Issue 6

Harbinger

Students share their thoughts PAGE 2 SEX

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ISSUE 6 | SHAWNEE MISSION EAST | PRAIRIE VILLAGE, KS | NOV. 14, 2011

Planned Parenthood, contraception, stats, professional input and the questions on everyone’s mind special pull-out section

INSIDE THIS ISSUE:

p. 7

Opinion

Staffer shares lessons from years of babysitting

p. 9

What makes Kansas City among Features the best cities in the world

p. 14

Features

Former East student matures through pregnancy

p. 24

Photo essay

Photos of East dodgeball tournament

THE

PHOTOS OF THE WEEK

NEWS IN BRIEF

SCHOOL StuCo organizes annual

written by Mitch Kaskie

Can Drive

Hiba Akhtar

SENIOR DURI LONG, who played Helena, sits with SOPHOMORE MADDIE ROBERTS, who played Hermia during a break in a rehearsal of the Theater Department’s production of ‘A Midsummer’s Night Dream.’

During the month of November, StuCo will put on a Can Drive to raise money, cans, toiletries and books for the Johnson County Christmas Bureau (JCCB), which is a non profit organization that is intended to help low income families in Johnson County.

JCCB accepts provides food, clothing and holiday gifts for their clients. Along with asking various stores and restaurants for donations, StuCo will hold various activities and events to encourage students to donate.

Proceeds from school events such as Morp, “Candy for Your Crush,” and the Bachelor Auction are given to JCCB. In addition, students can be rewarded with pizza and donut parties by bringing food and toiletries to

COMMUNITY Earthquake was felt here in

Men’s Choir prepares for Chipotle Tour

On Nov. 22, the boys from Varsity Choir and Choraliers will go on their annual Chipotle Tour. The choir travels to all the elementary schools that feed into East, as well as Indian Hills Middle School to sing for about 15 minutes in front of the students.

For lunch, the guys will drop by Chipotle before finishing their day of singing.

The idea behind the tour is to get guys interested in music by showing them that it is “cool” to be in choir, according to choir director Ken Foley.

“It’s a fun way to show kids what choir is

written by Tom Lynch

Grant Kendall

SENIOR JONAS BIRKEL jams on his guitar alongside his band, at the Bunch of Bands of Bands Competition on Oct. 28.

Jake Crandall

JUNIOR CONNOR RELIHAN scores a touchdown after a reception from SENIOR QUARTERBACK DAKOTA COLLINS.

the Kansas City

A 5.6 magnitude earthquake in Okla. was felt in the Kansas City area on Saturday Nov. 4 at around 10:53 P.M. The earthquake occured approximately 44 miles east northeast of Oklahoma City according to U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Physicists.

The earthquake came after another moderate one in Okla.with a magnitude of around 4.7 earlier Saturday morning.

The most recent earthquake to occur in Kansas was on New Years Day in 2008. It was a magnitude 2.7 with an epicenter 15 miles west of Arkansas City Between 1867 to 1976 around 25 earthquakes occured in Kansas. Since the implementation of more sensitive detecting equipment, there have been more than 100 quakes detected.

CALIFORNIA

SOPHOMORE CLASS REPRESENTATIVE VICTORIA SABATES runs down the hallway in a red, white and blue “morph suit” to promote the Can Drive benefitting the Johnson County Christmas Bureau.

2 | NEWS

The Johnson County Charter Commission voted against a recommendation to put partisan elections on the ballot Nov. 7. The Commission, which meets every 10 years, voted 14-9 to halt the recommended changes to the County’s charter.

The county switched to non-partisan elections in 2000 on recommendation by the last Charter Commission.

Commissioner Connie Shidler, who was against the ammendment said that partisan elections might prevent a race between two of the best candidates and make it more difficult for some people to enter the arena.

Those in favor of partisan ballots, like Commissioner Clay Barker, argue that county officials shouldhave access to the support political parties provide.

The annual Morp dance put on by the Student Council will be held this Friday in the cafeteria. Tickets can be bought during lunch for $10 or at the door for $20.

Morp is a fundraiser for the Johnson County Christmas Bureau. Morp is a casual dance as opposed to the semi-formal homecoming. The theme this year is Caesar’s Palace, but students are encouraged to wear backwards prom apparel and are not limited to dressing to fit the Caesar’s Palace theme. “[Students] obviously have the option to just wear totally random things, mixing and matching a bunch of different pieces from their closets,” StuCo member and junior Liz Gray said, “or they also have to option to go

STATE

Kansas Arts Commission

Kansas was told by the National Endowment of the Arts (NEA) that it will not receive any federal funds on Oct. 28. The chairwoman for the Kansas Arts Commission introduced a plan that will move the Commission forward with a plan for supporting arts programs throughout the state with private money.

The NEA instructed the state not to apply stating that the private funds Kansas is now counting on to support the arts don’t qualify for the federal match.

This comes after Gov. Sam Brownback vetoed the state’s arts commission’s entire budget last may, making Kansas the only state in the U.S. to eliminate its arts funding.

The NEA asked Kansas to create new plan for promoting the arts through the state that might qualify the state for federal funds in 2012 to be submitted on Oct. 31, before the NEA changed their position on the 28.

Each year there are about 10,000 earthquakes, only a few hundred are felt and only 15-20 have a magnitude greater than 4.0

The earliest, and strongest shock reported within Kansas’ borders occured April 24, 1867 outside of Manhattan with a 5.1 magnitude.

ABOUT THE ARTS ELIMINATION

THE ‘NO’ THREE

From 1975-1995 there were three states that did not have any earthquakes. They were: Iowa, North Dakota, and Wisconsin.

NORTHEAST

OKLAHOMA

Oklahoma typically had 50 earthquakes a year until 2009. In that year, the number spiked to 1,047.

Information from the U.S. Geological Survey

?

BIG QUESTIONS

KANSAS QUAKE IN PERSPECGTIVE KANSAS

McKenzie Swanson

Partisan elections may come to Johnson County

StuCo plans for Caesar’s Palace theme for Morp

Earthquakes experienced in the Northeast can be especially dangerous because most buildings and homes are not build to withstand them.

WHAT IS AT STAKE?

The Kansas nonprofit arts and cultural sector is a $153.5 million industry, supporting over 4,000 full-time equivalent jobs, generating over $15 million in local and state revenue.

WHAT IS THE BENEFIT?

The state currently spends $797,980 on the Arts Commission.

This money could be instead used for other things like Education.

www.kansasarts.org

AS ORIGINAL AS WE THINK? written by Leah Pack Mission Road is empty on a Friday afternoon. Football season is about to kick off. Homecoming is around the corner. Lancers parade their way down the street showing all of their school spirit. The Lancer Day Parade is one of East’s defining events, but in no way is East alone in this tradition.

Schools across the Shawnee Mission district share traditions. Small twists are made to each event to make each the schools’ “own,” but East’s customs aren’t as original as people might think.

Every year the Lancer Day Parade takes place in honor of the start of the football season and homecoming. The students at East parade down Mission with their class, clubs or sports. Each group is represented by a themed float.

“The Lancer Day Parade is probably the easiest event to get involved in because if your club isn’t featured in the parade, then you can just participate in your class float,” StuCo Exec. President Carolyn Welter said. “There are a lot of meetings with the classes for planning the float that anyone can attend.”

Many StuCo members agree that the Lancer Day Parade is a fun and easy way to be a part of the school.

“The Lancer Day Parade is the most popular event,” StuCo sponsor, Hannah Pence said, “largely due to the tradition behind it.”

Like East, SM North has a Homecoming Parade.

“The Homecoming Parade is also something the entire student body looks forward to each year,” SM North’s Student Council sponsor Chris Zuck said.

The Bachelor Auction is on its way to becoming a tra-

A comparison of events at East to other schools

dition at East. The first auction drew about 50 attendees, and StuCo is now working on having a better attendance at the auction coming up.

“The Bachelor Auction is a new event, so I’m hoping that the second annual Bachelor Auction will attract more people than the first,” Welter said. “With events such as these, it is a matter of repeating them until they become a tradition. Currently, they are in the process of becoming a tradition.”

The original idea for the Bachelor Auction came from South’s Mr. AmeriCAN. During Mr. AmeriCAN, each club nominates a boy to compete in a pageant. Students from South watch the boys compete in four events and bid with cans on the winner in support of the can food drive. The first event is a dance competition. The boys are taught a choreographed dance and have to perform it in front of the crowd. Next, instead of having a swimsuit competition, there is a spirit wear competition. The boys dress up in school spirit wear and have to do a cheer to pump up the crowd. For the third event the nominees have an evening wear competition. They are all walked down the runway by three pageant girls in suits and tuxes. Finally there is a talent competition. They have been known to do anything from singing and dancing to science experiments. Posters are hung around the school and the nominees campaign to get the word out about Mr. AmeriCAN. “Mr. AmeriCAN was started two years ago and every year the turn out has doubled,” Horner said.

Before every dance at East, the Student Council arranges a spirit week. A different theme is chosen by the Student Council members for every day of the week, and

ON THE AUCTION BLOCK

students and staff in the building are encouraged to participate. In the past, students have been awarded for their participation as an incentive for people to dress up. In comparison to SM South’s partaking in spirit week, East does not have a large number of students involved.

“You’re looked at funny if you aren’t dressed up,” South’s junior class president, Meg Horner said.

MORP is a themed informal dance. Students dress up in crazy costumes and pack into the cafeteria to listen to a DJ and dance with friends, while all the proceeds from MORP tickets go towards the can drive.

“MORP and the Lancer Day Parade are the most popular, just because they have been a tradition for so long and people don’t think twice about getting involved,” Welter said. “The upperclassmen get really involved in MORP and the Lancer Day Parade which makes it easier for the underclassmen to get excited about it.”

Last year North hosted a MORP dance, and South hosts a similar dance called Timewarp. Timewarp takes place in the spring, and students dress up in clothes from different eras.

“Timewarp is the most popular dance because kids don’t necessarily go with dates,” Horner said.

StuCo events are publicized with posters and fliers around the school, and on the announcements. More technology is being used now and advertising is being done over Facebook groups, emails, text alerts, and Twitter.

“Low attendance is often due to lack of information, so I think the more we can publicize and promote our events, the better our attendance and involvement is,” Pence said.

The second annual bachelor auction will be held on November 14th

written by Holly Hernandez | photos by McKenzie Swanson and Holly Martin What is your favorite restaurant? As Senior Emily senior grades that are being auctioned. Who they deFrye fills out her bachelorette questionnaire she jok- cided to place in the auction, was based on who they ingly scribbles down Chucky Cheese. This is her sec- thought people would want to bid on. Once they finalond year participating in East’s annual Bachelor Auc- ized a list of good prospective candidates, they aption. This year, the auction will take place on Nov. 15 in proached them and hoped they’d want to be a part of it. the cafeteria from 7-8 p.m. where all the profits made “When they asked me if I would do it, I said yes,” will benefit the Johnson Country Christmas Bureau’s Frye said. “I participated last year and I thought it was can drive. really really funny and just a good event for East to This is the second year that junior stuco has put on have.” the auction. Junior president A.j. Orth says that there is This is Senior Lanie Leek’s first time participating a lot that goes into prepping for the auction. in the auction and says she is excited because she has “We have to rely on a lot of our bachelors and bach- heard a lot of people talk about how fun it is. elorettes to help us prepare,” Orth said. “Once they fill “It sounded like a creative idea that would be fun to the questionnaires, we can pile a script, make a pro- be a part of,” Leek said. “I think that having girls in it gram, then we can make a powerpoint just to make this year will definitely make it more fun too.” sure everything goes well.”

After bidding on someone in the auction, the bachWhat makes this year’s auction different then last elors, bachelorettes and their dates head out for one year’s, is that girls are being auctioned too. There are big group date. This year they are having a dinner two guys and two girls in the sophomore, junior and cooked by one of the moms, followed by going out for

MEET

“I’m very excited. I think it will be fun. We are all taking it as a fun thing ,and not a serious thing.”

your

CANDI ‘DATES’

Sophomore Victoria Sabates

“I thinks it’s cool they picked me, and hopefully I will be bought.”

Sophomore Ben Tschudy

ice cream and just hanging out.

Orth says due to last years success, he thinks this year’s will be just as successful if not better than before.

“I’m sure we’ll do it again next year, then after that it will be up to the classes that follow,” Orth said. “But it is a really fun event that is not like anything else that is done at East.”

Brena Fishman thinks that this event is an important one for East to have because the Christmas Bureau is in need of donations, and it’s a fun way to go about doing it.

“It’s entertaining for the kids,” Fishman said. “And this year they have started earlier, been more organized, and put out more publicity so I think it will be a huge success.”

“I’m looking forward to picking out my outfit. I will be doing a lot of thinking about it this weekend.”

Junior Helena Buchmann

NEWS | 3

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ex is an uncomfortable subject sexuality. The sex education curriculum to breach. When it comes time in SMSD should begin in seventh grade, for “the talk,” many parents two years earlier than it does now. Fourwould rather let the birds and the bees teen-year-olds are trusted with driving a figure themselves out. Schools must fol- car. This age group should be expected low strict rules and regulations when to understand the importance of sex-ed, talking about sex, or face the wrath of and not giggle at every other word. the parents, who feel that the school is In the Shawnee Mission School Disoverstepping boundaries, and have let trict, sex education, taught now in Health, the administration know it. A health is approached in three main ways: abclassroom full of stinence and freshmen will fill contraceptives, THE MAJORITY OPINION OF THE with giggles whenphysical conHARBINGER EDITORIAL BOARD ever the word “sex” sequences and or “condom” is used. emotional and In this day and life consequencFOR AGAINST ABSENT age when sex- and es. The curricusexuality-filled forms lum is oriented of media, like T.V. and advertisements, toward teaching students how and why are exposed to younger and younger teen sex is unsafe. It also focus on teachgroups of children, parents and schools ing safe sex practices if students ignore, need to start sex education earlier, too. or understand, the consequences and While SMSD does begin a form of sex still decide to have sex. education in fourth grade, this education While the administration believes focuses on growth and development and that this policy is working, still nearly puberty; it spends no time on sex and one in 11 teen girls are impregnated ev-

10

0

Harbinger

Editors-In-Chief Kat Buchanan Toni Aguiar Assistant Editors Emma Pennington Evan Nichols Online Editors-InChief Jeff Cole Duncan MacLachlan Online Assistant Editor Becca Brownlee Art and Design Editor Chloe Stradinger Head Copy Editors Chris Heady Jack Howland News Editor Tom Lynch News Page Editors Sarah Berger Editorial Editor Julia Davis Opinion Editor Ian Wiseman Opinion Page Editors Vanessa Daves Mixed Editor

Paige Hess Spread Editor Emily Kerr Assistant Spread Editor Tiernan Shank Features Editor Christa McKittrick Features Page Editors Jennifer Rorie Haley Martin Katie Knight A&E Editor Kennedy Burgess A&E Page Editors Andrew Simpson Will Webber Sports Editor Anne Willman Sports Page Editors Adam Lowe Corbin Barnds Freelance Page Editors Alex Goldman Andrew McKittrick Kim Hoedel Photo Editor Grant Kendall

1

ery year in the United States. That figure doesn’t even count the tens of thousands of teen pregnancies that are never reported—the pregnancies hushed up by parents. While teen pregnancy rates have stayed relatively stable, according to the Guttmacher Institute, eight in 10 teen pregnancies are still unplanned.

As Johnson County Government officials deny grants to organizations such as Planned Parenthood that teach contraceptive use, they continue to fund abstinence-only programs. This July, the Johnson County Health Commission gave $500,000 to a program aimed at teaching abstinence to young teens between 11 and 13 years old. The negative results of these policies can be seen: last year alone, teen pregnancy rates in Johnson County increased by 25 percent. But at least the local government is doing one thing right: focusing education on young teens.

Sex education does not have to start in the school. Who do children trust more than their teachers? Their parents.

a publication of shawnee mission east high school 7500 Mission Road, Prairie Village, KS 66208 November 14, 2011 Assistant Photo Editor Hiba Akhtar Online Photo Editor Brendan Dulohery Assistant Online Photo Editor Jake Crandall Copy Editors Evan Nichols Emma Pennington Kat Buchanan Katie Knight Matt Hanson Anne Willman Chloe Stradinger Toni Aguiar Chris Head Jack Howland Head Online Copy Editor Matt Gannon Online Copy Editors Kim Hoedel Sarah Berger Ads/Circulation Managers Erin Reilly Leah Pack

Staff Artists Sam Stevens Matti Crabtree Connor Woodson Webmaster Chris Denniston Multimedia Editor Thomas Allen Assistant Multimedia Editor Dalton Boehm Transmedia Editor Holly Hernandez Convergence Editor Alex Lamb Assistant Convergance Editor Holly Hernandez Homegrown Editors Andrew Beasley Mason Pashia Blog Editor Zoe Brian Video Editor Thomas Allen Eastipedia Editor Sami Walter Podcast Editor

art by Kat Buchanan

Parents should be actively engaging their children in conversations about sex well before the time sex becomes an attractive option for their children. Yes, talking to children about sex seems awkward. But imagine having your 15 year old daughter tell you that she’s pregnant.

Which is more “awkward?” Just as important is having children feel comfortable enough to ask the tough question of their parents. If a student does not feel comfortable asking a question in class, both the student and the parent need to be OK with talking about the subject of sex.

When both the school and parents engage children in sex education that focuses on physical and emotional maturity and contraceptives between the ages of 11 and 13, teenagers will be better prepared when they actually encounter sex. While some may think that teaching kids just beginning puberty about condoms is inappropriate, the long term effects of an inadequate sex education are too great for the system not to change.

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

Sami Walter Live Broadcast Editors Duncan MacLachlan Assistant Live Broadcast Editor Connor Woodson Andrew McWard Online A&E Section Editor Zoe Brian Online Sports Section Editors Matt Gannon Matt Hanson Live Broadcast Producers Thomas Allen Drew Broeckelman Patrick Frazell Connor Woodson Chris Denniston Anchors Patrick Frazell Marisa Walton Morgan Twibell Emily Donovan PR Representative/ Business Managers

Alex May Online Graphic Designers Paige Hess Staff Writers Alex Lamb Greta Nepstad Mitch Kaskie Nick May Stephen Cook Morgan Twibell Emily Donovan Holly Hernandez Leah Pack Jeri Freirich Online Staff Writers Zoe Brian Drew Broeckelman Katie Knight Patrick Frazell Editorial Board Julia Davis Becca Brownlee Christa McKittrick Kat Buchanan Toni Aguiar Evan Nichols Emma Pennington

Jack Howland Jennifer Rorie Matt Gannon Matt Hanson Photographers Spencer Davis Holly Martin Emma Robson Eric Erpelding Anna Danciger AnnaMarie Oakley Haley Johnston Josh Winters McKenzie Swanson Miranda Gibbs Marisa Walton Multimedia Staff Tiernan Shank Andrew McWard Alex Lamb Haley Martin Mary Newman Drew Broeckelman Spencer Davis Matti Crabtree Nathan Walker Adviser Dow Tate

THE HARBINGER IS A STUDENT RUN PUBLICATION. THE CONTENTS AND VIEWS ARE PRODUCED SOLELY BY THE STAFF AND DO NOT REPRESENT THE SHAWNEE MISSION SCHOOL DISTRICT, EAST FACULTY, OR SCHOOL ADMINISTRATION.

EDITORIAL| 5

AFFECTEDdevelopment Different parenting styles impact daughter’s personality As a curious little kid, you are constantly asking questions. You learn about the world around you, and when you get the answers you’ve been looking for, you take them at face-value bean opinion of cause you assume others have KIM HOEDEL all the answers.

As kids, we are all influenced by our parents more than by anyone else. I mean, not only do they clothe us, feed us and give us a warm bed to sleep in, but they are the people you learn your initial perspective on the world from.

Now, how is this initial perspective effective when you are raised with bipolar parenting?

No, not bipolar parents: parenting. My parents are two very different people. My father was an only child, growing up in Germany, spoiled by a very affectionate quintessential house mother. My mother was born in Guam to a Navy Captain. As the eldest of three she was responsible for keeping her siblings in check, making sure they met her parents’ strict standards as they moved from country to country. Sensing some discrepancies? My mother was raised to be completely independent from her parents and to take care of herself, whereas my dad was raised as my grandma’s “baby boy.”

With parents literally from two different ends of the Earth, growing up I was constantly confronted with two different views on the world. Two different reactions for every action. Two answers for the same situation. When I was old enough to understand my actions had consequences, I tried to please both my parents by becoming a “bi-polar” daughter, in a sense. I was one version of Kim Hoedel around my mother, and another around my father—and neither one was the real me. I pushed myself to question everything.

How can there be two different answers to the same question? Something had to be wrong—and being the curious kid I was, I had to find the problem and figure it out for myself. Exploring all the possible answers for every question taught me that the world isn’t just black and white.

I learned, way too early, to cross-examine people. Question their motives. Analyze their reasoning. Stick all the pieces of information together in order to construct a new, clear picture of each situation on my own. I learned to see

6 | OPINION

art by Sam Stevens

each side of a situation and find a happy compromise I felt comfortable and confident in supporting.

My father always encouraged me to accept any help I needed or that was offered to me, usually by him. He constantly offered to help me with my homework or would sit up with me making my Valentine’s Day box and cards for my third grade class. My daddy always told me that I could do and be whatever I wanted. This is the guy who offered to drive me to an audition for a Nickelodeon talent-scout when I was twelve. My dad is quirky like that; he and I share a great sense of humor and spend most of our time goofing off and just being silly. He and I were always closer to equals rather than father-and-daughter. I could talk to him the same way I talked to my friends, granted, never about similar topics.

Without my father, I would probably be the most heartless person walking around out there—even now, I hold a hatred of all things sentimental or emotional and resist all things Disney. I mean, an hour and a half of singing dwarfs?

Pass. This is what my dad counteracts. He always shows me not to take life too seriously because, where is the fun in that? He took me out to a celebration dinner when I landed the role of “Oakie #3” in East’s performance of “Grapes of Wrath” my freshman year. My dad taught me to be goofy while still teaching me good morals and the importance of doing what is right. I felt like I was being raised in one of those little kid shows that plays on Nickelodeon—he exercised a “Big Time Rush” style of parenting: mostly silly nonsense, but always tied up with a good-ol’ moral lesson.

Without my mother acting as my counter-weight, keeping me grounded, I would most likely be a spoiled brat— we are talking Veruca Salt, here. My mother is an amazing woman and I admire her more than she will ever know, but we have our problems. My mother is an extremely independent woman. On her 16th birthday she left her parents house, hopped on a bus bound for Texas and started a new life on her own. Badass, right? She believes in me and that I have the power to do things on my own, and that life will be more gratifying that way. But she never sugar-coated the world.

She was never the type of parent to tell their kids cutesy lies when they questioned something. I mean, don’t worry, Santa was still sacred; but mostly she just told me hard cold

facts: School Choir? Kim, I think the ability to sing is a requirement for that. Looking back, I’m really grateful for that. I mean sure, I wasn’t as much of a starry-eyed dreamer as other kids, but I like being a realist.

My mother has always had the toughest skin of any person I have ever met. She knows what she wants and what she stands for and nothing anyone can say will ever faze her. She raised me on harsh critiques, hoping to help me grow and improve to the very best I could be.

Now. Mesh the two together and you’ve got some issues. I could never address my mother the way I address my father. My dad is like a friend, but my mom is always my superior. Where I run to my daddy for help, my mom blocks my path and turns me around to figure the problem out on my own (not that my father didn’t try his hardest to get around her and help me secretly, several times successfully).

For my father, watching my mother exercise “toughlove” and setting me off on my own was tormenting. For my mother, watching my father shelter me and spoil me and let me lean on him throughout my whole life was frustrating. For me, as confusing and frustrating as it was, it made me the strong independent realist that I am today—and for that, I am very thankful.

Where my mom made me a confident, harsh realist, my father gave me inordinate amounts of compassion for others. Where my mother made me independent and strong enough to stand on my own, my father taught me that accepting help doesn’t make you weak.

Reflecting back, I am so grateful for my bipolar parenting. It kept things interesting. I really found a true sense of myself through it. I didn’t feel like I was just an extension of my parents, believing in the same things they did because that’s how they raised me to be. I felt like since I was presented with two bizarre ends of the spectrum on most issues, I was able to find the answers for myself, and figure out what I believed. I would weigh my parents’ answers and see which one I agreed with more, and whose reasoning and logic I understood more.

My mother taught me to explore and discover the world.

My dad taught me to love and enjoy it.

Kim’s Father Childhood: Lived in Germany until age 23 Physical Activity: Soccer Born in Geislingen an der Steige, Germany

Thermostat temperature: 72 degrees Ideal Friday night: Rock concert

Kim’s Mother Born in Agana, Guam

Childhood: Moved 11 times; raised in a Navy family Physical Activity: Yoga Thermostat temperature: 83 degrees Ideal Friday night: First Friday

WISE BEYOND THEIR

YEARS

Babysitter learns life lessons from kids

LIGHTEN UP. This first piece of wisdom comes from one of the most lovable four-year- olds you will ever meet. Fletcher, standing at about three feet and perfectly dressed in a polo and corduroys, could be a kid straight from a Pottery Barn magazine.

One time when I was baby-sitting Fletcher and his younger sister Morley, he announced that he had a package to deliver.

“I wrapped this all by myself and I want to deliver it to my friend Pierson,” he said.

“What’s in your package Fletch?” I asked, trying to contain my smiles at the hodgepodge present wrapped in candy cane-striped paper.

“Something really special,” he said.

I didn’t question him any further, I just loaded Fletcher and Morley up for a walk over to his friend’s house. By the time we arrived, Fletch was beaming from ear to ear and could hardly contain his excitement.

He rang the doorbell and darted inside.

“Pierson! Pierson! I got you a present! I got you a present!” he screamed.

Fletcher didn’t even wait for Pierson’s response and he immediately started ripping open the package himself.

Inside the box was a collection of dried up and crusty brown leaves.

Oh no, I thought. What if Pierson is upset that it wasn’t a real present? I should have figured out what was in the box before we came. But, my thoughts were interrupted by a burst of laughter coming from both Fletcher and Pierson. They both found this present to be utterly hilarious and could not contain their giggles. This reaction baffled me. I then got to thinking about this situation. If only us “grown ups” could handle things this way. We stress about not having the right present for someone or not being prepared enough for certain situations. If only we could just bring ourselves to give those goofy Christmas slippers or the marked-down Santa mugs, without worrying. Then we would know the joy of this four-year-old. After all, it’s the thought that counts, right?

THE LESSON

M

y entire life I’ve strived to be more like “the bigger kids.” When I was in elementary school I used to sit on my friend’s bed and watch with fascination as her older sister put on mascara and straightened her hair. I dreamed about my an opinion of own days as a high schooler and wondered if EMILY KERR I would ever be as cool as her. As a freshman on the cross country team, I listened quietly from the back of the running pack as the upperclassmen talked about their boyfriends and wild parties. In my mind, these girls were like gods to me. They had it all figured out, or at least I thought.

Now, as a senior in high school, I can see they didn’t and I willingly admit, I don’t either. In fact, recently, I’ve been trying harder to think more like a kid and less like a “big kid.”

In our culture we tend to value an adult’s opinion more than a child’s. Although this is partly due to respect, I also think that we believe that children don’t have enough experience to be intelligent. Although young children have no idea how to solve reverse integral problems (heck I don’t even know how to do that) or where Dubai is located, I have found that they have a pretty good grasp on how to live life. Due to the excessive amount of time I spend baby-sitting, I have acquired a lot of “four year old wisdom” over my past seven years.

CELEBRATE EVERYTHING.

BUCK UP, BABY.

I hadn’t even unlocked my car door before seven-yearold Kate had tried to jump through my window to be in my car with me. When I finally did open the door, she was at my feet bombarding me with hugs and exclamations of “Emily! Emily! Emily! I’ve missed you!” Talk about feeling loved.

When I walked inside, I received another round of this celebration from the older sister, Lizzy. Lizzy then headed on to a birthday party and Kate and I were left alone to hang out for the rest of the night.

“I’M SO EXCITED. WE CAN GO TO CULVER’S AND THEN WE CAN WATCH A MOVIE AND THEN...” she said a million miles a minute.

“That sounds great, Kate,” I said trying to calm her down.

We then got in my car and headed over to Culver’s. As we were driving I glanced in my rear view mirror. Kate was singing along to every word of Lady Gaga’s “You and I” and had a huge smile pasted across her little face. She looked as eager as a kid on Christmas morning.

When we arrived at the restaurant and sat down in the booth she continued to talk excitedly about all the things we could do that night. In between her exclamations, she noticed a delivery boy that walked people’s orders out to their cars. Every time he would walk by she would wave fanatically at him and then duck underneath the booth and crack herself up. She was having the time of her life. And all we were doing was eating at a burger joint.

After an eventful evening of flirting with bus boys, eating waffle fries and watching Camp Rock Two, I put Kate to bed and thought a lot about how she had acted. Something as simple as going to Culver’s for dinner with me had put her over the edge with excitement. For most people, this would be a typical night; but not for Kate. To her, it was a cause for celebration. I think that I could get a lot more out of life if I approached it this way. I’m not saying you can be perpetually happy; the only people I know that can do that are the characters on The Wiggles. But what I do know is that we can enjoy the simple joys in life. Like a trip out to dinner. Or a good laugh. Maybe even an episode of the Wiggles. (OK, definitely not, but you get my point.)

As I rang their doorbell for the first time, I had no idea what to expect. This was the first time I had baby-sat for this family, as they had just moved in. When they opened the door, I was greeted by two smiling, barefoot boys and an 18 month-old blue-eyed baby.

“Come up stairs, I want to show you my room!” the younger one, Austin, shouted.

I scooped up the baby, Jake, and chased the two boys up the stairs. When we arrived in Austin’s room, he grabbed Jake from me and they all started jumping on the bed. Jake bounced back and forth like a bouncy ball on a trampoline and I stared in amazement. The older boys continued to knock into him and he would topple over every time. But he didn’t cry or even flinch. Ever.

“Guys do you think this is safe for Jake?” I asked, clueless as to what a one year old was capable of.

“Oh yeah totally, he’s really tough,” Aidan, the oldest brother, answered.

“Tell me about it,” I said as I continued to remain in shock.

The rest of the night went the same way. We played hide and seek tag downstairs and the older boys ran circles around Jake, who occasionally had to dodge those two strawberry blonde-haired bullets. Don’t get me wrong, the two older brothers were never rough with him; they were extremely loving and protective. However, I can speak from experience of having two younger brothers myself, boys will be boys. It just so happens that Jake is that much younger than his older brothers and had to toughen up at a young age. And I have a lot of respect for that little guy.

The lesson I took away from these darling boys is pretty obvious. When you get knocked down, get right back up into the game. As adults we often pull the “feel sorry for me” card, but it’s not necessary. In life you get the hand you are dealt; what matters is what you do with it.

Some may think that I am drawing too much from these seemingly insignificant situations, but I beg to differ. If you ever take time to watch a four-year-old, a seven-year-old or even an 18 month-old, you will see one prominent thing: 95 percent of the time they are happy. However, I don’t think this happiness is a coincidence. This pure happiness that lives inside little kids is a perfect combination

of lightheartedness, celebration and resilience. You too can obtain this combination. All you have to is give your best friends those dorky socks. Wave to a random stranger and laugh about it. Let yourself be knocked down and bounce right back up again. Or maybe if you’re lucky enough, someday you too can meet Fletcher, Morley, Kate, Lizzy, Aidan, Austin and Jake. They’re the wisest kids that I know.

OPINION | 7

Repressed Rebel The digital clock display in my living room fuels my dad’s impatience as he waits up for me on a Friday night. Green LED lights glow as I belligerently stroll through the front an opinion of EMILY DONOVAN door and greet my peevish parent—two glorious, symbolic minutes after midnight. I at least pretty much made curfew.

My ever-so-slight tardiness satisfies the caged rebel inherent to my teenage years. I’m burdened by being told that I can’t stay out after midnight and, in defiance, I return home promptly at 12:02. What, are virtues thrown by the wayside when the clock strikes twelve and Cinderella’s carriage is turned back into a pumpkin?

I’m not the only teenager for whom labelling something as forbidden is an enticement. As any MIP recipient, any underclassman seen sneaking out to lunch or anyone caught walking back from the bathroom during class time could tell you, breaking the rules is a rush.

Rules have value in that they create order, but having them forced upon us makes entropy more and more appealing.

The trim of perforated notebook paper can be found across every desk and classroom floor in the building, silently protesting every collected math assignment and

every hand-written essay.

Prohibition nationally banned the production, transportation and sale of alcohol between 1920 and 1933 but instead reduced tax income, increased government spending and caused many drinkers to switch to other illicit recreations such as opium or marijuana. While it effectively cut drinking during its initial years, alcohol’s popularity quickly rebounded with the aide of organized crime.

Every September, we celebrate our freedom from censorship with Banned Book Week, as if to say, “Don’t tell me what to do, concerned parents of America! I read what I want!”

Thirty miles per hour? My speedometer on my drive up Mission Road regularly pushes a much higher number. I can drive much faster than that. An few extra miles per hour gives me the freedom to determine my own limitations.

In short, telling us we can’t only makes us want to do it more.

Parents, school administrators, teachers, lawmakers: authority figures seems to be caught up in quantifiable restrictions. Objectively, they serve reasonable purposes: my parents, who wait up for me until I get home, want to go to bed themselves, young kids who drink regularly are more likely to develop a dependence, students wandering the hallways aren’t learning and could be a dis-

Learned Gratitude As we walked through the door into the chapel of the City Union Mission, a few men were already in their seats, reading, sleeping, just glad to be out of the cold. I took a step up onto an opinion of the small stage to plug in my STEPHEN COOK acoustic guitar so I could practice with my friends, Noah and Dan, before service started. We ran through our Christmas hymns and then sat down, waiting for Chaplain Charles to take the mic and greet the couple hundred men.

“Good evening saints.”

He talked briefly, then some men from the Mission stood up to begin a song they had prepared. A few men sang, and one man, who was self-taught, played the piano.

“Because He lives I can face tomorrow, because He

lives all fear is gone, because I know, He holds the future, and life is worth the living just because He lives.”

Wow. I could tell that they meant it.

Then, we were up.

Noah took his spot at the piano, Dan went up to the mic and I grabbed a guitar pick.

We sang through our Christmas songs, with many of the men singing along. Then, we started our last song— “Victory In Jesus.”

8 | OPINION

“I heard an old, old story, how a Savior came from glory, how He gave His life on Calvary, to save a wretch like me...”

As we would sing, the men would follow along enthusiastically, some following along in their hymnals, others recalling the words from memory.

“Then I repented of my sin, and won the Victory!”

Individual shouts of “Victory!” rang as we continued on into the chorus.

When I sat down after singing, I had learned something about the men at the Mission: just because they were homeless didn’t mean that they were going to be dim and gloomy. All they had was the joy of Christ, and for them, that was enough. They were actually living out what the hymns say—Jesus dying on the cross to pay for their sins was truly enough to satisfy them. They knew that once this short, fleeting life was over, they’d be in Heaven, with no worries, troubles or pain.

Since last December, I’ve been going to the City Union Mission, a homeless shelter downtown, to help with the evening chapel service every third Thursday of the month. Some men from my church, including my dad, had been going to preach for some time, but since it was Christmas time they thought it would be nice if my friends and I went along to lead worship. I went into the service thinking we would be encouraging them, but it was the other way around. They had encouraged us. By

Forbidden things are enticing and counterproductive traction to others.

However, speaking as a teenage high school student, I feel compelled to argue that excessively imposing rules encourages a power struggle between independence from Mom and Dad and the security of following a structure.

We spend all of our childhood following the will of adult authority figures. Now that we’re making the sloppy transition into adulthood, making decisions for ourselves feels like it means rejecting the suggestions of others. There’s a common misconception that breaking Mom and Dad’s rules are the gateway to independence, but the real problem is a question of trust.

Would I time out eight minute bathroom breaks to roam the hallways legally if I was trusted to do so without that plastic blue pass?

We’re suppressed, so we act out. Excessive rules are hung over our heads but we have to pick our battles. We can either obey objectively logical rules or we can break them blindly—sometimes in ways more harmful than coming home two minutes after curfew.

Being forbidden from creates an entirely different reaction than being trusted to not do something. Eventually, if my parents want me to come home at a reasonable time, they’re going to have to trust my judgment rather than enforce theirs.

Discovering new perspective by visiting local mission getting to see how strong of Christians they were and their great attitudes, I had discovered a different way to look at my own life.

I’ll be the first to confess that even though I have a great life and have been blessed with so much, I’m not the best at being thankful. I take so many things for granted: that there will be food in the fridge every day, that I’ll sleep in a warm bed at home each night, that there will be money in my wallet. Aspects of life that seem automatic and routine for me aren’t so automatic for many who don’t even know where they’re going to sleep or what they’re going to eat next.

The homeless men at the Mission had next to nothing, yet they were happier than many people I know. Instead of worrying about staying up late to do English projects or where they should go for lunch, they were facing much bigger problems—but they weren’t letting it get to them. They were relying on God in a way most Christians never think to.

With Thanksgiving approaching, I think it’s about time we realize an important fact. Being thankful isn’t just what we do in November when we have a big meal with our family and friends; it’s something that we need to be doing all year long—each day, each morning, whenever we first wake up.

It’s something the men at the Mission already are doing.

KC

3

5

Frommer’s names Kansas City a top world destination

*In no particular order

1 PLAZA

The Country Club Plaza is known beyond KC for its beautiful architecture and abundance of shopping. I love the Plaza for both of these reasons, but I also treasure it for the festivities associated with it.

The Plaza art fair, in late September, is nationally known. The entire Plaza transforms with restaurants setting up stalls outside and stores opening their doors to the fresh air and friendly chatter. The sidewalks and streets are packed with families experiencing unique art in a beautiful atmosphere.

In the winter, there is the Plaza Lighting Ceremony. The local singers and dancers showcase KC talent and at the flip of a switch iconic towers and buildings are lit with rainbow lights. The experience is magical and exemplifies the grandeur of the Plaza.

The Plaza helps make KC great because it brings the city together with its accessibility and far reaching events.

2 CLASSIC COOKIE

Classic Cookie is a little known café in Waldo with a cozy feel and KC’s best pastries. Whereas most residents of KC recognize Panera as a great lunch spot, Classic Cookie is lesser known, but just as good. Since I was little, my mom and I have gone to Classic Cookie for special treats and now I make sure to show my friends my favorite café when we’re looking for somewhere to eat.

Classic Cookie makes KC special because it has a charming atmosphere nestled into a quaint nook. Although it is not known city-wide, it is a classic to those lucky customers who hear about or stumble upon this adorable bistro.

Classic Cookie serves some of the best breakfast and lunch in KC as far as I’m concerned, but what sets it apart from other cafés is the assortment of mouth-watering cookies. The Classic Cookie bakes all the classics, and some with slight variations such as my personal favorite: chocolate chocolate chip. The cookies may sound ordinary, but they are soft and bursting with homemade flavor.

written by Christa McKittrick | photos by Jake Crandall and Christa McKittrick

Frommer’s, a bestselling travel guidebook series, recently named Kansas City as one of the top 10 destinations in the world, along with places such as Beirut, London and Ghana. Frommer’s chose KC as a top world destination largely because of the new Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts and other iconic sites including the Nelson-Atkins Museum and the College Basketball Experience.

All the places Frommer’s named make KC a wonder-

ful place to travel to, but there are also things that some travel guidebooks may overlook. When I think of KC, I don’t necessarily think of museums. I think of a combination of my favorite local restaurants and more well-known destinations. Here are seven reasons that contribute to the magic of KC and reasons why I think KC deserves that top 10 spot in the world, from a local perspective. These seven things make KC the Kansas City I know and love, a point of view no travel magazine could capture.

3 FOUR SEASONS

Not only does KC have terrific restaurants and destinations, but the atmosphere itself is noteworthy. KC has about equal lengths of each season and varies from freezing cold to 100+ degree days. The four seasons are special to KC, not many other popular cities are lucky enough to experience all the seasons in such extremes.

Without the seasons, everything there is to do in KC would not be possible. The Plaza would not be the same in winter without the snow swirling as the lights are turned on. Farmer’s markets wouldn’t have the same draw if you could experience them throughout the day instead of waking early on summer mornings to beat the rush. The variety of weather is what gives KC a background for all of its wonderful components.

4 OKLAHOMA JOE’S

Unlike the other local restaurants, Oklahoma Joe’s is known beyond KC, and for good reason. KC is known for its barbecue, and Oklahoma Joe’s is the epitome of delicious barbecue, having won numerous awards for its meat and sauces. The restaurant’s location in a gas station and humble atmosphere portray the KC home-town, down-toearth feel. Despite its popularity, Oklahoma Joe’s is not outrageously priced.

The locale is secondary to the food though. Pretty much anything ordered at Oklahoma Joe’s will make your taste buds tingle, but the beef brisket and the pulled pork (the house specialty), are the musttries. Simple sides including French fries and potato salad compliment the tender, flavorful meat.

5 CITY MARKET

6 WINSTEADS

It was only recently that I learned that Winsteads is a franchise particular to KC. This knowledge made me appreciate my favorite restaurant for summer nights and pre-MORP dinners that much more. Winsteads opened its first location on the Plaza in 1940. Winsteads’ KC roots, unique diner-style atmosphere and classic food make it a legendary KC landmark that was necessary to my list.

The food and atmosphere make Winsteads special; there are no other restaurants I’ve been to that have a working jukebox and mint-green vinyl booths. Stepping into Winsteads brings familiarity and a KC hometown feel. The food is still relatively cheap and the cheeseburgers, onion rings and milkshakes can be described as nothing less than American classics. Winsteads is a landmark in KC that travelers could easily pass by if they had not heard of it, but KC residents recognize it for its virtue.

7 MURRAYS

The City Market in the Rivermarket district draws people from all over KC, which is what makes it one of the best places in the area. The City Market offers a wide range of products from fresh produce to exotic spices. It has a wild tang to it, but at the same time a homey feel due to all of the fresh produce grown by local farmers. I love the fact that you have to wake up early in the summer to get there before the sun is scorching hot. The variety of fresh, juicy fruits and vegetables available for taste tests, friendly vendors and crowded walkways is a sensory overload, in a good way.

The City Market is a notable KC destination because of how it combines the diversity of the area with the home-town feel. The various sides of KC blend seamlessly into a colorful, delicious Farmer’s market.

Murray’s Ice Cream and Cookies is a hidden gem within Westport. The average tourist would not know about Murray’s, which is what makes it that much sweeter. Off the beaten path, Murray’s is popular with KC locals for its ice cream, cookies and soda fountain specialties such as malts, sundaes and phosphates. The ice cream and cookies are made on the premises and the ice cream flavors vary depending on the day.

One of the more creative and delicious flavors is de‘mint’ed.

Because it is not a chain, Murray’s can be pricey, but it is worth the extra dollar to taste the original flavors and experience the family atmosphere. As a popular ice cream shop for locals, Murray’s adds spunk and tradition to KC.

The Best of the Best: the highlights of the top destinations in KC Murrays:

COOKIE ICE CREAM SANDWICH The best thing to order at Murray’s is a cookie ice cream sandwich. You choose two freshly baked cookies and a flavor of ice cream and they hand-make a cookie ice cream sandwich just for you.

6

2

Plaza:

TOPSY’S

Topsy’s is the oldest merchant on the Plaza Topsy’s and represents the tradition of KC. Topsy’s sells popcorn with flavors including spicy cinnamon and tangy cheese. They also sell ice cream and assorted candies at their Plaza location.

FOR ADDITIONAL PHOTOS, VISIT

WWW.SMEHARBINGER.NET

Winsteads:

SKYSCRAPER

The standout menu item amongst hamburgers and fries at Winsteads is the monstrous Skyscraper, a milkshake fit for five people.

Skyscraper races are necessary for any KC local.

FEATURES | 9

overcoming

SMA Freshman living with Spinal Muscular Atrophy struggles to complete everyday tasks

Freshman Lauren Gibbs talks and laughs with her sister, Claire, who is also has SMA. Claire is an eighth grader at Indian Hills Middle School.

written by Haley Martin | photo Speak clearly, don’t mess up, freshman Lauren Gibbs reminded her 10-yearold self.

She and her sister, now eighth-grader Claire, approached the podium at the Serving Up Tears event. She was nervous. They were to speak in front of 500 people they didn’t know, about why she and her sister were in wheelchairs, and how their money can help others just like them: people with Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA), a genetic disorder making all of their muscles weaker than the average person Lauren and Claire have been living with SMA since they were born. Lauren can only walk short distances around the house without her back starting to hurt.

Claire asks people to cross and uncross her legs because she is unable to do so by herself. Through these struggles, they manage to be positive and go through each day together.

“We can talk about different things that affect our life because she knows what I’m going through,” Lauren told the Muscular Dystrophy Association.

When their parents, Natalie and Tim

Lauren’s

BIGGEST struggles

10 | FEATURES

by Anna Danciger Gibbs, heard the diagnosis of SMA, they were shocked. They couldn’t believe that their only two daughters were affected by the disease. Since they found out 13 years ago, they have been working to raise awareness and support for SMA. Natalie is a correspondent for families who also have children diagnosed with SMA. She tells the families that their normal will be different from other people’s normal, but they can get through it.

“When you get a diagnosis like this, you think your child will die the next day,” Natalie said. “But you have to remember to take it one step at a time” Natalie will admit that her life was drastically changed when she found out the diagnosis. Although it isn’t easy, it is doable. That’s what she tells the parents she consoles when they call her after they get their diagnosis. Sometimes in the middle of the night, she will wake up and hear Claire calling in the night because she needs to be rolled over or changed position. Since the road is hard, she thinks that it can bring families closer together.

Lauren was diagnosed when she was two-and-a-half years old and Claire was

“The muscles in my legs are really weak...I can’t physically walk up stairs.”

stairs

diagnosed at the same time. SMA is extremely rare for children in the same family to be diagnosed, which this makes their case unique and it has been recognized at a national level. In 2010, the Gibbs’ were featured on a national telethon put on by the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA). The telethon is put on each year to raise awareness and to raise money for research. Also, about three times a year the girls get up in front of about 500 people to teach them about SMA and to tell them about a summer camp the MDA provides for children like them.

The summer camp is catered specifically to kids in wheelchairs. Each camper is paired with a counselor for the week.

Lauren has been paired with the same counselor for the past four years. At the camp they zip line, horseback ride, have bonfires and wheel chair races. It is a time for the girls to be with others who are going through the similar things.

“It’s the best week of the year because nobody is staring at us or saying that we are in wheel chairs, because we are all in wheel chairs,” Lauren said.

Lauren plays basketball with kids

“Movie theaters are hard because we usually have to sit in the front row.”

movie theaters

from ages six to eighteen, in the National Wheelchair Basketball Association.

When playing basketball, Lauren uses a different wheelchair with wheels further from her chair. In order to pick up the ball, she reaches down and presses it to the spinning wheel until it is at the top.

Although the sport is wheelchair-friendly, most of the other kids do not have SMA. This means that Lauren gets tired at a much quicker rate than that of the other players, because her arms do not have as much muscle as her opponents and teammates. She lifts weights at home so that she is able to play just as much as the other kids.

“It’s a huge feat for Lauren to be on a court and playing on a team,” Natalie said “We didn’t think she would ever be able to do that.”

Through Lauren and Claire’s disease, they have maintained a positive attitude and encouraging energy that is contagious to those around them.

“It is important to remember to make the most of what you have and take advantage of every opportunity,” Natalie said.

“If we go anywhere that has a step but no curb cut we can’t go.”

curb cuts

RIDING after the

PAIN Freshman resumes motocross after recovering from an injury FOR ADDITIONAL PHOTOS, VISIT

WWW.SMEHARBINGER.NET written by Nick May | photos by Jake Crandall It was a cool, windy Saturday night in Colombia, MO last November when freshman Jake Hansford and his friends finished up an intense motocross practice, and decided to have some extra fun on their bikes.

Hansford was jumping off of a ramp and performing midair tricks when something went wrong.

He botched the landing, and within a split-second, he thrown from his bike and onto the ground. He tumbled down the landing ramp, and felt a jolting sensation coming up his leg. When he finished rolling, he could feel the rough dirt against his back. He looked down to the location of his pain, and saw his leg, broken in half.

*** Hansford got into motocross in fourth grade with a friend from SM Northwest, Aaron Okrzesik. They both had gotten lower-level bikes for fun, and would speed up and down the neighborhood streets racing each other. After a few weeks, they got bored with their street, and wanted to actually try legitimate racing, on real dirt tracks. Soon after, Okrzesik’s parent took them out to a track in Perry Lake, MO. This is where Hansford fell in love with the sport.

He rode on his lower-level ‘pit bike’ for one month before his mother bought him a race bike as a gift.

“One day when I went over to a friend’s house, my friend raised his garage door and there was a new racing bike sitting there. I said, ‘Oh, cool man…you got another bike.’ And my friend said, ‘It’s yours,’” Hansford said. “I guess my mom and his dad had gone and picked one out for me earlier that day as a present.”

Motocross became Hansford’s main pastime, and later that year, he started competing in the Missouri state championship series. On Friday nights, he and his family would drive a while out to a track and spend the night with the other families, camping out in the crisp Midwestern air, telling stories and roasting marshmallows around a bonfire. Then, in the morning, all of the participants would unload their hulking trailers and the kids would race throughout the morning.

Hansford did this for the next four years and motocross

the basics of a MOTOCROSS COURSE

with freshman Jake Hansford

the START of the RACE Most people pat down the dirt underneath their bike so that the back wheel won’t spin.

became his life. The accident changed everything.

It was his last jump of the day, and he planned on doing one more jump before he headed home. He and the other riders were competing in a playful “biggest whip” competition, similar to the popular long, trick-filled jumps seen on the X Games. The rider would do tricks by turning the bike sideways or flicking the tail out as far as possible, then straighten out and land before touching down on the other side.

Hansford was tired from the long day of practice and got lazy when correcting the landing. At the end of the jump, he didn’t straighten the bike back as far as he needed to, and was launched at the ground sideways, bouncing and somersaulting down the other side of the dirt landing pad. His bike flew from his grasp and during the flipping, his leg hit the ground at high speed at an awkward angle, and it broke.

“I kinda felt my leg break, and I flipped for so long that I had time to think ‘Why am I still flipping?’” Hansford said.

Having broken his ribs, elbow, wrist, puncturing one of his lungs and receiving countless concussions before, Hansford was no stranger to pain.

After he came to a stop on the dirt, his dad rushed over and asked if he was all right. Hansford simply replied: “Well, my leg’s broke.”

The break was obvious to see, because the bottom half of his leg dangled at an awkward angle from the rest of his knee. After an hour or so, they went to the hospital and got an x-ray. It turned out that he had broken his tibia and fibula in half, and he couldn’t leave the hospital for the next four days.

Hansford wasn’t able to get out of his bed much for the first month, and had to stay at home most of the time when he wasn’t at school. His mobility was very limited.

“My mom and dad didn’t even let me go up the stairs at my house, so I had to stay on the ground floor,” he said.

Hansford’s parents thought he might not be able to walk again because of how messy the break was. The doctors were unsure about how things would turn out.

In a surgical procedure to correct the damage the break had done, doctors inserted a metal plate with seven screws into his leg. He recovered quickly, and was given a six month recovery time that after he could return back to motocross.

Through this whole time, his parents had mixed feelings.

His father thought he was exaggerating.

“It can’t be that bad,” he’d say, “You should be fine.”

His mother, on the other hand, asked “Okay, so are you ready to quit now?”

Both of his parents have been extremely supportive throughout his career, they just showed it differently.

“My mom was trying to keep me off my bike, while my dad was trying to keep me on my bike,” Hansford said.

When there was a week or so left, he hadn’t been in very much pain, and decided to go out riding. He was happy to be back doing what he loved, but his enjoyment was shortlived.

That day, he took a ramp with too much speed and overshot the landing, causing him to slam into the ground. When this happened, one of the seven screws created a hairline fracture in his leg.

“It hurt worse than the first time,” Hansford said, “I couldn’t hold my leg out straight because it felt like it was going to snap off.”

He was given another six month recovery period, and this time he didn’t ride early, in fear of worsening his injury even further.

He hasn’t raced since he got the plate removed, and is eager to get back into the danger of the sport he loves.

“The speed, the jumps, the thrill of the race, winning,” Hansford said, “That’s what makes riding worth the risk.”

Six months from his last accident, Hansford is ready to get back to motocross. To prepare for the next season in May, Hansford is planning on taking time practicing down in Texas and Oklahoma to get back into the swing of things. But more important than the opportunity to compete, he’s just happy he gets to ride again.

SKI JUMP Hit it as fast as possible and land with the back wheel first and the front wheel up.

Tackle the whoops by standing up and lean back to keep the front end light.

WHOOPS

FEATURES | 11

DATING

DATING A typical date 50 years ago was much more formal than it is now.

The boy respectfully asked the girl and picked her up after meeting her parents. They often went to dinner and a movie. Another main difference is these dates were usually solo.

In today’s world the phrase “go on a date” is seldom used. Couples usually either hang out in large groups or casually watch a movie at each others’ houses. Occasionally, they still go to dinner and a movie but the feeling is much less formal.

through the

DECADES Then

Now

The

Language Barrier

A look at how the dynamics of dating have changed since our parents’ generation written by Vanessa Daves | photo illustrations by Spencer Davis People don’t “go steady” anymore. They don’t get “pinned,” wear letter “I just think it makes much more sense the way kids do it today, in jackets or “go stag” to dances. The word “date” is rarely even used among terms of being with groups of male and female friends,” Arndt-Helgesen today’s young people. said. “Initially, for getting to know people, it’s far more comfortable getting Over the past 50 years, dating has revolutionized. What started as a to interact in a group.” formal practice has now become less intimate, less formal and more comArndt-Helgesen attributes new terms, such as “hook-up” or “friends municative. with benefits,” to the new informality of dating that most adults are unDan and Shelle Jensen, parents of senior Kurt Jensen and high school aware of. Hook-ups today are also very casual and noncommittal, and can sweethearts, have observed that back in their day, if a high school student mean anything from making out, to having sex. was interested in another person, they would usually ask them out on a “The fact that we have those terms, the idea of potentially sexual reladate to get to know them. But now, they find that teenagers go out more in tionships without commitment, that’s a little bit different,” Arndt-Helgesen groups. Dan finds this new group setting a setback because when spend- said. ing time one-on-one, couples can get to know each other better.

Arndt-Helgesen thinks that the informality of dating is because there “If it’s just you two, you’re not busy trying to impress someone else,” is less of a search for security, thus bringing about the idea of a steady.

Dan said.

Women in the 50s were trying to find a spouse because most people got Because young people interact in these groups rather than one-on- married right out of high school, but people today generally marry after one, dates are not as common as they once were. Whereas Dan and Shelle college. used to go out on dates, Kurt might simply invite his girlfriend over to For Dan and Shelle, having a steady during their high school years in watch a movie or occasionally go out to dinner. the 70s was just a part of high school. They met in their choir class when With this decrease in actual dates, events like Homecoming and Prom Shelle was in ninth grade and Dan was in eighth grade. He would turn have transformed. Instead of going with a boyfriend or girlfriend, like Dan around and squeeze her knees, and she would giggle. At the December and Shelle did when they went to East, junior Laura Metz has noticed that mixer, he asked her to go steady, and they have been together ever since. teenagers today go to these dances with good friends.

The Jensens think that there is more pressure on couples today be“I think it’s a lot of fun to do and it’s just kind of the norm now to go as cause of social media, like texting and Facebook. With this new technolfriends [to dances],” Metz said. “A majority of people who go aren’t actu- ogy, teenagers today are staying in constant contact with each other, but ally dating.” when Dan and Shelle were in high school, communication was limited.

AP American History and Sociology teacher Vicki Arndt-Helgesen has “Back then, it was a phone that was attached to the wall with a cord, so noticed that dating has become more informal as well. Going in a group, you didn’t have the privacy,” Shelle said. “My parents knew how much we she believes, takes away the awkwardness and pressures of going out on were talking whereas now-a-days, I would be completely clueless.” a date.

Dan thinks that having the option of constant communication is “too

much, too soon” and can have a negative effect on a relationship, going back to the old saying that “absence makes the heart grow fonder.” He believes having a break from each other is healthy. Though Kurt agrees, he also thinks that texting makes it simpler.

“It’s a lot easier to stay in touch with people but it also nearly isn’t as personal,” Kurt said. “Until you actually hang out with them, you aren’t going to really know them.”

Calculus teacher Rick Royer has been with his wife since they were in sixth grade, and thinks that the increasing use of technology in relationships has a negative effect on teenagers. Even today, he and his wife only use cell phones during emergencies.

For couples now, being able to communicate by texting is considered an essential part of relationships. Seniors Maddie Sullivan and Andrew Herst met in middle school, where cell phones were a big part of their lives.

“We basically met by texting,” Sullivan said. “Now we don’t text all the time, we usually just talk on the phone.”

Arndt-Helgesen believes that kids today are being exposed to relationships much earlier than they were in past decades. Shows like “Jersey Shore,” or magazines such as Seventeen show young people the dating culture. While kids used to be sheltered from that throughout their junior high years, middle school students today often are in stereotypical relationships in response to the media.

In high school, this aspect of a relationship becomes more serious and there is a process that comes with that.

“First, you basically have a ‘thing,’ that’s just from talking a lot and you’re really getting to know each other at first,” Kurt said. “Then once you start to feel more comfortable with each other I guess you hang out more often and become [Facebook] official and start dating and going out

An investigative look at how dating & relationships have changed and taking on new meanings

DISASTER

DATE

TEACHERS TELL ALL

SCALE O’ EMBARRASSMENT 12 | SPREAD

Mrs. Gehring-Lowery, english teacher Mr. Foley, choir director “I was about 22 and living in Corpus Christi, where there is a big naval base, and a friend of mine was dating this guy in the military and she suggested that I meet the friend of this guy. After she had finally convinced me, she arranged for us all to go on a date. First off, when I met the guy he was 18 and then he smiled. It looked like he hadn’t brushed his teeth in years—there was a layer of yellow film over his teeth and I’m kind of fanatical about teeth, like I’m not going to date someone who doesn’t brush their teeth. I also am kind of a nerd and I value intelligence in a person and he didn’t seem to care about education at all. Plus, he chewed with his mouth open.”

Terms used in dating that are generation specific

“There was this girl who was in my choir in college and we got friendly so I asked her out. But it turns out that she was far more enamored with me than I was with her. It really freaked me out when she started to talk about marriage on the first date. It seemed like she was already in love with me before we went out.”

together, just you two, more often.”

Among today’s high school students, being Facebook official has become an important part of dating; it defines today’s relationships and sets boundaries. Sullivan and Herst have been dating for four years, and think it’s critical in the dating process.

“It makes the lines more clear,” Sullivan said. “It used to be that having a thing, dating and being a boyfriend and girlfriend, the lines were kind of blurry.”

In her time teaching at East, Arndt-Helgesen has noticed decreasing public display of affection (PDA) in schools. Where hugging and kissing in public were the norm when she first started teaching, today’s teenagers rarely show this.

“It’s a little more subtle,” Arndt-Helgesen said. “The ones where there are more public displays of affection, there’s an awkwardness about that.”

For sophomore Emma Calvert and her boyfriend, sophomore Nick Medlin, PDA is a normal part of their school lives.

“We just hold hands and kiss sometimes,” Calvert said. “We are more affectionate because we don’t see each other very much outside of school.”

Having a steady was much more valued in the fifties than it is today.

Break-ups were much more dramatic; in the 50s, they involved giving back the class ring or the letter jacket a boyfriend may have given his girlfriend, whereas today, break-ups are represented by the click of button on Facebook and people find out much sooner.

Although she thinks dating has become less formal, Arndt-Helgesen still believes it is an important time in a person’s life.

“I think high school relationships are very serious,” Arndt-Helgesen said. “I think those first times that we commit to other people, where we’re sharing who we are, I think they’re significant learning experiences.”

1 “pinned” 2 “going steady” 3 “go stag” “the busy signal” 4 5 “parking”

AM I ON “PRANK’D?”

“In college I had a friend that really liked me and he asked me on a lot of dates. I kept turning him down, but finally I was like, ‘let’s just go to a movie.’ We get to the movie and he didn’t talk.

The whole time. He was so nervous, he just sat there like this.

He later told me that he was just really nervous, but at the time he just didn’t talk. The only time he talked was when we were driving home and it was pouring down rain. He pulls over, picks up his phone and calls his mom. It was very embarrassing. I was just like, ‘Just take me home now.’ We didn’t go on any more dates after that.”

THIS IS UNCOMFORTABLE

2 3 4

“exclusive” “F.B.O”

“friends with benefits”

5

1 Pinned: when a boy gets a varsity

letter (in pin form) he pins this on his girlfriend.

2 Going steady: the equivalent of asking someone to be your girlfriend.

3 Go stag: the act of going solo to a dance.

4 The busy signal: when a

couple’s conversation on the home phone would be interrupted by another incoming call.

up in a car.

BLUSHWORTHY MOMENT

1

“hook-up”

5 Parking: when a couple hooks

MILD MISHAP

The intersection

Our parent’s generation

Mr. Oettmeier, math teacher Ms. Davis, anatomy teacher “My freshman year in college we went on these fraternity/sorority date nights and on one of them we went to this bar for dinner and dancing. I did not want to dance and I could tell that my date did so I sort of avoided her the whole time. Then, about a week later I found out that I was on a list called “Guys Not to Date.” It said your name and reason why. Mine said ‘cocky jerk’.”

“make-out” “dating” “a thing” “boyfriend & girlfriend”

I NEVER WANT TO SEE YOU AGAIN

Our generation

1 A Thing: an elusive term that implies dating, without making it official.

up: ranging from making out to 2 Hook having sex with someone that you aren’t dating.

3 Exclusive: when you aren’t dating

but you aren’t going to hook up with other people.

4 F.B.O. (Facebook Official) when your

relationship status shows who you dating.

5 Friends with benefits: when you aren’t dating, but you hook up often.

SPREAD | 13

A TOUCHY SUBJECT The Harbinger looks at sexual activity at East

STUDENT VOICE P. 2.................................PLANNED PARENTHOOD P. 3 .................................INFOGRAPHICS PP. 4-5 ................................PROFESSIONAL OPINIONS P. 6................................CONTRACEPTIVES P. 7

East students sound off on their opinions about sex, from its presence in the media to health education interviews by Toni Aguiar | photos by Grant Kendall and Hiba Akhtar

ELI MITCHELL SENIOR “I heard about a Scandinavian country whose public schools give out free condoms to the middle school students and above.

I think that this should be the bare minimum for schools to do.”

MORGAN SATTERLEE SENIOR “As long as it is between two adults who truly love each other and are in a committed relationship premarital sex is fine. It’s important that the two individuals be both physical and mentally prepared.”

PATRICK RIGGIN SENIOR “Sex needs to be less of a taboo subject to discuss, because sex is a natural part of growing up. The social taboo of discussing sex is only detrimental to the safety and stability of teens.”

LIAM MURPHY JUNIOR “If you like the person enough and you care about them it is fine. I don’t think that marriage and sex have anything to do with each other as far as morals go.”

GRACE MARTIN SENIOR “Overtly sexual images plastered all over TV, magazines and movies make sex seem like something that can be casual, pointless, and forgettable. Even if it is premarital, sex should be special.”

CAROLYN WELTER SENIOR “After watching shows like “Jersey Shore” and “Teen Mom,” I think people should value sex more than they do. But I don’t [think] it should be treated...as drastic as others see it. There needs to be a happy medium.”

MAX BLANCHARD JUNIOR “Waiting until marriage is unrealistic, but you should wait until you are mature enough to handle it. However, media can lead you to believe that everyone is doing it and you’re missing out if you aren’t.”

MEGHAN SHIRLING SOPHOMORE “As a Christian I really think you should wait. My friend had sex with her boyfriend and right afterwards he dumped her; she regrets the decision greatly. I took that as a lesson to wait until I meet someone special.”

KRISTEN SHEDOR SENIOR “I believe sex is for marriage. I’m extremely religious; I gain most of my opinions about sex from the Bible. My mom has also aided in forming my opinions. She’d be incredibly disappointed in me if I got pregnant.”

PHIL BEVER SENIOR “My personal thinking is that it should be the couple’s choice on whether they do it [have sex] or not. If they think they are ready, then more power to them.”

HALEY HAINES JUNIOR “I think that in our generation, premarital sex is completely acceptable as long as you have a reliable and trustworthy person to share the experience with. Most students at East are pretty well educated.”

KARLY MCNEIL FRESHMAN “Being a freshman, I have to go through the wonderful course of Health. They do cover sex some, but mostly everyone giggles immaturely and goes on to the next page.”

HAVING THE Talk

02 | SEX SPECIAL

DO YOU STAND FOR PLANNED PARENTHOOD?

OOD RENTH ED PA

PLANNED PARENT

HOOD

PLANN

With defunding efforts, opinion is split over the program written by Jack Howland | art by Kat Buchanan

“It’s OK,” the woman at the desk tried to explain. “No matter what the result is, it will be OK.” Junior Julie Sanderson* sat in the white office chair, trying to keep her mascara in check as she held back tears. It was time to hear the test results. She wiped away the drips of black makeup that had slid onto her cheek; she tried to sit up and listen. Part of her wanted to look strong. The other part wanted to curl up in a ball and sob.

Sanderson’s mind had been racing for two days since she missed her period. She says she had the proverbial “what if I get pregnant?” fear ever since having sex—a fear that maybe the condom broke or there were other unforeseen complications. For the 48 hours before her visit, pregnancy was all she could think about. She hadn’t been able to sleep or focus in class.

But finally, her thoughts were put at ease—even if just a little bit. She was OK. “[Before reading the test results] she told me briefly about all the loving people she meets looking to adopt babies in the area,” Sanderson said. “It was just comforting. Mainly small talk, but helpful.”

Sanderson, whose test came out negative, is one of many teens in the KC Metro area who have called on the services of Planned Parenthood. The institution has seven facilities in Kansas, offering services ranging from abortion to distributing of contraceptives to an estimated 10,000 plus people. According to the company’s mission statement, their goal is “to provide comprehensive reproductive and complementary health care services in settings which preserve and protect the essential privacy and rights of each individual.”

For Sanderson, the program gave her someone she could talk to.

“Abortion was never once mentioned during my visit, it was never about that. It was about me and what I was going to do and if I was going to be OK,” Sanderson said. “I needed that; I needed someone taking care of me.”

But not all students are supportive of the program. Junior Roberto Sada, a firm supporter in pro-life causes, thinks that while Planned Parenthood has its benefits in providing sexual education and contraception, the distributing of abortions is a deal-breaker. Sada explains that people who are morally against the practice should not be forced, even indirectly, to pay taxes supporting it.

“Being morally opposed to abortion and somebody who would probably also support an amendment or a law against abortion I feel that it is a bad business choice,” Sada said. “It’s the wrong decision.”

This difference of opinion mirrors a much larger national debate. A Gallup poll filed in July reported that 40 percent of Americans would support a law prohibiting health clinics that provide abortions from receiving any federal funds. This has led to attempted budgetary cuts on the program in multiple states across the country and even an online petition,

defundpp.net, aimed at changing “completely unacceptable” taxes citizens pay to the agency.

However, according to Director of Education at Planned Parenthood of Kansas and mid-Missouri (PPKM) Sarah Aenstaff, the federal money that goes towards Planned Parenthood is not used on after-the-fact medical procedures.

Aenstaff is able to point out confidently that no public money is used to fund abortion services—the only federal money used, she says, is “Title X” family planning to provide cancer screening, STI screenings, treatment, contraception and education.

Aenstaff also notes that abortion makes up less than ten percent of the services Planned Parenthood offers yearly.

She says the company’s main objective is to “provide access and information to individuals in order for them to make effective decisions about their reproductive and sexual health.”

“PPKM provides services not solely to pregnant teens,” Aenstaff said, “but to all teens.”

Aenstaff feels strongly, in particular, that Planned Parenthood’s willingness to help anyone regardless of money is one of their best services. She says that while they accept a variety of payment methods and offer funding programs to assist clients, they will never say no.

“Our staff provides affordable care, and our doors are open to everyone. No patient is ever turned away due to inability to pay,” Aenstaff said. “In these tough economic times, this component is of utmost importance to women and families.”

With Planned Parenthood, and abortion services in particular, money often comes into the equation. A study compiled in August by the Guttmacher Institute shows that a large majority of woman seeking abortions come from the lower class. The data shows that 42 percent of woman obtaining abortions have incomes below 100 percent of the federal poverty level ($10,830) and an additional 27 percent have incomes between 100 and 199 percent of the poverty level.

According to Mike Males, senior researcher for the Center on Juvenile and Criminal Justice in San Francisco, “you can’t understand abortion without first understanding poverty levels.” As part of his job, Males tracks statistics of unplanned pregnancy in poor and rich communities—looking for disparities between the two. His research, to date, has continued to show that abortion is often higher in areas of poverty. He attributes this to a lack of federal spending in poor areas and, ultimately, to cuts to programs like Planned Parenthood.

“There’s a lot of people that have the income to deal with [unplanned pregnancy] in private medical facilities and that’s fine,” Males said. “But I don’t think somebody else should be punished, especially when they’re too young to earn their own incomes or determine their own economic

STAND

circumstance. I’m very much in favor of low-cost medical care being available across society—and they can raise my taxes to provide it.”

Regardless of income, Males feels the program is beneficial, even in areas like Prairie Village.

“All of us in society benefit from preventing disease and injury among all populations,” Males said.

Males, who wrote the book “Teenage Sex and Pregnancy: Modern Myths, Unsexy Realities,” also points out that there are a lot of misconceptions on the issue of unplanned pregnancy. In his book, he discusses the poverty issue in detail, but also focuses on facets of culture like the media and Hollywood—discussing how they are used as a “scapegoat.” His research has shown that while unplanned pregnancy is at an all-time low in America, the media continues to promote the notion that pop culture and Hollywood have corrupted our youth.

It’s these “scapegoats” that Males says distract away from the real problems. Males, who discusses the concept in his first published work “Scapegoat Generation” and in the follow-up “Framing Youth,” says that the stereotyping teens and creating fear in the media is prevalent in the Planned Parenthood issue. He points out that one of the main arguments against the program incites fear of youth—saying that kids may become reckless with sex now that they have a place for preventative actions.

“It’s a ridiculous argument. It’s like saying ‘let’s take the seat belts out of cars so that nobody will drive fast,’” Males said. “Then if you crash and go through the windshield you’ll drive more carefully. It’s that kind of argument.”

Junior Eden McKissick-Hawley agrees, saying that arguments against Planned Parenthood are often “filled with hypocrisy.”

“You can’t judge this situation in a general way,” McKissick-Hawley said. “One person’s need for an abortion might be totally different from someone else’s. Who are you to tell them what they do and don’t do?”

McKissick-Hawley, who formerly worked at Planned Parenthood as an intern and gave a testimonial in the program’s defense at a town hall meeting, says that a defunding of Planned Parenthood is like “taking away rights to your own body.” According to McKissick-Hawley, the information Planned Parenthood offers about sex is invaluable—if taken away, people lose both information about their own body and the steps to prevent disease.

“If you don’t tell a girl ‘you are at a huge risk of getting an STD’ and she hears that sex is fun from every corner of the media, from every discussion at lunch, she’s gonna do it,” McKissick-Hawley said. “People need to open their eyes and realize that they’re not helping anyone by having this predisposition towards education.”

continued on page 7 of sex special

03 | SEX SPECIAL

UNPROTECTED

TEENAGERS

SAFE

CONDOMS

PREGNANCY

HEALTH

STD

GIRLS

THE BREAK DOWN

PRESSURE

HELP

BOYS

UNPLANNED

40% 32%

GOOD HABITS START EARLY TEENS WHO USE CONDOMS THE FIRST TIME THEY HAVE INTERCOURSE ARE 20 TIMES MORE LIKELY TO USE CONDOMS REGULARLY AND 10 TIMES MORE LIKELY TO USE THEM IN THE MOST RECENT ENCOUNTER

8 IN 10 GIRLS AND 6 IN 10 BOYS SAY THEY WISH THEY HAD WAITED UNTIL THEY WERE OLDER TO HAVE SEX.

based off of a random survey of 320 students

UNITED STATES VS. WORLD

DID YOU KNOW

good.is

EACH YEAR 750,000 WOMEN BETWEEN 15-19 BECOME PREGNANT 3 MILLION TEENS GET AN STD ANNUALLY

TEENS USE CONDOMS MORE OFTEN THAN ADULTS AMONG 14- TO 17-YEAR-OLDS, 80 PERCENT OF BOYS AND 69 PERCENT OF GIRLS SAY THEY USED A CONDOM THE LAST TIME THEY HAD INTERCOURSE, COMPARED TO WELL UNDER HALF OF SEXUALLY ACTIVE ADULTS.

$

ABSTINENCE

CUDDLING

CONTACT

SEXUALITY

ADULTS

INTIMACY

75% 29% 82% 13

MONEY PROBLEMS

IN

NINE BILLION DOLLARS ARE SPENT ON TEEN PREGNANCY EACH YEAR IN THE UNITED STATES.

alphacenter.org

INTERCOURSE

CULTURE

OF EAST’S STUDENTS VIEW SEX OUTSIDE OF A RELATIONSHIP AS “OK” based off of a random survey of 320 students

OF EAST’S STUDENTS SAY THEY ARE SEXUALLY ACTIVE*. *had a sexual encounter in the last 30 days based off of a random survey of 320 students

NATIONALLY WORTH THE WAIT

TEEN PREGNANCY RATES ARE MUCH HIGHER IN THE UNITED STATES THAN IN MANY OTHER DEVELOPED COUNTRIES. RATES ARE TWICE AS HIGH AS IN THE UNITED KINGDOM, SWEDEN OR CANADA, AND NINE TIMES AS HIGH AS IN THE NETHERLANDS OR JAPAN.

RELATIONSHIPS

EMMA PENNINGTON

SAME 20%

LESS 10%

PARENTS

SMEAST

A LOOK INTO EAST’S SEX-RELATED STATS, AS WELL AS STATS FROM THE UNITED STATES AND OTHER PARTS OF THE GLOBE

DO YOU FEEL THAT SEX IS MORE PREVALENT, LESS PREVALENT OR HOLDS THE SAME AMOUNT OF PREVALENCE IN THE MEDIA AS OPPOSED TO THE PAST?

MORE 70%

SEX

OF GIRLS REPORT THEY HAVE SEX BECAUSE THEIR BOYFRIENDS WANT THEM TO dosomething.org

OF TEENS 15-17 SAY THEY FEEL PRESSURE TO HAVE SEX kff.org

OF TEEN PREGNANCIES ARE UNPLANNED alphacenter.org

WOMEN BECOME PREGNANT AT LEAST ONCE BEFORE THEY ARE 20 YEARS OLD dosomething.org

good.is

PASSION

PLANNED

REGULARLY

PARENTHOOD

ACTIVE

PEERS

REPRODUCTION

UNPROTECTED

TEENAGERS

SAFE

CONDOMS

PREGNANCY

HEALTH

STD

GIRLS

THE BREAK DOWN

PRESSURE

HELP

BOYS

UNPLANNED

40% 32%

GOOD HABITS START EARLY TEENS WHO USE CONDOMS THE FIRST TIME THEY HAVE INTERCOURSE ARE 20 TIMES MORE LIKELY TO USE CONDOMS REGULARLY AND 10 TIMES MORE LIKELY TO USE THEM IN THE MOST RECENT ENCOUNTER

8 IN 10 GIRLS AND 6 IN 10 BOYS SAY THEY WISH THEY HAD WAITED UNTIL THEY WERE OLDER TO HAVE SEX.

based off of a random survey of 320 students

UNITED STATES VS. WORLD

DID YOU KNOW

good.is

EACH YEAR 750,000 WOMEN BETWEEN 15-19 BECOME PREGNANT 3 MILLION TEENS GET AN STD ANNUALLY

TEENS USE CONDOMS MORE OFTEN THAN ADULTS AMONG 14- TO 17-YEAR-OLDS, 80 PERCENT OF BOYS AND 69 PERCENT OF GIRLS SAY THEY USED A CONDOM THE LAST TIME THEY HAD INTERCOURSE, COMPARED TO WELL UNDER HALF OF SEXUALLY ACTIVE ADULTS.

$

ABSTINENCE

CUDDLING

CONTACT

SEXUALITY

ADULTS

INTIMACY

75% 29% 82% 13

MONEY PROBLEMS

IN

NINE BILLION DOLLARS ARE SPENT ON TEEN PREGNANCY EACH YEAR IN THE UNITED STATES.

alphacenter.org

INTERCOURSE

CULTURE

OF EAST’S STUDENTS VIEW SEX OUTSIDE OF A RELATIONSHIP AS “OK” based off of a random survey of 320 students

OF EAST’S STUDENTS SAY THEY ARE SEXUALLY ACTIVE*. *had a sexual encounter in the last 30 days based off of a random survey of 320 students

NATIONALLY WORTH THE WAIT

TEEN PREGNANCY RATES ARE MUCH HIGHER IN THE UNITED STATES THAN IN MANY OTHER DEVELOPED COUNTRIES. RATES ARE TWICE AS HIGH AS IN THE UNITED KINGDOM, SWEDEN OR CANADA, AND NINE TIMES AS HIGH AS IN THE NETHERLANDS OR JAPAN.

RELATIONSHIPS

EMMA PENNINGTON

SAME 20%

LESS 10%

PARENTS

SMEAST

A LOOK INTO EAST’S SEX-RELATED STATS, AS WELL AS STATS FROM THE UNITED STATES AND OTHER PARTS OF THE GLOBE

DO YOU FEEL THAT SEX IS MORE PREVALENT, LESS PREVALENT OR HOLDS THE SAME AMOUNT OF PREVALENCE IN THE MEDIA AS OPPOSED TO THE PAST?

MORE 70%

SEX

OF GIRLS REPORT THEY HAVE SEX BECAUSE THEIR BOYFRIENDS WANT THEM TO dosomething.org

OF TEENS 15-17 SAY THEY FEEL PRESSURE TO HAVE SEX kff.org

OF TEEN PREGNANCIES ARE UNPLANNED alphacenter.org

WOMEN BECOME PREGNANT AT LEAST ONCE BEFORE THEY ARE 20 YEARS OLD dosomething.org

good.is

PASSION

PLANNED

REGULARLY

PARENTHOOD

ACTIVE

PEERS

REPRODUCTION

THE INTERVIEW: AN AWKWARD CONVERSATION WRITTEN BY CHLOE STRADINGER | PHOTOS BY JAKE CRANDALL

IT’S THE ARGUMENT THAT PARENTS AND NURSES USE TO SCARE US FROM HAVING SEX IN HIGH SCHOOL: DON’T DO IT, YOU’LL GET PREGNANT. BUT WE ALL KNOW THAT YOU DON’T HAVE A BABY EVERY TIME YOU HAVE SEX. SO WHAT’S THE BIG DEAL? WHY ARE ADULTS SO PROTECTIVE AND OPINIONATED OVER THIS ISSUE? I ASKED THREE PROFFESSIONALS A FEW QUESTIONS ABOUT THE DEEPER— MENTAL AND PHYSICAL— ISSUES THAT SURROUND TEENAGERS AND SEX

youth pastor

counselor

TIM CICCONE HOW IMPORTANT AND PREVALENT DO YOU THINK TEEN SEX IS IN OUR SOCIETY TODAY? It’s very prevalent. I’ve been in youth ministry for 18 years and it’s one of the number one things we’ve talked about. I think it’s very difficult to be a teenager and not follow the pressure of having sex too early. And to me this is such a spiritual issue. The biggest problem that I see is that the church has pushed people away because they’ve taken such a legalistic approach to it and they’ve just said ‘don’t have sex because sex is bad’, but I don’t think that’s what God says at all. He says ‘wait to engage in this really beautiful thing’ and that context is marriage. I encourage our teenagers to wait, and it’s really a beautiful thing when you wait for the right reasons.

HOW DO YOU ADDRESS THIS ISSUE IN CHURCH? We had a really good conversation in September about it. I think the conversation happens more on a small group basis, and we have a youth group who meets here on Sunday mornings and we went through a series of

06 | SEX SPECIAL

sex, dating and love. And my thing was, this isn’t about a list of do’s and don’ts. This is a conversation about living and who God is calling you to be. So for us, it’s this understanding that God created us really in three ways: He created the emotional side, the physical side and the spiritual side of who we are. But those things are all really interconnected. So when you talk about your sexual side, you can’t not talk about your spiritual side; those things are all really linked together. So a lot of times teenagers want me to give them a list of do’s and don’ts, you know, how far is too far. And I said, ‘I think the reality is, you’ve got to ask God ‘okay, what can I do to honor you with my body and with my life?’’. Here’s one thing I challenge my teenagers to think about: the world has kind of devalued sexuality in the way that I think God created it to be. Because of movies, because of media, because of the way it is on the Internet, you’ve got people who take the specialness out of it, and it’s kind of an easy thing to give away. And I think God wants to reclaim that in people. I think teenagers need to reclaim that.

ELIZABETH CHRISTIAN

TELL ME ABOUT THE PSYCHOLOGICAL SIDE OF TEEN SEX. For some people, sex exists simply as nature’s way to continue the existence of our species, and as such, don’t believe that teens should participate in any part of it since they don’t need to procreate.

Others tend to view it more in moral and value-related terms, and believe those who engage in sexual activity are of poor character and/or are sinful in nature. And there are others who view teen sexuality as recreational and expected, and that there’s no need to consider it much at all. I think it would be very, very helpful for teens in our country if we could all agree on 3 things: 1) The fact that teens are drawn to engage in sexual experiences has a biological basis—it’s as natural as anything else about us as humans. 2) Since it is natural, and a very real urge in teens, it is something that should be dealt with in very real and straightforward ways. 3) Since everybody is in charge of their own body, and teens have many things to consider if they’re going to engage in any kind of sexual activity, we should be finding more ways to get teens to think and talk about it more

before they act on things.

In my practice, I hear many stories about people acting on impulses when they aren’t so sure that it makes sense for them to engage in certain activities. I always want my clients to think through their own thoughts/feeling/beliefs/values related to different sexual things. I think it’s a really good thing when a teen is willing to think about it and consciously decide what they feel makes sense for them in general, so that they are clear when various opportunities present themselves.

And, I don’t think that I, or anyone else, should decide for that person what makes sense for them and what they would be prepared for.

The reason they should be so deliberate and thorough in making conscious decisions for themselves is because of the potentially difficult outcomes that they could experience. Not only can teens go through disappointment, sadness, hurt and shame after engaging in things they weren’t prepared for, but they can then also find themselves in situations where they’re being talked about negatively by their peers. *some interview info via email

principal

DR. KRAWITZ OVERALL, DO YOU THINK TEENS ENGAGING IN SEX IS AN IMPORTANT ISSUE IN OUR SOCIETY? I think we talk about it only after a girl gets pregnant. I think outside of that realm it becomes very difficult to discuss because there are so many varying opinions about it, especially these days. The traditional view is that [sex is] something sacred for two people who are married, which is probably an old standard. And of course somebody might jump on my case and say what do you mean an old standard?... it’s never gone away. But I think it has gone away. The permissiveness of what goes on in the media and the exposure that kids have to all these external opportunities, whether it’s movies or the Internet, I don’t think people view it in the same way.

DO YOU THINK THE SEX ED STUDENTS RECEIVE IN HIGH SCHOOL IS EFFECTIVE? The sex education program in and of itself can be taught earlier, within reason of the mental development of a student’s mind. I do think there are things that could be done a little bit earlier

that may become more detailed later on as a person progresses. Do I think it’s a necessity? Yeah, I think it’s a necessity. I think it’s good for kids to understand all aspects of what sex ed teaches but I also don’t think it should be taught with the old view of seeing it as something that’s ugly and shouldn’t be happening. I’m not saying it should be permissive--I think there should be substance in it. When I say substance, I mean I don’t believe in recreational teenage sex. I don’t believe in that at all. So you know, I think the whole society has changed and that permissiveness has drifted downward. I think surveys we see from kids are more realistic of the issue than what adults might want to believe from it because research does say kids are becoming more permissive. It may be the reason why the statistic that came out earlier this year for the first time that the U.S. is a country with the number of two parent families less than that of single parent families. Because it’s becoming more and more recreational that the fallout of having kids they don’t think about.

THAN

BETTER

SAFE

SORRY

A QUICK LOOK AT HOW TEENS ARE GETTING SMARTER ABOUT SEXUAL ACTIVITY written by Kat Buchanan | photos by Grant Kendall

While the actual activity of teens in the bedroom may not be drastically changing, change has come to the way that sexually active teens are using protection.

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention reported in a survey early last month that teen condom use is on the rise. Eight in 10 teen males ages 15-19 surveyed as part of the CDC’s National Survey of Family Growth reported that they’d used condoms during their first sexual experience—that’s a 9 percent rise in condom use since the survey was last conducted in 2002. Along with this, 6 percent of teen females said that they used a non-pill hormonal method at their first sexual experience, up from a mere 2 percent.

Of the sexually active teens surveyed, 78 percent of females and 85 percent of males said they employed some form of contraception during their first sexual experience—numbers almost completely unchanged from the previous poll.

This is good news.

An incline in condom use with similar numbers of sexually active teens means that these teens are finding out that the “withdrawal method” isn’t a reliable option—and

are reevaluating their definition of what contraceptives really are.

With 32 percent of a sampling of 320 East students answering that they have had a sexual encounter in the past 30 days, these safe stats from a national standpoint are a breath of fresh air for our teen population.

A report done by the Guttmacher Institute in April released that “among all women who have had sex, 99 percent have used a contraceptive method other than natural family planning.” Though the use of non-pill birth prevention techniques is nothing new to the teen scene, the trend of implementing a two-pronged approach to pregnancy control, or “doubling up” has seen an incline, according to the CDC. Additionally, the survey found that 16 percent of teen males used a condom in combination with a female partner’s hormonal method, which is also up from the percent ranking in 2002, which stood at a meager 10 percent.

The number of teens sampled is the highest the national survey has polled before: 2,284 teen girls and 2,378 teen boys.

EIGHT IN TEN TEEN MALES FROM AGE 15-19 USED A CONDOM

6

PERCENT OF TEEN FEMALES SAID THAT THEY’D USED A NON-PILL HORMONAL METHOD

16 PERCENT OF TEEN MALES SAID THEY’D

“DOUBLED UP”

TAKEN FROM A SURVEY SAMPLING THE LARGEST NUMBER OF TEENS TO DATE

2,284 TEEN GIRLS + 2,378 TEEN BOYS

PLANNED PARENTHOOD’S FIGHT FOR FUNDING BRINGS OUT MIXED OPINIONS ON THE PROGRAM ...CONTINUED FROM PAGE 15

She ultimately says that the debate over Planned Parenthood is a “human rights issue.” Mckissick-Hawley, an active member of Youth in Government Club at East and former field organizer on the Obama campaign, says the issue should not be right vs. left. According to her, it goes beyond partisan politics. She says our youth is hurting as a result of politician’s inability to cross party lines to enact change.

“Politics [is just] not what it used to be,” McKissick-Hawley said. “And it’s sad that we are the one suffering from it.

Sada counters this point—he says that the case against Planned Parenthood is an issue of politics and there be a federal law banning it. According to Sada, if Planned Parenthood were to split up into two entities—one focusing on abortion, another solely on sexual education—than he would be behind the program. But until they do, Sada doesn’t feel like taxpayers should be forced to give them any money.

“There are a lot of people in this country who are morally op-

posed to abortion,” Sada said, “and they shouldn’t be forced into even indirectly contributing to something that they are deeply opposed to.”

But from the looks of things, there seems to be a future for Planned Parenthood. The issue at the heart of the debate, abortion, is steadily gaining approval, according to a study conducted in July by Harris Interactive. The study shows that 36 percent of those polled believe that woman should have access to abortion in “all circumstances”—the highest number in Harris Polls since 1985. Additionally, those opposed to abortion in any circumstance fell from 21 percent in 2009 to 17 percent this year.

For Sanderson, who went to Planned Parenthood a little under a year ago, the program gave her someone she could turn to that’s easier to talk with than her parents or friends. She feels that Planned Parenthood is only helpful, and does not do anything to encourage abortion or sex.

“Planned Parenthood existing isn’t what made me want to have

sex; having health care doesn’t make you want to go out and get sick; AA doesn’t make you want to become an alcoholic because there’s hope for you should you find yourself in that position,” Sanderson said. “Planned Parenthood up and running just means kids can get help if they need it. It doesn’t encourage sex.”

Sanderson and Sada may disagree over the funding of Planned Parenthood, but both can agree that sex education is increasingly important in society. Sada, who wishes there was a national ban on abortion, believes that sex education can save lives.

“Increased sex education reduces abortions because it reduces the amount of unwanted pregnancies; it hopefully is able to increase the access of contraceptives to lower income people,” Sada said. “And for those of us that are privileged and go to East—and probably have learned quite a bit about pregnancy—it really increases some of our knowledge about STD and STI transmission.” *name changed to protect identity

07 | SEX SPECIAL

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DATING

DATING A typical date 50 years ago was much more formal than it is now.

The boy respectfully asked the girl and picked her up after meeting her parents. They often went to dinner and a movie. Another main difference is these dates were usually solo.

In today’s world the phrase “go on a date” is seldom used. Couples usually either hang out in large groups or casually watch a movie at each others’ houses. Occasionally, they still go to dinner and a movie but the feeling is much less formal.

through the

DECADES Then

Now

The

Language Barrier

A look at how the dynamics of dating have changed since our parents’ generation written by Vanessa Daves | photo illustrations by Spencer Davis People don’t “go steady” anymore. They don’t get “pinned,” wear letter “I just think it makes much more sense the way kids do it today, in jackets or “go stag” to dances. The word “date” is rarely even used among terms of being with groups of male and female friends,” Arndt-Helgesen today’s young people. said. “Initially, for getting to know people, it’s far more comfortable getting Over the past 50 years, dating has revolutionized. What started as a to interact in a group.” formal practice has now become less intimate, less formal and more comArndt-Helgesen attributes new terms, such as “hook-up” or “friends municative. with benefits,” to the new informality of dating that most adults are unDan and Shelle Jensen, parents of senior Kurt Jensen and high school aware of. Hook-ups today are also very casual and noncommittal, and can sweethearts, have observed that back in their day, if a high school student mean anything from making out, to having sex. was interested in another person, they would usually ask them out on a “The fact that we have those terms, the idea of potentially sexual reladate to get to know them. But now, they find that teenagers go out more in tionships without commitment, that’s a little bit different,” Arndt-Helgesen groups. Dan finds this new group setting a setback because when spend- said. ing time one-on-one, couples can get to know each other better.

Arndt-Helgesen thinks that the informality of dating is because there “If it’s just you two, you’re not busy trying to impress someone else,” is less of a search for security, thus bringing about the idea of a steady.

Dan said.

Women in the 50s were trying to find a spouse because most people got Because young people interact in these groups rather than one-on- married right out of high school, but people today generally marry after one, dates are not as common as they once were. Whereas Dan and Shelle college. used to go out on dates, Kurt might simply invite his girlfriend over to For Dan and Shelle, having a steady during their high school years in watch a movie or occasionally go out to dinner. the 70s was just a part of high school. They met in their choir class when With this decrease in actual dates, events like Homecoming and Prom Shelle was in ninth grade and Dan was in eighth grade. He would turn have transformed. Instead of going with a boyfriend or girlfriend, like Dan around and squeeze her knees, and she would giggle. At the December and Shelle did when they went to East, junior Laura Metz has noticed that mixer, he asked her to go steady, and they have been together ever since. teenagers today go to these dances with good friends.

The Jensens think that there is more pressure on couples today be“I think it’s a lot of fun to do and it’s just kind of the norm now to go as cause of social media, like texting and Facebook. With this new technolfriends [to dances],” Metz said. “A majority of people who go aren’t actu- ogy, teenagers today are staying in constant contact with each other, but ally dating.” when Dan and Shelle were in high school, communication was limited.

AP American History and Sociology teacher Vicki Arndt-Helgesen has “Back then, it was a phone that was attached to the wall with a cord, so noticed that dating has become more informal as well. Going in a group, you didn’t have the privacy,” Shelle said. “My parents knew how much we she believes, takes away the awkwardness and pressures of going out on were talking whereas now-a-days, I would be completely clueless.” a date.

Dan thinks that having the option of constant communication is “too

much, too soon” and can have a negative effect on a relationship, going back to the old saying that “absence makes the heart grow fonder.” He believes having a break from each other is healthy. Though Kurt agrees, he also thinks that texting makes it simpler.

“It’s a lot easier to stay in touch with people but it also nearly isn’t as personal,” Kurt said. “Until you actually hang out with them, you aren’t going to really know them.”

Calculus teacher Rick Royer has been with his wife since they were in sixth grade, and thinks that the increasing use of technology in relationships has a negative effect on teenagers. Even today, he and his wife only use cell phones during emergencies.

For couples now, being able to communicate by texting is considered an essential part of relationships. Seniors Maddie Sullivan and Andrew Herst met in middle school, where cell phones were a big part of their lives.

“We basically met by texting,” Sullivan said. “Now we don’t text all the time, we usually just talk on the phone.”

Arndt-Helgesen believes that kids today are being exposed to relationships much earlier than they were in past decades. Shows like “Jersey Shore,” or magazines such as Seventeen show young people the dating culture. While kids used to be sheltered from that throughout their junior high years, middle school students today often are in stereotypical relationships in response to the media.

In high school, this aspect of a relationship becomes more serious and there is a process that comes with that.

“First, you basically have a ‘thing,’ that’s just from talking a lot and you’re really getting to know each other at first,” Kurt said. “Then once you start to feel more comfortable with each other I guess you hang out more often and become [Facebook] official and start dating and going out

An investigative look at how dating & relationships have changed and taking on new meanings

DISASTER

DATE

TEACHERS TELL ALL

SCALE O’ EMBARRASSMENT 12 | SPREAD

Mrs. Gehring-Lowery, english teacher Mr. Foley, choir director “I was about 22 and living in Corpus Christi, where there is a big naval base, and a friend of mine was dating this guy in the military and she suggested that I meet the friend of this guy. After she had finally convinced me, she arranged for us all to go on a date. First off, when I met the guy he was 18 and then he smiled. It looked like he hadn’t brushed his teeth in years—there was a layer of yellow film over his teeth and I’m kind of fanatical about teeth, like I’m not going to date someone who doesn’t brush their teeth. I also am kind of a nerd and I value intelligence in a person and he didn’t seem to care about education at all. Plus, he chewed with his mouth open.”

Terms used in dating that are generation specific

“There was this girl who was in my choir in college and we got friendly so I asked her out. But it turns out that she was far more enamored with me than I was with her. It really freaked me out when she started to talk about marriage on the first date. It seemed like she was already in love with me before we went out.”

together, just you two, more often.”

Among today’s high school students, being Facebook official has become an important part of dating; it defines today’s relationships and sets boundaries. Sullivan and Herst have been dating for four years, and think it’s critical in the dating process.

“It makes the lines more clear,” Sullivan said. “It used to be that having a thing, dating and being a boyfriend and girlfriend, the lines were kind of blurry.”

In her time teaching at East, Arndt-Helgesen has noticed decreasing public display of affection (PDA) in schools. Where hugging and kissing in public were the norm when she first started teaching, today’s teenagers rarely show this.

“It’s a little more subtle,” Arndt-Helgesen said. “The ones where there are more public displays of affection, there’s an awkwardness about that.”

For sophomore Emma Calvert and her boyfriend, sophomore Nick Medlin, PDA is a normal part of their school lives.

“We just hold hands and kiss sometimes,” Calvert said. “We are more affectionate because we don’t see each other very much outside of school.”

Having a steady was much more valued in the fifties than it is today.

Break-ups were much more dramatic; in the 50s, they involved giving back the class ring or the letter jacket a boyfriend may have given his girlfriend, whereas today, break-ups are represented by the click of button on Facebook and people find out much sooner.

Although she thinks dating has become less formal, Arndt-Helgesen still believes it is an important time in a person’s life.

“I think high school relationships are very serious,” Arndt-Helgesen said. “I think those first times that we commit to other people, where we’re sharing who we are, I think they’re significant learning experiences.”

1 “pinned” 2 “going steady” 3 “go stag” “the busy signal” 4 5 “parking”

AM I ON “PRANK’D?”

“In college I had a friend that really liked me and he asked me on a lot of dates. I kept turning him down, but finally I was like, ‘let’s just go to a movie.’ We get to the movie and he didn’t talk.

The whole time. He was so nervous, he just sat there like this.

He later told me that he was just really nervous, but at the time he just didn’t talk. The only time he talked was when we were driving home and it was pouring down rain. He pulls over, picks up his phone and calls his mom. It was very embarrassing. I was just like, ‘Just take me home now.’ We didn’t go on any more dates after that.”

THIS IS UNCOMFORTABLE

2 3 4

“exclusive” “F.B.O”

“friends with benefits”

5

1 Pinned: when a boy gets a varsity

letter (in pin form) he pins this on his girlfriend.

2 Going steady: the equivalent of asking someone to be your girlfriend.

3 Go stag: the act of going solo to a dance.

4 The busy signal: when a

couple’s conversation on the home phone would be interrupted by another incoming call.

up in a car.

BLUSHWORTHY MOMENT

1

“hook-up”

5 Parking: when a couple hooks

MILD MISHAP

The intersection

Our parent’s generation

Mr. Oettmeier, math teacher Ms. Davis, anatomy teacher “My freshman year in college we went on these fraternity/sorority date nights and on one of them we went to this bar for dinner and dancing. I did not want to dance and I could tell that my date did so I sort of avoided her the whole time. Then, about a week later I found out that I was on a list called “Guys Not to Date.” It said your name and reason why. Mine said ‘cocky jerk’.”

“make-out” “dating” “a thing” “boyfriend & girlfriend”

I NEVER WANT TO SEE YOU AGAIN

Our generation

1 A Thing: an elusive term that implies dating, without making it official.

up: ranging from making out to 2 Hook having sex with someone that you aren’t dating.

3 Exclusive: when you aren’t dating

but you aren’t going to hook up with other people.

4 F.B.O. (Facebook Official) when your

relationship status shows who you dating.

5 Friends with benefits: when you aren’t dating, but you hook up often.

SPREAD | 13

EMBRACING THE LITTLE BUMPS IN LIFE Former student embarks on the journey of motherhood at age 17

14 | FEATURES

written by Morgan Twibell | photos by Emma Robson It’s Thursday morning. Former East student and real. When they found out it was, Anna had to look at 17-year-old Anna Ignatovich lifts herself out of bed, her options. gets dressed in her loose pink T-shirt and her favorite She never considered abortion; it was just somepair of yoga pants and heads outside to her white Vol- thing she didn’t believe in since she was brought up vo. Ignatovich sees all of the blue East parking passes in a Christian household, and adoption was out of on the front windows of cars as she drives down Mis- the question, too. She didn’t want to spend the rest of sion Road. She’s not going to school today. She hasn’t her life thinking about all of the “what-ifs.” Olga was since May of last year. surprised to see Anna making such a mature decision Not since she got pregnant. to keep the baby. She took pride in the fact that her Today, Anna is on her way to one of the many daughter was growing up. weekly doctor appointments where they check on her “She wanted to keep the baby and take all responbaby boy that she’s been carrying for seven months. sibility,” Olga said. “She didn’t want to give him up.”

Every day of those past seven months, Anna has The pregnancy has taken a lot from Anna. Coffee: reflected back on the circumstances. she can’t drink her number one tool to staying awake It was spring break; Anna was staying at a friend’s on early school mornings anymore because it’s bad house. Her parents were out of town. Anna and her for the baby. Appearance: It has transformed. Anna friends had people over to the house everyday. She doesn’t fit into her snug shirts and skinny jeans anywasn’t dating anyone at the time. Things had been more. Her stomach now feels rock hard, and it feels “complicated” with the same guy for a while. Anna like she is always “full.” It hurts when the baby kicks, doesn’t recall when they used protection and when but it’s a good hurt. Relationships: She has had to realthey didn’t. It was all a blur. ize who her true friends are after hearing some of her Spring break ended, and Anna’s normal schedule closest friends didn’t support her decision in keeping resumed. Waking up early, going to school, and hang- the baby. ing out with her friends. But one thing was off. Her “I cried at the beginning,” Anna said. “Everyone period was two weeks late. tells me ‘you’re not gonna make it’, ‘you’re gonna fail “I didn’t think anything of it,” Anna said. “I was in school’ and I’m just trying to prove them all wrong.” stubborn and just thought ‘it’s not going to happen to Anna has been through highs and lows. Some me, it wont, it can’t.’” days she is very optimistic, she pushes aside all of the Later on that week, two of Anna’s close friends, looks and stares she receives. junior Mackenzie Bridges and SM West junior Taylor But there are other days. When Anna was at Price Sheets, dragged her to the local grocery store to get a Chopper last month, an old lady came up to her asked pregnancy test. her all about the baby, but when Anna told her she is “She was really hesitant about it, and we wanted to only 17, she rolled her eyes and walked away. be sure,” Bridges said. “At first we tried to make her go Those are the times Anna feels like she’s just been to a clinic, but she was really worried about that so we punched in the gut. just got [a test] from the grocery store.”

But Anna has proved to herself and the people They were worried, and Anna had mixed emotions around her that she is going to be able to handle this flooding her brain. On the outside, she made it seem “pregnant teenager thing.” like she didn’t believe that she might actually be pregAnna has been doing online school. It gets lonely nant; on the inside, she was questioning herself. She though. It’s just her and the computer for five hours, didn’t know what to think; she needed to take that test four days a week. A friend or two will come visit on to be sure. school days occasionally, but other than that it’s just She took the first one in the grocery store bath- her. After she finishes her classes, she will clean the room. The pink smiley face indicated it was positive. house, do the dishes, and make a nice lunch for her“It came out positive so fast, in a snap, I looked at it self. She says she’s starting to feel like a “housewife,” and just started laughing,” Anna said. “I didn’t think it something that she thinks will come in handy in a few was true—I thought it was the funniest thing I’d ever months. seen.”

She is showing people that she isn’t just a kid She saw it and burst out laughing, but when she anymore; that she has responsibilities now. She has looked at her friends, their faces were lined with con- to be careful about who and what she surrounds hercern. She didn’t know how to handle it. Her friends self with, which means no more parties and no more were unsure at this point. They bought another test. sleepovers with all of her friends.

Positive again. There weren’t any laughs after this “She has definitely grown up a lot,” Bridges said. test. The only thing she knew to do at that point was “She still jokes and has her same personality, but I cry. can tell she’s learned that she can’t just party and be “It didn’t even feel real because I didn’t have any with friends all the time. She knows she has to grow symptoms, it was just like everyone was telling me up. She’s already gotten there and she hasn’t even had this and that--and I had to believe it,” Anna said. the baby yet.”

When all of the pregnancy tests Ignatovich took Anna feels as if her whole life is changing. She has turned out positive, she struggled for a week and a to eat, breathe, and think for two instead of one now. half thinking of ways she would tell her mother. She She’s changed the way she treats her schoolwork. She didn’t want to have to watch her mom’s face as she used to push off homework to the last minute, but now broke the news to her. She didn’t want to see disap- she finishes up one of her online classes and studies pointment or anger. Later on in the week, Anna left and does her homework right away. She wants to try her a note on her mom’s bed and then went straight to her hardest and do her best for the baby’s sake. her friends house to spend the night.

Anna is embracing the fact that her experience Anna’s nerves were on edge when she saw her will help her become a stronger person in the longmom’s number appear on her cell phone that night. run; she just wants to raise her son as best as she She answered it with trembling hands. Her mom can and with all of the support she is receiving from wanted her to come home so they could talk in person her friends and family she knows that a lot of people about the note left on the bed. “have her back.”

“She was afraid to tell me in person about the “I just don’t want people to feel pity for me,” Anna pregnancy, because she thought I would scream and said. “I just feel like everyone thinks things like ‘why yell. It was shocking, but I was never angry,” Anna’s didn’t she give it up for adoption’, ‘why didn’t she get mother Olga Ignatovich said. an abortion’, and I just don’t want them looking down After the talk with her mom, the two decided to go on me. Maybe it was a sign from God, maybe it wasn’t. to the doctors office to make sure the pregnancy was I just want to make the best of it.’”

MIXED 3,000 calories are consumed by the average person at Thanksgiving dinner.

A PAGE ABOUT

THANKSGIVING

THE SKINNY ON THE FATTEST HOLIDAY OF THE YEAR 675 million pounds of turkey are consumed each year.

50 million pumpkin pies are eaten at Thanksgiving.

40 million green bean casseroles are made.

350 approximate pounds the largest

pumpkin pie ever made weighed. It used 80

72 millions of can of Ocean Spray Cranberry Sauce purchased each year.

pounds of cooked pumpkin, 36 pounds of sugar, 12 dozen eggs, measured 5 feet in diameter and took six hours to bake.

WHAT ARE YOU THANKFUL FOR?

A LOOK AT THE

248 million

ONLINE HUB, THANKFULFOR.COM GIVES USERS THE ABILITY TO WRITE STATUS UPDATES ABOUT THE THINGS THEY’RE THANKFUL FOR AT ANY GIVEN MOMENT.

The number of turkeys expected to be raised in the United States in 2011.

Warm tea on cold days :)

86 pounds

Telephone calls with my dad because he reminds me of the things I have to do and the person that I should be.

75-80 pounds

The amount of feed required to raise a 30-pound turkey.

WHSV.COM

The heaviest turkey ever raised weighed in at this whopping sum, as large as a dog.

Tests being postponed, a light November breeze, and a positive outlook.

Sense of humor.

THANKFULFOR.COM

TURKEY INDUSTRY

ECCENTRIC

EATS STUDENTS EXPLAIN THEIR FAMILY TRADITIONS FOR THANKSGIVING DINNER

16 | MIXED

JUNIOR ALI FELMAN

“Sometimes I get tofurkey slices, but usually I just eat mashed potatoes and call it good.”

SENIOR ATIYEH SAMADI

“I don’t like turkey very much, so my family makes lobster salad and I eat that with mashed potatoes. It’s pretty digustingsounding.”

JUNIOR HANNAH DAHLOR “My aunt makes these potatoes with Cheez-Its inside of them. They were weird, but they were really good.”

‘CRAZY’GOOD

Subtle indie romance gives an honest portrayal of long-distance relationships written by Alex Lamb | all photos courtesy of allmoviephoto.com

Hollywood mass-produces love stories.

Studios usually spew out mediocre romantic comedies several times a month, frequently with lowbrow audiences in mind. But once in a while a refreshing independent gem comes along, free from the gloss and cliché of those big name, over-produced romances. The down-toearth “Like Crazy” offers such an experience, bound tightly in honest emotion, gritty realism and performances so convincing it feels like real life unfolding onscreen.

“Like Crazy” follows the relationship between Anna (Felicity Jones), an enchanting, bright-minded Brit, and sweet, charming American Jacob (Anton Yelchin), two college students in Los Angeles who quickly fall for each other.

FLICK FLOP

The first act shows the blossoming of their blissful relationship, the couple so madly lost in love that nothing else matters to them. This allconsuming passion leads Anna to overstay her student visa for the summer after graduation, a fateful mistake that gets her deported back to London and banned from re-entering the U.S. Anna is legally unable to leave the U.K., while Jacob is too rooted in his successful furniture design business in L.A. to move his life to her country, relegated only to sporadic visits.

The distance fractures them, and each engages in another relationship, though in their hearts they know they belong together and they persist in their attempts to achieve this.

Their struggle to overcome this conflict of

RENT IT AT MOST

‘TOWER’ING OVER

CINEMATIC EXPERIENCE

separation drives the movie, so captivating and relatable that the viewer pains for them to be together, with a genuine power rarely seen in romances anymore. Every tight embrace, every longing gaze and every contemplative text message convey more about that special connection between two people than any holiday centered rom-com or tween vampire saga ever could.

Director/co-writer Drake Doremus delivers a real love story here, capturing the full essence of the wondrous magic and heartbreaking pain of true love. He heavily bases the film off his own experiences, and that authenticity shines through in every scene. Most of the dialogue between Yelchin and Jones was even improvised, furthering the realistic feel that pervades “Like Crazy.” Additionally, Doremus manages to present it all in a stylish, visually-luscious package, especially utilizing montages to superb effect– all the more impressive considering the whole film was made on a meager budget of $250,000.

But it’s really Yelchin and Jones who make this such a remarkable journey; both delivering outstanding, star-making performances that never once lack in conviction. Yelchin has already made a name for himself as an endearing, witty young upstart the past few years from “Charlie Bartlett” to the recent “Fright Night,”but with this, he proves his impressive talent as a dramatic lead too. Jones is the real find however, a tender, mousy little beauty that’ll melt your heart and pull at your heartstrings.

And that feeling is exactly what “Like Crazy” is all about–illustrating the sweetness of love as well as the anguish that comes with it. The trueto-life version, not the Hollywood one.

FLICKS

1

500 DAYS OF SUMMER 2

BLUE VALENTINE 3

AN EDUCATION

CLASSIC MURPHY FILMS

BEVERLY HILLS COP

written by Greta Nepstad

rested for fraud, Josh is forced to tell his staff that, three years ago, he asked Shaw to invest their pensions, which added up to $2 million. Now that Shaw’s at risk of losing everything, Josh and his staff can only hope that he is innocent—and of course, he’s not.

Josh finds that his only solution is to steal from Shaw. Convinced that Shaw has a vault in his penthouse living room that contains millions of dollars, he hires his neighbor, a thief named Slide, played by Eddie Murphy.

Finally, an hour into the film, Josh has his team; Slide, Odessa, Enrique, Charlie and former Tower resident, Mr. Fitzbugh (Matthew Broderick). Together, they plan to “storm the castle.”

Does this story sound ridiculous yet? I’ll admit, it was en-

ROMANCE

OSCAR WORTHY

Ben Stiller’s latest comedy fails to live up to the potential of the cast

“Tower Heist” is funny. Nothing more, just funny. There are funny actors and funny characters, funny lines and funny situations. But other than that, it’s a forgettable film.

A true comedy is funny, sure, but there’s more than just typical jokes—and leaving the theatre, I wasn’t completely satisfied. I’d prefer to have spent eight bucks on a movie that I would actually recommend before “Real Steel.”

Ben Stiller plays Josh Kovacs, the affable manager of one of New York’s most elegant apartment buildings that’s known simply as “The Tower”. His staff includes former-Burger-King-employeeturned-elevator-operator Enrique (Michael Pena), his flaky brotherin-law Charlie (Casey Affleck), long-time doorman Lester (Stephen Henderson) and Jamaican housekeeper Odessa (Gabourey Sidibe).

When CEO and penthouse owner Arthur Shaw (Alan Alda) is ar-

INDIE

Murphy portrays a hilarious Detroit cop, pursuing a murder investigation.

COMING TO AMERICA tertaining, but so is watching my dog jump up and down before I take her for a walk.

The plot is crudely sewn together and I can’t decide whether there’s either no climax, or five different ones. There are also many moments when I turned to my friend on my right and whispered, a bit too loudly, that there was no way this would ever happen. I suppose that’s what made it entertaining, but no way would a solid gold car be lowered down the outside of a skyscraper and not be noticed by one of the thousands of people participating in the Thanksgiving parade on the streets below.

Yes, there were one or two laugh-out loud-moments, but they were basically caused by how ridiculous the situation was or perhaps the specific actor that said a line.

So, it is what it is—a movie based on cheap humor and clichéd jokes. If you’re looking for a temporary escape from your day, then “Tower Heist” is your movie—as long as you can tolerate meek performances and a dragging plot for the chance of a few jokes.

An African Prince, Murphy, travels to Queens, NY to find himself a wife.

DR. DO-LITTLE

In this classic, goofy film, Murphy is a doctor who can speak to animals. Enough said.

A&E | 17

NEW VIBES

OUTSIDE THE BOX

OLD STYLE

NEW ‘DECEMBERISTS’ EP BRINGS TOGETHER VARIED STYLES FOR MUSICAL MASTERPIECE

written by Will Webber The Decemberists do not fit the mold of the modern day chart-toppers. The quintet of indie folk-rockers have very little in common with the auto-tuned divas that currently dominate the music industry. Rather than retelling the events of last Friday night’s booze-infused glitter orgy, lead singer Colin Meloy relies on a more intellectual narrative style: a combination of literary references and witty wordplay. They play actual instruments, unlike most of today’s computer-generated beat makers. But despite these differences, The Decemberists last album, “The King is Dead,” earned the top spot in the US in February of 2011. The band has enjoyed a great deal of critical acclaim throughout its ten-year career, but never expected to rise to the top of the charts. Looking to capitalize on their recent success, they have released six outtakes from the previous album onto their latest EP, “Long Live the King.” These tracks may not have had a home on “The King is Dead,” but they are still essential to the library of any music fan.

Right off the bat, Colin Meloy puts his masterful narrative on display. His distinctive voice and unrivaled storytelling shines through on the opening track, ‘E. Watson.’

Accompanied only by an ominous steel guitar, Meloy solemnly tells the legend of Edgar Watson, a lawless bandit from Florida. The apocalyptic chorus calls for the Lord to

PLUG YOUR EARS

THE KING IS DEAD 2011

BY THE NUMBERS

CASTAWAYS AND CUTOUTS 2002

the cover comes to a close. Lead guitarist Chris Funk lets emotion flow through his fingertips as he lays a beautifully bluesy solo down. Stripped of excessive production quality, “Row Jimmy” gives a welcome insight to the band in their element.

“Sonnet,” the final track on the EP, briefly exhibits Meloy’s poetic side as he describes a delightful daydream.

The whimsical lyrics are reminiscent of a nursery rhyme-quite a contrast from spooky tracks like “E. Watson” and “Burying Davy. The sonnet drops off halfway into the song and gives way to an infectious horn melody. This little tune will burrow its way into your skull and stay there for days, possibly weeks.

It’s hard to believe that these six songs didn’t make it onto the full-length album. The Decemberists are so consistent that even their “outtakes” are a cut above the rest.

“Long Live the King” is a terrific collection of songs that showcases the band’s talent and range, proving that everything they record deserves to be released and enjoyed.

Whether they sink back into obscurity or remain at the top of Billboard, The Decemberists will continue to make great music.

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“bring down the flood, wash away the blood, drown these Everglades, put us in our place.” These lyrics seem to foreshadow a gloomy collection, but the band totally shifts gears on the following track.

The EP takes an unexpected, upbeat turn as The Decemberists go country. The band travelled back to their native Oregon and recorded this album in a barn, hoping to harness the rustic atmosphere of their surroundings. This change in scenery is most obvious on ‘Foregone,’ which embraces the simplicity of country music by incorporating a twangy guitar and repetitive chorus. It’s a satisfying and well-crafted track, but for listeners who prefer the band’s more traditional music, ‘Foregone’ is quite forgettable.

Next on the EP is the spooky, Neil Young-esque, “Burying Davy,” followed by the lighthearted love song, “I 4 U & U 4 me.” The Decemberists take a break from playing original music towards the end of the album and instead pay homage to one of their greatest influences, the Grateful Dead. Their rendition of “Row Jimmy” is a fine and faithful version of the original, even though it lacks some of Jerry Garcia’s drug-addled charm. Covering other musicians work can remove a lot of the pressure from recording and The Decemberists certainly appear to let loose and have fun on this track; Meloy even lets out an audible laugh as

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FIVE DATES THAT COUNT

1

As the winter season nears, coaches and athletes gear up for the competition. Here are five dates to keep an eye on. written by Adam Lowe

3 5

Jan. 27, 2012

Mark your calendars because on Jan. 27 the Boys Basketball team hosts cross state rival, Rockhurst.

This game is played every January and is one of the biggest sporting events of the year for Lancer fans and athletes. “The Rockhurst game is one of those nights that you look forward to every year,” senior point guard Alex Schoegler said. “We are excited to get to play them at our house again this season.” In the last three years East is 0-3 against the Hawklets and are looking to change that with a big win this season. With almost the entire starting roster returning from last year’s team, they should have a good shot at knocking the Hawklets off for the first time since 2008. Two of the last three meetings for these teams have been decided by one possession, so look for a physical and hard-fought game that will go down to the wire.

Feb. 7, 2012

Throughout this year’s seniors’ careers, the Lady Lancers have never been able to beat one team: Olathe South. The Falcons have contributed to several heartbreaking losses throughout the last three years against the Lady Lancers, including last season’s 59-43 loss near the end of the season. Senior Caroline Nick is one of four seniors on this year’s team, and she can’t wait to get another crack at South.

“They are the one team we have never been able to beat and I know we all would really like to take them down,” Nick said. “We have a really strong team and it would be a really big win for us to get some momentum at the end of the season.” Look for this game to be a physical one and go down to the final seconds. “This team has a lot of potential and could really surprise some teams this season,” Nick said.

Feb. 16-18, 2012

The Lancer Swim team is coming off of a very disappointing end to last season. As the team headed into the state tournament, they felt they had a very good shot at winning state for the 6th time in 7 years.

However, rival Blue Valley North was able to take the title away from them. This season, the Lancers have high hopes as always, and with a very good group of seniors coming back, the state meet is what they are looking forward to. “We really feel good about our chances this year,” senior swimmer Jack Sayler said. “Obviously the whole season is important but what really matters is what you do at State so that is what we are looking forward to this year.” The Lancers will not want to lose to BV North for the second year in a row, so it should be a hard fought battle during the four times the two teams meet this season.

20 | SPORTS

Dec. 16, 2011

Last season the Lancers had two Sunflower League champions: senior Blake Hill and junior Gavin Jones They also had five state placers including Jones, senior Ben Randolph and the three Hill brothers, graduated senior David and seniors Blake and Blaine. Aside from David, all of these placers are back for the 2011-2012 season. This group of returning placers should help the team do very well this season. “We have such a well rounded team, and if they put in the effort they should be successful this season,” head coach Chip Ufford said. “We just need to build off success we have had in the last couple of years.” The team has many other seniors coming back hoping to help make an impact on the team, including senior Tyler Nelson. “We have the talent to win districts and league this year,” Nelson said. “We were runner up last year and just need to continue to work hard throughout the season to get ready.” On Dec. 16 the team will face district rival SM South for the first time of the season. The SM South match is always very heated so it should be one not to be missed.

Feb. 15, 2012

With only four seniors coming back this winter, the bowling team will be looking to underclassmen to step up for them throughout the season. The biggest time of the year comes at the end of the season with State and Regionals, but another big meet will be on Feb. 15 at the Shawnee Mission Varsity Meet. “[It is] one of the only Varsity meets of the year so it’s very important,” head coach Patty Kennedy said.

“We are always very excited for the season and should have a good year.” Since this will be the only time that all the Shawnee Mission varsity teams will face off together, it should be a heated battle for the District Championship.

2 4

JUNIORS

Powder puff girls football is back in full swing. The activity for upperclassmen girls gives students a chance to play football who might not have the opportunity otherwise.

According to junior Grace Degoler, at East the game is more of a fun activity and is not taken very seriously. The teams play one final game against each other during dead week, when no other sports are going on-this gives the girls a chance to get a feel for what football is like and hang out with the girls in their grade.

“It is a fun experience being able to spend time with girls you usually don’t hang out with,” Degoler said.

The junior girls put together a team and have already developed a camaraderie says Degoler. Football players Connor Rellihan, Billy Sutherland , Vance Wentz and Nick Pirotte are coaching the junior girls. According to Rellihan, it is supposed to be a fun experience for girls to see what the game is like. The football players teach them the basics of football, like tackling and throwing. According to Rellihan, this results in the girls running around in circles and passing the ball to whoever is standing next to them.

“It’s tough teaching girls how to play football,” Rellihan said. “I don’t think I have ever been asked so many questions at once.”

The coaches organize practices twice a week for at least an hour to prepare for the game, which will take place after the football season is over. The girls work on running drills, tackling and scrimmaging during practice. Some of the girls don’t understand football so the practices aren’t very serious and usually becomes unorganized. It sometimes results in Sutherland telling junior teammate Brennan Williams to run through people’s legs.

“I am really enjoying powder puff so far because it is fun to see who is athletic and who is not,” Spradling said. “I was surprised to see how good some of them are and if I hadn’t joined the team I wouldn’t have known that.”

The coaches humor the players, according to Spradling. They like to joke around, but they also try to make the practice somewhat serious.

“The funniest things they have said about the team are ‘this looks gayer than a two dollar bill’ and we are ‘definitely going to die,’” Spradling said.

The juniors will face the seniors in a game coming up. The junior team is nervous that they won’t have a chance of winning because the senior team is strong and the referees are senior boys.

“I am nervous of getting injured,” Degoler said. “I think the senior team will be really good, I’ve talked to some of the girls on the team and they said they have some really strong players.”

According to Degoler, this has been a good bonding experience for the girls in her grade.

The team is made up of a variety of different players and it gives them a chance to talk to people they usually wouldn’t. The girls have created more friendships because of powderpuff, according to Spradling.

“I have become closer with girls that I would have never talked to if I hadn’t played

SENIORS

MORE POWDER TO THEM

written by Jeri Freirich| photos by Emma Robson

A team-by-team preview of the upcoming Powderpuff football game

Junior WR Molly Halter Q: What

was your favorite moment in powderpuff ?

Senior LB Danielle Norton Q: What

was your favorite moment in powderpuff ?

A: My favorite part so far is just A: My favorite moment was at messing around with all of the girls. We have a ton of fun.

practice one time when I tackled someone for the first time.

Q: What is the hardest part

Q: What is the hardest part

about football?

about football?

A: The hardest part is knowing A: The hardest part has defithe positions and what they do because I don’t know football at all.

nitely been trying to learn plays

The senior powder puff team is ready to win this year after a disappointing loss last year, according to senior coach Elliot Faerber.

The girls have been practicing twice a week, usually on Sundays and Tuesdays, working on a variety of things from throwing and catching to tackling with a mat. The team work on specific drills for certain plays and they end practice with a scrimmage against the coaches.

“Some coaches try and teach us some of their plays, but we usually don’t do them because we don’t think it will work in the game,” senior Lilli Stalder said. “We just throw it to someone that is open and run it.”

The senior coaches this year are Adam Lowe, Logan Rose, Elliot Faerber, Dylan Brett, Jeff Cole and Sam Heneger. According to Rose, it is interesting and fun teaching the girls how to play football and it is a nice break from the three hour practices he has to go to after school.

“We’ve got some really fast and athletic girls on our team,” Rose said. “I’m excited to see them avenge last year’s heartbreaking loss against last year’s seniors.”

A good amount of the girls played on the team last year, but this year they are taking it more seriously according to senior Taylor Wolf. Since many of them are returning players there is a lot of experience and returning talent, Rose says.

“I think they will have a better idea of what to expect and want to win since we came up just short of beating the seniors last year,” Rose said.

According to Stalder, the team is doing better this year and she is confident that they will do well.

Wolf, the quarterback on the team, gets a bulk of the coaches’ attention. Cole goes through various drills with Wolf trying to refine her throwing motion. One of which is where the coaches make Wolf slow down her throwing motion and break it down mechanically, focusing on hand placement and following through.

According to Stalder, the main goal for the team is to just get out there and win. The girls have been practicing and want to make it worthwhile, especially after losing last year.

The only thing that would keep them from losing, according to Stalder, would be the lack of equipment protecting them.

“I want to play well after all of the work we have put into the practices,” Stalder said. “The only thing holding me back is the possible injuries.”

Overall, this has been a good bonding experience for the senior girls, according to Stalder. Even though they know everyone on the team, they don’t usually get to see them on a regular basis.

“I would say this is definitely a good bonding experience because there are a lot of seniors I get to talk with that I usually wouldn’t be able to at school,” Stalder said.

FOR A POWDERPUFF SOUNDSLIDE, VISIT

WWW.SMEHARBINGER.NET

SPORTS | 21

photo by McKenzie Swanson

a final

GOODBYE On Senior Night, athletes look back upon their high school athletic career

written by Alex Goldman | photos by Hiba Akhtar, McKenzie Swanson and Jake Crandall Senior Logan Rose can remember watch- and that all the other players are looking up Hansford is proud of not only what she ing the clock tick until it hit 2:40. Then the bell to you,” Rose said. “Our goal was to win state has won with the team but also the girls she would ring and Rose, then a freshman, would and even with all the off field distractions, it has befriended over the years. head to the locker rooms to change into pads still is. Ending your senior football season “I’m never going to forget the bonds I made and strap on his helmet. The first few weeks with a state title would be the ultimate accom- and the friends I met through this program,” were fun, but after a couple months practices plishment.”

Hansford said. “I’m going to remember all the became more of a daily grind. As much as Unfortunately for the seniors on the boys girls I met along the way, winning Sunflower he wanted to just go home and be with his soccer team, their playoff run was short-lived League my sophomore and senior year, my friends, he kept his thoughts to himself. The after losing to Blue Valley Northwest 1-0 in coaches and just playing to represent my high last thing he wanted was for the coaches to the second round. Senior Jeremy Young, who school.” get a bad impression of him. has been playing soccer since kindergarten, As the athletic careers of fall sports seniors He showed up early to practices and says that game will probably stick with him end with their fall seasons, the final seasons pushed himself as hard as he could. He re- for the rest of his life. for senior winter athletes like Alex Schoegler members seeing the seniors practice and see“Losing that last game was not how I are just beginning. Schoegler and the rest of ing how they pushed each other and worked wanted to end my East soccer career,” Young the basketball team will be trying to improve hard day in and day out. He saw them as kids said. “I probably won’t ever forget that game, from last year’s 7-15 record and that the sehe could look up to and try to emulate. When and how sad it was to end my senior season.” niors are all ready to make a final run at State. all the seniors lined up with their families to After losing 17 seniors last year, the varsi“The whole team has gone to a lot of team be honored on senior night, a night where all ty soccer team had some new faces and were camps in the summer and playing preseason the senior athletes on their respective sports made to make changes to their set plays and games, Schoegler said. “We all want to make team are recognized for their hard work, Rose playing style. it to state and the only way to get there is by saw it as a destination--he wanted to be stand“Going into the season with a whole new working hard and putting in the hours.” ing in that place at the end of his senior sea- team gave us a different challenge,” Young Despite all the vigorous practices and son. But he could ever get there, he was going said. “It was really fun to get big wins against seemingly endless amount of sprints to have to prove himself to the coaches. He teams like Olathe East and making a run at Schoegler has had to go through, he will still got a chance to do so when he was called to the end of the season. Even though we fell miss wearing Columbia blue for the lancers. the scout team, which practiced with the var- short and were eliminated early, I’ll never “It’s really bittersweet going into your last sity team, when he was a sophomore. forget the friendships I made with a lot of the season,” Schoegler said. “These past years in “We would just get drilled every practice,” players.” basketball have been pretty rough, but it’s all Rose said. “The players were all bigger than The soccer team had a memorable senior worth it in the end because it’s going to be a us sophomores, and it was just not that much night, beating SM West in overtime after be- lot of fun.” fun. That year we made the playoffs, and see- ing down 1-0 at halftime.

Schoegler also believes that as the season ing the seniors continue to push the under“The game was amazing,” Young said. progresses, the team’s work ethic will pick up classmen made me stick with it.”

“Seeing all the fans come out to the complex even more.

All the hard work paid off when Rose and hearing them cheer as loud as they did “Knowing that this is my senior will defimade the varsity team his junior year. Going felt great. That with the overtime goal was cra- nitely pump me up through out the season,” into senior year Rose said that the seniors on zy, I will never forget that game. It was weird Schoegler said. “Knowing that this is probthe football became the leaders of the team because it didn’t feel like it was that long ago I ably my last year of organized basketball, I after years of looking up to the previous was watching the older seniors line up.” know it will hit me hard when senior night year’s seniors.

The volleyball team also came short of comes at the end of the season—I will work “As seniors, coach Sherman always refers their expectations, finishing with a 12-12 re- a lot harder and try to push the team as far as to us as ‘sitting at the head of the table’ mean- cord and lost to Blue Valley North for the third we can go.” ing we’re the oldest out there on the field,” year in a row at sub-state. For senior Haley With the thought of this being the last seaRose said. “And as a group of seniors we are Hansford, her senior season was still memo- son of “real basketball” in his life, Schoegler trying to make this the best season possible.” rable, despite their early exit. wants to not only go far with the team in playRose and the rest of the seniors have expe“Even though the loss was heartbreaking, offs but mostly relish his final season with his rienced a hectic season with injuries almost I had a blast with my team all year,” Hansford teammates. every week and even seeing some players said. “One of my best memories this year was “I want to go to state with this team,” getting dismissed for violating athletic poli- when we were down 12 points in the third Schoegler said. “But I really just want to have cies. game against Olathe Northwest and we came a lot of fun with the guys on the team and “Being a senior, you feel like it’s your year back and won,” Hansford said. make the most out of it before it’s all over.”

22 | SPORTS

FOR A SENIOR RETROSPECTIVE VIDEO, VISIT WWW.SMEHARBINGER.NET

LANCER VOICE Going into your senior year, how will your approach to the season change?

JUNIOR | Vance Wentz

It’s going to be different being that oldest guy. I’ve always looked up to seniors and now we’ve got to be the leaders and take charge more than I have in the past.

JUNIOR | Meg Stanley

I will try to make it my best season yet and really focus on the team, because I have learned from my past seasons that seniors really bring the team together.

JUNIOR |Chris Watkins It’s weird realizing that I only have one season left, I feel like I’m still coming after kids like Zach Colby even though they’re long gone.

BOYS’ BASKETBALL PREVIEW 2011 written by Matt Hanson

what to expect

The Lancers have one of their deepest teams in recent memory, according to Coach Hair. With a strong returning core led by third-year varsity starters juniors Zach Schneider and Vance Wentz, the Lancers have a seemingly better, more experienced talent base this year than in previous years. The experience of this team is part of why expectations are higher this year than in previous years. The key to their success lies in their point guard

12

SENIOR ALEX

SCHOEGLER

GUARD Schoegler’s a skilled ball handler, but he’s known across the Sunflower League for his defense, as he was the Lancer’s go-to defender for guards of all sizes and abilities last year.

He needs to not be afraid to take shots.

11

CENTER A strong, bulky center, Sutherland is a formidable inside presence who came on strong at the end of last year, and was key in the Lancer’s upset of Blue Valley North at sub-state. He needs to work on his free throw shooting and his left hand.

JUNIOR ZACH

SCHNEIDER

CENTER An inside and outside scoring threat, Schneider was the second leading scorer from last year’s team and its leading rebounder. He needs to play bigger inside this year, particularly defensively. Injury concern: Had surgery on his knee in the offseason.

JUNIOR BILLY

SUTHERLAND

play. If senior guards Alex Schoegler, Andy Hiett and Chris Heady can limit turnovers, the team will be in good shape.

“Our biggest thing is point guard play—how well we handle the ball,” Hair said. “Not just with the point guards, but how well everyone handles the ball.”

Limiting their turnovers will be even harder considering the team will likely push the ball more. The athleticism of this team

SENIOR CHRIS

HEADY

GUARD The third senior on the team, Heady will provide leadership and spot up shooting. Although new to varsity, Heady is a hard worker and should adjust well. Like Hanna, he needs to be consistent and dependable with his jumpshot.

IMPORTANT GAMES

15

SENIOR ANDY

HIETT

GUARD Look for Hiett to share point guard responsibilities pretty evenly with Schoegler, as he is a more potent offensive threat and very capable defensively.

Hiett needs to limit his turnovers on fastbreaks.

Injury concern: Just cast off of his wrist.

21

makes it a more potent fastbreak threat than in previous years, and Hair will look to take advantage of his team’s speed.

Likely newcomer junior Chris Tuttle will be a good offensive threat in the post, and junior Chase Hanna will return as a dependable pure shooter on the wing. Hanna and Tuttle contribute to a very balanced and dangerous Lancer offense. Look for a much improved East team this season.

JUNIOR CHASE

HANNA

GUARD An experienced varsity player, Hanna is a lightsout shooter from range who will provide perimeter scoring for East. He needs to remain consistent with his jump shot and be able to get it off under duress.

Injury concern: Recovering from hand surgery.

JUNIOR CHRIS

TUTTLE

CENTER The tallest player on the team, Tuttle is a versatile scoring threat on the block and from mid-range. He needs to be confident and play tough. Injury concern: Hip injury benched him for most of conditioning.

THE MAN LEADING

THE TEAM: Coach Shawn Hair

For over a decade, Coach Hair has defined East basketball. His teams are known for their hard defense, three-point shooting and fundamentals. This will be Hair’s 15th season at East.

With two major Division-1 recruits, the Ravens are the favorite in the Sunflower league. 6-foot-10-inch senior center Willie Cauley’s recent commitment to play for Jon Calipari at Kentucky made the front page of ESPN’s recruiting site.

Cauley poses some match-up problems for the Lancers, as does his teammate and housemate Shevon Shields, who will play at Nebraska. While East’s bigs may be able to contain Cauley, it’s really Shields, son of NFL great Will Shields, who presents the greatest problems for the Lancers. His athleticism and size are unmatched on the Lancer perimeter.

Look for defensive standout Schoegler to try to control him in this rematch of last year’s one point Lancer loss.

HyVee Shootout and McPherson These two annual tournaments usually present some of the Lancers’ toughest match-ups, and this year is no exception.

In the HyVee Shootout, the Ruskin Golden Eagles will be a particularly difficult team for East to play. Facing a team with the athleticism to generate lots of turnovers, East will have to have smart point guard play.

Schoegler, Hiett and other ball handlers will need to be extra careful here. While the match-ups at McPherson have yet to be determined, this tournament is traditionally very competitive. While games in these tournaments may not feature familiar opponents for East, they are still some of the better games to see on the schedule.

JUNIOR VANCE

WENTZ

FORWARD A great shooter and an athletic wingman, Wentz was the leading scorer from last year’s team and Sophomore of the Year in the Sunflower League. He needs to choose his shots wisely and create opportunities for himself and his teammates off the dribble.

SCHEDULE Dec. 6- 7 p.m.

vs SM Northwest

Dec. 9- 7 p.m.

vs SM South

Dec. 14 - 8:30 p.m.

vs Ruskin at Avila College

Dec. 16- 7 p.m.

at SM North

Dec. 20- 7 p.m.

at SM West

Jan. 6- 7 p.m.

at Leavenworth

Jan. 10- 7 p.m.

at Olathe North

other than Rockhurst and Shawnee Mission South

Jan. 13- 7 p.m.

vs SM West

*schedule shows dates of these games

Olathe Northwest

14

Shawnee Mission West Bad blood is brewing. East and West have played some tough, nail-biting close games in the last two years, including a triple overtime Viking victory two years ago and a scrappy, low-scoring West win last year. This year, the two teams have already played a scrappy, dirty game in the fall circuit, and East players have warned that the West games will be rough, nasty games this winter. Several personal rivalries exist between West and East players, with an especially interesting one between Schneider and junior SM North forward Mitch Witter. The Lancer-Viking battles this year will be just that—battles.

photos by Caroline Creidenberg, Linsey Hartnett, Grant Heinlein and Gail Stonebarger

Jan. 19, 20, 21- TBA tournament at McPherson

Jan. 27- 7 p.m.

vs Rockhurst

Jan. 31- 7 p.m.

vs Olathe Northwest

Feb. 3- 7 p.m.

vs Lawrence

Feb. 7- 7 p.m.

at Olathe South

Feb. 10- 7 p.m.

at SM Northwest

Feb. 14- 7 p.m.

vs Olathe East

Feb. 17- 7 p.m.

vs SM North

Feb. 21- 7 p.m.

vs Lawrence Free State

Feb. 24- 7 p.m.

at SM South

SPORTS | 23

Senior Danielle Norton, left, leaps with joy and surprise as her team, “Ballsy Babes”, beats “Picked Last” in the first round. “I was really surprised,” Norton said. “I have never won a intramural game and I was really excited.” photo by Grant Kendall

IF YOU CAN BRING BEANS,

YOU CAN DODGE A BALL Annual SHARE dodgeball tournament benefits Wilhelmina’s Kitchen in KCK Each player had to give two cans of green beans, left, in order to participate in the tournament. The donations were for Wilhelmina’s Kitchen. photo by Grant Kendall The senior dodgeball team, “Rhys Raglow’s Meat Wranglers,” below, peform a pump up chant called “Rufio” before they play. “The chant was from cross country events,” Senior Jake McCoy said. “Most of us on the team are on the cross country team.” photo by Grant Kendall

Senior Henry Simpson, below, a referee during the tournament, blows his whistle at a player who wasn’t going out.

“Being a referee was a lot of fun,” Simpson said. “I was sad that I couldn’t play but reffing was just as fun .” photo by Grant Kendall A player grasps for a ball at the start of a game. photo by Jake Crandall

24 | PHOTO ESSAY

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