The Harbinger Issue 12 2022-23

CROSS -

COUNTRY CONNECTION

See what’s happening at a different U.S. high school according to their newspaper’s Editor-in-Chief

smeharbinger.net

STORIES

THE BRIMMER AND

MEDIA

SUBURB EAST OF BOSTON

CHESTNUT HILL, MASSACHUSETTS MAY SCHOOL

What current events are students and staff talking about?

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF OF THE GATOR

JAN. 22 LUNAR NEW YEAR TEMPLE FAIR

BRIMMER CELEBRATED LUNAR New Year with a celebration, the Lunar New Year Temple Fair. Mandarin students help out by leading traditional activities throughout the holiday including craft and making celebratory foods.

MARCH WINTERIM

SENIOR

EDAN ZINN

WINTERIM IS A SERIES of trips that Upper School students take during winter and the beginning of spring in order to gain knowledge and experience of other cultures. Some trips this year include Costa Rica, Puerto Rico, The United Kingdom, France, and more.

SCAN ME WEBSITE

Visit the website of The Brimmer and May School’s news publication, The Gator

RIGHT A student participates in the Chinese Lunar New Year Temple Fair, where Mandarin students research and lead holiday activities, one of the many ways the school celebrates international cultures.

sta list

PRINT EDITORS

Peyton Moore

Francesca Stamati

ONLINE EDITORS

Lyda Cosgrove

Kate Heitmann

ASST. PRINT EDITORS

Greyson Imm

Katie Murphy

ASST. ONLINE EDITORS

Aanya Bansal

Maggie Kissick

PHOTO EDITORS

Rachel Bingham

Hadley Chapman

Macy Crosser

ASST. PHOTO EDITORS

Liv Madden

Riley Scott

smeharbinger SME Harbinger The Harbinger

HEAD COPY EDITORS

Caroline Gould

Caroline Wood

ASST. HEAD COPY EDITORS

Aanya Bansal

Greyson Imm

DESIGN EDITORS

Nora Lynn

Anna Mitchell

ASST. DESIGN EDITOR

Bridget Connelly

VIDEO EDITORS

Abby Lee

David Allegri

PODCAST EDITOR

Emma Krause

SOCIAL MEDIA EDITORS

Mia Vogel

Paige Zadoo

ASST. SOCIAL MEDIA EDITOR

Bridget Connelly

SECTION EDITORS PRINT NEWS

Addie Moore

ONLINE NEWS

Hassan Sufi

ONLINE FEATURES

Ben Bradley

PRINT SPORTS

Ava Cooper

PRINT EDITORIAL

Sophie Lindberg

ONLINE OPINION

Larkin Brundige

PRINT A&E

Veronica Mangine

STAFF WRITERS

Isabel Baldassaro

Sophia Brockmeier

Larkin Brundige

Maggie Condon

Mary Gagen

Avie Koeneman

Libby Marsh

Lily Simmons

Gracie Takacs

Connor Vogel

Lucy Wolf

Ada Lillie

Worthington

PAGE DESIGNERS

Afa Akwanka’a

Sofia Blades

Adya Burdick

Ava Cooper

Grace Demetriou

Elle Gedman

Veronica Mangine

Kai Mcphail

Lyla Weeks

STAFF ARTISTS

Sofia Blades

Read an story about sexual harassment in the workplace, an opinion on disposable cameras and more by visiting smeharbinger.net or scanning the QR code

political cartoon

Caroline Daniels

Madi Maupin

PHOTO MENTORS

Riley Eck

Julia Fillmore

Claire Goettsch

Caroline Martucci

Emily Pollock

Mason Sajna

STAFF

PHOTOGRAPHERS

Paige Bean

Kate Beaulieu

Lydia Coe

Audrey Condon

Sabrina Dean

Ryan Dehan

Charlotte Emley

Julia Fillmore

Will Griffith

Kenna Harrington

Molly Miller

SM East Harbinger

Clara Peters

Tristen Porter

Alex Sajna

Lili Vottero

MJ Wolf

Amelie Wong

Madi Maupin

VIDEO STAFF

Luke Beil

Calen Domingues

Ryder Hendon

EDITORIAL POLICY

The Harbinger is a student run publication. Published editorials express the views of the Harbinger staff. Signed columns published in the Harbinger express the writer’s personal opinion. The content and opinions of the Harbinger do not represent the student body, faculty, administration or Shawnee Mission School District. The Harbinger will not share any unpublished content, but quotes material may be confrmed with the sources. The Harbinger encourages letters to the editors, but reserves the right to reject them for reasons including but not limited to lack of space, multiple letters of the same topic and personal attacks contained in the letter. The Harbinger will not edit content thought letters may be edited for clarity, length or mechanics. Letters should be sent to room 413B or emailed to smeharbinger@gmail.com.

design by greyson imm cover design by peyton moore

cartoon by alex sajna

cover photo by riley eck

design by sophie lindberg

art by ava cooper

AP CHERRY PICKING

College Board breaks students’ trust by manipulating their new AP African American Studies course for political agendas and lacking historical inclusion for other ethnicities

FOR: 11 AGAINST: 3

CHERRIES LEFT UNPICKED

Items cut

from the new AP African American Studies course

AFEW YEARS after the Black Lives Matter movement and an increase in accusations that standardized testing is inequitable or even racist, College Board slapped together a curriculum for AP African American Studies released on Feb. 1 — their first new course in eight years. The eyebrow-raising timing was overshadowed by the enticing opportunity to explore Black history in school. At first.

Then we watched the organization warp its course content, removing critical race theory, reparations and feminism from the “finalized” curriculum, following backlash from Florida and Oklahoma politicians. And we’re still supposed to believe that the lucrative College Board — with $887 million in revenue during 2021, charging $97 per course — has students’ best educational interests in mind. Spoiler: they don’t.

Students can’t trust that College Board genuinely cares about ethnic inclusion in the history that it teaches after its questionable actions with the AP African American Studies pilot program, so the organization must rethink its approach to diversity.

Because right now, College Board’s message is clear:

Students had to earn their right to learn about Black history by organizing a huge social justice movement.

Plus, the Black history that the organization has finally decided to start teaching is cherry-picked to please politicians. College Board’s mission, according to its website, is to provide

“excellence and equity in education” for students. Removing primary source documents regarding BLM that Florida Governor Ron DeSantis doesn’t like from the course doesn’t align with that mission. Conservative input should be included — but from professional historians instead.

Even mainstream Black historians and Ivy League professors who were originally supporters of the class have publicly renounced their support due to the changes, like a Yale history professor who originally published a written endorsement of the class and has since withdrawn it.

At the very least, the new course should provide the same information to each student. But College Board went so far as to add that course content “can be refined by local states and districts” to align with regional values. So mentions of the KKK or lynchings can be removed in conservative areas.

These areas where curriculum will be watered-down are the places where students could benefit the most from eye-opening lessons about Black history.

cherry picking

to select the best or most desirable options while leaving out less beneficial ones

Plus, no students will learn about Asian, Latino, Pacific Islander or Native American culture, since they aren’t trendy enough for College Board to pretend to care about. Currently, its only history courses are AP European, U.S. and World History.

BLACK FEMINISM

*info from College Board

Do we have to organize a national movement for Asian lives before College Board starts teaching us Asian history?

The AP African American Studies course is setting a precedent for the College Board to delay inclusion until after students have begged to be educated about a minority group for years.

If College Board truly prioritized cultural exposure, it’d curate courses for other ethnicities like Asians and Latinos — in addition to African Americans — with equal expert input from conservative and liberal historians. Not flashy politicians.

QUEER EXPERIENCE BLM PROTESTS

level course. Close-minded students who would learn the most from Black history lessons likely won’t select the class.

So College Board should integrate diverse ideas into popular courses that are already offered, like AP U.S. History designed in the 1980s. Woven between textbook chapters on the 1918 flu pandemic should be lessons on the use of Black citizens as medical guinea pigs for testing vaccines.

BECAUSE RIGHT now, College Board’s message is clear: Students had to earn their right to learn about Black history by organizing a huge social justice movement.

Still, this new course is better than no attempt to teach Black history. At least College Board’s apparent trend-hopping will allow students to learn about redlining, Afrofuturism and Black heroes. It’s certainly necessary at hyper-white schools like East, which will likely add the course to its catalog that already covers 80% of available AP classes. Administration is waiting to discuss the addition until teachers express interest in teaching the course.

But only students who are already openminded, motivated and curious about other cultures will enroll in this rigorous, college-

We should learn about Hispanic segregation in schools, Filipino farm worker strikes and bans on Chinese immigration — all important parts of U.S. history.

This would allow for lessopen minded students who aren’t jumping at the chance to enroll in AP African American Studies to still gain exposure to Black history in their AP U.S. History class, widening their cultural perspective and potentially sparking interest in signing up for African Studies. And it’d prove that College Board genuinely cares about inclusion.

College Board needs to earn our trust back by teaching diverse history for the purpose of making students more wellrounded world citizens — not because it’s a trend or political statement.

The members of the editorial board who agree with the viewpoint of the editorial are represented by for, and those who disagree with the viewpoint are represented by against.

art by tallie scholz

story by gracie takacs

CATCHING COYOTES

Mission Hills City Council voted for the removal of coyotes on Feb. 14

AFTER A YEAR of complaints from Mission Hills residents regarding coyote traps, the city council voted for their removal on Feb. 14.

After a year and a half of complaints from Mission Hills residents regarding coyote traps, the City Council voted to remove them recently.

The city has been facing objections and backlash due to the traps for over a year. After two citizen’s dog’s were caught in the trap and sent to the vet with serious injuries, the traps were then removed from the park were the dogs were confined.

The council voted to remove the traps as a safety precaution and has since been working to decide their

POST-PANDEMIC PRICES

next steps on how to manage the stillprevalent coyote problem.

Since the traps were placed in the fall of 2022, Mission Hills resident and freshman Chloe Harmon has seen an decrease in the number of local coyotes.

“I think they should keep the traps because they are working,” Harmon said. “If they’re really working, there’s no point in removing them because then the coyotes might come back.”

Freshman Campbell Brinton also supports the use of these traps to protect her neighborhood.

“I support the traps as long as they are not [to] kill [animals],” Brinton said.

“I remember seeing coyotes in my yard and my dogs are half their size. Everyone in our neighborhood was very worried about

LICENSE TO KILL

Seniors start the game of assassians on March 20

Prices have raised since the COVID-19 pandemic

DUE TO THE COVID-19 pandemic and a rise in job wages, economic inflation has increased at an unsteady incline, according to NPR.

The increase may be attributed to a rise in personal spending, which rose 1.8% in January, according to NPR. Though a drop in excess spending would help inflation settle, it could also result in a recession and potentially push the Federal Reserve System to increase interest rates to steady the prices.

Economics teacher Robert Bickers attributes the increased inflation to poor decision-making by the national government.

IT’S THE CORE topic in AP Economics right now. I also touch on it in government as the economy is the single largest consideration by voters in presidential elections.

congress chose to juice consumer spending, which led to predictably high inflation,” Bickers said. “Without that governmental action, we would not see inflation rates as high as we have.”

However, Bickers hasn’t felt the surge in inflation affect his own spending, substituting cheaper goods in place of his usual preferences. Still, he sees importance in discussing the national influence with his students to educate them on current economic change.

ROBERT BICKERS

AP ECONOMICS TEACHER

“Due to fears of an induced recession,

THE SENIOR TRADITION of the “Assassins” water gun game will begin after spring break, and the first round of targets will be announced via text on March 20.

Game commissioner and senior Paige Zadoo started an Instagram account and released a Google Form for seniors to sign up to play. While 80 have signed up so far, Zadoo hopes for 100150 participants.

assassians game

“It’s the core topic in AP Economics right now,” Bickers said. “I also touch on it in government as the economy is the single-largest consideration by voters in presidential elections, as it pertains to COVID.”

Each round of the game will last one week, starting on Monday mornings when the players will receive a target to “assassinate” with a water gun by the following Sunday. Failure to eliminate their target or being assassinated both result in disqualification from the game.

The participation fee is $10 and the game will last a month.

Senior Grace Knoff is planning to take the game seriously, buying her supplies a month in advance.

“I already bought my water guns, so I don’t have to worry

PAIGE ZADOO

SENIOR &

about getting them when I get back from spring break,” Knoff said. “[I’m] not hanging out with any of my friends and [I’m] not trusting anyone.”

Knoff is looking forward to the adrenaline rush and challenge of the game.

“As of now, I’m going to try to be super involved with it but will definitely have to see how it plays out,” Knoff said. “If other people are crazy serious about it to the point where it’s nuts, then I’ll probably chill out about it.”

EVERYONE WILL GET their target for the week. That week is a round, Monday morning to Sunday night. They have the whole week to get their target out, and if they don’t, they don’t move on.

Students are concerned that teachers often ignore their 504 plans and IEPs unaccommodated.

story by caroline gould

FOR SOPHOMORE ISABELLE

Wilkinson, a 504 Plan is what keeps her in class. It’s what provides her a quiet testing space for her ADHD. It’s what excuses a five-minute tardy to first hour after waking up with high blood pressure due to her chronic autoimmune disorder. It’s what allows her to miss school for life-saving doctor’s appointments for her physical disabilities.

It’s access to education for her.

A 504 Plan allows disabled students to receive learning accommodations and benefits in SMSD’s programs and activities without discrimination enforced by federal law. However, some East students believe these accommodations aren’t always respected or acknowledged by East’s staff.

A student’s 504 Plan is requested by a parent and drafted by medical professionals to tailor to a student’s needs. In Wilkinson’s case, it was a cardiologist, gastroenterologist, psychiatrist and therapist who together decided she should receive testing accommodations and extra time to walk in the hallways.

“The hope is that the 504 accommodates a student’s learning so they can have equal access to education,” Principal Jason Peres said.

Although Wilkinson has expressed her concerns to her 504 Plan manager and an associate principal twice this year, she doesn’t attribute the lack of respect toward her 504 Plan entirely to higherlevel administration, but also a lack of consistency amongst teachers.

“I had told my doctors what school I went to, and they all sighed and apologized,” Wilkinson said.

And she isn’t alone in this trend, even though teachers are reminded of these plans by 504 Plan managers and special education teachers at the beginning of each course and can access them in Skyward. In an Instagram poll of 59 students with 504 Plans or learning accommodations, 71% said that they felt that their needs were being ignored — whether that be a lack of modifications on assignments or extra time on exams.

Senior Anna Galvin’s learning

disabilities in math and reading have been accommodated with an IEP — Individualized Education Program — since fourth grade through amended assignments and extended deadlines. In both district elementary schools and East, she has noticed inconsistencies in how teachers approach her IEP.

“I know some of the teachers at East who I have had are really good at managing [students with] IEPs, and I know some who haven’t been,” she said. “I feel like teachers should be trained more with IEPs and disabilities.”

At least once a month she recalls reminding her teachers that she can benefit from the modified assignments and lengthened deadlines that her IEP entails when they expect her to meet the same requirements as her other classmates.

“Sometimes I do get scared to go up to my teacher and ask if I can get an assignment shortened or a deadline lengthened, and that kind of makes me upset,” Galvin said.

Both Galvin and Wilksonson see mixed reactions when reminding their teachers about their differing needs. For Wilkinson, it may be her math teacher begrudgingly moving her to another room for a test. For Galvin, it’s her teachers discouraging her from using the accommodations her IEP grants her and reluctance around asking for help.

“When my expectations aren’t being met with my IEP, I feel like it’s kind of being pushed aside, and they want me to try harder to not advocate on IEP, which I always try my best not to,” Galvin said.

Although reactions differ, teachers with students who benefit from 504s or IEPs are informed at the beginning of each course by school administrators and expected to execute it, according to Peres.

“If students don’t feel as though their accommodations are being met, I expect them to come to a case manager,” he said. “I wouldn’t like that, I would want them to tell us.”

However, Wilkinson feels that she has communicated the issue to her case manager — twice this school year.

Psychology teacher Brett Kramer believes the issue is associated with forgetfulness more than harmful intentions. Although learning modifications for students with 504s and IEPs are clearly communicated to teachers at the beginning of each course, some teachers without many disabled students in their classes may forget to prioritize those needs.

“I’d rather believe that if kids fail to get the support they need that it’s because of something a little bit less sinister [than ignoring learning accommodations],” Kramer said. “It’s wildly unprofessional to ignore those things.”

But to Wilkinson, that forgetfulness can be harmful, and not just at the high school level. After her sixth-grade teacher ripped up doctor’s notes detailing her absence due to her disabilities directly in front of her, she sees this lack of respect toward students with disabilities as a districtwide issue. The district’s department of Student and Family Services said that instances like these should be met with informing an administrator, but declined further comment.

$4000$10,000 schools receive annually for special education services for students without physical disabilities

“I don’t think our school doesn’t care about people with special needs, it’s the whole district,” she said.

And with that, Wilkinson does believe there’s a solution. Providing updated training for teachers on how to teach students with disabilities would make her feel more accepted and comfortable at school.

“[Having my 504 plan respected] and

The difference between a 504 plan and an IEP

10%

of special eduation funding comes from the federal gov’t

40% of special eduation funding comes from IDEA funds

design by greyson imm

photo by paige bean

SUBTRACTING from

STAFF

story by mary gagen

Three math teachers are leaving East for their own, various reasons

REASONS FOR LEAVING teaching doesn’t ft with life plans retiring to spend more time with family needs a less demanding job

6 YEARS AT EAST

I DON’T KNOW if I’m going to leave education altogether. I’ve thought about staying in education, but not as a teacher.

26 YEARS AT EAST

MY GRANDCHILDREN LIVE away from Kansas. So I will be going to Seattle and Chicago playing with grandchildren.

EMILYCOLEBANK DEBBRA

THE

MATH DEPARTMENT

is losing three teachers — Monique Goodeyon, Debbra Pontier and Emily Colebank — who announced their retirement or requested resignation, which would go into effect May 26. While each teacher has varying reasons for leaving, the math department will need to readjust. This means other teachers will need to take on different classes and administration will need to hire new teachers.

According to American University’s School of Education, when teachers leave, there are two main effects: students may vary their course selection based on who is teaching the course and remaining teachers may need to take on additional courses. This case will likely result in both.

Despite the change in roles for many teachers, math teacher Christopher Burrows says that it’s not abnormal for a faculty to undergo these shifts. In fact, it’s routine.

“We’ve gone through so many math teachers in my time here,” Burrows said.

17 YEARS AT EAST

IF I’M JUST LOOKING FOR something to have some money to help pay tuition then it can be anything that I fnd enjoyable.

PONTIER MONIQUEGOODYEON

Goodeyon has been teaching for 33 years, 17 of which were at East. According to Goodeyon, she’s spent her fair share of time teaching and feels that she’s ready to transition to her next phase of life, with less demanding hours and work.

“I’ve met the requirements to be able to retire from the state of Kansas,” Goodeyon said, “I know that I’m going to find another job because I still have some kids in college, but it won’t be in public education.”

To support her kids in college, Goodeyon plans on either entering corporate communications or a retail position, perhaps at Pottery Barn. She hopes to find a less demanding line of work to occupy her for the next few years.

“I have my tenth grandchild on the way, and some of my grandchildren live away from Kansas.” Pontier said. “So I’ll be going to Seattle and Chicago to [spend time] with my grandchildren.”

As her family grows, Pontier says she hopes to watch her grandchildren grow up while possibly picking up tutoring on the side.

MY LIFE IS JUST going in a different direction, and teaching is such a demanding job — where my life is going and what this looks like as a job aren’t really compatible

TEACHER

Similarly, Pontier has decided to focus on spending more time with her quickly growing family.

Unlike her coworkers, Colebank says she just needs a change of pace. As new mile-markers, such as her upcoming marriage, in her life approach, she says she’d like a less demanding job — no papers to grade, long hours, or underappreciation.

“My life is evolving and changing,” Colebank said. “I’m getting married. My life is just going in a different direction, and teaching is such a demanding job — where my life is going and what this looks like as a job aren’t really compatible.”

Although she’s certain she’ll leave

the profession, Colebank says she may choose to stay involved in education, saying that helping the kids learn and grow is what she loves most about her current role.

Sophomore Gracie Bergin will be sad to see Colebank leave. She says that Colebank has provided a safe space for her to learn, grow and vent.

“[Colebank] is a great listener, and our relationship has had a great impact on how I view the class,” Bergin said.

Junior Ian Flynn says that Goodeyon has impacted him by simply being there to help with his work, when things get tricky.

“Mrs. Goodeyon is a great teacher who has really pushed me to figure math out on my own while being there to help me with that which I have trouble understanding,” Flynn said.

All three of the teachers have impacted both students and the East culture throughout their time on staff.

EMILY COLEBANK

design by libby marsh photos by amelie wong

design by connor vogel

A look at the logistics of this year’s senior Prom and changes since last year

STARLIGHT UNDER THE STARS

FOR THE FIRST time, StuCo will be holding Prom on the stage of Starlight Theater.

Union Station has always been the first option for prom venues, but with the NFL Draft being held at Union Station in May, Student Council’s former-Prom Coordinator and digital design teacher Jennifer Hair was tasked last year with finding a new location. After lots of research and site visits, Hair landed on Starlight.

“[Starlight] was a blank slate that had an impactful environment that was super Kansas City,” Hair said. “The venue itself was so unique — just like Union Station — you don’t need much decoration to make it

look awesome and special.”

story by caroline wood

BEHIND THE CURTAIN

PERKS OF Fun activities and heplful benefits to attending prom

Due to the NFL Draft, the venue for the dance was changed to Starlight Theater

This year, art teacher and junior class sponsor Emma Chalk is in charge of organizing the rest of the dance along with the 11 junior StuCo representatives.

Through several trips out to Starlight and meetings with the junior representatives, Chalk feels most of the dance’s logistics are worked out like the stage setup and band’s setlist. While the dance will be on the stage, the main curtain is going to be down, turning the open stage into a big event space — comparable to the Union Station size, according to Chalk.

While Starlight won’t have the unique

TICKET TRANSITION

STUCO IS INTRODUCING a new digital ticket payment method for prom through a program called MySchoolBucks that will allow students to purchase their tickets online.

For prior dances, students bought tickets with cash or check. But, in an Instagram poll of 276 students, 54% said that they don’t carry cash with them to school. For years now, Bookkeeper Joan Burnett has searched for a way to switch to a digital payment process with reluctance from the district. However, Venmo is too unreliable, a card reader isn’t fast enough and Apple Pay readers are too expensive, according to Burnett. But then they found MySchoolBucks — a service to collect digital payment.

“We’ve been fighting for it for years, and [the district’s] been so hesitant, but I think this is going to work,” Burnett said.

The payment collection through MySchoolBucks will function similarly to online shopping. Students will open the store via a link on East’s website or a QR code, then insert their card information to make the purchase. The money will be directly wired into StuCo’s account.

“My part actually will be much more streamlined because it’ll go right into the account if it goes in through MySchoolBucks,” Burnett said.

With the help of junior StuCo members, Burnett is organizing the exact plan. Students will most likely show their

architecture of Union Station, the Prom planning crew won’t be restricted by the historic preservation. Union Station required bringing in professionals to hang decorations and limited what they could put in the space. Starlight is a production house, making it easier to add in lighting and decor.“I think it’s a great spot,” Chalk said. “It’s something that I don’t think you really get to have that experience doing anything else unless you’re a performer... so I think it’s fun to say that you were on the stage at Starlight.”

payment receipt to ticket sellers in exchange for a physical ticket. Ticket sales will start the week of April 3 and last until the dance on April 15.

Student Body Treasurer and junior Ira Finkelston predicts that the new method will be efficient and boost ticket sales.

“It’s always a pain when you’re trying to buy tickets,” Finkelston said. “We think that we’re going to be able to have a lot more people at the dances now because more people will be able to buy tickets and won’t forget about it because that’s the biggest problem with it — that people don’t have cash when they’re trying to buy tickets.”

design by nora lynn

o p inion.

THIS WEEK IN OPINION LET’S GET DEEP

Recent Instagram polls on this issue’s opinion stories

DO YOU THINK IT’S IMPORTANT FOR WOMEN TO FOLLOW THEIR HORMONE CYCLE IN ORDER TO INCREASE THEIR PRODUCTIVITY?

*Instagram poll of 167 votes

YES NO 40% 60%

DO YOU THINK PEOPLE WHO ARE ONLINE MORE OFTEN TEND TO POST NEGATIVE AND HURTFUL COMMENTS THAN PEOPLE WHO LIMIT THEIR SCREEN TIME?

*Instagram poll of 309 votes

YES NO 50% 50%

DO YOU THINK MAKING A CHILD COMFORTABLE AS A DAYCARE WORKER OR BABYSITTER IS VITAL TO THEIR EXPERIENCE?

*Instagram poll of 252 votes

YES NO 5% 95%

EVEN HAPPY MEALS ADD UP

cartoon by nora lynn

Apparently buying lunch everyday has a negative side effect

Asking East’s students their stance on deep philosophical questions IS THERE ANYTHING WRONG WITH BEING SELFISH?

IT REALLY DEPENDS, there’s being selfsh to better yourself and then there’s just hurting other people. Like there’s rich people getting more money, and that’s being selfsh, but then there’s poor people getting more money, but that’s for bettering themselves.

THERE IS TO a point, but if you normally care for other people, there’s nothing wrong with setting up a boundary. But if you’re being narcissistic and self centered, I think that’s a problem.

ARE WE HAPPIER NOW AS A SOCIETY THAN IN TIMES PAST?

AIDEN COX

I DON’T THINK we are, everything has just become more complicated, especially when it comes to mental illness and education. In times past I think it was a lot more carefree and now the standards for everyone have only increased causing a lot more stress.

I THINK THE happiest we were as a society was maybe the ‘60s or ‘70s. Aside from war oversees, we didn’t have much to worry about, but I feel like nowadays, with how integrated social media is in our life, Internet is kind of a blessing and a curse.

TAKE OUR POLLS

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SOPHOMORE

ETHAN BURKHART SENIOR

TOMMY MARX

JUNIOR

MAGGIE LEONARD

FRESHMAN

WITH YOUR

SYNC UP CYCLE

Women can gain more advantages in society by planning their months to align with their hormone cycle

WHAT ARE THE PHASES?

make sleep and rest a priority

story by lily

A breakdown of each phase of the female hormone cycle

SINCE THE MOMENT I got my period in sixth grade, I felt like I had some sort of disadvantage due to the monthly struggle of lethargy, moodiness and worst of all, unproductivity. But of course, I would never say that out loud because “Girls are just as powerful as boys!” and “We can do anything they can do, girl power!”

While these statements are meant to motivate women to rise past oppression, they ignore the principal difference between women and men — our bodies.

with your menstrual cycle.

“Our bodies give us a master plan for producing life — as well as organizing our life,” Dr. Kecia Gaither, NYC Health Director of Perinatal Services, told Forbes.

Female hormones levels fluctuate during the menstrual cycle. These changes make different parts of the month align better with certain activities due to differences in brain activity and energy.

focus on simple tasks and reflect

turmeric

dark colored berries

red meat & liver

FOOD EXERCISE

walking

yoga

avocado

grapefruit

pomegranate

poultry

FOOD EXERCISE

cardio-based workouts

start new projects and get creative

Women have a hormone cycle that lasts roughly 28 days, similar to the length of the moon’s waxing and waning cycle. The moon slowly loses brightness and shape throughout the month and then progressively gains it back. A woman’s “full moon” is ovulation when she is most fertile — and hormone levels are at their peak. Menstruation compares to the new moon, when hormone levels and energy are at their lowest.

Energy is at its lowest point during your menstrual phase, so it’s wise to make yourself comfortable and give yourself grace. This time is good for contemplation or hot baths as the low energy gives us a naturally pensive state. Cut back on tasks if possible, and use this time to rest and recharge.

THE SECRET TO biohacking the man’s world, the woman’s way, is hidden in our ovaries.

The follicular phase begins right as the bleeding stops, and the body prepares itself for ovulation. There is a sharp rise in estrogen and progesterone, which cause a higher drive and more energy. Take this time to be productive and creative, as you’ll be better equipped to handle challenging projects or assignments. It’s go time!

FOLLICULAR MENSTRUAL OVULATORY LUTEAL

Male hormone cycles are more similar to the sun. While its brightness may vary seasonally, the sun’s daily rising patterns are the same. Testosterone, the male’s primary hormone, peaks in the morning and slowly dims throughout the day, as the male cycle lasts exactly 24 hours.

28 DAYS

salmon

celery & radish

peach & apple

FOOD EXERCISE

HIIT bootcamps

kickboxing

raspberry

dark chocolate

FOOD EXERCISE

lentils weights

pilates

yoga

talk with teachers and collaborate

Obviously, the sun and moon are completely different entities, and while they work together, we don’t expect the moon to appear full all the time. So why are women expected to shine brightly with energy to last them for all hours of the day? Women will never be able to reach their full potential by conforming to the patriarchal standards of productivity. If we want to reach true equality in our society, we need to start listening to our bodies.

Women have been forced to abide by a man’s workday — eight hours asleep, eight hours at work, eight hours free time. Every. Single. Day. As powerful and flexible as women are, this schedule isn’t natural to our bodies — it’s time to explore productivity through the female lens.

What if you knew the best time of the month to lead class discussions, start a school project or ask for a raise at work?

It’s called cycle syncing — the practice of changing your lifestyle habits to align

The ovulatory phase occurs at the middle of your cycle when the body releases the egg and you are most fertile. Hormones peak, and you have the most outward energy during this time. This is the time to have a tough chat or important meeting with a teacher or a boss.

The final and most dreaded phase is the luteal phase — when the body is preparing for menstruation. Your mind will be a little slower in this phase and productivity levels are low. This phase is connected with PMS symptoms, so if you want to hide in your room and binge Outer Banks, that is OK.

In this phase, you should prioritize solitude and lighten the workload if you can. You may experience brain fog, so it’s wise to stick to simpler tasks like editing work or replying to emails.

The man’s world has us living on a 24 hour clock, and everyday we must be consistent in our energy levels — something that just isn’t natural for women. This sets us up for burnout because conforming to this schedule isn’t what we are biologically designed to do. It’s time to take back control of our own productive lives and master our bodies and our learning environment.

simmons

design by avery anderson art by caroline daniels

ONLINE OVERLO AD

story by greyson imm

Spending too much time on the internet can contribute to a “chronically online” mindset and skew your view of reality and prevent you from communicating logically and effectively

CHOPPING TOMATOES IS elitist.”

To anyone not buried in their phones, this statement seems absurd. However for Twitter users replying to Jaya Rajamani’s (@ timeforjaya on Twitter) Tweet playfully making fun of adults who don’t know how to cook, this seems like a perfectly logical train of thought.

The original lighthearted Tweet reading “you ever try to cook with friends who swear up and down they don’t know how to cook from scratch? and then you realize they don’t know how to chop a tomato” was received with unnecessary hostility. I watched incredulously from my phone as Rajamani was attacked by Twitter users claiming that neurodivergence often prevents people from following directions in recipes, that people with neglectful parents have never learned to cook from scratch and that cooking from scratch is exclusively reserved for privileged, wealthy people.

politics and social justice.

It’s hard to navigate the internet without running into your fair share of “chronically online” users. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve commented my opinion on a post only for angry internet dwellers to ignore any amount of nuance and slap an arbitrary label on their reply. Ableist, misogynistic, classist — whatever “woke” buzzword was trending that week.

When used effectively — or when people are logical thinkers — social media is a valuable tool for social movements, pop culture discussion and current event updates. However, when people are too focused on creating arguments for arguments’ sake, the effective and powerful potential of social media as a medium for change is thrown in the garbage can.

opportunity because one poorlyworded comment is intentionally misinterpreted and blown out of proportion?

Being chronically online isn’t just a harmless annoyance we have to deal with while scrolling on TikTok or Twitter — it can be deadly.

a phrase referring to someone closely engaged with Internet culture

I originally dismissed this dumpster fire of a Twitter thread as a one-off act of stupidity. However, this is just one example of a new trend of being “chronically online” — a recent phenomenon where internet users spend so much time online that it warps their view of reality.

Though this mindset can be mildly annoying at times, it’s part of a bigger picture. Lack of real-world experience prevents web users from communicating in effective, logical and productive ways about issues like

Youths need to be better-versed at communicating in online spaces as the rise of social media practically demands the skill. If you can’t discuss Oscar nominations on your Instagram page without lashing out at people who don’t share the same viewpoint as you, then how do you expect to communicate with future employers, collaborators and other people via the internet?

Even more importantly, our generation needs to be able to band together online to organize for social justice movements. We saw it in 2020 — the Black Lives Matter movement was at its most influential and real, legislative progress was being made. Part of the reason? Young people organizing and sharing information in online spaces.

While other generations relied on physical letters and word-of-mouth, we are lucky to have access to massive audiences of like-minded people to share injustices and rally together with. Why would we squander this valuable

The 2019 Christchurch shootings prove that when chronically online rhetoric gets out of hand, people get hurt. Brenton Tarrant’s planned killing of 49 Muslim worshippers in Christchurch, New Zealand was a direct result of these social media echo chambers where strong opinions get stronger and hate gets spread.

While this is an extreme example and an argument on Twitter doesn’t carry the same weight, the sentiment is the same: spending too much time online harms real-world communication.

So next time you’re about to hit the “post” button on your angrily worded Tweet accusing someone you don’t of some arbitrary offense, take a step back, set your phone down and take a walk in the fresh air. If you still feel strongly about your opinion and can back it up calmly and respectfully, then sure, by all means share it. But more often than not, you’ll realize that any blind rage is a result of sitting on your phone for just a little too long, and your angry comment is better off left in the drafts.

SOCIAL STATS

95% OF USERS EXPERIENCED NEGATIVE CONTENT UNKNOWINGLY

*according to Harvard Business School

5% OF ADULTS FIND SOCIAL MEDIA TO BE POSITIVE

*according to etactics.com

25% VIEW SOCIAL MEDIA AS BEING NEGATIVE

*according to etactics.com

LAYING THE I

SAT DOWN criss-cross applesauce, white plastic cup full of Froot Loops in hand, all alone. I kept to myself until it was time to go home, back turned to the other block-building toddlers.

As a kid, daycare felt incredibly lonely. I always depended on my parents for someone to trail behind and cling to, so being apart from them felt like I’d be left there for the rest of my life.

Though it’s been 10 years since I’ve sat on that colorful carpet, I can still vividly remember the high school girls that worked there — they seemed 10 times my size back then. They would slowly circle the room, towering over the kids, but never squatting down to our level. I wish one of them would’ve sat down and talked to me.

That’s why every Tuesday at my daycare job I settle in my dark brown stained wooden chair and wait for the next kid I’ll take care of for the next hour to walk through the creaky child-gate.

I told myself that I would be a role model for younger kids back when I was 8 years old — I looked up to the 6th graders who worked with us every week knowing someday I wanted to be exactly like them. I

wanted to be the one reading to a 1st grader and helping them sound out words. Now, I get to be the caretaker and bond with the kids I work with.

When I got an offer to work in a daycare this year, the description was to look after kids while their parents either went to the gym or ordered dinner. I was thrilled. My main priority is to positively impact the kids, even if it’s only for 15 minutes of playing with Legos together. I want the children to want to come back. I love seeing the same faces — and new ones — return each week.

While walking in, kids are usually attached to the hip of their parent until they leave, which is why I always greet kids by asking them what they want to do. You want to play a game of hot lava using foam mats? So be it. Or if they just want to color quietly at a table, I’m equally enthused. By listening to the children and supporting their activity of choice, caretakers can help kids feel safe and heard. Sitting down and listening to them babble about their elementary school drama of who’s wearing pink for the week and who’s wearing black is my favorite part of the 3-hour shift. When a kid has someone who will listen to them,

KIDS

too much can confuse children and even frustrate them.

Some kids prefer not to chat, and it’s important to respect that because being in a new place with a stranger can be extremely intimidating. Instead of forcing a conversation, I sit by them as they stay busy coloring or playing on their iPads. If the moment comes where they do want to talk, I listen. If it doesn’t come, I have no problem sitting in silence and simply watching them.

If a kid ever seems to feel unwelcome — I try to warm up to them by starting with a simple “hi,” which can go a long way. There can be a group of three kids or up to ten, in these situations I try to come up with a game for all of us to play.

Working in a daycare is not as simple as some may think — sitting on your phone and glancing up every once in a while is not an option. Disciplining a kid can be tricky, and excessive time-outs or anger can result in them fearing me or retreating to the corner of the room. To avoid this response,

while working in a daycare is when kids miss their parents, sometimes even crying because they’re worried they’ll never see mom again. Reassurance is incredibly vital when it comes to missing a parent due to the attachment that comes with being young. A compassionate reminder that their parent will return soon helps, along with a gentle nudge to play against me in bowling or watch an episode of “Alvin and the Chipmunks” to redirect their mind.

Although working with kids has its stressful moments, like when siblings start scratching at each other, the spit-ups and temper-tantrums are worth it for a chance to see them happy, and the fulfillment that comes with that.

Kids are adjusting to new people and places every day. Making them feel like they belong is a caretaker’s job and can shape their personality for the rest of their life.

I LIKE MAKING games with rules, like [at] bedtime, I could say “If you can get ready for bed in under fve minutes, we can watch an extra 10 minutes of your show” or just make it a way easier job for me, but it looks a lot more fun to them.

SOPHOMORE & BABYSITTER

EVAN PLATZ

JUNIOR & DAY CARE WORKER

I ASK THEM A LOT of personal questions when I frst meet them, basic things like, favorite color, favorite animal, things like that. And I just try to speak to them on their level and try and fnd any commonalities that we can talk about so that they get to know me a little bit better and then I can know them a little bit better.

HANNAH GEFFERT

Making children feel comfortable in a daycare or babysitting setting is important because of the lasting impact it can have on a child’s openness

design by sophie lindberg photos by sabrina dean, liv madden & claire goettsch

Students who work with children share what they do to connect with kids

CONNECTING WITH

BAKED FOR GOOD

THE HARBINGER design by macy crosser

ABOVE SHARE chairs of the project gathered to make all of the baked goods the Monday before. Five different types of treats were made, including muffins, cookies and rice krispie treats. photo by I riley eck

RIGHT After school, senior Max Cowden scans the QR code to Venmo for a cookie from the bake sale. photo by I charlotte emley

Collecting over $400 for KC Angels Foster Care, juniors Nora Hill, Ellie McDermed and Leah Sherry organize a bake sale set up in the halls before and after school

LEFT Junior Sofie Carson volunteers at the bake sale table after school on Thursday, Feb 23. Carson was one of six volunteers at the table throughout the week. photo by I riley eck

FAR RIGHT Junior Leah Sherry arranges baked goods on the table. “I felt really happy too have the opportunity to run this and do something good for the community,” Sherry said. “I’m not really sure what the money will be used toward, but I know it will be something good.”

photo by I riley eck

SCAN ME PHOTO

Scan here to purchase photos from this event

ABOVE The bake sale accepts cash, Venmo and credit cards set up by the main stairs on the third floor. On the last day, every item on the table was on sale for $1.

photo by I charlotte emley

LOOKING

feature.

A BREAK FOR

SCHOOL

Juniors use spring break to tour colleges before application season

CROSSLEY CHARLIE

BOSTON, DC & VIRGINA

- BOSTON UNIVERSITY

- BOSTON COLLEGE

- GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY

- UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINA

ZASTROW ASHLEY

BOSTON & PHILADELPHIA

- BOSTON UNIVERSITY

- BOSTON COLLEGE

- TUFTS UNIVERSITY

- VILLANOVA UNIVERSITY

BATTLE OF THE BRAWNS

Harbinger videographers ask boys winter sports players trivia questions

THIS WEEK IN PHOTOS

A look at what’s happening inside the halls of East

JAYDEN SCHUESSLER

WRESTLER & SENIOR

[RYAN DEHAN] spoke some lines [and] made it feel pretty professional in nature, but we were all having a good time so it was a pretty humorous and enjoyable atmosphere.

CURRENT BRACKET

WRESTLING

BOWLING

BASKETBALL

SWIM

WRESTLING

SWIM ?

SCAN ME VIDEO

Watch episode one of Winter Sports Trivia Games: basketball vs. swim

SCAN ME VIDEO

Watch episode two of Winter Sports Trivia Games: wrestling vs. bowling

design by bridget connelly

photos by claire geottsch & riley eck

BELOW Junior Ruby Wagner and senior Delia Cashman record for their jazz band, Whitney Payne Quartet. They are available for gigs and performances.

photo by I paige bean

ABOVE Environment Education ferret Noddle sniffs and interacts with a kindergartner visiting the classroom.

LEFT Sophomore Scout Jacobs creates her jewelry box in woodshop class. photo by I clara peters

design by lyda cosgrove

BRICKS

story

by maggie condon

BENEFIT

Indian Hills seventh grader Max Atlas shares his love for LEGOs by organizing collections and donations to organizations around the city

LOGISTICS

SEVENTH-GRADER MAX Atlas had a light bulb practically light up over his head when he realized his perfect idea to help the community. Collecting as many Lego sets and pieces as he can to donate to charity. In the spur of the moment he pitched his idea to his parents — Heidi and Jon Atlas — in his kitchen; and they were immediately up for the challenge.

That lightbulb moment went off when he had recently been feeling lucky and grateful for what he had and felt he could take on the responsibility to help others.

Max had spent his childhood playing with Legos and knew he wanted to combine that and charity together.

“I love [Legos], so I just wanted to find a way to spread that love,” Max said.

So since November, Max has been collecting Legos to donate to local organizations with his fundraiser: Max’s Lego Sharing Project. He even typed up Lego-colored blue, yellow and red fliers on the “Pages” app on his iPad making sure to outline the mission of his idea: collecting and giving Legos to those who can’t afford to buy their own.

His first step for his mission was to decide where exactly people could go to donate and drop off Legos. With a deep love for ice cream and being a frequent customer at Summer Salt Ice Cream Co. Max emailed the business in hopes to partner with them for the fundraiser. Max planned to pick-up and collect donations every few weeks. A couple weeks later, he set up donation bins at Corinth Elementary and

Indian Hills Middle School for Kindness Week collecting Legos.

“It makes me feel great in the sense that I’m able to be a part of helping kids be able to have Legos to keep themselves busy, especially if they’re in a hospital,” Summersalt owner Curtis Thurston said.

With a stack of 150 fliers, some were sent to Summersalt where they were laid out for customers to grab, the rest were hung up in the halls and bulletin boards of Indian Hills.

Next on his agenda was to collect plenty enough Legos to his chosen charities: Ronald McDonald House and Children’s Mercy to help hospital patients and families, Kansas City International Academy for their school for nonEnglish speakers to have some new toys and Jewish Vocational Services for immigrants and refugees in the process of refugee resettlement.

In Max’s first few weeks, he collected around 100 pounds of Legos — and that was just the beginning.

Since Max isn’t old enough to drive, his parents drive him to the collection points every two weeks. And with 50-gallon bins filled to the brim with Legos needing to be piled into their SUV Max’s younger sister joins in on the pickup process too, helping transport the Legos.

After dragging the pounds of Legos through his front door he starts sorting. He separates out the unopened sets, loose bricks, pre-built sets including his favorite of the Legos collected: the iconic ghost-mobile from Ghostbusters and

finally he puts the miscellaneous pieces into groups based on size.

Now with over 437 pounds of Legos, this originally-small project to help the community fills the Atlas’ dining room — boxes, bins and half-built sets piling up behind their dining room table.

Max took collections until the end of February with the final pickup being completed at Summersalt. The Legos remained at his house until they’re officially delivered to the four charities he chose.

On March 10, Ronald McDonald and Children’s Mercy will have a press event for the Legos, showcasing how important these donations are.

Many of the new Legos and money donations that have been received will go there with the rest being sent to Jewish Vocational services and Kansas City International Academy.

For the future, Max hopes to turn his idea into something bigger than a small community project — maybe an official non-profit organization. He can already picture a building with his Lego-colored homemade logo on it somewhere in the skyline of Downtown Kansas City. But for now, he plans to focus on school and soccer.

“I already have a logo for it,” Max said. “It’s the top of the bricks part and wrapped around it says ‘Helping Since 2022.’”

437 total pounds of LEGOS collected as of Feb. 26

Locations where Max has held fundraisers

SUMMER SALT ICE CREAM

CORINTH ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

INDIAN HILLS MIDDLE SCHOOL

TO Organizations Max plans to donate to

RONALD MCDONALD HOUSE

CHILDREN’S MERCY

KC INTERNATIONAL ACADEMY

JEWISH VOCATIONAL SERVICES

I LOVE LEGOS so I just wanted to fnd a way to spread that love.

MAX ATLAS

A look into Max’s LEGO collection process

photo by liv madden

INACCESSIBILITY

CHALLENGES OF

CON ROL

Birth control is inaccessible to certain groups while still maintaining prevalence despite its negative impact on the lives of teenage girls

TITLEXOVER TIME COMPARING

CONTRACEPTIVES

TITLE X : The Nation’s Program for Affordable Birth Control and Reproductive Health Care. TRUMP’S IMPACT : In 2019, the Trump administration enforced the “domestic gag rule” requiring clinics to withhold information about abortion services and care, causing around 1,000 clinics to leave the program. BIDEN’S IMPACT: In 2021, the Biden-Harris administration released a new rule eliminating the gag rule restrictions and helping the clinics rejoin the network.

Comparing accessibility to contraceptives in Kansas and Missouri

less access more access

173,820 374,750

WOMEN IN NEED IN KANSAS AND MISSOURI LIVE IN CONTRACEPTIVE DESERTS — COUNTIES WITHOUT REASONABLE ACCESS TO A FULL RANGE OF CONTRACEPTIVE METHODS

*according to Power to Decide

Effectiveness, cost and longevity of multiple contraception methods

INTRA-UTERINE DEVICE

*according to Planned Parenthood

99% effective costs up to $1,300 lasts up to 12 years

CONDOMS

87% effective $2 per condom single-use

SURGICAL STERILIZATION

99% effective costs up to $6,000 permanent & irreversible

BIRTH CONTROL

93% effective costs up to $50 take once a day

LAYING IN TEARS with a abdomen, sophomore Emma couldn’t escape the period cramps. over two weeks of absences questioned if she’d ever feel safe

But what if Emma didn’t have She’d heard of birth control periods, even the heavy ones. doubling over in pain every time one hormone-infused pill a day

“You can’t start birth control,” “You haven’t had your period Aubuchon couldn’t help her couldn’t get a prescription to the doctor’s lack of knowledge

She’d had her period for two be too early? An excuse. That’s it. She knew people that started earlier into having their periods. different?

“It was nonsense,” Aubuchon or my mom] could understand me birth control].”

Aubuchon was just one of in the U.S. who struggle to according to Power to Decide. administration proposed a expand access to birth control, still be inaccessible to youth

*name changed to protect

CROUCHING ON THE floor of up, sophomore Jordan Fuller birth control patch. She was

Fuller has been on five different year’s span, each presenting still dreadful — side effects.

While not everyone reacts birth control, the majority of form of the side effects — especially two to three months, according Today. Hormonal contraception from bloating to blood clots, strokes or pulmonary embolisms.

But some students still use its hazardous effects because certain medical conditions, while stopping the user from

But for women like Fuller, is a necessity despite side Willebrand Disease, a blood blood to not clot, possibly bleeding, anemia and low iron.

Fuller has been menstruating and has tested different forms

story by emmerson winfrey

heating pad over her Aubuchon felt as if she cramps. After racking up due to her cramps, she safe from her own body. have to fear her cramps?

control regulating her friends’ ones. If it meant no more time she left her bed, then day would be worth it. control,” her doctor said. period long enough.”

her frustration when she — which she attributes knowledge on contraception.

two years, how can that That’s how Aubuchon saw started birth control even periods. Why was she any Aubuchon said. “Neither [me understand [why she wouldn’t give

of the 19 million women to obtain contraceptives, Decide. While the Biden new rule on Jan. 30 to control, contraception can due to misinformation,

healthcare barriers, high prices or a lack of access to primary care providers, according to a survey by The National Center for Biotechnology Information.

Included within the Affordable Care Act, the proposed rule would reverse the 2018 regulation allowing private healthcare insurers to deny coverage for birth control for moral reasons. Under the new law, insurers could no longer use moral convictions as exemptions for birth control prescriptions, but could still cite religious reasons. The act would also allow providers to offer free contraceptives to those whose insurance doesn’t cover it.

The public has the opportunity to give thoughts on the proposed rule over the next few months before it’s finalized.

intrauterine device

Without insurance, birth control options aren’t cheap, with intrauterine devices ranging from $500$1000, the list price for Nexplanon, or the implant, at $1,092. Birth control pills are the cheapest option at $20-$40 per pack, but a survey done by the Kaiser Family Foundation showed that one in five women aren’t using their preferred method of birth control. A quarter say it’s because they can’t afford it.

This proposal affects women like senior Emily Rocca, who was unable to get the birth control implant

she wanted due to her insurance not supporting birth control and its implications of underage sexual activity.

“I initially wanted the implant [instead of the pill], but my insurance is Catholic, so they refuse to cover any of that,” Rocca said.

Rocca’s only other affordable option was the pill — a form of birth control medication that contains hormones such as estrogen and progestin to prevent pregnancy and balance hormones. These hormones can potentially have negative side effects such as mood changes or irregular bleeding — unlike implants or IUDs which don’t contain estrogen.

The difference impacts women’s preferred contraception method. A survey by the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology shows that 60% of women stop taking birth control pills within the first three months due to the effects of the estrogen. While women must also swallow the pill around the same time daily, alternatives like an implant don’t require maintenance.

“I was definitely frustrated because I know how I am with pills,” Rocca said. “I was definitely ticked off. Especially with college coming up, spending a grand on an implant would not be ideal.”

Dr. Melissa Miller — a co-director of research at Children’s Mercy Hospital who focuses on birth control research, access and education — agrees that contraception needs to be accessible to teens to destigmatize it and ensure safe sex practices.

“[Birth control] is part of everyday healthcare,” Miller said. “They shouldn’t be separate. To be a whole healthy person, you need to think of all your body systems and the care that they need.”

When Aubuchon saw an obstetrician-gynecologist — a doctor specializing in women’s reproductive health — after getting denied by her pediatrician, she easily obtained the birth control that her primary care doctor refused to give her.

Miller agrees that doctors can be unnecessarily hesitant to prescribe birth control. In her own discussion with doctors, she finds that many clinicians are uncomfortable with the topic or lack training with contraceptive counseling. Miller also encounters clinicians who are biased toward contraception with judgments about birth control’s role in “proper” adolescent behavior.

This inaccessibility is widespread. A 2022 Advocates for Youth survey with 243 participants from 42 states found that 88% of young people struggled to access birth control and 55% experienced so many barriers that they were unable to start taking birth control on their preferred timeline.

“There’s a lot of people that don’t have insurance and can’t access birth control or get to a primary care doctor,” Miller said. “And then if you do have insurance and your physician or provider could prescribe a medicine for you that’s safe and legal, then there should be no reason that an insurance company should be able to deny access to medication.”

of her bathroom throwing Fuller ripped off her Xulane done.

different birth controls in a a slew of different — but

reacts negatively to hormonal women experience some especially within the first according to Medical News contraception can cause effects clots, potentially leading to embolisms.

use birth control knowing because it helps counteract period cramps and acne conception.

Fuller, hormonal birth control side effects. She has Von disorder that causes her inducing uncontrollable iron. menstruating for a year straight forms of birth control to

stop it — a transdermal contraceptive patch, DepoProvera — a birth control shot, combination and progesterone only birth pills and an IUD. Over the summer, she was taking the shot, pill and had an IUD all at once.

“When I was on three, my skin was breaking out so bad,” Fuller said. “And my family, like every night, would say I was losing my mind.”

Her birth control regime has led to daily mood swings, irritability and acne even though her skin had been previously clear. Plus, she considers herself permanently infertile due to all the different birth controls she’s been on.

“At school I keep it real together; all day I’m tense,” Fuller said. “Then at home, just total hormonal ups and downs. I get really angry, then will just start sobbing. You’d think I was going crazy.”

The hormones in birth control affect everyone differently and may not cause an immediate response. When senior Melissa Ainslie first started the combination pill two years ago, she experienced no side effects. Six months later, her anxiety increased and moods became more volatile — earning her the nickname ‘Mute Melissa’ from her friends during her down swings.

She began hating her normal activities like diving and meeting friends. On her worst days, she was too anxious to even attend math class.

“I kind of became a new person,” Ainslie said. “I just felt more and more depressed and not like myself to the point [where] I wasn’t enjoying normal activities anymore.”

After six months on the pill, Ainslie was vomiting weekly due to the anxiety resulting from the pill’s hormonal influence, eventually losing 12 pounds in a two-month span.

After quitting dive, dropping a math class, starting Lexapro, seeing therapists and discussing her symptoms with her doctors, Ainslie switched from birth control pills to an IUD three months later. Finally, her lingering symptoms disappeared for good. According to gynecology nurse Sarah Wareham, no form of birth control causes long-term reactions like mood disorders or infertility as hormone levels should balance out after a person stops taking a contraceptive.

“None of them should really have a long-term side effect, even with an IUD or Nexplanon that’s inserted in the arm,” Wareham said. “Once you stop taking that pill or stop the patch or remove the device, if

fertility is what your goal is, as long as you’re healthy otherwise, things should go back [to normal].”

Junior Holly Bell* — who went to the emergency room for severe period cramps after starting birth control pills to counteract acne — has felt normal since stopping.

“I think just having those hormone imbalances changed the way my body worked,” Bell said.

Those unhappy with their current hormonal contraception or suffering from various side effects should see a healthcare provider before stopping the birth control, according to the Center for Young Women’s Health. Doctors may be able to offer different forms of birth control with less side effects depending on each individual.

“There’s so many great methods available, if you try a method and you have a side effect or you don’t like, please don’t give up,” co-director of research at Children’s Mercy Hospital who focuses on birth control research, access and education Melissa Miller said. “Talk to your doctor or nurse about what you did or did not like about that method and try something new. There’s really a lot of great methods that can also help.”

EFFECTS While students use birth control to help with periods, medical conditions or contraception, the negative side effects can be detrimental

Amid the Biden administration’s proposed relaxed birth control rules, females still struggle to access their preferred contraception method

a small T-shaped plastic and copper device medically inserted into the uterus, releasing copper to prevent pregnancy

for 5-10 years

MAJOR CANDIDATES

story by sophia brockmeier

With Drum Major auditions upcoming on March 21, three of the seven candidates have unique motives to compete for three slots

ALEX SHROCK | SOPHOMORE

THEN-FRESHMAN ALEX SHROCK was overwhelmed by the 80 instrument-clad high schoolers bustling around him at his first-ever band camp. He knew no one, including the three upperclassmen drum majors – so he was shocked when they invited him to lunch.

The kindness of his older Drum Majors inspired Shrock to audition to become one himself so he can help the incoming freshmen find a place in band.

“The first time that the band played music and marched at the same time, the Drum Majors really helped us freshmen be able to be a part of that,” now-sophomore Shrock said. “That moment felt so amazing that it really made me want to be able to help other new freshmen.”

So Shrock applied to be a clarinet section leader this past fall and was accepted — he passed out music, answered questions and sent out important announcements through GroupMe to other students in the clarinet section.

After consistently going home and excitedly giving play-by-plays of being a section leader to his parents last semester, Shrock now turns to the Drum Major applications to take on more responsibility like conducting.

“I want to make everyone enjoy coming to band every day and to make it a very tight knit and social community,” Shrock said.

AUDITION PREVIEW

Information about the band major auditions

WARM UP THE fundamentals. Take it slow. Work out the kinks.

It doesn’t matter if he’s sitting in a band practice room or standing on the red umber track, junior Davis Muther starts off each practice session the exact same way.

As both a first-chair trombone player and avid track runner, Muther spends most evenings working on improving his skills in both areas.

“As individuals we always strive to make things perfect,” Muther said, “For me, I want to make my music as perfect as possible while also perfecting my form and how I run.”

Musicians, much like runners, put in the time and energy to practice in order to see the results pay off in performances. Though he realizes that he can’t force the band to spend more time individually practicing at home, he plans to encourage it.

“People can tell if you practice a lot and if you’re doing good things in the practice rooms,” Muther said. “Being a perfectionist is all about being a musician.”

OTHER CANDIDATES:

ROXAS DEVINE SOPHOMORE ASH HATTRUP LINCOLN KING

THE ONLY BAND member that can be identified from even the worst seats in the stands at Friday night football games is sophomore Madi Moormann — unmistakable in a Lancer Dancer uniform instead of typical marching band attire.

As a Drum Major, Moormann simply wouldn’t be able to miss a meeting or a warm-up, she’d have to be present for each band event — undoubtedly conflicting with dance at some point. It already has this year.

“We’ll be warming up for band and I’ll miss a picture that I was supposed to be in for dance,” Moormann said. “Or I’ll be stretching with dance and we’ll be having some meeting for band.”

She hasn’t decided what her dance career will look like next year. But she knows she doesn’t want to quit band.

“[Music] has always been in my life,” Moormann said, “It’s one of the biggest factors. And I just don’t even know how my life would be if I didn’t have music in any form.”

The remaining Drum Major candidates for next year

design by katie murphy

photo by tristen porter

design by lyla weeks & katie murphy photo courtesy of brynn delaney

TOP 150

story by tristan chabanis

Sophomore Brynn Delaney was accepted into the Under Armour 150 lacrosse team, the top recruiting combine in girls' lacrosse as the only sophomore girl in the Kansas City area to be successful in this achievement

THEN-FRESHMAN BRYNN

Delaney kneeled among her teammates after a crushing loss to Pembroke Hill, the first game of the 2022 lacrosse season. Disheartened after a series of practices and now a full game of hardly receiving the ball from her teammates, she felt alienated. The words of her teammate — someone she had thought was her friend — still echoed in her head.

You need to stand down or I'll put you in your place. I have seniority. You’re not special. You shouldn’t even be on the team. You’re just a freshman.

She questioned if the hours of practicing spin moves on the Indian Hills field had been a waste of time. Did she deserve to have a spot on Varsity as a freshman?

Did she deserve to touch the ball?

Delaney realized she loved the game of lacrosse in seventh grade. After moving back from Colorado where she had played competitively, she joined a traveling club team Kansas City Lacrosse Club.

When the team played its first tournament in Delaware, Delaney experienced an entirely different side of lacrosse. On the East Coast, lacrosse is just like football in the South, Delaney said. Everyone grows up playing it; they live by it.

“Right away, you could see that all these girls were better than almost any player in the Midwest,” Delaney said. “The difference was staggering. Since then, I’ve wanted to not just be a good player in the Midwest, but a

BRYNN'S BESTS

good player, period. It motivated me to work so much harder.”

After these games, Delaney began training as hard as her body could handle. Nearly every day after school, she’d walk down to the Indian Hills soccer field with her stick in hand and a couple of lacrosse balls tucked into her backpack pocket.

She spent 2 hours a day slinging the ball into the beat-up training net and practicing face dodges. She spent weeks at a time playing solely with her left hand to improve her dexterity and add another layer to her game. When it was too rainy or cold to play outside, she took her equipment to the IHMS gym and smacked balls against the wall.

“Brynn would ask me almost every day if I wanted to practice shooting with her after school,” Delaney’s longtime teammate junior Lauren McGuire said. “Even though I normally couldn’t, I would still always see her on the field working. It was incredible to see how much she grew as a player during that time. Not only physically was she more skilled, but her lacrosse IQ also grew. You could tell she was studying film when she wasn’t practicing.”

When she made the varsity lacrosse team her freshman year, her biggest struggle was not with any of the drills or scrimmages, but rather with herself and her confidence. She

Some of Delaney's past accomplishments

First Team All-Metro award Newcomer of the Year as a freshman

made Team 180 and KCLC

was the only freshman on the team, and with that came the expectation to perform immediately?

Naturally, as Delaney took a starting position, one of the seniors was bumped down, sparking friction between her and the upperclassmen.

After the first game against Pembroke ended with a big underperformance and harsh words were spoken, the bullying worsened.

She felt the upperclassmen’s eyes tracking her across the field, judging each pass and cradle. During passing drills, she was purposely skipped so she couldn’t catch the ball. At practice, she was ignored. During games, she was a non-factor.

“My confidence reached an all-time low,” Delaney said. “I couldn’t score and never got passed the ball. It got to the point where I was dreading games and practices. I began to wonder if I was good enough to be on the team and if I even deserve to have the ball in the first place.”

McGuire realized Delaney needed guidance to play at the level she knew she was capable of. She started condemning abusive behavior from her teammates, such as

not sharing the ball or purposely ignoring her. Words of encouragement helped draw Delaney out of the hole others had dug for her.

“I think it was right before our fourth game [that] I pulled her aside and gave her a pep talk,” McGuire said. “‘Listen, you’ve played teams on the East Coast that are 10 times better than the one we’re facing today and you dominated. Stop doubting yourself and show everyone who you are.’”

Delaney finally broke through.

During the second half of her fourth game, with the help of coach Turpin telling her teammates to pass the ball, she scored. Again. And again. And again.

Delaney doesn’t remember how many goals she scored that game, but she will always remember how the team rallied around her that day. Her self-doubts vanished.

“Once I started to score, the rest of the team let go of whatever they were holding against me before,” Delaney said. “To be honest, I feel like that’s when I really started playing. That’s when I actually made the team. Before that I was just there. Now I am one of them.”

United, the team pivoted their effort to winning — and they did. By the end of the season, Delaney and the rest of her teammates hoisted the state trophy above their heads.

SCAN FINISH READING

Go online to read more about Delaney's lacrosse latest accomplishments

ALL THINGS...

The Legendary Playlist is a project featuring seniors’ favorite songs nominated through a Google Form

I WANT SENIORS to look back on this and listen to old music they listened to as a kid and remember songs they listened to with their friends. And I also wanted to learn more about seniors I’ve barely talked to.

100 songs 7 hours long

After performing at Mr. CANsas, Brennan showcases yet another musical talent: singing

IT WAS ALL a frst. First time singing in front of an audience, playing my guitar for the frst time and performing for the frst time in front of people I really know. I was so nervous, but I practiced for months before so I kinda just said ‘I’ll be fne if I don’t think about it.

THE CHARACTER Miles Morales [from Spiderman] is into street art and gets the ‘hello my name is...’ stickers and slaps them around NYC. I thought it would be cool to get some of those for practice, and I wouldn’t slap them anywhere, but I got this journal and put them in there as a reference book, so if I ever want to a big version of them, I could.

good luck

furr little black submarines

STRITT published the day before graduation

SENIORS: fill out this google form in order for your song to be added

HE PLAYS... FLUTE

ACOUSTIC GUITAR

ELECTRIC GUITAR

PLAYLIST T HE MUSICIAN

BRENNAN’S STREET TAG

Brennan makes street art-inspired pieces

THE HARBINGER

design by peyton moore

photos by riley eck photos courtesy of spotify

a&e.

COMING SOON MOVIES SERIES

MARVEL TRIVIA

ACROSS DOWN

1. What kind of animal does Hela have in Thor: Ragnarok?

9. Which of Odin’s children is adopted?

10. What fower is on the necklace Peter buys MJ in Venice?

11. What type of doctor is Stephen Strange?

12. What infnity stone is in Vision’s head?

13. In the post-credits of Avengers, what food do they all go out to eat?

ANT-MAN AND THE WASP: QUANTAMANIA

East student’s opinions on the new Ant-Man and the Wasp movie

2. What video game does Thor play in Endgame?

3. Where in New York is Captain America from?

4. What is the name of Thor’s hammer?

5. What is the name of Tony’s AI system?

6. Who sings the frst song that plays in Iron Man?

7. The trophy Scott hides his suit under says “World’s Best” what?

8. What is the name of the boy Tony befriends in Iron Man 3?

FUNNY DISAPPOINTING TERRIBLE

IT ACTUALLY WAS pretty good. I liked the big head guy, I thought he was hilarious. I literally laughed every single time he was on the screen. I thought the bad guy was pretty good.

I THINK THE new phase 5 is terrible so far. I was expecting it to be really bad. It surpassed my expectations and was a lot worse. I mean you have to watch it if you’re a marvel fan, but it’s a one-time watch.

I SAW MULTIPLE trailers and they got me very excited. I was expecting a well-done movie and it did not meet my expectations.

I am extremely disappointed with the way Marvel is writing their movies now.

photos from marvel, disney, IMBD & claire goettsch

design by veronica mangine

A SWEET, SWEET SOIREE SOIREE

KATE SMITH SOIREE, a selfproclaimed “Luxe Boutique Bakery,” opened in downtown Overland Park on Feb. 14 — a fitting date for the bakery’s pink-filled aesthetic. This marks award-winning local business owner Kate Smith’s second bakery location, her first located in the Lenexa Public Market since 2019.

The chic bakery moved into the former Clock Tower Bakery building, and has been remodeled into an elegant, nearly unrecognizable new space.

Each interior detail incorporates some shade of pink, but in a classy way, not overboard Pinkalicious. The eye-catching pink flower-covered wall with a glowing “Stay Sweet KC” neon sign is sure to be a future photo-op in Instagram photos, and the rest of the interior elegantly follows suit: a cozy pink couch, tables with pink floral centerpieces, heart-shaped chairs and — though it may be temporary in celebration

of their opening — a huge pink balloon arch completes the fun and inviting look.

But front and center is the most important part of all: the “luxe” baked goods. Danishes, croissants and scones in at least four different flavors each, shortbread cookies, cinnamon rolls and the obvious star of the show in their own separate case — the macarons, almost all 16 of which were gluten-free, with the exception of a handful of novelty flavors like animal cracker and birthday cake. The bakery rotates their instore selection with a total of 66 flavors, according to their website.

Smith’s specialty is her extravagant macaron cake towers custom-made for events. And for good reason too — she truly seems to have mastered the art of the chic French cookie. With flavors ranging from champagne to passionfruit to maple bacon, there’s truly a flavor for everyone, which is what makes their macaron pack options so appealing for an easy, shareable treat to bring to a get-together.

As if their colorful, boastful display of baked goods wasn’t enough, the bakery also takes custom cake orders, plus a full espresso bar menu.

I went with a 4-pack of macarons for $9.50: champagne, lemon blueberry, chocolate hazelnut and cotton candy. Though I expected each of these distinct flavors to dazzle me, I was let down. Most of them felt just like biting into, well, sugar. The champagne tasted no different than that of a spoonful of sprinkles. Some of the flavors were there, but minimally. The lemon blueberry, with its vibrant yellow filling that I was certain would be a tartfilled bite, tasted about the same with only a slight hint of lemon — like sucking a lemon drop. Chocolate hazelnut and cotton candy followed suit, the latter only set apart by its even sweeter flavor — if that was even possible.

It only took a couple bites from each to feel a sugar overload in my mouth and a desperate need for water.

I went back for a second try, choosing a rose petal macaron, for $2.50 as a single, and the $4 gluten-free cheesecake bar — maybe I’m just not a macaron person. With such a unique flavor to replicate, I thought the rose petal surely had to be somewhat distinct. But again, I could only taste that hint of rose ever-so-distantly, as if this sugary cookie was baked near a vase of roses somewhere in the room. It seems that macarons are more for the aesthetic anyway, which the bakery certainly nailed.

And as for the cheesecake bar, also onbrand with the pink theme, I was thrilled to even see it was an option, having never found gluten-free cheesecake before. It was equally as sweet, which I expected this time, but luckily balanced by the classic cream cheese tang. Still, it was just a bit too rich to get through more than three bites.

When I return, I’ll stick with a cappuccino and maybe one of their more savory options instead.

story by lyda cosgrove Kate Smith Soirée, a new locally-owned bakery in Overland Park, specializes in macarons while providing a variety of other baked goods

ABOVE Macarons, a cheesecake bar and the ambiance of Kate Smith Soirée.

design by peyton moore photos by mj wolf

YOU JUST GOT

SERVED

story

Review of SERV, Overland Park’s newest pickleball venue

I’M RUNNING LATE for school. In a scramble to brush my teeth, change my clothes and stuff my backpack into my car, I don’t think twice about throwing on my East Pickleball Club sweatshirt.

However, when I rush to tennis practice after school, my tennis coach seems to notice every time — glaring at the sweatshirt and announcing that pickleball is taking over the world.

He has a point — the popularity of pickleball has exploded since COVID-19, growing nearly 40% between 2019 and 2021 to become America’s fastest-growing sport, according to usapickleball.org.

Though Naples, Florida has claimed the unofficial title of Pickleball Capital of the World, Kansas City is also home to numerous pickleball facilities — the newest being SERV, a cashless play-anddine venue located on 9051 Metcalf Ave. in Overland Park.

I grabbed the Niupipo brand paddle and ball set my mom ordered through Amazon during the pandemic, my Pickleball Club doubles partner and two worthy opponents to try out SERV.

Because it was cloudy with temperatures in the mid 30s, the outside area wasn’t too appealing, though I can imagine the hanging lights, wooden food stands, bar area and two large movie screens to be highly enjoyable on a cool, summer evening.

In contrast to the barren outdoors, the indoor area was booming with loud conversation coming from visitors of all ages sitting at booths, tables and the bar area which was stacked with colorful

drinks. The numerous TVs surrounding the dining area broadcasting the KU game resembled a lively sports bar.

We decided we’d play before eating, so we walked through aromas of American bar food and opened a door to get to a large, open area with six dark blue pickleball courts giving a totally different feel than the seating area.

I opened the door and was caught by a whoosh of air followed by the dense whacking sound of pickleballs bouncing on the courts. A wide mural of yellow pickleballs and blue and gray lines cover one wall and amusing phrases like “#pickleballislife” and “You Just Got SERVed” are printed on others, creating an environment that screams pickleball.

Privacy was minimal since the place was packed with families and players ages 5-60, but I didn’t mind — though it was a little awkward playing while 6-yearolds peered at us through the black fence around the boundaries of the court.

The courts also didn’t have an area to place our belongings, so we had to lay our sweatshirts and water bottles on the ground between the fence and the court. I would’ve appreciated a small bench or cubby for our things instead.

However, there were gray mats on the wall behind the court, a precautionary soft surface for hard-core pickleballers to crash into after hitting a Professional Pickleball Association National Championship winning forehand.

After a good 50 minutes of playing, we reentered the dining area and packed ourselves into the closest booth for dinner.

Unlike Chicken N Pickle, another pickleball venue in Overland Park, SERV offers a variety of local food options from Ibis Bakery croissants to Meat Mitch BBQ. I ordered buffalo wings with a side of fries from the Original Dinks Pizza + Wings. I always appreciate when businesses partner with local vendors, emphasizing KC’s small town charm with big city amenities.

Our group of four attempted to talk while waiting for our meals, but what felt like millions of echoing conversations happening all at once made it difficult to chat. The dining area was packed with families and recreational pickleball players.

Thankfully, my food only took about five minutes to arrive — our waitress setting a plastic to-go box in front of me. Though the fast-food look didn’t make the food seem all that appetizing, the wings and fries themselves were thoroughly cooked and satisfactorily seasoned and I assume the lid was there to keep my food warm.

The pleasurable play and dine experience I received from SERV makes me believe that the popularity of pickleball has yet to reach its peak.

SCAN ME WEBSITE

Scan this to take a closer look at the menus of SERV’s eight resturaunts

SERVIN AT

SERV

An overview of the eight restaurants SERV offers

GO JOE

Craft espresso drinks, curated teas, and fresh pastries daily

POWER PLANT

100% vegan eats

GRAB & GO

Rotating options available from 7-11 a.m.

SMASH BOWL

A light and healthy option made with greens, grains and lean protein

SLOWN BURN BBQ

Sides with savory meats and sauces from Meat Mitch and Kurzweil’s

TACODILE

Tacos with traditional street vendor vibes

D!NKS

Made to order specialty pizzas and jumbo wings

SLAMMERS

All-American burgers and sandwiches

by aanya bansal

design by veronica mangine photos by claire goettsch

ABOVE Junior Sam Burns takes a bite of his pulled pork sandwich from Slow Burn BBQ. photo by I veronica mangine

RIGHT Junior Anna Thelen falls to the ground after an intense point. photo by I claire goettsch

ABOVE After a game to 11, juniors Aanya Bansal and Matthew Yarlagadda tap rackets. photo by I claire goettsch

ABOVE Junior Aanya Bansal slices the pickleball back after a return.

photo by I claire goettsch

the first movie, Paramount Pictures paid over $10,000 an hour for access to real naval fighter jets to make the plane scenes more realistic, according to cinemablend.com.

The best parts of “Top Gun: Maverick” are the small homages to the original movie. Not only is the 1987 Oscar Best Music award winning song “Take My Breath Away” played throughout the movie, but “Great Balls of Fire” is also sung by Bradley “Rooster” Bradshaw — a tribute to his late father and Maverick’s former partner “Goose.”

“You saved Hollywood’s ass and you might have saved theatrical distribution,” filmmaker Steven Speilberg said to Cruise at the Oscar nominees luncheon. “Seriously, ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ might have saved the entire theatrical industry.”

There’s no doubt Speilberg is right — I went to see the movie four times within its release month.

Avatar: The Way of Water

on March 12, I decided to hunker down on my couch and watch the ten movies nominated for the Best Picture award and choose

After 30 hours of watching this year’s best in cinematography, I confidently stand

Elvis

The life of American music icon Elvis Presley, from his childhood to becoming a rock and movie star in the 1950s while maintaining a complex relationship with his manager, Colonel Tom

Elvis Presley impersonators mimicking his voice, movement and style, I rented the movie “Elvis” expecting not much beyond this stereotype.

I’ve seen Austin Butler on Disney Channel and was confident that he wasn’t a good pick for Presley. That is, until I saw him on the big screen mimicking his signature thrashing dance moves with such care, managing to pay tribute to the rock-and-roll icon without mocking him.

hearted Metkayina people and their animals stood out the most. They immediately welcomed the Sully family and treated them as their own.

The first “Avatar” movie is the highest grossing movie of all time — making almost three billion dollars. I wouldn’t be surprised if this sequel surpassed its original — especially considering it’s the third highest grossing movie only three months after its release.

Instead of being a mindless story with robots and time travel like most sci-fi films, this movie has a heartwarming theme of loyalty and friendship. I’m not usually a fan of futuristic, action-packed films, but “Avatar: The Way of Water” blew the genre out of the water — literally.

Butler’s performance was outstanding to watch. According to Entertainment Weekly, Butler spent a year and a half studying interviews and voice tapes trying to unpack who Elvis Presley really was — while also mastering Presley’s signature Southern twang. Butler’s dedication to the role even ended him up in the hospital after finishing filming the movie from exhaustion.

Butler wasn’t the only thing that made this movie Oscar-worthy — the detail and history the writers included in the story is impeccable.

Before watching, I had no clue how much Presley struggled for fame — government involvement and military leave are usually left out when hearing the story of the King of Rock and Roll. It’s wonderful to finally see the full story and think about Presley as a real person instead of just a musical prodigy.

design by mia vogel

photo by riley scott

A&E 25 MARCH 6, 2023

BACK TO

T

The beginning of the first episode is set on an island which the teens’ nickname “Poguelandia” where the group was left in the previous season after escaping the villain’s ship that held the stolen Cross of Santo Domingo. I love the picturesque survival style of the island and the fitting grunge outfits.

But I wish the show would’ve focused more on the Pogues’ everyday life on the island with more time there or at least a few flashbacks. The characters reminisce on their stranded days for the rest of the show, but the island scene itself is barely over ten minutes and feels like a rushed copout for the directors to get

Staffer reviews third season of Netflix’s top show of the week, Outer Banks

CHASE STOKES

story by isabel baldassaro

REASURE, HEIST, MURDER, beach paradise and a group of young adventure-seeking teens that call themselves the “Pogues” is really all you can ask for in a binge-worthy TV show. The thrilling Netflix original, “Outer Banks” released its third season on Feb. 23, and it’s already Netflix’s number one show of the week. After two years of biting my fingernails while we waited to see how the pogues would deal with being left on a deserted island, I wasn’t disappointed.straight to the action in the script. Little do they know, us superfans could watch JJ and Kie fish for an hour and still be entertained.

Then the Pogues are “saved” from the island by a friendly pilot who ends up being not-so friendly — a trope we’ve seen Outer Banks writers use episode after episode in previous seasons. The plot couldn’t have been less predictable.

Each episode ends in an over-the-top cliffhanger in typical suspenseful Outer Banks fashion, which helped keep me interested in the next episodes. Like when two rivals are locked in a room together at the end of Episode 2. By this point, I expect these cliffhangers — but I still can’t help but fall into the director’s trap.

And it wouldn’t be Outer Banks without the characters continuously getting separated from each other, having to fend for themselves and then somehow find their way

A QUICK CATCHUP

Reminders about the previous seasons of Outer Banks

OUTER BANKS OF NORTH CAROLINA

POPE

back together — normally at the exact same time and place. That pretty much sums up Season 3, which is packed with noticeably unrealistic miraculous reunions.

It was even more outlandish than season two. Parents letting their kids go on another treasure hunt after losing them for months? Really? Or John B and his dad figuring out how to cross the Mediterranean Sea without gas on an old boat? Life in the Outer Banks works out too often for the characters.

While the unrealistic events in the plot were painful to watch, I did love the abundance of action. Their hunt took away from the beachy lifestyle full of best friends and relaxing sunny days I had hoped for, but it gave a good wrap up to the long battle for the treasure.

Plus directors were thankfully still able to work in character development scenes and rom-com moments — what made us teens addicted since season one. I couldn’t

POGUES KOOKS vs.

Characteristics of the show’s main opposing groups

POGUES KOOKS

help but love the cringy romance between JJ and Kie and watching them argue over how they “could never be together.”

The switch from crazy action to engaging character interactions kept the episodes entertaining and easy to binge.

The most notable character addition is Big John, John B’s dad, who left me feeling uneasy. Though many appreciate his appearance, I felt like he was stealing screen time from more entertaining characters like Kie and JJ that was instead used to highlight his grumpy, treasure-hungry persona.

Overall, season three had me binging for hours and I’ve already added season four — which has been officially confirmed by Netflix — to my list.

OTHER OBX OPINIONS

Another staffer’s opinion on the new season

TEENAGERS

5 16 YEARS OLD

the working class live on the south side run charters for the rich

ADDIE MOORE

SOPHOMORE

MADELYN CLINE

RUDY PANKOW

MADISON BAILEY

JONATHAN DAVISS

SARAH CAMERON

THE

WHILE THE unrealistic events in the plot were painful to watch, I did love the abundance of action. Their hunt took away from the beachy lifestyle full of best friends and relaxing sunny days I had hoped for, but it gave a good wrap up to the long battle for the treasure.

BANKS BANKS

s p orts.

I LOVE OUR team bond and we’re all working super hard right now. I want us to keep up our strong dynamic throughout nationals.

I HAVE NO idea what the outcome will be... everyone has worked so hard that with any place or result we will walk away proud and happy, or at least I know I will.

surprise myself... I will be happy no matter with how we do because it’s more about mindset than the trophy we win. SOPHOMORE

before. I can’t wait to give it my all

design by ava cooper

photos by sabrina dean, hadley chapman & rachel bingham

photo by kenna harrington

tristen porter

photo by

paige bean

photo by

AVERY GUCK

UNSTOPPABLE

SOPH STATS

19-1 RECORD

THE CLOCK TICKED down to zero, marking the end of the sophomore boys’ basketball season and a win against their biggest rival, Shawnee Mission South. Ten hours of practice every week had paid off to achieve their ultimate goal of defending East’s honor in a historical rivalry, and the team was ready to celebrate.

Until they glanced over at their student section of seven.

The boys sophomore basketball team has been an overlooked and under appreciated program despite fairly successful results on the court for years, according to former players. But this year, the players got over their disappointment about not making JV or varsity to produce an especially successful season, according to head coach Kevin Weisner — despite a lack of fan support at a majority of their matchups.

24.7

hasn’t been a game where everybody hasn’t gotten in, or everybody hasn’t played extended minutes, because all 12 of them can really play. My 12th guy is just as good as the 6th, 7th guy.”

Weisner has seen many teams of boys as he started his coaching career as the head JV coach at Bishop Miege when attending and playing basketball there himself.

He then moved to East four years ago where he was hired to coach the sophomore team, exciting him because it meant he’d be working with a unique culture.

According to Weisner, the sophomore team often brings in a mix of players — some who are frustrated and lacking motivation, thinking they should’ve made JV, and others who are just there to have fun and not take it as seriously.

WILL BECK

The team finished the season with a 19-1 record with their one loss by only two points in the final seconds of the game against Olathe West.

SOPHMORE

“All 12 can play,” Weisner said. “There

Even now-Varsity starter senior George Kopp was disappointed when he made the sophomore team two years ago.

“I thought I was at the top of my game,” Kopp said about his own experience on the sophomore team. “But once we began to win and I was becoming a better player,

plus I also had created a great relationship with the coach, I got over it.”

However, that was not a problem for this year’s team — they were all ready to work from the first day according to Weisner. At the beginning of the season, they set a hefty goal: they wanted to go 20-0 and win the sophomore tournament.

But they realized early on that they needed to focus on smaller goals in order to achieve their bigger ones. Their first small goal was 5-0 and after they achieved that, their confidence had grown. Now, they just needed to continue coming closer as a team and building their morale.

“As the season went on, there was never a drop off in the amount of work the guys were willing to put in,” Weisner said.

The practice schedule stayed consistent throughout the season, with Weisner avoiding “anything crazy.” But the players didn’t get bored by the routine.

“I think we had a couple guys kind of disappointed to make the sophomore team,” sophomore team player Will Beck said. “But as the season went on, they were grateful to have the team we had and we all are pretty tight. So I think the mindset was just keep winning games and having fun at the same time.”

GREATEST SINGLE SEASON RECORD SINCE

1993

BUSINESS TEACHER & SOPHMORE COACH

THERE HASN’T BEEN a game where everybody hasn’t gotten in, or everybody hasn’t played extended minutes, because all 12 of them can really play.

design by afa akwankaa photos by madi maupin

I THINK WE had a couple guys kind of disappointed to make the sophomore team, but as the season went on, they were grateful to have the team we had and we all are pretty tight.

KEVIN WEISNER

pts

The sophmore basketball teams 19-1 record leads all East basketball teams in the

highest single

season record this year

story by christian gooley

FLETCHER NOBLIT SOPHMORE

COOPER HARDIN SOPHMORE

The team’s stats from Coach Weisner

MICHAEL WINTER SOPHMORE

design by paige zadoo

photos by charlotte emley & caroline martucci

FOUR BOYS

FOR THE BOYS

story by ben bradley

RIGHT AS THE boys lacrosse team finished drills and jogged to the far end of the field to advance to the conditioning portion of the tryouts, the four new managers went running to clear the goal. They had to prove their worth.

Because a good lacrosse manager, according to team operations manager Schurr, is someone who is able to take charge of the gray area of a sport that doesn’t fall upon the players or the parents.

“[The gray area] is the music for the pregame, setting up cones, even being able to repair some of the gear,” Schurr said. “Let’s say a screw comes loose on someone’s stick, having the ability to fix that.”

So senior managers Emerson Bihuniak, Ethan Boren, Eddie Leopold and Will Alexander gather loose balls, sticks and cones during tryouts. In past years, lacrosse managers didn’t have many responsibilities or the job didn’t exist at all. But this year, the seniors are buckling down to prove their helpfulness while continuing to hang out with their friends at practice.

Senior and offensive midfielder Cole Jackson — who has been on the team for four years — has been pitching the manager job description to his non-lacrosse friends since September. Having seen managers in the past, he knew it would make a fun job and allow him to see them more often.

“I was paying attention to who was actually listening to what I was saying,” Jackson said. “Whoever cared the most was who I was going to ask.”

After seeing how receptive they were to his conversations, it seemed clear to him that some of his closest friends, Bihuniak, Leopold, Boren and Alexander were most interested.

Even with little to no prior experience with lacrosse, the four signed up as lacrosse managers — a position that was held by only one student last year.

“We don’t have a very big senior class for lacrosse, so having four more senior managers who are my friends makes it a lot more fun for me,” Jackson said.

The managers are anticipating team dinners and traveling with the team to games as far as St. Louis. Plus, they get to watch Jackson play. Since the seventh grade, the four managers have kept within their tight-knit circle of 11 friends, with four of them being on the lacrosse team. However, throughout high school, it was rare that more than four of the boys at a time would call each other teammates or join the same club.

“I don’t think any of us have all been together [in an activity], and this is like 90% of our guy friend group,” Boren said. “When I played basketball, no one else did. So it will be fun to all be out there together, especially senior year.”

Each of the four managers plays a different sport, individually experiencing the sense of being on a team. Nearing the end of their senior year, they saw managing the team as an opportunity to test the spirit and hype of their own friend group.

“To be honest when we started, I didn’t think that we would have to do more than play music,” Bihuniak said. “But then [the coaches] gave us a huge piece of paper with tasks on it.”

In past years, the players’ parents have been the ones ensuring that players are prepared for the game by getting balls ready, leaving only the hype man position of the team to the managers. This year, the

program plans to allocate a stronger role to the managers, giving the parents a break, according to Schnurr.

During tryouts, the boys had two main tasks: setting and removing goals and cones and “shagging” balls — collecting old ones from the field. They’re also in the process of learning about the sport itself, like how to call a face-off — a method used to begin or restart a play by gaining full possession of the ball.

“We don’t know how to [call a face-off] yet,” Leopold said. “But we are learning more about how the game works as we go so we can help in practice.”

When real practices begin, they will be expected to help warm up the goalie by shooting with him while the rest of the team runs passing drills, and pay closer attention to when cones and equipment need to come on and off.

According to Jackson and the managers, a big part of their role is to raise excitement through sideline rowdiness and a carefullycrafted Spotify playlist featuring songs like Drip Too Hard and DNA to energize players before game time.

“When they hear our playlist, we want them to feel anger and rage and be ready to play the other team,” Bihuniak said.

Since they’re on the sidelines most of the time, the boys have less time to chat with friends who are playing, like Jackson, than they originally expected. But they’ve still found ways to have fun like cheering on their friends as they run by.

“A manager is the first guy to start the victory chant when they score a goal or be the first one to give a high five when they come off the field,” Schnurr said. “And that’s what we need from these boys.”

HE’S GOT THE...

Each managers’ different task

SCAN ME PLAYLIST

The managers’ “hype” Spotify playlist they made to liven up practices

These seniors are taking the lacrosse field for the first time as boys lacrosse managers

YEAR OUT

story by luke beil

Senior Dillon Mong’s journey to committing to the University of Kansas for football after only playing one Varsity season

SENIOR DILLON MONG was born a natural — whether it be recreational soccer, basketball or baseball, Dillon has always been involved in sports ever since he was a kid. It came as no surprise when he committed to play D1 football at the University of Kansas this past December. However, the first time he ever played a snap of high school football was five months ago.

“If you would’ve told me a year ago that I was going to play D1 football, I would laugh you off and say you’re crazy,” Dillon said.

Dillon’s main sport has always been basketball. It’s the only sport he’s played in high school up until this year and what he was hoping and planning to go to college for. But ever since his buddies in weights class convinced him to play football this year, his plans have changed.

“It’s definitely a weird feeling when you’ve been playing a sport [basketball] your whole life and you switch it up right before college,” Dillon said. Dillon attributes his work ethic and “full throttle” mindset to his success on the football field. As he would go on to start at tight end playing eight games with 29 receptions, 435 yards and five touchdowns on the season — much of which got him recruited to play at KU.

“We never had to push him to go outside,” Dillon’s father Grant Mong said. “I’d go over to pick him up from friends’ houses and he’d be soaking with sweat from playing outside.”

His skills on the basketball court

also came in handy when he started playing football. By playing tight end, Dillon quickly realized similarities between the sports like footwork and route running.

“Routes can be treated like dribble moves in basketball,” Dillon said. “When the coach would tell me to treat a route like a between the legs or crossover in basketball, it worked out great.”

But like playing any new sport, Dillon had his struggles as well. Due to his tall frame — standing at 6 foot 6 inches — blocking and getting leverage under defenders was something he had to really focus on, along with memorizing all the pre-designed plays and routes.

“Dillon’s a really coachable kid. If I told him he needed to make a certain adjustment or do something differently he would do it,” then strength and conditioning coach Mark Simoneau said. “I’ve never had to coach good effort to him, it’s just always there.”

During the season, Dillon’s mind was always on football. Aside from practicing routes outside of practice, throwing with friends and studying his playbook, Dillon religiously watched highlight videos of NFL tight ends like Travis Kelce, Keenan Allen and Calvin Johnson.

However, besides a few looks from some D2 schools he was about ready to throw his focus off of football. But Dillon still wasn’t satisfied.

“After our last game, a month went by and I wasn’t really getting any looks for football,”

HOOPS TO HUDDLES:

WHEN DID YOU START PLAYING?

“At 18 years old”

WHAT MADE YOU CHOOSE FOOTBALL OVER BASKETBALL?

“I had a lot more potential in a new sport”

Dillon said. “I was thinking about just focusing on the upcoming basketball season and trying to get an offer for that.”

Everything changed for Dillon when Kansas State reached out to Dillon and invited him to a game day visit. This visit re-assured Dillon that he could get recruited for D1 football, and sure enough KU came calling next.

“I never thought I was going to go to Lawrence,” Dillon said. “I always wanted to go out of state, but once I visited and saw the culture there I fell in love with it.”

After Seeing the strong season KU had this past year with them making it to a bowl game for the first time since 2008 with an almost brand new coaching staff, Dillon was ecstatic to be joining the team. Yet Dillon also enjoyed the smaller aspects of how KU runs its football program.

“They have the most tight end usage in the Big 12,” Dillon said. “The head coach, offensive coordinator, defensive coordinator and the strength staff all came from the University of Buffalo, so it’s really a great mesh of people.”

Dillon is planning on cruising down I-70 to KU at the beginning of the summer to get a head start on the competition. Since Dillon has only played football for a year, he knows he’ll deal with some struggles going into his first college season. But the biggest focus for Dillon is trusting himself and his process.

“I don’t know what my limit is or what my ceiling is but I know it’s a lot higher than what it was a year ago,” Dillon said. “I don’t think I have a ceiling.”

Quick facts over both Dillon’s football and basketball careers

WHEN DID YOU START PLAYING?

At 5 years old

DO YOU HAVE A “HIGH ACHIEVMENT” IN BASKETBALL?

“Throughout COVID I started improving”

design by sofia blades

photo courtesy of KU Athletics

SENIOR

IF YOU WOULD’VE told me a year ago that I was going to play D1 football, I would laugh you off and say you’re crazy.

DILLON MONG

design by rachel bingham

HIP-HOPPIN’ TO THE

Varsity Lancer Dancers prepare for nationals on March 2-5 to compete with their gameday, jazz and hip-hop dances

ABOVE Lancer Dancer Jazz Choreographer Morgan Burke wrote an inspirational message in August for nationals, which has stayed on the board since in anticipation. This is his second year working with the Lancer Dancers. photo by I rachel bingham

TOP LEFT Senior Ava Cooper packs her mesh biker shorts for under her jazz costume. She started packing two days before with costumes and then the following day, packed her toiletries, her practice wear and regular clothes. photo by I sabrina dean

SCAN ME PHOTO

Use this QR code to purchase photos from this event on Harbie Photo

ABOVE Past trophies line the walls of the dance room as varsity dance rehearses on their final day of practice during seventh hour. The last time the Lancer Dancers won nationals was 2013. photo by I rachel bingham

TOP RIGHT Senior Avery Guck drops in their nationals hip hop routine before a kip up. The team did their makeup and routine that they will do for nationals at the varsity boys basketball game against South on Feb. 24. photo by I kenna harrington

LEFT Some of the moms on the dance team brought spirit sticks for the dancers on March 1 as a send off to wish them luck at nationals. “I did not know that I was getting a spirit stick but my mom was really excited and she’s coming to nationals with be for the first time,” senior Avery Guck said. photo by I rachel bingham

INTO COLUMBIA

SPRINGING BREW

1.Roasterie’s cold brew mixed with the choice of sweet vanilla creamer or silky milk with a pump of Monin Lavender syrup and drizzles of heavenly honey

LAVENDER HONEY LATTE LAVENDER HONEY LATTE

Columbia Brew drops their next Spring menu, consisting of six new iced drinks

2. An exotic-flavored Liptons iced tea with tastes of blackberry and pomegranate on top of the soothing sensation from the honey and green tea

BLACKBERRY POMEGRANATE ICED TEA

BLACKBERRY POMEGRANATE ICED TEA

1.

BLACKBERRY LEMONADE BLACKBERRY LEMONADE

3. A dark purple lemonade with a bitter sweet taste of blackberry made with a single pump of Torani Blackberry Syrup

THEY’RE LOOKING FORWARD BREW...

The Dragon Fruit Lemonade because I’m a lemonade guy, and I don’t like coffee.

SEA SALT

CARAMEL LATTE SEA SALT CARAMEL LATTE

A sweet sea salt caramel syrup and 1% milk or rich French vanilla creamer pumped into the Roasterie’s cold brew

4.

PEACH

ARNOLD PALMER PEACH ARNOLD PALMER

5.

A couple of pumps of DaVinci Peach Gourmet syrup under a perfect mix of half Lipton Tea and half Chrystal Light

FRUIT LEMONADE DRAGON FRUIT LEMONADE

6. DRAGON

A beautifully ombre Crystal Light lemonade with two pumps of Monin Dragon Fruit premium gourmet syrup

A few of the staff members and the drink they are most looking forward to making and selling

The Honey Lavender Latte because a lot of students wouldn’t usually order it and really like it if they can get themselves to order it.

The Dragon Fruit Lemonade because I really like the drink from Starbucks, and it’s a really pretty bright pink.

THE

design by anna mitchell photos by lydia coe

2.

3.

4.

CHARLIE DUSKE MALLORY KEAL LUCY COVELL