Issue 14 of the 2012-2013 Harbinger by The Harbinger

THE HARBINGER Shawnee Mission East l 7500 Mission Road, PV KS, 66208 l April 15, 2013 l Issue 14 l www.smeharbinger.net written by Chloe Stradinger

oommate horror stories haunt movies, websites and Tumblr pages. But the Facebook generation needn’t fear; there’s an app for that. With 96 percent of college students having Facebook accounts and over half of them logging in everyday, universities and students are utilizing social media to connect students. Universities are creating Facebook pages for incoming classes, and Facebook-linked matching systems, namely Roomsurf and RoomSync, are growing in users. Since its first client in 2009, the Facebook app RoomSync has acquired partnerships with over 40 colleges and universities. Co-founder Rob Castellucci noticed student’s affinity for connecting through Facebook after its 2004 creation. As a junior at the University of Florida in 2007, Castellucci worked as an employee matching roommates at a student housing and apartment complex. He’d receive phone calls from clients who wanted to switch after looking up their match on Facebook. “[My co-founders and I] realized that Facebook was really already a part of the matching process for all these students and all these universities, so we decided ‘let’s just make it official, let’s put Facebook actually into the matching process rather than it being a knee-jerk reaction to the matching process,’” Castellucci said. Enter RoomSync. After placing a housing deposit, students gain access to their school’s network (if they have one), where they then create a profile and place themselves on spectrums of messiness, social/academic focus and bedtime. Roomsurf, a similar site to RoomSync created in 2010, is available to more people because it allows students to directly create an account instead of going through a school. Both sites allow users to find students with similar profiles, directly message each other, go to Facebook profiles and post on the group wall. According to Castellucci, one of the biggest advantages of the RoomSync app is the ability to specifically search for interests across users’ profiles.

continued on Page 14

SURFING FOR A MATCH AN INCREASING NUMBER OF HIGH SCHOOL SENIORS ARE FINDING THEIR COLLEGE ROOMMATES THROUGH FACEBOOK

John Thomas Kansas SLEEPING HABITS: Normal AVERAGE BEDTIME: 11:30 CLEANLINESS: Average EATING HABITS: Normal

art by Andrew McKittrick

INSIDE THE

ISSUE

p. 12 Senior’s addiction to “Gossip Girl” p. 27 Things to do in the summer p. 29 Freshmen compete in Judo p. 21

EDITORIAL 2

THE HARBINGER STAFF 2012-2013 a publication of Shawnee Mission East high school 7500 Mission Road, Prairie Village, KS 66208

Editors-in-Chief Julia Poe Anne Willman Kim Hoedel Chloe Stradinger Duncan MacLachlan Assistant Editors Sarah Berger Andrew McKittrick Sami Walter Katie Knight Morgan Krakow Art & Design Editor Staff Writers Paige Hess Mike Thibodeau Managing Editor Emily Perkins Rock Jennifer Rorie Caroline Kohring Head Copy Editor Michael Kraske Matt Hanson Susannah Mitchell Assistant Head Copy Editor Taylor Bell Sarah Berger Tommy Sherk Copy Editors New Section Editor Anne Willman Sarah Berger Chloe Stradinger News Page Designer Andrew McKittrick Julia Seiden Katie Knight Opinion Section Editor Erin Reilly Kim Hoedel Morgan Twibell Opinion Page Designers Sarah Berger Greta Nepstad Matt Hanson Morgan Krakow Julia Poe Feature Section Editor Jennifer Rorie Hannah Ratliff Sophie Tulp Feature Page Editors Grace Heitmann Maddie Hise Morgan Krakow Pauline Werner Ads Manager Will Oakley Sophie Tulp Caroline Kohring Circulation Manager A&E Section Editor Greta Nepstad Tiernan Shank Editorial Section Editor A&E Page Designer Jennifer Rorie Megan McAlister Editorial Board Sports Section Editor Chloe Stradinger Mitch Kaskie Andrew McKittrick Sports Page Designers Anne Willman G.J. Melia Jennifer Rorie Sam Pottenger Katie Knight Grace Heitmann Grace Heitmann Co-Spread Editors Matt Hanson Morgan Twibell

Leah Pack Freelance Page Editors Phoebe Aguiar Sophie Tulp Alex Goldman Maggie McGannon James Simmons Audrey Danciger Business and Circulation Manager Greta Nepstad Social Media Director Mattie German Staff Artists Emily Perkins Rock Hailey Hughes Paloma Gustafson-ika Photo Editors Jake Crandall Caroline Creidenberg Assistant Photo Editor Maddie Schoemann Staff Photographers Erin Reilly Neely Atha Taylor Anderson Stefano Byer Tessa Polaschek Alexa Young Molly Gasal Annie Savage Leah O’connor Kathryn Jones Connor Woodson Hayden Roste Meghan Shirling Katie Sgroi Hailey Hughes Adviser Dow Tate

NOTE FROM THE EDITORS

This is our third-to-last issue. Don’t start crying though — we’ll be back next year. Well, not us, but some other editors will be taking our place. The Harbinger will be revamped and better than ever. We’re starting this transition into next school year with a face-lift — it’s like giving an already beautiful Blake Lively plastic surgery (wait, didn’t

she already go under the knife twice?), but it’ll be more beautiful than ever. So bear with us in this re-design stage while we adorn our bandages, and come back next year to see the production of our awardwinning newspaper continue.

The Harbinger is a student run publication. The contents and views are produced solely by the staff and do not represent the Shawnee Mission School DIstrict, East faculty or school administration. Letters to the editor may be sent to room 521 or smeharbinger@gmail.com. Letters may be edited for clarity, length, libel, mechanics and accepted or rejected.

VOUCHING for

Public Schools Kansas shouldn’t follow other states in the movement towards the voucher system for schools

art by Paloma Gustafson-ika In past weeks, two more states have adopted state voucher and scholarship tax credits. Kansas has yet to accept any of these programs which is the way it should be. Instead of using tax money to send students to the school of their choice, tax money should go to improving the public schools. This would in turn eliminate the need for both school choice and scholarship tax credit programs. According to the American Federation for Children, there are currently 16 school voucher programs and 15 scholarship tax programs across 17 states. Often low income families are the beneficiaries of these programs. While these programs can be effective in getting students out of failing schools they also take away money from public schools who have already faced substantial budget cuts. Students leaving will cut even more funds that will give the schools a chance to improve. The Shawnee Mission School District has cut more than 28 million dollars from its budget in the past three years despite seeing a steady increase in enrollment. School voucher and tax credit programs could potentially cause a decrease in enrollment if enacted in Kansas. This decrease in enrollment could then bring even more budget cuts to our district. Furthermore, studies conducted by the Center for Education Policy have shown there is no overwhelmingly positive result from students in these programs. Last year 91.9 percent of students in the district met or exceeded state assessment standards in

reading. In addition, 91.5 percent met or exceeded standards in math. As a result, there is not much of a need for school vouchers in our district because teachers are already effectively educating students. Another problem with these programs is the religious aspect of private education. Since the majority of private schools are religious, school voucher programs create a violation with separation of church and state. By sending students to a religious, private school, tax payers could potentially be supporting religious beliefs that they do not agree with. This creates a violation of our First Amendment rights. Instead of taking students away from public schools, efforts should be made to improve them. Voucher and scholarship tax credit programs only act as a temporary solution by moving students out of failing schools. Money used by these programs could reduce budget cuts and provide more resources for students in public schools. This could then help failing schools and improve the quality of education they provide. Improving our schools is a long term solution, the one we should be focusing on.

EDITORIAL BOARD VOTES

FOR AGAINST ABSENT

12 1 0

TESTING A NEW SYSTEM

NEWS THE FEED

A LOOK AT RECENT EVENTS

written by Tommy Shirk

North Korea Missile Conflict North Korea’s Twitter and Flickr accounts were hacked, humorously slandering Kim Jong Un, the country’s leader. The internet hacker group, Anonymous, announced that they are the ones responsible. Wanted posters of Kim Jong Un as a pig were created and posted all over the site, reeling in 15,000 user records from the site. They also posted links to all the other sites the group had previously hacked.

New Methods Found to Study the Brain Little is known about the human brain and how it works, but scientists at Stanford University have created a way to explore the mind more easily. Instead of cutting an animal’s brain into thin layers, neuroscientists can make brain tissue transparent. This transparency allows scientists to see the wiring of the brain down to very small levels. The brain now stays whole, allowing it to have a longer test life and overall preservation time. These scientists are hoping to be able to test on post-mortem human brains soon.

East adopts a new accreditation process starting next year written by Matt Hanson

photo courtesy of MCT Campus

photo by Neely Atha

Choir teacher recovering from minor stroke After a minor stroke on Thursday, April 4, choir teacher Ken Foley is at home, recovering. Currently the doctors do not know what caused the stroke. As a precautionary measure he is taking it slow and will return to school on Monday, April 22. In hopes of preventing another stroke, his doctor prescribed blood thinners and cholesterol medication paired with a slight change in diet of low sodium and low fat.

On April 2, East administrators presented information on the state’s new accreditation process to students and parents at a site council meeting. Associate principal Jeremy Higgins’ presentation marked the first step in the administration’s plan to educate the community on the new process. The new system was designed by the Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) after the state’s No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Waiver was approved by the federal government last summer.

for the full story turn to page 4

A LOOK AHEAD WEEK OF 4/15

Snow days will not cause more school Though Shawnee Mission schools have had five snow days this winter, the district decided to keep the original calendar and add no extra days of school. “While there were inclement weather days taken during the school year, Shawnee Mission will follow the final dates of school as published in the district calendar,” SMSD announced on their website April 4. The last day for freshman, sophomores and juniors will still be Thursday, May 23. The last day for seniors will be May 10.

photo by Taylor Anderson

April is testing month at East, which means that all month the library will be closed as East students take state assessment tests. The tests aren’t new. The subjects haven’t changed. The goal is still the same — for East to attain accreditation from the state by demonstrating student proficiency in math and reading. But come next fall, when the scores from these assessments are released, something will change: the standards by which the state of Kansas measures the school’s success on those assessments.

4/15 STUCO Class officer elections begin

4/16 Health Classes Seminar speaker about AIDS

4/17 NAHS Art sale at Studio B

4/18 STUCO Class officer elections end

4/18 NAHS Anual Fashion Show

4/19 Theatre

A LOOK AT LABOR DISPUTES What is a labor dispute? Controversy between an employer and its employees regarding the terms (such as conditions of employment, fringe benefits, hours or work, wages) to be negotiated during collective bargaining, or the implementation of already agreed upon terms.

photo by Kati Sgroi

Frequent Friday

definition from businessdictionary.com

Notable strikes this year. January 16 Where: New York City School bus drivers went on strike over disputes concerning job security March 2 Where: Prairie Village Workers stood outside Macy’s protesting a labor dispute with STANDEES.

February 19 Where: India Thousands of workers across India protested economic reforms by going on strike. March 4 Where: New York City Fast food employees from various restaurants walked out of their restaurants in demand for higher pay

for the full story turn to page 6

NEWS 4 continued from page 3

East has new regulations for judging standardized tests and their results

According to Higgins, the new accreditation system offers schools a more personalized process of demonstrating success through state assessments. Under the old NCLB accreditation process, all schools had to meet ever-rising federal benchmarks for proficiency, regardless of their level of academic performance. The new system takes into account a school’s academic standing by using the school’s assessment scores from the previous year to set goals for its assessment performance the following year. For instance, East’s high assessment scores mean that it has to make less improvement to meet its standards than a school with lots of room to improve. It’s this flexibility that has the East administration optimistic about the new accreditation process. “It’s individualized for every single school,” associate principal Jeremy Higgins said. “This system is different because it’s all dependent on what category you fall in. If you’re a high performing school, then that’s taken into consideration with how much improvement you have to make.” The new accreditation process relies on four new Annual Measurable Objectives (AMOs) — Achievement, Growth, Reducing the Gap and Reducing the Non-Proficient. Each AMO is a goal set for schools based on their Assessment Performance Index (API) — a grade point average of sorts for assessment scores — from the year before. This consideration of past performance presents schools with performance goals tailored to their academic standing. Each AMO uses API scores to measure

schools’ success and growth in different ways: 1. Achievement — A school must improve their overall API scores by an amount which is determined by its scores from the previous year 2. Growth — The state sets a median rate of growth in student scores based on the growth rates of all of the schools in the state. The schools with growth rates greater than the median rate meet this AMO, and those with rates less than the median rate do not make their AMO. By design only half of the schools in the state can make this AMO. 3. Reducing the Gap — A school must reduce the gaps between the API of the lowest scoring 30 percent of its students and the state benchmarks. The gaps between the scores of the lowest 30 percent and the state benchmark scores must be cut in half over a period of six years. 4. Reducing the Non-Proficient — A school must cut its number of non-proficient or failing students in half over a period of six years. Adding to the new system’s flexibility is the fact that schools only have to make one out of four AMOs in order to be accredited. This benefits high performing schools like East, who will have trouble meeting their AMOs for growth due to a lack of room for improvement. Even if East fails to meet its growth AMO, it can still attain accreditation by simply meeting any one of the other AMOs. While beneficial to East’s pursuit of accreditation, this lenient requirement has Higgins concerned about the community’s perception of the school’s success. “Is it a big deal that we don’t make [the

growth AMO]?” Higgins said. “No. It means that we’re doing really, really well. But as you can imagine, this is where educating our community and our students is so important. When a newspaper catches hold of this and says, ‘Shawnee Mission East only made one out of four AMOs. Oh no’ — it’s OK.” While Higgins sees the new accreditation process as an improvement over the old NCLB system, he does see a potential drawback in the number of unanswered questions surrounding the AMO system. “There are a lot of unknowns that over the course of the next few years we’ll get answers for,” Higgins said. “I think there were a lot of things that as districts started to look at this, [raised] a lot of questions, and I hope that the state’s looking at those.” The amount of unanswered questions regarding the new system is nerve-wracking for some teachers such as sophomore English teacher Kristen Fry. “I care about my kids,” Fry said. “I want them to succeed. While I don’t necessarily love teaching to the test, I do want them to do well on the test. So yeah, it’s a little disconcerting.” With the new accreditation system and new assessments coming next year and the following year due to Common Core, there’s much uncertainty surrounding the assessments. For now, however, Higgins advised the faculty to prepare for the tests the same way they always have. “If we prepare our kids to do the best they possibly can, teach them the curriculum, give them the conﬁdence they need to take the tests, we’re gonna do OK,” Higgins said.

AMO? So, what is an

Annual Measurable Objectives

A new, four-part system to judge standardized tests in order to get away from NCLB

Improving student achievement, espe-

1 cially in math and reading

Achieving the annual growth, meaning a school must have a student growth 2 score that meets or exceeds those of half the schools in the state Reducing the Gap by decreasing half the gap distance between the lowest perform3ing 30% and state benchmark within 6 years Reducing the non-proficient, meaning

4 schools need to halve the number of failing students by the 2016/2017 school year

STRIKING for

CHANGE

Union construction workers at STANDEES Eatery protest for more pay than required by government written by Taylor Bell

photos by Taylor Anderson

Protesters have settled in the Village near the vacant Macy’s and Einstein Bros. buildings. This is the site of a new addition to the shopping center: STANDEES -The Entertaining Eatery. A sign outside of the building site draws the attention of patrons of the shopping center; Shame on STANDEES. Protesters standing by the sign said that they weren’t legally allowed to comment about their protest, but they could hand out ﬂyers explaining their predicament. Their ﬂyers say that they are part of a local carpenters union (Union 1127), and their main complaint is that they are not getting the

Above: The construction company, Titan Built, has posted multiple signs around the Prairie Village Shopping Center.

wages they want. Their sign is displayed because they expect the company to step in and tell Dahmer to pay the union workers the wages they want. A lawyer for the Carpenters’ District Council of Greater St. Louis & Vicinity, Martin Walter said that Dahmer was paying “below the scale that’s been established in Kansas” for unions. STANDEES is an eat-in movie theater that is planning to open this spring. It is part of a large chain of movie theaters and Prairie Village has been planning to put it in since fall of 2012. Titan Built, the contrac-

tor for the site, hired Dahmer Drywall and Painting to ﬁnish the interiors of the new movie theater. Dahmer is the company that the protesters have the main problem with. They expect them to pay the employees in the union what other companies pay their union. Dahmer does not support the employees’ union. A union is a group of people joining together for better working conditions, in this case, a group of carpenters. But Dahmer does not support the carpenters’ union. “Kansas is a “right to work” state,” Justin Scott, a representative of STANDEES said. “Which means that businesses and employ-

ees can decide for themselves whether or not to join or financially support a union.” Dahmer does not support their union but they do fulfill the federally required wages to its employees. The employees are not refusing to work or encouraging anyone else to stop working on the project. However they are encouraging everyone, according to the flyer, to call the head of Dineplex International, Franklin Rash, and tell him about the problem. They are hoping that continued pressure on Standees will cause them to change the wages for employees.

NEWS 5 Near Brooke Beatty Park at the corner of Meadow Lane and Lee Boulevard sits a sculpture in a small area of unused green space. Soon, this sculpture will be moved to make way for a children’s park in the existing space. Despite some controversy surrounding the plan, it has been a dream eight years in the making for one East parent. JoLynn Hobbs, mother of sophomore Mackenzie Hobbs has been a driving force behind the park plan, which is finally becoming a reality. In 2001, Hobbs had two children under the age of five. She dreamed of a neighborhood park close enough in proximity to her house that she could walk to it with her young children on nice days. She appealed to a local Leawood City Councilwoman, Debra Filla, and the plan began to develop. Since the initial proposal for the plan in 2001, many things have changed about the original proposal, but Hobb’s dream of a children’s park is finally happening. At the Feb. 18 Leawood City Council meeting, Hobbs, among many other proponents and opposers of the plan were gathered with their families in city hall to hear the news. City Council members announced at their meeting that they would be moving forward with the zoning and final plan for the park. “It’s exciting to see my dream come to fruition, especially after all this time,” Hobbs said. “As many young families continue to move into Old Leawood the need for usable park space has never been more evident, and when people really become involved in their community, good things happen, Brook Beatty will definitely be a good thing for Old Leawood.” The park is meant to be walked or biked

to, and will feature many attributes. It will include playground equipment for the targeted age range of children 2-5 years old, but will not be limited to just benefits for children. Because Lee Boulevard is an area of high pedestrian and bike traffic, there will be bike racks, a water fountain featuring a watering area for dogs, picnic tables and lush greenery. The existing sculpture in the park titled Faith will be moved into the Northern area of the space to increase visibility and it will be surrounded by a sitting wall enclosure. “Leawood Parks & Recreation’s Chris Claxton and Brian and Anderson created an impressive, well-thought out plan,” Hobbs said. “They incorporated the unique architecture of our neighborhood into the park design.” But for some people, the decision to create the park was bittersweet. While many young families were rejoicing with the news of the new facility, another East parent, Scott Martin, and his family had a few concerns of their own. Martin lives on the cor-

ner of Meadow Lane, his backyard is right up against the boundary-less Brook Beatty Park. The proximity to the park is not even on his list of concerns. It is the flooding from the creek that lines both his yard and the park that he worries about. According to Martin, during storms, water engulfs the property on both his yard and the park. Another concern Martin voices is the fact that there is not a plan for added parking, which will send parkgoers directly onto his street. His daughter, senior Holly Martin, attended numerous city council meetings with her father and shares similar frustrations with the park proposal. “The whole council seemed to disregard what we had to say,” senior Holly Martin said. “My family is really emotional about the whole park thing and I got to go see them speak at the meeting in February. We are just worried about the floodplain, and the people parking on our street, and our dogs in the backyard with the kids and stuff.” Hobbs and city councilwoman Deb

BATTLE OF THE BOULEVARD

Filla combat these concerns with their own responses. They argue that these concerns have all been given considerable thought by city officials. Hobbs stated that the Leawood police chief and public works had agreed to address issues as they presented themselves, and she does not believe that the plan would have progressed this far after all this time if these concerns had not be addressed. Leawood City Councilwoman added that almost every Leawood park is in close proximity to a flood plain of some sort. “All of the park space in Leawood as well as in Johnson County are in flood plains, and the particular Brook Beatty flooding that occurs is back-up flooding, happening when there is a lot of water coming from that creek that can’t get underneath that bridge on Lee Boulevard,” Councilwoman Debra Filla said. “I think that every parent who spoke to that concern said that they would not take their children to play in an area when it is raining or a flash flood warning.” All concerns aside, the Leawood Parks and Recreation Committee is scheduled to break ground in the coming months, and have the park finished by this summer as their projected goal. The first addition to the park came on Monday April 9. A flowering Tulip Tree was planted in its permanent location at Brook Beatty Park. This marks the first piece to be installed at the area, signaling the start of construction for this plan—10 years in the making—to bring a children’s park to Northern Leawood.

written by Sophie Tulp

TWO EAST FAMILIES ARGUE OVER RIGHTS TO BUILD A PARK ON LEE BOULEVARD

A LOOK AT A NEW PARK ON LEE BOULEVARD

PLANNINGTHEPARK Water fountains are planned for park users Bike racks will be built for people that bike there A swingset will be used by park goers

BROOK BEATTY

photos by Molly Gasal Resident of Leawood during the 1950s First volunteer fire chief in Leawood Increased the department efficiency Drafted into the military in 1962 Returned to Kansas City at District No. 2 Retired from firefighting after 35 years

THE PARK (RIGHT) IS LOCATED AT 86TH AND LEE BOULEVARD

SPONSOR THE

CLASSOF2013

Personalize your message A great way to send off the seniors Support the senior class and the journalism program!

It is your chance to say your last few words to the senior class in issue 16

Name of person purchasing ad: Size of Ad: 2.25 inches x 1.25 inches $15

EXAMPLE Good luck seniors!

You will do great things next year! -The East Family

IF YOU WOULD LIKE A LARGER SIZE, ADDITIONAL PRICING CAN BE GIVEN

Words that you would like to appear on ad: (Max of 20 words)

Questions?

Anne Willman (913) 944-2703 smeharbinger@gmail.com

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NAIL ENVOGUE 3601 W. 95 Street

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XOXO, GOSSIP GUY LONELY BOY TELLS ALL an opinion of Alex Goldman

OPINION STAFF PANEL How should colleges reject applicants?

It’s 1 a.m. on Wednesday and I can’t go to sleep. School starts in six and a half hours and I don’t have a huge assignment due the next day or a pile of homework to do. I haven’t had a drop of caffeine and no, I don’t suffer from insomnia. I do suffer from a widespread epidemic that has been hitting East males for the past few weeks. I’m Alex Goldman

and I’m addicted to “Gossip Girl”. It all started after school one day on the way to see “Zero Dark Thirty” with a few of my buddies. One of my friends recommended the show to me and said he was already on the second season. I quickly shut him down and rejected the idea of getting involved with a show that even my 11-year-old female cousin follows.

You see, I’ve been taught to “just say no” to any show that involves high school girls fretting over scandalous relationships and ridiculous drama. My sister even attempted to lure me into getting involved in the “Gossip Girl” universe but I stayed focused and clean and resorted to more masculine shows such as “Mad Men” and “Breaking Bad”. continued on pg 8

Seniors tell The Harbinger what they would say to colleges who missed out.

Dear Colleges Who Rejected Me, Hannah Ratliff “They should send me flowers and cookies for the heartbreak they have caused me.”

Vanessa Daves “They shouldn’t reject me at all.”

Dear college, I am sorry to inform you that I take back my application. This therefore renders your rejection letter obsolete. I didn’t want to go here anyway. -Sarah Langtry

Dear colleges who rejected me, I don’t think you are ready for this jelly. My body is too bootylicious, baby. -Ali Felman Dear Harvard, why did you reject me?! Surely it can’t be because I wrote my own letter of rec? That sort of thing makes you stand out and you all like that so oh. It’s because I’m Asian. -Thomas Allen

Really, Duke? I have to actually finish my application to get into your school? Blue Devils, indeed.

Dear colleges who rejected me, would you like fries with that?

Dear colleges who rejected me, I don’t need a college education to marry rich.

-Hayley Johnston

Dear colleges who rejected me, if you like it, you should have put a ring on it. But it’s okay college, I’m proud to be a single lady!

-Matt Hanson

SME

-Polly Haun

Dear colleges who rejected me, you’re tacky and I hate you.

-Hanna Bautz

-Chloe Stradinger

Dear colleges who rejected me, I don’t need your school to take over for Nicholas Cage in National Treasure Seven. -Ryan Dugan

Dear colleges who rejected me, you’re going to regret this once I am famous.

Dear colleges who rejected me, it’s okay college, I understand. It’s not you, it’s me. I’m just too “average white male.” -Connor Woodson

Dear DePaul, thanks for rejecting me from your theatre program because I would rather not live in a city where it is so cold one’s nipples could cut a diamond nine months out of every year. -Chase Ainsworth

Jennifer Rorie “Send me a hand written letter and a $100 gift card to Gap.”

email comments about this issue to smeharbinger@gmail.com and see your note here in issue 15 of The Harbinger.

-Caroline Creidenberg

OPINION 10

A WEEKEND IN THE LIFE OF A TEEN MOM Taking care of a “robot baby” came with lots of struggles, little sleep and funny anecdotes written by Paloma Dickey

photos by Kathryn Jones

igning up for Child Development last year I knew I would have to take home a “robot baby” at some point, but I definitely

DAY

underestimated how difficult it would be. The weeks leading up to when I would take home the baby, we watched films and did worksheets on

I had been anxiously awaiting the 2:40 bell all day because I knew it mean I would have to pick up my Child Development baby for the weekend. I already knew I had signed up for a baby boy earlier in the week, so I decided his name would be Alfonzo. My teacher, Mrs. Abel, went through a mental check list with me to make sure I had everything I would need for the weekend — bottle, two diapers, three outfits. Strapping a bracelet to my wrist, Mrs. Abel explained that anytime the baby cried I had to check in with the it. So that whenever he cried she would know I was attempting to care of him. She gave me her phone number telling me to call her if anything By Saturday morning, I’d only been responsible for Alfonzo for less than a day, and I was already exhausted. Alfonzo woke up twice overnight, both times to eat which was then followed by burping and a diaper change. My day revolved around Alfonzo’s needs and wants, I had to wait until he fell asleep to shower just in case he cried. Finally a friend called to go to lunch, which was a relief. But then realizing I would have to go in public again with the baby made the lunch plans 10 times as stressful. Walking into The Mixx, baby carrier and all, my Teen Mom status was in full swing. “Everyone’s looking at you,” my friend whispered. At this point I didn’t really care. I knew I would never see these people again and it was a relief to get out of the house. Through small talk at lunch I found out that Alfonzo decided to let me sleep in ‘till 10 a.m. on Sunday, which was the least he could do, considering he had woken me up twice again overnight. Knowing that he

what to expect. The baby was as real as it could get, it would cry, sleep, eat, need its diaper changed and be nurtured.

went wrong, which made me begin to think I was going to get more than I bargained for. Knowing the baby was going to turn on, or “come alive,” at 3 p.m., I rushed out of school. I did not want to cause a scene walking out of school with a screeching robot baby. On the way home I waited for him to cry, or make any sort of sound but nothing happened. After an hour or so of silence, I started to think the baby was broken or something, but soon I found out that was not the case. The first wail he let out surprised me. I looked at Alfonzo cluelessly, not knowing what to do. After feeding, changing his diaper and for once my friends actually had a party to go to, but of course I couldn’t go. One of my friends decided to stick around for the night knowing otherwise I would be planless. After religiously checking my Instagram feed every 30 minutes to see all the party pictures, we decided it was time to get out of the house. I was allowed one hour for a “babysitter,” and my mom gladly took the job. Finally free, my friend and I went to get ice cream knowing I had only a short amount of time before I would have to be back at home, but the instant we pulled up to Cold Stone my mom would turn off later that night at 9:00 p.m. made me sad, I would miss the little guy. I had spent almost every waking moment with him since I got him on Friday. Later that afternoon I got a call from my neighbors asking me to come over and babysit real kids. I said I would, even though I knew it probably wasn’t the best idea since technically I already had a baby to take care of. When I walked into their house all the kids ran up to inspect the “robot baby.” The younger boys started poking Alfonzo’s head and eyes while asking questions like “Does he actually go to the bathroom?” or “Can I make him cry?” I knew I was in for it once the parents left. But luckily the boys decided to play

rocking him he was finally content. Later that evening I decided it would be okay to go out to dinner with friends, since the baby had only fussed here and there. As soon as we walked into Noodles & Company the stares and murmurs started. A mother looked at me appalled while pointing me out to her husband. They were obviously not aware that the baby was fake. I was embarrassed, but I wasn’t the only one — my friends were too. They would occasionally shout out “It’s not real!” On top of that, while we were eating a women sitting by our table glanced over and snidely remarked “I don’t envy you.” I didn’t quite know what to think, I awkwardly smiled and kept my cool but secretly I was angry, confused and embarrassed.

frantically called me saying the baby was crying and wouldn’t stop. She had already tried giving him a bottle, changing his diaper and rocking him, but nothing was working. My friend and I hurried to get home, but when we got home, Alfonzo was perfectly fine. When my friend left I started to put Alfonzo to bed, but he wasn’t the only one who was sleepy and cranky, so was I. I guess the whole mothering thing was starting to take a toll on me. video games, so it wasn’t too bad. After babysitting I went home and attempted to start my homework. I thought my usual procrastinating on Sundays was bad, but Alfonzo made it even worse. Every half hour he had to eat. He was a tank, and I’m pretty sure if he was a real baby he would have popped at the rate he ate. It took me at least an hour to finish a page in my math book that would have usually taken me 20 minutes. By the time I finished my homework it was 8 p.m., and I was beginning to count down the minutes to when Alfonzo would turn off. When it finally reached 9, it felt like a freedom bell had struck, and I am proud to say I survived.

OPINION 11

A Cultural Making dumplings and steaming them is a popular Chinese dish.

Nepstad and Xiaobo, another girl in the HOLT tour group, at the Forbidden City in Beijing, China.

Education

Trip to China leads to encountering different cultures while watching adopted friend interact with her native country

Nepstad sits with girls in the HOLT tour, at the Temple of Heaven in Beijing, China.

Most citizens live in apartments, which are packed close together.

an opinion of Greta Nepstad My hair slips through strangers’ fingers as we walk through the marketplace. One by one they reach out, pinch a humid curl between their fingers and let it drop. Light hair and blue eyes isn’t the norm in China, even in the large cities. We’re in a market in Nanning, the largest city in Guangxi, China. Carts and benches are so close together they’re practically overlapping. Live fish swim in shallow metal buckets on the curbs, odd shaped fruits hang from beams and chicken legs with yellow feet dangle off table tops. This isn’t a typical tourist attraction, but it is an incredibly important stop on our tour through China. This is where my friend Katy was left by her birth parents when she was a few days old. This time last year, Katy and her parents, Leslie and David, asked me if I wanted to join them on a heritage tour of Katy’s home country. I knew Katy was nervous about returning to the country where she was born, and I like to think that my presence put her at ease. A teenager can be a completely different person when she’s with her friend, rather than with her parents. Together, Katy’s parents and I made the perfect support system. Though I had never left the country before, I have traveled around the United States. To say I was excited to go to China seems like an understatement. I wanted to see the culture, the mountains and the people, from the women wearing high heels to the beggars in the streets. I harassed Google day and night, asked my well-traveled grandma questions, read novels and travel guides to China. But nothing, no matter how many times I looked at pictures of the Great Wall or the city of Yangshuo, could compare to being there in the flesh. Culture shock is a phrase that is said so often that it loses its meaning. But that’s what it was like to go halfway around the world. Everything was a shock. Being accosted by vendors, commanding you to buy their merchandise and calling you a “very bad customer” when you refused. Gray skies, nothing blue, due to pollution. Bikes everywhere; braving the busy streets where stoplights were just suggestions. Random people walking next to me took out their cameras and aimed them at my face.

photos courtesy of the Nepstads and Weibe/Youngs And it was certainly shocking to see the living conditions of some of the people. One of the events scheduled for us by the adoption agency was to meet Katy’s foster parents. For Katy, this meant meeting a living part of her past. For me, this meant getting a glimpse of a culture that I have never experienced. Katy’s foster parents lived in an apartment, as nearly everybody does in cities. When we walked down the alley, we were in a courtyard of sorts. Gray buildings rose on all sides of us, where the weak sunlight from above didn’t quite reach the ground, where broken umbrellas and random planks of wood littered the ground and piled up in the corners. There was no lobby. No elevators. No air conditioning. As we climbed and sweated, Glenn told us that Katy’s foster father had recently had a stroke, and could not walk. As we reached the fifth floor, we all wondered how he got from his apartment to the streets, and how often. As we filed in, I sat on a small chair, my knees reaching my chest. Katy sat on a bench next to her foster father, and her mom Leslie sad on her right. Katy’s dad, David, stood with Glenn and took pictures. No air moved through the small gray room. A window was open, facing the building across the courtyard, but no breeze passed through. Sweat gathered behind my knees and slid down my calves as Katy met her foster father. He handed us pictures of a one-year-old Katy with his cramped and shaking fingers. A short while later, Katy’s foster mother walked through the door. She had full cheeks and an orange shirt on. As soon as she saw Katy she began to gesture with her hands how tall she had grown. Realizing that Katy could currently be living in an apartment like this if her life had been different, that she would ride her bike everywhere and go to school year round, made me realize how drastically different the Chinese culture is. Meeting her foster parents was the part I was most excited for Katy to experience. I wanted her to see how she came from a loving atmosphere, and was remembered. Leslie teared up a little when she took Katy’s foster mother’s hand in hers and thanked her for taking such good care of her daughter. Though I felt like an intruder, both on the intimate moment and the couple’s home, I was completely

submerged in the culture. I’ll never have that experience again. I’ll never get to be so close to another culture as I was that day. There are the main tourist attractions, sure. The Great Wall, the Forbidden City, the River Li, Tiananmen Square and the panda preserve in Ya’an are all part of the Chinese culture. But to sit on a stool in a cement apartment and watch a typical family interact in their living room is something I’ll always cherish. In addition to seeing the living conditions of citizens in cities, it was so strange to be in a country where social media doesn’t really exist. One of the most exhausting and time consuming things a teenager will ever endure is teaching their parents how to operate Facebook. Before I left, my mother insisted that I teach her how to message through it. So we sat in opposite ends of the house, trying to have a conversation through our keyboards, but most of them ended with me yelling directions over my shoulder and out my door. When I tried to access Facebook in Beijing it was blocked. Social media is such an important and ubiquitous part of our culture here in the US that I didn’t consider it not existing in China. Keeping control over the spreading of ideas, which can lead to much bigger things such as protests, has always been something that China’s good at. Many people of the younger and middle generation don’t know who Tank Man, the man who stood before a column of tanks in a protest outside of Tiananmen Square, was. That’s an aspect of their culture that I did not expect. The phrase ‘culture shock’ is such a bland way to explain the different places in this world. The only way to really get a glimpse of a different culture is to go there, and visit the people’s homes, eat their food and wear their clothes. It’s strange that the importance of different cultures and traditions isn’t taught with the same degree of urgency as math or science is. After traveling to China, I’ve discovered that the study of cultures is every bit as important as memorizing the periodic table or the pythagorean theory. Different environments and cultures ties the human race together, as well as sets it apart.

OPINION 12

GOSSIPGUY

XOXO,

This just in: Alex Goldman has been spotted discussing why he likes the hit TV show “Gossip Girl”

an opinion of Alex Goldman continued from page of 7 A week later, I sat on my bed around three in the afternoon, bored to death and eyes glazed over on the Netflix main menu. Scrolling through the show titles, I searched for a new show to dedicate my time to. My thumb was beginning to grow sore from pressing the remote until I landed on the show that would change my life. I stared at the “Gossip Girl” show cover for a second and finally pressed ENTER. After reading the show summary a couple times, I wondered what the show entailed. I placed my index finger on the play button and contemplated trying this chick flick. Am I really about to do this? How am I going to look my father in the eye if I watch this? One episode couldn’t hurt. I decided to take risk and try it. Forty-five minutes later, I laid in my bed wide-eyed and in shock. How could a show with such a girly name

and adored by so many teen girls keep me so entertained and so enticed? I had to watch another episode. By 7 p.m., I had already watched five episodes and was in no mood to quit. I was hooked. Four days passed and I had already finished the first season. I was in love with Serena (Blake Lively) and couldn’t stand to see her away from her soul mate, Dan. I had finally found my life role model and idol in Chuck Bass, a high school playboy who lives in his father’s hotel near the Upper East Side in Manhattan, N.Y. For some reason, I could not stop watching these teenagers live their ridiculous, lavish lifestyles and screw each other over because of stupid drama. According to www.drugrehabadvice.org, the four stages of any addiction are experimentation, misuse, abuse and dependence. It is safe to say that I had already done my fair share of experimentation and I had skipped the next two stages straight to dependency. If I don’t get my fix of “Gossip Girl”, I am just not the same person. I feel highly irritable, socially disconnected and I just flat out crave all of the juicy New York City drama. It has now been a solid four

SPOTTED: months and I have a full-fledged addiction with the Upper East Side drama. I have found myself watching “Gossip Girl’ in the most random hours of the day. I can’t go a English class without watching an episode or two (sorry Ms. Fry). I have declined hanging out with friends so I can finish episode and have wasted my Sundays binge watching entire seasons. But who can really blame me for this “Gossip Girl” obsession? I mean, the show has got it all. Beautiful girls, drama, opulent lofts by Central Park, immense partying and did I mention Blake Lively is in it? Of course, I have received criticism from other male classmates who haven’t been exposed to this show’s brilliance, but none of it phases me one bit. They can mock me all they want, I’m going to stay in my basement and enjoy this addicting drama. I wish I could finish this column with a clever ending but to be honest, Netflix is calling my name and I gotta get my daily “Gossip Girl” in. -- XOXO Gossip Guy

Senior guys weigh in on why they love GG. Nick Pirotte “Serena van der Woodsen.”

Connor Rellihan “It sucks you in. It’s my escape to the Upper East Side.”

Max Werner “Gossip Girl is really entertaining and the people in it are really attractive.”

FEATURES love this wedding cake!

wedding dress idea

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tes a e r c ent ers m h e c g a a e t eng nd a s ’ r s t e ach den e u t t s h s g li on amazing wedding band! m Engcake! a love this wedding t men e t i c ex

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18 repins

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on it

all the details on Ms. Beachy’s engagment ring

- weighs 200 pounds - center diamond is a square princess cut - diamond was hand picked for the setting by her fiancée, Jesse Langdon - surrounded by a square halo of smaller diamonds - around a half karat in the main stone with another half karat in surrounding diamonds

photo by McKenzie Swanson written by Julia Seiden

wedding dress idea 3 repins Repinned by Laura Beachy Onto Wedding Planning

English teacher Laura Beachy couldn’t speak; she was stum- him at school productions, but Beachy could tell that students bling backwards over her own feet and was close to passing out approved of him right away by seeing that she was happy being all in the same moment. She had just heard the five words she with him. thought she would never hear: “Laura, will you marry me?” Over spring break, the couple decided to take a short vacawedding band! love this wedding cake! amazing wedding band! * * * tion to a nature area in Arkansas. Theamazing duo stayed in a yurt, a 18 repins Beachy has been dating Jesse Langdon for almost56 a repins year and large circular tent with all the amenities, and decided to go on a 18 repins a half now. Some of her students have mixed the first part of her quick nature walk before dinner. In a matter of minutes, Beachy Repinned by name Repinned with thebyend of her fiance’s name and created “LasseRepinned Bea- by would be engaged. Laura Beachy Laura Beachy Laura Beachy con”. Most of her students don’t know Langdon, a few have met story continued on page 18 Onto Wedding Planning

Onto Wedding Planning

FEATURES 14

MEET THE NEW TO CONN WAY ECT Facebook apps and pages allow students to connect before they get on campus continued from cover

written by Chloe Stradinger

Avid Harry Potter readers can quickly search to find students who have a similar profile and also enjoy the series (if they made the information publicly available on Facebook) instead of visiting each user’s Facebook profile. Roomsurf co-founder Justin Gaither believes that the series of in-depth questions and the matching system that allow the user to weigh the importance of each question on user’s profiles are two of its best features. The profiles can be an accurate representation of someone’s personality. A recent study by researchers at the University of Maryland predicted a person’s score on a personality test to within 10 percentage points just by using words posted on Facebook. East alum and University of Southern California freshman Danielle Norton, who found her first semester roommate through Roomsurf, used profile matching to identify potential roommates but made her selection off of conversation. Wanting to find someone she hadn’t met before, she created an in-depth profile and messaged over 20 girls. “You can’t judge them based off of image,” Norton said. “You have to judge them based off of conversation because I talked to a few girls that are probably the two meanest girls in the freshmen class, and I couldn’t really tell by their Facebook, but I could tell when I started talking to them.” Norton eventually found Haley, whose reserved manner and computer science gaming engineer major complemented Norton’s outgoing personality and business major. Castellucci believes that everybody looks for something different in a roommate and sees the advantage social media has in letting students choose what works for them. “It’s not that we’re doing the matching -- that’s never re-

photo illustration by Caroline Creidenberg ally been the goal for us, but it’s been ‘let’s build an engaging environment where students feel safe and comfortable to match themselves,”” Castellucci said. “And we give them all the tools and resources to do that.” A 2011 study at Michigan State University identified roommate conflict as one of the top five reasons students leave universities. Thus both students and universities could potentially benefit from good roommate situations, and RoomSync and Roomsurf hope to be the tools to help. “I think anything that helps student engage with one another and creates community can lend to increased student retention, and Roomsurf certainly supports that,” Gaither said. Like Roomsync and Roomsurf, universities don’t have any official gauge to measure how successful social media has been with connecting students. East alumn and sophomore at Texas Christian University (TCU), Maggie Simmons, used a TCU class Facebook page to find her roommate. Simmons’ freshman roommate Kaitie from Los Angeles, California, saw that she and Simmons had a mutual friend from Kansas City and decided to message her. After searching Kaitie’s facebook profile, looking at pictures and statuses, Simmons discovered the two had similar interests -- music, art, and Christian camps. They decided to room together, and it turned out to be a good match. “I think that 7 or 8 times out of 10 [Facebook profiles] will be fairly accurate,” Simmons said. “Several people in my hall had a similar situation and if they didn’t end up being good friends with their roommate in the end, they weren’t on bad terms, they just wouldn’t hang out with them a whole lot.”

University-created Facebook pages like the one Simmons used can help students make more connections than just in a roommate. University of Kansas (KU) admissions representative for the Shawnee Mission School District Annie Frizzell has seen a positive response from students in regards to social media. “We’ve really seen students jump at the chance to connect with each other, especially through our ‘KU Class of’ Facebook pages,” Frizzell said. “Current high school seniors are using facebook.com/ku2017 to find roommates, get in touch with other students who will be at their orientation session, ask questions about what to do next, and connect with other students in their intended major.” Not everyone is convinced of social media’s power — some students, like senior and future freshman at KU, Mary Sniezek, decide to go “potluck,” or let the school assign them a roommate. Sniezek tried chatting people she found on the KU’s Facebook page, but didn’t find it helpful. “I wasn’t into meeting people ahead of time because I tried talking to a few people but it was very awkward...it was like an interview,” Sneizek said. Though it may not be for everyone, Facebook can be useful to students, like senior and future University of Arizona freshmen Halle O’Neill, who otherwise wouldn’t know anyone in the freshmen class. “Connecting over social media may seem ridiculous, but it’s the closest thing we’ll have to meeting with a roommate,” O’Neill said. Facebook is helping students get connected and stay connected -- Simmons and her old roommate, Kaitie, just had a dinner date last week.

WEBSITES THAT MAKE THE COLLEGE PROCESS EASIER according to The Harbinger staff (scale)

worth looking at

time saver

COLLEGE PROWLER This website is by the students at the college you are interested in. They are surveyed to give you a student perspective on the college. On this website you can research and compare, read student reviews, and find scholarships.

life saver

CAPPEX Cappex has profiles of colleges as well as reviews. It has a college match tool, “What Are My Chances Calculator” and an Ultimate Scholarship Matching Tool.

COLLEGE NAVIGATOR College navigator gives you a list of things you are looking at in a college and to build a criteria. It gives you a list of schools that meet this criteria and you can create a spreadsheet of the schools you like.

FEATURES 15

A ‘NOVEL’ ALUM EAST ALUM USES HER ALMA MATER AS THE SETTING FOR HER NOVEL written by Andrew McKittrick

photo by Stefano Byer

A G major sounds on the piano as “The Lightning Strike” by Snow Patrol plays. Former East student Haley Fisher sits in Starbucks—earbuds in. Then she starts writing. Her fingers follow the beat, tapping on the keyboard. The paragraphs begin to mesh with the rhythm. The song ends and kicks back to the beginning, staying on repeat. The writing in her book begins to piece itself together as Haley follows the feeling of the music. Songs always have to match the writing. Fast powerful songs with drums, vocals and electronic beats fit intense scenes. Serious songs filled with strumming guitars and mellow vocals are perfect for the moments when her characters are feeling lost. * * * Haley’s dream of writing and publishing a book began in fifth grade at Belinder Elementary. Her teacher, Dr. Bruce Carter, introduced her to fiction writing. The task was to write a threepage novel with the provided characters and setting. All the students had to do was develop a plot, but Haley dove deeper into the assignment. A classroom project turned into a nine-chapter book. Her rough draft grew until the day the final draft was due when she turned the unfinished book into Dr. Carter. “We were supposed to type it up and make it

awesome,” Haley said. “But I didn’t get a chance to do that because I was still writing it. [Dr. Carter] was great about it. He didn’t care; he still gave me an ‘A’ because I wrote the full story.” Fifth grade was when Haley developed her love for reading and writing. Her chapter book sparked a love for writing fiction stories while “Ender’s Game” by Orson Scott Card created her love of fantasy books. “Everything about [Ender’s Game] made me want to write,” Haley said. “It’s different from anything else I’ve ever read. I don’t read sci-fi books and that is about as sci-fi as a book can get, being set in space with aliens. Something about the story and the way he writes it, it’s been my favorite book since fifth grade. From the time she began reading young adult books in elementary school, “Enders Game” and other books shaped her writing. Series such as “Delirium” and authors such as J.K. Rowling affected her future; their style and plot ideas primed her for writing her own fantasy series. She continued to experiment with writing as she left elementary school. Short stories and poems written as assignments in middle school and high school helped her to develop as a writer. At home, she began to start writing chapters. Never a full book. Always just the first chapter,

just to get a feel for writing books. * * * She started writing her book, “Rising Calm,” the summer after her senior year in high school. Haley was enrolled in Johnson County Community College for the following year. The idea for writing a series had always been at the back of her head. Slowly the main plot for the series began to form. Two worlds in the series are separated— earth and Lyria. The main character, Cara, a junior, goes to Shawnee Mission East for the first time. She supports her younger sister and a deadbeat family. She makes two new friends at school—James and Crispin. At the same time, there is a prophecy regarding Lyria—a world that is on the brink of an end-all-be-all-war. The prophecy states that a girl will choose the winning side and all of the hopes of Lyria rest on this girl’s shoulders. Haley made an attempt to write about Cara and Lyria everyday, some days taking a notebook to class and others sitting in Starbucks or Latte Land with her MacBook. She only wrote the scenes that she wanted to, skipping between chapters and sections with no clear idea of the overall story. She continued writing this way until one of her friends asked to see the book.

continues to page 18

SPREAD 16 SPREAD 17 CAREER 1000110001001101001101101001000101101011000110100001010000101110010100011000100 PATHS 01101101001000101101011000110100001010000101110010100011000100110100110110100100 PROGRAMMING PROGRAMMER 01011000110100001010000101110010100011000100110100110110100100010110101100011010 WITH SMALL 1000010111001010001100010011010011011010010001011010110001101000010100001011100 NUMBERS 01100010011010011011010010001011010110001101000010100001011100101000110001001101 1101001000101101011000110100001010000101110010100011000100110100110110100100010 Although computer programming is a growing industry, there is a lack of interest among today’s youth 1000110100001010000101110010100011000100110100110110100100010110101100011010000 00101110010100011000100110100110110100100010110101100011010000101000010111001010 00100110100110110100100010110101100011010000101000010111001010001100010011010011 00100010110101100011010000101000010111001010001100010011010011011010010001011010 1101000010100001011100101000110001001101001101101001000101101011000110100001010 11100101000110001001101001101101001000101101011000110100001010000101110010100011 01101001101101001000101101011000110100001010000101110010100011000100110100110110 vs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

CIO / CTOs

written by Julia Poe

Project Managers, IT Managers, MIS Directors

photos by Jake Crandall

To the left and below; students in the East programming class work on codes while goofing around with other students

ansas State University professor Nathan Bean has always struggled with the stereotype of programmers. It’s been reinforced in pop culture since the late 70s — the nerdy boy who spends more time with the computers in his mother’s basement than with the “real world.” Bean doesn’t find the cliché very funny. He’s a programmer himself, and he fears that this negative perception is causing a lack of programmers in the United States. The coding education organization Code.org predicts that by 2020 there will be 1.5 million U.S. programming jobs. Yet there will only be 400,000 educated professionals to fill those jobs. “The deficit is really worrying because programming is such a vital part of industry,” Bean said. “It’s basically using codes to create computer programs. That can be a game, or it can be a program to manage a business or an experiment. It keeps our technology-fueled economy running, yet there’s hardly any interest in youth to become programmers.” This lack of interest in coding is something that East programming teacher Deb Pontier sees on a daily basis. Her four programming classes

hardly pull 15 students a piece, with a disconcerting lack of female students. “I cheer if I get two girls in one class,” Pontier said. “I just don’t think it’s marketed well enough to students when they’re young. Most of my students are doing it because that’s what they want to do with their lives, and they’ve wanted to do that for a while.” Junior Matt Nestler, one of the few programming students at East, is already planning on pursuing a job in programming and web design. The freedom that comes with coding and programming has always been appealing to Nestler. ”When it comes to computers, you can choose to be someone who just goes to the computer and uses it, or you can be the person who actually creates,” Nestler said. “It’s the choice between being a consumer and a producer. I want to be a producer.” The industry that Nestler looks forward to entering is expanding. The U.S. is the top programming country in the world, bol-

stered by industry moguls like Facebook, Twitter and Google. But programming isn’t just for video games and cell phone apps anymore. It’s infiltrating every aspect of business, medicine, science and finance. Algorithm programs control the stock markets’ fluctuations. Computer prototypes allow biology researchers to make calculated decisions. Businesses use programs to decide which advertisement entices customers more. Because of these real-world applications, Bean believes that programming is becoming essential. The new demands of companies is contributing to the expanding gap between programming jobs and professionals to fill those jobs. “It’s becoming necessary; almost every organization needs at least one programmer,” Bean said. “There is so much need and demand, and we simply can’t supply that. We need to spark young people’s interest, because programming isn’t just a bonus anymore -- it’s a necessity.” Pontier believes that students might become more interested in the pro-

fession through an early education in programming. As other countries — including Estonia, India and Britain -- continue to make coding an educational priority, Pontier hopes to see the same in the United States. She wants the district to implement summer courses for middle schoolers and focus on pulling more girls into the program through specialized camps. In a September 2012 article, Wired Magazine writer Klint Finley demanded more from the U.S. education system. Finley’s article praised the Estonian public school system, which requires coding education in grades 1-12. The curriculum was made to support Estonia’s “burgeoning tech industry,” which is famous for Skype. Finley stated that the United States would need to make similar steps to keep up. Bringing programming education into grades 1-12 would be a drastic change from where curriculum currently is. Only nine states in the country require programming to graduate, and Kansas is not one of those. Pontier says that East is lucky to be one of the few schools in the state to have programming classes. Programming curriculum is hard to come by, but despite figures and the opinions of teachers like Pontier, Principal Karl Krawitz believes that the district will not make any changes. “I definitely see where this education would be greatly beneficial and important,” Krawitz said. “But requiring that class would require more teachers and more classrooms and more computers, and the district is simply not in the position for that right now.” These budgetary concerns don’t sway Bean’s opinion. No matter what, he believes that programming education must be increased to maintain and improve the country’s position at the top of the economical food chain. “Right now, the lack of education is so discouraging,” Bean said. “This industry makes huge differences in the world on a daily basis. Why shouldn’t everyone have access to that?”

Senior-level Programmer

Mid-level Programmer

Junior Programmer

Manager

Lead or Senior Architect

Analyst or Technical Architect

CODING BASICS Note: To make a code apply to a chunk of text, you have to put code on both sides of the text.

Putting these at the beginning and the end of the text will break the chunk into a paragraph. These codes make text bold.

Use “em” to make text italicized.

COMPUTER PROGRAMMING (n): using codes to tell the computer what to do. This begins at a simple level, by making “Hello world,” appear on a computer screen. On more complex levels, a programmer writes a long instruction manual in code that the computer follows to complete a task.

CODE (n): The language of programming. Codes consist of symbols and abbreviations of words that have a special meaning to the computer.

PROGRAMS:

HTML: Hypertext Markup Language. Standard for formatting and displaying files online. CSS: Cascading Style Sheet. Used for designing and formatting web pages.

CODING

STATISTICS

Key states with the highest concentration of computer programmers states with the highest paying computer programming jobs

Senior Developer

Developer

CIO / CTOs

written by Julia Poe

Project Managers, IT Managers, MIS Directors

photos by Jake Crandall

To the left and below; students in the East programming class work on codes while goofing around with other students

Senior-level Programmer

Mid-level Programmer

Junior Programmer

Manager

Lead or Senior Architect

Analyst or Technical Architect

CODING BASICS Note: To make a code apply to a chunk of text, you have to put code on both sides of the text.

Putting these at the beginning and the end of the text will break the chunk into a paragraph. These codes make text bold.

Use “em” to make text italicized.

CODE (n): The language of programming. Codes consist of symbols and abbreviations of words that have a special meaning to the computer.

PROGRAMS:

HTML: Hypertext Markup Language. Standard for formatting and displaying files online. CSS: Cascading Style Sheet. Used for designing and formatting web pages.

CODING

STATISTICS

Key states with the highest concentration of computer programmers states with the highest paying computer programming jobs

Senior Developer

Developer

FEATURES 18 Former East student writes a series of novels, with many scenes taking place at East and in Prairie Village continued from page 15

photos courtesy of Haley Fisher

“Chapter one didn’t get written until I wanted someone else to read it,” Haley said. “I was like ‘[the readers] actually have to start at the beginning.’ So throughout I would write a scene here and then go back to the beginning and write some more.” Haley began to hand the book out to her friends and family. Her friends would read the book one chapter at a time, critiquing her story as they went. This was only the ﬁrst part of the editing process. Finally, she began to consider publishing her story. Publishing came with new editors and different techniques, now focusing on the grammar of her writing. She found an opportunity on a site she often uses called Goodreads. Through this, she found Sara, an editor for Silver Tongue Press. “[Silver Tongue Press] loved it right off the bat,” Haley

said. “It’s a little company not on the same level as Scholastic or something like that, but they wanted it as soon as they heard about it.” After talking to Silver Tongue Press, Haley received a contract to publish the ﬁrst book in her series of ﬁve on Feb. 14. According to Haley, the ending and major plot points for the series are set but the individual events leading up to them aren’t known. Characters’ secrets began to develop into large factors, minor characters began to take on bigger roles and small facts developed. Haley has a general picture of how characters will turn out, but they can still surprise her. “Crispin is actually my favorite,” Haley said. “He ended up being the most surprising. I knew who he was and a lot of the stuff he was going to do but as I was writing him, he turned out to be just a little bit different in a bunch of things than I thought he would be so it was fun to be surprised by him.” As her characters continue to develop, Haley will keep writing. Although she is unsure of where the series will lead her, she knows where she will be in the future. Her familiar table at Starbucks, earbuds in, letting the music wash over her as she shapes the lives of her characters.

Above Left: The cover of Fisher’s first novel, Rising Calm. She said she didn’t choose the cover. “Most publishing companies don’t really do that, nor do they send potential cover ideas to be approved by the author, but this one did it for me,” she said. Above Right: Author and East grad Haley Fisher poses in her author’s photo.

GETTING HER HAPPILY

EVER AFTER continued from page 13

photos by Stefano Byer

“He told me he was very nervous because he didn’t know if he was for sure going to propose then, but he wanted to have the ring with him in case the moment presented itself,” Beachy said. “It totally did.” The two saw a couple of deer, her favorite animal, and the coyotes started howling. Langdon knew that was the moment. “He told me how much he loved me and all the right things that someone should say when proposing,” Beachy said. “I lose track of what else he said at that point because I started going numb.” The first night after the proposal, the two spent the rest of their time going on relaxing hikes and just spending time in nature to relax after the hype of the proposal. Beachy was shocked at the way students reacted to the news of her engagement to Langdon. She found herself very emotionally on edge throughout the first week back after the proposal. “I think for Ms. Beachy, we are all excited because she is kind of like a pal to us,” senior Helena Buchmann said. “She is a really strong female figure in all of our lives and I think we

English teacher Laura Beachy’s fiancee proposed to her over spring break while they were on vacation together, causing excitement in the school were all happy to see her excited about something.” Once students heard about the proposal, they were overjoyed. Some of the Chamber Choir students sang “Set Me As a Seal” to her during fourth hour to celebrate the good news. “[The song] was so kind and unnecessary,” Beachy said. “But it was such a lovely gesture, I can’t believe they took the time to do that.” Beachy began crying during her fourth hour class while the Chamber Choir stu-

dents sang for her because it was not expected and she had a personal connection with the song. “She was crying and really emotional and told us that she sang the same song when she was in chamber choir at East,” senior Nichole Hine said. Along with her students, teachers were also excited to hear the news of Beachy’s engagement. “When I heard about her engagement I screamed,” English teacher Amy Andersen said. “I was so happy for her.” A few years ago, there was a student in one of Beachy’s classes [now graduated] who always asked “When are you going to get hitched?” Other students could tell that the subject was bugging her. “I had gotten to the point where I thought, well, maybe [marriage] won’t happen for me,” Beachy said. “I needed to be okay with that.” Beachy and Langdon met online and within a week of ﬁnding each other on the internet they had their ﬁrst date at a Mexican restaurant, their favorite. Beachy and Langdon had always agreed that couples should know if they should get married within a year of dating. A year passed, then Beachy’s birthday passed, then Langdon’s birthday passed, then the winter holidays passed, and still no ring. But then it came, and now Beachy has met with her wedding planner and is set to be married on Oct. 5 at Village Presbyterian Church, her lifelong church. “When something seems kind of right, that’s something that people get the most excited about,” Beachy said.

FORGOT YOUR CAMERA? We didn’t.

smephotos.com

SAT, APRIL 13, 2013 FROM 10 AM - 3 PM @ SM East

The Swapping Company is bringing their traveling consignment store of new GUESS: dresses, tank tops, and skinny jeans (percentage of proceeds will BRING: Clothing you no longer want that’s new or in good condition SWAP: Your old items for something new!

Receive a voucher for the clothes you bring in so you can shop in the boutique

U.S. Marines 9676 Quivera Rd. Sergeant Stephen Jesse Lenexa, KS 66215 U.S. Marine Corps (913) 341-4080 Recruiting Sub Station Overland Park stephan.jesse@marines.usmc.mil

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ARTS &

THE

LIN

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ENTERTAINMENT APRIL

SPRING A&E EVENTS

STP 400 AT KANSAS SPEEDWAY

APRIL

KANSAS SPEEDWAY

26-29

ROYALS VS. CLEVELAND INDIANS

KAUFMANN STADIUM

CARRIE UNDERWOOD SPRINT CENTER

MAY

SPORTING KC VS. SEATTLE SOUNDERS

MAY

THE LUMINEERS

OCEANS OF FUN OPENING DAY

1 OCEAN OF FUN WATER PARK

CRICKET WIRELESS AMPHITHEATER

JUNE

THE COLOR RUN

INSIDE THE SECTION

BLOOMSBURY BISTRO REVIEW

A WEEK IN PHOTOS

KE$

25 page 26 page

“EVIL DEAD” MOVIE REVIEW

A PAGE ABOUT THE OUTDOORS

Senior Grace Cantril dances along with the band.

photo by Caroline Creidenberg

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STAFFERS ANSWER A&E QUESTION OF THE WEEK

WHO IS YOUR FAVORITE MUSIC ARTIST CURRENTLY?

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ARROWHEAD STADIUM

photo by Leah O’Connor

HARBIE PICKS “H

JUNE

Junior Bridgette Beasley gets her makeup done before the spring play ‘Epic Proportions.’

photo by Leah O’Connor

is p

SPORTING PARK

page

Senior Chase Ainsworth and sophomore Abby Kramer pose on stage in the spring play ‘Epic Porportions’

MAY

NDR

BEL

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O F R PE E

NDA

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What was your favorite part about being in the play? “The fact that it was a comedy and there was a lot of stuff that we could work with. The play also allowed us to make fun of bad acting and that’s always fun.”

How did you prepare for this role? “A lot of things about the role were like me so I needed to define the difference. I looked at each line individually and had to think of how the character and who he would respond to each situation.” ARMER PORTRAYED BENNY, A YOUNG ACTOR TRYING TO MAKE IT AS A BIG STAR, IN THE SPRING PLAY ‘EPIC PROPORTIONS’

A shot from the Broadway Bistro.

photo by AnnaMarie Oakley

Junior Madison Stottle cries at the Lancer Dancer Spring Show.

photo by Annie Savage

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A&E 23

written by Leah Pack photos by AnnaMarie Oakley

A ‘BLOOMING’ SUCCESS A ‘hidden gem’ in the Corinth Square Shopping Center, Bloomsbury Bistro serves delicious lunch food unique to the restaurant itself The Bloomsbury Bistro, a hidden gem tucked away in an old antique mall, is a dining experience that no one should miss out on. Thankfully, my mom introduced me to the delicious food when I was 10. Writing this review was an excellent excuse to go back. The restaurant is located in the Mission Road Antique Mall, a part of the Corinth Square Shopping center. Walking in the building, you would never expect to find two levels of antiques, let alone a restaurant from the small exterior. Although it is a maze to reach the dining area, getting lost is part of the fun. My walk through the endless number of antique booths was filled with anything from oriental antiques to a Marilyn Monroe poster. It came to an end when I reached a sign that read “one of these things is not like the others” and a chalk board with the daily specials on it which designated the entrance to the restaurant. Small tables were scattered around the chatter-filled room and the use of warm colors and flowery pictures on the walls created a welcoming and relaxed atmosphere. At first sight, you can tell that the Bloomsbury Bistro tends to attract an older, mostly female crowd. Still, who wouldn’t be attracted to a quaint little bistro that serves wonderful food? It’s the perfect place for a low-key lunch with a friend or a luncheon with all your best girlfriends. Due to their limited hours (Mon-Sat 11:00 a.m.- 3:00 p.m.), the place is always packed. I recommend dining there if you have a little bit of time on your hands since there is usually a

Dine ‘n Dash

Try Take Out

wait, but with all the antiques around the wait is entertaining and goes quickly. As I was seated by a waitress, it was obvious that the staff had enjoyed working at the bistro by their genuine smiles and desire to help their customers. Each dish that passed by my table made it harder to decide what my lunch would consist of that day, and although I am very familiar with the menu, I read over it again. A feature of the menu that stands out to me every time is what they call a “Bistro Special” which includes your choice of any two of the following items: a half sandwich, a small bowl of soup, a side of any salad or a half-order of an appetizer. A restaurant that allows you to pick two items from the menu automatically earns some bonus points in my book. Despite all the mouth-watering items on the menu like the Roasted Pear and Goat Cheese Salad, I stuck to my usual—the Bistro Special with a halforder of the Spinach-Artichoke Dip appetizer and a half of the Bistro Turkey sandwich. The Bistro Turkey is understandably a crowd favorite with the perfect combination of oven-roasted turkey, fresh ripe pear, bacon and soft brie on multi-grain bread with honey-mustard sauce. Not to my surprise, my lunch was perfect. I made sure to save enough room for the Toasted Carrot Cake, my favorite dessert. Some may be skeptical of a restaurant in the back of an old antique mall with some of the strangest thingamabobs you’ll ever see, but I’m telling you, go to this restaurant. The Bloomsbury Bistro never fails to provide me with a good meal.

Worth a Visit

Left: Cups and saucers are displayed in the antique mall. Below: A complete meal at Bloomsbury Bistro with carrot cake, a croissant sandwich, soup and salad.

Culinary Genius

PHOTO STORY 24 Left: Junior Hunter Redman defends himself during a fight that erupted during the game due to a delayed hit. Below left: “[Loosing to SLUH] gave us an edge trying to prove ourselves,” junior Kevin Cole said. “And it allowed us to show we weren’t a bad team, it was just a bad day.” Below middle: Senior Patrick Simmons runs with the ball. Simmons plays close defender. “The game was intense and the defense worked well as a unit,” Simmons said. Below right: Bishop Miege junior William Valdivia plays with the East lacrosse team. “[The team] has been nothing but a blessing,” Valdivia said. “Even though I don’t go to East, I am treated like I am in a family with these brothers.” Far below: The entire team huddles before each game and shouts “family” to break.

LAXITUDE

After their first loss to St. Louis University High School, the Lancers rallied with a 20-2 win over the Blue Valley North lacrosse team.

A&E 25

Bloody Brilliant

80s horror film remake proves to be just as gory and gag-worthy as original

Above: David (Shiloh Fernandez) investigates the woods where Mia says she was attacked. Left: Mia (Jane Levy) holds a chain saw while she is pursued by a demon.

photos courtesy of MCT Campus

CHECK OUT THE REMAKES

“Evil Dead” isn’t the only remake of an 80s horror film. Here are some other classics:

The Movie

written by Erin Reilly It left me giggling with glee and disgust. It made anyone with a tongue shiver with queasiness. It made my toes curl, my stomach do somersaults and the stoners in front of me slur out “riiiighteouuus.” It was a horror movie only a true fan could like, and I LOVED it. Fede Alvarez’s reboot to Sam Raimi’s 1981 horror classic “Evil Dead” was perfectly executed (no pun intended). I didn’t know what to expect going into the film. Previous reboots of ‘80s horror franchises such as “Friday the 13th” and John Carpenter’s “Halloween” series had tanked with critics and audiences alike, to put it lightly. I was also concerned about the integrity of the lead, Jane Levy, since her last role was as teeny-bopper Victoria Justice’s shallow and dim best friend in October’s “Fun Size.” However, “Evil Dead” had been generating positive buzz since the project’s announcement, so I had some hope for a quality film. My worry was also assuaged since Raimi and original star Bruce Campbell gave the remake their seal of approval by signing on as producers for the project. The film follows five friends who go out to Mia (Levy) and David’s (Shiloh Fernandez) secluded family cabin to try and support Mia while she sobers up after a nearly-fatal overdose. After investigating a strange smell coming from the basement, the group finds a mysterious package in what appears to be the remains of an occult ritual. One friend, Eric (Lou Taylor Pucci), opens the package to discover a book bound in human skin entitled “The Book of the Dead.”

While reading a passage, against the warnings scribbled throughout the book, Eric unwittingly releases an ancient demon with incredibly sinister intentions. Once it possesses Mia, it is up to the other four to try and expel the demon and put it to rest forever, before it does the same to them. It was refreshing to have a new plotline for the remake, instead of a shot-by-shot double with new effects like the remake of Hitchcock’s “Psycho,” starring Vince Vaughn. While the original plot was standard for ‘80s horror, surrounding a group of teens on vacation who stupidly get drunk and release a demon, this plot had a bit more depth and reason to it. The new film expands on the contents of the Necronomicon (“The Book of the Dead”), and features a lot more blood and gore (not necessarily a good thing for some audiences). I knew that there were some things the new film could not hold to the original, the foremost being the cheesy effects (see gloves touched up to look like decaying hands). However, the overly-bloody feel was still obviously prominent as it was in the original, so I didn’t feel too cheated. In light of the success of “Evil Dead” with audiences, Alvarez has announced that a sequel is in development. Raimi has also announced plans to write a screenplay for a third sequel to his original movie, to be titled “Army of Darkness 2.” Although I thoroughly enjoyed this hellish romp of a film, I will caution any person who feels apprehensive about the film’s gory reputation. I would recommend watching the trailer, because it is a good measure of the content throughout the rest of the film.

The Movie

The Killer

“The Thing”

It can be anything, or anyone. Even you...

“Fright Night”

A vampire who seduces your mother and murders your friends.

“Friday the 13th”

An un-dead boy intent on avenging his mother.

“A Nightmare on Elm Steet”

A murdered janitor whose playground is your nightmares.

“My Bloody Valentine”

A bitter ex-valentine, who will kill to suppress his least favorite holiday.

“Texas Chainsaw Massacre”

A severely disfigured cannibal.

“Dawn of the Dead”

An apocalyptic plague that turns the dead into zombies. Thousands of them.

ONLINE 26

THE HARBINGER ONLINE

STAFF

ONLINE EXLUSIVES

Online Editors-in-Chief Sami Walter Duncan MacLachlan Assistant Online Editor Julia Poe Head Online Copy Editors Jennifer Rorie Vanessa Daves Multimedia Editor Dalton Boehm News Editor Pauline Werner Online Photo Editors Marisa Walton McKenzie Swanson Assistant Online Photo Editors AnnaMarie Oakley Paloma Garcia Video Editor Nathan Walker Live Broadcast Editors Andrew McKittrick Jack Stevens Homegrown Editor Maxx Lamb Opinion Editor Taylor Bell A&E Editor Morgan Krakow Sports Section Editors Alex Goldman Mitch Kaskie Blogs Editor Taylor Bell Podcast and Radio Editor Thomas Allen Eastipedia Editor Susannah Mitchell Interactive Designers James Simmons Will Oakley Anchors Kyle Winston Joe Bahr Morgan Twibell G.J. Melia Mitch Kaskie Annie Foster Webmasters Chris Denniston Jack Stevens Multimedia Staff Dalton Boehm Chris Denniston Maxx Lamb Kathryn Jones Nick Miriani Jack Stevens Mattie Germann Emily Perkins Rock AnnaMarie Oakley Tessa Polaschek Will Brownlee Sophie Mitchell Annie Foster

WHAT WE DO

BROADCAST SCHEDULE Boys’ Lacrosse vs. Rockhurst THURSDAY, APRIL 18; 7:30 P.M.

HARBINGER RADIO New to The Harbinger Online this year, Harbinger Radio is an alternative way to keep up with what’s happening at school and around the world. You can get local news, world news, strange news, sports, opinion pieces, music by East artists and more with the click of a button. Updated on a weekly basis, you’re guaranteed to get the most up-to-date and in-depth Lancer news and get it when you want. Tune in at smeharbinger.net.

INTERACTIVES We decided that text on a page isn’t that amusing. We like color and pictures and things that move. That’s why we like making beautifully designed interactive pieces meant to amuse, not just inform the reader. Currently you can buff up on your athletics knowledge with a look at the spring sport’s studs. If you’re a golf aficionado then you’ll want to tee up at our Masters preview to check stats, explore the course and get a history lesson.

WHAT TO SEE

Online Gallery: Girls’ Soccer vs. Olathe East

Tune in with our anchors as the boys’ lacrosse team takes on their rivals, Rockhurst High School. The team beat Rockhurst for the first time last year and hope to make history again.

Boys’ Lacrosse vs. Pembroke TUESDAY, APRIL 18; 6:30 P.M. Join us as the boys’ lacrosse team takes on Pembroke Hill. Last year at the Lacrosse Association of Kansas City (LAKC) Championship, East beat Pembroke Hill in over time to become the league champs. Tune in for an exciting game as East looks to show Pembroke Hill once again, why they are the best.

Girls’ Soccer vs. St. Teresa’s SATURDAY, APRIL 27; 12 P.M. Join anchors G.J. Melia and Grace Heitmann as the Lady Lancers take on top ranked St. Teresa’s Academy.

photos by Molly Gasal

see more photos on smeharbinger.net

UPCOMING PODCASTS

WHAT TO READ AP Chem II Classes Start Early Morning Optional Classes written by Sami Walter photo by Caroline Creidenberg

Opinionated with Julia Poe Technology with Chris Denniston News with Tessa Polaschek and Maddie Schoemann

The Chemistry II class has started optional classes on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 7 am. Although the the classes are optional, the material covered will be on the final and the AP test according to Cole Ogdon, the Chemistry II teacher. The idea to meet before school for learning originated after the last two snow days. “In the past we have normally done it like we’ve one mega session on a Saturday afternoon or a Sunday evening or something like that just to review for the test before the test.” said Ogdon “But, we kind of got the triple whammy this year because all the snow days, five days of school that we missed.” In addition to the loss of time with the snow days this year, the block schedule in April, due to state assessment testing, has also cut class time. continued on smeharbinger.net

WANT MORE? CHECK OUT THESE ONLINE ARTICLES Blog: An Outcry For Equality Do It Yourself: Robin’s Egg Cupcakes

View the cheerleading tryout results by using your smart phone to scan this QR code.

A&E 27

With the wonderful weather on it’s way, there’s no better time to get outside and enjoy what mother-nature has brought us. We know it’s not summer yet, but there’s no time like the present to leave the dark cave that is your home, and venture out into the light. You don’t have to go out into uncharted territories to get your daily dose of sun. You don’t even have to be an outdoors person. We swear we’re not asking you to go live off the land! We’re just encouraging you to, you know, not live in front of your computer. Here are some ideas on how to enjoy the weekends to come!

GO TO THE ZOO.

$ Put down the TV remote, and vamoose to one of the local trails. Hiking is a great and healthy way to get outdoors. Bring your dog (on a leash, guys!) or your friends, sunscreen and snacks, and you’re good to go! We suggest the Blue River Parkway trails in the Blue Springs area. They’ve got trails that range anywhere from half a mile to 12 miles near Jacomo Lake and the River Bluff Reserve.

TAKE A HIKE.

GO TO A FARMER’S MARKET. Head out to one of our many farmer’s markets over the weekend. Not only will you find delicious and locally grown produce, you will get to spend some time out in the sun, and support local bands. The Brookside Farmer’s Market opens April 20 with live music from the Kirby Wendler Band, and BADSEED, located down in the Crossroads, opens May 3. Can’t wait that long? The City Market is already open on Saturdays from 6 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Loose Park is the best place to spread out your blanket and chow down on some sandwiches. It only costs as much as the chips and bread. Bring a frisbee or your dog, and get some quality sun time!

GO FOR A PICNIC.

THE BEST FOR BEGINNERS? Grab a hotdog and pop a squat! Who doesn’t love a good ol’ fashion baseball game? A great way to get outside and spend time with your friends. Tickets for the Hy-vee Outfield are going for just $8 a piece.

when to plant

STRAWBERRIES MARCH-APRIL

ROSEMARY YEAR-ROUND (container)

BEANS

CARROTS

MAY-JULY

SEE A GAME.

CAMP OUT.

Whether you’re 8 or 18, the Kansas City Zoo is one of the greatest places to go and soak up the warmth. From the sky safari to the awesome new polar bear, you seriously can’t go wrong. Tickets are only $11.50, but try not to bring any more, or you’re sure to be sucked into the abyss known as the gift shop. Make sure you stop in the bird cage and feed the birds, and catch one of the sea lion shows!

START A GARDEN. There is nothing more local than eating the food you grow in your own backyard. It doesn’t take a whole lot of equipment to start a small garden. The best place to start for beginners is to plant herbs in small containers you can keep yearround. But to get yourself out in the fresh air, build a raised bed and expand! Look to your left and you’ll see the four easiest edible plants to get your started.

We know the pool isn’t open yet, but there’s no lock on the lakes! Paddling is a great way to spend your time in the outdoors. You get some exercise in the cool, refreshing water, it’s super fun, and anyone can do it. Drive up to Lawrence and rent a canoe or kayak from the local shop, Up a Creek. It’s $30 for a day, and they’ll drop off and pick up your boats at Clinton Lake. For $45 make it a weekend trip! Keep the kayak for an extra day and camp out in one of the many Clinton State Park campgrounds.

HEAD OUT ON THE WATER.

RJ’s BOB-BE-QUE SHACK

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SPORTS 29

photo by Caroline Creidenberg Junior Madeleine Peters finishes her race in the meet against SM West and SM North. The girls took first place in the meet.

photo by Jake Crandall Junior jumper Neely Atha long jumps in the SME Quad last week. The girls and boys both placed first. The team will attend the most competitive meet of the year at KU relays.

SPORTS

WEEK IN PHOTOS

WEEK AHEAD DATE 4/15/13 4/15/13 4/16/13 4/16/13 4/17/13 4/18/13 4/18/13 4/18/13 4/19/13

IN THE LOOP

SPORT Tennis Golf Softball Soccer Tennis Softball Baseball Soccer Track

TIME 3:30 1:00 4:15 7:00 7:30am 4:15 3:45 7:00 8:00 am

SCOREBOARD

LOCATION Pembroke Meadowbrooke SM Softball Complex Leavenworth Plaza Tennis Courts SM Softball Complex Lawrence HS SM Soccer Complex Kansas University

SWIMMING TENNIS

OPPONENT Pembroke League SMS/SMNW Leavenworth BVNW SM West Rockhurst Olathe North KU Relays

SOCCER LACROSSE T&F

GOLF

SME 4 LFS 1

SME 20 BVN 2

Girls 1st Boys 1st

SOFTBALL BASEBALL

SME 1st SMNW

SME 1st Olathe Invite

SME 1st SMNW

SME 13 LAW 0

SME 2 ONW 3

SME 3 STJMS 1

SME 4 SLUH 9

Girls 7th Boys 4th

SME 2nd PHS National

SME 1st SMN, SMNW

SME 1st SMW

SME 4 LAW 5

SME 1 BVSW 4

Two freshman find success in Judo at national level written by Jennifer Rorie photo courtesy of Mike Bamford

photo by Jake Crandall Junior pitcher Colin Burns throws in a game against Olathe Northwest. The team lost the game 2-3 making their record 2-3.

TWEET OF THE WEEK

@SMEASSASSINS13 RIP Hannah Smith, if that doesn’t teach you to lock yur car I don’t what will! Yes seniors Zach Schneider did just hide in her trunk.

4RETWEETS

23 FAVORITES

Freshman Mike Bamford stands on mat two at the North Kansas City Community Center. His coach is in one chair, his opponent’s coach is in the other. As the referee yells Hajme, (“start” in Japanese) the final match of the AAU National Judo competition begins. Bamford is facing the same opponent he barely beat in the first match, and the only thing he wanted to do was prove himself. Bamford’s friend and fellow freshman Wyatt Ohle is on mat one in the same community center, at the same competition. But for Ohle, it is just another tournament. Ohle’s match lasts the full five minutes allowed, when he finally beats his opponent. It’s just another medal to throw in his box. Just another match to learn from. After all, he plans on following in his father’s footsteps. He plans on becoming an Olympian. * * * Ohle was new at Mission Valley Middle School in eighth grade. He had moved from Leawood Middle School and didn’t know anyone. That is until Bamford noticed the quiet kid who looked lonely in their Computer Dimensions class and went over and introduced himself. When Ohle invited Bamford to his Judo class, he had no idea he would actually show up.

Continued on page 31

SPORTS 30

GIRLS’ SOCCER

SOFTBALL

MUST HAVES: FOOD

MUST HAVES: DANCE PARTIES

Give the girls’ soccer team food and they’ll eat. No matter what it is or where it is, the girls will eat. “Basically, we eat like three meals [at once],” junior Kelly Pidcoe said. Dinners range from tacos and chicken, to pasta and salads. Homemade food from the Dodd family is always quick to disappear. “We’re obsessed with Mrs. Dodd’s food,” junior Ada Throckmorton said. “Like having a team dinner at the Dodd’s house is what we all look forward to. They’ll always try to schedule our Dodd team dinner in playoffs to get us all super inspired because we get to eat Mrs. Dodd’s delicious cooking.” And of course, there’s dessert. “We always have some sort of ice cream,” Throckmorton said. “We really like ice cream. It’ll be anything from Sheridan’s [Frozen Custard] to just regular ice cream sundaes.” Soccer may not have any special tradition, but they still enjoy the time they spend eating together.

Just because the meal might be over at the softball team dinner doesn’t mean the team dinner is over. It’s time for a dance party. “I’m not a big dancer, but I know a lot of the girls on the team are,” senior Kassey Hughes said. “They just goof around and come up with these interesting dance moves.” Dancing after team dinners and victories has always been a part of being on the softball team. “There’s dancing and music and people being generally all like ‘flail-y’ with their limbs,” junior Rowan Turner said. “It’s pretty good.” The girls will turn on music, ranging from country to dubstep, and dance for 15 to 20 minutes. “I don’t know how it came about but my freshman year, the older girls definitely encouraged it,” senior Kassey Hughes said. “It’s been going on like that ever since.”

LACROSSE

BASEBALL

MUST HAVES: BBQ

MUST HAVES: GAMES

When the boys’ lacrosse team beat Rockhurst High School for the first time in their history last year, they had eaten barbecue and fried chicken the day before. Weeks later when the boys’ lacrosse team won the Lacrosse Association of Kansas City championships, they were fueled on barbecue and fried chicken once again. Barbecue and fried chicken are staples at any boys’ lacrosse team dinner. After practices, parents bring food and the team has a picnic right on their practice fields at the former Mission Valley Middle School. “We all just kind of find a spot and just hang out and eat,” senior Connor McGannon said. The tradition was started when the team received new coaches three years ago. “It’s a good chance to bond together as a team off the field,” McGannon said. “It’s always a good time.”

PLAYING WITH FOOD:

TEAM DINNERS A look into traditions of some spring sports’ team dinners. written by Grace Heitmann photos by Jake Crandall, Marisa Walton & Maddie Schoemann

GIRLS’ SWIMMING

TRACK & FIELD

MUST HAVES: FRUIT PIZZA

MUST HAVES: FAST FOOD

Track and Field is the only spring sport that does not organize team dinners. Due to the conflicting days on which JV and Varsity meets are held and the fact that there are over 100 athletes in the program, it’s hard to get a proper dinner organized. Instead, the end of the year banquet acts as one huge team dinner. “[Team dinners] have always been kind of cross country’s thing,” track coach Brie Meschke said.

Despite that, many members of the track and field program have found unconventional ways to have their own team dinners. After meets, teammates go together and grab a bite to eat. “We’ve gone to Winstead’s, sometimes we go to Sonic,” sophomore Hannah Arnspiger said. “Somewhere with a lot of greasy, unhealthy food.” Athletes who make it to state all have a big team dinner before and after the meet in Wichita. Before state, the

Even if the baseball team has just come from a grueling practice, they still find energy to play games and activities after their home cooked dinners. The team will play different games for hours after a dinner. At some team dinners they’ll play hide-and-goseek and others they’ll play wiffle ball. “My favorite part is probably just playing games with the guys and hanging out,” junior Will Mitchell said. Some games are competitive, but the players still have a good time. “It really brings the team together and you become closer, become better friends,” junior Quinn Appletoft said.

team usually eats at a team member’s house. But on the way home from state, the team always stops at Old Chicago, a pizza place next to a gas station. “Everyone just pigs out because we’re not really supposed to be drinking soda and stuff during season, we’re supposed to be eating healthy,” senior Troy Wilkins said. “That’s when we pig out.”

Order a fruit pizza at any local pizza restaurant and they’ll give you a weird look. But ask any girls’ swim team member, and they’ll easily tell you what it is. “The crust is a sugar cookie,” senior Elizabeth Bittiker said. “And the sauce is like cream cheese with icing and on top, there’s like strawberries,

and blueberries and sometimes kiwi and mandarin oranges.” Fruit pizza has been a staple at swim team dinners and it won’t be going away anytime soon. “It’s just a tradition, I don’t really know why,” Bittiker said. “It’s always everyone’s favorite part.”

SPORTS 31

JUDON’T MESS

WITH THEM Two East freshman compete in national Judo competition continued from pg. 29 “I thought he was a punk and that he wouldn’t last,” Ohle said. “Then he came to train with me one night and I destroyed him and I didn’t think he was going to come back. He ended up coming to class the next day and handed me a check for a membership to our gym.” Soon after joining the gym, Bamford fell in love with Judo. According to Bamford, Judo is a sport that is founded on respect for the opponent. However, it is still a physical sport where the essential goal is to last longer and contain your opponent. In Bamford’s division, the junior division, a match lasts three minutes, during which points are scored for throwing your opponent on the ground or pinning them. At the end of the match, all of the points are totaled up and the winner is the one with the most points. But the match is ended in a split second if an opponent is thrown flat on their back, possibly ending the match in seconds. “My first match lasted 37 seconds, and I got the throw and he landed on his back and I won. In my second match I did the same thing,” Ohle said. While Judo is a physical sport that requires endurance, strength and speed, it also requires a certain amount of maturity and respect for the players. For Bamford, these elements have proved invaluable and have been the most important lessons he’s learned throughout the sport. But self-control is the aspect Bamford finds himself applying in the matches. “You have to have self-control to do the sport, because when you’re fighting it’s like football, you don’t try to go give people concussions,” Bamford said. “In this you don’t try to break their arm, but the point is to get the person to tap out, so you can win the match.” While the two both learned the sport at the same place, they have developed different approaches to Judo. For Ohle, Judo is all about the mindset he has, and the way he wants to dominate

his opponents. He puts in too much time and trains too hard to accept losing and not being the best. Ohle has to believe he will win and his opponent has to believe he is going to lose before he ever steps on the mat. “I think I have to impose my will on him and not just beat him but completely demoralize him,” Ohle said. “That’s how I think, and it works.” Ohle is used to winning; he’s won seven AAU national titles alone, but it’s not everything to him. According to Ohle, when he wins, he has almost nothing to learn from. But when he loses he has something to improve on and something to give him motivation. “Even if you win all the time, losing helps more than winning,” Ohle said. “Losing helps because you learn more from it.” On March 30, Bamford and Ohle participated in the AAU National Championships. Ohle also competes on the USA circuit. There are two main categories in Judo in the US, AAU Judo and USA Judo. The AAU circuit has fewer competitors and is not as expansive as the USA circuit. According to Ohle, an AAU tournament could have 200 people competing, where a USA tournament would have 2,000. For Ohle the last nationals were most likely his final AAU tournament. With plans of attending the Junior Olympics in Houston in June, he will be stepping up to the next level by only competing in the USA circuit, spending more time lifting weights in the gym and perfecting his throws. Judo has not only given Bamford and Ohle the knowledge of fighting, but also a second family. Going out to dinner after tournaments and teammates giving Bamford a ride home have made him feel welcome and accepted. And for Bamford, working on a team where he’s the youngest has given him the opportunity to learn how to be accepting of everyone. “If I’m immature around older people that just makes me look bad, so when I go to out-of-town tournaments with them, I can’t be the annoying 15-year-old,” Bamford said. “They have taught me how to be mature and respectful around all sorts of people no matter what they’re like.” * * * On mat one the final match for the 81 kilogram weight class, Ohle’s class, the full five minutes elapsed before Ohle was declared champion. No match-ending throws, no debilitating pins, just a hard-fought match. An improvement on his loss in the finals last year. All Ohle had wanted to do was return to the competition, but this time win it. In the other room, back on mat two, Bamford had thrown his best arm-bar (locking his opponent’s arm so he’s immobile) by far. He had his opponent pinned with his arm popping before the referees could declare him winner. The match only lasted about 30 seconds, and Bamford had accomplished what he had come to do. “I actually never submitted anyone with an arm-bar in a match,” Bamford said. “I was pretty pumped, I was screaming.”

Above: Freshman Mike Bamford competes in a match at the National Judo Competition. photo provided by Mike Bamford

Above: Bamford shows off his multiple National Judo Competition medals. photo by Neely Atha

HISTORIC JUDO EVENTS 1860

1882

Jigoro Kano is born

Created By Jigoro Kano

1964 Became an Olympic sport for men

1968 Olympic committee initially drops judo

1938

1956

Jigoro Kano dies at age 77

Above: Bamford poses in his match starting position.

World Judo Championships introduced

1988 Added as demonstration sport for women in Olympics

photo by Neely Atha

1992 Became an official Olympic sport for women

2012 Kayla Harrison wins first judo Olympic gold medal for USA

PHOTO ESSAY 32 Right: Senior Abigail Heying and Hannah Smith give flowers to their younger team mates. “We wanted to give our sisters something to hold onto after we left and the flowers were a way of incorporating them into our senior dance.” Heying said.

photo by Stefano Byer

Below: Britney Hinote leaps in sync with the varsity dance squad. “My favorite dance was Talking to the Moon because it was our last dance together and it was a way to incorporate Tyler,” Hinote said.

THE DANCE

FINAL After a year of hard work and success in competitions, the Lancer Dancers perform at their spring showcase. The night was full of excitement and tears as they shared their last moments dancing together.

photo by Jake Crandall

MISSY LINVILLE

GRACE CANTRIL

SENIOR PERFORMANCES

LILLY KAUFMAN

HANNAH SMITH

BRITNEY HINOTE

ABIGAIL HEYING