sur are working pro key can help w traction aids fo Having a small in the trunk wi be used to spri forget person blanket

sure Routine maintenance your Make battery and charging system are in good operating condition. A battery’s cranking power is reduced significantly in freezing weather. Be alert if your battery is four years old or more. It may work well only when the weather is warm. A good idea is to carry a set of quality jumper cables at all times in the vehicle. There are also portable power packs available for use in emergency starts.

Slow down

Avoid gas-wasting jackrabbit starts and pace your driving to help avoid the need for sudden stops, which is critical during wet and icy road conditions. Do not exceed speed limits and keep safe driving distances. Unnecessary speed up, slow downs and stops can decrease fuel economy by up to two miles per gallon.

9 features

THE HARBINGER

r car for the coldest how to keep you safe Joe West

indows and locks

you have window ice scrapers and de-icers available. re your windshield wipers and front and rear defrosters operly. A de-icer for door locks is also useful, but a heated when locks are frozen. There are some types of spray type or use in icy conditions that help when a vehicle is stuck. shovel is also useful to dig out of the snow. A bag of sand ill not only help give added traction to the wheels, but can inkle on the snow and ice to get better traction. And donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t nal protection such as a warm coat, hat and gloves, and a in case you get stuck in a storm.

Tire pressure

Chec k Wint Main the air pr er Dr tainin essur iving e g you i n Chec y our t r tire klist Chec i r p e r s. As essur k the the a e wil antifr auto ir l rew p e ard y gets coo can b arts store eze. The f l ou w . Mak reezi ead ith hi er, pressu n ange e sur gher r rous e you g point c gas m e drops in an be risk. Make check i yo l ea ge c sure h the a and l ur tires. you h ntifre ecked wit onge ave t h e ze wh r tire a he fo life. en itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s simple to llowi ol av c n o g o l i ailab tems . Ope le Ice sc ning in yo a hot at any ur ca raper r: radia tor Salt o r san d for tracti Blan on ket in c a se you a Good re str ande first a d and i d k it (no need t just Road to ke for w flares ep w inter arm. ) Jump er Ca bles Cell P hone Char ger Spar Chec e T k all i r e be easie r. Ma lts and h o ke su re all ses. As th Chec e your k rubb temperat er ho snow your tire u s ses a re drops . Not , hing for wear. nd be is wo lts ar rubber te M rse th ake sur nd e Treat in go e an th y od sh s to stiffe ree in you have addit our gas t n and ape. a p ive w ches break of sn lenty of t ill rem nk to a ca a lot read ow a n of g ove a n l e d a f ny w s t b t l a o i n l d tire get y e ater i ou th s. n the antifreez roug e bef syste h the o m an re the d pre c o ld we vent at your fuel l her strike ines from s. The freez ing.

Check tires for excessive wear and proper inflation. Do not under inflate or over inflate your tires. Low-pressure increases wear and increases fuel consumption while over pressure can reduce traction, especially in icy conditions

features

‘Singled Out’ is in Lindsey Melvin

Seniors dare to win a date and raise money for the Can Drive

Holly Thomas. They had to dig their way through a block of ice cream, handsfree, to get a piece of bubble gum. Whoever blew a bubble first won. Thomas pulled off the feat first. “I was excited but at the same time worried. I don’t know if I really wanted to win. I was nervous to go on a date with someone I didn’t know,” Thomas said. Thomas sat down and waited while the boys played their games to determine the winner. They played most of the same games as the girls,except for the part about bobbing for pickles. Although the guys refused to bob, so as an alternative, FACE FIRST: Jessie Fetterling and Holly Thomas fearlessly shove their they plaed whiffleball. “I went into it thinking I faces in ice cream as they compete for a date during SM East’s annual might not get far at all. But Can Drive event. and talk to her date. when it got down to me and Brian, I thought I might win. “I thought he was cute. I was very lucky,” Thomas said. My friends were all chanting my name. It was pretty crazy,” “It was a little awkward, but it was set up so it was more fun Nelson said. than anything else.” Then Thomas and Conner stood back to back, along with StuCo is giving each couple $10 to go out for ice cream. Nelson and Cohen. After a moment of intense anticipation, Neither has set up an exact date yet. They might try to the “dates” turned around and got to see their winners. double date. “We hugged. “Overall, Singled Out was successful. It went pretty Then I turned to the crowd and did a raise-the-roof smoothly. The important thing was that we raised a lot for motion. She gave me her number and said she was looking forward to the date. Everyone was running up and giving me the senior class and helped the total. It was a fun way to do it,” Lafferty said. high-fives. It was definitely a first-time experience,” Nelson said. Thomas was also excited when she got to turn around

photo by Tierney Weed

They chugged tomato juice, stuffed marshmallows in their mouths, and bobbed for pickles in a bowl of chocolate milk…for a date. Well, partly. The other part was to benefit the Can Drive. Since “Singled Out” aired on MTV, it has been a tradition for the seniors to have their own Singled Out competition in the gym. This year, it took place on Nov. 13. Anyone who wanted to watch had to bring three cans or $5. Seniors who wanted to compete filled out a survey with questions such as, “Who’s your favorite celebrity?” and “Are you naughty or nice?” “I think it’s funny. The people participating didn’t know what they were getting into. And it was all to get a date with a random person they didn’t know,” said Morgan Lafferty, senior and hostess for Singled Out. The boys competed for a date with senior Ginna Cohen, and the girls competed for senior Johnny Conner. Both are on StuCo from Shawnee Mission South. Senior Rob Ryan knew them from the inter-school Student Council meetings and asked if they would like to be the “dates” for the game. “I thought it would be fun to get to know people at East. I was looking forward to it,” Conner said. The game began with Cohen and Conner sitting on a couch facing the audience. The show began by asking Cohen and Conner for their answers to a questionnaire. Whoever had answers that did not match with what Cohen and Conner had said were eliminated. However, if Cohen or Conner saw someone who they wanted to still be in, they could give them a Twix bar. Cohen gave hers to B.J. Adams, and Conner gave his to Ashley Jones. “I thought it was funny and kind of embarrassing,” Jones said. Next, all the girls left participated in a series of games of elimination. The final two girls were Jessie Fetterling and

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Movie Review

Crowe commands ‘Master’ Ian McFarland Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World breaks boundaries set by most action movies, not only being historical, but also by having characters you actually care about. The movie starts off with a bang. During the Napoleonic wars, the HMS Surprise is attacked by the massive Acheron, a French warship of formidable size. From this point on, Captain “Lucky” Jack Aubrey (Russell Crowe) can concentrate on little else but avenging the Acheron. There are two subplots in the film too, but they feel aloof and don’t fit into the basic plot. The movie would have likely been better if they had been cut, or at least if they hadn’t so obviously stuck out of the main story line. The greatest asset of this movie is easily the acting. Russell Crowe is astounding, as can be expected, as Aubrey. He’s called “Lucky” because he’s come out of every battle he gets into on the ocean blue. The only things he seems to care about his ship, his crew and England. Aubrey is the kind of guy who seems overly proud of his abilities as a captain, but you love him anyway because of his charisma and optimism. Crowe doesn’t top his performance in A Beautiful Mind, but that’s not saying much. Paul Bettany makes another excellent addition to the cast as the doctor of the HMS Surprise. He is fascinated by how animals and nature work, and oddly enough Aubrey’s best friend. Also, 13 year-old Max Perkis provides an excellent portrayal of

Russell Crowe the driving force behind ‘Master and Commander’ courtesy of 20th Century Fox

Lord Blakeny, a young, brave member of the HMS Surprise who stands tall in his dedication to the ship. Something that sets this movie apart from most other action movies are amazing battle scenes. It’s not just a mindless gun-slaughter, but a carefully planned assault on the enemy. And unlike most other climactic fight scenes, it’s not certain that the good guys are going to win. They’re enemy is so great that no one in their right mind would want to fight them, except of course “Lucky” Jack. The ambience is spot-on. You fell like you’re on a ship with a hundred other men, willing to give anything to feel dirt in your palms again. You feel relived when your crew gets to stay on the Galapagos Islands for a few days. The special effects are very impressive. Nothing looks fake in this movie, which is a lot more than even The Matrix Revolutions can say (but to be fair, Master and Commander doesn’t have an army of 250,000 giant flying robots with lasers). But even with the many accolades this movie receives, it cannot escape the fact that it is just an action movie with benefits. Sure, it has great relationships and character SAILIN’ THE OCEAN BLUE: Russell development, but it all seems somewhat irrelevant in the Crowe commands the HMS Surprise in end. This movie is certainly recommendable, but Crowe’s performance is the only acting worth a ticket in this movie. ‘Master and Commander: The Far Side of the In the end, this really is a spectacular action movie, and World.” is easily one the best this year.

Album Review

Back ‘In The Zone’ Britney Spears’ latest album shows maturity Courtney Condron Britney Spears’ new album gives us a lot of sex appeal, a little bit of vocals, and plenty of that getup-and-dance beat. In the Zone, Britney’s fourth album came out Nov. 18 following several TV specials on channels such as NBC, ABC, and MTV. The first song from the album, Me Against the Music, has been voted number one on TRL, but has only gotten as high as number 35 on the Billboard music charts. This album has definitely outgrown the bubble gum group and left Britney’s teen pop star image in the dust. With songs such as Showdown that tell us “I don’t want to be a tease/so will you come undo my zipper please,” it’s obvious this album was meant for a more mature audience. Britney does move on to more vocal and meaningful songs, such as Everytime, which reveals “Everytime I try to fly/ I fall with broken wings/I feel so small”. She may not be belting it out like Christina, but she can hit the high note just as well as anyone. Another more vocal song is

Touch of my Hand but as you can tell by its title, the lyrics are going to get more attention than Britney’s voice. In fact, the entire album seems to be more of a statement than a showcase of her range. It’s not like she’s being humble about her lyrics though, as she shows in Outrageous in which she admits she’s “outrageous-in my sexy jeans/outrageouswhen I’m on the scene/ outrageous-my sex drive/ outrageous-my shopping sprees.” And outrageous is just what people seem to be calling her lyrics. Her album does have plenty of variety, especially with her song Brave new girl in which she seemingly makes her rap debut. She also has several songs about her passion for dancing, which she is probably most talented at. This is definitely Britney’s most honest album and most sexual, but if that’s the way she wants to come across then she should. After all, no one wants to see her pre-teen pleasing innocence anymore, and in reality we all know that’s long gone anyway.

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Ted Leo/Pharmacists prescribe punk rock Concert Review

photo by Cathy Bauer

Barrett Emke

RUDE BOY: Ted Leo

With so many self-proclaimed pop-punk bands horribly botching the punk genre with their juvenile and insignificant music, it’s refreshing to come across an act which encompasses both raw intensity and brains. Not to mention a lead man who still believes in soloing. Ted Leo/Pharmacists played a rip-roaring set of raucous tunes full of heart at the Bottleneck in Lawrence on Nov. 24, despite the absence of keyboardist Dorien Garry, who never returned to the stage after the band’s sound check. Ted Leo had the audience’s attention from the moment he took the stage to play “Bleeding Powers” from his Tell Balgeary, Balgury is Dead EP, released in October, and he held it throughout the band’s set, even after he professed no hard feelings if anyone wanted to leave during the encore. Whether it was his melodic voice, sometimes delicately crooning and others angrily slurring, or his rugged, powerful guitar playing, Leo’s charisma rested in the outpouring of himself

through his music. Eyes clenched shut, hands blurred by constant strumming, the man sang his heart out. The Pharmacists played an equally important role in the show, however, and songs like “Timorous Me,” with Leo playing solo for a few verses before bassist Dave Lerner and drummer Chris Wilson entered, paid off with a huge climax of sound. Lerner’s bass lines gave the songs even more drive and melody, while Wilson’s beats kept the spitfire rock in time, enchanting everyone to move to the music. Returning to Lawrence for the first time after canceling the remainder of his tour, and consequently his show at the Bottleneck, last May due to a damaged larynx, Leo repeatedly joked with and thanked the crowd, even meeting a request to play the Scottish-tinged “Under the Hedge” at one point. The band played a fairly equal amount of songs from its February release Hearts of Oak and 2001’s The Tyranny of Distance, and the crowd seemed satisfied with the well-rounded set. Blessed with solos accentu-

OPENING ACT

KELPIE

DISCOGRAPHY

Openers and Lawrence locals Kelpie pleasantly surprised the crowd with their unique classic rock sound, complete with catchy hooks and unexpected tempo changes.

Tell Balgeary, Balgury is Dead 2003; Lookout Records

311

12/08/03 - LIBERTY HALL

ated by reverb and feedback, the songs had Leo writhing and dancing to the music as if possessed, and Lerner and Wilson barely seemed to notice anything besides their instruments during the set. Although the missing keyboards and extra percussion that would’ve been provided by Garry could only have added to the sound, the band seemed comfortable without her and put on a great show nevertheless. Announcing the encore instead of actually leaving the stage, Leo joked that the final songs granted the band the right to jam and mess around if they felt it necessary. This was apparent in the closer “Stove By a Whale,” as it was the loudest tune of the night and saw the band playing the longest, with the song’s main riff pounding and pulsating throughout the venue. With such an honest, heart-felt brand of rock ‘n’ roll and a great live show to boot, Ted Leo/Pharmacists prescribe a cure for the embarrassing missteps of punk music.

HILARY DUFF MANDY MOORE LIZ PHAIR MICHELLE BRANCH

Hearts of Oak 2003; Lookout Records

The Tyranny of Distance 2001; Lookout Records

Date 12/06/03

Artist Alkaline Trio, No Motiv, From Autumn to Ashes, Reggie & the Full Effect

Venue Granada Theatre

12/06/03

Hot Action Cop, Ligion

The Hurricane

12/08/03

Jane’s Addiction, Story of the Year

Beaumont Club

12/08/03

Every Time I Die, Poison the Well

The Bottleneck

12/13/03

RX Bandits, Mae, Something Corporate, Days Away

Beaumont Club

12/16/03

Against Me, Anti-Flag, None More Black, Rise Against, Oh My God,

The Bottleneck

12/02/03 - UPTOWN THEATRE

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THE HARBINGER

Photos courtesy of New Line Cinema

Movie Review

Big ‘Elf’ Big Laughs Will Ferrell continues his comedic stride get a chuckle out of the three-year-old boy sitting behind me. I can’t tell you how many Will Ferrell has proven that streaking times I debated just getting out of my seat down the street, like in his previous film and asking for a refund. Old School, isn’t the only way he can make When Buddy was leaving the North Pole you crack up ‘till your stomach explodes. the laughs increased. He can do it in a PG-rated movie as well. Buddy’s real father (James Caan), who Elf, a Jon Favreau film, is about a human doesn’t know Buddy exists, lives in New named Buddy (Will Ferrell) who was an York City with his wife (Margy Steenburgen) infant in an orphanage and their son Michael on Christmas Eve. (Daniel Tay). Santa When Santa (Edward sends Buddy off to Anser) is passing out the city and on the the toys, Buddy crawls trip he travels over an in his bag and is not iceberg and through noticed until Santa is the candy cane talking to the elves at forest. the North Pole. He finally arrives Papa Elf (Bob and he finds the Newhart) decides to let Empire State building Buddy live with him. where he was told his Buddy then grows Dad lives. No matter up to be a regularhow hard Buddy’s sized human, but his father, Walter, tries feelings are hurt when he cannot get away he finds out from two from Buddy. He annoyed elves that he even appears in is a terrible toymaker. the window of a This movie starts department store slowly as you see saying, “Hi Dad!” Buddy go through the Walter finally decides realization that the NAUGHTY OR NICE: Santa in to get a DNA test and North Pole is not where the holiday film “Elf” it is an exact match: he belongs. Some of Buddy is his son. the attempts to make you laugh during Walter and his wife then accept the 30this part were lame; they couldn’t even year-old weirdo who thinks he is an elf into

Patrick Haverty

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SNOW AMMO: Buddy (Will Ferrell) collects snowballs for a fight in New York City their house. This is where the laugh-o-meter goes from 2 to 9.5, pushing 10 at some points. Buddy time and time again makes you laugh out loud making a complete fool out of himself, all the way to the end where he makes an attempt to save Christmas. I never thought I would laugh as much ANNOYED DAD: James Caan plays Buddy’s father that I did. who is tired of his newly-discovered son The writing in this Ferrell definitely made this movie, and movie is mediocre at best, and the movie I’m not sure how good this would have doesn’t have much plot, but not much is been without him. I don’t know how Jon expected from a Christmas movie starring Favreau managed to land Ferrell for his Will Farrell. The humor definitely makes up film, but he’s lucky he did because without for the lack of plot, and after they get off the him this would have been a flop. North Pole there’s never a dull moment.

sports 14

Taking a dive Gordon Culver

With the sound of splashes echoing throughout the pool and surrounding area, it became evident that it was time for the beginning of the boys swimming season. With this new season comes renewed hope. With aspirations of winning and league title and hopes of continuing past that, the Lancers are ready to get the year started, and with their first two meets in early Dec which gives them little time to continue their improvement before they have to be in top shape. The season starts on Dec 4 against Olathe South and Shawnee Mission North. The rest of the season is highlighted by the SME swimming invitational on Dec 15 and the SME diving invitational on Jan 29. The league meet is on Feb 6 and 7 and the state meet is on Feb 20-21. The team hopes that they have a good number of people qualify for state so they can challenge for a state

THE HARBINGER Swimmers look to turn heads this season with Sayler and sophomores leading

title. “We have a really talented group of seniors, which I am not one of, who lead the team. We also have a really talented group of younger boys to fill out the varsity team nicely,” senior Jack Spangler said. With the team continually getting younger and younger the boys are getting better and better every year. They had two big losses from last year’s team, Matt Radke and Taylor Sloan, whose point production will be sorely missed. In their place, a group of younger boys including Brandon Barnes, John Cook, and Luke Tanner hope that they can step into the places the seniors vacated and do as well if not better than the seniors did last year. “I think that we are a lot better this year. We lost some seniors, but I think that the younger boys that are going to be stepping into their places are even better,” senior Bryan Saylor said.

INTO THE WATER: Lancer swimmers practice for upcoming season Saylor will be the cornerstone of the team. He is the best swimmer on the team. He is also the team leader. He swims hard in the off season and every day at practice which has shown in the fact that he leads the team in both backstroke times and freestyle times. The entire team is working hard so as to keep up with Saylor. All the hard work that the team puts in though is not overlooked by our coach. “Wylie lets us have a good time. He is a really cool guy and it is fun to be on the team with him as the coach,” sophomore Rob Spangler said.

Students compete in national videogame tournament Ian Stanford The second annual EA Sports Madden Challenge tour rolled through Kansas City November 21. The tournament, which was held at the Chiefs’ Pavilion right next to Arrowhead Stadium, attracted 500 gamers, each eager to propel their team into virtual football glory. The videogame tourney is a nationwide event that travels to 32 US cities with one winner from each location. Then all 32 winners meet in Las Vegas for the championship tournament, in which the winner takes home $50,000. Among the 500 entrants were Lancers David Cooley, Cullen Rice, Mike Welch, and Corey Lucas. To prepare for the day ahead, they all practiced together the night before at Lucas’ house well past 8 PM. “After getting home from Corey’s I continued practicing past midnight and then that morning I got up at 4 AM to practice some more before school,” sophomore Welch said, who played with the Tennessee Titans in the tournament. Welch likes playing Madden Football as an alternative to high school football, which he played

last fall until he dislocated his day of the tournament, KCKN right shoulder and had surgery on Sports Radio1340 broadcasted it. After the injury Welch played its morning show live at the more Madden. “Playing football tournament. helps me in Madden because I can Welch lost in the first round pick plays similar to the ones that in a very close game in which he are successful for us at East,” Welch said. Sophomore Cullen Rice, who has hosted small tournaments at his home with friends, didn’t know the level of competition that he was going up against. “The competition was amazing. I came in with the goal of making it to the second day of the tournament and Photo courtesy of easports.com ended up going home on the first night. There made a 28-point comeback, only were some good players,” Cullen to fall just short. “That loss was very hard to take, especially with said. The Pavilion’s dining room was everyone watching,” said Welch. While waiting his turn, Cullen transformed into a gamers Mecca. Forty-two TVs with Playstation watched Welch’s game. “I tried to 2’s lined the walls enabled 500 pay attention to Mike’s game but coaches to battle it out on the all I could think about was which virtual gridiron. A DJ from local plays I was going to run and what hip-hop station Hot 103.3 Jams my strategy was going to be when blasted rap throughout the night I played,” said Rice. When his name was called, and then on Saturday, the second

The entire team seems to enjoy having Wylie Wright as the head coach for the swim team. Wright is entering his 19th season as the head coach of the boys swimming team. He has led the team to league titles in the last two years. Everyone on the team thinks that they can go even further this year with the talent that they have. To win a third league title in a row, the boys would have to beat out the team from Olathe East that has placed second the last two year. “I really enjoy being on the swim team. The whole team aspect is a great thing. I also

like Wylie because he works us hard, but he is really laid back so there is no pressure, you can just enjoy yourself,” junior Benny Armstrong said. The team has a great relationship with each other, which was helped in its development by the fact hat all 43 boys practice in the same pool so the lanes are packed every day at practice. “I don’t mind that the lanes are crowded. It means that more boys are coming out to swim for the team and that makes it so that we can only get better,” Spangler said.

Cullen Rice walked over to his game but found it difficult to do so. “My knees were shaking so much I could barely walk. I was very nervous,” said Cullen. Cullen found himself up by a touchdown in the third quarter, but two fumbles by his punt returner cost him the game, as he lost 14-7. “I should’ve won that game,” Rice said. “I was much better than the guy I played, and I just got two unlucky fumbles.” Like Cullen and Mike, junior David Cooley was very nervous playing around so many people in an intense setting. “I had never played in a videogame tournament so I was very nervous, but this ended up helping me,” Cooley said. Cooley won his first four games by big margins. In his second game, he was winning by 28 when a tournament official called the game over because of the huge blowout. After winning his fourth game, he’d qualified to return Saturday at 8 AM as one of 32 players left in the tourney. “After I won that fourth game I believed that I could win it all,” said Cooley. Before the tourney Cooley

didn’t know how good he would be compared to the competition. “I knew that I was better than Cullen and Corey, but I had no idea how good I would be compared with everyone else. I was really surprised with my success,” said Cooley. The atmosphere of the tournament was more serious on Saturday. The room was not crowded and their wasn’t a DJ blaring music. Only the elite remained and they all had their eyes set on $50,000. After getting a win by disqualification on Saturday, David lost in a close battle that came down to the very end. “I played a guy that was really good and it could’ve gone either way,” Cooley said. The tournament was won by a man from Chicago. The person he played in the finals was from North Carolina and he had made it to Vegas in last year’s Madden Challenge. The tourney’s entry fee was $10, and each gamer received a Madden Challenge shirt just for playing. “I’ll definitely do it next year,” Cooley said. “It kind of sucked that the guy that won wasn’t even from KC, but it was still a fun, new experience and I’ll definitely do it again,” Welch said.

15 sports

THE HARBINGER

Running down a dream

Athletes debate the pros and cons of Division I sports

“You got to weigh four more years of your favorite sport versus a bigger college,” It might be easier to hop on K-10, join the he said. “If it’s worth it to you, you’ll have flock of other SM East students who will be more fun.” It’s worth it to senior defensive end Paul headed to Lawrence next year, and enjoy life as a Jayhawk. But for seniors who have Grindinger, who will probably trade the the chance to play collegiate sports, the de- crimson and blue he would be wearing next cision of where to head after high school is fall as a Jayhawk at Kansas, enrollment a little more complicated. 21,000, for the green and white he’ll sport “You got to ask yourself what you’d as an Eagle at Central Methodist College, be giving up,” said senior Brett Harrop, enrollment 1,200. Having been recruited be Drake who is being recruited to play baseball by Benedictine College in Atchison, Kansas University, Washburn University, Fort Scott – a school with 950 students, a handful Community College and CMC – “Plus Miami more than were at Mission Valley, Harrop’s and Florida State,” he jokes – Grindinger is content taking a partial scholarship middle school. “I got to see where baseball can take me. to continue the football career that Going to KU would get began at Highlands Elementary. me a lot more friends; the “I just want to go baseball thing could get me somewhere where I somewhere after college.” can play,” he said. Even the thought “It’s hard to give up that baseball may not playing after playing take Harrop anywhere for so long.” after college doesn’t Senior Michael Duvall will make his decision much take his football talents to either easier, especially with the Dartmouth or Yale next year, both chance to play the sport schools that he feels fortunate to shawnee mission 11/17/03 1:42 PM Page 1 have as options. he loves6x6.25 for four more years. “(Football) has opened up a

David Vranicar

lot of opportunities for me,” Duvall said. “If I couldn’t play football, I couldn’t get into the schools I’m looking at.” And after playing varsity football, basketball and track in high school, Duvall is confident he’ll be able to handle the schedule of a collegiate athlete, especially at a Yale or Dartmouth. “(Division I-AA) isn’t as much of a commitment as D I-A. I figure I’ll have more extra-curricular time that I do have now in high school.” Senior Garrett Gates has let his tennis racket (and 4.0 GPA) create his shortlist of colleges. Having narrowed down his choices to, among others, the University of California-San Diego, UC-Santa Cruz, Claremont McKenna College and Williams College (Massachusetts), Gates has decided bigger doesn’t necessarily mean better. “If I went (Division I) I think it’d be too much for me,” said the state doubles champion. “I’d rather have a chance at winning a (Division III) national championship than go to a D I school and fight for a spot.” Like Duvall, Gates is anticipating that the type of school he is looking at will

give him plenty of time away from the court. “I don’t think I’ll be missing out on a lot because it’s D III,” he said. “If I went to a D I school I think I’d be missing out on a lot. I really wanted to play tennis but I didn’t want it to consume my college life.” Whether it’s a heady west coast college, a prestigious Ivy League school or a blip on the radar that’s smaller than E a s t , colleges that offer students the chance to play sports are many times offering them a chance to live out a dream. And even if that means giving up the normal college experience, it may be impossible to pass up.

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photo essay

THE HARBINGER

LOOKING ON: Students

at Tomahawk Elementary enjoy the sound of the menâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s choir.

[menâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s]

chorus Boys participating in choir sing to elementary students

SING, SING, SING: Sophomore Michael Helmuth sings along with the choir to a group of elementary students. All boys participating in choir at East traveled to eight elementary schools to encourage students to continue to be involved in school music programs.

photos by Linda Howard

LEADING THE MEN: Chior director Tracy Ressiguie leads the boys in a vocal warm-up before performing at Tomahawk Elementary School last Tuesday.