Issue 10 2012

Harbinger ISSUE 10 | SHAWNEE MISSION EAST | PRAIRIE VILLAGE, KS | FEB. 6, 2012

More photos from the basketball game against Rockhurst photo essay p. 32

SMEHARBINGER.NET

INTRODUCING “MOLLY”:

A NEW ALTERNATIVE TO ECSTASY THAT’S GAINING POPULARITY IN SUBURBIA. BUT WHAT STUDENTS THINK THEY’RE TAKING MAY NOT ACTUALLY BE MOLLY. pp. 4-5

photo by Grant Kendall and Spencer Davis

INSIDE THIS ISSUE:

p. 8

Senior feels pressure due

opinion to family ties to track

p. 11

features

Former East student copes with loss of both her parents

p. 25

a&e

A look at Christopher Elbow’s chocolate empire

p. 28

sports

Protein supplement usage at East

p. 32

photo essay

Pictures from the Rockhurst rivalry game

THE

PHOTOS OF THE WEEK SCHOOL

NEWS IN BRIEF

written by Morgan Twibell

Art department looks forward to guest speaker

Jake Crandall

SENIOR HENRY SIMPSON shakes PRINCIPAL KARL KRAWITZ’s hand at National Signing Day on Feb. 1.

Simpson signed on to play golf at K-State next year.

Grant Kendall

SENIOR BEN GARTEN uses a hand saw to cut a piece of wood in jewelry class. Garten was working on making a wooden frame for his next project.

Nicole Emanuel, an artist and curator who promotes local advocacy for the arts, will be visiting as a guest speaker in seminar sessions this Thursday. The art department tries to invite a practicing artist in to talk to the students periodically so that students can see what it’s like to make a living doing art. Photography teacher Adam Finkelston believes that it’s essential for student artists to talk to other artists- especially professional ones to find out how they work, what their work is about, and what drives them to make art. The art teachers hope that attending lectures like these will inspire students to go to lectures hosted by local museums like the Nelson-Atkins, Kemper, or Nerman Museums.

COMMUNITY

Man robs local Bank of America on State Line

The Bank of America at 7624 State Line Rd. was robbed last Monday at around 10:30 p.m. The robber arrived at the bank, immediately went to the teller, and threatened him. The teller cooperated and ended up giving the robber an unknown sum of money. Through descriptions given by onlookers, the police reported the suspect as a black male wearing thick glasses, a grey and white hat, a dark sweater with white stripes and dark pants. The incident is beAnna Dancinger ABOVE: SENIOR EVAN WESTHOFF performs in the ing inspected by the Prairie Village Police Lancer mascot costume while being filmed by TV Department and the Federal Bureau of Instation KCWE at the game against SM Northwest last vestigation (FBI).

Tuesday.

BELOW: JUNIOR VANCE WENTZ warms up at the SM Northwest game.

Mathletes prepare for national competition

The AMC math competition is a national honorary math competition that is held every year for the top students in the country.

The test will be taken tomorrow from 8:30 to 10 a.m. in the cafeteria. It is a self-selection competition, meaning that the students are able to choose if they want to take it or not.

Only the students that are in upper level math classes--Honors Algebra 2 and higher--are offered the opportunity. Generally, around 100 students take the test each year.

“Many colleges love to see the score you have achieved on this test,” math teacher Rick Royer said.

It is also a qualifying test for a series of tests that pick the true “elite” math students in the country and will end up picking the international competition team for the United States.

East student remembered at memorial poker game Brady Stanton, a graduate of Briarwood, Meadowbrook, and Shawnee Mission East passed away in 2006 after fighting an extreme case of pancreatic cancer. Stanton’s friends and family wanted to do something to honor him and raise money to find a cure for the disease that he passed from. Saturday, Feb. 4 will mark the fifth annual “All In For A Cure, the Brady Stanton Memorial Texas Hold ‘Em Tourney.” The event will be raising money for the University of Kansas Cancer Center. Over the past five years, the event has raised more than $500,000 for pancreatic cancer research. The money is used by the Brady Stanton Pancreatic Cancer Fund to support clinical trials research at The University of Kansas Cancer Center.

Student director works on her Abbott and Costello inspired Frequent Friday

Friday, February 24th Alex Dressman’s Frequent Friday “That’s a Keeper” will be held at 3 p.m. in the Little Theater. Dressman’s original script is a compilation of seven different skits inspired by Abbott and Costello, Laurel and Hardy, and old Vaudeville skits.

“I just compiled this together because I love comedy, and so I put it together because its something I thought was different that no one has ever really done at East,” Dressman said. “I thought it was fun because it’s kind of like a Vaudeville variety show.”

The show is comprised of 11 boys and two girls. Dressman tried to get some kids involved that weren’t in theater and hadn’t been in many productions before.

STATE

Legislature proposes changes to food stamps program

A Kansas House Committee is reviewing one of the new policies regarding cutting food stamp benefits to native born children of illegal immigrants. On October 1st of this past year, a new Social Rehabilitation Service (SRS) policy changed the way that household incomes are calculated, in order to better decide the eligibility for food stamps. Because of this policy change, about 2,000 children have lost their food stamp benefits. The SRS reported that making this change would end this favorable program for families with illegal immigrants.

Food Stamp Usage in Johnson County

14%

IMPORTANT FEBRUARY DATES Feb. 10

2 | NEWS

Molly Howland

ALL PEOPLE

6%

www.nytimes.com

3%

No school for parent teacher conferernces. Evening conferences are Feb. 9.

2% CHILDREN

WHITES

BLACKS

Feb. 13

SHARE Down Syndrome Dance in the cafeteria at 7 p.m.

Feb. 20

No school for Presidents Day

fighting freedom

The strong opposition towards SOPA, PIPA and ACTA demonstrated just how strong of a democracy the US can be

FOR

written by Matt Hanson | art by Matti Crabtree In the last decade, Wikipedia has em- frightened by what she called, “a demise bodied many of the characteristics of the In- to our freedom and the idea of democracy ternet itself. It’s concise, interactive, up-to- itself,” joined in the protest, even though date, full of information, open to everyone. she didn’t think the acts would ever actually But perhaps most importantly, it’s always pass. been available.

“If [the laws] did pass, I would feel terAt least, until midnight on Jan. 18, when rible that I hadn’t even expressed my consuddenly, it wasn’t. On the 18th, Wikipedia cern,” McKissick-Hawley said. “It’s part of went black. On its ominous homepage read being a part of your democracy, expressing the words, “Imagine a world without free your opinion and voting.” knowledge.” Wikipedia’s protest of the Stop Before the 18th, SOPA and PIPA were Online Piracy Act (SOPA) and the Protect IP hardly national issues. Business teacher Act (PIPA) had begun.

Jennifer Hair tried to change that. Before the The giant online encyclopedia wasn’t blackouts, she took it upon herself to try to alone. SOPA and PIPA, copyright laws de- inform her students of the situation. In an signed by Congress to protect intellectual in-class activity, Hair had her students read property on the Internet and save the en- several possible benefits and drawbacks to tertainment industry from massive annual the acts and showed them how they could amounts of revenue lost to piracy, had been get involved by contacted legislators about deemed by many members of the web com- the acts. munity as unlawful censorship of the web.

Hair introduced the subject to students Google, Reddit and several more of the In- partly because she believes that it has speternet’s largest sites went black in some cial pertinence to their generation. form or another, all for the same reason: “[Students] are going to be facing [this isto protest the prospective passing of the sue] for several years -- this concept is not two bills, which, if passed, would give the going away,” she said. government the power to block sites that When the blackouts finally came on the are suspected of hosting illegal sharing of 18th, they spurred the public into action. pirated content. Opponents of the acts pro- Protests spread across the web. Twitter, the test that the laws give the government the company whose site hosted much of the excessive power to censor the web. public’s protest, tweeted that from 12 a.m.

Across the country, people hit social - 4 p.m. on the day of the blackouts there media sites to voice their concerns about were over 2.4 million tweets about the acts. the laws. Several East students joined in a Mckissick-Hawley began to do her part protest that convinced dozens of senators by tweeting at Kansas representative Kevin to oppose SOPA. After visiting Wikipedia’s Yoder. blacked-out homepage, junior Helena Bu“Representative @kevinyoder: Don’t chmann emailed Missouri representative pass #SOPA. Don’t pass #PIPA,” she posted.

Emmanuel Cleaver and urged him to reject But McKissick-Hawley wasn’t done yet. the bills. Junior Eden McKissick-Hawley, Next, she signed an online petition calling

so, what are

SOPA, PIPA & ACTA exactly?

for Yoder to reject SOPA. The efforts of McKissick-Hawley and hundreds of other Kansans were not fruitless. At 10:50 a.m. on the 18th, Yoder joined many other politicians in rejecting SOPA, posting the following message on his Facebook page: “Thank you for your feedback regarding the Stop Online Piracy Act. Please review my statement below. I appreciate your feedback. Washington, DC – Congressman Kevin Yoder stated his opposition to the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) today and will oppose the bill if brought to a vote in the House. While Congressman Yoder is concerned about copyright infringement, SOPA goes too far in combating it by imposing harsh restrictions on Internet service providers and websites that will stifle innovation across the web.”

Yoder’s anti-SOPA statement was just one of many released by politicians on the day of the protests. As thousands of Americans contacted politicians voicing their concerns about the acts, their representatives listened. In a single day, SOPA and PIPA lost 17 supporters and gained 86 new opponents in Congress.

According to NYU journalism professor and expert on the social and economic effects of social media Clay Shirky, it was the success of the protests which made them significant, not their scale. The protests demonstrated the power Americans still wield in their democracy.

“We showed that it is possible to defeat even bought-and-paid-for lobbying efforts with a show of real voter strength, making PIPA and SOPA not just losing propositions, but so toxic that no one even dared cast a

PIPA PIPA (Protect IP Act), very similar to SOPA, is an act that says authorities can only censor a site if it’s more likely than not to be a source of illegal content.

SOPA

information courtesy of www.eff.org, www.dzineblog360. com, lifehacker.com

vote for them in public,” Shirky said in an email interview.

To some, the efficacy of using social media sites as platforms for a major political protest came as a surprise. Emporia State political science professor Michael Smith had previously been unsure of the ability of social media sites to host effective political discourse between politicians and their constituents.

“I think the big thing with the social media is that what we haven’t yet seen is if the social media can adapt to longer, more indepth engagement with ideas,” Smith said.

“Twitter is obviously the stereotype, because you’re limited to a certain number of characters, and not every thought or every idea can be communicated in x number of characters.”

But the success of the protests on Jan. 18 has proven that social media can effectively channel political discourse, which is a good thing for opponents of SOPA and PIPA, because despite the defeat of those acts, their fight to protect their liberties on the web is not over yet. Next on the horizon is the AntiCounterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA), an international trade agreement equivalent to SOPA and PIPA. Opponents of ACTA contend that the agreement would threaten the freedom of the Internet.

“Get ready to have this fight again,” Shirky said. “Freedom of the press is not just an abstraction, it’s a right you exercise every day on Facebook, and that “web publisher” actually means you. [This issue] matters an awful lot in your daily life, and is worth calling your Senators and Representatives the next time some industry tries to control speech in this way.”

SOPA, the Stop Online Piracy Act, was presented to the House of Representatives, intended to expand the power of U.S. authorities to censor websites and prevent users from stealing intellectual property.

ACTA ACTA, the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement, is the most recent intellectual property bill. It is an international bill rather than a national bill & is supported by countries worldwide.

NEWS | 3

THEY CALL IT MOLLY New drug called ‘molly’ is making a big name for itself at East, but what exactly are kids getting? written by Jack Howland | photos by Grant Kendall

About an hour had passed, but senior Alec Peterson* still didn’t feel any different. He swallowed the bleach-white pill at the beginning of the concert with six of his friends and patiently waited through the opening act for something to kick. He had read online that it may take a couple hours or so to feel a high; he heard it may feel more subtle than alcohol or marijuana. But all Peterson could detect was a buzz.

Nothing more, nothing less.

After two hours, he felt something. It was like somebody flipped a switch. Peterson noticed that every touch or brush against him felt “amazing.” People looked more attractive. He felt like he had goosebumps that wouldn’t go away. But Peterson, who in September got his first high from a drug sold by the name “molly,” said the feeling could best be described as “blatantly happy.”

“It was, like, intense,” Peterson said. “I just felt happy. I don’t even know how to explain it. It’s not like being drunk or high [from marijuana]. You just are happy and you feel cool. You feel good — you really just feel good.”

Molly, a street term given by the DEA to an alternative of Ecstasy called TFMPP, is among the newest drugs that has gained considerable name recognition at East.

In a poll of 107 students, 43 percent say they’re aware of the drug, 32 people in that group know someone that has done it and 9 percent have tried it. In October, The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) labeled it as a “chemical of concern” and reported it is most common among youth and young adults.

At East, Peterson points to “good old fashioned peer pressure,” as the main reason it’s on the rise.

“I had friends that had done it so that kinda opened me up to it,” Peterson said.

“So now that I have friends who have never done it, [they] maybe would be more open to it because I think it’s a thing that you’re definitely reassured that your peers are doing it too.”

Barbara Carreno, a public affairs officer at the DEA, says that the main appeal for TFMPP is that it is legal in all 50 states. While there are some misconceptions that illegal substances are molly — like a pure form of Ecstasy called MDMA — the DEA says the actual drug is not a controlled chemical under the “Controlled Chemicals Act” and there are no legal repercussions for possessing it.

A website that provides comprehensive information about drugs on the street called Erowid claims that MDMA is synonymous with molly, but Carreno says that this shows how “people can sell something as whatever they want.” She notes that a certain school or area can sell their product by any name they see fit — for instance, Peterson claims he was sold MDMA on both occasions he tried the drug.

But even by the DEA’s definition of molly, Carreno points out, it’s unsafe.

“Among other things, molly can slow your heart and breathing rates, impair your ability to move, and impair your body’s ability to regulate its temperature,” Carreno said. “Sometimes [this results] in dangerously high fevers, similar to ecstasy, which can cause fatally high temperatures that can’t be reversed, leading to heart, liver and kidney failure.”

4 | NEWS

Molly is also often mixed with a chemical called BZT to enhance its effects. BZT, more commonly referred to as Legal E or Legal X, is a controlled substance banned by law. Carreno often warns youth that with molly and any drug it’s easy for a dealer to slip something else in or hand out something entirely different. The most important question for a buyer to ask, according to Carreno, is “what’s in it for them?”

“Many suppliers want to make money at [teens’] expense and don’t have [their] best interests — health, safety, success, happiness, good relationships, personal and social growth — at heart,” Carreno said. “Sometimes they don’t even know you; they are in business to make money for themselves.”

Clinical addiction counselor Kevin Kufeldt from the Johnson County Mental Health Adolescent Center for Treatment said he has multiple drug dealers in session who have pawned off other substances as molly. For the most part, he sees a lot of kids selling capsulated bath salts — a more dangerous substitute for TPFMM. Kufeldt, whose job requires him to counsel troubled youth who have turned to dealing, notes that it would be surprising if pure form molly was surfacing around East.

According to Kufeldt, drug dealers from the Blue Valley School District have been known to pawn off black and blue gelatin capsules filled with bath salt as molly. He explains that they can buy and capsulize 14 grams of bath salt for around $300 and sell all of it for around $600 to $700. Individually each pill will be priced around $40.

A lot of dealers even have a “hook-up” for cheaper prices so they can turn a bigger profit.

“Money is a driving motivator for a lot of these kids,” Kufeldt said. “Because in order to finance their own drug use, they need money; so they’re pushing [bath salts] off to people who are unexpectedly taking something they’re not aware of.”

He explains that while kids who get molly may expect a “heightened sense of euphoria,” bath salts give a much different sensation. He points out that the salt of choice, “Pump-It,” can create hallucinogenic feelings. Like alcohol, it can make someone black out or not feel cognizant of what they’re saying. It may make healthy people entertain the idea of committing suicide. And the reason that it has this effect, Kufeldt said, is because it causes a lack of sleep.

“If you have someone who has been sleep deprived for three days, the brain starts to play tricks on you,” Kufeldt said. “You can tie it back to military-type interrogation stuff where they’ll keep someone in custody awake for several days — it’s kind of like that type of deal where they almost become delirious.”

Kufeldt, who meets with teens in session four days a week, says that he’s spoken with kids that have dealt capsulated bath salts as molly in the Shawnee Mission School District. He explains that the Blue Valley District and around Rockhurst make up a lot of the area where he typically runs into bath salts. Kids, he said, will lie and sell their product as molly because students typically are hesitant to try something filled with “Pump-It.”

continued on page 5

Continued from page 4 “Most people who are taking drugs are kind of weary about taking bath salts,” Kufeldt said, “because they don’t know what’s in them — they don’t know what it is.”

According to Kufeldt, this drug swapping and mixing often is what leads to negative reactions.

“It’s very dangerous [to the buyer] because they know their tolerance level for Ecstasy or molly,” Kufeldt said. “When they’re taking something that’s not molly, that’s when you’ll see a lot of overdoses or even death.”

Junior Angela Potter*, who was told that her molly was MDMA, says she had suspicions that she didn’t get the right drug about an hour into her first usage. The pill, at a concert, only helped her focus more on the music. Her friends told her that the drug would make her feel “completely happy” but she felt like it was kind of a letdown.

According to her, there was never any strong sensation. She thinks it may have been an ADHD pill.

According to Potter, this kind of thing happens all the time. She said that naive kids who are looking for something fun to do may be easily coerced into buying something that is not what they wanted.

Potter, who has tried the drug multiple times, says sometimes the powder in the pill has looked white and crystallized while other times it’s been more like “powder sugar.” She says it’s often hard to tell what you’re getting.

“I think that definitely by the time it gets to Johnson County, it’s probably been mixed with a ton of stuff and, like, I’ve heard of Tylenol being added to it, I’ve heard of Adderall being in it,” Potter said. “There aren’t a ton of people that are huge drug dealers in Mission Hills and Prairie Village, so I’m sure it’s not necessarily as clean and pure as it would be somewhere that’s a big drug capitol.”

Potter, who was “so scared” the first time she tried it, said that before she did the drug she asked her dealer a list of questions; she wanted to make sure she wasn’t getting “random powder in a pill.”

She says that she inquired about everything from the drug’s effects to the person’s background. It made her feel better. She said that as long as she was with people she trusted, she didn’t see why not to give it a shot.

“You know, you only have one life to live,” Potter said. “Might as well try it.”

Carreno counters this point; she says that using any form of molly is reckless and can, in fact, waste a human life.

“Legal doesn’t mean safe. Molly is an industrial chemical that was not made for human consumption, and you put your health and safe-

ty at risk when you use it,” Carreno said. “And it’s important to think critically about things people want you to do or to buy — don’t just accept anything that anyone has to say, because it may not be accurate or in your best interests. You live your life through your body, and you only get one — take as good care of it.”

While there have been efforts by the DEA to make TFMPP illegal, Carreno says that it comes down to Health and Human Services (HHS). Back in 2002 when molly first made a name for itself, she says the DEA temporarily made it illegal and sent their recommendation to the HHS that it be a “controlled substance.” After they conducted scientific studies, however, the DEA was overruled.

“When Health and Human Services sends us a recommendation that says don’t control it, we can’t control it,” Carreno said. “So it had to go back to being just a regular legal substance, we had to lift our temporary control on it — so the DEA did try [to make it illegal] but Health and Human Services didn’t agree with us.”

But dealing illicit substances like bath salt is a completely different story, according to Carreno.

“If someone is dealing bath salts, they can get in trouble for that -- that’s illegal,” Carreno said. “And especially if it’s anywhere near a school, there’s extra penalties for doing something around a school on top of the basic penalties.”

Student Resource Officer Joel Porter said that while he hasn’t run into any cases of students buying or selling anything referred to as “molly,” it doesn’t surprise him that it may be at East. He points out that drugs often can move from district to district as kids get bored with alcohol or marijuana.

“It doesn’t surprise me if [molly] is here and if it’s not here, I would expect to see it show up,” Porter said. “It’s always a revolving door, things are always coming through and going out.”

Although he accepts that the drug may be at East, Porter stresses to kids that they can’t trust anyone. He points out that in the past he has run into students who have told him they got a different drug than they expected — especially with molly, he said that drug dealers will do “anything to get their money.” But Porter, who knows he may see and hear more about molly in the coming future, feels there’s no reason at all why students should waste their time on it.

“My advice to people getting involved in [molly] is...don’t get involved with it — obviously there’s the legal side to it but there’s also the health side of it and the dangers it presents to you,” Porter said.

“It’s not worth it, you’re throwing a lot of your life away for that stuff.”

*name changed to protect identity

GET TO KNOW MOLLY the drug

TFMPP is used as an intermediate in chemical synthesis. ‘Molly’ has no known medical use in the United States.

70% 80%

30% 20%

Of students knew about it before this school year

Of students didn’t know about it before this school year

Of students know someone who has done the drug

Of students don’t know someone who has done the drug

Used most amongst youth and young adults. Promoted as a legal alternative to Ecstasy.

57% are not aware of the drug 43% are aware of the drug

*Based on a poll of 107 students

NEWS | 5

We’re here to give you the tools, skills and support you need to change our world for the better. At Rockhurst, we’ll prepare you not only for academic excellence, but also for a lifetime of leadership and service. People thrive here. And you can, too.

ROCKHURST UNIVERSITY Future leaders welcome.

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Sign up for a campus visit at www.rockhurst.edu/visit or call (800) 842-6776.

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$8.49 Dinner

Please contact us at (913) 381-8882

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President Colburn Financial Group, LLC 6025 Metcalf Lane, Suite 100 Overland Park, KS 66202 tcolburn@greatamericaninvestors.com

(913) 384-1803 (800) 281-2590 Fax (913) 384-1806

@SME_Harbinger

Students can and should actively participate in their democracy using social media

#sto hts! pSOPA s your #SOPA tand up demo strike for y cracy parti our ri ! cipate gin

STUDENTS OUGHT TO PROTEST ACTS

pediablackout” constituting one percent of all tweets that day. Congress can’t turn a blind eye to the Internet community’s ability to unite over a cause that they believe in, and what better cause is there to unite users from all corners of the Internet, from Reddit to the Drudge Report, than the threat of losing free speech? By using the Internet as a mechanism to rally support, users brought about the exact change they wanted to see. And with SOPA set to make an appearance in the coming month, what better a time to tweet “#stopSOPA” or “#SOPAstrike”?

After the Jan. 18 blackouts of four of the top 10 websites in the United States (Google, Wikipedia, Craigslist and eBay) in protest to the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) and PROTECT IP Act (Preventing Real Online Threats to Economic Creativity and Theft of Intellectual Property), or PIPA, bills threatening the web, a worldwide problem with online freedom was brought to the public’s attention: with information being threatened in the information age, where are we to turn? Millions of people worldwide took initiative 2) Being referred to on the in response to SOPA/PIPA, setting up street protests; calling, emailing and tweeting at representatives in Congress; Internet as “SOPA on steroids,” and spreading information about the consequences of such ACTA is a bill that has been a bill passing--and We the People made enough of a differ- being internationally negotience to get the bill shelved indefinitely on Jan. 20. Howev- ated behind closed doors since 2007. ACTA could potener, the threat of the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement tially shatter the Internet as we know it. While the United (ACTA) still looms over both the Internet and the billions States has already signed the treaty to put it into effect, we can still make a difference by calling of people who use it. Even as high THE MAJORITY OPINION OF THE European Parliament (EP) represenschool students, we still have a say HARBINGER EDITORIAL BOARD tatives and asking them to, please, in whether or not ACTA has as big vote against the ratification of the of an impact as it promises--we beat agreement--the EP has until June of censorship last month, and we can do FOR AGAINST ABSENT this year to vote on whether or not it again. Here are five concrete ways the trade agreement will go through to get involved in the protection and preservation of the Internet--before the SOPA/PIPA and with all of the ramifications it is supposed to entail. A quick Google search (that, under this new agreement, could beACTA bills come back to bite us. come obsolete) of “how to stop ACTA” reveals links to the 1) When Internet users caught wind of Congress’s plan phone numbers and email addresses of the Committee of to meet and vote on the passing of SOPA in the United States International Trade members, free for contact. set for Jan. 24, according to Fight for the Future (a nonprofit 3) A quick visit to SOPAstrike.com makes it easy for citiorganization working to defend online freedom), over 75,000 sites banded together and blacked out their con- zens to help sway opinions on the impending censorship tent to show the public what a SOPA-patrolled web would bills within Congress. This website, run by Fight for the Fulook like. Another survey shows that over 13 million In- ture, offers the option to sign up to “flood Congress with ternet users participated in the Jan. 18 protest overall--and phone calls” when SOPA returns to be voted on in the Senwithin 16 hours of the blackout, 2.4 million SOPA-related ate. In the last major protest of SOPA on the 18th, Tumblr tweets blew up feeds on Twitter, with the hashtag “wiki- and Mobile Commons contact tools enabled over 400,000

11

Harbinger

0

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a publication of shawnee mission east high school 7500 Mission Road, Prairie Village, KS 66208 October 31, 2011

calls to Congress, which averages to 919 calls per Congressional Representative. Wikipedia’s call look up tool also enabled over 8 million attempted calls to Congress, according to Fight for the Future. When a 45-second call can mean the difference between being able to access more information than you could read in one lifetime on Wikipedia alone and the website being shut down completely due to a lack of user monitoring, why wouldn’t you pick up the phone?

4) The pen alone can bring down institutions--SOPA’s opposition proved that when participants in the SOPA strike gathered 10 million signatures for various petitions in attempt to stop the bill from being passed. Along with petition signings, over 3,000 letters were sent to Congress in an effort to stop SOPA through the site SendWrite.com--and, clearly, they made a difference.

Attempting a personal angle by writing a tangible letter to Congress can make an impact on their decision making. By communicating public opinion, we citizens have the opportunity to influence officials--which, in this stagnant political climate, is a reassuring fact. Taking the time to write out how you feel about being censored in the “land of the free” can only benefit the cause of putting an end to censorship.

5) Spread the word. Mass movements can only take place when information is abundant and people can support informed opinions. Use your Facebook account to “Share” articles and websites that inform your friends and family about the consequences of an online censorship bill being passed in the United States. Do a presentation on ACTA’s background for your history class. Bring it up at your lunch table in the cafeteria. Tweet to your followers about what websites they’ll be missing if the Internet is constantly being patrolled for copyright infringement. Above all, talk.

Discuss. Form opinions. Never stop asking questions.

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.

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EDITORIAL| 7

in the family

it

Senior staffer talks about the pressure of having her father as a coach in high school

opinion of Emma Pennington | photos provided by Pennington Family Sitting in cobalt blue bar stools at our kitchen counter my dad would say time after time, “You don’t have to do this if you don’t want to, Emma.”

But I always responded the same way.

“No, I do want to.”

And I did. I still do.

I love running. Not just the running itself, but the feeling you get when you just finished running the hardest workout of your life. I love the competition. I love the adrenaline. In fact, the list of things that I dislike about running is much shorter.

But going into my freshman year track season, I was more nervous, than excited. And it wasn’t because the sport was new to me. *** I had spent years training for my high school track season.

In middle school spending over two hours at track practice every night--Friday nights were no exception.

Christmas Eve? No problem. We would have practice in the morning.

Year round. Five, sometimes six days a week with a meet at least once a month, the word “intense” didn’t even begin to cover the atmosphere of my club track team, The Flyers.

“Go start your one mile warm up,” my coach would scream to us. Every time conspiring with my teammates to only run 10 laps instead of 12, or slow down our pace when our coach couldn’t see us -- anything to make it easier.

Thursdays were the worst. 40-minute continuous run – high-knees on the curves of the track, sprint the straightaways. Those were the days it was rare if someone didn’t throw up mid-workout--and were always expected to finish the workout post-purge.

Needless to say, I was ready to show my school what I had worked towards for so many years.

*** The bell rings as I make a mad dash through the crowded hall to the girls’ locker room. I couldn’t be late on the first day. I pull on my tight black spandex leggings, a generic school t-shirt and my brand new neon yellow Adidas running shoes. After getting changed, I made my way out to the worn-out track as the frigid February wind smacks me in the face.

I walk down the stairs and slowly, butterflies begin to flitter in my stomach.

I couldn’t hear people talking about me, but their rosy cheeks from and cold glares said enough.

“Is that her?”

“She must be good.”

It was only the first day and I was already feeling as though my teammates expected me to be the best. *** I tried to ignore the looks people gave me as I stepped onto the red, rundown track. My head was practically spinning around as I tried to find someone I recognized to stand with before practice started, finally finding a group of other timid freshman girls.

Already overwhelmed and flustered I was looking forward to the part of practice most people hate. The running part.

It’s the first day; it can’t be too difficult I thought.

I had been right; physically, I wasn’t a difficult work out.

Seven 100 meter sprints. All out.

As I waited for my teammates to go I stood on the edge of the torn up track.

“Hey you… Coach’s daughter…go!”

Some cocky junior has singled me out, laughing with his friends.

“I have a name,” I screamed back. I had no clue who he even was, but he obviously knew who I was.

I’m the coach’s daughter.

My head was flooded with confusion. Should I have

yelled at him? Now people think I’m a are expecting me to be fast and now think I’m mean. Great start. *** My dad is the track coach at my very own school. It was a hurdle that few other athletes had to face. Something that forced me to put loads of pressure upon myself. I would feel pressured to always be down to practice on time. Pressured to be the best in the workouts.

Pressured to be in the top of time trials.

And if that pressure wasn’t enough, there was more.

My brother had graduated the previous year. He hadn’t just graduated with academic accolades—he was also one of the best track athletes to ever come through the school. Not only was he on the state team all four years of high school, but had three state titles.

It seemed as though everyone knew him, and in turn, they knew me. They expected me to break records like he did. Expected me to run at one of the nation’s most prestigious track school like he does. I would do none of these. *** The season went on. I was good as a freshman. I won races, got second, maybe third. To not place in the top three was rare.

Like many girl runners, my times have progressively slowed down through the years. Not only have I gotten worse, but I have begun to care less about winning.

Sure, I still try hard in every race or as we runners say it, “leave it all on the track.” And I am still my biggest critic. When I lose, though I know it’s coming, I still get mad at myself.

But I am in touch with the fact that I will probably never win an individual track race again. I’ve gotten over the fact that every time I lose people are probably thinking, “Wow, she’s nothing like her brother.” I have finally come to terms with the fact I wont be able to satisfy the expectations of others.

historical records a time line showing Emma’s personal records through high school 17.53 100 hurdles

8 | OPINION

52.12 300 hurdles

17.7 100 hurdles

57.07 300 hurdles

18.38 100 hurdles 58.53 300 hurdles

A SHORT STORY

art by Matti Crabtree

A perspective from five feet off the ground As an endless line of elementary and middle school students file out of the auditorium, I see one of my brother’s friends and hop in line with him to chat. I am almost out an opinion of the door of the building before VANESSA DAVES anyone realizes where I am.

“Vanessa, you blend right in!” one of my friends calls out.

As if I need telling.

There’s no denying that I’m not the tallest tree in the forest. I am five feet of pure energy, constantly bouncing off the walls, constantly talking everyone’s ears off. And if you ask me if I’m a legal midget, I’ll tell you to your face that you’re an idiot.

Now, don’t get me wrong. I love who I am and I love the fact that nearly everyone towers over me. It’s what makes me who I am. But as Einstein said, “Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity. And I’m not sure about the universe.” Needless to say, I’ve encountered a few dumb people throughout my years of being short.

You know how at family gatherings your relatives are always like, “Aw, you’ve grown so much!”, and then proceed to talk about how old they feel? Well, people stopped saying that to me about three years ago. My mom still has this irrational hope that I’ll grow a few more inches in my lifetime. She’s in denial about the fact that I have been the same height since I was in eighth grade.

From my perspective, the world is a big place with lots of spaces for me to be shoved into. Being crammed

into closets and cupboards is basically the norm for me. It’s a favorite pastime of my taller and more forceful friends.

My height is the first thing people notice about me, or lack thereof. A few weeks ago, I met one of my friend’s moms for the first time. She took a good look at me and just said, “You’re cute. You’d be fun to toss!”

Excuse me, I am not a football. Unfortunatley, not everyone is bright enough to know that.

Like, for instance, a few of my much taller guy friends frequently pick me up by the arms and legs and swing me. Or put me on a random janitor cart and push it down the stairs. Or lock me in one of the band lockers in the fine arts wing. Good thing I’m not afraid of the dark.

Dealing with friends, I can handle. It’s the random strangers that give me kids’ menus and free lollipops that bug me.

For example, I recently went on a trip with my family and the flight attendants on our plane started talking to me while we were boarding.

“Oh, you’re adorable!” one of them said. “How old are you sweetie?”

“Sixteen,” I said.

The two of them exchanged surprised looks and giggled (yes, grown women giggled).

“Oh, we thought you were 11!” she said.

“But that’s a good thing!” the other one said. “That just means you’ll look really young when you get older!”

So this is why they don’t have a real job. Flight attendants, am I right?

Besides dealing with the obvious dimwits of the world, shopping is also a hassle. Everything is too long or too big. I have to hem nearly every pair of pants I buy.

And, for those of you wondering, I do not shop at Kids Gap. I just wish they’d open a store called Short and Small.

The other day I was shopping with my best friend (who also, consequently, is short) and we decided to try on long dresses for fun. Of course, they were way too big and the clerk joked that we could just “wear it with a train.” But then an older woman walked out of the dressing room and started chuckling. She walked up to us and she was so short that I could see right over her head.

“Well, you know what? Better to be on this end of the spectrum than the other,” she said.

And she’s right. Because despite the fact that my friends fear losing me in large crowds and and the challenge of seeing over the heads of 150 choir students in class, being short has its perks.

I never have to worry about being taller than my date when I go to a dance, no matter how high my heels are.

Sometimes I can pull the “I’m tiny” card to get people to carry me. People automatically think I’m “cute” when they meet me. When it rains, I’m last to get wet. Doing the limbo is never a challenge. Having enough leg room in a plane or car is never a problem I have to face. And I always win hide and seek.

Sure, dealing with people’s dumb comments can be frustrating sometimes. But it’s also part of what makes being short so fun. I can pretend I’m 10-years-old to get a discount. And according to Wikipedia, short people live longer!

At the end of the day, the best part about being short is that it makes me who I am. I’m no Snooki, Napoleon or Peter Dinklage. I’m just me.

OPINION | 9

opinion of Holly Hernandez he girls around me were sobbing as they sang. It was our choir’s final performance during our Allegro Kansas tour. Fragments of the song could be heard in between uncontrollable sniffles and tears. “…My homeland be my dream…be my hope…homeland,” I drew in one huge breath before the final, “homeland..” and as I did, a tear fell down my cheek. My now-tear-lined eyes focused on Ms. Christy, our director. I knew we had to keep it together for her sake and for the sake of the audience.

I quickly glanced out of the corners of my eyes and saw my friends hugging and falling to the riser steps to sit and weep; to sit and sing. Some continued standing and singing with all they had in themselves, and some couldn’t formulate the words to make a sound. Their reasons made sense to me. It was like everything we had worked on, the hours of rehearsal, the vocal warm-ups, each group memory--put together in one note. One perfectly harmonized moment.

It was overwhelming and beautiful at the same time. The music came over me and it was the first time that I felt this changed by anything in my life.

Thinking back to my audition day for the Allegro Children’s Community Choir makes me laugh every time. I walked into the church in my green and pink camouflage pants, with my frizzy hair and glasses, with not a clue in the world as to what I was doing. I was just a sixth grader who loved to sing and thought this would be something new.

My mom was given paperwork and I was given a music theory test. I could name the notes pretty well and knew the majority of the symbols. I thought, “so far so good.” The doors in front of me flung open. “Holly?” a nice woman with short wavy brown hair asked, smiling. My mom wished me luck and told me I would do great. I walked over to the doors and timidly greeted her back. I wasn’t nervous, but shy. I hadn’t auditioned for anything before and I wasn’t entirely sure I knew how to.

She asked me about myself once we made our way to the piano. “Do you have any pets?” She asked. “I have four cats,” I said. “Okay, I want you to pretend you’re singing to one of your cats…,” she said. I laughed and proceeded to sing “Happy Birthday” to my cat Rosie. Then the National Anthem and “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star.” I knew I had messed up more than once, but I kept going. At the end of my audition she walked me back to the doors, and my mom was waiting where we were sitting together before. As we got in the car I told her everything. How my voice cracked on “and the rocket’s red glare,” how I missed some of the notes, but did okay on the rest. She assured me that I probably did pretty well.

At the time, I didn’t know anything about Allegro. I didn’t know what kind of music they sang or what they were about.

I just knew that 20 out of the 30 who auditioned were getting into Moto, the choir for my age division out of the three total choirs. I didn’t really expect that I would get in because I figured there were probably kids who were a lot better than I was. When I got my letter in the mail, a rush of excitement-mixed with a pinch of nausea--came over me. I was, to say the least, freaking out. I ran outside to open the letter.

I tore open the seal with my thumb and whipped the paper from its envelope. I made it.

I couldn’t believe I made it. I ran back inside and started jumping up and down with my mom. I had to call my best friend Lily to see if she made it too--and, sure enough, she did.

I couldn’t wait for rehearsals to start, but once they did I found myself wishing they would end. Rolling my eyes. Drift

T

PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT 10 | OPINION

ing off in thought, when I was supposed to be listening. Asking other girls what page we were on in the music. Not doing the crazy movements we were told to do to help us with breathing and phrasing.

I sat in the back and went through the words singing softly, afraid of messing up. I did this the majority of my first year. I was that one girl who played with her dress, let her eyes wander, talked a lot in rehearsal and didn’t even know her part sometimes. The one who probably got on a lot of people’s nerves.

Toward the end of that year, I got better about staying focused, but I still wasn’t fully engaged in what I was doing.

I really regret it. Because Allegro is now one of the very best parts of my life. I didn’t realize I was fortunate to have such amazing opportunities and privileges being a part of this choir. I didn’t realize that each experience meant something important and all that I could learn from the people around me and the music itself. I had no idea the impact that choir would have on me that first year, and if I could go back and tell myself to soak up every experience I had, treasure every song and remember every moment--I would.

Throughout my life, I’ve never been that confident. I’ve never really felt like I belonged anywhere. And I didn’t know a lot about myself until I was in Allegro, but I slowly found out through being a part of it. It’s a place where I can put all of my energy into something substantial and let go for a while. If I’m having a lousy Monday, it’s instantly better once I pull up to the large stone church where we practice every week. It’s better because it’s one night out of the week I am surrounded by people who all share the same passion for something--and that’s what Allegro is all about.

I can honestly say that I don’t think I would be the same person that I am right now without Allegro, because of the people that I’ve met and the experiences I’ve had. They’ve shaped me into a more confident, stronger and unique person. I often think if my elementary school choir teacher Dr. Broadie hadn’t told me about the auditions, where I’d be spending my Monday nights. I thank her for that.

Allegro is composed of four different choirs: Poco, Vivo, Moto and Brio, each with their own age levels, Brio being the highest. What makes Allegro different than other choirs is that each one of us love what we’re singing about and I think it’s obvious when people watch us rehearse or perform. The best feeling is making an old woman’s day a little brighter or a busy mom’s day a little better. Just knowing that we have the power to do that makes me think differently about what I’m capable of.

I was in Moto for three years. My third year I tried out for Brio and was absolutely positive that I would make it. So sure, that I didn’t even doubt the possibility I might not. Until

FINDING HER

BEAT Being in an outside show choir has helped shape staffers life

photo by Maddie Schoemann I got the e-mail that I would be remaining in Moto for another year. I scrolled to the bottom of the computer screen, reading the italic print. I had missed the theory test grade requirement by one percentage point. I was crushed because I had convinced myself I would make it. At first I thought it wasn’t fair. I couldn’t stop thinking about how hard I had worked and how much I was looking forward to being in the next level.

But once that year began, I decided it was best to just accept it and try even harder for the following year. When a lot of my friends moved up and I didn’t, it made me kind of sad but looking back, I’m glad that I didn’t make it the first time.

It gave me something more to work for not to mention we sung one of my favorite pieces “Beneath the African Sky” that year; it made making it my second time worth something.

This is my fourth year in Allegro and my first in Brio. And I might still be that one kid in the back row who didn’t care if it wasn’t for the woman I first met with brown wavy hair and a grin at my first audition. Ms. Christy. She continues to be one of my biggest inspirations. She taught me that giving 100 percent isn’t good enough. She taught me to try. That pushing yourself is a good thing because not a lot of people will go so far. Most importantly, she’s taught me to be confident in whatever I do and to not give up. She once said in rehearsal, “How do you ever know what you have, if you don’t give it all you’ve got?”

That stuck with me. It made me think. Not only because I never really looked at anything that way, but because it changed the way I viewed trying. To me it was like, how will you ever know what you can do if you don’t just go for it? It made me want to go for it.

So, from Allegro, I won’t just take the memories of going on our annual tours or after rehearsal Taco Bell runs with Lily my first two years, performing in the Kauffman Center, singing at nursing homes, our Winter Blessing’s concerts, retreats or each Monday night rehearsal. I’ll take the lessons I’ve learned from my friends there, through my experiences, Ms. Christy--and remember them. Because they have not only shaped who I am, but also what I believe.

Our motto is changing lives through song…and before Allegro, I had no idea that it would change my own.

A look into one of Holly’s Allegro rehearsals

The choir starts off by meeting in small groups and going around the circle sharing things like “what celebrity would you date” then they go into warm-ups

Midway through rehearsal they split up into their sections and work on their parts

When their rehearsal is about to come to a close, the sections all come together to work on their songs

CLOSE TO HER HEART

Former East student Maddie Cardell grieves parents’ passing

written by Chris Heady | photos courtesy of the Cardell family They weren’t supposed to take her to hos- pital stays didn’t diminish the relationship pice until she said so. Mom’s orders. May 17 between her and her daughter Maddie. They was the day those orders were finally carried still tried to keep everything as “normal” as out. they possibly could. If Connie wasn’t feeling “She woke up [that day] and told my dad, well and couldn’t go out to lunch, they’d eat ‘It’s time,’” Kansas City Christian junior Mad- lunch at the hospital. And nothing stopped die Cardell said. them from watching Gilmore Girls together.

The day was spent sitting in a room in “We still did everything together,” Maddie Hospice care, Maddie’s mom Connie not able said. “We’d go shopping, all those girl things, to speak due to the profuse amount of medi- it was still normal, it was just when she was cations she was on, Maddie distracting her- in the hospital we would just do those things self by playing on her sister’s iPad. there.”

At around 8:10 p.m., Maddie and her two If anything, the bond between them beolder sisters, Kellie, 25, and Krista, 27, began came stronger after Connie’s diagnosis. to think their mother would last through the “We didn’t know how much time she had night. But just as they were making plans when she first got sick so she made a point to go home and get clothes for the morning, to tell [us daughters] we’re not gonna fight the doctor checked Connie’s pulse. They about dumb things, we’re not gonna go to wouldn’t be going anywhere. bed angry, we’re just gonna love each other,” “It won’t be long from now,” he said.

Maddie said. “I remember her telling me The Leukemia had made Connie’s im- ‘you’re gonna be happy, you’re gonna be fun, mune system weak and it was becoming and we’re gonna have a good relationship inmore difficult for her to breathe. So, the rest stead of fighting with each other and just love of the Cardell family, Maddie, Kellie, Krista each other.” and their father Ken, gathered hand in hand When away from her mom, Maddie’s rearound their sick mother and prayed. Soon lationship with her father became something after, Connie’s Leukemia-induced pneumo- she treasured, too. They’d watch cartoons nia won its five-month battle, and she passed in the morning. They’d eat hospital cafeteaway. ria food together when visiting Connie. He’d “The way we say it was that we ushered push her on the swings. Their bond became her into heaven,” Maddie said. something more than an average fatherAs Maddie cried and embraced her fam- daughter relationship. ily over their loss, she wasn’t able to realize “We needed to be [close],” Maddie said. how lucky she had actually just been. She “Because if we weren’t--life is tough enough was able to spend her mother’s last moments with everything going on.” by her side: something she wouldn’t have a On the night of Nov. 18 Maddie’s friends chance to do six months and two days later— called her to hang out, but something inside with her father.

Maddie said she’d rather hang out with her fa *** ther that night. So she told her friends no and She had to wash her hands. She had to spent the evening with Ken, just them two. take a shower before hugs. She had to wash Ken and Maddie made dinner together her hands again. The routine of cleanliness and hung around the house all night, peruswas a must for Maddie growing up. After ing the T.V. and spending quality time togethConnie’s first diagnosis with Leukemia when er. Maddie still can’t explain what inside her Maddie was in third grade, life became full told her to stay in that night, but she knows of hospital visits, an emphasis on sanitation she’s glad she did. and canceled play dates because a sibling of This was the last time they would ever get a friend might be sick. an opportunity like this.

“Most of my memories of my mom are of *** when she was sick or in the hospital so that Maddie wasn’t in the mood for yard work was always tough,” Maddie said. “I didn’t on Nov. 19. Ken begged her to join him and know much different, so I haven’t really his friend from across the street, but Maddie known anything else but that.” just wasn’t in the mood for getting her hands Connie’s Leukemia came and went. She dirty. beat it during Maddie’s fourth grade year, but She had other plans--going to see her was haunted by it again in sixth. She con- friend Brad Tippin’s soccer game. So she said quered it when Maddie was in seventh grade, goodbye to her dad, got in her green Toyota but was forced to battle it again during eighth Avalon and drove off. grade.

She began to receive phone calls from Life with a mom fighting cancer was family throughout the game, but didn’t think something Maddie was forced to adapt to, much of it. If anything, she thought it was and it became increasingly more difficult to news that Krista had finally gotten engaged live with. She often had to explain to friends to her long-time boyfriend. But her inclinawhy they couldn’t come over or what exactly tion dissipated when she realized she had was happening to her mom. Constant re- gotten a call from all but one family member: minders of her situation.

Her father.

“It was definitely hard to [stay positive],” She shuffled through her phone mesMaddie said. “I was definitely sadder in those sages until she heard a voice mail from her times than regular. And I’m a pretty happy uncle. The only words she could make out person so it was kinda weird to me to be up- were “heart attack.” set all the time.”

A few minutes later Maddie’s sister But Connie’s cancer and frequent hos- pulled up, Krista‘s boyfriend driving and

Maddie Cardell, right, laughs with her older sisters Kellie and Krista. She now lives with them both in Lenexa.

Krista and Kellie in the back seat. Maddie could tell they had been crying.

“Madds, Daddy had a heart attack, and he passed away,” Krista choked.

Maddie immediately went into shock.

She remembers crying while they drove to Leawood City Park.

“This is ridiculous,” she kept thinking.

“This isn’t happening right now.”

The picked a spot in the grass at the park to sit. The remainder of the Cardell family gathered around and cried together, all thinking the same thing.

What happens now? *** The first thing that struck Kansas City Christian administrative assistant Nancy Payne about Maddie was her bright red hair.

“That and her wonderful smile,” Payne said.

Payne first met Maddie the day she transferred from SM East to KCC after freshman year, and was almost immediately intrigued

by Maddie.

“You just come across people and it’s like instantly you have this attraction or drawing to them, and that’s the way it was for me with Maddie,” Payne said.

Since her mother and father’s passing, Payne has been Maddie’s first-hand source for counseling and guidance at school. At any given part of the day, Maddie can be found her office complaining to Payne about her amount of homework, picking up a mint from her overflowing bowl of candy canes or there to just talk.

“For me, when Maddie walks in, it’s like my whole world lights up,” Payne said.

She describes their relationship as open and honest.

“Maddie is incredibly wonderful,” Payne said. “She’s transparent. So if she’s struggling like she has a couple of times since her dad died, she doesn’t try and hide it. She gives into her emotions, in a good way.”

Payne has also noticed how well Maddie has been handling her current situation.

“Once I found her at her locker crying and after seeing that I just held her for a little bit and told her, ‘you know, I’m so sorry sweetheart, there are going to be days like this, many days, and you won’t have any clue why it hit you,” Payne said.

All Maddie did was stand back from Payne, and grin.

“It’s crazy isn’t it?” Maddie said, wiping away tears.

Payne has always kept Maddie in her heart, but one morning she woke up and something felt different. She kept thinking

about Maddie, and wasn’t sure quite why.

And then a thought came to her.

Maddie won’t have a mom to take her shopping for a junior or senior homecoming dress.

Or a wedding dress. Or be with her on her wedding day.

The thought broke Payne’s heart, and that morning, she found Maddie in the hall.

“I said, ‘I know you’re surrounded with lots of people who love you, but this morning I was broken-hearted that your mama doesn’t get to take you shopping for a wedding dress, and if I can go with you, and stand on the sidelines and pretend like I’m your mom, I’m there. I’m raising my hand’,” Payne said.

Maddie responded with a smile.

“Oh Mrs. Payne, you can totally do that if you want!” *** For Maddie, life without parents is something she’s had to accept--and in doing so, she’s had to grow up. Fast. She admits that she’s much stronger than she was before.

“You have a deeper level of understanding,” Maddie said. “I think I can handle tough situations a lot better, and I think I can understand things more and understand other people. I went from being fully reliant on my parents to, six months later, having to do a lot of things on my own. Like, little things like making my own lunch, buying my own food, deciding for myself what I’m gonna do with my money or how I spend my time.”

For money, Krista and Kellie have taken over Connie’s business Personal Greetings, and run it out of their parents old house.

When it comes to Maddie, she’s recently moved out of her parents house and now lives with her sisters in Lenexa, about a 20 drive from away from school. The three of them have plans to relocate to a new home within the next month.

For Maddie, dealing with her loss of parents is a constant struggle, but uses two methods of coping: the first being ignoring it.

“I don’t try and think about it too much, because I don’t want to be that person crying in the bathroom at school, I don’t want to be that sad girl,” Maddie said.

The other way she deals with her loss is through dance.

In the basement of her Lenexa home, Maddie and her sisters have set up an area where three or four times a week, Maddie can be found dancing around to Adele or Ben Rector.

continued on p.12

FEATURES | 11

ALL WORK and

NO PLAY

Sophomore team manager finds a way to be part of sports teams without playing written by Jeri Freirich | photo illustration by Christian Wiles

team. According to Hair, his main focus is getting the games ready on time so the players can play their best.

“He has a tremendously positive attitude,” Hair said. “I have known Zach since he went to elementary school with my son, so I know he is a great kid.”

According to Conklin, Hair is his role model because of the way he leads his team and how much he knows about basketball.

The dedication and time he puts into it has inspired Conklin to be like him, which led him to be the manager.

“This is one of the reasons I wanted to be the manager,” Conklin said. “I think Coach Hair shows how he loves basketball through how he coaches.”

According to Conklin, being the team manager isn’t an easy job. It requires staying after school a few hours every day and can take up an entire weekend if there are tournaments to attend. When the team went to McPherson, Conklin had to load the buses up, fill the water coolers and get the equipment ready, which took up a few hours before the trip.

“You have to be dedicated to be a manager because it requires a lot of time during and after school,” Conklin said. “I really enjoy it, though, because I like being part of the team. I get included in all of the events.”

Conklin said it was hard getting cut from the three teams knowing that you have spent years playing it. On the last day of tryouts, the coaches put the final list online.

Conklin hurried frantically to his computer, refreshing the baseball website three or four times before the results were posted. All he could think of is “what if I didn’t make it and did I work hard for nothing?”

“You never know if you’re going to make it or not because there is a list posted,” Conklin said. “It hurt to go on the website and find out I didn’t make it, but you have to say you’re going to work harder next year.”

Even though he spends a lot of his time making sure all of the players have everything they need, he also gets the chance to scrimmage with them during practice.

“I have become close with the players on all three sports by always being at games and practices,” Conklin said. “Being the manger, I feel like it’s important to gain their trust and their friendship.”

One way that Conklin gains relationships with the players is by always being at practice and by giving a small speech before each game. Before the game, Conklin usually tells the players to go out there and do the best

Two hours in the gym. Forty minutes in the weight room. Thirty minutes in the training room. At 5 p.m., sophomore Zach Conklin finally heads home in his car after a long day of basketball practice—not as a player, but as a manager.

Every day after school from 3 to 5, Conklin is either setting up equipment for the team or helping the trainer, Ron Wollenhaupt. Even though he doesn’t play, Conklin still goes to every practice, and puts in the same amount of time and energy that the players do.

Conklin is the team manager for basketball, baseball and football. He chose this role, rather than playing these sports, because it was a better fit academically and he wanted to work directly with the coaches-which has led him to a job with the ground crew at the Royal’s Stadium.

“I wanted to be the team manager so I could work with the coaches and be part of the team,” Conklin said. “I have known Coach Hair since I was in elementary school and I especially wanted to help him with the games.”

According to Conklin, being a team manager requires a lot of initiative and hard work, which he has demonstrated. According to Coach Hair, Conklin does a great job and always thinks ahead. Hair never has to tell him to do anything: Conklin just does it on his own.

“He has a good feel for what to do,” Hair said. “He knows right away if a player needs a towel, a water bottle or a Gatorade.”

In addition to getting things ready for the game, Conklin is positive and encourages the team to do their best. He doesn’t just get things ready for the boys’ team, but sometimes he gets equipment ready for the girls’ continued from p. 11 When Connie’s health began to decline for the last time in Jan. of 2011, Maddie quit her four-year-long tenure at “The Pulse” dance studio to spend more time with her mom, a decision she says was very difficult to make. But now, her love for dance has rekindled.

“It’s just my escape,” Maddie said. “It’s a way to get away from everything.”

But dancing and ignoring can’t rescue Maddie from inevitable thoughts about her parents.

“There are so many amazing things about them,” Maddie said. “My dad was really wise and would always give us advice, and my mom was really sweet and would just love on you and hug you. She was the best at giving hugs. I really miss that” Though their physical presence is lost, Maddie’s parents aren’t completely absent from her life. Every so

12 | FEATURES

This is Conklin’s first year as the basketball team manager.

they can. Afterwards, if the team doesn’t do their best, Conklin will tell them to never give up.

According to senior baseball player Brady Forbes, Conklin has done a lot for the baseball team the past few years by fixing up the field, gathering supplies for practices and games, and just being a big supporter of the team by being there all the time.

“He goes to every single game and does so much on the field that it makes our practices so much easier,” Forbes said. “Usually we would have to stay an hour after practice, but since he does it, it makes it a lot easier on us.”

The players aren’t the only friendships that Conklin has built by being the manager.

He has built a friendship with Wollenhaupt.

According to Conklin, Wollenhaupt is at almost every game for baseball, basketball and football. The two of them have built a bond because of the time they spend getting water and towels ready for the players.

Conklin looks up to Wollenhaupt because he is a great guy and is always there for all of the players whenever they need something. He has become really close with him by spending time in the training room after school and at games.

According to Wollenhaupt, Conklin is always on task and gets everything done on time. He stays after school to run errands, set up water, makes ice bags and gets the tape ready for the athletes.

“Conklin’s interest is in how everything is

often she goes up to their graves at Newcomers Cemetery to see them. She tried talking to them once but found it too weird, so usually she just goes to think. She thinks about what she’s going to do with the rest of her life. Thinks about what she’d be doing that day if her parents were still around.

Thinks about their absence in general.

The last two times she’s visited them were on Jan. 3 and Jan. 16. Their birthdays.

“I just went up and sat and cried and thought ‘I just miss them so much,’” Maddie said. “It’s just a place where I can cry and be by myself.”

On Sept. 26, 2004, the entire Cardell family signed a BThere contract. The contract is a promise made between the parents to the children that when one of them dies, the other will be waiting for them in Heaven for, “A glorious family reunion without an end,” it reads.

It even lists directions where to find each other.

being run in the trainers office from filling up ice bags to helping wrap an athletes foot and how he can help me with making sure the athletes are in great physical shape,” Wollenhaupt said.

Conklin and Wollenhaupt have become close friends because of their mutual interests. Conklin recently got a job working for the ground crew at the Royals Stadium. According to Ron, it is interesting because he had a job similar to that when he was in college.

“We always talk about Conklin’s job at the Royal’s Stadium because it is something we both have in common,” Wollenhaupt said. “I think it is really neat that a high school kid can get a job like that.”

Wollenhaupt enjoys having someone to talk to when athletes are in the training room. Sometimes athletes think that only injured people go to the trainer, but he just wants to make sure everyone is in great physical shape.

“When you come in to the training room, you want to create an atmosphere that is OK to be in,” Ron said. “If there is a peer in there it kind of eases the tension.”

Conklin looks up to the three coaches and Wollenhaupt because of the difference they make in the lives of the team members.

“It’s nice to have people to look up to and show you what it’s like to do things for others,” Conklin said.

“If I see Heaven before you, I will wait for you inside the Eastern Gate. If you see Heaven before me, I know you are waiting for me there. This is an appointment I will not miss!”

The contract is framed and hangs in the Cardell’s kitchen.

“My mom wrote me a letter for my seventeenth birthday and, in it, it said she’d be watching me from Heaven,” Maddie said. “So that and the B-There contract reassures me that I will see them again and doesn’t make me so sad.”

You can always find Maddie’s parents with her too-around her neck.

Soon after Connie’s passing, Maddie found a necklace in her mom’s closet. She showed it to Ken and he told her she could keep it. The locket opens up, she plans on filling it with a picture of her parents.

She likes to tuck it under her shirts. It’s closer to her heart that way.

MAKING THEIR

‘STATE’MENT

Members of orchestra and band reflect on their successful journey to All-State written by Grace Heitmann | photos by Spencer Davis and Brendan Dulohery Sophomore Mary Grekstas moves her down, usually to 5th chair. cursor and hovers over the refresh button “I felt like I won an Oscar; it was pretty on her white Mac. She waits, anxious for awesome,” Reno said. the results of her audition. The minutes turn Meanwhile, Shedor was on her driveway into hours as Grekstas waits out the results. when she found out the good news.

Finally around ten, the results came out.

“I was working and really bummed beGrekstas pulled up Facebook and posted, cause I wanted to check it all night… So ev“State 2012!!!!!!!:) now I can finally sleep!” ery 15 minutes I would run over to the comGrekstas wasn’t alone on posting on puter at work and refresh the page,” Shedor Facebook about the results. Facebook sta- explained. tuses about Kansas All-State results clogged When the KSMEA website went down, up newsfeeds late the night of Jan. 11 as a Shedor had to wait until her dad picked her total of 24 East Band, Jazz Band and Orches- up to check the website using his phone. As tra members made All-State.

Shedor and her dad were pulling into her Every year, the Kansas Music Educators driveway, the results finally came in.

Association (KSMEA) holds auditions for Shedor played the trombone her junior All-District and All-State in Concert Band, year in All-State Band and will be playing Jazz Band and Orchestra. Auditions for All- the trombone in All-State Jazz Band. Shedor District for Northeastern Kansas were held knows the importance of making All-State at Baldwin City High school on Nov.12. Mak- and the impact it will have on her future in ing All-State is the highest honor you can music. receive as a high school musician. Roughly “To me it means that I have potential in 1200-1500 sophomores, juniors and seniors pursuing music in my future. I want to be a audition each year for only 200 positions. music teacher so that just re-enforces that I No other school had numbers as high in can play with the best student musicians in both All-District Orchestra and Band as East Kansas,” Shedor said. did.

To Harrison, what makes the auditions “We lead all of Northeastern Kansas special is the fact that it’s all on the student. with our band,” Band and Jazz Band Direc- Each student auditions only with the talents tor Kim Harrison said. of their instrument.

Altogether, 23 students made All-Dis“They don’t know who you are, you’re a trict Band, 22 made All-District Orchestra number,” Harrison said. and six made All-District Jazz Band. Those Students audition in a room with a newsstudents then continued to All-State audi- paper curtain that covers from the waist up. tions which were held Saturday, Jan. 7, just A man stands in the audition room that didays after the start of a new semester. All- rects you when to play.

State auditions include all students who “It’s a little uncomfortable with him there made the All-District ensembles from all because someone is standing behind you six Kansas districts. The KSMEA said that while you play and there’s a huge newspathe latest the results of All-State auditions per curtain which I prefer over seeing the would be published would be four days af- judges,” Shedor said. “But it’s still nerveter the auditions, Wednesday, Jan. 11th. wracking.”

The days had gone by and still no sign If you ask junior Ali Felman, a violist, of the results. Reno, a flutist, was sitting on about auditions, she’ll tell you that she her computer, impatiently waiting for the doesn’t remember it.

KSMEA on that much-anticipated Wednes“I kind of like “black out” when I audiday night. The click of the mouse refreshing tion. If anybody asks me how it went I’m the page repeatedly was loud compared to like, I don’t remember. I just kind of zone the quiet house. Reno’s parents and brother out,” Felman said. had already gone to bed but she was deterFelman says that’s she has developed a mined to wait out the results. certain mindset as a student musician. “[When I found out] I screamed and “Definitely being a musician, you have starting running around the house and to have a certain amount of time managewoke everybody up,” Reno says. She had ment, you have to have a certain amount

that dedication needed when playing an instrument. Although he’s been playing the trombone for eight years, his was his first time making All-State and he made on unusual circumstances.

Two days before his All-State audition, McCloud tore his ACL and MCL in his knee.

At the time, all McCloud, knew that he couldn’t walk on that leg. But he could still use the other.

McCloud showed up to auditions in a leg brace and in crutches. As a trombonist, both hands had to be available to both hold the instrument and move the slide. He enlisted his friend and fellow band member Graham Eidemiller to help carry his trombone. McCloud hobbled up two flights of stairs to get to the audition room.

So McCloud auditioned for All-State Band standing on one foot. He hopped around, finding his balance all while maintaining his composure and music. The judges that sat behind the newspaper curtain couldn’t see his face but they could see him balancing on one leg.

“I’m standing there on one foot and the doorman looks at me and then my legs and was like alright, play this, this, and this and I’m like okay!” said McCloud McCloud wasn’t expecting to make AllState, so he felt very accomplished when he did.

“All the years of playing trombone have kind of led into it. I feel that I’ve earned my place in state,” said McCloud Grekstas, a flutist, didn’t know what to expect when she auditioned for All-District.

Although it is mandatory for Orchestra students, auditions for All-District are optional for Band and Jazz Band students.

“I’d seen upperclassmen friends of mine make it and saw how much fun they had and how good they were; I wanted to do the same,” Grekstas said.

Grekstas didn’t expect to make All-Districts, let alone make All-State. Grekstas believes that all her hard work paid off when she made it.

“It’s a big thing to make, especially as a sophomore,” Grekstas said.

Harrison says that success breeds success at East. When underclassmen see upperclassmen being recognized as some of the best student musicians in Kansas, the

the Band room.

“It’s kind of a legacy. They can say with pride, I was an All-State band member, I came from the East program, there’s my name. It leaves their mark on this school in a different and unique way,” Harrison says.

the

THE NUMBER OF

QUALIFIERS 2011-2012 ALL -DISTRICT

ORCHESTRA

BAND

22 23

JAZZ BAND

6

ALL -STATE

ORCHESTRA

16

BAND

6

JAZZ BAND

2

QUOTED

of our tradition to have double “Wedigitsareinproud both groups. This is the second year in a row we’ve had double digits in both groups.

Mr. Lane hasn’t kept track of it but those plaques I was standing next to out there, I’ve kept them for 26 years. It has every name of every All-State band member in the school.

And it’s up to 170 or something in 26 years.

-Mr. Harrison

“

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FEATURES | 13

NAVY BOUND

Senior anticipates attending the Naval Academy next year after spending a weekend on campus

PREPPING for

PLEBE YEAR PHYSICAL

FITNESS

16

hours per week

Tyler runs three and a half miles, lifts weights and does an ab workout at the gym four days a week. He also swims for two hours every day after school.

18:30

ACADEMICS

4

books Tyler is currently reading

In addition to his schoolwork, Tyler stays in tune with current events every day and reads more to improve his speed reading.

LIFE STYLE

Tyler wakes up at

4:30 and sets his cell phone to military time in preparation for next year.

18:30

18:30

14 | FEATURES

written by Christa McKittrick | photos Senior Tyler Germann describes running three and a half miles through the woods, jumping over a seven foot wall and army crawling beneath an orange net through three inches of mud and water as if it were a blowup obstacle course at a street fair. He laughs, remembering how his company got lost in the woods because of the damp leaves hiding the path. He smiles as he holds up a plastic bag containing his tennis shoes soaked in Chesapeake Bay water, and recalls the streaks of mud that stained his face during the obstacle course.

This past weekend, Tyler got the chance to shadow a freshman at the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, MD. The physical challenges and muddy clothes were a preview for what his life will be like starting June 26. It is experiences such as these that reassure Tyler that he will love the Naval Academy next year.

Though he will be far from home in Annapolis, his family’s ties to the Navy will bring him comfort. *** Tyler was caught up in the massive size of the dining hall as he sat down with members of his company for lunch on Friday, Jan. 27. Unsuspectingly, he carried his chicken strips and mashed potatoes to his seat and began to pour water into his cup. Water splashed against the clear Saran Wrap and doused the table and within several seconds he realized what had happened.

His fellow company members cracked up as water sloshed across the table; they recognized one of the classic pranks from past experience.

Laughing hardest of all was the senior who had pulled the practical joke. Tyler good-naturedly laughed along; he had heard about the pranks that older students loved to play on the “Plebes,” the Academy’s term for freshmen. He was happy to be included and didn’t mind the teasing, which will be common for Tyler next year as a Plebe.

“You’re pretty much controlled by your superior officers, which is almost everybody,” Tyler said. “Yeah we’ll just say everybody.”

As a Plebe, Tyler must memorize quotes, keep his room clean, salute every upperclassmen in the hall and eat square meals. Square meals are a form of hazing where the Plebes take one bite, put their fork down, and then chew. The hazing builds camaraderie and it is a phase that every Academy student must go through.

These Plebe routines, on top of the rigorous academics and physical activities and workouts,

by Marisa Walton make for an unreal amount of work.

“They give you 26 hours of work in a 24 hour day,” Tyler said. “You learn from your failures and you have to make decisions like, okay, I need to make sure I have these things memorized so I don’t get my butt kicked tomorrow or I don’t have to do any push ups, and then I’ll do my Spanish homework if I can get it done.”

The goal of this overload of work is for the students to prioritize what they need to do. They are meant to fail as a growing experience. The idea is that the Plebes will learn from their superior officers how to be in control, and by the time the Plebes are seniors, they have been groomed to be leaders and officers in the Navy.

Tyler’s goal is to work towards a degree in aerospace engineering, political science or economics so that by the time he’s a senior he will be in the final stretch of his schooling and have experience to teach the underclassmen. After his senior year, Tyler hopes to continue to the aviation branch where he would become a Navy aviator.

The hours of work piled onto the physical exercise and the hazing may seem unbearable, but Tyler’s desire to be in the Navy outweighs them.

He knows that his sense of patriotism and his desire to protect his family and those he loves will give him strength on days packed with running, drills and engineering courses.

Tyler got to catch glimpses of the physical workouts and classes at the Naval Academy during his weekend as well. He participated in the obstacle and endurance courses, guided along by his company. They showed him how to best maneuver swinging between bars and they taught him the best technique to climb a 50-foot tall rope using only his hands.

Next year, he will be timed in these courses on the weekends, and participate in at least an hour and a half of physical exercise every day. *** Since his acceptance to the academy in late December, Tyler has been preparing physically.

Four mornings of the week, Tyler is pulling into the Prairie Life parking lot in his blue Pontiac by 4:55 a.m. Spandex clad business men and women focus on their early morning workouts as Tyler steps on the treadmill for his daily three mile run.

Long before he began waking up at 4:30 a.m. and running his life via military time, Tyler began the process of applying to be in the Navy. He

started in Jan. 2011, and after writing several indepth essays over his aspirations, sending in test scores and anxiously waiting, Tyler’s application process culminated in Abilene, Kan. There, he was quizzed by Senator Jerry Moran’s Selection Board, who would choose which candidates they would nominate for which Academy.

“What is your greatest weakness?”

“How are you different from other applicants?”

The final question they asked was the easiest. How is he different from other applicants? He knows the lifestyle; he knows what a career in the Navy means. Tyler’s father, Matthew Germann, is in the Navy, so Tyler knows the effect it has on a family. While other 10-year-old boys were going to baseball games with their dads, Tyler’s was in Iowa, and Tyler was in Kansas looking out for his younger sister, Mattie, and his mom. As he grew up, Tyler drove his sister to soccer practices and took care of his mother who was fighting breast cancer.

“If there was car trouble he was of course the one coming to help me,” Kristen Germann, Tyler’s mother, said. “If there was anything that interrupted our lives, he had to be a part of that and help me problem solve it.”

According to Senator Moran’s Press Secretary Lindsey Trent, the Selection Board recognized Tyler’s confidence and determination after interviewing him. They could see the drive in Tyler, the passion to pursue his goals. Moran’s Selection Board chose Tyler as their Principal Nomination, which meant that Tyler was their number one selection overall and he would be able to attend the Naval Academy the following year. This Principle Nomination is one of the reasons that Tyler was invited to visit the campus the weekend before last.

In the two months since Tyler’s interview, his excitement for the coming summer has only grown. He has gone from hopefully day dreaming about the Academy to mentally and physically preparing for life next year. His glimpse of what the Naval life is like on campus finalized his decision to attend the Naval Academy, and fueled his excitement for the next four years.

“It was hard to leave because the school is an amazing place,” Tyler said. “It’s like I got sucked into it and I was like this is where I want to be, this is where I’m going to be and I’m already here, so why leave?”

Hawthorne Plaza 119th and Roe Overland Park, KS (913) 498-3440

5018 Maint St. Kansas City, MO (816) 561-3440

RECYCLING CHALLENGE written by Emily Kerr

I’ll be honest, I have always liked the idea of being “eco” just for the image. I carry my dented LiveWell Colorado water bottle, my monogrammed coffee mug and sport my Chacko hiking shoes (much to my friends’ and family’s dismay) because I like the image associated with it. Sure, I’m all for saving the environment, but I have to admit that I secretly just like when my friends call me outdoorsy. So, when I read an article in the KC star magazine about a couple that lives a trash-free lifestyle, I was inspired. Maybe I should take my shallow environmental concern more seriously and try this out. I set down that article and created this challenge.

I will go five days without producing ANY trash. I will not use any paper products (except for toilet paper of course) and I will attempt to eat less meat. If this couple does this every day, why can’t I make it for one week?

DAY

1

This Monday was especially terrible. Oversleeping 30 minutes, I had little time to make sure that my lunch was waste-free. I grabbed the only wrapper-free food in our kitchen — a spotting banana and some not-as-good-as-the-night-before leftovers from Hibachi. I then ran upstairs and then popped open a sinus rinse packet. Halfway through this process, I noticed the little aqua package staring up at me. Shoot.I hadn’t even left the house and I had already failed. I refocused myself and repeated my mantra “classy not trashy, classy not trashy” into my mirror. However, when lunchtime came, I faced another small dilemma.

After I washed my hands, I glanced around the bathroom and noticed the lack of hand dryers.

Peeking around to make sure no one was there, I grabbed an already-been-used paper towel off the ground (hey, I wasn’t technically producing the trash myself.) I convinced myself that the mysterious stain could only be water. Was I really sacrificing cleanliness at the cost of this column? By the end of the day I thought to myself, “I’m ready to throw in the towel.” I then chuckled at the irony in this statement. I couldn’t even use a dang paper towel if I wanted to.

DAY

2

Today marked my downhill slide into the dumps (literally). I didn’t have time to pack a trash-free lunch again, so I was forced to leave my friends and come home for lunch. Not only had I possibly contracted a deadly disease from the 5th floor bathroom, but now I could potentially miss a whole day’s worth of lunch gossip. This was getting ridiculous. Later that night, I rushed off to a job interview in Lawrence without a thought about dinner. This didn’t seem like a problem until I was driving home at 8:45 and my stomach started to growl like a grizzly bear. The golden arches loomed ahead in sight and I succumbed to my hunger. I produced four pieces of trash that night. I can’t even write about it, I’m so ashamed.

DAY

3

I started this day with high hopes. This was going to be my day for redemption.

However, from my previous trash record, you can guess how well that went. Both my breakfast and my visit to the coffee shop went as planned, but lunch threw me for a loop. I brought a huge tupperware bowl in my backpack and crafted a plan to put my Chik-fil-A directly in there. I then explained to the cashier about my challenge and asked if she could place my order directly in the container, with no wrappings.

Despite the “you’re weird and slightly crazy” look she gave me, she assured me that this would be no problem. However, when I went to pick up my order, I was greeted by an empty container and a paper sack filled with napkins, plastic and trash galore. The cashier mouthed “I’m sorry,” and I walked away defeated. I tried to force myself to enjoy my sandwich, but I couldn’t. I felt pathetic.

DAY

4

DAY

By this time, I realized that I had only two days remaining and had yet to make it one single day without producing trash.

I buckled down and made all of the necessary sacrifices. I gave up valuable lunchtime chats with my friends about the “Bachelor.” I brushed my teeth five times a day to make up for the lack of gum. I even attempted to refuse a homework assignment in the name of the column. (FYI — this doesn’t work.) Despite my success at the end of the day, I didn’t feel successful.

I felt exhausted — I felt like I was living a limited life. I felt like the amount of time it took to plan out everything was not worth the pay off.

5

THE RESULTS

I had reached the end, but hadn’t really made it. By this last day, I gave up. I ate a granola bar, I drank coffee out of a paper cup, I ate a Chik-fil-A sandwich at the Rockhurst game and I followed that with some post-game Winstead’s. In short, I lived life to the fullest. I probably produced more trash on this day than I would in a normal week combined. In a weird way, I was almost doing this on purpose. I missed my old carefree life and the waste that came along with it. Call me trashy, but I took comfort in the fact that I could eat whatever I want, whenever I wanted. Heck, I’ll even go as far as to say I missed producing trash.

Despite my inability to complete this challenge successfully, I feel like I gained a lot of insight as to what this couple experiences every day. No matter how hard I tried, distractions and temptations were constantly pulling me away from my goal. Even when I thought I was thinking through the Chik-fil-A situation, I was naive in thinking they would just cater to my needs. Our society is just not at the point where being ecologically friendly is easy. That being said, I need to make little changes in my wastefulness instead of going “cold turkey” on producing trash. I may not be able eliminate the 4.43 pounds of waste that we as Americans produce a day, according to the EPA, but I can at least lower this sobering figure. And I can proudly sport my Chacko’s while doing so.

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EATING LESS MEAT SAVES THE PLANET written by Ian Wiseman

16 | SPREAD

Hummers have become the scapegoats of big industry pollution, yet there exists something far more destructive than any gas-guzzler. That something clear-cuts forests. It pollutes the air on a global scale. It also takes up a good portion of your dinner plate.

The hamburger trumps the Hummer in its contribution of greenhouse gases. Beneath the public eye, meat (chicken, pork, beef) production accounts for a whopping 18 percent of the world’s annual greenhouse gas emissions, according to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). That’s more than the load spewing from all our cars, buses, airplanes, ships and trains combined.

I’m not trying to write a detailed explanation proving that climate change is real. I’m not condemning “ugly America” and all its gluttony.

Rather, I want to promote a common sensebased diet--one that could drastically benefit the entire world.

Beef production creates an incredible amount of greenhouse gases well before meat is ever produced. Huge machines clear-cut forests that absorb large amounts of atmospheric carbon-dioxide, replacing them with year-long feed crops for cattle. Production of fertilizers for these feed crops releases additional gases.

Cows then emit methane as they digest their

food.

For these reasons, follow Chik-fil-A’s rule of thumb: Eat mor chikin. An article published in the Scientific American reports that producing half a pound of chicken produces the same amount of greenhouse gases as driving a car about three-quarters of a mile. Producing the same amount of beef--roughly the size of a Double Quarter Pounder from McDonald’s--is equivalent to driving nearly 10 miles. That’s the distance from East to the Sprint Center.

Chicken is an alternative, but not the solution. The only way to ensure our own future well-being is to drastically reduce our meat consumption across the board. The reasons for doing so are as wide as the Earth.

It’s healthy. Vegetarians are on to something, and that something is a well-balanced diet.

Peanut butter and beans are great sources of protein and poor sources of greenhouse gases.

Though nutritionist Joan O’Keefe warns against completely ditching the complete proteins found in red meat, she offers alternatives.

“You don’t need red meat every day,” O’Keefe said. “Whey protein can be a good substitute for hamburgers.”

It’s practical. The FAO reports that world beef production is increasing by one percent every year; Earth simply can’t support 7 billion

meat-guzzlers. Reducing our meat consumption while adding fruits and vegetables to our diets not only slows this trend but also offers a cheaper food option.

It’s only fair. We wouldn’t hoard steaks from our families at dinner, so why do we consume way more than our fair share of the world’s meat? While others starve, Americans on average consume 92 pounds of beef every year, according to the FAO. By reducing our meat consumption, we could leave more steak for the rest of our family.

It’s inexcusable. There are several reasons for being a vegetarian, but you don’t have to bid farewell to meat completely to make a difference. Slashing your meat consumption by one-fifth is equivalent to switching to a Hybrid car. That’s one less turkey sandwich. One less cheeseburger. One less chicken leg. Cut meat from your lunch and you’ve effectively replaced your car with a Hybrid. High school students can’t afford solar panels, but we can control our diets.

It’s about time we quit pretending that our world’s resources are endless. Earth has remained the same size for billions of years; only our numbers and appetites have grown.

REDUCING 1

YOUR

REPLACE RED MEAT WITH WHEY PROTEIN

IMPACT

5

EATING LOCAL MEATS REDUCES THE ENERGY AND MONETARY COST OF BRINGING FOOD TO MARKET

EIGHT WAYS TO REDUCE YOUR MEAT CONSUMPTION

2

EAT MORE PEANUT BUTTER AND BEANS AS A SOURCE OF NUTRIENTS

6

VISIT YOUR NUTRITIONIST AND GO OVER WAYS TO START A MEATLESS DIET

3

EAT SMALLER PORTIONS: LESS FOOD MEANS LESS MEAT

7

BUY VEGAN PRODUCTS—MEAT CONSUMPTION DOESN’T JUST MEAN EATING IT

4

FISH TAKES LESS ENERGY TO RAISE (AND NO ENERGY IF CAUGHT FRESH) JUST ANOTHER REASON TO EAT FISH, ON TOP OF IT BEING HEALTHIER

8

VOLUNTEER AT YOUR LOCAL PET SHELTER TO SHOW SUPPORT FOR ANIMALS SPREAD | 17

DISTURBING SUCCESS Staffer weighs different perceptions of his Frequent Friday “Marat/Sade” written by Spencer Davis | photos by Spencer Davis and Stefano Byer

“Are you going to go out and meet them?”

Theatre teacher Tom DeFeo’s question carries real weight. The project I had been dreaming of for three years and on which I’d just lavished more than two months of time — my Frequent Friday, “Marat/Sade” — had just completed its one and only run. I was not happy with the outcome. Twenty pages had been skipped, and despite the phenomenal performances turned in by my cast and crew otherwise, all I could focus on was my mistake and how I could possibly face the crowds outside after something like that.

In my basement hours later, feelings were quite different. I’d spent the evening talking to (or, more accurately, being consoled by) my friends seniors Grant Kendall and Andrew Beasley. The former, a lead in the show, told me how much this show had meant to him.

How my work had transformed not only how he and the rest of my cast viewed SM East theatre but also how they viewed themselves. The latter gave me the perspective of the audience — he spoke, among that group, both of deep feelings of discomfort and of enduring respect for what I had accomplished. I wondered, after a great deal of kind words, what I’d been upset about. Was it that the audience failed to see my finished product? I had told the cast numerous times how this show wasn’t about them. Putting aside my pride for a moment, I realized that “Marat/Sade” had accomplished all it had set out to do. I was and am proud of the show. I gave the cast an experience they can never forget.

Jean-Paul Marat, played by Senior GRANT KENDALL, expresses outrage and distrust towards the audience members.

Freshman KARLY MCNEIL applies makeup to the actors.

Marat writhes in pain on the ground as the other characters look on.

Charlotte Corday, played by junior ANNIE SULLIVAN, murders Marat.

Sade, portrayed by senior WIL KENNEY, gives a convincing speech.

Freshman JORDAN OVITT played Herald, who acted as a narrator.

Back there in the booth, I followed Mr. DeFeo outside. The show had packed the Little Theatre to double capacity — and not one audience member had a bad thing to say.

18 | PHOTO ESSAY

MIXED

A PAGE ABOUT DATING. THE PHONE

THE EYE-CONTACT

written by Haley Martin | photos by Emma Robson, Hiba Akhtar, Grant Kendall

If you don’t make eye contact, then your date will think that you would rather be somewhere else.

Pay attention to your date — you can text your friends later.

MANLY

MANNERS

The Do’s and Don’t of dating

THE OUTFIT Wear nice clothes, because it shows that you care about your date.

THE NAPKIN

The

HISTORY DAY

ROSES ARE RED, VIOLETS ARE BLUE...

of the

A LOOK AT THE HISTORY OF VALENTINE’S DAY.

People give flowers on Valentine’s day because Saint Valentine was sentenced to death and he fell in love with the jailer’s daughter. Then, right before he died, his lover gave him a note and a red rose.

Courtesy of http://amrog.hubpages.com

UPS

Your manners are key — it shows that you have class, and that you will respect your date.

We give chocolate to each other because of the taste, flavor and overall addictiveness. It is hard to find someone that doesn’t like chocolate, so it is almost always a hit.

Courtesy of http://www.bukisa.com

PECULIAR PRESENTS

Card giving originated in around 1417 when Charles, the duke of Orleans, was imprisoned and he wanted to send a letter to his wife. Slowly, the art of card giving caught on.

HEART SHAPED PIZZA

Courtesy of http://www.loupdargent.com

AGAINST

FOR

AGAINST

FOR

SENIOR LEYANN DAHLGREN

JUNIOR DAVID KATZ

SENIOR CHRIS CAREY “Probably shouldn’t have

SENIOR KYRA SLEMP

and

DOWNS of

PDA

“Don’t. I think that you are at school and school isn’t the time to be making out with your boyfriend. You’re at school and you should be at school. It makes everyone around you feel awkward and uncomfortable.”

“I like PDA because it involves being in a relationship, and it makes me feel like I have a part in their romantic feats.”

PDA. It’s disgusting during passing and you are trying to get to class. It’s annoying when people are making out in front of you.”

“I feel like when you go too much, you make people feel awkward. I think hugging and hand holding’s alright because it’s not a big deal to a lot of people.”

HUMAN-SIZED TEDDY BEAR I love

you.

m

PERSONALIZED M&M’S

MIXED | 19

1

BROADWAY CAFÉ (4106 Broadway, Kansas City, MO): The café that brought espresso-drinking into the mainstream in Kansas City is still alive and kicking. Located in the heart of Westport, this coffeehouse offers an authentic big-citycafé atmosphere — while serving the highest quality coffee to boot.

2

FILLING STATION (1010B Westport Road, Kansas City, MO): Located in the middle of a parking lot in Westport is a humble shack of a coffee shop, aptly named the Filling Station. The building itself is teeny, resembling a small-town gas station in shape and size. However, this unsung café offers a mean cup of coffee — as well as espresso, hot chocolate, fruit juice and baked goods. With reasonable prices, a drive-thru window and a modern interior, the Filling Station is a perfect one-stop spot for breakfast and a pick-me-up.

3

CROSSROADS (310 Southwest Blvd., Kansas City, MO): With a warm and inviting atmosphere, D.I.Y. menu, ample seating room and friendly employees and customers, the Crossroads Coffeehouse is an ideal place to spend a day studying.

Tucked in the back corner of the still-undiscovered-by-high-schoolers joint is a reading nook with fully-stocked bookshelves and cushy armchairs for spending hours lost in an outside reading novel. The coffee, however, is a bit bitter — the espresso specialty drinks are where the coffeehouse’s prowess lies.

4

ROASTERIE (6223 Brookside Blvd., Kansas City, MO): While it may be difficult to find a spot amongst the conversing adults, UMKC students cramming for tests and 20-somethings reading Vonnegut, a stop by the Kansas-City-based Roasterie Café is well worth the trouble. With two locations in the area (Brookside and the 119 shopping center), the local brewers reach a wide array of Kansas Citians — you may have noticed that they even supply the roasts in the Columbia Brew coffee shop here at East. The café excels in everything from pastries to drip coffee and Italian soda to espresso specialty drinks. Both locations also sport Roasterie apparel and travel mugs available for purchase, for those coffee lovers that want to show their loyalty while they are away from the café.

KANSAS

CITY CUPPA WHERE TO GET A FINE CUP OF LOCAL COFFEE THIS SEASON

WRITTEN BY KAT BUCHANAN | PHOTOS BY SPENCER DAVIS

20 | A&E

A CHILL IN

THE AIR “The Woman In Black” provides a chilling story about the haunting of a small town in England written by Erin Reilly | photos courtesy of allmoviephotos.com

“During afternoon tea There’s a shift in the air A bone-trembling chill That tells you she’s there There are those who believe That the whole town is cursed But the house in the marsh Is by far the worst What she wants is unknown But she always comes back The spectre of darkness The Woman in Black.”

It is in the small town of Crythin Gifford in the misty marshes of northeast England, overlooked by the strange Eel Marsh House, that the children in “The Woman in Black” lament this poem.

Here that the horror-depicted in Su-

san Hill’s novel of the same name ensues. Arthur Kipps (Daniel Radcliffe), travels to Crythin Gifford to settle the final affairs of the late Alice Drablow.

However, there’s a secret about the town that tries to put him on a train as soon as he arrives. Something that propels them to beg Kipps to not go to Eel Marsh House. Something that, if seen, will mean the imminent death of a child by the malevolent Woman in Black (Liz White). Now that Kipps’s son, Joseph (Radcliffe’s godson, Misha Handley), is at risk, he must solve the mystery of the ghost of the Woman in Black and put her at peace before she takes the only family he has left.

Yet “The Woman in Black” is so much more than the story of a haunting. It is a macabre treasure hunt set forth by a tortured spirit (the titular Woman in

Black), who has vowed to seek revenge for the wrongful loss of her son. The story becomes tragically beautiful, a gorgeous depiction of the effects of loss and woe and what it will drive a person to do.

To increase the feeling of an unabating presence, director James Watkins uses scenery in a very effective way.

By producing small shadows in inconspicuous places in the shot, or capturing a glimpse of a figure in a mirror in the corner of the screen, Watkins puts you in the place of Arthur Kipps — you always see a little disturbance out of the corner of your eye, but you never see what haunts you full-on. In this way, the character of the Woman in Black is much more mysterious and disquieting.

For the die-hard Potter fans and skeptics alike, I’m here to set the record

straight. Radcliffe has proven that he can shed his Potter facade and really become a new character, in turn playing such a convincing role that you clean forget he vanquished the Dark Lord only five months earlier.

To say that this is arguably one of the freshest films to grace the horror genre in this decade would be an understatement. Iconic to the horror industry, the British film production company Hammer manages to make a classic ghost story completely horrifying without the use of gore or other modern practices.

Pure psychology and sentimentality is what makes this particular story stick with viewers. So if you’re mom’s a screamer, don’t take her to see this film. I already made that mistake; but I’d rather see it with her than alone in a shadowy screening room.

LIFE AFTER “POTTER”

A look at the stars of “Harry Potter” and what the future holds for them

Daniel Radcliffe In the indie film “The Amateur Photographer,” Radcliffe will play the lead who discovers his love of photography shortly after he is drafted to serve in Vietnam.

STAY HOME

Rupert Grint

Robbie Coltrane

Emma Watson

Alan Rickman

Grint modeled with Tom Felton for fashion label Band of Outsiders’ Fall/Winter 2011 line. You can see him in the animated film “Postman Pat” premiering in 2013.

The lovable Hagrid is partnering up with Pixar to voice Lord Dingwall in their newest endeavor, “Brave.”

See her in “My Week with Marilyn” and “The Perks of Being a Wallflower,” or as one of the faces of Lancôme.

You can see him in NYC in “Seminar” as a Snape-esque character.

He’s also set to star in a remake of the 1966 film “Gambit” alongside Colin Firth and Cameron Diaz.

RENT IT

BUY the TICKET

OSCAR WORTHY

A&E | 21

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Forbusinesses! more visit www.takedefense.org Forms the main office.information, ForAllmore information, visit www.takedefense.org Drawing for gift cards to local proceeds to the Ali Kemp Educational Foundation.

2012

SPRING MOVIE

PREVIEW PROJECT X

allmoviephoto.com

This year at the movies is likely to go down in history as one of the best in a long time. The next few months hold some cool surprises, so forget about the wonderful weather and get yourself to the nearest theater. Here are my picks for six releases you won’t want to miss. written by Alex Lamb

JOHN CARTER

allmoviephoto.com

CASA DE MI PADRE

filmofilia.com

“Project X” seems like it was made with a singular goal in mind: to be the ultimate party movie. It follows three high school seniors as they throw a party that gets wilder than any of them could ever imagine as the night spins out of control. Imagine the forgotten night from “The Hangover” except with teenagers, add a handheld documentary style and then bring more people and craziness than Jay Gatsby would know what to do with, and here’s a movie that could very well deliver on its raucous promises.

A man from the Civil War gets transplanted onto Mars and gains warrior super powers, and joins the inhabiting, humanoid 12-foot tall aliens in battle to save a princess. From the trailer, this sci-fi special effects extravaganza basically just looks like “Attack of the Clones” meets “Avatar,” but what’s not awesome about that? This was originally supposed to be the first animated movie ever, but as the first live-action film from the director of “Wall-E,” and coming from a rich literary origin, “John Carter” should impress with both dazzling visuals and a hearty story.

Last year Will Ferrell proved his dramatic acting chops in the seriously depressing “Everything Must Go,” and now he takes on another challenge – Spanish. “Casa de mi Padre” is an action comedy spoof of Spanish soap operas and westerns, starring several big Spanish actors alongside Ferrell, all speaking only in Español. Coming from two alumni SNL writers (from when it was great), there’s no doubt that this will be hilarious, and the fact that it’ll probably be the year’s highest grossing foreign language film in America is pretty funny in itself.

CABIN IN THE WOODS

LOCKOUT

THE AVENGERS

allmoviephoto.com

The done-a-million-times premise of college kids go to a solitary cabin to party, someone/something picks them off one by one’ is more than a standard cliche of horror flicks by now. So “Buffy,” “Angel” and “Firefly” creator Joss Whedon and the writer of “Cloverfield” have taken this setup and turned it on its head, unleashing mysterious creatures, electro-fields and all sorts of twisted surprises into the mix to subvert all usual genre expectations. So the only things you can really count on are bloody deaths, a lot of scares and plenty of WTF moments.

blogspot.com

Get ready for the summer blockbuster season with a sci-fi actioner that’s self-aware of its over-the-top premise, and taking full advantage of the fact. “Lockout” is essentially “Taken” in space – the convicts of a maximum security space prison gain control of the facility while the president’s daughter (Maggie Grace) is visiting, and a bad ass rogue outlaw (Guy Pearce) is sent in to rescue her. So that means kick-ass shoot outs, inventive set pieces and a body count that’d make Liam Neeson proud – just what the doctor ordered when the end of school is within reach.

allmoviephoto.com

The Marvel brand has been building up to this movie for four years, and now that it’s finally here, they know damn well not to screw it up (like they did with “Captain America”). So they hired a wunderkind of spectacle to write and direct, Joss Whedon. As Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, Hulk and more team up to stop Loki (Thor’s nemesis) from destroying the world, you can expect explosions galore, amazing thrills, a great dynamic between characters and one of the best superhero flicks in quite a while. Summer starts here – prepare to be wowed.

A&E | 23

SAVE YOUR ‘MONEY’ “One for the Money” fails to live up to original story

written by Sarah Berger | photos courtesy allmoviephotos.com Comedies featuring bounty hunters, such as “Count- less dialogue and bad jokes. I was having a better time makdown,” usually draw audiences in with their heart-stopping ing fun of the lines with my friends and the other audience action scenes and rugged, tough characters. But “One for members around me than watching the movie itself. Joke The Money” doesn’t fulfill the classic bounty hunter criteria, after joke fell flat, and I couldn’t tell what was meant to be and the movie did not live up to expectations. If the corny funny or not. jokes weren’t bad enough, the bad acting made the movie a The action scenes were very limited and extremely bortough 115 minutes to sit through. ing and fake. There were a few touches like a car blowing The film, based on the best selling “Stephanie Plum” up and a shoot out, but that was just about it. All in all the book series by Janet Evanovich, features the desperate, out feature that set me over the edge was bland acting from most of work, jersey-girl Stephanie Plum (Katherine Heigl) going of the characters. to work for her cousin’s sketchy bond agency as a bounty Heigl has had some bad performances in her career, but hunter. There, she discovers police officer Joe Morelli (Ja- this performance was whole new low. Throughout the entire son O’Mara) is wanted for $50,000 for first degree murder. film you could tell she didn’t care about the character and Morelli happens to be the man who never called her back was just waiting to finish the take so she could get off set. in high school, broke her heart and caused her to hold a She was also unconvincing as a native New Jersey resident. grudge against him for years. Of course, never saw that one Her accent was forced and she seemed distracted throughcoming. out the entire movie.

After a chance and unrealistic encounter with Morelli, The rest of the characters unfortunately followed Heigl’s Plum goes on a useless cat-and- mouse chase for sources lead with other dull performances. With the exception of who were there the night of the crime. After befriending Lula and her sassy attitude, most of the actors acted like experienced bounty hunter, Ranger (Daniel Sunjata), and a they had just been pulled off the sidewalk and thrown onto friendly prostitute, Lula (Sherri Shepard), Plum finally gets the set. back on track. She finds Morelli and other dangerous crimiPlum really could have been the funniest character nals, which, of course, bring her to danger. Until the end the in the movie but the comedy just wasn’t there. The forced film is pretty much just bickering back and forth from Plum chemistry between Plum and Morelli constantly confused and Morelli along with some predictable plot twists. It only with their love hate relationship. Combine that with the cast took me half the movie to figure out how it was going to end, members fake and annoying New Jersey accents I was ready we all knew she was going to get the guy. for the movie to end about half way through.

Overall the movie was a mixture of boring and stupid. It With the exception of a few funny and small characters I wasn’t even pre-screened for critics and only scored a three was ultimately bored and disappointed by Hiegl’s flat perforpercent on Rotten Tomatoes. Everything from the acting to mance. If you are looking for a good story involving Stephathe scenes and scenarios were unimpressive and full of use- nie Plum, I would suggest reading the books instead.

STAY HOME

HEIGL’S PAST HITS

24 | A&E

page24a&eNEW.indd 1

RENT IT

BUY THE TICKET

KNOCKED UP (2007)

27 DRESSES (2008)

OSCAR-WORTHY GREY’S ANATOMY (2005-2010)

COULD YOU BE A BOUNTY HUNTER? Bounty Hunter Duane “Dog” Chapman

TAKE THE QUIZ AND FIND OUT!

HOW COMFORTABLE ARE YOU OPERATING A FIREARM? A. If you put it in my hand, I can shoot it. (4 pts.)

B. I’ve been to the firing range a couple times, I think I can handle myself. (2 pts.)

C. Can’t say I’ve ever touched one, but I’m a level 50 on Call of Duty. (-2 pts.)

DO YOU OWN A MANLY TRUCK? A. Yes. (4 pts.)

B. My uncle does! (1 pt.)

C. I drive a ‘95 Honda Accord. (-2 pts.)

HOW INTIMIDATING IS YOUR VOICE? A. Very. People frequently compare my voice to Zeus’s. (3 pts.)

B. I was a baritone in choir freshman year. (1 pts.)

C. I could probably do voice overs for Alvin and the Chipmunks. (0 pts.)

A FUGITIVE TRIES TO RUN FOR IT. WHAT DO YOU DO? A. Game on. Chase that scumbag down and lay him out. (3 pts.)

B. Give him a run for his money but call for back up. (1 pts.)

C. Hnnnnnng... so fast.... how... fastest kid in the world... (-2 pts.)

GRADE YOURSELF 2007

-6-0: Don’t quit your day job. Bounty hunting isn’t for you.

1-5: Close, but not quite there. Maybe buy a truck?

6-14: Fugitives beware, a new bounty hunter’s in town.

2/1/12 9:23 PM

CHRISTOPHER and the CHOCOLATE FACTORY THE CHOCOLATIER

Christopher Elbow shares his journey to success and gives students advice to be successful in their passion.

“This is my favorite piece” Christopher Elbow says, grabbing a shiny Macadamia Praline chocolate off of a tray and plopping into his mouth.

Here’s where Willy Wonka would’ve called in his Oompa Loompas to sing a catchy song or do a weird little dance. But Elbow does no such thing. Dressed in a clean white chef shirt embellished with his company’s modern logo that was designed by his wife, you might think this Kansas City chocolatier simply lacks the flare of a wild chocolate genius.

Take one bite of one of his chocolates. Heck, take a lick. As soon as you do, you’ll realize you were wrong; the artistic, wild and undeniably delicious flare is in the chocolates themselves. Through a hard work and a whole lot of chocolate, Elbow has mastered the art of producing and decorating artisan chocolates, creating his very own and very unique chocolate empire. *** Christopher Elbow decided to give it one year. He’d attempt the chocolate business thing with all he had, and if he failed, well, he couldn’t say he hadn’t tried. He had the education from a Bachelors Degree in Restaurant and Business Management from the University of Nebraska and the experience from an assortment of prestigious jobs, including the head pastry chef at one of Emeril Lagasse’s Las Vegas restaurants. His confidence came from customer’s requests to buy his chocolates while he was making them as head pastry chef for The American Restaurant.

In it’s early days, Christopher Elbow Chocolates consisted of Christopher himself, his wife and a few friends working out of a 400 square foot space. They were struggling, and if they hadn’t had financial support from family to begin with, they would’ve had to call it quits.

And many times, Elbow wanted to do

just that.

“There were several times where my wife and I were talking like, ‘should we fold it in, and walk away?’” Elbow said.

It’s a good thing he persevered.

Elbow’s big break came in October of 2004 when Christopher Elbow Chocolates won the Next Generation Chocolatier Competition. Press was their much needed prize. Elbow’s products have been featured in InStyle, Food & Wine, and, most importantly, O, Oprah’s magazine.

Since then, both Elbow’s market and product line have expanded immensely. His products are now sold in over 15 states at 45 stores around the country. In 2009, Elbow opened a second store in San Francisco.

This location was chosen because of the good climate for chocolate (not too hot), and because data showed a bulk of online orders from this part of the country. All of the chocolates are still made in the Kansas City factory, and, according to Elbow, that’s how it’s going to stay. Though he wants to continue to expand the company, it’s difficult to make high quality chocolates in bulk. And quality is something he will never sacrifice.

“I want it to be just as good as it was the first day.” Elbow said.

His product line has also expanded to include candy bars, drinking chocolate, chocolate ice cream and, recently, chocolate ale.

The staff of about twenty seems content to be involved in Elbow’s empire. As the company grows and relationships strengthen, brainstorming new types of chocolates and new designs becomes more and more of a group effort. The staff switches stations (from painting to packaging to mixing) every few days to ensure no one gets bored. Elbow’s staff seems quite a bit happier, and a good deal less creepy, than Wonka’s Oompa Loompas.

written by Chloe Stradinger| photos by Emma Robson

THE CHOCOLATES

A few new flavors are introduced each season, but the classic remain. Read the reviews of three popular pieces.

THE LIFE OF A CHOCOLATE 1. Create

CARAMEL WITH FLEUR DE SEL

RASPBERRY

MACADAMIA PRALINE

Elbow and his team keep an ongoing list of chocolate combinations. If something doesn’t sound delicious in his head, he moves on.

It can take up to three or four batches to get a flavor combination just right.

2. Decorate Caramel has never ever tasted as good as it does in this dark chocolate shell with a sprinkle of sea salt on top. It slides out of the shiny shell onto your tongue in a sea of irresistible silkiness that leaves you wanting another...and then another. It’s no wonder this is the most popular piece.

This piece is what a chocolate berry would taste like if God had blessed us with a chocolate berry. There are two layers; the fresh raspberry pate de fruit (delicious, tart, jelly-like stuff) at the bottom, and a rich, raspberry-infused ganache at the top. One bite will have you saying “Hallelujah”.

Elbow has created over 100 different chocolates in his time, so a piece must be darn good to be deemed his favorite. And this piece is darn good. It’s milk chocolate exterior and light, fluffy macadamia flavored interior make it a delicious treat you’ll enjoy as much as the chocolatier himself.

“ONCE YOU FIND SOMETHING YOU WANT TO DO, YOU STICK WITH IT AND DON’T GIVE UP. THEY’LL BE ROAD BLOCKS AND BIG CHALLENGES, BUT IF YOU PACK IT IN TOO EARLY YOU NEVER KNOW WHAT YOU COULD’VE FOUND.” CHRISTOPHER ELBOW’S ADVICE TO SUCCESS

VALENTINE’S DAY This Valentine’s Day, buy a box of chocolates for your loved one.

At $38, they’re a bit pricey. But, trust me, they’re worth it; you can’t buy love, but you can buy Christopher Elbow Chocolates — which are basically the same thing. If you don’t want to spend as much, you can buy a chocolate bar for $7.

A variety of methods are used, including splatterpainting (as seen on the Caramel with Fleur de Seul), airbrushing (as seen on the Red Wine Caramel) and silkscreening (as seen on the Mango Ginger). Decorating the molds first instead of directly onto the chocolates makes them super shiny. The goal is to make the outside of the chocolate resemble what’s on the inside.

3. Fill & Seal

Once the mold is cast, the chocolate is poured into it.

It’s then left to set for two or three days, depending on the type of chocolate. After it’s done, another layer of chocolate is poured over the bottom to seal the layers together.

4. Shelf & Send Since all of the products are made with no preservatives, they only have about a week shelf life. They’re kept in a 60 degree vault until someone comes and eats ‘em up. 50 to 60 percent of business comes from walk-in customers, 25 percent from the website and the rest from retailers who carry the products.

A&E | 25

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www.smeharbinger.net ONLINE.indd 1

1/23/12 8:38 AM

REDDIT Registered users of reddit, or redditors, like Jake Little submit content as links to other websites or as text posts. Every day, for anywhere from one to three hours, he browses his frontpage, upvoting posts that make him laugh and occasionally commenting on a submission. “[Reddit is] a good timewaster--which is also one of the worst things about it,” Little said.

Little will occasionally stray from the most popular submissions on of the front page to check out the more obscure video game subreddit. Subreddits are themed, like r/ politics for U.S. news, r/skyrim for gaming advice or r/aww for cute photos of puppies and kittens -- all of which make up a redditor’s frontpage.

“There’s a lot of cool, interesting stuff,” Little said. “You can get a good laugh.”

THE

WORLD WIDE WEB WASTE AWAY YOUR TIME VIA THESE WEBSITES

written by Emily Donovan| art by Kennedy Burgess

6 WAYS TO WASTE TIME

REDDIT IS FOR PEOPLE WHO WANT A GOOD LAUGH TO EARN KARMA FROM OTHERS. NETFLIX IS FOR ANYONE WHO WANTS TO BE ENTERTAINED BY THEIR FAVORITE TV SHOWS. STUMBLEUPON IS FOR FOLKS WHO HAVE A VARIETY OF INTERESTS AND WANTS TO JUMP BETWEEN THEM.

PLAY SUDOKU WITH FRIENDS TAKE YOUR DOG FOR A WALK ATTEND AN EAST SPORTING EVENT RELAX AT LOOSE PARK DRAW A GOOFY PICTURE

PINTEREST IS A SITE FOR PHOTO SHARING AND LOOKING AT ADORABLE PICTURES OF ANIMALS.

LET’S BE REAL HERE: GET A JOB

PINTEREST Photographs of white dresses, glittered manicured fingernails and platform heels scroll across the screen as freshman Emily Biegelsen pins photos to image collection boards that she has created on Pinterest.

“It’s kind of nice because it’s all girls and it’s a girlie site,” Biegelsen said.

Pinterest is a social photo sharing website where users can collect images to “pin” to their boards and view other boards. When looking at someone’s profile, Biegelsen can follow certain boards of theirs rather than following everything they post -- her wedding board has 221 followers while others, like her celebrity board, have fewer.

“I like Pinterest because it gives you a lot of ideas,” Biegelsen said. “It’s cool to see other peoples’ interests.”

A&E | 27

Netflix provides on-demand streaming of movies and television shows. For $7.99 a month, senior Sara Cooper can immediately access thousands of television shows and movies from her Nintendo Wii at home or from her iPhone.

“I pretty much don’t watch regular TV any more, it’s just Netflix,” Cooper said.

Cooper uses Netflix to catch up on or rewatch her favorite television shows -- like Lost, Dexter and Medium -- and to find new shows like Hotel Babylon. She prefers Netflix over other streaming services -- like Hulu and traditional television--because it’s commercial-free, has every episode of a series and gives a wider movie selection than she would find on cable.

“All of the episodes of Law and Order: SVU that are on there, that just distracts me from doing my homework 24/7,” Cooper said.

WHAT SOCIAL NETWORK ARE YOU?

WITHOUT A COMPUTER AT HAND

1 2 3 4 5 6

NETFLIX

TUMBLR

MORE PERSONAL USER INTERACTION THROUGH ASK BOX & FAN MAIL BETTER DISPLAY OF POSTS, MORE CUSTOMIZABLE MEMES ARE MUCH MORE ABUNDANT AND THERE IS MORE ACTIVISM BETTER HISTORY ON THE WEB

PINTEREST

ABLE TO GET IDEAS FOR INTERIOR DECORATING OR FASHION HAVE BOARDS THAT YOU MAKE TO HOLD CERTAIN CATEGORIES SHARE YOUR PINS OF OUTFITS, HAIR, ETC., WITH FRIENDS AND FAMILY CREATE YOUR OWN STYLE OF FASHION OR DECOR

STUMBLEUPON StumbleUpon is a modified search engine. Users enter their interests, like design, fitness or zoology and, with the click of a button labeled “Stumble!,” the engine takes stumblers to a recommended webpage, photo or video.

Each new page on StumbleUpon is something new and different from the previous page, jumping between categories of interests. The site takes sophomore Malcolm Gibbs from a news article on a theater technique to clips of a movie by Bela Fleck, one of his favorite musicians, jumping between his categories of interests.

“It doesn’t always stay on exactly what I would want to browse,” Gibbs said.

“Sometimes, I’m on one subject for too long and need to look at something else, but sometimes I want to stay on that category.”

the price of being

RIPPED with sophomore Colin Burns

Strength Vitapak Program

BULKING UP S

Athletes stay ahead of the curve in the weight room with supplements

written by Will Webber | photo by Anna Dancinger erving Size: one scoop. of protein and amino acids, which help proOne scoop won’t last through an mote growth and recovery in muscles. These entire football game. One scoop won’t early forms of supplements are derived from even make it to halftime. This is South. This naturally occurring elements in the body and is a rivalry. Better make it two scoops. But it are widely regarded as safe. But controversy might not work this time. It might wear off in arose with the introduction of creatine—a nithe middle of a goal line stand. It might not be trogenous acid which supplies energy to the enough to beat the bigger guy on the other side muscles—and a key ingredient in C4. Sherof the line. Three scoops should do it. Then man always aired on the side of caution whenagain, this could be the last game of the sea- ever players approached him with questions. son; the last game of a career. Win at all costs.

“If they asked me about one of the more Senior football player Connor Carollo dumps controversial [supplements], I would tell them scoop after scoop after scoop into the bottle be- ‘no’. Hold off until there are more studies done, fore taking to the field. Three and a half serv- and no matter what, always see a doctor,” Sherings of C4. man said.

C4 is a powerful, new pre-workout suppleSince all bodies are different, there’s no ment containing Creatine Nitrate, Beta Ala- telling what kind of effect these supplements nine, Arginine AKG and a mixture of caffeine will have. Senior Logan Rose, for instance, and vitamins. This extreme supplement has weighed about 75 pounds less than Carollo proven to yield powerful results, but its risks when he began using C4, and had a very differare equally potent. In the past year, many ent experience. Rose felt extreme effects upon East football players have overlooked these his first time using the supplement. risks and turned to C4 for an added boost in “It was crazy. I started itching and I could the weight room, or even games. Carollo had feel my heart rate go way up. I felt like I could heard of its potent effects and hoped to put on lift a house if I needed to—it was almost scary,” weight for his senior football season. said Rose.

“Going into this last year I weighed 205 But he could never quite recreate the reand I knew I would need to get to at least 230 sults he felt from his first time on C4. His perbecause we were undersized going up against formance tapered off with each use. just about anybody,” Carollo said. “I wouldn’t “Our bodies adapt to things like caffeine be able to compete with those guys weighing and they become less effective,” explains Greg about 280-290 if I didn’t put on weight.”

Justice, a personal trainer for AYC Fitness. “But Carollo’s bench max increased by 20 I don’t ever recommend upping the dosage, as pounds upon his first use of C4. He felt an en- that’s when a lot of people see side effects like tirely new sensation of focus and strength. headaches, diarrhea and other complications.”

“A lot of guys have described [C4] as adderHowever, Rose became concerned when all for working out. It’s a type of thing where it he no longer felt the C4 working and resorted makes you want to lift and gets rid of sluggish- to doubling up on the serving size. He quickly ness,” he said. realized the importance of abiding by the servCarollo hoped to transfer this energy to ing size. the football field and began taking C4 before “I got terrible cramps and realized I had to games and during halftime. However, he be- stop. It felt like my calf was going to pop out of lieves this in-game usage may have actually my leg,” he said. been detrimental to his performance.

Rose enjoyed the rapid muscle gain, but “I would start to feel a little sluggish as it in the back of his mind, he felt that there was wore off,” said Carollo. “And I was definitely something unsafe about C4. He quit using it afmore level-headed without it—during the ter a few weeks before the football season, not South game, I jumped offsides twice.” wanting to risk his health.

Competitive athletes have always looked “I didn’t want heart problems or anything, for ways to get an edge over their opponents. so I got off it after awhile. If you can’t motivate Coach Sherman has witnessed the supple- yourself to work hard, then you shouldn’t ment revolution first-hand. make up for it with supplements,” said Rose.

“When I first started [coaching] in the late Sherman agrees that hard work and mo70’s, people basically got their nutrition from tivation are the most rewarding paths to sucfood—supplements weren’t real big,” said cess. He has always found a healthy diet and Sherman. good work ethic to be sufficient, without the Research led to a rise in more pure forms help of any supplements.

28 | SPORTS

“To me, it was never worth it. I just say, work out naturally and if that’s as big as you’re going to be, that’s as big as you should be,” Sherman said. “If you do too much artificial stuff, the body can suffer because it knows what it’s supposed to be like. Not everybody is supposed to be real big.”

Sherman believes it is best to learn what the body is capable of from a young age -- for years, he has been running a middle school weightlifting program for future football players. Most Shawnee Mission schools do not offer this kind of program, but young players still have the option to work with a personal trainer, like Justice.

“I’m a huge advocate of beginning strength programs in middle school, as I believe it gives the young athlete a more solid base from which to build through high school, college and beyond,” said Justice. “It also develops healthy habits that will hopefully continue throughout their life.”

Indeed, many players who receive this early education see little need for supplements.

Senior Alex Beahm began lifting with a personal trainer when he was in middle school and relies solely on white meats like chicken and turkey for nutrition. Beahm had a head start on his teammates coming into high school and has continued to grow stronger each year, without any help from supplements.

“I had already been on my system for so long and didn’t see any reason to stop that and use supplements,” said Beahm.

Though he is only 5’8”, Beahm has compensated for his lack of size with great strength. With the aid of his natural methods and impressive work ethic, Beahm has obtained nothing but positive results -- all the muscle mass without the itchy skin, accelerated heart rate, diarrhea and muscle cramps.

Carollo made it through the South game. He made holes for Adam Lowe to run through. He gave Dakota Collins ample time in the pocket.

And he pressured South’s quarterback all night long. The senior fought his way to a victory and helped to extend the Lancers’ season by two games. It may have paid off, but Carollo took a risk in consuming the 4500 milligrams of Beta Alanine, 3000 milligrams of Creatine Nitrate, 3000 milligrams of Arginine AKG and 2100 milligrams of caffeine-blend to play a game that he could have won without any additional help.

“Your own motivation is more important than supplements. They aren’t something you need,” said Carollo.

“The vitamins give me a good morning energy boost. The creatine is a good muscle supporter and the other pills maximize the muscle that goes in, cut’s down on the body fat and trims you down.”

$70 for 30 servings

Cellucor C4 Extreme

“Gives me a really good natural energy boost that just makes me explode through the ceiling for my workout.”

$30 for 30 serv-

Platinum Hydro Builder

“It’s the most compact muscle builder I could take after I workout.”

$63 for 40 servings

ROAD RECOVERY to

J

written by Paige Hess | photos by Jake Crandall

unior David Stewart’s life revolved around sports and physical activity. During football season, he popped his shoulder out of place and had to have surgery. Now, in the recovery process, he struggles to adapt to life without sports.

He sat down with the Harbinger to talk about the challenges he faces after his

Q: What is the worst part about the injury? worst part was definitely not being able to shower for six weeks--as A: The you could imagine. But, for me, sports and physical activity is my life, it’s what I do all the time. So going from working out every day to just having to sit around — maybe go on a walk every now and then — was very hard to adapt too. I lost my appetite and lost close to 20 pounds.

Q: What did you do to your shoulder and how did it happen? the SMS game, I attempted an arm tackle; consequently, my arm A: During was pulled back and I dislocated my shoulder. When you dislocate your shoulder, you stretch the ligaments holding your shoulder together. Mine didn’t stretch — they ripped in half, along with damage to my labrum and my nerves in my arm.

What are you doing to recover and how long are you out for?

Q: had surgery Nov. 16 and was in a sling stabilizer until Jan. 5. After Jan. 5, A: II was able to start physical therapy. I will do therapy for six months almost

every day of the week. I will be able to start lifting weights and doing normal exercises March 1.

Junior has a year long recovery from football injury

did you do when you found that you would be out for Q: What that long? was very sad and depressed and was extremely mad. My twin A: Ibrother had had a similiar surgery twice. I knew I’d have to make the best of it. I would stand on the sidelines for the playoffs, and did what I could to help the football team. I have had a lot of support from my family, friends, and coaches.

Q: What do you do now since you can’t practice in practices? sports, I have had time to work on my other talents and A: Without hobbies, such as piano — which I absolutely love. I play until my parents make me stop. I am also very focused and determined in my recovery. So, piano and therapy are my two main focus right now, along with supporting my brother in basketball.

4-6% MOST common 5 SPORTS 50% of football players have had a concussion

INJURIES

of injuries are from overusing their knees

20% of injuries have dislocations, sprains or strains from the shoulder

data from foxnews.com and nytimes.com

SPORTS | 29

FLYING TOWARD STATE

The boys swim team looks to defeat Blue Valley North for the state title written by Alex Goldman | photos by Marisa Walton Senior Jack Haverty is tired of hearing the Blue Valley over the last 10 years.

North swim team talk trash. He’s sick of hearing them call “Some years we’ve been better than them, and vice East’s team “lucky” or make excuses after Haverty and the versa,” Wright said. “One year they’ll beat us and the other rest of the relay team won all three relays on their senior we’ll come back and beat them.” night.

Wright says he has seen the team improve throughout “We don’t talk back; we just let our swimming do the the season. This year a lot more swimmers than usual have talking,” Haverty said. gotten their state cuts before league.

Haverty and the team heard from their assistant coach “Last year we had a lot of kids make their state cuts at that the BV North team said that East wasn’t going to pull league. It is harder for them to come back in two weeks and off another hat trick in the relays at Topeka the upcoming get that same time. If they can do it before league then that meet. The team took those comments and turned them into gives them the chance to train through league and drop motivation at practice. time at state,” Wright said.

Watching BV North win state a year ago gave the team The Lancers are 7-1 going into league and will be lookmotivation during the off-season to work hard and come ing to end the season on a high note. Despite these positive back even faster. With the memory of their loss still in early signs for East, Wright is still focused on getting the their minds, the Lancers have maintained focus all year to other swimmers who haven’t gotten their cut yet qualify at achieve their main goal: beat the Mustangs and take home league. the state title.

One new addition to the swim team has been senior At Topeka, the Lancers lost their first relay but won the Grant Minick, who swims the 50 and 100 free. Minick, who following two, something that kept the Mustangs’ mouths transferred from Osbourn Park high school in Virginia, has shut. impressed Coach Wright and will be a big part of the Lanc“We may have beat North on senior night and Topeka ers’ quest for state. but the whole team still wants redemption after watching Wright says he mostly amazed how the new senior has them win state last year,” Haverty said. recovered from breaking his femur during lacrosse in OcDespite the trash talk and the rivalry between the tober. schools, Haverty said that the whole East team sees the “He’s at 90% now but if he continues to train the way Mustangs with respect and are looking forward to facing he’s training he should be 100% at state,” Wright said. them again for a fourth time this season in Topeka.

Minick believes that although the injury has diminished “We really respect North for what they’ve achieved,” his chances to swim at the collegiate level, he can still help Haverty said. “Most of this year’s swimmers were at state the team at state. last year and even though our chances weren’t too good “My goal for state is to at least get the same time from last year, it still gave us a sick feeling to see them take state last year,” Minick said. “I’m going to treat state just like any home. I think we have a really good shot at it this year.” other meet and will train for it just as I have done for each Since 1990, East and BV North have been crowned meet.” champions more than half the time combined. East has According to senior Andrew Hornung, this year’s team won state six times since 1990, while North has won it eight has a lot more experience than past years and has plenty times. of talent.

Lancers’ head coach Wiley Wright, who has coached at “The relay teams have gotten better and all the seniors East for the last 27 years, has witnessed the rivalry develop have been trying their hardest knowing that this is our last

Matching up with

BVN

A look at East’s success against Blue Valley North

30 | SPORTS

OLATHE INVITATIONAL DEC. 9

LOSS

337

297

shot at state.”

Hornung says that this year been particularly different from his last three years on the varsity team.

“Senior night was very emotional and it was weird knowing that was the last home meet,” Hornung said.

Hornung has also seen his fellow senior team mates grow into their leadership roles this season.

“Our team is a lot more veteran-driven and mature than last year. It’s weird watching the past seniors and then having to take on the responsibilities that they had.” Hornung said.

Wylie believes that the seniors last year landed the foundation for this year’s seniors to take the helm and lead the team.

“This year’s seniors have done a great job assuming the leadership that each year’s seniors are expected to take,” Wright said. “They know that this is their last shot and that they will do everything they possibly can do to be successful.”

Coach Wright predicts that this year will be a three team horse race at state between East, Wichita East and, of course, BV North. Despite his team’s success and high expectations, Wright still has set a humble goal at state.

“Our goal this year is again to place in the top three,” Wright said. “Honestly, I tell them to do the best that they can and what happens happens. If they swim as fast as they can, that’s all I can ask for.”

Hornung believes that this year’s state competition will be a tough one with a couple other teams that are loaded with talent and speed. Despite the team’s success, Hornung thinks that team will keep their heads straight and hopefully end his high school swimming career with a state championship.

“There are about three are four really good teams at state this year,” Hornung said.

“We aren’t really overconfident but these last few weeks have definitely been good signs. The other teams are going to make it really hard and I think we’re all up to the challenge. It’s going to be a fight till the last relay.”

SME vs BVN DUAL Jan. 17 WIN

88

98

TOPEKA INVITATIONAL Jan. 24

WIN

517

567

THE

SPORTS

ROUND-UP

GIRLS’BASKETBALL

As the regular season draws to an close, the Lady Lancer Basketball team looks forward to sub-state and state. The team’s record of 7-8 is one of the best records the school has seen in years.

“This year its different because we’re playing for each other,” Junior Rae Ehly said. “We respect one another and we want each other to succeed and for the team to succeed.”

There is also definite senior leadership that encourages the team while still managing to give help when needed.

“I look forward to every day at practice or at a game,” Ehly said.

written by Tiernan Shank | photos by Jake Crandall , Emilie Bruyere, Marisa Walton, Hiba Akhtar and Brendan Dulohery

NEXT GAME:

Three SENIOR

MATT GANNON

Four SENIOR

Most improved athlete this season?

NEXT MEET:

Feb. 7 7 p.m. @ Olathe South

After achieving a sixth place finish last year at state the Lancer wrestling team is looking forward to repeating their success. Even though the team has had minor setbacks over the past few weeks, like injuries and sickness, they are beginning to recover just in time for the peak of their season.

Districts occurred last Friday when the Lancers competed against the four other Shawnee Mission Schools in head to head duels. After Districts, the team heads to the Sunflower League where they will take on the other 12 schools. “[At League] we have an opportunity to be top three,” head wrestling coach Chip Ufford said, head wrestling coach. “If we are all together we have an opportunity to win it, but it’s going to have to be a perfect day for that to happen.”

How many more wins for boys’ basketball?

BOWLING

With a second place finish from the recent meet against SM Northwest and Saint Thomas Aquinas, the bowling team is rolling. The Regional meet is coming up February 27th followed by State soon after. The Lancers are hoping to do well and end up sending a few of their bowlers to state.

“I think we’ll do pretty well at regionals since we have been getting second and first in our last couple of meet,” junior Dee Dee Guthrie said. “I think we are basically set for regionals.”

NEXT GAME:

Feb. 9 4 p.m. @ Lawrence Free State

WRESTLING

PANEL

BOYS’BASKETBALL

After a tough losses against Rockhurst and Olathe Northwest, the Varsity boys are looking forward to more tough competition throughout the league. The Lancers will take on Olathe South Feb. 7th and Olathe East Feb. 18th. As for league and state the team will have to work hard and play hard.

“For league we are kind of in the middle right now,” junior Zach Schneider said. “Pretty much what Coach [Hair] is telling us is that we have to win every game if we want to win League. And then State doesn’t really matter until our last two games.”

NEXT MEET:

Feb. 7 5:30 p.m. @ Olathe South

THE

BOYS’SWIMMING

With league and state less than a month away, the boys’ swim and dive team is getting prepared to take on tough competition. Blue Valley North, along with Wichita East and Maize High School, are the team’s biggest competitors this year. Sophomore Zack Holbrook along with junior Troy DeMoss and senior Grant Minick, should prove to be crucial for a state title.

“We should win league pretty easily,” Senior Andrew Hornung said. “State is probably going to be a toss up between us and Blue Valley North. I’m sure it will be really close.”

Feb. 15 3:30 p.m. @ Park Lanes

The Lancers will then move on to regionals and state where only the top four out of each weight class and out of eight teams will qualify.

Getting ready for these crucial meets presents different types of practices that the team didn’t experience during the regular season.

“Earlier in the year we did a lot of live wrestling and drilling,” Ufford said. “But now we will really start working on cardio and getting our bodies to peak performance. Our practices are cut down and we start to taper.”

After losing quite a few seniors from last year the new group of senior leaders has stepped up and shown leadership on and off the mat. According to Ufford, these seniors, consisting of Ben Randolph, Blake and Blaine Hill, Alex Beahm and Tyler Nelson have all been

Most potential to go professional?

wrestling well and encouraging the team.

Juniors Chipper Jorns and Jack Mitchell along with sophomores Grant Hollingsworth and Dominique Atkinson are also bringing a lot of success to the team and are expected to do well at the upcoming meets.

“For league and state it all depends on how healthy we are,” Ufford said. “I mean there are so many variables that go into it, but if we are hitting on all cylinders and if we are doing what we are supposed to do there is no reason why we cant have a top ten finish like we did last year.”

Favorite chant?

NEXT MEET:

Feb. 11 9 p.m. @ SM Northwest

Best fan?

Chris Tuttle

Brandon Shatto

Go Bananas

Adam Lowe

Chris Tuttle

Connor McGannon

DANCE PARTY

Boomer Welsh

Andrew Hornung

Maggie Thomas

I Believe

Sam Gilman

Boys’ Basketball

Boys’ Basketball

Bowling

Boys’ Basketball

EVAN NICHOLS

SENIOR

EMMA PENNINGTON

Five

Boys’ Swimming

Girls’ Cheerleading

SPORTS | 31

A

TEAM

EFFORT SM East and Rockhurst faced off on Jan. 27 in a rivalry backed with an effort to raise money for cancer research

Coach SHAWN HAIR, above, is wearing his tennis shoes as a symbol to raise awareness for cancer research. The money raised during this week from Chik-fil-A was given to an organization called Coaches Vs. Cancer, which is supported by HAIR and other coaches in the area. photo by Jake Crandall

The Chik-fil-A on State Line Rd. sponsored a competition between SM East and Rockhurst: whichever school bought the most Chik-fil-A sandwiches before the game would win a donation from Chik-fil-A to give to Coaches Vs. Cancer. SM East won a check, right, for $1410 dollars. photo by Jake Crandall

The student body, above, held giant cut out heads of the varsity players, this one being of senior HENRY SIMPSON. “I liked seeing variety from the fans,” SIMPSON said. There were nine different players whose heads were cut out.

photo by Marisa Walton

Junior JACKSON SUBLETTE, left, goes up for a lay-up while being defended by two Hawklets. “We were excited that [junior varsity] won,” SUBLETTE said. “We were thinking the momentum would carry over for the varsity game, so it was a bittersweet moment.” photo by Jake Crandall

Principal DR. KARL KRAWITZ, above, leads SM East’s student body towards the gym. Students were allowed to show up at 3:30 P.M. and were served free Chik-fil-A in the cafeteria, bought by the school. They were let into the gym around 4:45, before the Rockhurst students. photo by Jake Crandall

32 | PHOTO ESSAY page32essay.indd 1

Frustrated, senior KURT JENSEN, left, watches as the Lancers fall again to rival Rockhurst. “It was a let down to lose to them for the fourth year in a row” JENSEN said. “There was a lot of hype and I thought we had a chance to win this year, so it was disappointing when we lost.”

photo by Marisa Walton

Senior HENRY SIMPSON, left, commands his teammates and calls out encouragement. “I’m sad that [the Senior players] won’t be able to play them again,” SIMPSON said.

“But we have to move on because we have more games to play this year.”

photo by Molly Howland

2/1/12 8:59 PM