Harbinger Issue 13 2012

Harbinger ISSUE 13 | SHAWNEE MISSION EAST | PRAIRIE VILLAGE, KS | APRIL 2, 2012

“Hunger Games” review p.25

SMEHARBINGER.NET

TEARING AWAY FROM TEXAS Junior Jordan Darling transfers from high school in Waco, Texas to play football

INSIDE THIS ISSUE:

p. 3

news

Harbinger looks at the effects of procrastination

p. 9

opinion

Staffer says students have rights to private social media

p. 26

a&e

Staffer reviews book “Free Will”

pp.16-17|story by Corbin Barnds|photo by Jake Crandall

p. 29

sports

A look at the fitness trends around KC

p. 32

photo essay

Photos from FIRST Robotics regionals

THE

PHOTOS OF THE WEEK SCHOOL

NEWS IN BRIEF

written by Hannah Ratliff

Band gets ready for district festival

Marissa Walton

Freshman Nick Bailey keeps the offense in possesion as he scoops up a ground ball while he recieves pressure from a BVN defender.

Grant Kendall

A concerned citizen displays his outrage at the rally for Trayvon Martin on the Plaza March 26.

All of the five Shawnee Mission high school symphonic bands will perform at the Shawnee Mission District Band Festival will be held this Tuesday, April 3 at 7 p.m. in the Shawnee Mission East auditorium, which is free to all guests. The Shawnee Mission East symphonic band will be performing “Festival Prelude”, and a more contemporary piece called “Be Thou My Vision”. Nationally known clinician Tim Mahr will be attending the festival, then working with each of the bands individually over the next two days.

“It’s great for all the schools to hear each other,” SME band director Kim Harrison said. “but [the students] thoroughly enjoy hearing the clinician the next day... they always give the kids a different perspective on the music.”

COMMUNITY

Kidnapper sentenced in county courthouse

Sarah Nicole Zaragoza was sentenced to 11 years in prison on March 20 after pleading guilty to the 2010 kidnapping of an 81-yearold woman outside of a Shawnee grocery store. Zaragoza abducted Edna Wells at knifepoint in August 2010. Zaragoza then forced Wells to drive around local banks and withdraw money from ATMs. The two went inside a bank to withdrawl money where Wells mouthed “help” to the teller, scaring away her abductor. Zaragoza received the Stefano Byer JUNIOR EMMA MEARA plays her acoustic guitar and same penalty as her co-defendant, Rachel sings for students at the Love 146 benefit concert on Ann Batista, who received 11 years for driving Zaragoza to the grocery store where March 22.

Wells was abducted.

Choir prepares for Masterworks Concert The Shawnee Mission East choir will be performing this Monday, April 2, at 7 p.m. in the Masterworks Choir Concert. The concert will be held in the SME auditorium and is free to all guests. The choirs will be singing pieces that they will perform at the state choir festival later this month. The Masterworks concert, which was cancelled last year, is an opportunity for the concert choir to get more performance time and to get a chance to perform the pieces for the state festival. “I think all our contest pieces are in pretty good shape because we had the opportunity to sing a lot of those with most of the people in Europe,” director Ken Foley said. “The other choirs have been working since January to get this concert together, so they’re in good shape.”

Lancer dancers and dates practice for Spring Show This year’s Lancer Dancer show will be in the Shawnee Mission East auditorium next Tuesday, April 10 at 7 pm. Tickets can be purchased at the door or from a lancer dancer for 7 dollars. The Lancer Dancers will be performing a showcase of their dances from this year, like their routines from nationals, along with some new dances, like a boys and girls dance, which they have never done before. They’re hoping for increased attendance thanks to the support they got from competing in nationals this year.

“I think the only time they performed the nationals hip-hop [routine] was at the Rockhurst game,” Lancer Dancer choreographer Alexis Close said. “there were a lot of people who missed it who are hoping to come [to the show] and see it.”

Local resident fights fine over holiday display

City wants an exemption from liquor law for art fair

A Prairie Village man is reportedly fighting a fine that was issued last January over a holiday display that obstructed visibility of neighbors who were leaving or entering their driveways. Mike Babick is opposing the fine because he claims the city was imposing on his First Amendment rights.

Babick’s house, located on Falmouth Street, has an elaborate display every year. The city believes that the civil case could be finished in May, but Babick’s attorney, Frank Gilman, could push the case into district court.

The city of Prairie Village is hoping to work around Kansas liquor laws so that attendees of the Prairie Village Art Fair this summer will be able to walk around to booths while enjoying a drink. The city is hoping to make the Art Fair an official community event, allowing them a group liquor license. This would resolve concerns of officers having to enforce the Kansas liquor laws that would restrict drinking to certain areas of the fair, which the city believed people would disregard since drinking had not been restricted in past years. The city council will need to take a vote on making the fair a community event.

ISSUES OF PV CITY COUNCIL ELECTIONS Term limits Spencer Davis

A member of a drumline composed of volunteer supporters entertains the crowd at the Trayvon Martin Rally. The drumline’s performance was one of several events including speeches from the local African American community.

2 | NEWS

For the city to enact term limits, voters would have to pass a change to the city’s charter. Term limits are favored by some so as not to insulate members of the council and create stagnation. But, there is also a chance that interest in the office is limited, since members aren’t paid.

The council would also lose the potential benefits of experienced members.

Sales tax for parks

Prairie Village is home to 11 city parks including a large public swimming pool complex, and a complex of 10 tennis courts. All these facilities are very costly to maintain, and with recent economic hardships, funding for the parks has become scarce.

Many candidates support putting a sales tax hike to a vote by the population of Prairie Village.

Future of Mission Valley

As one of the most prominent issues at city council meetings for the last 6 months, the fate of Mission Valley is one of the major campaign issues for the candidates. With housing prices often influenced by schools’ proximities, many favor trying to ensure the property remains a school. Other stances turning it into city offices or transforming it into even more green space.

WAITING GAME Why students keep playing the

Harbinger takes a deeper look at procrastination at East and the way it’s changing

written by Toni Aguiar | art by Kat Buchanan By the fall of her junior year, current se- are chronic procrastinators, up 15 percent nior Atiyeh Samadi had already written six from 1970 — a higher percentage than pages for her IB Extended Essay — a 4000- those who suffer from substance abuse, deword research paper considered a core pression or phobias. This indicates that alcomponent of IB. She was writing about the though procrastination has been prevalent Islamic Revolution of 1979 and its effect on in years past, the number of people who Iranian women, and had been to the UMKC procrastinate as a way of life is on the rise. library to find her required print sources.

For students, increased use of technolShe’d started as soon as it was assigned ogy, mounting obligations and an accepduring her junior year and had tried to tance of procrastination in school have avoid procrastinating. A year later, in Feb- contributed to the widespread effects of ruary of her senior year, she had less than procrastination. At East, in a survey of 150 two weeks left to write the remainder of her students, 92 percent reported that they essay. She felt like she was capable enough have procrastinated at least once in the to finish her essay in those two weeks. past month as a result of being too busy, But on Feb. 12, a few days away from being bored with the subject matter or simthe deadline, she was well into her fifth ply lacking the motivation to start projects. hour of typing in a sequestered cubicle at The ubiquity of procrastination has LatteLand, her iced mocha now melted to been most noticeable within the past few a mixture of light brown liquid and a few years, according to math teacher Rick stray ice cubes.

Royer who has spent more than 35 years She hadn’t so much as opened the Word at East. In his time teaching IB and AP studocument that contained her paper since dents, he has noticed a change in the patlast year. She still had eight pages to go, tern of the students’ assignments. With and had drastically underestimated the two-week assignments, he’s seen the same time the essay would take. questions about directions being asked as “I really wanted my essay to be good a decade ago — except now, he’s seeing since we had so much time to work on it those same questions two days before the and since I really cared about my topic, but deadline, whereas he got them in the first I ended up writing most of it at the last min- few days of the cycle in years past. ute,” Samadi said. “It was sheer panic.”

“I didn’t notice it so much in the first 35 Procrastination has become a promi- years I was teaching. Maybe [it happened] nent factor in students’ lives in the past few a little bit, but nothing like the way it’s been years, according to Principal Karl Krawitz. for the past 4-5 years,” Royer said. “There’s According to DePaul psychology profes- no doubt that procrastination is a more sor and author of “Still Procrastinating?” rampant problem than it ever was.”

Joseph Ferrari, 20 percent of Americans Royer has also seen an increase in stu-

dents coming to him with excuses about long-term assignments such as take-home tests and other IB assignments. In a 1998 study done by Dr. Ferrari, he found that more than 70 percent of college students had admitted to giving their professor a fraudulent excuse if they didn’t have an assignment finished. Furthermore, the students reported that only 9 percent of professors asked for proof of the excuse — whether it was a death in the family, a printer malfunction or the insistence that they didn’t have time to get it done.

While students such as Samadi cite fatigue from being over-worked and boredom of classes as reasons for procrastinating, teachers such as Royer attribute the root of the upswing in procrastination to deeper forces such as cultural expectations and changes in the way students work, namely with technology.

In an Ohio State study, procrastination and lower grades were linked to the increase in use of social networking sites.

While such studies have emphasized the link between distracting websites such as Facebook and Twitter and decreased quality in school work, another impact has risen out of the popularity of the Internet in the past 10 years.

“Facebook and Twitter are always more interesting than my homework and are always updating themselves,” Samadi said. “I think that while social networking makes concentrating hard, the Internet has made homework a lot easier. It’s made the quality of work a lot worse.”

Not only does technology pose the threat of distraction, it provides a sense of false security for students, according to Dr. Krawitz. With the rise of sites like Questia and Google Scholars, legitimate academic journals and other types of information are easily accessible to students at all hours of the day. According to psychologist Mike Hanson, procrastination often represents a thought misfire, when students simply inaccurately estimate the time required or overestimate their own skill set based on an amount of time. With information more accessible than ever before, it becomes feasible to write a pivotal paper, like Samadi did, in a few days — much less in a few hours.

“We didn’t have the luxury of procrastinating in the way that students do now,” Royer said. “Procrastination, I feel, is a part of human nature. But when you have to go to the library during the hours that it sets and search for information in the stacks of books, it’s different. Procrastination is easier to turn to with the Internet.”

According to Dr. Ferrari in a phone interview, procrastination is not simply a result of technology. He believes that the underlying problem within the relationship between technology and work ethic is that students simply use technology in the wrong ways. He believes that technology has always existed that has made procrastination easier, and that in turn there has been the development of a culture that allows procrastination.

continued on page 4

TAKING A

STUDENTS WHO DID NOT PROCRASTINATE IN THE PAST MONTH 8%

IF YOU HAD A MONTH TO DO A PROJECT, WHEN WOULD YOU START?

A quick guide for what you need to know about procrastination at East

92% STUDENTS WHO PROCRASTINATED IN THE PAST MONTH THAT DAY TWO WEEKS LATER THE WEEKEND BEFORE IT’S DUE THE NIGHT BEFORE THE MORNING IT’S DUE

CLOSER LOOK

PROCRASTINATION IS SPREAD ACROSS ALL TYPES OF ASSIGNMENTS: 21%DAILY ASSIGNMENTS

85% OF STUDENTS WHO PROCRASTINATE REPORT THAT THEY RECEIVED GOOD GRADES AND LEARNED THE MATERIAL STUDENTS SURVEYED CLASSIFIED THEMSELVES AS...

25%“A” STUDENTS 5% BELOW “C”

READINGS 22%

STUDENTS

22%STUDYING FOR TESTS GROUP PROJECTS 10%

25%ESSAYS

55%“A” OR “B” STUDENTS 15%“B” OR “C”STUDENTS

ONLY 15% OF STUDENTS

REPORT THAT PUTTING THINGS OFF TURNED OUT BADLY STUDENTS WHO PROCRASTINATE REPORT THESE AS WHAT THEY SPEND TIME DOING INSTEAD OF SCHOOLWORK:

1 2 3 4

ON THE INTERNET HANGING OUT WITH FRIENDS WATCHING TV TIE: EXERCISE & NAPPING

NEWS |3

continued from page 3 “As a society we need to stop excusemaking, and we need to stop accepting the excuses. We need to start giving the early bird the worm. That doesn’t happen anymore,” Dr. Ferrari said. “In the age of political correctness, we cut the worm up and give it to everyone. Give the worm to the early bird.”

Dr. Ferrari believes that widespread and chronic procrastination is a phenomenon that is made light of by society, and that there has been an erroneous move to accommodate these procrastinators. These cultural expectations stem from the school setting where academic and social influences are tightly woven, according to sociology and AP American History teacher Vicki Arndt-Helgesen.

“In fact, right now with the seniors, if they’re still doing their work, they’re hiding it. Until junior year we have another social aspect which is ‘I’m so busy’ which gives permission to procrastinate. And there’s almost a bragging aspect to it,” Arndt-Helgesen said. “We don’t really celebrate the person who plans.”

Yet what concerns educators such as Dr. Krawitz and Royer about the rising trend of putting off work until the last second is its the seemingly universal pull. Procrastination is no longer a practice left to low-achieving second-semester seniors.

According to Royer, he now sees students

4| NEWS

in his Differential Equations class procrastinate profusely, whereas the difficulty of the course prevented it in the past.

Though the difficulty of certain courses may deter students from procrastinating, according to Arndt-Helgesen the trends in education such as No Child Left Behind, a focus on getting into the “right school” and the changes in the schedule set students up to procrastinate. Block schedule can force juniors and seniors to manage their time, and that it is more similar to a college experience according to Arndt-Helgesen.

With a system in which checking off assignments is the focus, procrastination is positively reinforced. From the survey, 85 percent of the 138 students who procrastinated reported that they finished the assignment and received a good grade on it, reinforcing the idea that procrastinators can be successful. According to psychologist Mike Hanson, procrastination for higher-achieving students may come from the thrill of working under pressure or late at night, while others want the ego boost of boasting about how much work they got done in one night, and the subsequent good grade.

“Unfortunately sometimes students procrastinate and then are rewarded on the other end,” Dr. Krawitz said. “Then they get this thought that ‘I did it once I can do it a second time and a third time’ and that is compounded and creates habits.”

For highly-involved students like Sama-

di, getting over 100 service hours for IB and doing daily 40-minute math assignments often take the backseat to non-negotiable yearbook deadlines that may last for eight hours after school and imperatives such as picking up her little sister from school each day.

“For me, stuff like that is always more immediate than tomorrow’s homework,” Samadi said. “It’s definitely a conscious decision for me to put homework off.”

Aside from the practical aspects of procrastination for some students, it can serve as a method for dealing with extreme stress and perfectionism. According to Dr. Ferrari, procrastinators are “extremely concerned about what other people think of them.”

The fear of producing an inadequate product or simply the stresses of schoolwork can result in a desire to delay working on it. Chronic procrastinators also might see their to-do list as an overwhelming cloud of work, instead of being able to see the list as a collection of smaller tasks. This can make even starting on an assignment seem impossible for the procrastinator.

Procrastination, for some high-achieving students, may simply be a factor of prioritizing. For Samadi, her busy schedule has taught her to watch teachers and learn which classes she can and can’t procrastinate, and activities such as yearbook for her are assignments that lack flexibility.

One thing that also characterizes procrastination in its modern form is that it

often results from not the presence of laziness, but with a change in values. For students like freshman Molly Gasperi, her passion for viola and involvement with East lacrosse overshadows her drive to succeed in high school.

“We make a huge deal about being amazing at all these different things like sports and music,” Gasperi said. “I’ve become addicted to them in a way that I would always rather being doing that than homework.”

According to Hanson, teens today don’t view academics and learning as top priorities. While some may have building a sharp resume as a goal, he insists that this is not the same thing as learning. Others may prioritize an extracurricular activity, dating or even video games such as Call of Duty.

When surveyed about what they do instead of their homework, East students most often responded they spent time either on the Internet and talking to friends, or taking care of themselves with activities such as exercise and napping.

Despite these changes in the characteristics of procrastination, Dr. Ferrari believes that prioritization and therefore procrastination has always been a part of society.

“Everyone procrastinates, but not everyone is a procrastinator,” Ferrari said. “So people need to learn not how to manage time, but how to manage themselves. Because it’s not going away, it’s just changing.”

ING T TURN HE CO RNER

ON GANG VIOLENCE

A year after gang violence at East peaked, administration has taken steps to improve school safety. written by Adam Lowe | photo by Spencer Davis Last spring gang violence began peaking in we are working with the area schools to prevent the Shawnee Mission School District. Fights were not only gang related violence, but also violence occurring by the dozens each week, all leading in general around school,” Roberson said. up to the shooting of SM North sophomore RyAccording to Roberson, the PV Police has der Spillman by East sophomore Stephen Reed. worked with East and other schools from around These two were in the middle of an ongoing feud the district to build an interactive mapping probetween different gangs from the two schools. gram for police cars. Indian Hills Middle School’s The conflict between these two schools has Resource Officer Detective Seth Meyer is the ofQuick stats on gang violence around the U.S. from www. forced the SMSD as a whole to reevaluate how ficer behind the building of these maps. teenviolencestatistics. they deal with gang violence. In the last year there “When you are in a crisis situation the only com and www.helpinghave been several changes made by the East ad- thing that you will never have enough of is inforgangyouth.com, based off of ministration that are intended to improve safety. mation and time,” Meyer told Fox 4 News last Febresearch in 2009 According to East Principal Karl Krawitz, there ruary. “These mapping programs give the police isn’t always a way to prevent gang violence from officers just that by bringing the school into their happening, but the administration at East is do- cars before they get on site.” ing their best to minimize its possibility.

With these maps when a 911 call is made from “Well, as an administrator you never know for the school, a virtual 360 degree picture of the sure what is coming, because there is no way to room from which that call was made will come up check with students just based on suspicion,” Dr. on the computer screen along with a map of the Krawitz said. “But I will tell you that no one had school. With these maps, officers can get a better contacted us because they felt unsafe because if idea of how to handle every situation before arrivthey had I promise you action would have taken ing at the school. place.”

“All of this is a work in progress,” Roberson The East administration has put several new said “However we are hoping that if a time ever rules into effect this school year. This came as a does present itself we can use it to keep our sturesult of the gang problems East had in the 2010- dents safe.”

2011 school year that culminated with the shootDr. Krawitz hopes that these precautions being ing of Spillman. taken by the police will help. However, accordAccording to Dr. Krawitz, there have been two ing to him, the real way to stop gang violence is recorded fights so far this year, while there were to have the students and administrators do their 40-50 fights last year. He believes that this spike part inside the building. in fighting occurred because of increased gang “If the entire school buys in on the idea of violence at East. zero-tolerance, then we will be a safer school in Dr. Krawitz believes this outburst in violence every way,” Dr. Krawitz said. came partially because these students were not To reinforce the idea of zero-tolerance, Dr. “home grown Shawnee Mission students.”

Krawitz and the other administrators have been “If you ask me, many of the kids in our school cracking down on violations of the newly enacted were new and trying to make a name for them- rules. One of these rules that the administration selves,” Dr. Krawitz said. has shown zero tolerance on is the “no hats no Prairie Village Police Sergeant Byron Rober- hoods” rule. son believes that Prairie Village really has never “The ‘no hats no hoods’ policy is probably not had a serious gang violence problem. However, going to save any lives; however it does give us he does believe that there are still things the a way to put an end to a well known symbolic school district along with police officers can do to meaning of these gangs,” Krawitz said. “This improve our current system. policy was a non verbal intimidation saying to “Even though it hasn’t been too big of an issue the school ‘We’re in charge here’ and so far it has

GANG VIOLENCE

24,500 772,500 60% GANGS IN THE U.S.

AMERICANS ARE IN GANGS

ARE ADULTS

40% 90%

ARE UNDER 18 ARE MALE

been completely painless to remove.”

Another policy that has been put in place this last year is the ‘loitering policy’. Yellow signs that read “NO LOITERING” can be found throughout the hallways. The intention is to limit congregation of students and gangs on school property.

East Associate Principal Jeremy Higgins was one of the administrators behind the new loitering policy and spends most passing periods in the third or fourth floor main staircase areas making sure students behave themselves.

“The integration of these new policies really has not been tough at all; we have had minor problems throughout the year but for the most part it has gone very smoothly,” Higgins said.

East administrators such as Higgins have had to remind students of these policies throughout the year. However, for the most part students have followed the rules without any problems.

Senior Molly Jennings believes that the new policies have been very positive and have made the entire school safer and easier to move around in.

“The negative and violent feel that these areas had before is no longer an issue,” Jennings said.

According to Jennings these policies have not affected her or her friends however she believes they are helping keep the gang problems down at East.

“You know I’m not surprised about that,” Dr. Krawitz said. “We knew that for the most part we would have very little backlash from students about these policies because 99 percent of the students don’t do it anyway and it wasn’t an issue for them.”

As Sergeant Roberson said, the issue of gang violence has never been a huge issue for Shawnee Mission East or Prairie Village however they both are continuing to work toward making schools safer for students.

“Having an adequate amount of ways that students actually use to report violence is key and that is something Shawnee Mission East is doing,” Roberson said. “After that it really is up to the students to take that step and better their school for themselves.”

NEWS | 5

CORINTH SQUARE

Improvements will be made to Corinth Square within the next year

written by Stephen Cook | art by Matti Crabtree Customers are going to be seeing a new Corinth Square this year, as the shopping area is remodeled and as new tenants move in. By the end of September, the retail center will be featuring new sitting areas along with new fountains, landscaping, signage and entry-ways.

Jeff Berg, Senior Vice President-Principal of LANE4 Property Group, says that the changes are allowing the area to better follow the neighborhood. LANE4 bought the property around three years ago, when Corinth Square was “under performing”, “tired” and “old” according to Berg.

Now, LANE4 has been working to breathe new life into the shopping center that has been around for six decades.

“I think that previous, Corinth Square had not kept up with the neighborhood,” Jeff Berg, said. “The neighborhood was kind of rejuvenating and becoming younger and more family oriented as some of the older, original residents moved out and the shopping center wasn’t keeping up with that, and so now I think that the focus is changing just to kind of serve better the kind of the crowd that lives around Corinth.”

The “first phase” of the remodeling started with the demolition of Tippin’s and will be finished by June. The initial phase also includes constructing the new building for CVS that will stand where Tippin’s was. Additionally, the Somerset entrance is going to be relocated and the entry on Mission Road will be re-done.

The “second phase” of the changes include the remodeling of the main Corinth Square building with new roofing

and new signage. By the end of the year, Johnny’s and Hen House will be externally remodeled as well.

A new feature that is going to be added to Corinth Square is the addition of “pocket parks”, which are essentially small parks complete with trees, bushes, sitting areas and even fountains. These miniature parks will be built on corners that currently only have empty pavement, such as outside the Wild Bird Center and by Urban Table. LANE4 wants to make the area more “pedestrian”, so people can take their time outdoors, strolling between shops and relaxing.

Additionally, some new tenants are being added during this time. The area where the old CVS was will be divided into two areas, allowing two different tenants to use the space. A Spin! Neapolitan Pizza will be occupying one of the spaces and a new tenant (who currently can’t be named due to negotiations) will be filling the other space.

According to Berg, these new tenants will help to further refresh the shopping center, similar to the way BRGR and Urban Table did.

Alan Gaylin, manager and CEO of BRGR and Urban Table, says that Corinth Square was chosen as the location for the restaurants because of the area and demographics.

Also, at the time Corinth Square didn’t really have too many restaurants.

Gaylin believes that the new improvements will further help to improve the shopping center and make it even more attractive to the area.

LEGGINGS OFF LIMITS?

written by Anne Willman In the fourth floor hallway before school, junior Ashley Allegri hears a conversation as she walks by groups of girls talking. “Are they banning leggings and dance pants or just leggings? What are we going to wear to school?”

“I heard people saying that Olathe and Blue Valley had tried to ban leggings, but it didn’t work,” Allegri said. “I first started to believe them because I could see where they were coming from, but I didn’t really see how they could enforce [the new dress codes].”

Over the past year, leggings and yoga pants have been a popular trend at East.

There have been student rumors that the Shawnee Mission School District (SMSD) was going to ban leggings next school year.

Although there have been rumors, Principal Karl Krawitz has no knowledge of this happening at East.

“I have not heard anything [about changing the dress codes], ” Dr. Krawitz said. “I

6 | NEWS

“I actually think it’s going to help it grow more, it’s just going to develop the market for all the residents in Prairie Village,” Gaylin said. “It’ll keep the market viable to the Prairie Village area.”

Senior Amy Franklin is one of several East students who works in Corinth Square. Franklin has worked at the Wild Bird Center in Corinth Square for about a year, and she’s noticed an impact made by the new restaurants that have already opened, such as BRGR and Urban Table.

“When the two new restaurants came in I noticed that we got a lot more activity,” Franklin said. “It actually helps a lot with business having the restaurants in there.”

During the evening, Franklin says that people will stop by to have a look around the store while they wait for a table. Franklin thinks that the changes will make the center look much nicer, making customers want to walk around and ultimately spend more time in Corinth Square.

According to Berg, the upcoming changes paired with the recent updates create a positive equation for the future success of Corinth Square. Businesses are already seeing an increase in sales.

“We’re very proud of what’s happening so far [and] we’re probably not even 25 percent there of the changes that are going to be made,” Berg said. “But what we really see for the future of Corinth is just a real, community oriented center where people will feel comfortable spending time.”

School districts nationwide have begun to ban leggings, yoga pants and other tight-fitting bottoms

can tell you, I have not had any parents, staff members say a word, no classified staff; I have had no one.”

Although East remains unaffected, school administrators across the country are adding to their dress codes. Some public schools are making their restrictions more firm and there is little room for interpretation. Schools have gone so far as to outlaw certain types of pants a student is allowed to wear at school such as leggings and yoga pants.

For example, in the Henrico Public schools in Virginia, students are restricted from wearing clothing that is “excessively tight or skimpy” according to their district Code of Conduct for the 2011-2012 school year. Students are no longer allowed to wear leggings, yoga pants or any clothing that may expose undergarments. Assistant Principal Lindsay Ingram of Deep Run High school in the Henrico school district declined to comment on regards to the

dress code.

“We have not had any problems at East with dress code,” Dr. Krawitz said. “It seems that most of the student body follows the guidelines as they are written.”

In the SMSD, the Board of Education adopts the board policies annually at their organizational meeting held during the first week in July. A student can appeal to the dress codes if they choose. In this case, they would talk to the building administration and then the matter would be referred to the Board of Education.

“I just think [banning leggings] is kind of dumb because I don’t really feel that there is a difference between leggings and skinny jeans,” senior Anna Marken said. “I don’t see why leggings are any more inappropriate than wearing a skirt or a dress.”

Krawitz feels that his experiences with the dress codes at East differentiate from the other schools that he has been at.

“Of the five high schools I have been to,

[East] is the one that has not had issues,” Dr. Krawitz said. “I can say one thing since I have been here, I think students here kind of do their own thing. I don’t think that they follow the trending crowd so to speak.”

According to Dr. Krawitz, each Shawnee Mission school does have the right to make their own extending dress codes.

Each building administration can add to the dress code policies if they believe that a certain article of clothing or type of clothing is distracting to the learning environment.

There will be no enforced ban of leggings or tight pants for the 2012-2013 school year at East.

“There has been no administrative request to ban any particular type of legging or tight pants,” Associate Superintendent Leigh Anne Neal said. “Students should comport with the established dress code policy.”

INVISIBLE EFFORTS Sometimes the media has a way of influencing the masses to support a cause they may not know enough about.

Director and head of the organization Invisible Children Jason Russell uploaded a 29-minute documentary about the leader of the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA), Joseph Kony, that sent the world into a whirlwind. The movie was a persuasive use of media that called viewers to “change the world” and take a closer look at the happenings in Uganda.

Millions of social media users began to retweet or post the link, but those retweeting, reposting and reblogging the video might need to take a closer look at what exactly they’re advocating with Invisible Children, instead of blindly following the cause.

The Kony 2012 project was launched to raise awareness about Kony, a man who, in the past, has had a griphold on the nation of Uganda, committing atrocities such as enslaving thousands of children to kill or become sex slaves. The video encouraged the world to make Kony’s name popular so that lawmakers and members of Congress could use their power to stop his reign. Many became outraged and took the link and posted it on their personal Facebook or Twitter accounts.

This brings up the first main issue with the Kony 2012 campaign: the approach of simply educating people doesn’t fix the problem.

There is nothing wrong with awareness, but merely posting a link to a documentary didn’t, and won’t change anything. Problems aren’t solved with a simple copy and paste on a computer. It could be a nice jumping off point, and helps to get the word spread and to get people educated sure, but there are better ways to help the cause. Like, for example, donating to other organizations.

Invisible Children gives you that option with the Kony 2012 “action kit,” which brings up the next problem with the campaign: The donated money doesn’t go toward what you

Harbinger

Editors-In-Chief Kat Buchanan Toni Aguiar Assistant Editors Emma Pennington Evan Nichols Online Editors-In-Chief Jeff Cole Duncan MacLachlan Online Assistant Editor Becca Brownlee Art and Design Editor Chloe Stradinger Head Copy Editors Chris Heady Jack Howland News Editor Tom Lynch News Page Editors Katie Knight Editorial Editor Matt Hanson Opinion Editor Ian Wiseman Opinion Page Editors Morgan Twibell

Mixed Editor Tiernan Shank Spread Editor Andrew Simpson Assistant Spread Editor Paige Hess Features Editor Christa McKittrick Features Page Editors Haley Martin Leah Pack Emily Kerr A&E Editor Kennedy Burgess A&E Page Editors Andrew McKittrick Will Webber Sports Editor Anne Willman Sports Page Editors Adam Lowe Corbin Barnds Mitch Kaskie Freelance Page Editors Alex Goldman

Why Invisible Children may not have the impact they advertise

may think it does.

They suggested purchase of their 30 dollar kit, which comes with a T-Shirt, a bracelet, an action guide, stickers, a button and some posters. But according to the Invisible Children audit, only 31 percent of their profits actually go towards direct relief, meaning that of the 30 dollars you spend on the “action kit,” 69 percent goes toward different promotional costs strictly for Invisible Children, not the Kony 2012 campaign. So really, only 10 of your dollars actually mean anything to the campaign — whatever that is.

According to Russell’s appearance on the Today show, over 500,000 action kits had been sold, meaning they brought in at least $15 million in the first week of the Kony 2012 campaign. Though a flashy number, all that means is that over $10 million of the $15 million raised by the sales of over 500,000 kits, didn’t go to the cause.

This poses another with the campaign: People blindly followed a campaign they didn’t know about fully.

You can’t blame Invisible Children for leading people to believe they were going to fix the problems in Uganda — they’re actually just doing what they intend to do: raise awareness. Russell told reporters, “the truth about Invisible Children is that we are not an aid organization, and we don’t intend to be. I think people think we’re over there delivering shoes or food. But we are an advocacy and awareness organization.”

The problem with that, is that most people don’t know that.

The final issue is that things in Uganda aren’t nearly as bad as the short film portrays them to be. According to Nikita Bernardi, a Ugandan woman interviewed by Guardian News, “northern Uganda is no longer what it is portrayed as in the [Kony 2012] video. He is no longer terrorizing northern Uganda and the region is now relatively stable.”

So not only has Invisible Children fooled you once with

a publication of shawnee mission east high school 7500 Mission Road, Prairie Village, KS 66208 April 2, 2012 Vanessa Daves Kim Hoedel Photo Editor Grant Kendall Assistant Photo Editor Spencer Davis Online Photo Editor Brendan Dulohery Jake Crandall Assistant Online Photo Editor Hiba Akhtar Copy Editors Evan Nichols Emma Pennington Kat Buchanan Matt Hanson Anne Willman Chloe Stradinger Toni Aguiar Chris Heady Jack Howland Tom Lynch Erin Reilly Will Webber Head Online Copy Editor

Matt Gannon Kim Hoedel Online Copy Editors Sami Walter Vanessa Daves Ads/Circulation Managers Erin Reilly Leah Pack Staff Artists Sam Stevens Matti Crabtree Connor Woodson Webmasters Chris Denniston Christian Wiles Multimedia Editor Thomas Allen Assistant Multimedia Editor Dalton Boehm Transmedia Editor Holly Hernandez Convergence Editor Alex Lamb Assistant

your money, they have also fooled you again with their dramatization of the footage shot in Uganda.

The solution would have been simple if the 85-millionplus people hadn’t already been mislead by Invisible Children campaign without doing research and actually knowing what they were advocating before they promoted it.

However, by informing friends and family of the misinformation being fed to the masses via the media, you can still make a difference. You can donate to organizations or relief efforts that actually help out countries like Uganda, like blood:water mission, Kiva or Love146. Each help make the lives of the impoverished by improving living conditions, and help to free enslaved children — both things Kony 2012 fails to do.

Kony 2012 is a nice try, and is helpful to spread a message, but it’s not the answer to the problem, as much as it may seem.

THE MAJORITY OPINION OF THE HARBINGER EDITORIAL BOARD FOR

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Live Broadcast Producers Grace Heitmann Andrew McWard Nick May Thomas Allen Photographers Patrick Frazell Spencer Davis Connor Woodson Holly Martin Chris Denniston Emma Robson Anchors Christian Wiles Patrick Frazell Anna Danciger Marisa Walton AnnaMarie Oakley Morgan Twibell Molly Howland Emily Donovan Stefano Byer PR Representative/ McKenzie Swanson Business Managers Miranda Gibbs Joe Simmons Marisa Walton Staff Writers Maddie Schoemann Alex Lamb Multimedia Staff Greta Nepstad Andrew McWard Hannah Ratliff Haley Martin Stephen Cook Chris Denniston Maxx Lamb Christian Wiles Emily Donovan Drew Broeckelman Holly Hernandez Spencer Davis Julia Poe AnneMarie Oakley Jeri Freirich Miranda Gibbs Julia Davis Adviser Alex Stonebarger Dow Tate

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EDITORIAL| 7

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O’Neill Honda O’Neill Honda proudly supports the proudly supports the S.M. East Lancers S.M. East Lancers 2011-­2012 2011-­2012

www. O N e illHo n d a .co m 80th & Me tc a lf www.

ONe illHo d a6 .co O ver l and Pa r k, n KS 6 2m 04 80th & Me tc a lf 913. 38 3 .41 4 0 O ver l and Pa r k , KS 6 6 2 0 4 913. 38 3 .41 4 0

PROTECT YOURSELF

TIME TO DEFINE LINES

1 Go private.

Familiarize yourself with Facebook and Twitter’s privacy settings. Twitter accounts are set public by default; go private so you have control over your followers.

2 Add friends carefully.

Know the actual person behind a friend or follow request. The more friends you have, the more at risk your content becomes. Don’t be afraid to ignore unknown requests.

3 Remember your audience.

The administration needs to scale back their involvement in student social media

“Consider what your mother, partner, or current/ future employer would think if they saw your content.”

4 Be careful with your content.

W

hen did a tweet become worthy of an office referral?

Someone rean opinion of ports your FaceEVAN NICHOLS book profile to the school? One of your friends tags you in a tweet about how you’re going to #party tonight? @TotalSMEastMove retweets a picture of you holding a red cup? Please report to the main office at the end of this hour.

Multiple students have been called into the office this year due to social media related referrals which has raised an important question: does the school have a right to pry into the student-driven social media scene?

In most cases, absolutely not. Using the famous Tinker v. Des Moines Sch. Dist. court case as a standard, courts around the country have again and again ruled in favor of free student speech on the grounds that the speech did not “materially and substantially interfere with the operation and discipline of the school.” Unless a tweet inhibits other students’ ability to learn or teachers’ ability to teach, the speech is protected under the First Amendment. Students getting called into the office because of an out-of-school, 140 character message to their friends isn’t just a waste of time, it’s outside the school’s jurisdiction.

Granted, the increased use of technology both in and outside of school has made it difficult to determine just how far a school’s jurisdiction over its students extends. As the Student Press Law Center has pointed out, “the wide accessibility of the Internet blurs the line between on- and off- campus speech...”

Yes, the Internet has made it more difficult to define the boundary lines. But that’s why schools have policies. SMSD has a policy about appropriate Internet use in school. They have a policy prohibiting drug and alcohol use in school or at school sponsored events. They have a policy on how to handle sexual harassment cases in school.

They have a policy against cyberbullying in school.

Can you see the phrase the keeps popping up here?

In school. That’s where the administration’s jurisdiction begins and ends. Their policies apply only to SMSD property and school sanctioned events. The use of social media or any other form of speech outside of school is protected by the First Amendment and above administrative interference. As Kansas American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) Legal Director Doug Bonney explains, “school administrators are not imperial babysitters.”

Now, this doesn’t mean you should start firing off tweets about drugs and drinking once you drive out of the East parking lot, especially if you have a public account. If your account is public — meaning anyone can access your profile or account or tweets without having to “friend” you or get your expressed permission — the school has every right to inform the Prairie Village Police Department or any other police station of what you tweeted. But according to Bonney, they do NOT have to right bring up a student’s tweet during school and discipline them.

There’s multiple cases around the country that support students’ right to private social media use. In the 2000 court case Emmet v. Kent Sch. Dist., a student created humorous “mock obituaries” of some of his school friends on his own website. Upon discovering the site, school administrators put Emmet on “emergency expulsion.” When the case was taken to trial, the court found Emmet’s speech to be “...entirely outside the school’s supervision or control,” and ordered the court to immediately lift the punishments (Emmet also scored $1 in damages and $6,000 in legal costs from the school).

In Beussink v. Woodland Sch. Dist., then junior Nadean Beussink received a 10-day suspension (which consequently caused him to flunk his classes) after teachers and administrators discovered his personal, offcampus website which criticized the school.

Using the Tinker standard, the U.S. District Court ruled in favor of Beussink, stating that although his site voiced an “unpopular viewpoint,” it had not caused any “material disruption” to the school. His suspension was overturned, and he passed his classes.

Cases like these illustrate the danger of administrative interference into students’ social media use. Right now, according to assistant principal Molli Armstrong White, “[Social media referrals] fall under the same guidelines that we look at any kind of disruption.” She went on to say that “the only time the school becomes involved is when it has a direct and substantial impact on something that is going on in the school.” That’s all great to hear, but this is a policy that isn’t set in stone which makes it dangerous to both administrators and students.

Earlier this year, a senior student was called into the office because anonymous twitter account @TotalSMEastMove retweeted a picture of him asleep on a couch. Really? That’s worthy of a visit to the office?

In that case, they should’ve probably called me into the office for the time I tweeted a picture of one of my friends who had fallen asleep watching a movie. Now, no disciplinary action was taken against the student, and I admire the fact that the administration is concerned with the safety of its students. But they need to play to their own rules and intervene only when things substantially impact the school. That office referral should have never happened in the first place.

Although the administration needs to reconsider the situations they choose to involve themselves in, this isn’t an entirely one-sided issue. To my fellow students: constitutional rights don’t give you the right to be a dumbass. Tweeting or Facebooking about the illegal things on the weekends might not get you in trouble with the school, but it could get you busted with the real law enforcement. Cyberspace never forgets, even when you have. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: social media isn’t going anywhere, and for that reason we — that is, both administrators and students — need to learn how to use it and respond to it appropriately.

FOR SOUNDS CLIPS OF THE INTERVIEW WITH ASSC. PRINCIPAL ARMSTRONG-WHITE, VISIT WWW.SMEHARBINGER.NET

All of your social media has the chance of going public. It only takes a few clicks to save a friend’s Facebook photo and share it on a different web platform without their permission. The internet never forgets; share with care. ragan.com

KNOW THE CASES Tinker v. Des Moines Sch. Dist.

Student speech may be abridged only where it materially and substantially interferes with the operation and discipline of the school.

Bethel Sch. Dist. v.

Fraser

“The First Amendment does not prevent the school officials from determining that to permit a vulgar and lewd speech. . .would undermine the school’s basic educational mission.”

Hazelwood Sch. Dist. vs.

Kuhlmeir

“Educators. . . [may] exercise editorial control over the style and content of student speech in school-sponsored expressive activities so long as their actions are reasonably related to legitimate pedagogical concerns.”

Morse v. Frederick

School officials can ban or punish schoolsponsored or school-sanctioned student speech that advocated illegal drug use.

Student Press Law Center | www.splc.org

OPINION | 9

NEVER ENDING DEBATE Women are still fighting to be treated equally to men art by Matti Crabtree It was still dark when my mom drove me to school in December.

My converse-clad feet were resting on top of my torn backpack on the floor, and I was anxiously tapping my fingers against my an opinion of leg, worried that I wouldn’t have GRETA NEPSTAD enough time to make up a test.

National Public Radio was playing on low volume, but that didn’t stop me from hearing someone, a woman, state that it was not possible for a woman to become president of the United States.

My fingers went still as I turned it up.

She went on to state that, although she herself was a woman, women could not handle the responsibilities of being president because the pressure would be too much for them.

That was the first time I had ever heard a sexist remark.

I grew up learning about the women’s suffrage movement and seeing black and white pictures of its protests in text books. But those were history books, where everything has already happened and been resolved. Never did I think that I would hear a sexist remark in today’s society.

“Hillary Clinton ran for president,” I said to my mom.

“And Sarah Palin came close to being our vice president.

What woman would say that about women in general?”

With one block to go until we reached school, she gave me a brief, watered down version of how that remark would have once been the norm. She told me about the Equal Rights Amendment and Women’s History Month.

“But,” I said, “It’s practically 2012.”

Now it actually is 2012, and society has led me to believe that women are equal to men in every possible way. I’ve grown up with women reporting the news on TV, female doctors giving me shot and female athletes competing in the Olympics. I’ve also been led to believe that sexism was over when I was allowed to play on soccer and softball teams, and watch girls in my grade run for Student Council.

But I never realized that a woman makes 77 cents to every dollar a man makes. Or that the availability of contraception could be debated by a group of politicians.

Why it’s being debated at all is beyond me. Aren’t there

LANCER VOICE

more important things for our politicians to be spending their time and money on? Like the our economy, or violence in the Middle East or our educational system? What’s even more ridiculous is the fact that the group of politicians consisted entirely of men. This panel of men was called to discuss the merits of including contraception in a woman’s insurance plan. And yet not one woman was present at this debate.

Sandra Fluke, a student at Georgetown University, was invited to testify in favor of the insurance plan that included contraception. This was only after she had been denied the right to speak at the original congressional hearing. She told the stories of women, her own friends, who had severe health problems as a result from lack of contraception. Contraception isn’t just used to prevent a pregnancy, but to treat women with serious health issues. A woman might need it for polycystic ovary syndrome or endometriosis, conditions with hormonal imbalances. They might need it to keep their reproductive organs functional, and prevent cysts from growing on their ovaries, like Fluke stated. Chances of being diagnosed with cancers like endometrial cancer and ovarian cancer can be reduced if taking contraception.

Then, well-known radio commentator Rush Limbaugh called her a slut and a prostitute despite the fact that she never mentioned using contraception purely for the sake of having safe sex. Some women have serious health issues, and contraception is a way to treat it. So contraception isn’t just for “sluts” and “prostitutes.” Fluke stood by that belief, and as a result, she was attacked by the ignorant commentator.

I simply can’t grasp the idea that a woman can fight alongside a man in Iraq, but can’t have a say on the decision to include birth control in her insurance plan. I can’t figure out why a woman would be called a slut because she stood up for contraception. I can’t believe that women are being denied access to basic health care that they need to save their lives.

Limbaugh only apologized after several of his sponsors dropped their support for his show.

This string of events reached a national stage in March, which, ironically, is Women’s History Month. When the Kansas City Star published a series of articles concerning Fluke

DO YOU FEEL THAT MEN AND WOMEN ARE TREATED AS EQUALS?

SOPHOMORE | Merit Christensen “Women have definitely prevailed over the years, but I think chivalrous acts from men are still appreciated by women.”

10 | OPINION

and Limbaugh, my mom wrote a letter to the editor, expressing her concerns. She was and remains upset, as am I, that an issue between a woman and her doctor has become a topic for male politicians to debate and pick apart.

I’ve grown up with a modern day feminist — my mom.

In fact, in 1991, my mom founded an organization called the Women’s Collective with the goal of helping women identify and achieve their personal goals. There were over 300 people involved, but when I was born in 1995, my mom had to discontinue it — it took up all of her time and it cost too much. Today both she and my grandma are members of True Blue Women, an organization that educates women about political issues. My great-grandmother was also involved in women’s rights. She was a member of the Common Cause and the American Association of University Women. The main goal of these organizations was to urge women to vote.

Although women have gained so much political ground in the past 200 years, the one thing that could help them achieve full equality is the adoption of the long-dormant Equal Rights Amendment (ERA). The ERA was written in 1923, three years after women gained the right to vote, and states that women shall be treated equal to men throughout the United States. It was passed by Congress in 1972, but failed to receive enough state ratifications, so it was not adopted.

Another issue for women’s rights is the fight for equal pay. Technically women should receive the same pay as men, thanks to the Equal Pay Act. But a woman in the same job position as a man still only makes 77 cents for every dollar a man makes. The passing of the ERA would hopefully help solve this issue as well as others.

Next year will be 2013, and chances are that women will still not be equal to men. I’ve grown up with strong women and supporters of women, and I’m fortunate to be aware of the rights that I have, and the rights that I don’t. I hope that the ERA will be passed in my lifetime, and who knows, maybe I’ll help get it ratified. And hopefully we will be one step closer to convincing more people that a woman is just as capable of being president of the U.S. as any man.

JUNIOR | Sarah Langtry “We’re treated as equals most of the time, but more than a few times a guy has asked me to make him a sandwich and legitimately expected a sandwich.”

TEACHER | Yoda

“That is a question with many layers; there’s still disparity between the amount of money that a man earns and the amount that a woman earns. Even though there have been many areas of progress, we are still working on it.”

‘THE GRUDGE’-LESS You can find it resting on the top of my steering wheel, lingering toward the bottom of every Facebook picture and elegantly clashing with every single one of my outfits: this small, seemingly inan opinion of significant, bright green band KIM HOEDEL that peeks through the web of earth-toned friendship bracelets I wear tied around my wrist. Glancing down, you might catch a glimpse of the Spanish words “Done Vida” engraved into its rubber side, or if I twist my wrist just right and expose the opposite side, you’ll see the engraving of the English equivalent: Donate Life. It has become a casual part of my everyday life, never leaving my wrist once. To the world it may seem like a worthless teen fashion statement, but it holds more meaning to me than any of my other possessions.

Through countless showers, hundreds of morning coffees and late-night study sessions, it glows on my wrist like a neon reminder of why I won’t ever hold another grudge.

Ever since I was little, I couldn’t hold grudges. I didn’t have the heart or the stomach for it. I am a problem solver; I have a constant need to try to fix things to make sure that everyone is happy.

Holding a grudge is simply putting a fight on hold so that you can walk around feeling like you’re in a Taylor Swift song while they walk around feeling like Kanye. Just periods of ignored calls, evasive passing-period maneuvers and uncomfortable lunch-table vibes. It has always seemed like a form of torture to punish whoever hurt you by making them work for your forgiveness while living with their own guilt and fear of losing a friendship. In the end though, I just feel guilty for holding a grudge. Why

would I want a friend to be upset?

Grudges have always seemed ridiculous to me. They are basically just testing what it would be like if you never forgave your friend, but after a day or two the longing for your old friendship overshadows the anger you felt until you can’t quite remember why you were so angry in the first place.

So why waste that time?

Instead of walking around feeling angry, on top of feeling horrible for making someone I care about feel guilty and sad, I’d rather just have fun together. I want to work things out right then and there so we won’t waste time. So we will make the most of the time we have.

People tend to run from problems, and being the caring little dictator that I am, I have always refused to let them.

Whether that was repeatedly hanging up the receiver as my 2nd grade bestie tried to call her mom after a vicious fight over my Mercury Sailor Moon doll, or in 5th grade, when I followed another friend all the way to her house on-foot trying to resolve our bickering match over which Cheetah Girl we “were.”

Even today with my newfound bank of teen angst, as much as I try, my abilities to openly act angrily toward other people for any period of time over 10 minutes becomes tiring and feels pointless. The other day, as an act of good ol’ teenage defiance against my father, I managed to ignore him throughout the entire day with the occasional snide remark and bitter stare, but at the end of the night, as I lay on my bed staring at the ceiling unable to fall asleep, I finally caved, yelling “Night, Dad. Love you,” from my room instantly followed by an enthusiastic response wishing me the same. Dangit, slightly disappointed in a failed attempt as ‘moody teen’— I feel asleep relieved.

Friendships can be lost in an instant. You could walk

Grudges aren’t worth holding because they only lead to unhappiness and grief with no benefits

out the door and be hit by a bus and I might not ever get to see you again — so why leave things in a fight? In the heat of the moment no one stops to think about that- what would happen if you lost your friend at that moment? All the laughs, all the smiles, all the jokes are discolored and left in anger, harsh words that you’d do anything to erase.

People just think it’s too dramatic and unlikely and could never happen to them.

I’m a fixer and when someone does something to me that can’t be fixed and has really hurt me, I work through it myself. The thing is, whatever has happened is done and there is no going back. Your apologies and excuses can’t undo what’s done, but neither can my icy stares or cold shoulders. I am going to forgive you eventually so I might as well put you out of your misery now, and deal with it in my head. I will forgive and I will forget, but in my very linear mind I have to analyze and decipher the problem and motives on my own to get me to where I am comfortable with the situation. Call me Nancy Drew.

While I see that as being a good friend, my friends say they can never tell if my forgiveness is genuine or how long I’m honestly angry at them for. I don’t understand why it matters: I don’t talk about my feelings, I think through them, then move on and while I’m thinking things out we can still enjoy our time together.

I have only ever held one grudge. After an argument, I deserted a friend named Nick and never spoke to him again. Nothing is greater than the feeling of regret you have sitting in a room full of the people who loved and appreciated someone you choose to loose.

All I have left of our what-almost-was friendship is that green bracelet I have worn on my wrist every day, since it was handed to me at his funeral.

OPINION | 11

Breakfast Dreams

High school should be more like the movie “The Breakfast Club”

I guess I could be considered a nostalgic for a variety of reasons.

I still have a Winnie the Pooh piggy bank sitting on an opinion of my tan dresser in KENNEDY BURGESS the corner of my room. My collection of rocks from when I was a kid can also be found somewhere buried in one of those drawers inside a little bedazzled box.

In the top drawer of that dresser, though, my most prized nostalgic possession hides itself from the rest of the world. I’ve shielded it away from most who know me, besides a few closest friends, but I feel I’m ready to reveal my dorkiest fervor. Here it goes: I am a closet ‘80s fanatic, and that embarrassing possession in my top dresser drawer is a stack of CD’s I have accumulated over the years from my Mom and Dad’s old CD collection. The Cure, Tears for Fears, Psychedelic Furs and a copy of “The Breakfast Club” soundtrack. Any ‘80s new wave song, you name it, I probably know most of the words to it; I’m a sucker for synth.

I don’t think of the ‘80s in neon colors and shoulder pads, or even permed hair and fingerless gloves. My infatuation with the ‘80s is heavily influenced by one man – John Hughes.

“Ferris Bueller’s Day Off ”, “Pretty in Pink”, “Sixteen Candles”: Hughes is the fuel behind these angst-filled flicks. And then there’s the Breakfast Club, the movie that fills me with nostalgia for a decade I was never even alive for.

The Breakfast Club, released in 1985, is one of the greatest cult classics of all time. It’s a timeless, emotionally forceful drama, that’s ironically comical at times, is compelling to teenagers to this day. The movie follows five unknowing high schoolers who spend one Saturday morning together in detention with their cynical principal.

It is a movie about nothing and everything.

I cannot describe how many times I have geeked out listening to “Fire in the Twilight” by Wang Chung, picturing the memorable scene in Breakfast Club when the Brat Pack is running through the linoleum floored halls of their suburban, Chicago based high school. I should be more embarrassed about confessing to this, but my next confession is fundamentally more embarrassing.

12 | OPINION

I always pictured high school, or at least my high school experience, playing out to be like a quintessential John Hughes movie. My Breakfast Club dream dates back to sixth grade, when I was first exposed to the Brat Pack in all their glory. No other movie I had seen before Breakfast Club had made high school seem like a life changing experience, much less fabricate the idea that detention could result in an impromptu dance montage.

To my younger self, this type of high-schoolbased movie was refreshing after “High School Musical” mania spread like wildfire through the pre-teen hearts of my school. John Hughes understood me and every other teen that was filled with a mixture of anxiety for the inevitable future and the ever looming doom of puberty that would ensue in the next two years.

Hughes’ characters weren’t just “the princess” or “the jock” or “the recluse.” There was Claire Standish, played by Hughes’ muse, Molly Ringwald — the spoiled popular girl, but also a girl caught in the middle of her parents’ crumbling marriage. John Bender (Judd Nelson) is the rebellious smart-ass who has to live with the scars from the abuse of his father at home. Brian Johnson (Anthony Michael Hall), the stereotypical brain dealing with the constant fear of failure. Allison Reynolds (Ally Sheedy), the reclusive basket case who hides behind her strange exterior due to her lack of friends. And Andrew Clark (Emilio Estevez), the popular wrestler who constantly fights the guilt he feels for bullying other kids.

I wanted to be Claire, Bender, Allison, Andrew and Brian all at once. And if I couldn’t be a culmination of the five main characters, I was at least determined to find them in the halls of Shawnee Mission Wonderful at some point during my four year stint in high school.

By the end of the movie, these characters strip each others’ perceptions of each other, revealing something to the viewer that makes them believe it’s the youth versus the future and the 9-to-5 jobs that we will perhaps all face at some point in our lives. If anything, it revealed the fact that we’re stranded here on this island called high school should bring us closer.

So here I am, senior year, a little less than three months left in this institution and I still haven’t found my “Brian” or my “Claire.” I still have yet to have that “Breakfast Club Moment”

photo by Emma Robson

— the moment of unexpected spontaneity between an unlikely group of people.

The problem just might be, that as real as Hughes’ cult classic seemed every time I watched it, it wasn’t real at all; it was only a movie. For one, no one is just a nerd, or a jock or a rebel. The jock is also the nerd, the rebel is also the jock and a lot of times the princess is also the basket case and the rebel and the nerd.

There’s also no such thing as Saturday morning detention, so the idea of the “Breakfast Club” is completely irrelevant to Friday Schools and consequently would have to be referred to as “After School Snack Club”, which sadly isn’t as catchy.

I realized one defining thing about my Hughes inspired search. No, I haven’t sat in detention with four seemingly polar opposite strangers, (the only detention I have been handed was for texting my mother in my freshman English class. It seemed like a bigger deal at the time). No, I haven’t run through the whitewalled halls of East like the Brat Pack did. And no, I haven’t danced on top of bookshelves in the empty library when the administration wasn’t looking.

But I have danced across the streets of Portland at night with fellow Journalism students, half running and skipping past flickering streetlights — a bunch of journalism nerds. I have sprinted into the freezing waters of Lake Michigan after running a 5k Cross Country meet in Chicago with 20 other seniors — a bunch of cross country jocks. I have also driven to the middle of nowhere Olathe and back with three of my elementary school friends in the seats in front and beside me, belting our favorite tunes and counting the number of houses that we passed. I sound like a “neo – maxo zoom dweebie,” but even though my high school experience hasn’t mirrored that of a John Hughes flick, I guess all of those moments were still miniature “Breakfast Club” moments.

I still haven’t given up hope on my big “Breakfast Dream,” though. I have a little less than three months left, and I now accept the fact that my “Breakfast Club Moment” will occur when I least expect it, with people I least expect to have it with. Call me crazy for writing this column, but you see it as you want to see it — in the simplest terms or most convenient definitions. So, whether you’re a brain, an athlete, a basket case, a princess or a criminal, I’ll see you in detention.

The best of

‘80sPOP Kennedy picks her favorite trends of the ‘80s

MUSIC “Boys Don’t Cry” by The Cure 1986

MOVIES “Fast Times at Ridgemont High” 1982

FASHION Ray-Ban Wayfarer sunglasses 1982

‘SHER’ING THE

TRADITION

Junior bonds with family and coworkers while working at family’s custard business written by Julia Poe | photos by Molly Howland With the basketball season just reaching an end, the East girls’ basketball team celebrates the season with a traditional banquet, video montage and, of course, custard. John Sheridan hands plastic cups that read “Sheridan’s Means No Compromise” to the players, letting them dish up their own custard, cookie dough, Oreos and hot fudge they get. The custard proves to be nearly impossible to resist for many of the players, a few of whom chose to break Lent rather than miss out on a chance at Sheridan’s custard.

Junior Anna Sheridan enjoys the treat just as much as her teammates, who thank her and dig into layers of chocolate and toppings. Her dad has told her to sit down and enjoy herself, but Anna still occasionally glances over to see if he needs any help with their custard. It’s a motion that’s become a habit in the years that Anna has worked with her family’s business.

It’s been five years since John opened his own branch of Sheridan’s Frozen Custard in Crown Center. Jim Sheridan, John’s brother and Anna’s uncle, opened the first store in 1999. Since then, it has expanded into a 20 store franchise with locations across the country, from Washington to Texas to Georgia, selling coffee, custard, and pies.

The original location remains at 75th and Metcalf, and John’s store is one of five in the Kansas City metro area. Since the opening of the Crown Center store, Anna has been closely tied with the company, working at the store and taking on a managing position in the summer.

“I got involved right when the store opened,” Anna said. “I was big enough to see over the counter, so I could work.”

Sometimes Anna finds that helping out

the family business makes it hard to juggle sports and school. Some nights, working at Sheridan’s will take precedent over going to a movie or a game with friends. There have even been times when working at the store Junior ANNA SHERIDAN serves a customer their vanilla custard while working at her family’s store in Crown keeps the Sheridans from being able Center. to relax together like a typical family.

But Anna doesn’t care. She can’t envision her life without the wisdom, personalities, and it’s great.” and served it and let people choose their closeness to her family and new friends she Anna herself has a crucial role at Sheri- toppings. It was busy, but it was pretty laid has gained through working at Sheridan’s. dan’s - she heads the summer catering busi- back and it was really fun.”

“I love it,” Anna said. “I can’t say it ness on her own. Summers at Crown CenAnna’s involvement in the summer enough, I love it so much.” ter are filled with Friday night movies and keeps the business running, but it becomes All of Anna’s immediate family contrib- concerts, and each of these occasions are more of struggle once the school year starts utes to the business. Anna often works at catered by Sheridan’s. Anna can be found for the junior to find hours to work. Anna the store alongside her mom, dad and older outside of Crown Center most Fridays in plays golf, basketball and soccer for East, sister Caroline, who is a sophomore in col- the summer, setting up and managing and finding time between practices and lege. The only member not working is her the three Sheridan’s tents that provide hot studying to help out the store can be diffi12-year-old sister, Rebecca, who the family dogs, popcorn and lemonade along with cult for her. doesn’t believe is old enough to work yet. custard.

Week-long periods can pass where she “Every person in our family has played Her parents will work the store inside won’t help at the store, especially during a role,” John said. “It’s definitely a family Crown Center, entrusting Anna to staff, set the thick of a sports season or finals week. business. I’ve gotten to get them involved up and manage the catering business at all However, when an employee can’t come and have them be a part of it, which is re- Crown Center events, including the hectic or the store is especially busy, Anna is ofally good.”

KC Irish Fest. Anna has become accus- ten called on to be ready to work. Anna’s John and Anna both say that these ex- tomed to being on her feet, giving orders parents are understanding of how busy periences of working side-by-side have and staying organized as a manager. she is and have worked with her to strike a brought the family closer. Working at Sher“The long shifts at the festivals can be healthy balance of priorities. idan’s gives the family chances to spend hard, especially when you’re on your feet “School always comes first, you know, time together that other families might for so long, but it’s worth it and the people over sports and business, but business and miss out on. Being coworkers and family are really fun,” Anna said. “I’ve been doing the store definitely comes over social life,” members can create tension when some- those day long deals for three years, so I Anna said. “My dad understands if I have thing goes wrong, but Anna says that it has know what I’m doing and I’m used to it.” a soccer game or a real commitment, but also given her the chance to see her family Anna will often bring along friends from if he needs me to work on a Friday night it in a different way.

East to help her out and get a taste of what doesn’t really matter if I have plans.”

“My mom might get really stressed it’s like to work the business. Junior Bucky Although Anna sometimes has to miss out in certain situations and my dad will Kessinger helped the Sheridans out at last out on hanging out with East friends, she be completely calm, and then we’ll turn year’s Irish Fest. has befriended many of her coworkers at around and my dad will be stressed and “We had a little stand up and it wasn’t Sheridan’s. Those new friends have helped my mom will be fine,” Anna said. “You get all the treats, just vanilla ice cream and Anna to enjoy her time at the family busito see different sides and parts of people’s toppings,” Kessinger said. “We scooped ness even more.

STORY CONTINUED ON PAGE 15

WHAT’S

IN A NAME? A look at the custard flavors named after Sheridan family members

FOR A VIDEO ABOUT SHERIDAN’S VISIT

WWW.SMEHARBINGER.NET

STRAW-ANA

CAROLINE’S CARAMEL PRETZEL CRUNCH

COURTNEY’S DIRT & WORMS

HE ATE THAT?

“One time an NFL player ordered the weirdest concrete.

He put:

STRAWBERRIES STRAWBERRIES

BANANAS

VANILLA CUSTARD

“This one was named after me because banana rhymes with Anna.

But I’ve actually never gotten it before, because I don’t even like bananas.”

PUMP OF CARAMEL PRETZELS

VANILLA CUSTARD

“Caroline really likes this treat.

This is the kind of treat that if you get it once, you have to get it again.”

OREOS

CHOCOLATE SPRINKLES VANILLA CUSTARD

“This one was named after my cousin Courtney. Her dad is the owner and he knew it would be one of the top sellers.”

MANGO CARAMEL HOT FUDGE MALT MIX COOKIE DOUGH

Finally my mom had to tell him that we couldn’t add any more flavors.”

FEATURES | 13

LEAPING TOWARDS

FAME Past East student chases his dream of professionally dancing in California

Scan with your smart phone to view videos of McGuire

written by Erin Reilly | photo courtesy of McGuire family It was after two months of demanding dance classes and competitive auditions that senior Grayson McGuire found a reason to believe that he didn’t graduate early for nothing. After auditioning for Travis Wall’s [from “So You Think You Can Dance?”] new reality TV show, the casting director made it a point to tell McGuire that he would have made it if he wasn’t still 17.

After completing the three classes in his schedule at East, McGuire had set out on his own to L.A. to pursue his dream of being in show business.

He started dancing in sixth grade at the Miller Marley School of Dance and Voice at the urging of his fellow actors at Theatre in the Park.

“I was really into musical theater, so I decided to give dance classes a try,” McGuire said. “I hated it at first because there weren’t many boys in the class.”

But after a while more boys signed up for the class and once McGuire became more comfortable, he discovered he had a passion for the art. In his free time, he began choreographing dances for himself and later classmates. It was during his freshman year that he began to realize he wanted to

make a career of dancing.

“I don’t want to be sitting behind a desk all day,” McGuire said. “If I couldn’t [succeed in Los Angeles] I would be a choreographer or I would teach dancing or voice. Anything to stay out from behind a desk.”

McGuire left his friends and family for the City of Angels on Jan. 12.

“My parents were obviously concerned about things like me living on my own and having to take care of myself or never seeing me again,” McGuire said. “But they were mostly worried about me getting into cocaine or other hard drugs, just because there’s a huge market in L.A. and it’s easy to get sucked into that. But I don’t do drugs, so no worries there.”

For the first step to making it in L.A., McGuire needed to get picked up by a talent agency. Packed in a gym alongside over 200 other Hollywood hopefuls, he was taught a routine and asked to replicate it with a group of three to five others in front of his potential agents. He was fortunate enough to be one of the 10 selected for representation.

He has since auditioned for a variety of gigs, including a dancer in several mu-

sic videos, the Nickelodeon Kid’s Choice Awards with Will Smith, for parts in various reality TV shows and even for a job in Disneyland Tokyo.

In the meantime, he is concentrating on the training side of fame, taking classes at several studios including The Edge Performing Arts Center, Millenium Dance Complex and Debbie Reynolds Dance Studio, as well as partaking in as many auditions as he can. Even if he doesn’t fit one part, if he becomes a familiar face, the casting directors might refer him for a role more suitable to his talents.

Yet despite his success, he misses the rain, the dollar-cheaper gas and streets devoid of heavy traffic in Kansas. He misses his English teacher Mrs. Frutchey-Miller, his friends and family, especially his dog Shammy and his cat Neo. He hasn’t been back to visit yet, but he plans to return for graduation and stay until mid-summer, spending that time choreographing and catching up with the friends and family he left behind.

In the meantime, he’s made a new family in Los Angeles. He’s become extremely close with the people in his contemporary

dance company, Entity, during their 10:30 p.m. to 2:00 a.m. dance rehearsals.

“Meeting people here is an ongoing thing,” McGuire said. “I just try to be nice to everyone and make connections cause it’s all about who you know out here.”

He has also adopted a new member into his family, a guinea pig named Lucy in the Sky. “She’s amazing,” McGuire said. “I want to get another one and name it Dirt on the Ground. I think that’d be really funny. But seriously, guinea pigs are the way to go.”

McGuire loves his new home in the dance capitol of the world. He likes the fact that the average temperature is around 70 degrees every day. He likes that he can go down to the beach in Malibu, hike in the Santa Monica Mountains and tour the city in the same day.

But he especially loves the opportunity he has been given.

“I’m constantly trying out for different shows,” McGuire said. “I mean, I almost made it on a TV show [within a few months of being here], so hopefully big things are in store for me soon. We’ll see what happens.”

Just your average day in LA components to Grayson’s everyday life in Los Angeles

7 p.m. | audition

HIP-HOP

“Ballet is my least favorite. It’s just helpful technique-wise. [Contemporary] is what I’m best at so I try to train in hip-hop because it’s my second best. Hip-hop is just completely no technique. It’s just fun; you put on your shoes and you get buzzed and you go crazy.”

8 p.m. - 2 a.m. | free time with friends

Top five auditions

4. SPIDER-MAN THE BROADWAY MUSICAL | “I got kept until the very last round but I couldn’t do flips and all that crazy acrobat [stuff] so I didnt make it.”

1. ENTITY CONTEMPORARY DANCE COMPANY | Made it

3 a.m. - 12 p.m. | sleep

2. TRAVIS WALL COMPANY | “They said I would’ve made it had I been 18, but I can’t be on a reality show yet.” 5. DISNEY MUSIC VIDEO | Did not make it

BALLET

“Contemporary is my main [style].

It’s not so much technique that it’s ballet, but it’s more artistic-al.”

3. KIDS CHOICE AWARDS | Did not make it

2 - 3 a.m. | down time at home

14 | FEATURES

CONTEMPORARY

35% 5%

2:30 - 6 p.m. | dance classes

Breakdown of the dance classes Grayson takes

60%

12 p.m. | wakes up

3

GOALS for the future

1. Dance on nation-wide television 2. Leave the country for dance 3. Eventually start his own dance company and tour all over the world with it

E S I T R E V D A O T T N A W ?

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40+

PAGES

Senior

PROFILES

College

LIST Class

BREAKDOWN

Senior

COLUMNS A look back

R E G IN B R A H E H T IN D A R U THREE EASY WAYS TO GET YO

1.

2.

3.

Email us at smeharbinger@gmail.com Call us at (913) 993-6688 Stop by room 521 during a school day

AT THE YEAR

STORY CONTINUED FROM PAGE 13 “I love the employees,” Anna said. “They’re different from the people I’d be meeting here [at East]. They’re in dance groups and rap singing groups and bands and they’re just awesome. I love spending time with them, they’re all my really good friends and make it so much fun.”

Anna has also learned how to work as a manager and an employee. She says that her ability to react quickly to problems has been greatly improved by working for her family’s business, a skill that she believes will help her in the future.

Since she is mainly a manager in the summer, Anna is often on her own to keep an accident from turning into a disaster.

“I think she’s seen how a business works and [how to] deal with different problems [that] come up,” John said. “And

it will be different, you’re not always having the same thing come up again and again, you always have to be ready for something new to happen. It’s being able to adapt and respond.”

As a junior, Anna is beginning to look forward to college and beyond. Her love of sports and interests in different degrees, such as physical therapy, leave her uncertain of what she wants to pursue. The one thing she is certain of is that Sheridan’s will be a part of her future, and her parents have been happy to leave that option open to her.

“Whenever you have a family business, there’s always that option,” John said. “And if that’s really her desire, then the store will always be here, it’s something she can always

be involved in.”

Anna’s parents have tried not to pressure any of their daughters to continue on with the business. However, as Anna focuses on college and her future, she says that she cannot imagine not helping with Sheridan’s throughout the rest of her life.

“I don’t know what position I want, whether it’s owning the store or catering but I definitely couldn’t see my life without being involved in Sheridan’s,” Anna said. “I’ve known that for quite some time, and it would be weird if I wasn’t able to help with it.”

PROMO | 15

TRAVELING LIFE

BORN IN NORTH CAROLINA MOVES TO GERMANY FOR 8 YEARS

JORDAN’S

JOURNEY

EXPERT’S OPINION

WITH RIVALS.COM’S JON KIRBY “First of all he’s got the body and arm all of the college coaches look for. You don’t find a lot of quarterbacks on the local front that have the ability to sit back in the pocket and make all the throws. But he’s a good enough athlete for his size.

You have to respect the fact that he can make plays with his feet when needed.

I think [he] is a great fit for the East offense.

Chip Sherman and Sam Brown are very good coaches and I think they will do good things with Darling at quarterback.”

JUNIOR SEASON STATS 196 PASS ATTEMPTS 125 COMPLETIONS 1,820 YARDS 16 TD’S 16 | SPREAD

STARTS PLAYING FOOTBALL IN 6TH GRADE

STARTS FIRST VARSITY GAME IN 9TH GRADE MOVES TO TEXAS SOPHOMORE YEAR

FROM GERMANY TO OHIO, TEXAS TO KANSAS, FOOTBALL AND A DREAM TO PLAY FOR CHIP SHERMAN HAVE ALWAYS BEEN PRESENT IN JORDAN DARLING’S LIFE In Platte City, Mo., high school football is more than just king; it’s all the city has. It’s a town where on the morning of each home football game, the same crowd of parents and town people can be found assembled at the stadium waiting with signs to mark off their seat. It’s a town where the walls of the local barbershop are covered with pictures and articles of teams past, and on Saturdays, ‘coach’ can be found getting his usual haircut while being showered with the question, “remember when?” It’s a town where finishing 11-1 is considered as a bad season. It’s a town where each young kid grows up envisioning themselves being the one leading the team to an eighth state championship. It’s a town that gives fruition to the one legendized in “Friday Night Lights.”

It’s a culture that was created over the course of 20 years by coach Chip Sherman and the way he truly made it a community program. It’s a program that junior Jordan Darling grew up and worked towards being a part of someday.

Rated as one of the top 100 juniors in the state of Texas by www.texasfootball.com, Shawnee Mission East’s football team has a new quarterback. And although junior Jordan Darling has a new home at East, he has lived a life of a nomad. Having called four different states and two different countries “home,” Platte City is where Jordan learned to play the game that defines his life today. ***

Having lived in Platte City since he was 12, football is ingrained into his core.

Growing up, Jordan spent his weeks like any other boy his age: living for the Friday night football game; dreaming and preparing for the day that he would be under the lights wearing Platte’s black and orange being led by coach Sherman.

“In a little town like that during your Friday night, that’s all you do,” Sherman

MOTHER LEAVES TO FIGHT IN AFGHANISTAN

“Our family is faith-based; our faith has gotten us through some rough times. With his mother in Afghanistan, constant travel and just believing that God’s hand is over our life has gotten us through some difficult times.” - Bill Darling

said. “You go to the game and you wear your youth jersey; you sit in the stands with your group of kids and you’re cheering and that’s what those kids looked forward to.”

With an older brother in the program, Jordan learned of the legend of Sherman first hand. As Matt, Jordan’s brother, progressed with the team, Jordan stood on the sidelines of any practice he could, watching and learning. Jordan saw his brother grow from receiver as a junior to starting quarterback as a senior, soaking in everything he could.

As the Darling family got more invested into the program through Matt, Jordan was able to spend time with Sherman learning not only skills for on the field but for off the field as well.

“The main thing he’s taught me, was that no matter what you do in life, just work your hardest and eventually it will all work out,” Jordan said. “He’s a big inspiration based off his work ethic and his story, beating cancer. It just comes to show that if you work hard at anything, you’ll be able to succeed in life.”

Every Monday through Thursday night during the football season, Sherman walked his dog up to the Platte County high school stadium and had an open invite out to any football players to come for help with whatever they needed on the football field. Whether it was help on perfecting stances, running routes or long snapping, they knew Sherman was there to help. Whether a kid was the starting quarterback on varsity or in 6th grade just learning how to make a form tackle, Sherman welcomed him. Since the Darling’s arrived in Platte, Jordan was always there. Whether it was throwing to his brother as he ran routes or playing with his Beagle dog Luna, Jordan grew up on these fields.

“Growing up, he just couldn’t get enough of being up at the field,” Sherman said. “If we ran a youth camp, man, he was the first one there, last one to leave. Or at practice, he’s around. You know he just liked being around it.”

One night, five years ago, when Jordan was in 7th grade, Jordan really grabbed Sherman’s attention. Watching Jordan play catch with a friend on the Platte Stadium field, Sherman asked if Jordan would throw into the particularly strong night wind.

Going away, Sherman said something to Jordan that has stayed with him throughout high school.

“One thing that has always stuck with me,” Jordan said. “I’ll be real special one day as long as I keep working hard and luckily I’ve been blessed thus far.”

For Sherman, identifying Jordan’s talent at quarterback was easier for him than it was for his earlier coaches. When they saw Jordan’s massive frame paired with speed beyond the ability of most players that big, they thought Jordan playing quarterback wasn’t logical.

“I identified this back when he was in 8th grade;

everybody wanted to move him from quarterback because he was so big -- they wanted to move him to tight end, d-end, all of that,” Sherman said. “And I told his dad, ‘don’t let them move him, don’t let them move him. Kid’s a quarterback, let him play quarterback.’”

With his relationship with Sherman and the early success he saw, Jordan’s life entirely shifted focus to making himself the best football player he could be.

“I don’t really have an off season; football is an all year thing for me and my dad,” Jordan said. “We go out and throw six times a week, I lift five times a week, I run 6-7 days a week, all I know is to work hard because that’s all I’m good at.”

In 2008 as Sherman retired from Platte County High School, Jordan entered his freshman year. But with his mother in the military, the Darling family received orders and they were on the move. Although both Sherman and the Darlings were separated, their friendship that began the moment they arrived in Platte continued, allowing Sherman to keep tabs on Jordan’s next chapter in football.

“I could tell [Jordan] was going to be a real good player,” Sherman said. “He was so determined and he was so dedicated to being good.” *** It was only a matter of time before the Darling’s run in Platte was over. Although it’s where Jordan lived for much of his life, it didn’t start there.

First it was Germany, and then to Platte, next was West Chester, Ohio, and finally Waco, Texas.

As Jordan moved from home to home, the quickly acquired friends with Ohio accents soon became friends with a Texas twang. High school allegiances changed, cities changed, and friends changed, but the only thing that remained constant for Jordan was family and football. It’s the life of a military brat, and with no option he accepted it, handling a hardship that would be tough for anyone.

“You go to four high schools, in three years in four different states, whether you are a football player or not, that’s going to be challenging,” Jordan’s father, Bill Darling, said. “It’d be challenging for anyone, it’d be challenging for adults. You know I think it has helped him actually, the experience has made him stronger not weaker.”

Finding himself in Ohio, enrolled in Lakota West high school, then sophomore Jordan worked himself into the starting job at quarterback. Despite only playing eight games, Jordan threw for 1,083 yards and seven touchdowns.

With each move, Jordan’s already strong arm grew and that 6’1, 205 pound frame as a freshman transformed into a 6’4 230 pound athletic specimen. With each added inch, college football programs interest in Jordan grew exponentially. First it was camping by invitation at the University of Okla-

SHERMAN BEATS CANCER MOVES TO KANSAS AND STARTS AT EAST

“I said ‘Bill, I just don’t know if I’m going to be coaching.’ He said ‘I have faith, you’re going to be coaching, He’s going to play for you. That’s what he’s wanted to do forever, play for you.’” - Chip Sherman

homa, and then it was the University of Florida and finally Ohio State – all in only the summer leading into his junior season.

Last fall in Waco, Texas, Jordan walked into a not-so-ideal situation. Headlining a three quarterback rotation, the team’s possessions were split three ways; with this, finding his rhythm with his receivers proved difficult. Jordan never complained as he not only led his team in passing yards but finished second in his five team district with 1820 yards and 16 touchdowns but most importantly, his team was winning. Waco Midway found their way to the Dallas Cowboy’s Stadium playing in the state championship game against 4-time back-to-back champion, Lake Travis. In front of a crowd of 33 thousand, Waco Midway and Jordan lost 22-7.

As the season for Waco Midway was underway, Jordan’s father was also following Shawnee Mission East and Sherman’s battle with cancer. And as the year went on, the realization that they may be on the move once again became more and more real.

“Honest truth, I never thought I’d coach him, I never thought I’d coach him,” Sherman said. “Here I’m at Shawnee Mission East, he’s in Ohio or Texas or wherever he was going to be but over Christmas vacation his dad called and we started visiting about this that and the other thing and we just started talking about life. One thing led to another and before I knew it, he called me back and said ‘hey, how would you like Jordan to play for you?,’ And I said ‘I’d love it.’ You know I just thought he was messing around. And I didn’t even know if I was coaching, see I hadn’t had a scan since April 6th so if the cancer is back, I won’t coach… So then I told him the truth ‘guy’s I may not be coaching because at that time I was still doing radiation. So we just got to see what happens.” *** It was official. Jordan’s mother was being transferred to Fort Leavenworth and although it was still 36 miles away from Shawnee Mission East, the realization that Jordan may be able to play for the coach who for so long made him who he was couldn’t seem more real.

During Christmas break, Jordan and his father got their very first look at Shawnee Mission East and although Sherman coaching that season was still up in the air, they believed he would be there.

“He kept on saying, I can feel it, I just have faith,” Sherman said. “I said ‘Bill, I just don’t know if I’m going to be coaching.’ He said ‘I have faith, you’re going to be coaching, He’s going to play for you. That’s what he’s wanted to do forever, play for you.”

With the Darlings needing to move back into the Kansas City area, the news of Sherman beating cancer was all they needed for them to pull the trigger on moving into the East district “We got orders to come to Leavenworth and none of us knew whether coach Sherman would

“Honest truth, I never thought I’d coach him, I never thought I’d coach him,” Sherman said. “Here I’m at Shawnee Mission East, he’s in Ohio or Texas or wherever he was going to be...” - Chip Sherman

be coaching or not, so it’s not like we planned this,” Bill said. “Everything just fell into place, we had orders to come into Leavenworth. Chip couldn’t tell us whether he was coaching. The doctor hadn’t cleared him. Everything fell into place, the god blessed Chip and here we are.”

With the news, Jordan had found his final high school and on March 21st he got his turn to be in Sherman’s program.

“It’s not that Shawnee Mission East is the football capital of the world, he could play anywhere in the country,” Sherman said. “You could send him down to Florida; he can play in a big school anywhere. It’s just who he is.”

Standing at 6’4 and 230 pounds, Jordan gives the Lancers a quarterback that they have never had before. With 4.8 speed in a 40 yard dash, Jordan will be used running the ball in the same capacity that former East and now Colorado quarterback John Schrock was used.

“Jordan is a quarterback, he can throw it, he can run it, he does the mental part of it and all of that,” Sherman said. “Jordan’s best attribute may be his will to be successful and his will to work and his will to sacrifice.”

Having already received his first offer from Charlie Weis and the University of Kansas, Jordan hopes that his success in his senior season can only fulfill what people expect of him.

“I don’t want to be all talk,” Jordan said. “I want to prove on the field that I’m as good as people say and it’s not about me, it’s about the team. Football is a team sport and I’m excited to be a part of the team.”

Despite only being a part of the team for two weeks, Jordan has already been spending time going through workouts with next year’s seniors and his future targets, David Sosna and Conner Rellihan. With this jolt to the program, expectations for Jordan and next year’s team have been running wild.

“If you ask any high school football player period, they’ll all say they want to win a state championship and I’m no different,” Jordan said. “I just want to take it one day at a time and then as next year rolls around – we’ll take it one week at a time.

We’ll just start of winning some football games and see where that takes us.”

For Sherman, coaching Jordan isn’t significant for the pursuit of another state championship, it’s significant because he can see out a kid who spent much of his young life dreaming of playing for him.

“My right hand to God, I just hope he’s happy, that’s all I want for him,” Sherman said. “I don’t care about awards, yards, wins; the kid deserves to be happy...Have a good time, enjoy himself and at the end – let him say it was a good experience and he had fun. Winning and all of that takes care of itself.

I just want the kid to be happy, he deserves to be happy.”

SPREAD | 17

TRAVELING LIFE

BORN IN NORTH CAROLINA MOVES TO GERMANY FOR 8 YEARS

JORDAN’S

JOURNEY

EXPERT’S OPINION

WITH RIVALS.COM’S JON KIRBY “First of all he’s got the body and arm all of the college coaches look for. You don’t find a lot of quarterbacks on the local front that have the ability to sit back in the pocket and make all the throws. But he’s a good enough athlete for his size.

You have to respect the fact that he can make plays with his feet when needed.

I think [he] is a great fit for the East offense.

Chip Sherman and Sam Brown are very good coaches and I think they will do good things with Darling at quarterback.”

JUNIOR SEASON STATS 196 PASS ATTEMPTS 125 COMPLETIONS 1,820 YARDS 16 TD’S 16 | SPREAD

STARTS PLAYING FOOTBALL IN 6TH GRADE

STARTS FIRST VARSITY GAME IN 9TH GRADE MOVES TO TEXAS SOPHOMORE YEAR

FROM GERMANY TO OHIO, TEXAS TO KANSAS, FOOTBALL AND A DREAM TO PLAY FOR CHIP SHERMAN HAVE ALWAYS BEEN PRESENT IN JORDAN DARLING’S LIFE In Platte City, Mo., high school football is more than just king; it’s all the city has. It’s a town where on the morning of each home football game, the same crowd of parents and town people can be found assembled at the stadium waiting with signs to mark off their seat. It’s a town where the walls of the local barbershop are covered with pictures and articles of teams past, and on Saturdays, ‘coach’ can be found getting his usual haircut while being showered with the question, “remember when?” It’s a town where finishing 11-1 is considered as a bad season. It’s a town where each young kid grows up envisioning themselves being the one leading the team to an eighth state championship. It’s a town that gives fruition to the one legendized in “Friday Night Lights.”

It’s a culture that was created over the course of 20 years by coach Chip Sherman and the way he truly made it a community program. It’s a program that junior Jordan Darling grew up and worked towards being a part of someday.

Rated as one of the top 100 juniors in the state of Texas by www.texasfootball.com, Shawnee Mission East’s football team has a new quarterback. And although junior Jordan Darling has a new home at East, he has lived a life of a nomad. Having called four different states and two different countries “home,” Platte City is where Jordan learned to play the game that defines his life today. ***

Having lived in Platte City since he was 12, football is ingrained into his core.

Growing up, Jordan spent his weeks like any other boy his age: living for the Friday night football game; dreaming and preparing for the day that he would be under the lights wearing Platte’s black and orange being led by coach Sherman.

“In a little town like that during your Friday night, that’s all you do,” Sherman

MOTHER LEAVES TO FIGHT IN AFGHANISTAN

“Our family is faith-based; our faith has gotten us through some rough times. With his mother in Afghanistan, constant travel and just believing that God’s hand is over our life has gotten us through some difficult times.” - Bill Darling

said. “You go to the game and you wear your youth jersey; you sit in the stands with your group of kids and you’re cheering and that’s what those kids looked forward to.”

With an older brother in the program, Jordan learned of the legend of Sherman first hand. As Matt, Jordan’s brother, progressed with the team, Jordan stood on the sidelines of any practice he could, watching and learning. Jordan saw his brother grow from receiver as a junior to starting quarterback as a senior, soaking in everything he could.

As the Darling family got more invested into the program through Matt, Jordan was able to spend time with Sherman learning not only skills for on the field but for off the field as well.

“The main thing he’s taught me, was that no matter what you do in life, just work your hardest and eventually it will all work out,” Jordan said. “He’s a big inspiration based off his work ethic and his story, beating cancer. It just comes to show that if you work hard at anything, you’ll be able to succeed in life.”

Every Monday through Thursday night during the football season, Sherman walked his dog up to the Platte County high school stadium and had an open invite out to any football players to come for help with whatever they needed on the football field. Whether it was help on perfecting stances, running routes or long snapping, they knew Sherman was there to help. Whether a kid was the starting quarterback on varsity or in 6th grade just learning how to make a form tackle, Sherman welcomed him. Since the Darling’s arrived in Platte, Jordan was always there. Whether it was throwing to his brother as he ran routes or playing with his Beagle dog Luna, Jordan grew up on these fields.

“Growing up, he just couldn’t get enough of being up at the field,” Sherman said. “If we ran a youth camp, man, he was the first one there, last one to leave. Or at practice, he’s around. You know he just liked being around it.”

One night, five years ago, when Jordan was in 7th grade, Jordan really grabbed Sherman’s attention. Watching Jordan play catch with a friend on the Platte Stadium field, Sherman asked if Jordan would throw into the particularly strong night wind.

Going away, Sherman said something to Jordan that has stayed with him throughout high school.

“One thing that has always stuck with me,” Jordan said. “I’ll be real special one day as long as I keep working hard and luckily I’ve been blessed thus far.”

For Sherman, identifying Jordan’s talent at quarterback was easier for him than it was for his earlier coaches. When they saw Jordan’s massive frame paired with speed beyond the ability of most players that big, they thought Jordan playing quarterback wasn’t logical.

“I identified this back when he was in 8th grade;

everybody wanted to move him from quarterback because he was so big -- they wanted to move him to tight end, d-end, all of that,” Sherman said. “And I told his dad, ‘don’t let them move him, don’t let them move him. Kid’s a quarterback, let him play quarterback.’”

With his relationship with Sherman and the early success he saw, Jordan’s life entirely shifted focus to making himself the best football player he could be.

“I don’t really have an off season; football is an all year thing for me and my dad,” Jordan said. “We go out and throw six times a week, I lift five times a week, I run 6-7 days a week, all I know is to work hard because that’s all I’m good at.”

In 2008 as Sherman retired from Platte County High School, Jordan entered his freshman year. But with his mother in the military, the Darling family received orders and they were on the move. Although both Sherman and the Darlings were separated, their friendship that began the moment they arrived in Platte continued, allowing Sherman to keep tabs on Jordan’s next chapter in football.

“I could tell [Jordan] was going to be a real good player,” Sherman said. “He was so determined and he was so dedicated to being good.” *** It was only a matter of time before the Darling’s run in Platte was over. Although it’s where Jordan lived for much of his life, it didn’t start there.

First it was Germany, and then to Platte, next was West Chester, Ohio, and finally Waco, Texas.

As Jordan moved from home to home, the quickly acquired friends with Ohio accents soon became friends with a Texas twang. High school allegiances changed, cities changed, and friends changed, but the only thing that remained constant for Jordan was family and football. It’s the life of a military brat, and with no option he accepted it, handling a hardship that would be tough for anyone.

“You go to four high schools, in three years in four different states, whether you are a football player or not, that’s going to be challenging,” Jordan’s father, Bill Darling, said. “It’d be challenging for anyone, it’d be challenging for adults. You know I think it has helped him actually, the experience has made him stronger not weaker.”

Finding himself in Ohio, enrolled in Lakota West high school, then sophomore Jordan worked himself into the starting job at quarterback. Despite only playing eight games, Jordan threw for 1,083 yards and seven touchdowns.

With each move, Jordan’s already strong arm grew and that 6’1, 205 pound frame as a freshman transformed into a 6’4 230 pound athletic specimen. With each added inch, college football programs interest in Jordan grew exponentially. First it was camping by invitation at the University of Okla-

SHERMAN BEATS CANCER MOVES TO KANSAS AND STARTS AT EAST

“I said ‘Bill, I just don’t know if I’m going to be coaching.’ He said ‘I have faith, you’re going to be coaching, He’s going to play for you. That’s what he’s wanted to do forever, play for you.’” - Chip Sherman

homa, and then it was the University of Florida and finally Ohio State – all in only the summer leading into his junior season.

Last fall in Waco, Texas, Jordan walked into a not-so-ideal situation. Headlining a three quarterback rotation, the team’s possessions were split three ways; with this, finding his rhythm with his receivers proved difficult. Jordan never complained as he not only led his team in passing yards but finished second in his five team district with 1820 yards and 16 touchdowns but most importantly, his team was winning. Waco Midway found their way to the Dallas Cowboy’s Stadium playing in the state championship game against 4-time back-to-back champion, Lake Travis. In front of a crowd of 33 thousand, Waco Midway and Jordan lost 22-7.

As the season for Waco Midway was underway, Jordan’s father was also following Shawnee Mission East and Sherman’s battle with cancer. And as the year went on, the realization that they may be on the move once again became more and more real.

“Honest truth, I never thought I’d coach him, I never thought I’d coach him,” Sherman said. “Here I’m at Shawnee Mission East, he’s in Ohio or Texas or wherever he was going to be but over Christmas vacation his dad called and we started visiting about this that and the other thing and we just started talking about life. One thing led to another and before I knew it, he called me back and said ‘hey, how would you like Jordan to play for you?,’ And I said ‘I’d love it.’ You know I just thought he was messing around. And I didn’t even know if I was coaching, see I hadn’t had a scan since April 6th so if the cancer is back, I won’t coach… So then I told him the truth ‘guy’s I may not be coaching because at that time I was still doing radiation. So we just got to see what happens.” *** It was official. Jordan’s mother was being transferred to Fort Leavenworth and although it was still 36 miles away from Shawnee Mission East, the realization that Jordan may be able to play for the coach who for so long made him who he was couldn’t seem more real.

During Christmas break, Jordan and his father got their very first look at Shawnee Mission East and although Sherman coaching that season was still up in the air, they believed he would be there.

“He kept on saying, I can feel it, I just have faith,” Sherman said. “I said ‘Bill, I just don’t know if I’m going to be coaching.’ He said ‘I have faith, you’re going to be coaching, He’s going to play for you. That’s what he’s wanted to do forever, play for you.”

With the Darlings needing to move back into the Kansas City area, the news of Sherman beating cancer was all they needed for them to pull the trigger on moving into the East district “We got orders to come to Leavenworth and none of us knew whether coach Sherman would

“Honest truth, I never thought I’d coach him, I never thought I’d coach him,” Sherman said. “Here I’m at Shawnee Mission East, he’s in Ohio or Texas or wherever he was going to be...” - Chip Sherman

be coaching or not, so it’s not like we planned this,” Bill said. “Everything just fell into place, we had orders to come into Leavenworth. Chip couldn’t tell us whether he was coaching. The doctor hadn’t cleared him. Everything fell into place, the god blessed Chip and here we are.”

With the news, Jordan had found his final high school and on March 21st he got his turn to be in Sherman’s program.

“It’s not that Shawnee Mission East is the football capital of the world, he could play anywhere in the country,” Sherman said. “You could send him down to Florida; he can play in a big school anywhere. It’s just who he is.”

Standing at 6’4 and 230 pounds, Jordan gives the Lancers a quarterback that they have never had before. With 4.8 speed in a 40 yard dash, Jordan will be used running the ball in the same capacity that former East and now Colorado quarterback John Schrock was used.

“Jordan is a quarterback, he can throw it, he can run it, he does the mental part of it and all of that,” Sherman said. “Jordan’s best attribute may be his will to be successful and his will to work and his will to sacrifice.”

Having already received his first offer from Charlie Weis and the University of Kansas, Jordan hopes that his success in his senior season can only fulfill what people expect of him.

“I don’t want to be all talk,” Jordan said. “I want to prove on the field that I’m as good as people say and it’s not about me, it’s about the team. Football is a team sport and I’m excited to be a part of the team.”

Despite only being a part of the team for two weeks, Jordan has already been spending time going through workouts with next year’s seniors and his future targets, David Sosna and Conner Rellihan. With this jolt to the program, expectations for Jordan and next year’s team have been running wild.

“If you ask any high school football player period, they’ll all say they want to win a state championship and I’m no different,” Jordan said. “I just want to take it one day at a time and then as next year rolls around – we’ll take it one week at a time.

We’ll just start of winning some football games and see where that takes us.”

For Sherman, coaching Jordan isn’t significant for the pursuit of another state championship, it’s significant because he can see out a kid who spent much of his young life dreaming of playing for him.

“My right hand to God, I just hope he’s happy, that’s all I want for him,” Sherman said. “I don’t care about awards, yards, wins; the kid deserves to be happy...Have a good time, enjoy himself and at the end – let him say it was a good experience and he had fun. Winning and all of that takes care of itself.

I just want the kid to be happy, he deserves to be happy.”

SPREAD | 17

BIDDING

FAREWELL

Beloved English teacher, Spring GehringLowery is leaving East to teach in Texas the

written by Andrew McKittrick | photos by Anna Marie Oakley The crowd lines both sides of the street and muggy air surrounds the area, smelling of rain. Luckily, the forecast says the rain will hold off for a few more hours. Seniors dance around their float to “Tik Tok” by KE$HA as they head towards Prairie Village shopping center.

Kansas City star photographers take pictures of the floats as elementary students sprint to pick up Laffy Taffy and Starbursts off the ground. East English teacher Spring Gehring-Lowery stands among the parents and students, watching the parade pass.

For Gehring-Lowery, the Lancer Day parade is just one of many things that she will miss as she moves to Texas later this year.

“I’ll miss the coffee shop because it’s really cool, no other school has had that,” Gehring-Lowery said. “I am going to miss the pep rallies, the choir singing in the hallways and the band going through the hallways. I’m also going to miss sports picks with Will and Nick, you have to put sports picks in there. I’m gonna miss all these things.”

Gehring-Lowery is leaving behind the people and events of East during the last weekend in May. She is moving to the town of Flower Mound, north of Fort Worth, TX. Her husband, Joshua Lowery, has been in Texas since the beginning of November after accepting a job with Wilson Mohr, an industrial controls company. Before changing jobs and moving, Lowery worked in industrial sales for Burner Design and Control, a company specializing in heating. “[He] was offered a position down there that had a higher pay,” GehringLowery said. “We had been wanting to get back to Texas for a while.”

Moving back to Texas brings some challenges for Gehring-Lowery, from looking for teaching jobs in Texas, to only seeing her husband once a month.

18 | FEATURES

“We try to see each other once a month,” Gehring-Lowery said. “It’s been really difficult. We do have our daughter who is 12 and she is in a lot of different activities, and then with work and taking care of all the animals it’s been kinda tough to do it all on my own. We don’t have a lot of family in the area so a lot of the responsibility falls on me.”

One of the challenges for GehringLowery is transporting her horse nearly 550 miles in the summer heat. She is currently looking for a cross country horse hauler to help transport her horse.

According to Gehring-Lowery, it’s necessary to use a hauler because the horses need a periodic break from the heat along with food and water.

After arriving in Texas, Gehring-Lowery’s troubles won’t be over. As of now, she doesn’t have a specific job lined up.

The school systems in Texas are currently going through the same problems that the systems in Kansas have been going through since the recession started in December of 2007: budget cuts. Nearly $5.4 billion dollars was recently cut from the school budget by the Texas state legislature according to a Texas State Teachers Association press release.

If Gehring-Lowery can’t find a teaching job, she might have to find a job in a different field for a few years while she waits for the state education budget to go back up.

“I probably would go back into human resources,” Gehring-Lowery said.

“Or maybe something in industrial sales, something similar to that.”

If Gehring-Lowery is able to find a teaching position in Texas, she wants to teach at a school where she will be able to connect with her students while also getting them to enjoy learning. GehringLowery will be looking to get a job similar to her first teaching job at Cy-Ridge high school, a Title One school in Texas.

A Title One school is a school with a large portion of the students struggling financially.

“I really had to work to gain my students respect and trust and motivate them to want to learn,” Gehring-Lowery said about Cy-Ridge high school. “When I could do that with a class of students it was amazing. It was really great to feel like I can get these kids to love learning and they can really do something.”

Although Gehring-Lowery has taught at both a school in Texas and one in Kansas, her students from both schools have the same thing in common -- the ability to change her outlook on life.

“My favorite part about teaching is that [my students] make me laugh every single day,” Gehring-Lowery said. “I really enjoy and appreciate how enthusiastic and idealistic my students are, it gives me faith and hope that when things are not going well in the world it can turn around.”

Gehring-Lowery’s students laugh alongside her according to sophomore Taylor MucCullough.

“She is very personable and easy to talk to,” McCullough said. “She is a teacher, but sometimes she can also be like a friend too.”

Although Gehring-Lowery is moving to Texas, she will still be looking to do her favorite thing and continue to improve students lives and their opportunities.

“I can get these [former students at Cy-Ridge high school] to love learning,” Gehring-Lowery said. “They can really do something. I believe in the phrase ‘education is power.’ You know, education is the one thing that we can gain that no one can take away from you. It gives you options, provides doorways and pathways that may not have existed before.”

G-LODOWN

Students reflect on their past experiences with Gehring-Lowery

She would make boring projects really fun and she was always into what she taught. It was really funny when she would bring her daughter to class and she kept interjecting. G-Lo called her the Peanut Allergy, which I thought was really funny.

SENIOR MEGAHAN SPIVAK

I loved hearing about her crazy stories from previous places she used to teach at. There was one story where a kid took out a knife at school and she threw a shoe at him. It’s amazing that she can teach at two completely different environments.

JUNIOR EDEN MCKISSICK-HAWLEY

It was really fun going to Greece with her. She always had the students on her mind. One time, a lot of the tourists that were in our group wanted to go to a Hard Rock Cafe and none of us really wanted to go she took us to the Greek Parliament building where the protests were. It was really cool to witness that.

SENIOR LUKE HOLSINGER

MIXED

Spring Break may be over, but there’s still plenty to look forward to!

PEP CLUB TALENT SHOW: APRIL 5 SCHOOLS ENDS FOR SENIORS: MAY 11 SCHOOLS ENDS FOR ALL OTHER STUDENTS: MAY 23 PROM: MAY 12

the page about spring break 2012

FLORIDA “While we were there everyone was saying Y.O.LO. so in honor of the motto my friends and I went canoeing in the ocean.” - FRESHMAN MITCH KERR

ITALY SHAWNEE MISSION EAST CHORALIERS “We had a singing flash mob while in Siena in the main square. It was so much fun!” -SENIOR PAIGE KOVARIK PLAYA DEL CARMEN 21 EAST SENIORS “Everyday we had a volleyball tournament against the parents, they always won!”- SENIOR KATIE CRAWFORD

TRINIDAD K-LIFE YOUTH GROUP “I ate a shark sandwich and learned the term ‘lime’ is a verb that means to hang out.” - SOPHOMORE JAKE McDONALD

JAPAN JUNIOR RAE EHLY “We were so isolated beacuse we couldn’t speak to people. They would try and talk to us and we would just laugh , because we couldn’t understand them at all.” -JUNIOR RAE EHLY

DOMINICAN REPUBLIC VILLAGE PRESBYTERIAN YOUTH GROUP “Even though we might have been more fortunate than the kids there, they were so happy.” - JUNIOR NICK PIROTTE

AND THE WINNERS ARE..

DREW SURFACE, SAM RIDER, NATHAN McCLOUD, LUKE FLEMMING, TAMAS KAPROS, MARK HARKEN, EVAN WESTOFF SUGAR CREEK, MISSOURI

JAKE MILIGRIM WINTER PARK, COLORADO

RACHEAL KIM, JULIA POE, RACHEAL BARNETT, SUSANNAH MITCHEL, BETHANY WILES LAWRENCE, KANSAS

MASON PASHIA VENICE, ITALY

MARY KATE WORKMAN CAPTIVA, FLORIDA

CARTER AND ABBY STOLBERG ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI

MIXED | 19

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‘BREAK’ING IT DOWN Andrew Bird’s latest release unites imaginative lyrics and earthy tone written by Grant Kendall “Break it Yourself,” Chicagoan Andrew Bird’s sixth studio recording, tackles lucid topics like decreases in the population of bee colonies, metaphorical sinking ships, famous mythological musicians and death — topics only a man with an imagination Andrew Bird could dream up. Bird is known for his extreme wordplay and use of obscure subjects, like cephalopods (squids, octopus, and any other marine mollusk), troglobites (cave-dwelling animals) and even the process of osmosis.

Paste Magazine even created a database called “The Encyclopedia of Andrew Bird Lyrics” in case you stumble upon an unfamiliar phrase — it’s not uncommon if you do.

This record takes Bird’s tried-and-true of lighthearted lyrical manipulation and twists it just enough to make it stand out. The general glean of the record is sobering when compared to his earlier work, not only because it is easier to comprehend, but because it has a dark and downtrodden tone to it. In short, Andrew Bird delving into a somber and meaningful place makes for a very beautiful record.

“Break it Yourself ” deals with issues that hold gravity, like death for instance.

Bird takes on these issues by giving them dramatic and responsible melodies. Instead of taking off in a fury of epic violin solos and amp shredding electric guitars, Bird exhibits masterful musicianship by showing restraint-a trait so often lost in the pseudo-emotional hootenanny of noise that is today’s indie rock scene. However, Bird’s sound can’t quite be categorized under indie rock, or under any genre for that matter. His music is completely unmistakable, riddled with his deadly unique combination of violin and whistling. Bird is, after all, a self-proclaimed “professional whistler” and a glockenspiel-ist.

Bird has, however, altered his sound in

PLUG YOUR EARS

THE

LOW-DOWN WHAT’S IN THE LYRICS?

22 | A&E

comparison to 2009’s “Noble Beast,” a lyrical and rhyme-centered record, encompassed by loops, distorted guitars and various instrumental effects. “Noble Beast,” in short, was dense. Bird loosened up his sound for “Break it Yourself” by cleaning up the tone of the instruments and making it consistent as well as exceptionally detailed.

Just because Bird is cleaning up his act, doesn’t mean the melodies aren’t as magnificent or his voice as nimble; he has made a conscious effort to connect with the listener.

His previous records have had so much to do with Bird being inside his head, producing far-fetched metaphors and lyrics that rhyme but don’t actually have any significance. In songs like “Lusitania,” Bird not only gives the listener a lesson about the ship that allegedly started WWI (the Lusitania), but forms a beautiful metaphor about heartbreak while doing so. He references bizarre historical events just as before, but he makes it more accessible to the listener.

One of Bird’s remarkable trademarks — his ability to create lyrics that stretch far beyond just wordplay — shines right of the bat in the first track, “Desperation Breeds”. He weaves a scientifically-driven story around a decrease in the population of bee colonies.

His gentle and eerie voice ebbs and flows with lyrics like, “We keep breeding desperation / In this era of thieves,” backed by the plucking of his violin. The rest of the record follows accordingly, with thoughtful and sometimes even transcendental lyrics like, “Moon plays the ocean like a violin / Pushing and pulling from shore to shore / Biggest melody you never heard before,” on the track Sifters.

Bird integrates three “transitional” tracks-short pieces featuring only a violin and one or two accompanying instruments. They act

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as breaks from some of his more deep tracks like “Near Death Experience” and “Hole in the Ocean Floor.”

Bird’s unique recording process could possibly be what has helped him create beautiful music in the past, and it certainly does with “Break it Yourself” as well. For “Noble Beast,” Bird moved out to an isolated farm in southern Illinois to be alone with his thoughts and to create music with more honesty. “Noble Beast,” for the most part, is a record Bird made by himself. He switches his process up a little bit by integrating four other band members to help write melody and to record with. On “Lusitania,” he even uses the talent of Annie Clark, the airy voice behind the critically acclaimed band, St. Vincent. Even though “Break it Yourself” is Bird’s brain-child, he is letting more people on his process.

“Belles,” the final track on the record is an extraordinary piece music, not cluttered by lyrics — it is a sweet song featuring bells playing in the middle of a sleepy cricket-filled night. The ending of the record is, without a doubt, a punctuation to the record as a whole.

The mood of the record is somber, lonely and dark. Many of the lyrics ponder dark issues, like intense heartbreak and death. It seems like a meditation on getting older and a venture into the heart of depression.

“Break it Yourself” is a record not completely different to Bird’s earlier works, but that is in no way a bad thing. He explores a darker vein of thought and truncates his overwordiness found in earlier records, creating an experience that completely enmeshes the listener into Bird’s world. Bird’s music is unlike anything on today’s music scene, and we should be grateful for that.

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TRACK 1

TRACK 3

TRACK 6

TRACK 11

DESPERATION BREEDS...

DANSE CARIBE

LAZY PROJECTOR

SIFTERS

“OF ACCIDENTAL POLLINATION / IN THIS ERA WITHOUT BEES”

“EXILED YOUR CLOSE ADVISORS / OUSTED YOUR DOG, YOUR RABBITS”

“HOW DO WE KNOW WHO’S PROJECTING THIS REEL”

“MOON PLAYS THE WAVE LIKE A VIOLIN”

BIRD’S

RECIPE for a

RECORD

Andrew Bird’s idiosyncratic sound lends itself to the unique elements that go into the studio recording process

(WHISTLING)

+

(VIOLIN/FIDDLING)

+

(GUITAR)

+

(A BARN)

Mothering a

MONSTER ‘WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT KEVIN’

written by Alex Lamb | photo from themoviepictureshow.com

Psychological thriller hits hard with suspense and brilliant acting

T

here’s no denying “We Need to Talk About Kevin” is a difficult film — it’s the story of a mother’s worst nightmare and her seemingly evil son, told with structural complexity and devastating power. Getting it made was no easy task, and neither is watching it. But challenging cinema of this class is rare, and the deep impact it leaves on viewers lasts for weeks.

Right from the start, “Kevin” clearly proves that it’s no mere arthouse drama subtly tackling provocative subject matter. Unexpectedly, it opens with a sea of red bodies and dissonant shouting, showing travel writer Eva Khatchadourian (Tilda Swinton) in euphoria as that crowd lifts her over their heads at the annual tomato festival in Buñol, Spain. The next scene quickly establishes that red will be the most effective and chilling color throughout the movie, as we see Eva about 20 years later, defeated and living alone, walking outside to find red paint maliciously splattered all over her small white house and car windshield.

Despised by virtually the entire community for a horrible crime her son Kevin committed at his high school, Eva now only has a menial secretary job and noncommunicative prison visits with Kevin to fill her

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empty existence. As we slowly see her trying to rebuild her life, interspersed flashbacks make up the majority of the film and reveal how Kevin had always made Eva’s life torture, from his days as an endlessly crying baby to unraveling her psyche as a sadistic, calculating teenager. How much Eva’s cold parenting played a part in this, however, and if she could have changed his fate, is left up to the viewer.

Admittedly, “We Need to Talk About Kevin” is too dark and disturbing for some people. It packs a huge, grimly affecting punch, and as a teenager, Kevin becomes a hellishly twisted individual.

A number of the elderly members in the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences even stated they wouldn’t watch it because it’s too difficult a movie for them. As a result, “Kevin” was snubbed of the Oscar attention it deserved, most notably for Swinton.

In the present day sequences, Swinton portrays Eva with the fragility of a glass doll about to break, exemplified by her gaunt appearance and fear of all others, as if they could tear her apart at any time. But in the flashbacks, though harsh and stronger at first, over time her will is broken down by Kevin, till utter destruction, which feels so authentic

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that viewers’ hearts drop in pain. In a career of many unique, multi-layered performances, this is without a doubt her best.

In the case of Kevin, as a toddler (Rock Duer), child (Jasper Newell) and teenager (Ezra Miller), all three young actors are terrific, and not only look like each other, but also like Swinton. The 18-year-old Miller depicts Kevin’s merciless cruelty with unnerving precision, but imbues him with a slightly laid back attitude that makes this monster feel like a real person and not just a character – and thus, all the more frightening.

Considering Miller delivers such an eerily effective performance at this age, expect great things from him in the future.

But while watching it, what really stands out about “We Need to Talk About Kevin” is director Lynne Ramsay’s visual storytelling. In adapting the novel (which is written in the form of letters from Eva to her estranged husband), hers and Rory Kinnear’s screenplay cuts much of the dialogue and evokes the same mood, prominently using an impeccable aesthetic.

It’s the ways she brings out specific colors (she uses red to induce great tension), the stunning camerawork and unsettling close-ups. Even the incredibly

OSCAR WINNER 2

Psycho’s

PATH

1

BABY – Eva resents ever getting pregnant, and as a baby, Kevin cries incessantly, never giving her a moment of rest.

ominous sound design and the haunting soundtrack choices (Radiohead’s Johnny Greenwood composes the original score): it all combines into one astonishing package. Of special note is the masterful editing — in particular the first half hour, which jumps all over the timeline and immerses viewers head-on in Eva’s world.

While “We Need to Talk About Kevin” is technically a drama, Ramsay conducts the tale with a constant edge of suspense. Kevin gets so deep under viewers’ skin that this feels more like a psychological thriller, with likely the most disconcerting dash of horror since “Black Swan.” Thank God there’s an undercurrent of dark humor to ease the bleakness, from John C. Reilly’s lighter performance as Eva’s husband to some of Kevin’s perverse views of the world.

But at the end of the day, to call Ramsay’s film anything less than a groundbreaking work of art would be a disservice. And to avoid it because it’s uncomfortable, difficult or too heavy would be a disservice to yourself. Ramsay strikes to the core with emotional force, and in doing so offers a truly unforgettable, one-of-a-kind experience.

TODDLER(ROCKY DUER) – Rather than always crying, Kevin stays silent at this age, when he should be talking, and resists cooperating with Eva.

3

4

KID(JASPER NEWELL) – By this time Kevin does everything in his power to annoy Eva, ruin her things and terrorize her efforts.

TEEN(EZRA MILLER) – As a teen Kevin is brutal and calculating, a sociopath that destroys Eva’s psyche bit by bit.

A&E | 23

Harbinger ONLINE

make your

VOICE heard written by Tom Lynch

Inform

People across the nation are getting all riled up about the upcoming elections in November. 18 year olds are excited to get the chance to vote for the first time, but they aren’t the only ones whose voices can be heard. With the Harbinger Online’s new Politics section it’s easier than ever for everyone to participate in democracy.

Discover

Voice

yourself about issues

who represents you

your opinions

If you are 18 years old or soon to be, someone is probably going to give you the advice to “vote with your head and not your heart.” (I say vote with your heart, because you’ve only got one, maybe two elections before the reality of the two hoods—adult and parent—set in, forcing you to start voting wisely). Regardless of which organ is making the choice, you best be educating it about the issues. The Harbinger Online’s Politics section, where you can find info on the latest legislation ranging all the way from local to national, is a great place to start.

Do you know Kay Wolf or Terrie Huntington? You probably should (I didn’t).

Depending on where you live, one of them is your representative in the Kansas Legislature. The Harbinger Online’s Politics section has a handy dandy map for you to easily figure out which one is yours. There is also info about who our congressional representative and two U.S. senators are, along with their official portraits, so you can really get to know them.

In the classic film, ‘The Network,’ citizens across the country take to the streets or lean out their windows and yell “I’m as mad as hell and I not going to take it anymore!” Their cries were heard, but their larynxes were probably sore.

Fortunately there is now an easier way.

With the Harbinger Online’s Politics section, you can now connect with their local, state and national representatives to voice your opinions through cyberspace, preventing a disruption of your neighbors’ supper.

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THE MOVIE

ON FIRE “The Hunger Games” movie adaptation hit the big screen last week written by Kat Buchanan | photos from allmoviephoto.com

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I

n Suzanne Collins’ “Hunger Games” future of a North American dystopia, we’re given a glimpse into a Country That Could Be. After war has decimated the world we know, a new totalitarian government springs up to control the masses – and make sure nothing so horrible happens to their people again.

To do so, they hold an annual Reaping and call up a male and female young adult from each of the nation’s 12 Districts to come to the Capitol city, enter a computer-regulated arena and fight to the death. Oh, the irony.

Director Gary Ross had quite the undertaking with this much-followed trilogy – especially since his previous films such as “Seabiscuit” and “Pleasantville” are such smaller, lighter fare. I thought that maybe the implied brutality of 24 children sent to kill each other in an unavoidable and controlled setting wouldn’t be his cup of tea. However, Ross does what he can with the story he’s given – and the rating.

For a PG-13 movie, the violence in the arena is somewhat muted, but still psychologically thrilling and shiver-inducing.

One of the initial aspects of the plot that drew me into reading “The Hunger Games” and seeing the movie was the promise of no vampires – while Panem isn’t modern day America, it certainly feels more real and accessible than a family of nightwalkers that feast on animal blood, like the Cullens in “Twilight.”

And instead of a whiny, frail female lead who needs a boyfriend as much as Edward Cullen needs blood, we’re given a real hero in Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence).

I’m hard-pressed to find a modern female protagonist that I like as much as Katniss, the I’ll-fend-for-myself-thank-you-very-much female lead. In both the book and the movie, Katniss is portrayed as a sort of mother figure to her little sister, Prim (Willow Shields). After Katniss’ father dies and her mother falls into a depression, Katniss takes on the role of the provider for the family.

She is someone that We the Post-Internet People, a selfish and increasingly-lazy bunch as a whole, can’t all relate to – but would like

SKIP IT

NETFLIX

to. She’s driven by a deep love for her sister and her District, knows how to provide for herself and others, and volunteers to give up everything she knows to travel to the Capitol and fight to the death. We learn in the novel that she’s been on the verge of starvation, has already had to deal with the death of a loved one, and has developed a sort of female warrior persona that isn’t completely captured on-screen.

The problem with Katniss Everdeen in the film is not her lack of compassion, but her lack of a bad-ass demeanor – Ross portrays Katniss as merely “the hunted” while in the arena, a protector and avoider, but in the book we can see more of her urgency and willingness to kill to save her life. Katniss lacks her rough edges, and her relationships with other characters suffer because of it.

The budding romance between Katniss and Peeta Mellark (Josh Hutcherson), the male tribute from District 12, while heartwarming in the book, comes off as rushed and underdeveloped in the movie adaptation. Few scenes support the fact that Katniss could care about him more than in a matronly way, and the only glimpse we get into their past together is a murky flashback of Peeta tossing a loaf of bread at her. However, while she may not show much physical affection for Peeta, Katniss does her best to fend off the bloodthirsty tributes from other Districts when Peeta is injured.

The brutality of the well-trained tributes from richer districts does not go unnoted: there is much hacking of axes, tossing of spears and knives and blood-curdling screaming to silence any claims that because the movie is PG-13, it can’t be scary. There was enough suspense in the arena to keep me awake and attentive until 2:30 a.m. at the film’s packed midnight showing.

Along with getting the darker parts of the story right, Ross develops the bizarre, ‘90sfashion-meets-colonial-times world of the Capitol city flawlessly. Despite the lack of accents, the people born and bred in the finest part of Panem are as inaccessible to the viewer as they are to Katniss, an outlier to their culture

SEE IT

from District 12. The scenes with Caesar Flickerman (Stanley Tucci), the Capitol’s beloved talk show host, provide the perfect amount of comic relief to the unsettling events that occur in the arena. While the politics and the Capitol visit may take up the first hour of the film’s duration, the pace is quick and I was surprised by how engaged in the plot I was, even when Katniss and Peeta had yet to step foot in the arena.

The only place where the screenplay falls short is with characterization and the development of certain relationships that readers find in Collins’ book. While he gets the individual characters right, Ross leaves out some important details that readers deduce by having Katniss Everdeen narrate the series.

If you’re a nit-picky reader and a diehard fan of the series, you’re going to be disappointed with (or at least confused by) a few scenes.

The mockingjay symbol that has become the main emblem of the trilogy loses its meaning when Katniss is given her mockingjay pin by a nameless old woman in the District 12 market. While the mockingjay stands for home and, later on, rebellion from the corrupt government, in the movie the bird is merely a bird. The small token that sparks a fire is replaced with an impromptu rebellion scene from an outlying District. These revolts, as readers are told in the book’s sequel “Catching Fire” were supposed to have happened after the Games had ended.

However, Ross added a few beneficial scenes that could not have been in the book that give the viewer a deeper understanding of how the government operates. The scenes with conversation between President Snow (Donald Sutherland), the instigator of the Games, and Game Maker Seneca Crane (Wes Bentley) give the viewer an insight into the controlling government body in Panem that readers can’t get from Katniss’ tale. This glimpse into the innerworkings of the Games sets up the viewer for future films, the second installment “Catching Fire,” which Ross has confirmed to be released a year and a half from now.

OSCAR WINNER

IN THE LEAD Who’s playing the “Game”?

KATNISS EVERDEEN Jennifer Lawrence The 16-year-old, fend-for-herself archer from District 12, Katniss is thrown into a whole new world of fighting for survival when she volunteers herself for the 74th annual Hunger Games.

PEETA MELLARK Josh Hutcherson Peeta, the male tribute from District 12, is the town baker’s son who has a knack for camouflage (and a flame for Katniss) while in the Hunger Games arena.

GALE HAWTHORNE Liam Hemsworth

Katniss’ best friend from District 12 who is left behind when his hunting partner is whisked away to a battle to the death.

A&E | 25

OWNING OURSELVES

derstand. Unlike reading “A Separate Peace” in English, I found myself having to reread sentences to acquire the full meaning.

Typically, I feel that I am in control of every decision I make. Of course living in my parent’s home and not being a legal adult affects the amount of freedom I have, but I still have the feeling of being in charge of myself. I can choose whether or not to do my math homework or if I want to wear my hair in high ponytail on the side of my head. Harris has found that most people’s conception on free will are: “1. Each of us could have behaved differently than we did in the past. 2. We are the conscious source of most of our thoughts and actions in the present.” Although I would like to believe I am completely original, I fall under the category of people who think of free will this way.

If given the opportunity to go back in time and retake a test I failed, I would. And before reading this book, the idea that I am not the source of most of my thoughts and actions didn’t even cross my mind.

A simple question like “Why is the sky blue?” is always the hardest to answer. Harris shares, “Consider what it would take to actually have free will. You would need to be aware of all the factors that determine your thoughts and actions, and you would need to have complete control over those factors. But there is a paradox here that vitiates the very notion of freedom- for what would influence the influences? More influences?” It is impossible to find where the origin of your thoughts come from. Thoughts are never ending, and there is no way to specifically know where the first developed. Did the chicken or egg come first? Are Staffer reviews book about humanity zebras black with white stripes or white with black stripes? These unanswerable questions and its lack of free will are very similar to asking where our thoughts written by Leah Pack | photos by McKenzie Swanson come from and what people would need to know to have free will.

If laziness was considered an illness, there would be According to Harris, “Many people worry that free will valid excuses for undone homework, tardiness, a messy house etc. In Sam Harris’ book, “Free Will,” he argues is a necessary illusion- and that without it we will fail to that the illness “laziness” would be nothing out of the or- live creative and fulfilling lives.” I agree with those peodinary in a society where free will is nonexistent. The ba- ple. Harris goes on to explain that he feels more creative sis of Harris’ book is free will as an illusion, but a world now that he understands free will is nonexistent. I do not without free will is a difficult concept to grasp. What does think that is possible. Personally, believing that I have it mean to live without free will? If there is no such thing control over everything I think and do allows me to exas free will, the ability to act at one’s own discretion, do plore the world in my own way. After reading this book, I have begun to overthink my actions. Would I be watchwe still control ourselves or are we being controlled?

As I read through “Free Will” Harris made many in- ing “Friends” after school if I hadn’t seen my sister watch teresting points, not to say that I agreed with all of them. it every day growing up? Would I be going to sports pracCertain times, Harris’ advanced vocabulary and wordy tices instead of dance classes if every girl in my family sentences made this already unclear idea harder to un- hadn’t grown up dancing? Believing in free will gives me

SPARK NOTE

LANCER VOICE

Evan Tarry

“I would say that most people have the mindset to do what is good, but the mental issues with those two people [from free will]caused them to act in a bad way.”

26 | A&E

CHECK IT OUT

the reassurance that even though the world around me and my family in particular influences everything I do, I still have the chance to be my own person and find my own interests.

After reading 50 of the 60 pages in “Free Will,” I was still perplexed by the idea of a world without free will.

Three pages later a light bulb went off in my head. I started to realize and agree that free will is only an illusion.

Harris uses murders as an example in his book. One of the murderers killed a woman purely for fun. When I first read that, I had to reread the sentence multiple times.

The mere thought of killing someone out of enjoyment seems outrageous to me. After reading further I started feeling pity for the murderer. Instead of being a man that just killed someone for the fun of it, Harris explained him as someone diagnosed with psychopathic tendencies, something completely out of his control. Harris states, “Anyone born with the souls of a psychopath has been profoundly unlucky.”

No man earns his own success, or in Harris’ words, “Consider the biography of any “self-made” man, and you will find that his success was entirely dependent on background conditions that he did not make and of which he was merely the beneficiary.” Picture this: a boy is raised in Harlem, New York. His dad walked out on him when he was eight, his mom works three jobs to feed him and his siblings, and every teacher he has tells him he won’t succeed. You later find out this boy who was supposed to be a nobody owns a thriving business, on the verge of becoming a millionaire. Does this story support Harris’ argument? At first, I thought there was no way. He earned every bit of his success and worked hard to get to where he is. As I continued thinking I realized that it’s very possible he wouldn’t have made it to that point in his life if he didn’t grow up with everything going against him, if he didn’t have something to prove. Likewise, the lawyer raised by a picture perfect family is successful because success is all he’s ever known. People may not earn what they get, it just falls into place.

I had just finished reading “Free Will” as my two Golden Retrievers barked at the back door. Like always, I mindlessly got up to let them in, and then I stopped myself. Am I choosing to let Scout and Callie inside by my own free will or is free will nonexistent, meaning I’m only letting my dogs in based on all the past experiences that I’ve heard and seen?

Reading this book has made me question everything I do. Harris did succeed in persuading me that free will is nonexistent, but I am going to choose to bury all the information I just read and not look back on it. I like the idea of free will. I like the idea of being able to choose what color shirt I wear to school. I love the idea of being in control of everything I do, so I will continue to exercise my free will by believing in free will.

FOR A RAINY DAY

CLASSIC

Lancers discuss their ability to have free will

Allie Chesbrough

“From a religious point of view, I think God gave us free will so we can choose to use our minds to think our own thoughts, wether or not they are destructive or productive.”

Emily Sneed

“I would say that this generation is a product of society. We’re just traveling down a production line, in a sense. We never have a chance to stop and enjoy the present because today’s society demands us to be constantly anticipating the future.”

Anna Cook

“I agree with Sam Harris that free will is an illusion, because we do not make conscious decisions for ourselves, but it’s what is programmed into our brains that directs everything we do.”

A

SPRING

NEON INDIAN

CONCERT PREVIEW written by Andrew Simpson | art by Kennedy Burgess | photos courtesy of stockphotos.com

JERSEY BOYS 4/20 Alright. It’s not really a concert. But it does have four guys up on a stage singing, just like N-Sync did. So its basically the same thing, right?

It’s been five years since the show opened on Broadway in 2005, but time has not slowed this group down. Since then, Jersey Boys has won at least one international award for every city they’ve toured in, three Tony awards (including Best Musical), and one Grammy.

If those sparkling academy endorsements don’t encourage you, don’t feel bad. They didn’t really work on us either.

What changed our minds was when staffer Corbin Barnds described Jersey Boys as “Rocking his world.” After we heard that kid liked it, we were sure everyone could, and should, enjoy it as well.

NEON INDIAN 4/7 It’s been two years since Neon Indian made their explosive entrance to the music world (including Best New Music from Pitchfork Media), but their recent album Era Extraña has propelled them to new heights on the Billboard 200 and with fans.

By the time Neon Indian reaches Kansas City, they will be in the middle of their current US tour and will be hitting their performing peak. Recent concerts being described as “just a packed crowd of sweaty hipsters” with “nice little crowd surfs” by ticketmaster.com user Iapomegranate, Neon Indian can be expected to bring in some wild crowds while here. To see Neon Indian, you’ll have to buy a day pass for the Middle of the Map Fest, which will let you see several other bands that day.

KENNEY CHESNEY 4/26 Kenny Chesney has been a country superstar since 1998, and he’s won seven Country Music Awards. Glenn Campbell has been a country legend since 1958, and while he hasn’t won any CMA awards, he has seven times as many Grammys as Chesney. Lucky for you, you get both.

Sadly, they aren’t performing at the same time (Campbell on April 26 at the Uptown, and Chesney on June 10 at Arrowhead), meaning you’ll have to pay double the price (starting $75 for Chesney and $105 for Campbell). But you should expect to shell out double the money for double the concerts and double the fun.

In truth, suggesting this pair together probably won’t really appeal to many people, initially. But suck it up. Having Chesney fans attend a Campbell concert is like having Lil’ Wayne fans listen to Biggie. We know the fans of the younger artist will enjoy the older musician.

NAKED AND FAMOUS 4/17 I’m not sure how much you should trust the New Zealand Music Awards, but last year they gave The Naked and Famous the winning trophy for essentially every award the program hands out. That’s impressive. And their coming to the Midland on April 17.

The Naked and Famous concerts, while being more on the tame side, are known for being able to solidly match the sound of their recorded songs at a live venue (a difficult thing for an indieelectropop band), and then go even farther as band members throw in new samples and riffs to mix things up. With face value tickets still at $15, and resells of the better seats as low as $34, and even good reviews of the opening bands Now, Now and Vacationers, mark this one down to get your fill of indie for the month of April.

TALIB KWELI 4/27

SPRING MUSIC MIX THE ONLY PLACE | BEST COAST LET’S STAY TOGETHER | AL GREEN NORTHERN LIGHTS | ST. VINCENT MIDNIGHT CITY | M83

Seeing Talib Kweli means going on a roadtrip (sort of, Lawrence isn’t that far away). On Friday April 27, Kweli will be making an appearance at Granada in Lawrence.

Kweli, known most well as being half of the group BlackStar (the other half being Mos Def), is one of the greatest lyricists of his genre. Lets put it this way: he’s so good, Kanye admits to being jealous of his skill ( the song “Get ‘em High”). Add that to an excuse to spend a day in Lawrence, the $20 (at the door) tickets are easily worth the price.

A&E | 27

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

ROCKHURST UNIVERSITY Future leaders welcome.

of Kansas City.

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

Rockhurst University admits students of any race, color and national or ethnic origin.

Elizabeth M. Christian, L.S.C.S.W. Licensed Specialist Clinical Social Worker

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ACTIVE TRENDS

A look into how East students are staying active this spring without participating in a school sport

written by Paige Hess

FUSION FITNESS Fusion Fitness is known by its members as Kansas City’s ultimate body changing workout, offering up to 30 classes each week. This is due to its unique style of exercises incorporating, cardio, ballet and strength training. Fusion’s classes are totally different from traditional exercise classes, which focus on building major muscle groups. Instead, the instructors focus on strengthening all the muscles in the body and incorporate ballet moves with weights, medicine balls, etc.

“Everything comes back to your core,” Fusion member sophomore Maddie Hise said.

“You switch from arms to legs but all of it kind of has to do with your core, which they work a lot.”

Fusion has been successful due to the reputation it upholds as the most challenging fitness classes in the Midwest. According to Hise, her body is in complete shock after each class and can hardly move the morning after.

“The next mornings, my whole body is shaking,” Hise said. “I can’t walk up stairs without breaking a sweat. I feel really accomplished after, because I worked so hard and everyone in the class is pushing themselves as hard as they can.”

Fusion’s bright lights, bumpin’ tunes and energetic instructors create the ultimate exercise atmosphere. This atmosphere has been brought to their videos as well.

“For spring break they made DVDs so you can work out while on vacation,” Hise said.

“It is still really hard, and you feel like you are in the class with the really loud music and instructors pushing you.”

Located on 7134 W 80th St. Overland Park, KS 66204. It is in the loft above Danielle’s off 80th and Metcalf.

DISC GOLF Instead of lugging around a heavy bag of clubs, junior Michael Mansfield and his friends have decided to try a more laid-back version of golf: disc golf. This sport is similar to regular golf because the object is to complete each hole in the fewest number of strokes, but in this case, throws.

“My favorite part is that you don’t have to be that good to play,” Mansfield said. “Basically anyone could be pretty good at it. Just keep going back to the park and playing more.”

There are two main courses in the Kansas City area that participants may go to: Rosedale Park and Wyandotte County Park.

The trees, shrubs and terrain change with each hole. The fairways provide challenging obstacles for the golfer. A disc is thrown from a tee area to a target which is the “hole.”

For junior Sarah Colburn, this was a difficult sport to adjust to.

“I played it at camp for the first time,” Colburn said. “It was really hard to get the discs to go straight. They aren’t normal frisbees, so it was hard to get used to and not hit trees.”

Disc golf shares the same joys and frustrations of traditional golf, whether it’s sinking a long putt or hitting a tree halfway down the fairway. Although there are also 18 holes, there are few differences. Disc golf rarely requires a greens fee, you probably won’t need to rent a cart, and you never get stuck with a bad “tee time.” It is designed to be enjoyed by people of all ages.

“I think it would be fun to be on a team,” Mansfield said, “but it is more of just hanging out right now.”

Top Left: Mansfield flings the disc at the hole in order to receive a birdie.

Bottom Left: Mansfield begins the 18th hole in hopes of a hole-in-one.

Right: This is the ninth hole of the Rosedale Park course located on 4099 Mission Road.

BEING ACTIVE

WITHOUT KNOWING WHEN SLEEPING, Here are a few facts about how physical activity affects your body

THE AVERAGE MAN BURNS

UP TO 125 CALORIES PER HOUR

Exercise essentially burns away the

chemicals in your brain like cortisol and norepinephrine that cause stress and releases endorphins, morphinelike hormones, into the system.

THE AVERAGE PERSON

TAKES ABOUT 10,000 STEPS A DAY, WHICH IS EQUAL TO 4-5 MILES A DAY SPORTS | 29

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SPORTS ROUND-UP THE

DEFENDING THEIR STATE TITLE

UPCOMING EVENTS MARK YOUR CALENDARS

TODAY BOYS’ GOLF AT MEADOWBROOK 3 PM BOYS’ TENNIS VS. TOPEKA 3:30 PM AT KOSSOVER TENNIS CENTER

TOMORROW BASEBALL VS. OLATHE NORTH 5:30 PM AT ODAC GIRLS’ SOCCER VS. OLATHE EAST 7 PM AT COLLEGE BLVD. ACTIVITIES COMPLEX

APRIL 5 BOYS’ TENNIS VS. SMW 3:30 PM AT SHAWNEE MISSION EAST BASEBALL VS. SMW 7 PM AT 3 & 2 BASEBALL STADIUM GIRLS’ SOCCER VS. SMN 7 PM AT SHAWNEE MISSION SOCCER COMPLEX

THE

PANEL

by| photos Mitch Kaskie photos by Marisa Walton written by Jeriwritten Freirich Marisa| Walton

Every year high school athletic teams share the same ultimate goal—to win state. Spring sports may be just under way, but the standards have already been set high. Girls’ swimming and boys’ golf have won state titles the past two years and have a rich history of success. But flying under the radar is the relatively young Lancer lacrosse team, who captured their first state title last year.

Last year the Lancers took on Olathe East in the state championship. After a long fought game, the Lancers found themselves in double overtime. In the second overtime of sudden death, Olathe East had a chance to score. The shot was blocked and after a scrappy ground ball, senior Spencer Green came up with possession. Green headed down the field and played a pass to former student Patrick McGannon. McGannon dumped it off to former student Thomas Louden, who scored the winning goal. With that, the Lancers captured their first state championship.

“The stands and crowd erupted. We all ran onto the field and had a big dog pile. It was an incredible feeling,” junior Connor McGannon said.

This year’s lacrosse team is much different than the state team a year ago. Last year was more built around the leadership and skill of former seniors, players like Burke Smith, Thomas Loudon, Pat McGannon, Darby Wooldridge, Charlie Hotchkiss, Zach Colby and Jack Esberg. And now with Pembroke joining their league with programs like Olathe North and Blue Valley West on the rise, those vacancies will need to be filled if the Lancers are going to have a shot at state.

Team with best shot for a state title?

Most underrated spring athlete?

BOYS’ LACROSSE

They may not have to look too far. The Lancers are solid on the defensive side, with the leadership of senior Jeff Cole and skill of sophomore Mackey Merrill. The midfield spotlights senior Spencer Green. Green is capable of winning face-offs, and along with junior James Simmons they can control the midfield. On the attack, senior Droste Millage has taken leadership. McGannon’s versatility is also used in the midfield and attack.

“Our team last year wasn’t just seniors,” McGannon said. “We have some players who can play and have experience. I think we will be okay.”

Even though a repeat looms in the mind of the Lancers, their mind is set on just making the playoffs. To make the playoffs, the Lancers will have to end their season in the top four out of 12 teams in their league. Once they are in, then they can worry about a state title.

“Our ultimate goal is to be in the top four at the end of the season,” Simmons said. “Our coach calls it ‘Week 11’. We have to get in before we can think about a championship.”

If the Lancers do indeed enter the playoffs, they will be ready. The team has experience in the playoffs, especially after their rollercoaster double overtime win. Bottom line, the Lancers know what it is like to be in crunch time. If underclassmen can step up to the plate, look for the Lancers to make another run in the playoffs.

“I think it’ll definitely take a lot of work, and we’ll have to be playing our best lacrosse,” McGannon said. “But [winning state] would definitely mean a lot since we lost so much of our team last year; it’s almost a new team this year.”

Most anticipated spring sporting event?

Girls’ soccer passing first round of playoffs?

Boys’ Golf

Larson Woolwine Baseball

Boys’ Lacrosse vs.

Pembroke

Yes, strong senior leadership fueled by youth

Girls’ Swimming

Myisha Heinen Track

Boys’ Golf at Regionals

Yes, because of consistent defense

Boys’ Golf

Juan Ramos Track

Girls’ Soccer vs. Blue Valley Northwest

SENIOR

JEFF COLE

SENIOR

BECCA BROWNLEE

SENIOR

ADAM LOWE

Yes, if the team avoids potential injuries

TALKING WITH THE PLAYERS What is your goal for this season?

SENIOR BOYS’ GOLF

CONNER

SCHROCK

“Our goal this year is to go 100, win all ten tournaments this season. I want to contribute as much as I can. I obviously want the team to win state again and I want to place as an individual.”

SENIOR GIRLS’ SOCCER

CAROLINE

DODD

“I want to win state really bad.

In order to get there, we want to get a number one seed for substate. To do that, we need to win as many games as possible.”

WHAT HAS HAPPENED TRACK 1ST SHAWNEE MISSION EAST QUAD BOYS’ GOLF 1ST BLUE VALLEY WEST INVITATIONAL GIRLS’ SOCCER LOST 4-0 VS. ST. TERESA’S ACADEMY SOFTBALL TWO WINS: 17-1 & 11-1 DOUBLE HEADER VS. LEAVENWORTH BASEBALL WON 8-1 VS. GARDNER EDGERTON BOYS’ TENNIS WON 7-2 VS. KANSAS CITY CHRISTIAN GIRLS SWIMMING WIN VS. SHAWNEE MISSION NORTHWEST

SPORTS | 31

robotics team builds GRACIOUS East’s community despite losing

PROFESSIONALISM all photos by Spencer Davis

According to junior Matthew Williamson, “This year’s game [far above] is essentially basketball.

There are four hoops on each side for the robots to score points, and the field is separated by bridges for the robots to balance on for even more points.”

Senior Carter Stolberg, above, discusses strategy for the upcoming match with an allied driver. “We have to cooperate to win,” team captain Stolberg explained. “In the competition we have something called Gracious Professionalism, which means everyone helps everyone.

regional competition

Junior Nash Reimer, above, leads the way as the drive team of junior Brian MacLanahan, junior Matthew Williamson and senior Carter Stolberg prepares for the match. “We’re really trying to get points,” Reimer said, “to keep from falling in the rankings any more.”

Junior Brian MacLanahan, left, works on the robot between matches. “Our compressor wasn’t discharging,” MacLanahan said, “which meant that we couldn’t use our arm in matches. A big part of the competition is keeping your robot working.”

Senior Carter Stolberg, above, packs up after the team’s final match.

“Anyone in my position would be a little disappointed,” Stolberg said, “but to be perfectly honest I’m not too disappointed. Even though we’re not going to finals and we’re not going to nationals this experience, these four years, have been incredible. I wouldn’t trade them for anything.”

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32 | PHOTO ESSAY

According to Senior Carter Stolberg, above, “talking to kids is one of the best parts of robotics. Some boys visited from my scout troop, it was cool to see them so interested in the robot.”