The Harbinger Issue 13 2023-24

Senior Charlie Carroll started and operates his own car detailing business

Gym classes shouldn’t treat more feminine students differently

Three upperclassmen work to earn a graduation cord for donating a gallon of blood

A current event happening in Portland, Oregon, according to The La Salle Falconer

A group of four students and one teacher recently took a trip to the Yamaka Native Nation in Washington to learn about the history of the Yamaka Nation and volunteer in the area

There, they learned about the reservation, participated in immersive experiences and traditions in the community

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Visit this link to view more stories from The La Salle Falconer

PRINT EDITORS

Katie Murphy

Greyson Imm

ONLINE EDITORS

Aanya Bansal

Maggie Kissick

HEAD COPY EDITORS

Greyson Imm

Aanya Bansal

ASST. PRINT EDITORS

Addie Moore

Avery Anderson

ASST. ONLINE EDITORS

Connor Vogel

Larkin Brundige

ASST. HEAD COPY EDITOR

Ada Lillie Worthington

HEAD PHOTO EDITORS

Riley Scott

Liv Madden

Kenna Harrington

VIDEO EDITORS

Abby Lee

Ryder Hendon

ASST. PHOTO EDITORS

Caroline Martucci

Clara Peters

Amelie Wong

ASST. VIDEO EDITORS

Mason Sajna

Alex Sajna

THE LA SALLE FALCONER LA SALLE CATHOLIC COLLEGE

DESIGN EDITORS

Veronica Mangine

Bridget Connelly

ASST. DESIGN EDITOR

Kai McPhail

SOCIAL MEDIA EDITORS

Maggie Kissick

Bridget Connelly

ASST. SOCIAL MEDIA EDITORS

Isabel Balsassaro

Lyla Weeks

ART EDITOR

Bridget Connelly

ASST. ART EDITOR

Kai McPhail

PODCAST EDITOR

Emma Krause

PHOTO MENTORS

Molly Miller

Paige Bean

Will Griffith

Mason Sajna

VIDEO MENTOR

Preston Hooker

PRINT SECTION EDITORS

EDITORIAL | Kai McPhail

NEWS | Sydney Eck

FEATURE | Sophia Brockmeier

SPORTS | Libby Marsh

OPINION | Isabel Baldassaro

A&E | Lucy Stephens

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Read an opinion on how making music can increase your intelligence, a feature on sophomore Addy Sullivan’s Stanley cup product business and an A&E on Ariana Grande’s new album “Eternal Sunshine”

ONLINE POST MANAGER

Luciana Mendy

COPY EDITORS

Katie Murphy

Greyson Imm

Maggie Kissick

Aanya Bansal

Ada Lillie Worthington

Addie Moore

Emmerson Winfrey

Libby Marsh

David Allegri

Sophia Brockmeier

Larkin Brundige

Lucy Wolf

Connor Vogel

Avery Anderson

Luke Beil

Neva Hudson

Luciana Mendy

STAFF WRITERS

Mary Gagen

Isabel Baldassaro

Maggie Condon

Christian Gooley

Preston Hooker

Lucy Stephens

Emma Krause

Michael Yi

Reese Dunham

Mya Smith

Neil Williams

Carl Sutton

STAFF ARTISTS

Larkin Brundige

Zane Laing

Julia Campbell

Hallie O’Bryan

Bella Broce

Francesca Lorusso

PAGE DESIGNERS

Emmerson Winfrey

Zane Laing

Lyla Weeks

Clara Burdick

Lorelei Galles

Julia Campbell

Bella Broce

Francesca Lorusso

Hallie O’Bryan

MULTIMEDIA STAFF

Mary Gagen

Luke Beil

Paige Bean

Ryan Dehan

Mason Sajna

Alex Sajna

Emma Krause

Preston Hooker

Christian Gooley

STAFF PHOTOGRAPHERS

Alex Sajna

Maggie Condon

Lyla Weeks

Molly Scott

Francesca Lorusso

Addie Clark

Katie Cook

Caroline Hoffman

design by avery anderson

cover design by greyson imm cover photo by liv madden

cartoon by zane laing

SME Harbinger The Harbinger

SM East Harbinger smeharbinger

EDITORIAL POLICY

The Harbinger is a student run publication. Published editorials express the views of the Harbinger staff. Signed columns published in the Harbinger express the writer’s personal opinion. The content and opinions of the Harbinger do not represent the student body, faculty, administration or Shawnee Mission School District. The Harbinger will not share any unpublished content, but quotes material may be confrmed with the sources. The Harbinger encourages letters to the editors, but reserves the right to reject them for reasons including but not limited to lack of space, multiple letters of the same topic and personal attacks contained in the letter. The Harbinger will not edit content though letters may be edited for clarity, length or mechanics. Letters should be sent to Room 400 or emailed to smeharbinger@gmail.com.

UNDER

RUG THE

As district administrators begin to adapt disciplinary policy, they must consider how racist incidents are categorized and tracked

WHEN A BLACK girl was called a slur by a white student at school in November, our staff asked administration how often racist incidents are occurring at East. But administrators had an answer — there weren’t any statistics.

Heck, us students didn’t even know what repercussions are given to those who use racial slurs.

Four months later and administration still doesn’t have the answers. Thanks to the currently-vague SMSD disciplinary policies relating to racism to “significant disrespect,” kids could be saying racial slurs in the halls 100 times a day without the data on record or clear consequences.

District administrators are currently discussing much-needed potential changes to the discipline matrix that classifies actions and punishments, and they must consider how racist incidents are categorized and tracked.

Tracking incidents will allow educators to pinpoint exactly what students still need to learn about other cultures, whether it’s the meaning of slurs, symbols, microaggressions or more.

It’s easy to ignore the problem when we don’t even know how bad it is.

The conversation about the SMSD disciplinary matrix began in November after the attack, a walkout and multiple studentrun protests, and policy change is finally in the works. But we can’t forget about the issue — it’s time to keep holding the district accountable.

Currently, when a student uses a racial slur, gesture or symbol like a swastika on a bathroom stall, administrators code the incident as a Level 3.12 offense on the

standard district disciplinary matrix labeled, “Significant disrespect, use of obscene or profane language (verbal or written) or gestures” — the same category that cussing or giving someone the bird is counted towards.

Dropping the F-bomb is completely different than saying a slur tied to a deep history of oppression against minorities including slavery, Latino lynchings, Operation Wetback, the Chinese Exclusion Act, Japanese internment camps and more.

It’s like saying that tripping someone is equivalent to lighting them on fire and pushing them off a bridge. Let’s call it Level 3.12!

Apart from being morally questionable, the way that racism is treated by administrators also results in a blatant problem with tracking. There’s only a record of the total number of 3.12 offenses — not of the ones specifically related to racism.

Other school districts nearby operate differently, like Topeka Public Schools with a discipline matrix that includes a category specifically for discriminatory and racial harassment.

Topeka schools have data about the instances of racism there that administrators can use to determine what cultural competency education for students needs to take place — SMSD should take notes.

SMSD administrators are currently having conversations with multicultural student groups and school administrators at the Center for Academic Achievement about what needs to change in the disciplinary matrix. Racial harassment incidents need their own category. If we tracked these incidents, there would be raw data justifying more cultural education through presentations, assemblies and class projects curated to teach

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

exactly what students aren’t understanding about cultural acceptance.

Or maybe, East is a perfect oasis free of racism and the November attack was an anomaly of character so we don’t need cultural competency programs in place (but seeing as minority students have brought up the issue for years, we doubt this).

Right now, there’s no way of telling. We need data.

Even reporting racist incidents would be easier with a designated category. Today, students and teachers alike don’t know the consequence for any given racist act from slurs to ching-chongs — detention? suspension? expulsion? — so it’s unclear

ACTIONS & CONSEQUENCES

“when to report what.

Telling a teacher that something racist happened feels like putting a message in a bottle and chucking it into the ocean. There’s a chance that the message will reach administrator island, but then they’ll drop it into the Level 3.12 offense treasure chest and we don’t know what happens to the perpetrator.

We want to know that if we hear and report a slur, then the aggressor will receive X repercussion.

Yes, policy change is slow and can take months. But we’re watching what the district does next. To us, it’s simple — apples aren’t bananas and racism isn’t just “disrespect.”

“

behavior based on a student’s race, religion, disability, gender, sexual orientation, gender expression, gender identity or ethnic heritage that is severe, persistent or pervasive enough to create an intimidating

Briefs . . .

smeharbinger.net/category/news

THE lancer minute

GLOBAL TIES KC IS RECRUITING HOST FAMILIES FOR EXCHANGE STUDENTS

GLOBAL TIES KC, a local nonprofit focused on international connections, is partnering with International Club from April 10-24 to bring several foreign students from various countries to SM East.

“[Global Ties KC] tries to create experiences for people in Kansas City to get to know people from other cultures and other countries and for them to know the best of the United States,” club sponsor and history teacher Brenda Fishman said.

Global Ties KC is bringing over 21 students accompanied by seven adults. From countries like Tanzania, Kenya, Liberia, Lesotho, Madagascar, Seychelles and Mauritius to stay with host families for two weeks.

While the students are here, they will engage in a variety of activities ranging

from exploring Kansan infrastructure to observing the city hall, which will give them ideas for their own lives and ways to lead, according to Fishman.

Senior Claire Goettsch’s family agreed to host international students after Fishman told her about the opportunity.

“Fishman told us about the opportunity to have exchange students come from different countries in Africa,” Goettsch said. “So I asked my mom, she said we could host them and they’re coming for two weeks.”

Anyone interested in hosting can visit Fishman in Room 314 for more information.

“We’re still recruiting families,” Fishman said. “If there[‘s] still some kids out there that are thinking about [hosting] they can get in touch with me and we’ll get on it.”

GET

INVOLVED

Programs that allow students to become involved with Global Ties KC

STUDENT EXPLORER

RECEIVE EMAILS ABOUT UPCOMING EVENTS, EXCHANGES AND MEETINGS SURROUNDING GLOBAL AFFAIRS.

YOUTH DIPLOMATS INSTITUTE

MONTHLY MEETINGS TO BUILD CROSS - CULTURAL COMMUNICATION SKILLS, MEET WITH GLOBAL EXPERTS, AND PARTICIPATE IN SERVICE PROJECTS WITH INTERNATIONAL VISITORS

HOST EXCHANGE STUDENTS

“BRENDA FISHMAN INTERNATIONAL CLUB SPONSOR

YOUTH GROUPS MAINLY

from developing countries come to the Kansas City area where they are hosted by local families. They stay with families to have their meals and then spend the night with there for usually 10 days to two weeks.

CURRENT EVENTS IN THE THEATRE DEPARTMENT

SENIOR IAN FLYNN’S third Frequent Friday show of the year called “The Browning Version” is being held on March 29 after school in Room 208.

“The Browning Version” is a drama set in a British boarding school about a veteran teacher, his young wife and students.

“I wanted to try and do something different,” Flynn said. Flynn wants to show an example of a different genre of Frequent Friday than the usual comedy.

Aside from the upcoming Frequent Friday, there are a myriad of other

SCAN ME VIDEO

productions going on in the theatre department, according to Sound Crew Chief and sophomore Brooks Hagedorn.

“We are setting up the Little Theater for the spring play which is ‘Ant Farm,’” Hagedorn said. “Right now it’s mainly things for concerts.”

“Ant Farm” is a series of comedic scenes with a variety of characters that will be in the Little Theater April 4-5, and all students are encouraged to attend.

Flynn’s Frequent Friday and “Ant Farm” are keeping the theater department busy with building props, sets, sound and lighting.

HOW GRANDPARENTS FOR GUN SAFETY IS WORKING TO PROTECT THE COMMUNITY

GRANDPARENTS FOR GUN Safety is holding a meeting today at Colonial Church of Prairie Village at 4 p.m. to discuss an ongoing gun safety initiative.

“We have a very active project called Lock it for Love,” Grandparents for Gun Safety founder and East grandparent Judy Sherry said. ”[It] is a project where we give out free, high-quality gun locks to people who own guns.”

Sherry co-founded the organization shortly after the Sandy Hook shooting in 2012, and has been very involved with the community to make real change, according to her granddaughter and senior Leah Sherry.

One of Sherry’s main missions is debunking myths associated with gun ownership. She teaches the importance of owners securing their guns and passing legislation that protects people from themselves as

well as others.

“It’s not impeding the right to a gun,” Sherry said. “It’s not impeding the second amendment in any way. Just like we talk about the right to free speech, but you don’t have the right to yell fire in a crowded theater, right? And so it’s the same thing. If you’re [a] convicted felon, if you’re a known domestic abuser, you should not have ready access to a gun.”

She says Grandparents for Gun Safety’s priority is to save lives. They advocate for laws that would make it more difficult for people who are suicidal or have a history of violence from possessing a weapon, according to Sherry.

Grandparents for Gun Safety holds meetings on the fourth Monday of every month.

photo by molly scott

A video series highlighting photos from galleries and recapping recent events

ABOVE StuCo sponsor Chanelle Dieckmann talks to her team during trivia night.

photo by riley scott

ABOVE Choir traveled to Europe over spring break to perform in various Italian cities and sightsee.

photo courtesy of SME Choir

GALLON BY GRAD

East students participate in the Gallon by Grad program through the Community Blood Center by donating blood

SENIOR EVE BENDITT and juniors

Gray Sullivan and Ingrid Blacketer are currently participating in the Community Blood Centers Gallon Grad program — which requires students to donate blood at least eight times before they graduate.

The program’s goal is to encourage students to donate blood and understand the importance of blood donation. It requires local students to complete two of the three following activities: donate blood at least three times, volunteer for a minimum of five hours or recruit a minimum of five new donors.

Benditt believes that Gallon Grad is an effective way to not only receive a graduation cord but also save lives.

“I’ve had family members that got blood donations to save their life,” Benditt said. “It’s cool to be able to do that for other people.”

When donating a gallon of blood, you can donate either double red, plasma or whole blood. Double red blood cell donation happens through a machine where a donor can safely donate two units of red blood cells during one donation. Benditt so far has donated

double red twice and will be able to donate double red every 16 weeks.

“Donating double red takes a lot longer, like an hour and a half. And whole blood takes about 45 minutes,” Benditt said.

She’s donated plasma once, which is the separation of the liquid portion of a donor’s blood from the cells, and whole blood once, where the donor gives all the components of their blood.

WHILE [GIVING YOUR blood] may hurt a little bit or be a bit tough, it’s a small price to pay for helping someone so much.

GRAY SULLIVAN JUNIOR

Students can donate blood by attending a local blood drive or even donating to a high school drive. Benditt was one of the chairs for her SHARE blood drive project this year, where they hosted the drive through the Community Blood Center on Feb. 17.

Junior Gray Sullivan first heard about the Gallon Grad program through Benditt’s SHARE project. After learning about the program, Sullivan wanted to be able to do something that could give back to her community while also being

beneficial for graduation. Benditt helped Sullivan sign up for the program which helps keep track of the blood drives Sullivan attends.

“While [giving your blood] may hurt a little bit or be a bit tough, it’s a small price to pay for helping someone so much,” Sullivan said.

Blood donors are required to wait eight weeks in between each whole blood donation and two weeks between plasma donations because of the amount of time blood and plasma take to replenish in the body. Sullivan plans on donating whole blood every eight weeks this year to meet her goal of one gallon by senior year.

After donating blood once this year, junior Ingrid Blacketer and co-chair of the blood drive SHARE project will go to the Community Blood Center in April to donate plasma to work on her goal of one gallon donated.

“The goal is to get the cord by graduation, but it’s more [than that because] each time you donate you would save three lives,” Blacketer said. “If I donate blood eight times then that’s 24 lives, which is crazy.”

Students interested in donating blood or participating in the Gallon Grad program can contact Linda Moriarity at LMoriarity@cbckc.org.

REQUIREMENTS REWARDS &

Requirements to qualify for the Community Blood Center’s Gallon by Grad program, and the rewards that Gallon by Grad participants receive upon completion of the program

REQUIREMENTS

volunteer for a minimum of f ve hours donate blood at least three times

recruit a minimum of f ve new donors

REWARDS

distinctive graduation cord or pin

certi f cate of achievement recognition at graduation ceremony

RED KINGDOM

REVAMP

The proposed Chiefs Stadium renovation will require an extension of the Jackson County sales tax

JACKSON COUNTY, MISSOURI residents will vote in a Special Election on April 2 to determine whether or not to extend the current 3/8 cent sales tax to fund the proposed $800 million Arrowhead Stadium renovation.

While some support the new plan’s potential to improve parking and the overall fan experience, others believe that the renovations are unnecessary and unfair to taxpayers.

Jackson County resident and digital design teacher Jennifer Hair will be voting and thinks that the improvements will help with accessibility for older people.

“In terms of accessibility and moving around the stadium, it feels like it’s such a hardship,” Hair said. “My dad’s never been to a game and there’s no way we would never take my husband’s dad because it’s the accessibility and the walking and there’s just no easy way. The parking is crazy, it takes forever to get out of the parking lot, there’s no great rideshare. If you do rideshare, it’s a mess and it’s just safe for everybody to not drive their cars sometimes. So just having an upgraded system that keeps up with the times and safety measures would be good.”

In an Instagram poll of 248 votes, 59% believe the stadium doesn’t need to be renovated. However, in a poll of 205 votes, 65% don’t believe that the renovations are worth the taxes.

If the vote is passed, construction will start in 2026 after the World Cup and will take around four years to complete, according to the National Football League.

The new renovation will include more parking, entertainment areas for fans and VIP suites. This plan will also relocate the Royals stadium to downtown Kansas City and demolish the current one next to the Chiefs stadium. The new parking plans for Arrowhead Stadium will use the property of the Kauffman Stadium if the team moves.

The renovation will also require an extension of the tax in Jackson County. The current 3/8 cent sales tax will be extended to 2064 if the vote passes, according to the campaign manager for the Committee Against New Royals stadium tax, Tim Smith.

If voters do extend the tax, the renovation will be paid for in part by the Hunt family — the owners of the Chiefs contributing $300 million, according to the Kansas City Star.

“We have to be careful about taxing people for long periods of time when that tax

money can be used for other things that we really need like good schools, good roads to drive on, sidewalks to walk on, basic services like trash pickup and any number of things,” Smith said. “These are all the things that lose funding [to the renovation] when we give billionaires tax abatements to build buildings that they can pay for themselves.”

“WE HAVE SOME of the best fans around. They’re out there having a great time in a parking lot. They don’t necessarily need top notch facilities to support their team and have a good time.

CHIP UFFORD ASSISTANT FOOTBALL COACH

Smith believes that the renovations aren’t necessary — that parking doesn’t need to be improved and the increase in VIP seats only benefits wealthy people. The new plans may edge out lower class citizens because most of the new plans involve VIP additions like new suites and entrances, according to Smith.

ARROWHEAD’S FACELIFT

ACTIVATION ZONE

TURF-COVERED TAILGATE AREA WITH ENTERTAINMENT SPACE

PEDESTRIAN BRIDGES

POSITIONED OVER ROADS CREATING MORE EFFICIENT TRAVEL TO AND FROM THE STADIUM

“[The taxes] are looking out for people who have tremendous wealth who could afford to [buy VIP seats],” Smith said. “That’s not a good idea. So there’s no real benefit to taxpayers on what the Chiefs want to do.”

Assistant football coach Chip Ufford also believes that the renovated stadium is unnecessary and may price out some Chiefs fans — he thinks fans will show up with or without an improved stadium.

“Chiefs fans are gonna show up regardless of if it’s a great stadium or not,” Ufford said. “We have some of the best fans around. They’re out there having a great time in a parking lot. They don’t necessarily need topnotch facilities to support their team and have a good time.”

Hair thinks that the stadium is a big part of Kansas City culture and would be surprised if the vote doesn’t pass.

“[Arrowhead] is probably one of our largest draws on the Missouri side, for the area.” Hair said. “And it’s just really fun. You guys are growing up in this super charmed [city], that if you are a Chiefs fan, it’s been such an integral part of your childhood. And so we want to support that for the next generation.”

The specific proposed changes coming to Arrowhead Stadium by 2030

GRAB-N-GO MARKETS

INCREASE SPEED OF SERVICE BY 30-40% WHILE DECREASING TRANSACTION TIME AS WELL

ENHANCED HOSPITALITY AND VIEWING EXPERIENCE FOR FANS

design by liv madden

SHOWDOWN T A I I R V

Student Council held their annual trivia contest with 12 teams competing for a first place cash prize on March 6: Team Luke and the Alter Egos took home the title

SCAN ME PHOTO

Scan this QR code to access photos from trivia night

a part of the planning of trivia night. “I read two categories like the Mandela effect category, and I helped close [the event],” Sheets said.

photo by paige bean

LEFT Seniors Abi Limbird and Collin Ford laugh over a joke shared between trivia rounds. “The Special Events Committee has a really special bond and we always have a good time,” Limbird said.

photo by paige bean

LEFT Freshman Burt Sheets holds back his laughter as he looks at the Special Events Committee while presenting. Sheets is a member StuCo as well as the Special Events Committee where he was

ABOVE After completing the second round of questions, senior Emma Kuhlman records the team scores on a whiteboard. Some of the categories were Disney, famous inventions and celebrity anagrams.

photo by amelie wong

TOP Junior Ellen Bowser volunteers to be the answer runner for her team. “Mr. Burrows said we needed someone fast [to deliver the answers] and I was like, ‘I can do it,’” Bowser said. “I was feeling confident that day, I was running low on sleep and high on caffeine.” Bowser’s team ended up getting fourth place.

photo by amelie wong

ABOVE Junior Ellen Bowser looks at her team to make sure that they’re confident about their answers before bringing them up to the judges to check. Their team was called the Math Wizards so all of the members were dressed in robes with different math formulas taped to their shirts. photo by amelie wong

COMIC STRIP

smeharbinger.net/opinion

art by kai mcphail

March madness can lead to some unfavorable results

or

that?

Recent Instagram polls related to stories in this issue’s opinion section

HAVE YOU EVER FELT UNCOMFORTABLE IN A PHYSICAL EDUCATION CLASS?

*Instagram

Opinion hot take

trending topics

Polls and information about current trending topics in media

musical posts

DO YOU THINK IT’S A GOOD IDEA FOR THE ROYALS TO MOVE THEIR STADIUM DOWNTOWN?

*Instagram

TAKE OUR P OLLS

DO YOU LIKE WHEN PEOPLE PUT SONG ON THEIR INSTAGRAM POSTS?

*Instagram poll of 233 votes

The new feature on Instagram where you can add music to your posts has a close or equal amount of people who either love it or hate it.

52% YES NO

48%

royal family drama

After Kate Middleton, the Princess of Wales recieved abdominal surgery, edited pictures and videos of her have been released creating conspiracies everywhere.

DO YOU THINK THE ROYAL FAMILY IS TRANSPARENT ABOUT THEIR LIVES ON SOCIAL MEDIA??

*Instagram poll of 173 votes

YES NO

13%

story by molly miller

Staffer reviews newly revived club and admires its sucess so far

AFTER THREE MONTHS of sitting in class waiting for spring break, the last thing I want to encounter on my escape from reality is my entire sixth hour math class.

Out of all 50 states, I can’t begin to fathom why everyone has their eyes set on going to Florida 30A. Aside from the warm weather and sandy beaches, there’s nothing fascinating about bumping into your peers on sidewalks and opening your Snapchat Map to a hoard of Bitmojis located within a 20-mile strip.

While I understand the draw of cozy, clean beaches with beach chairs set out for you before you even reach the sand, I’d much rather gain cultural experiences and check places off of my bucket list during break than revisit the people I see in a different state every day.

87%

All I see on social media are teenagers taking pictures on the beach and going for daily bike rides to fill what I can only imagine to be their excessive amounts of free time. After lunch at one of the four acceptable restaurants and two days of laying out on the beach, you’ve officially exhausted all your activities. Why go to a place that’s been curated to please the eyes while the rest of Florida is a complete dump?

Despite what you see on Instagram, you don’t even get to spend your days basking in the sun. The 60 degree weather and UV index that doesn’t even pass seven instantly takes all the pleasure out of tanning on the beach.

So next year when you’re sitting at your kitchen counter planning your spring break trip, consider anything outside of 30A and reap the benefits of a unique vacation spot.

design

art

A STORM BREWING

A STORM BREWING

STAY SAFE.

MAGINE THIS:

IIt’s the annual East vs. Rockhurst basketball game night — one of the biggest games of the year. After 4 tough quarters battling it out, Rockhurst ultimately claims the win.

Approximately 350 Rockhurst students in the student section start screaming and shouting insults towards East as they pour off the bleachers and scramble to the middle of the basketball court. The thing is, not all of the East basketball players have left the court yet.

During a high-speed collision with a Rockhurst student, an East basketball starter is knocked down as he grabs his knee in pain. After being ushered off the court, the athletic trainer determines that the player has suffered a major knee injury and can’t play in future games.

The team still has nine games left plus the state tournament, but now he’ll be watching from the bench. But this is all hypothetical — court storming could never result in that.

Wrong.

This exact incident actually occurred on Feb. 24 to Duke University player Kyle Filipowski. After Wake Forest University defeated Duke by a mere four points, the Wake Forest student section obnoxiously stormed the court and injured Filipowski.

We can’t let this happen at East.

Students need to realize that rules put into place against court storming are there for your safety — not to ruin your fun.

The current regulations on court storming at East coincide directly with the Kansas State High Schools Activities Association rule against court storming. According to the KSHSAA Basketball Manual, under a subsection of Rule 52, “rushing the field/floor or victory celebration on the playing surface/ field” is considered “undesirable behavior.”

Any violation to this rule could result in probation or suspension — tarnishing your school’s record is definitely not worth ten seconds of celebration.

There are plenty of other ways to celebrate a victory with your friends. Staying in the stands and cheering with your friends standing next to you — not rubbing against you in a mosh pit in the center of the gym — is a safe but still fun way to celebrate.

If you’re friends with a player on the team, wait until later to congratulate them. The team needs time to celebrate their win with their fellow teammates.

So when next year’s Rockhurst game comes around, think before you storm. You never know whose toes you’re going to step on — it could cost your team your star player.

DO YOU THINK STUDENTS SHOULD BE ABLE TO STORM THE COURT AFTER BASKETBALL GAMES?

LET’S STORM!

J— a core memory from my freshman year. After spending the full 90 minutes of the game biting my nails alongside the rest of the student body — all in matching “Beat Rock” shirts — the buzzer went off, marking the end of the biggest basketball game of the year against Rockhurst, and East won.

I darted down the bleachers to join the mosh pit of Lancers on the court jumping up and down and singing our alma mater in celebration.

After joining the players on the court, East waved goodbye to the Rockhurst student section with a “This is our house!” chant.

Now in 2024, administration has taken a stricter approach to prevent students from celebrating big wins like this by standing at the front of the student section and preventing the crowd of students from storming the court.

Restricting students from storming the court after winning a game is depriving students of valuable memories and experiences here at East.

According to a poll of 346 students, 88% believe we should be able to storm the court after winning a basketball game — a majority of the student body feels strongly that storming the court is necessary.

Storming the court is part of the high school experience. Seriously, name a better feeling than rushing onto the court with your friends and classmates bursting with

excitement and smiles while singing the school song.

Due to the Kansas State High School Activities Association’s rules against rushing the court and having a victory celebration on the playing surface, East has suspended students in the past for storming the court after winning games.

While accidents are a big concern in storming the court, they can happen at any event and any moment in time, so eliminating a school-wide tradition over the fear of injury is utterly pointless. In reality, someone could get just as injured slipping on a patch of ice on the way to the parking lot after a winter game.

Since currently not being able to storm the court, the rush of every student gunning towards the exit trying to get to the parking lot immediately after the game ends, should just as easily be a concern. Limiting the celebration leaves students no choice but to hurry out of the gym, just so they don’t get stuck in the crowded parking lot.

There’s just as much of a chance of students ending up “trampled” heading to the exit then they would storming the court. But hey, who knows how long until East prohibits storming the exits too?

Storming the court after a close and nerve inducing game is just part of the high school experience, something everyone should get to experience at least once before they graduate from East.

Some believe students should be allowed to storm the court after a basketball game while others find it unnecessarily dangerous

story by ada lillie worthington story by lucy wolf

ABOVE Students storm the court in celebration of a victory against SM South in 2022. photo by emma-kate squires

design by hallie o’bryan

A ROYAL STADIUM

The Royals Kauffman Stadium should be moved downtown to improve the fan experience and the local economy, despite increases in taxes

TTENDING A CUBS game at Wrigley Field in downtown Chicago is an electrifying experience for one main reason: it’s right in the heart of their city. Having a baseball stadium in a city is a special feature that every great city has — San Diego, Pittsburgh and San Francisco just to name a few.

But attending a Kansas City Royals

BY THE NUMBERS

As the city considers moving Kauffman Stadium, it is just what the Royals need to improve the fan experience and increase tourism to the

But taxpayers still have to vote on whether this project is worth the money.

On April 2, Jackson County residents will vote on a raised sales tax in order to provide funding for the new stadium. And

people would be downtown for games, giving surrounding businesses more foot traffic and customers.

Downtown stadiums are more accessible and don’t require visitors to rent a car, pay for expensive ride shares or ride unreliable public transit. The area around the current stadium doesn’t have enough hotels to support traveling fans. It’s hard to imagine someone coming to visit for a business trip, and deciding to dedicate an hour of travel time and $100 in Uber fares to see one of the worst teams in Major League Baseball.

Moving the stadium downtown will increase the amount of visitors the stadium receives simply due to the convenience of an accessible location in the midst of tourist traffic. Anyone staying downtown, in the Crossroads, in Midtown or even on the Plaza will have

has. That revenue helps pay for projects that help everyone, whether they like baseball or not.

People may complain that some businesses will need to move. That might be true, but the majority of the land being used is empty, including the vacant Kansas City Star building. There is a significant amount of turnover already for business in that area, and while it isn’t ideal for a business to have to move, there is still a lot of space in the Crossroads for those businesses to relocate to.

Others are concerned about parking, traffic or other crowding that could happen. However, according to Fox4 KC, 25% of the Crossroads is empty parking lots. We know the neighborhood could be used for anything from restaurants to office spaces.

Statistics about the proposed downtown Royals stadium

ON THE

SIDELINE

AS I WALKED into the auxiliary gym already anxious, sick from pure dread for my first day of this semester’s mandatory physical education class, my heart dropped to see a single girl, a close friend, sitting in the sea of boys that weren’t like me.

The coach came up to my friend and me and first looked at us, then back at the rest of the class and asked:

“So, are you going to drop?”

I’ve never heard such a blatantly offensive comment. My heart dropped. The teacher’s question lingered in my mind for weeks afterwards. I questioned what about me as a person warranted a comment like this — was it my clothes? Or how I spoke?

Maybe I should drop if the coach clearly feels it would be the “best option” for me this semester.

Spaces like high school gym class pinpoint people that are “different” and put girls and more feminine guys in harmful situations. All eyes are on people that don’t appear to be the most skilled or don’t show interest in the sport. It feels like there’s a spotlight on me at all times, making me feel stuck fighting to be seen as human. The feeling is exacerbated when a coach makes a statement supporting something I’ve feared for years.

I felt almost ashamed of myself and the fact that my teacher and peers assumed that I would be horrible at anything athletic, strictly based on my friend’s and my appearance. It was like the other, more athletic boys had never seen someone, particularly a boy, wearing a knit sweater with jeans instead of Nike shorts and an NFL T-shirt conversing with a girl.

I have never been the most talented

basketball player or the fastest kid in school, but I’ve also never hated sports or athletics. My relationship with sports has been shaped by experiences like this, in settings with other kids that are completely different from

WHEN PICKING

teams I’m always chosen last, no matter my skill level or background in the sport or activity. I wish my classmates would try to get to know me instead of assuming that I’m incompetent.

me in their masculine appearance and aura.

Gym is a required class, and I dread being forced into a place that makes me feel like I’m being slugged in the stomach with a baseball over and over again.

I’ve literally spent PE classes defending bases while slurs are whispered by runners passing by me. Then if I make a home run, it’s “just luck” — the possibility of me being athletically inclined for even a second is unbelievable.

When picking teams I’m always chosen last, no matter my skill level or background in the sport or activity. I wish my classmates would try to get to know me instead of assuming that I’m incompetent.

Feeling constantly pressured to prove myself to people makes me feel so miniscule in gym class. I pressured myself to become the fastest kid in elementary school to prove my masculinity. My asthma didn’t matter as much as feeling out of place.

It’s not because I wanted people to think of me as athletic, or the most popular person in class, I just want to feel comfortable in a space that isn’t necessarily catered to me or my core interests.

It’s hard to hear comments from afar on how I missed a ball or how my voice sounds like a “girl.” These aggressions, uniquely rooted in how I present myself, become easier for my peers to say or do in a setting where I’m the odd one out.

Maybe I’d be more athletically inclined if there wasn’t such a stigma around girls and feminine people participating in gym. It would’ve been easier to practice my threepointer or dribbling if I wasn’t made fun of every time I hit the court.

It’s time for physical education classes as a whole to be more inviting and promote kids that might feel out of place and start accomplishing its goal — to educate students about sports and fitness — for all kids.

Throughout P.E. classes, I’ve been judged for countless things I can’t control, had assumptions made about me and even felt scared for myself. I hope younger students that also aren’t as masculine can feel more comfortable than I have for the past 10 years.

Institutions or schools that have mandatory physical education should show more support to feminine students in an environment that isn’t inherently comfortable by educating teachers about how to be inclusive.

Assigning teams and ensuring equal play times are an easy fix to promote participation and give students the opportunity to feel comfortable. Let’s welcome all students, different or not, into gym class instead of pushing them immediately back out the door they came in.

LAST ONE STANDING.

An overwhelming amount of students at East and across the US feel uncomfortable in their physical education classes

HAVE YOU EVER BEEN DISCOUNTED FOR IN AN ATHLETIC SETTING BECAUSE OF YOUR APPEARANCE

*Instagram poll of 141 votes

40% NO YES

60%

Physical activity leads to decreased mental health issues

Most adolescents report to participate in PE on 1-2 days a week via The Atlantic via health.gov

63

OF FEMALES OR FEMININE PRESENTING STUDENTS HAVE FELT UNCOMFORTABLE IN A PHYSICAL EDUCATION CLASS %

Physical education creates experiences that are uncomfortable for students that lack masculinity or athletic ability

Feature

ISSUE

IN

photos THIS

A look inside student life at East in the past two weeks of school

ALL ABOUT

HUSTLE

Students who have unique jobs

GABE ANDERSON | JUNIOR

“I WORK AT A BREWERY, and I’m only 17. My dad is the owner of the brewery and basically, I’m allowed to do everything there except I can’t pour liquor. I’m more of an extrovert, so I like making friends and seeing regulars.

CHLOE SWAN | SOPHOMORE

THE FINAL STRETCH

Students share their motivation for getting through a fourth quarter slump

“

THE IDEA OF summer defnitely helps me fnish my work and not procrastinate as much because [the] less I procrastinate, the closer [summer] feels.

ASH FRESHMAN “

JUST A THOUGHT that if I don’t pay attention, I’ll regret it next year. My freshman year, I didn’t pay attention at all during fourth quarter, and I defnitely regret it now.

“I’M AN OPTOMETRY technician and honestly, people think it’s a lot harder than it is. I just get patients, bring them back and do three or four easy tests on them. I like doing something that nobody else my age really gets to do.

ADDI O’ROARK

“

TRACK SEASON, IT really helped me last year because I made friends and it was like a little clique. Track was my go-to place where I could release energy and get motivation.

design by sophia brockmeier photos by clara peters, caroline martucci, alex sanja & katie cook

ELLA

KAI CAMPBELL SOPHOMORE

JUNIOR

BOTTOM Freshman Aubrey Massoth watches her solution as she releases a drop of sodium alginate into it. Honors Biology students performed a lab producing lactosefree milk. photo by caroline martucci

TOP Senior Jack Kessler takes a video of junior Ingrid Blacketer as she practices her speech for the role of Student Body President. photo by clara peters photo by alex sanja

TOP Multicultural Student Union member freshman Hailey Stuber prepares a trifold board to represent the Philippines at the Multicultural Fair on April 23.

SCOUT

WADDLING ACROSS THE pool, sophomore Kara Parrett came up to an eleven-year-old boy who was off to the side among the dozens of kids. The boy, Alec, wasn’t talking to the others like she would normally expect — he had a hearing impairment and was nervous to talk to the other kids at summer camp.

Kara was working as an Associate Counselor in Training at H. Roe Bartle Scout Reservation — a Boy Scouts of America camp. Teaching Alec individually during the class, she immediately saw him start to open up as she spent time just talking with him. He was a great swimmer who just needed a little help, according to Kara.

“He just wasn’t sure who to be comfortable with yet and getting him comfortable with me, he was able to do the entire swim test in a day,” Kara said. “Just doing a little bit of one-on-one, you can see such an impact.”

Spending the summer as a scout counselor, an unpaid position, Kara served as a role model for all the boys and girls at the pool and was happy to do it.

As one of the first female Boy Scouts, Kara has gone to Bartle since the fifth grade — working her way up to the highest rank of Eagle Scout — and now acts as a mentor for younger girls. Showing that girls don’t just “exist” in scouts but they have the potential to thrive.

“We had [scouts] all the time that don’t come from places where they’re used to going swimming,” Kara said. “My favorite part of camp was instructional swim. I feel like I need to be a really good example for all of them. But I love seeing the impact that can make on their lives, and that’s one of my favorite things.”

During her years in scouts, Kara’s always had leaders to help her through the program, and she feels a responsibility to pay it forward.

“I love seeing kids be able to go through scouting,” Kara said. “I think it’s such a good program to get people to come and learn how to be a leader.”

***

Since she was three years old, Kara has spent most Monday nights tagging along with her dad Kurt Parrett. He’s been a treasurer volunteering for Boy Scout Troop 91 for more than 15 years, so Kara grew up running around church basements watching kids learn to identify poisonous plants and discuss their upcoming campouts.

“After Kara was born I kind of said, ‘Okay, I need to get out of this,’ Kurt said.

“But it took a couple of years actually happen.”

While her dad had been in the over 40 years, Kara was never a Girl Scout or even a Brownie in school, despite her efforts to start “I went to Cub Scout meetings tried to [start a troop] in my school,” Kara said. “But we enough girls to start one.”

Nevertheless, when the Boy America officially allowed girls in 2019, her dad encouraged Kara refused to let all the time at those meetings go to waste, new Troop 6091, an anex girls the affiliated Troop 91, who her grandfather had been part of before.

Coordinating with the boys 91 as the girls were just getting 6091 eventually started planning campouts and service projects becoming more independent as on.

“When I joined both of them, mixed,” Kara said. “So we calling ourselves 91G, and then we split apart more and more still have meetings at the same we just do separate things now.”

The youngest out of the 15 who joined the troop, Kara didn’t see herself as a leader. She looked the older scouts as leaders, despite they were all starting at the same

“I was pretty scared,” Kara not gonna lie, at the time I was shy. I was the youngest of all were starting [the troop] because girls about my age started in was still a fifth grader. I just went into [Scouts] because I could cubs for three months [before it wasn’t worth it. It was like, Scouts.’”

Not knowing many members troop before joining, Kara bonding with other scouts like Mission South junior Emma Bowen the troops’ first meeting together winter when they were learning song she forgot the name of years “We’re just like, ‘What is Kara said. “It was so weird, parents knew it. It’s just all the grew up in scouting all sang it going along but both of us were But we became friends very quickly.”

Despite some obstacles dealing campouts in -18 degree weather, of snow and spending hours checking endless requirements to advance, never had second thoughts about

for that to the troop for a Cub Scout, elementary start a troop. meetings and I elementary never had Boy Scouts of girls to join her to join. time she spent joining the girls troop for her father and before. boys in Troop getting started, planning their own separately, as time went them, we were started off then eventually and now we same time, but now.” other girls didn’t always looked up to despite the fact same time.

Kara said. “I’m was extremely all of us that because most cubs, but I went straight only be in aging out], like, ‘Just join members of the remembers like Shawnee Bowen during together that learning a scout years ago. going on?’” but all our the dads that it and we’re were very shy. quickly.” dealing with weather, six inches checking off advance, Kara about joining

Scouts, an experience that taught her about knots, starting fires and how to use a pocket knife.

Camping with her family since before she could walk, roughing it in the outdoors and learning these basic survival skills was something she had gotten used to.

“[My family] has always loved camping and [we’ve] gone my entire life,” Kara said. “We go to Branson three or four times a year since I was little. I remember we have photos of me as a 1-year-old camping.”

“We filled up an entire box truck,” Kara said.”We pretty much collected everything from kitchenware to baby clothes to adult clothes. We even got a mattress in there somehow.”

me I love scouts and I did not want to do that,” Kara said. “I wanted to go to camp and work on staff. I love staffing. I love teaching kids, it’s like one of my favorite things.”

Seeing these girls grow up before her eyes starts to make her feel old, watching girls who joined the troop as a first year, taking positions she used to hold.

While adjusting to the practical aspects of scouting was easy, Kara had to learn a lot more about being a leader.

Her scoutmaster, Dr. Krista Cox, has seen many young scouts join the troop and grow not just as leaders but as people, especially girls like Kara who accept the responsibility of a leadership position, leading meetings and planning the troop’s activities.

“Their growth is huge,” Cox said. “It’s a six-month term and they flounder at the beginning. But by the end, they are more confident, leading meetings, not afraid to talk to adults and use those skills they gained.”

*** Kara decided to join a new troop in the summer of 2022, switching to Troop 6010 in order to participate in more High Adventure activities they offered — scuba diving in the Bahamas, canoeing down white rapids and trekking over 80 miles through the wilderness in New Mexico. By eighth grade, she was a Troop Guide, Senior Patrol Leader and had earned the rank of Eagle with the troop.

Over the last few years, most of the girls who joined with her have already left the troop, or are only staying to complete their Eagle Projects.

“There are a couple of girls that are seventh graders that want to get [their project] early,” Kara said. “I’m like, ‘Not yet.’ Wait, love scouts for a while and then get it because it’s kind of just like rushing in. It doesn’t help. It’s just a good way to get it on your resume and leave. And I don’t think that’s the right way to do it.”

Of course, that didn’t stop her from taking on her Eagle Scout project while she was still in middle school.

For her project, Kara planned and led some scouts in a donation drive through Mission Adelante, a local ministry that serves immigrants and refugees. Spending six months filling out countless forms and waiting for all her plans to get approved by Scouts, she finally executed the drive back in 2021, bringing in over 1,000 items from donations.

That May, Kara had her board of honor, a ceremony for new Eagle scouts every six months. Out of the 12 scouts who got Eagle in the area, Kara was one of only two girls. Standing in front of eight troop leaders, six of whom she had never even met, surrounded by complete strangers outside of her current and former Scoutmasters.

“My Scoutmaster was supposed to be my friend in the room,” Kara said. “They’re the ones that if you can’t come up with an answer, help you out because they know a lot about you.”

Kara was surprised when she walked in and saw so many women standing in front of her, occupying the majority of the board.

“I was like, scared to speak,” Kara said. “It’s just you and [the board] in the

“I COULD’VE just given up like a lot of people just leave and it’s fne, but for me I love Scouts and I did not want to do that.

KARA PARRETT SOPHOMORE

room. You do a couple of trials and then they ask ‘How many Eagle Scouts are in the room?’ And I was the only Eagle. But it was ultimately because it was mostly adult women.”

***

Today, BSA still separates the boy and girl troops, but now with experienced leaders and normalcy for girls to join Cub Scouts in grade school, the 35-person troop created their own space within scouts. They saw almost 15 Cub Scouts crossover to the troop this February.

Kara is no longer the youngest but is actually one of the oldest members leading the weekly meetings. She’s the only Eagle still attending meetings out of the 13 the troop has produced.

Still spending her Monday nights still running around church basements, Kara guides the girls in her troop as they attempt complicated bowline knots, teaching the 11-year-olds what she learned through her experiences as a Troop guide.

“I could’ve just given up like a lot of people just leave and it’s fine, but for

“You pretty much just go and you teach them all their requirements and you help [first years] go on hikes and get all their early requirements done,” Kara said. “Now I’m seeing most of those girls are getting SPL and getting Eagle.”

Taking on these demanding positions since middle school showed Kara the necessity to have experienced older scouts encouraged to stay in the troop and set an example for the other girls. It’s part of why she hasn’t bailed out of the program after reaching the highest level of achievement as an Eagle Scout two years ago.

“We have all those positions and they didn’t know what half of those mean,” Kara said. “Teaching them like what this person does and other things like that. Just seeing them say ‘Oh, I want to do that when I’m older.’ It’s great to see, I love them looking up [to me] and seeing what they could do when they’re older.”

Cox emphasizes the importance of making sure her scouts run the entire troop on their own. Cox and the other adult leaders are only there for supervision and occasional guidance for ill-conceived ideas — like pool parties in December — that may need to get rescheduled. She believes Kara is the perfect example of what a leader should be.

“[Kara’s] willing to do anything you ask, but most of the time you don’t even have to ask,” Cox said.

But holding all the leadership roles is impossible, despite how hard Kara tries. Currently serving as a Junior Assistant Scoutmaster Kara gets to work more with the adults in her weekly meetings, organizing activities that everyone can enjoy, like taking the troop ice skating or having movie nights.

Whether there is a first-year trying to learn to navigate with a compass or a merit badge class that needs an extra pair of hands for help, Kara always wants to fill the role.

“I feel like I can make a difference in people and seeing them look up to me and care, it’s great,” Kara said. “I think they should have a lot of role models because there’s a lot of them in the troop. You don’t have to be an Eagle Scout to be a role model.”

COLLECTING BADGES

Important moments in Kara’s journey to becoming one of the first female Eagle Scouts locally and nationally

ABOVE Kara at a Scouts meeting where younger girls that she mentors crossed over from Cub Scouts to Boy Scouts.

ABOVE To become an Eagle Scout, Kara ran her own drive collecting supplies called the “Eagle Project.”

ABOVE In 2022, Kara attended a weeklong Youth Leadership Training as part of her Scouts training.

WOMAN

EMPOWERED

Freshman Halima Talbi has volunteered for nonprofits for women since seventh grade through Junior Board and continues to grow her passion for it

AFTER SPENDING NEARLY two years staring at her teachers through a computer screen, Freshman Halima TalbiSophomore Jordan Fuller sees herself studying shipwrecks in a scuba suit to support her family surrounded by only guys. She wants to be a marine archeologist, a primarily male-dominated profession and knows that she will be one of, if not the only, female in her workplace. Even some of the most obscure fields are male-dominated, with 50% of women in the workforce feeling undervalued, according to HR Dive.

This is why Shawnee Mission West’s Associate Principal Kelley Capper pitched the idea of a club dedicated to growing the confidence of young women to push past societal pressures four years ago, and the Women in Leadership club will officially be offered at East next school year.

The club aims to empower young women through conferences, book studies, mentorships and speakers. This year Associate Principals Susan Leonard and Emily Demo and Instructional Coach Kelsi Horner are expanding the club to East.

“What we see on TV and in magazines and in society, the societal expectations of young women, ‘Oh to be quiet,’ ‘sit nicely,’ ‘sit like a lady,’ shouldn’t be the norm, but only we can change it,” Capper said. “We have to retake over the narrative, and that’s what this program does.”

Staff members were given an opportunity to expand the program to East when Capper invited them to a Women in Leadership conference on Feb. 16.

East teachers nominated students in their classes they thought would be best suited for the program. These students then filled out a Google Form, and 10 were selected to attend the conference based on their responses. A panel of female leaders — from a hairdresser who owns a trucking company to a civil engineer — came to speak to the group of girls about their careers, obstacles they faced and how to pass them.

Junior Eve Bendit was one of the students that attended the conference.

“A lot of them talked about how they got into [the field that] they got into and how you don’t necessarily have to commit to what you’re majoring in college,” Benditt said. “They talked about how to talk to a boss about a difference in pay between male coworkers and

just a lot about their life stories.”

After getting a glimpse of what the program is like, Benditt is looking forward to assisting with the program next year. She wants to help females at East learn how to take leadership roles both inside and outside of school.

Fuller is also looking forward to helping the program grow. As a confident person herself, she believes it will help young women with confidence to go into whatever profession they choose. She also wants to learn how to work in a male-dominated field.

“Learning how to navigate [working in a maledominated environment is] really important,” Fuller said. “That really hit home, don’t let the men tell you what you should be.”

The program won’t host meetings for the rest of the year because it’s still in the planning stages. Leonard intends to use the fourth quarter to communicate to students the new opportunity. Next school year, they will start meeting monthly to plan the structure of the program.

“We’re trying to move slow enough to do it right, so our goal in the fourth quarter would just be to publicize that this is gonna be an opportunity,” Leonard said.

The growth of the program is slow because Leonard hopes to get input from both Capper and club members about what the program should look like.

“It might look just like Shawnee Mission West or it might look different, but I want it to be ours,” Leonard said.

Aside from attending conferences to discuss being a female in the professional world, West’s program also pairs members with mentors — professional women working in the job field that matches the member’s interest.

“I meet with every student to discuss what career field they want their mentor to be in or what they hope to learn from it,” Capper said. “Then they get set up with their mentor. They have online communication or in-person meetings and job shadows.”

Leonard hopes the program will also include book studies, coffee and breakfast meetings and community service. Leonard expects the group to attend some district-wide meetings each year, but otherwise most events will be held within East.

“Women supporting women, women promoting each other but also being encouraged to be leaders in our school or community in the world,” Leonard said.

How Talbi’s chosen organization, United Women’s Empowerment, has helps women locally

• FIELDING 26 RESEARCH STUDIES ON THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OF WOMEN

• HELPED WOMEN PROFESSIONALLY

• FIGHTING SEXUAL HARASSMENT

INCREASED PAID FAMILY LEAVE

ABOVE Junior Board group members freshmen Jamie Wilborn, Katharine Sally, Halima Talbi and Blanka Stradell during their site visit at United Women’s Empowerment. photo courtesy of halima talbi

AFTER A MONTH of sitting at home, baking in the hot July sun last summer, sophomore Campbell Alldredge finally had enough — she was in desperate need of a hobby.

Her mom had an easy fix suggestion: try flying planes.

Campbell has been flying ever since and is in the process of earning her pilot license to fly solo, thanks to her mom’s advice.

“It’s really cool, especially being downtown because you get to fly over all the cool landmarks that we all have been to growing up,” Campbell said. “And there’s a little window on every plane and you can open it, which I think is fun.”

Her mom, Kelli Alldredge, started flying on private planes for work about six years prior and knew multiple pilots well. One of them, Austin Hunt, mentioned he was training a female instructor, Megan Meyer. Kelli saw a flying program called Advanced Training Device Flight School, a type of flying simulator, and thought Campbell might be interested in the new and stimulating hobby.

When Kelli first brought it up to her, Campbell wasn’t crazy about the idea due to her long-term fear of flying. Her brothers had always teased her, saying that turbulence causes plane crashes and Campbell began to believe that. The thought of being in control of a flying tin can worried her, but as her summer dragged on, the thought of learning how to fly to get over her fears and to be able to take friends and family up in the future became more appealing.

Campbell took her first flying lesson on

Aug. 4 with Megan Meyer. Megan started flying in 2020 and became an instructor with the ATD program so far, Campbell has flown four times total with additional on-ground training lessons about once every month.

“Both [Campbell and Kelli] were very excited about everything,” Megan said. “Probably more excited than a lot of people who you take up on an introductory flight.”

For the first lesson, Megan took Campbell

“[FLYING] IS really cool, and it’s a lot less scary than I thought it would be because you’re in such a small plane, but you get used to it.

CAMPBELL ALLREDGE SOPHOMORE

up in the air for about an hour-long flight and showed her all of the controls on the plane — a Piper Warrior model. Looking out the window, she could see some of her favorite spots in Kansas City such as World of Fun and the Plaza. They looked like ant cities, and they were so small from how high up she was.

“[Flying] is really cool, and it’s a lot less scary than I thought it would be because you’re in such a small plane, but you get used to it,” Campbell said.

In 2015, she was on a private flight with her mom when the plane hit turbulence. She talked to the pilot afterward and he told her that turbulence is normal and nothing to be afraid of, which helped her get over her fear

FLYING

HIGH

Sophomore Campbell Alldredge started flying planes as a hobby and is working towards her pilot license

of a crash.

Every lesson is different for Campbell. Sometimes she has a full two-hour long flight and sometimes it’s textbook training with the occasional combination of both. She starts lessons by checking all the plane requirements — checking the gas, wings, and weather, and making sure the propellers, engine, and radio contact work correctly.

She then goes up in the air, spending time working on real tricks such as turns, descends, and climbs. The weekends are when Campbell does her “homework” — paper sheets and bookwork that go towards her eventually attaining her license. Paperwork consists of learning about flying in different weather conditions, plane names and how they work, and different tower names.

“Campbell dedicates her weekends to her flight training, and each time you go it’s a couple-hour commitment,” Kelli said. “It’s pretty tedious but she does dedicate her weekends to it.”

Now, Campbell flies out of the downtown Kansas City airport, staying in the city for the duration of the flight with the ability to pinpoint exactly where she is in the sky.

Although Campbell hasn’t yet decided if she wants to fly as an occupation, she’s planning on continuing on to get her Private Pilots license once she earns all 40 required hours.

“I haven’t decided if I want to be a pilot as a career path, so I just wanted to get it to have it and it’s just something that I could use for fun,” Campbell said.

SOARING STEPS

The steps Campbell took to decide to get her license

Campbell wanted to take up a hobby last summer. Now she wants to fly friends and family when she earns her pilot’s license

Working towards getting her license, Campbell is gaining 40 hours flying with an instructor.

HOW WHY WHERE

Campbell flies out of the Charles B. Wheeler Airport, an airport for corporate, charter and recreational flyers.

Campbell stands next to the planes she flies at the Charles B. Wheeler Airport.

photo courtesy of campbell alldredge

THE

THE DRUMS HISSED and roared on stage as sophomore Nash Ohlund — upright at the piano in black pants, dress shoes and buttonup — laid down su The drums hissed and roared on stage as sophomore Nash Ohlund sat upright at the piano in black pants, dress shoes and button-up, laying down supporting chords in “Conflagración” and waiting for his solo.

The trumpets and trombones went silent.

He looked down from his sheet music at his hands, and began to play. Leaning forward, head rocking to the beat, his fingers danced across the keys, chasing the flying rhythm.

“I like how exposed [jazz band] is,” Nash said. “It wouldn’t make me feel good if I messed up and no one noticed. Because then

FAVORITE PIECES PIANO MAN

Nash and four other players from East’s top jazz band, the Blue Knights, were selected to perform in front of the state’s top music educators with the Kansas Music Educators Association All-State jazz band on Feb. 22, joining the best jazz players in Kansas. Nash earned the only piano chair over some of the best upperclassmen in the state.

“[Nash] is by far our best player in jazz,” Ohlund’s bandmate and senior Davis Muther said. “Not only because he plays a hard instrument, but because he’s so good at it. His solos are really good, his playing is really thought out, and he practices a lot.”

Nash has been playing in jazz bands for only two years. After switching to jazz after playing classical music by himself until eighth grade, Nash has renewed his passion

Sophomore Nash Ohlund has made new friends and renewed his interest in piano through jazz band

with other musicians at East. His first time playing piano was on his grandma’s half sized keyboard at just 5 years old. After eight years of playing classical piano independently, his mom convinced him to join East’s lower jazz band, the Blue Notes, where he played with other instruments for the first time in a new style of music.

[ NASH ] IS BY far our best player in jazz, not only because he plays a hard instrument, but because he’s so good at it. His solos are really good, his playing is really thought out, and he practices a lot.

DAVIS MUTHER SENIOR

standards, remixes and original music.

“He didn’t know a lot about jazz, to be honest,” quartet member Ruby said. “But Henry taught him a lot, and now he’s excelling at a crazy level. Now he’s super involved.”

They would practice every day after school in Nash’s basement, half rehearsing songs and half messing around — rigid practice is just as important for them as playing spontaneously syncopated riffs and listening to Drake for inspiration.

“If we hadn’t been close friends and had similar interests, we probably wouldn’t have gotten to the point where we are now,” Ruby said.

“Beatrice” by Sam Rivers

“Spain” by Chick Corea

“Ugetsu” by Cedar Walton

“Nardis” by Bill Evans

“CCTV” by Joe Webb

“I was starting to get bored around middle school,” Nash said. “Then I discovered jazz in high school, and now

In his freshman year in East’s lower jazz band, then seniors Henry Revare and Delia Cashman and then junior Ruby Wagner recruited him to form the Whitney Payne quartet. Together they play a variety of gigs around Kansas City at breweries, festivals and local businesses playing jazz

But Nash’s success isn’t just because of his teachers or his 12 years of experience — it’s the hours he spends playing and listening to jazz. When he comes home from school, he practices on two keyboards he’s gotten the past two Christmases — an Upright Yamaha in his living room and a Casio Juno DS 88 with customizable sounds upstairs.

“He’s genuinely interested in jazz and he really enjoys it,” band teacher Alex Toepfer said. “Which helps a lot because he listens to it and it helps him understand the style and make it his own.”

At home, with friends and in the car, Nash is always listening to his favorite jazz musicians like Brad Meldau and Keith Jarrett — hearing new note combos and rhythms to break out later in practice. By listening to other musicians, he’s learning to improvise better and improve his solos in the Blue Knights.

“Nash is listening to jazz a lot right now,” Ruby said. “He’s kind of in love with jazz, and you can hear that in his playing, that he actually listens to the music. That’s a big thing.”

SCAN ME

design by lucy stephens photo by mason sajna

story by michael yi

Some of Nash’s favorite songs to play on the piano

smeharbinger.net/category/a&e

MARCH

Students share their predictions for the NCAA’s mens basketball tournament

SWEET 16

TENNESSEE

[TENNESSEE] CAN MATCH UP well with the other teams in the bracket and I feel like they can beat any team on any week on any court.

WILLIAM NORRIS SENIOR

ELITE 8

MARCH 28 & MARCH 29 MARCH 30 & MARCH 31

FINAL 4

APRIL 6

NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP GAME

APRIL 8

RECENT

MOVIE PREMIER

Look out for these new music and movie releases ARE

GODZILLA X KONG:

THE NEW EMPIRE

Release Date: March 29

Genre:

Adventure, Action

Running Time: 1 hr 55 mins

Starring:

Rebecca Hall, Brian Tyree

Henry, Dan Stevens

[UCONN] IS DOMINANT IN both offense and defense and this year I think they have what it takes to win back-to-back championships.

LUKE TAYLOR SOPHOMORE

UCONN

UPCOMING

Mark your calenders for these local upcoming events

ALBUM RELEASE

ACT II COWBOY CARTER

Artist:

Beyoncé

Release Date: March 29

MARCH 26

Band Festival Concert @SME

Spring Play @SME MARCH 26

Bad Bunny Concert @ T-Mobile Center

APRIL 4 & 5

202 4 THE RECORD

Reviews of the lyrics and music of three new albums spanning different genres

SIX YEARS AFTER their last project, psychedelic pop duo MGMT returns with a new album — “Loss of Life” — and an entirely new, fresh sound.

“Loss of Life” MGMT

10 tracks

45 minutes

“Deeper Well”

Kacey Musgraves

14 tracks

42 minutes

The stylistic switch-up in the new album is glaring when comparing the softer, more introspective project to MGMT’s catchier and more lyrically straightforward past albums. This isn’t a step backward, though. The new album shows the band’s innovative power through lush, layered production and unique songwriting instead of the familiar hook-laden pop sound fans are used to.

The album’s lead single called “Mother Nature” makes use of acoustic guitar, tambourine, harmonica and drums to deliver inspiring lyrics about starting anew amid the cycles of nature like “I’ve torched the fields again” and “You’ve got to begin again.”

This folk-rock balladry continues with the chorus from “Bubblegum Dog” later in the album, “I felt hate toward the

THE HONEST SONGWRITING on Kacey Musgraves’ “Deeper Well” combined with a more stripped-back production style compared to her other work make for a very personal listening experience, which I loved.

The beauty of “Deeper Well” comes from its simplicity. Moments like the title track show the power of this simple beauty when she sweetly sings lyrics about getting older, taking care of herself, and finding a pure source of satisfaction — a “deeper well.” A gently fingerpicked guitar accompanies Musgrave’s rich, twangy tone to make for an intimate and memorable experience. It feels like she’s singing to you directly.

She continues themes of spiritualism, growth and moving forward cohesively throughout the rest of the album. Her songwriting is at its best in songs like “Dinner with Friends,” where she lists off the little things she’d miss “on the other side” — sunrises, her lover, her home state of Texas and, of

“eternal sunshine”

13 tracks

36 minutes

ARIANA GRANDE’S NEWEST album, “eternal sunshine” lacks meaningful lyrics and is inconsistent in its production, but she manages to deliver some stellar vocal performances and communicate an entertaining narrative.

Grande started the album with a bang. “bye” is a quintessential breakup anthem that lays the narrative groundwork for the rest of the album. Punchy echoes of “Boy, bye” repeat in the background as her velvety voice sings about moving on from a past love, letting the listener know that they’re in for a modern take on a classic breakup album — a solid concept that she mostly manages to keep up throughout the rest of the album besides a few tangents.

And that’s not to mention the infectious R&B grooves woven in songs like “bye” and “yes, and?”. I wish she would’ve leaned more into these funky R&B rhythms throughout the rest of the album — it’s seriously fun.

Instead, much of the album falls back on the cheap-sounding

earthly world / But hate is a very strong word / And it’s finally catching up with me” — however, this time around the once-gentle sound warps further under layers of electric guitar, piano and a dozen other instrumentals to deliver an unforgettable performance. This new production style takes on different forms at different points in the album. Dreamy, synth-driven love songs like “Dancing in Babylon” feel lighter and fresher than anything else I’ve heard this year. This is bolstered by their strongest and most mature vocal performances yet.

Loss Of Life - MGMT Deeper Well - Kacey Musgraves

AlbumStats

While “Loss of Life’’ isn’t the duo’s flashiest or catchiest project, it’s an innovative record with consistently entrancing production and captivating themes.

course, dinner with friends.

Her voice and storytelling abilities are at the heart of this album, so the few songs that feature lazier songwriting bring down the earnest tone Musgraves uses on this album. Her warnings to “Be careful what you wish for” because money “Can’t buy you true happiness” are overdone, and don’t hold nearly as much emotional weight as her describing heaven as “No tears to cry, and nothing to mourn / Lying in your arms, so safe and warm.”

Small details on the album like weird vocal distortion effects on “Dinner With Friends” and “Anime Eyes” distract from her message and the progression of the album felt like it dragged on towards the end.

Overall though, “Deeper Well” combines Musgraves’ most mature songwriting and richest vocal performances for a memorable experience.

and frankly boring trap beats that wash out her vocals on songs like “the boy is mine.”

Most of the other moments I loved on this album showcased her notoriously impressive four-octave vocal range without overpowering instrumentals, like on “true story.” There’s no denying that the girl can sing, but she should be in the market for a producer that better accompanies her vocals.

Grande’s lyricism on the album was, at best, inconsistent, and at worst, littered with blatantly cringeworthy clichés. I couldn’t help but roll my eyes hearing the lazy comparison of “You played me like Atari.” Even worse is the line, “I hope you feel alright when you’re in her.” Beyond just making the vibe uncomfortable, the line just felt misplaced and forced. Some things are better left unsaid, Ariana.

In “eternal sunshine,” Grande extends the best parts of her previous work. However, inconsistencies in lyrics and production brought these soaring achievements crashing down harder than her previous relationship.

Statistics about the three albums

First album MGMT put out since 2018.

The music video “we can’t be friends (wait for your love)” was inspired by the Jim Carrey movie “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.”

Most streamed album in 2024 on Spotify. Musgrave’s album was inspired by the energy of Greenwich Village in New York City.

Ariana Grande

DAMSEL DEFENSE IN

MORE LIKE

damsel

If you liked “Damsel” you should check out these movies

ITHINK IT’S safe to say that after finishing “Stranger Things” season 4, Millie Bobby Brown’s presence has been missing from my Netflix watchlist.

If you feel like this too, buckle up, because I have just the solution for you.

SIMILARITIES: classic fairytale mythical creatures fre-breathing dragons

SIMILARITIES: cinematography scenery extravagant sets

SIMILARITIES:

strong narrative mountain-flled scenery

On March 8, Netflix released a new movie “Damsel” starring Brown as Elodie, an independent teenage princess living in a remote medieval village. Despite some flaws such as poor casting in a few crucial roles and leaving multiple plot holes throughout the movie, it was one of the better Netflix films I’ve seen due to amazing visuals and a classic yet entertaining plot.

For an hour and 49 minutes, viewers follow the journey of Elodie, who’s kingdom is in the midst of a long-term famine. In order to help their people, her father, played by Ray Winstone, marries her off to a wealthy prince from the far away kingdom of Aurea against her will.

Elodie, accompanied by her father, sister named Floria and played by Brooke Carter and step-mother played by Angela Bassett, journeys to the kingdom for the wedding, but despite the warm first impressions of the royal family, groom-to-be and castle, her stepmother soon senses something off with the wedding after a clearly very uncomfortable conversation with the queen, Isabelle played by Robin Wright. A slightly predictable plot but it redeems itself when the real story unfolds.

In a turn of events, Elodie ends up in a cave fighting for her life against a dragon. The rest of the movie follows her journey out of the cave and multiple battles with the dragon, all while discovering the true villain and deep dark secrets of the royal family she had married into.

I know at this point you’ve already written this off as another reverse damsel in distress movie like A League

of their Own. And while I agree that the “opposite fairytale” take on movies is overused, many other aspects of the movie such as the visuals make up for its borderline cliché plot.

For one thing, the visuals of mythical creatures and towering castles were spectacular — especially for a Netflix movie, which aren’t known for having the largest budgets or best animations. While this doesn’t mean you should start the movie with Avatar-level animation expectations, I never once felt like the CGI was poorly done.

Along with this, the movie’s pacing was immaculate. These days, you need to carve out three hours of your day just to watch a decent movie like Dune or Star Wars. For people like me who can’t even sit through a class without spacing off for a few minutes, paying attention to such long movies comes with great difficulty. The short duration of “Damsel” made it easy for me to stay engaged for the majority of the movie.

This being said, the movie desperately needed some type of subplot such as showing more of what was happening with Elodie’s family while she was alone in the cave. I would’ve loved to get more than just a few glimpses of the other characters during this time.

While this focus on one storyline has been proven to work beautifully with some movies like “1917,” fairytales are just not the genre for this style of cinematography.

Elodie’s story was interesting, but comedic relief and much-needed development for these one-dimensional characters simply aren’t optional in a movie like this.

Despite this, I loved watching her resourcefulness throughout the movie. Elodie’s solutions to the life-ordeath situations she was being put in forced me to mentally congratulate her problem solving.

At one point she even uses glowing worms in the pitchblack cave as a lantern — I love that sort of ingenuity.

The directors took the liberty to craft a truly magical fairytale world. The flamboyant costumes covered in cold thread and ruffles, scenery of fields and mountains and truly magical creatures created an idealistic fairytale world that didn’t lack an ounce of creativity.

Similar to films like the live action “Cinderella” and “Maleficent,” “Damsel” mirrored a classic fairytale while adding a modern twist with both the plot and visuals.

And while this could be an unpopular opinion, I’m always down to watch a movie with a predictably happy ending. While I won’t spoil it, everyone got what they deserved in the end.

I loved the majority of the movie, however there were a few aspects that made me question the quality of the acting and screenwriting.

The stepmother, who ended up being a vital character in the climax and resolution, was, to put it plainly, a bad actor. Her overdramatic delivery in her most important scene left much to be desired in her role.

The movie also left multiple plot holes which kept me guessing the entire time. I was on the edge of my seat eagerly awaiting to find out how a previous girl stuck in the cave had taken the time to draw a map of the exit route while battling the dragon but I never got to find out.

In cases like these, however, it’s best to let those minor details go and just enjoy the movie.

Overall, if you’re a fan of a good fairytale movie like the live action “Beauty and the Beast” or “the Lord of the Rings” trilogy, “Damsel” is worth the watch, especially if you truly are in need of some Millie Bobby Brown — and let’s be real, who isn’t?

design

“Lord of the Rings”

The new Netflix movie, “Damsel,” is worth the watch due to the elaborate costumes and inspiring plot

“Cinderella”

“Malefcent”

AHELPING hAnD

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Students decorated and constructed bags for kids in KC

RIGHT Students were given white bags and markers to decorate the exteriors of the bags and goodies to put inside for the kids in hospice.

photo by addie clark

LEFT Junior Emma Aubuchon laughs while showing her phone to the rest of her table during the SHARE project. “I had fun because I knew that I was [helping] people,” Aubuchon said. Participating in this project earned students one service hour. photo by molly scott

ABOVE Juniors Kate Rose and Maggie Condon put stickers on the outside of the hospice bags. “It’s always fun to get to spend your seminar with your friends,” Condon said. “It’s even better when you’re able to give back.”

photo by caroline hoffman

BELOW SHARE project organizer junior Caroline Martucci gathers all of the bags made by students. Bags were later given to kids by adults who visited.

photo by addie clark

Sports

A recap of the the varsity baseball game on March 19

THE VARSITY BOYS baseball team defeated Grain Valley High School 16-3 in an away game on March 19. While the team started out slower in the first three innings with only one home run they improved later in the game. Many players who

typically don’t have as much time behind the plate stepped up to score, according to Senior Jack Jones. This game followed a double header the day before where the team lost their first game 14-10 against Kearney High School and won their second 8-2 against Park Hill High School.

ARE YOU PLANNING ON ATTENDING A GIRLS SOCCER GAME THIS SEASON? *Instagram

JACK JONES VARSITY BASEBALL

review “

Mark your calendars for these

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WE WERE RANKED preseason number one in the state. Outside of a couple minor issues that are very, very easy to solve just based on playing and getting back into mid-season shape, which everybody needs to do, and every team is having their struggles that they all clean up halfway through the season or whenever it might be. So once we fgure those things out, I think that we really do deserve that number one in the state and that we will be really, really good.

BELOW Head coach Will Gorden has a meeting with the infielders to discuss game strategy. photo by caroline hoffman

RIGHT Junior Fletcher Noblit hits his first Varsity home run against Park Hill. photo by caroline hoffman

BOTTOM Senior Jake Miller looks to throw out the base runner from Park Hill high school. photo by caroline hoffman

As a three time national champion from the University of Arkansas, the new javelin coach Alex Springer is hoping to improve both the varsity and JV throwers

ASPEARS OF E PERIENCE

FTER EARNING

THREE national championship rings with the University of Arkansas with a personal-best throw of 65.92m, new East javelin

Coach Alex Springer helps both returning and new throwers prepare for their first varsity and JV meets on March 22 and 28.

During his college career, Springer went from not competing at all in his sophomore year to flying up to eighth place in Razorback program history his senior year.

“I’m really glad I got to throw in college,” Springer said. “I did pretty well and I think East has some real potential right now.”

But he didn’t always have a passion for the Olympian competition — when he was in high school he was cut from his baseball team and tried out for track and field the very same day on a whim.

With his previously developed skills with throwing a baseball, he decided to give javelin a shot, leading him to become a full-fledged athletic prospect for the class of 2014 at Shawnee Mission Northwest as well as the class of 2018 with the Razorbacks.

This year, Springer is excited to set a new and improved base standard for East’s javelin program, while still focusing on the base fundamentals of the event.

“Javelin is a very technical sport,” Springer said. “I plan on setting a good foundation and making sure to set us on the right path during the time that I’m here.”

Taking javelin to new heights is long overdue, as East hasn’t ever placed in the top three at state, leaving lots of room for improvement, according to Springer.

Former throwers are already getting accustomed to the new coach, as senior Austin Merchant sees the new coach as a vast improvement, and is ready to see where Springer takes the team.

“WE’LL DO PRETTY

good, we have some good throwers with a lot of potential this year. He’s way better than last year’s coach, and for all I know, most coaches before I even went to East.

AUSTIN MERCHANT SENIOR

“We’ll do pretty good, we have some good throwers with a lot of potential this year,” Merchant said. “He’s way better than last year’s coach, and for all I know, most coaches before I even went to East.”

It’s not just experienced throwers that are ready for the upcoming meets — even first-

time throwers are anxious to compete at their next competition on March 28. Junior and thrower Pearson Hardy already has a positive introduction to throwing by making varsity for shotput and possibly javelin in the future, with no previous experience.

Hardy decided to try out for track and field for the first time this year spontaneously, and when he had to see how far he could throw a softball to test his arm strength, he he exceeded his own expectations with an over 200-foot throw — much farther than most, with an average throw of a little over 100 feet being most common.

“After I threw [the softball] they told me to throw javelin,” Hardy said. “I’d never done it before but the new coach has been a big help in getting my form down right.”

Having an experienced and highlydecorated coach is also beneficial to team morale, according to Hardy, as it’s easier to follow the instruction of someone who has three national championship rings.

The new optimistic outlook of East’s javelin team has encouraged every single track athletes to give javelin a shot, as there are more participants this year than there have been in the past three years. Track promotes trying new things — that’s why there’s so many different events.

Hardy and Merchant are just two of many throwers anxious to see how far Springer’s coaching will take the program, as throwing far and going far are one in the same.

THROWING THROUGH COLLEGE

FRESHMAN YEAR SOPHOMORE YEAR JUNIOR YEAR SENIOR YEAR

Springer started his first year with a second place finish at the Arkansas Spring Invitational in the javelin throw and finished his freshman year with a personal best throw of 59.32 meters.

Springer decided not to compete.

Springer started to compete again and placed fourth in his opening event and first in the javelin at the Arkansas Twilight.

Springer competed in eight meets during the outdoor season and qualified for the NCAA West Prelims for javelin.

design

A timeline of Springer ’s javelin experiences throughout his college career at University of Arkansas from 20152018

ABOVE Springer measures how far back the throwers are before throwing photo by amelie wong

CHARLIE ROLL

HOW DID YOU GET INTO CAR DETAILING?

“IT’S KIND OF A WEIRD START. My dad was thinking of ideas of how I could make money and I was wanting to start a business and work on my own hours because that’s what he’s always taught me. So then I was like, ‘[Car detailing] is a pretty good idea.’ And then I started cleaning his car and my car and friends’ cars, and then from there, I started slowly upgrading and marketing and advertising more.”

HOW DID YOU KNOW WHAT SUPPLIES TO BUY?

“AT FIRST IT WAS A SHOT IN THE DARK. I went to Home Depot and picked up a big vacuum, some cheap all purpose cleaner, a spray bottle and microfber towels and I was like, ‘It’s probably enough for now.” But then I started watching YouTube videos and reading through forums and people were like, ‘This is the best tool for removing dog hair or blowing out the crevices’ and I was like, ‘I should get those if it speeds up the process. It’ll probably be worth the money over the long run.’ So I think the YouTube videos did actually help a lot with that.”

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE PART ABOUT CAR DETAILING?

“I REALLY APPRECIATE TURNING DIRTY CARS INTO CLEAN CARS. It’s just really satisfying to me. I don’t know if it’s like OCD but it’s just part of my brain. It’s like seeing a disgusting car turned into a shiny brand new looking car.”

Senior Charlie Carroll reflects on starting his car detailing business — PV

SERVICES HIS LEVEL 1

LEVEL 2 LEVEL 3

uck

Students share their St. Patrick’s Day traditions and Irish heritage

MY MOM’S SIDE

of the family is Irish, but we are also a mix of Scottish as well. Our whole family gets together, and we have classic Irish food which is always amazing as well as we always go to the parades to celebrate. I love Irish culture as well as talking to other Irish people in my community.

DID YOU ATTEND A ST. PATRICK’S DAY PARADE?

*Instagram poll of 247 votes

11% YES

green

Facts and statistics about St. Patrick’s Day according to DMR Statistics

MY FAMILY AND

MILLIE BYERLY

I always go to at least one parade in the Kansas City area then I perform [Irish dancing] in a few as well. My grandma was actually the one who signed me up for Irish dancing. [My favorite part of St. Patrick’s Day] is the happiness of the entire day as well as getting to see my family and celebrate our Irish culture together.

WE ALWAYS EAT

lots of Irish food, not just on the day. We normally will eat Irish food the entire week leading up to St. Patrick’s Day. As well as, of course, wearing all green every year. I think [being Irish] is very unique. Every year, I like to try to read about Irish culture so I can continue learning about my heritage and the tradition. a SMITHMCKINNEY

The origin of St. Patrick’s Day dates back to the early 17th Century when it was made an offcial Christian feast day by the Catholic Church in honor of Saint Patrick, who is believed to have died on March 17, 461 AD.

NO OF AMERICANS CELEBRATE

BILLION AVERAGE SPENDING

1640

THE YEAR GREEN WAS FIRST ASSOCIATED WITH THE HOLIDAY

design by sophia brockmeier

copy by christian gooley