Issue 18 by The Harbinger

News page 2

Peace Jam

Peace Jam lends a hand Andrew Finnerty Online Editor As the war in Iraq rages on, many Iraqis have been left without basic humanitarian and hygiene supplies. To collect items for them, several Shawnee Mission East students organized the Peace Drive. The Peace Drive, sponsored by SM East’s Peace Jam and Amnesty International chapters, collected soap, toothpaste, shampoo and other hygiene items before and after school during the weeks of April 14 and April 7. The supplies will be given to the American Friends Service Comitte, which will distibute them in Iraq The Peace Drive collected over eight boxes of supplies. Many of the items donated were left over

from the Domincan Drive, while others were donated by Spanish teacher A n n H u n t’s students, who received extra credit for bringing them. Junior M i c a y a C l y m e r headed the Peace Drive. She heard about it from a friend in the AFSC and wanted to have one at SME. “I wanted to expand what Peace Jam does in the school. It’s always been limited to attending conferences and community service projects. We wanted to be more involved in current events,” Clymer said. She suggested having a Peace Drive at a Peace Jam meeting and the members of Peace Jam and Amnesty International decided to sponsor it. The administration agreed to let her put up tables in

the front hall and have announcements. Sophomore A n n a S t . L o u i s participated in the Peace Drive and helped to advertise it by putting up posters in the halls and manning the Peace Drive table. “[I partcipated] because I think it’s a good cause and if we are in Iraq for the reason of helping them, we should try to help them in every way we can,” she said. “We are trying to get kids to think about what’s going on today and especially with the war on Iraq. We chose the Iraq drive to unite, not divide, people,” Clymer said, adding that most students and teachers have been very supportive of the Peace Drive, even people who support the war.

Students collaborate to aid war victims

Items collected by Peace Drive: • soap

• hairbrushes

• shampoo

• combs

• toothpaste

• fingernail clippers

• toothbrushes

• Band-Aids

“We chose the Iraq drive to unite, not divide people.” junior Micaya Clymer

News

Prom giveaway package, physics grading policy

Preparing for Stephen McKim Staff Writer Senior M a t t C o l l i n s had a gut feeling that he was going to win this year's Prom Giveaway. Acting on his feeling, Collins decided to purchase candy from a STUCO rep, receiving a ticket for every piece of candy. Forty-five candy bars and $45 later, Collins won over $1200 worth of prizes in one of East's newest giveaways. This is the first year that East has given a package of prizes. The package, consisting of tickets for a dinner for two at Union Station, a custom photo session and portrait at Amy Bucher, and a boutonniere from Village Flower Company, caters to the needs of a couple going to a dance. During the weeks of March 25 through April 1 on the North Ramp and Spirit Circles, STUCO

page 3

PROM

representatives sold Necco and Nerds candies to students eager to have a chance to win the giveaway. Organized and led by Peggy Miller, the giveaway was a fundraiser for the PTA's after-grad dance. To make the prizes more appealing to the students, Miller contacted local merchants, including Village Flower Company and Kool Nites Limousine. Interested in the opportunity to attract future customers, the merchants donated each item. "All of the merchants are from Wornall and State Line," Miller said. "They have always wanted to get East people to know that they are there." Because merchants donated

the prizes, the fundraiser drew in over $400 that will be put to use funding for the after-grad dance. Since raffles are illegal in the state of Kansas, students purchased a piece of candy for $1 and received a free ticket. Students could buy as many pieces of candy they wanted because they were not limited to one ticket. Collins' strategy was to make a habit of buying five tickets a day, but not all of them at once. "I kind of knew from raffles that it is usually not a good idea to buy [the tickets] all at once," Collins said. "If you buy them sporadically, you have a better chance of winning because it spreads them out." According to senior Lee i g h

Giveaway Packages Guys Prom '03 & After Prom 2 Tickets = $45 Black Tie Tuxedo = $100 J.C.'s Haircut & Shave = $75 Village Flower Company Corsage $30 Kool Nites Limousine =$200 PIERPONTS DINNER FOR 2 = $100 Amy Bucher Photo Session/Portrait = $250

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TOTAL PACKAGE $705.00

TOTAL PACKAGE = $800 P o l f e r, the way she won was not buying a ticket at all. Instead, Polfer’s mother happen to see Miller selling candies at a basket ball game, and decided to buy five of them. One of those five tickets was a winner. “I was jumping up and down and so was my mom,” Polfer said. “My mom bought the tickets, and she had a feeling that she would win.

Despite the enthusiasm of the winners, the fundraiser was not as well known as Miller had hoped it would be. "We learned a lot from doing it, and the STUCO reps want to dot again next year and so do the merchants," Miller said. "We also want to do it earlier next year so students can use [the package] for WPA."

Change in physics grading policy didn’t solve problems continued from page 1 “There was a whole lot of cheating,” said fellow Thompson student N i c k V e d r o s. “The class was a lot of fun. There was a lot of disobedience, the perfect class environment for someone who come to school to have fun.” It was a different story for Urbanowski’s students, who seemed to feel slighted by the relative ease of Thompson’s class compared to theirs. “I feel like I’m working as hard as an honors (class),” Urbanowski student A b b y M a u r i n said. “I think his class is really challenging. I feel like I’m learning a lot.” “I thought it was too much

work for a regular class. It was unfair compared to Thompson’s,” junior D a n n y B r o z m a n said. “You have to try really hard in Urbanowski to get a B; you could do nothing in Thompson and get an A.” The changes made to bring continuity to the physics program may have had the opposite effect. “I think it only made it worse for Urbanowski kids,” Brozman said. “It made more work for Urbanowski and created a greater gap between classes because it made ‘Urbi’s’ even harder.” “It made our class that much easier,” Thompson student C o d y

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M a s s i e said. “The tests were the easiest part of his class, especially with all the cheating, and they became 50 percent of the grade.” Students weren’t the only ones having to cope with the changes. “Our class was designed to be heavily lab-based, but that got cut,” Urbanowski said. “I had a definite plan for going about things, and [changes were] a wrench in the works.” Urbanowski’s students also saw the alterations made to accommodate the new grading policy. “[Urbanowski] obviously put more emphasis on labs before the changes,” said Junior B r i a n

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S m i t h. “It took away some of what he wanted to teach and put it in the book.” Things are definitely going differently for Thompson’s former students with Oehme at the helm, starting with the move from chapter 23 to chapter 11. “I wanted to see how well they knew the material,” Oehme said. “My plans are to hit a few important points before they can move on…I’m real happy with the way they’ve responded.” The students too notice a marked difference in the way things are being done. “I’ve learned more in the last three weeks than I did in the first three

quarters with Jimmy (Thompson),” Massie said. More changes are in store for the East physics department, though. Due in large part to the events of this year, Urbanowski will be leaving East and the district to pursue his teaching career in Illinois. “People here are unwilling to accept that everyone isn’t going to get an A. People are getting lazy,” Urbanowski said. “The standards are getting lowered; C is no longer average. My experience here is that a great number of people are interested in what their score is rather than physics.”

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Features page 6

Video game team

Is it just a game? Three East students compete for fun and, oh yeah, cash too Paul Thompson staff writer There are clothes laying everywhere. Books have spilled out of a half open backpack lying on the floor. Empty soda cans line the room; the computer is on and is blaring gunfire as someone is incessantly playing their favorite game. So far, this scene could depict a huge number of East students.

Junior N i c k V e d r o s, however, has an excuse for his gaming. Vedros, along with junior T a z C a r p e r and senior G r e e r C a r p e r, is part of a competitive gaming team called Team Demise. The team plays a 12 vs. 12 version of the World War II battle game Battlefield 1942. The whole team practices together after school daily, mostly against other competitive teams. "I'd say we usually practice 4 hours a day," says

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est in gaming to his current success. "I've been playing in high pressure situations with Taz since 6th grade," says Vedros, "so it's a lot easier for me to handle pressure, even though I am playing a different game.” Team Demise is planning on entering into nationals for Battlefield, which is supposed to be played in late May at a currently undisclosed location. Vedros is hoping for good results

Vedros. The long hours in front of the computer have definitely paid off for the team. As Vedros says, "We can win prizes in tournaments, like computer gear or cash. We each pocketed over $150 at our last competition." The team is highly ranked worldwide, and Vedros is ranked as the #2 pilot out of the estimated 60,000 gamers. Vedros credits his early inter-

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at nationals, however he knows the competition will be fierce. Despite the high skill level, Vedros and the rest of team Demise know what must be done to win nationals. "To be good at Battlefield, you've really got to have a well thought out strategy, and basically just practice a lot." And it's practice in Battlefield, like in everything else, that still makes perfect.

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Five minute fIlm festival T he

Taking

audience shuffles into the Spirit Circle handing their tickets to the ushers. Soon after, they go straight to the concession stand while others plan wisely, quickly piling into the grand auditorium searching anxiously for a good seat. The auditorium fills up and the lights begin to dim, followed by low shushs and whispers. It’s now time for two hours of looking into high school stu-

Five Fourth annual film festival draws large crowds, praise

Cynthia Goldman staff artist

Features page 7 dents’ lives, five minutes at a time. “There was a good turn-out. Maybe 15 seats in the back weren’t filled.” sophomore E r i c a H u d s o n said. “I had heard about [the Five Minute Film Festival], but I hadn’t heard that it was such a big deal. It was packed.” This year’s Five Minute Film Festival was Hudson’s first time attending the annual event. Senior E m i l y L o w e helped with the festival last year under former Lancer S t e p h e n L i c h t y, creator of the Five Minute Festival. This year Lowe was given the position of organizing the film festival. According to Lowe, there was more diversity and humor in the festival’s videos this year as opposed to the majority of last year’s films that were dramatic, depressing and focused on death. Another major difference between this year’s and last year’s festival were the judges. “There were mixed feelings with last year’s professional judges, the festival is for the students so there should be more student opinions.” Lowe said. “They don’t focus on the film quality or camera angle as much but on the content and whether it’s appealing.”

Lowe presented the festival at the beginning and during intermission, contrary to last year’s comedic inbetween-film-acts by senior O w e n M o r r i s and former student J e a n n e Firth. “I was chosen to be host previously but I didn’t want to host this year so I judged,” Morris said. Morris, along with additional students from Shawnee Mission East, South and Northwest judged, for four hours, the 39 films entered and chose the top fifteen to be viewed in completion and then awarded the five best films. The top five winners received prize money ranging from $100 to $500 for first place. First place winner was SM East junior D a v i d R e e d e r with his movie, “Band Wars”, featuring a future international feud between school marching bands. Reeder was inspired to make this film one day during band while making fun of old football game movies with his friends and decided to do a similar film with marching bands. He started the film in October, and for the past two months he worked at least six hours a

day. On the opposite end of the spectrum senior J e r r y K o u k e l, one of the second place winners of the movie, “This Video Will Change Your Life,” claims the three directors spent one hour filming at a church auditorium and later edited the film for two to three hours. The movie never had a script and was entirely improvised. Both young film directors plan to continue to film in college. As for the money, Koukel isn’t sure what he’s going to do with the $133 that he received after splitting the prize money with the two other directors of his film. Reeder on the other hand does know where he’ll invest his $500. “I plan to buy a bunch of CDs; put money into the cost of the movie, which was $100; and a fund for a new cameras,” Reeder said. All students were very enthusiastic about the Film Festival and believe the festival keeps getting better and better. “I’m definitely going next year,” Hudson said, “It’s very creative with different perspectives” “The winners were especially fantastic.”

A &page E8

State Music

Singing for State

MAKING MUSIC: Top Left: Jill Meara listens to instructions for the performance, Bottom Left: Kasey Keller is happy with the successful performance and top ratings by the judges, Center: director Tracy Resseguie gives encouraging words to members of Choraliers preceding the performance, which resulted in a standing ovation, Right: Patrick Ketter warms up on the accompaniment for one of the possible songs Choraliers prepared for the festival. The song was not selected to be performed by the judges.

Different Strokes To students will go on to continue their dreams of drama after High School, but have two very different plans East has always had a good reputation in theater. There are good teachers, good students and good plays. For some students, theater is just a part of high school extracurricular. For some though, theater is going to be a career. Two of these students are B l y t h e G u m m i n g e r and P a r k e r R e y n o l d s, who have carefully planned out their new life paths. Parker Reynolds will start his next move by attending Cornell College in Iowa. Here he will major in theater. Cornell College is connected with Riverside Theater in Iowa, where he will have a chance to be in professional theater right after college. "It's a hit or miss situation when it comes to theater", says Reynolds. While he crosses his fingers for this chance in a lifetime, he has also worked very hard to rehearse and memorize monologues for an audition he was in, to be accepted to his college. For other theater students, college is not the next step. New York, New York is where Blythe Gumminger is heading. She is going to take her chances on Broadway. â&#x20AC;&#x153;New York is such a gamble. Although I don't plan on failure, but if so, I plan on going back to college and

Joanna Cross ciruculation manager

Drama Students Blythe Gumminger, and Parker Reynolds strive for the same goal of theatre fame, but are going in different directions. becoming a choir director. " says Gumminger. She acknowledges that while there are many opportunities, it's going to take effort and work to be on top. Little by little she plans to take small rolls in musicals, working her way up and up. This is a risk she is still willing to take however, for she anticipates that someday she will be able to tour with a traveling musical company. Right now, and over the summer before she leaves to set off on her dreams, Gumminger will be

working very hard. She's planning to start piano lessons, increase dance lessons and voice lessons. Passing up college, she will instead reach for her dreams with hope and confidence. Both Gumminger and Reynolds are working and will work hard to start are participating in a fundraiser to benefit ALS at Kauffman Stadium on April 19th. The two will be performing in a musical. This performance will be another step in reaching their goals.

A&E page 9

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Opinion

Thank you, Letters to Editor

page 10

letters to the editor

Peace movement defends democracy and right to dissent Senior Sam Stepp and junior Eliza Hornig respond to junior Brian Benge When reading Issue 17 of the Harbinger, I noticed B r i a n B e n g e’s letter about the situation in Iraq. In his letter, Benge stated many things that were offensive and over-simplified. Benge stated that those who oppose this war are “morons.” Those who support this war should know that protesters come from every walk of life. The list of “morons” who oppose this war includes the Pope, the National Council of Churches, and the Methodist denomination – the denomination to which President Bush belongs. If these esteemed human beings are “morons,” then I’m fearful as to what Benge would label the rest of us. I agree with Benge that the Iraqi leader is a tyrant. Saddam Hussein has been a brutal dictator since his ascension to power in the late 1970’s. However, let us not forget that Hussein was aided by the United States in his efforts to rule the nation of Iraq. The U.S. government has supplied his regime with weapons, financial aid, and chemicals. Our government also turned a blind eye when the tyrant gassed the Kurds in 1988. I would ask why supporters of “Iraqi Freedom” have not vocalized their disgust with Hussein until now. Also, why are they not in a rush to free all oppressed peoples? North Korea, Iran, and Saudi Arabia inflict terror on their citizens daily. North Korea has kicked out the UN Weapons Inspectors and restarted its nuclear weapons program. However, there’s been no strike on Pyongyang. And let’s not forget about Saudi Arabia. Women are treated worse in that country than in Iraq. 15 of 19 September 11 hijackers came from this Middle East nation. Guess how many of the terrorists were from Iraq? None. So how is it that we are “allies” with the Saudi despots who rule in Arabia? Maybe because they sell us cheap oil? Benge also wrote, “the First Amendment gives you the right to be ignorant.” I would disagree with him. Our Constitution gives the people of America the right to express their opinions publicly. That is why I also disagree with Benge when he says that

HARBINGER The Harbinger is a bi-weekly publication of Shawnee Mission East High School •7500 Mission Road • room 416 • Prairie Village, Kansas • 66208 • 913.993.6688 E d i t o r : David Lucas A s s i s t a n t E d i t o r s :Katie Whitson Andrew Wagner C o p y E d i t o r s : Courtney Condron Grant Calcara Katie Wiley Lindsey Melvin Dianne Smith Nate Milburn A r t a n d D e s i g n E d i t o r : Annie Harrigan A s s i s t a n t A r t a n d D e s i g n E d i t o r : Matt Goehausen

peace protesters are “anti-American.” I feel that by utilizing the rights that the founding fathers gave us, protesters are the ultimate patriots. I find it hard to identify with Benge when he calls American citizens “total morons,” and states that speakers at protests were “appearing to be in weed-induced comas.” Not only is a “weed induced coma” physically impossible, but it would seem highly unlikely that a comatose person would be able to address a group of people. A large portion of Benge’s article was based on a conversation he listened to on a Florida radio program. Benge heard the remarks of just one girl who opposed the war. People need to know that not all members of the Peace Movement hold the same mindset as one person. That is the equivalent of labeling Fred Phelps’ views as representative of all Christians. I would encourage all who are undecided on this issue to seek information from an eclectic set of resources before placing judgment n a large group of human beings. Theodore Roosevelt stated, “To announce that there must be no criticism of the president, or that we are to stand by the president right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American public.” I agree with President Roosevelt and believe that those who have the courage to express their beliefs publicly are doing their duty to America. So when Benge asks that members of the Peace Movement “do us all a favor and pack up your white flag and your beret and take the next flight out of here to Paris,” I’ll politely refuse the invitation. I’m proud to be an American. Instead, I would suggest that Benge grab a flag, get to the nearest street corner, and participate in the democratic process that we all hold in high regard. S a m S t e p p, senior

Online Editor and Computer Manager: Andrew Finnerty P h o t o E d i t o r : P a t t y Morrisey A d v e r t i s i n g a n d B u s i n e s s M a n a g e r : Katie Wiley E d i t o r i a l S e c t i o n E d i t o r : Ben Proffer O p i n i o n S e c t i o n E d i t o r : Dianne Smith N e w s S e c t i o n E d i t o r : Libby Nelson F e a t u r e s S e c t i o n E d i t o r : Alex Abnos S p o r t s S e c t i o n E d i t o r : Jimmy Sevcik Arts and Entertainment Section Editor: Libby Brickson P h o t o E s s a y P a g e E d i t o r : Tierney Weed S p e c i a l S e c t i o n E d i t o r : Holly Garringer C i r c u l a t i o n M a n a g e r : Anne Steadman Exchange/Subscription Managers: Gordon Culver Joanna Cross R o a m i n g P a g e E d i t o r s : Patrick Ryan Kevin Bever David Vranicar

I am writing in response to B r i a n B e n g e ’ s editorial concerning the current war in Iraq. The arguments for and against American involvement in war have become almost hackneyed in their reiteration; nonetheless, the topic remains sensitive and potentially divisive. It is essential that the argument continue. I speak in defense of the right to argue: there is a great danger in crying “anti-American” in the face of a dissenting opinion. Like many, I possess fears without concrete solutions. I worry about how the war will affect the world’s attitude toward the United States, and I fear that embracing what the world views as a unilateralist policy will ultimately prove to be unhealthy for our country and for the world community. Above all, I question whether our involvement will spur positive change in the Middle East. I am aware that worry without action is unappealing to many—particularly those who have clamored for war—but I believe that airing such concerns is a crucial aspect of democracy. Through voting, we are invested in our government, and it is important that we hold it accountable by maintaining a certain skepticism to check the validity of its actions: in doing so, we make sure that the actions of the government remain in line with the needs of the people. Dissent is not destructive—it is essential. It only serves to enforce a nation’s vitality. Shipping the vocal opponent to Paris may certainly sound appealing (to either faction), but silencing the opposition only weakens us as a country. We grow from the new ideas generated by conflicting opinions. The debate must thrive, but it is best furthered when it is respectful and knowledgeable on both sides. Though the debater has a right to choose to use inflammatory terms such as “moronic” and “communist,” such terms do not strike me as effective in generating a productive debate. I am certain that the debate will continue as events unfold in Iraq, and I hope that all will participate, perhaps even with an open but discerning mind. E l i z a H o r n i g, junior

thank you Dear Lancer students, parents, and faculty, I would like to extend a sincere thank-you to all for the many efforts to make Jake’s life more meaningful and enjoyable during his illness, and to help ease the pain my family felt after losing him. The many ways students showed him that he was not forgotten, even though not at school, helped him to maintain a positive attitude of hope and belonging, even with his failing health. The generosity of so many after his death has eased the hardship of medical bills, funeral, and travel expenses for his burial. We will never forget the kindness of the Shawnee Mission East community. I thank you for honoring his life by attending the services, and I will cherish the kind words so many expressed in cards and poems given to me. Sincerely, Marlene Shepard & Tim

Ben Huntley C o n t e s t C o o r d i n a t o r : Dianne Smith S t a f f W r i t e r s : Andy Heintz Joe West Stephen McKim Paul Thompson Elizabeth Tschudy S t a f f A r t i s t s : Ben Huntley Cynthia Goldman Tom Woodward Barrett Emke S t a f f P h o t o g r a p h e r s : Meg Stewart Tierney Weed Joanna Cross Pat Menihan E d i t o r i a l B o a r d : David Lucas, Katie Whitson, Andrew Wagner, Ben Proffer, Andrew Finnerty, Annie Harrigan, Ben Huntley, Alex Abnos, Anne Steadman, Katie Wiley

Mission Statement: The mission of The Harbinger is to entertain, enlighten and above all educate readers about SM East, the community, the nation, and the world. It seeks to be a forum for student opinion and knowledge. The Harbinger is not an expression of the Shawnee Mission District. All content is the responsibility of the student staff.

Letters & Columns: Looking for a forum to voice opinions? If something in this issue of The Harbinger sparks an interest or if there is some pressing issue that needs to be investigated, please respond. The Harbinger welcomes guest columns and letters to the editor. All editorials are subject to editing, and publication of any letters is left to the editor’s discretion. Please submit letters to The Harbinger in Room 416 or send pieces to eatate@smsd.org.

Opinion page 11

North Korea, Eastonian Now that the United States is set to begin its slow withdrawal of forces from Iraq, the nations administration is slowly shifting its attention to a short list of Tom Woodward other problems. North staff artist K o r e a ' s nuclear weaponry is rightfully atop this list. North Korea is currently under a dictatorship led by Kim Jong Il, who is the son of previous dictator Kim Il Sung. The nation is fed an inadequate amount of food and the majority of that inadequate amount comes from foreign aid. Despite not having the financial ability to help feed its people, North Korea is home to one of the world's largest standing armies, which masses over 1.1 million and is under constant expansion. The nation alarmed the international community by pulling out of the NPT, a treaty that disallows nuclear production by those who agree to it (Israel, Pakistan, and India are a few nations who never signed on.). Promptly, North Korea answered the question as to whether they would begin nuclear production, doing so without any attempt to hide it. One of the main questions that comes to mind regarding their nuclear production is, why? And that is a good question to ask. Speculation exists that the motive was to blackmail countries for aid with the use of force, but this does not seem to be entirely the case. Kim Jong Il is very candid about his hate for America and its, as he states its imperialist actions. North Korea's motives are further displayed through its national media, which normally uses the phrase 'kingpin of state terrorism'

along side America. Despite recently agreeing to begin talks in Beijing with America about stopping its nuclear production, North Korea's national media source still paints a different picture for its people, making them seem like they have a desire to challenge America, and Kim Jong Il stills

who have researched the situation have assessed this situation as being somewhat more urgent than Iraq. Despite the unsettling fears about what is going on in North Korea, it is a 'must-know' for American citizens at this point, as military interests in America may be best served to act in some-

with burnt out cars that still contain their final passengers. Citizens of Iraq see this daily; this is their first impression of liberation. Our current plan of attack for North Korea is to be commended. North Korea began its talks with the U.S. after the major operations in Iraq had been finished, and I think it's no coincidence at all. The goal of the talks that will take place is to peacefully end North Korea's nuclear ambitions and eventually disarm. The talks will slowly become regionalized and bring in nations like Japan, S o u t h Korea, and China. The United States would be well suggested to step back form the action once the talks get rolling, but still stand behind the nations it brought in. Our nation should bring in the intimidation factor that is needed to show this military dictatorship that a conflict would not be in their best interest. The United States gave North Korea an eyeful of what has become perhaps the most effective military the world has ever seen (although not effective enough to avoid civilians deaths), and I think that could be enough. I hope that before we consider we the use of military force against North Korea, we finish what was promised in Iraq, liberation from cruelty and oppression, and not just leave having only introduced anarchy. I also hope that we can somehow end this conflict with North Korea diplomatically and move one small step towards a goal of world peace, rather than perpetuating the current world trend of moving against progress.

Iraq and North Korea: Kim Jong Il

linoleum cut by Tom Woodward seems like his main ambition is none other than to successfully do so. Until the State of the Union Address, when George Bush categorized North Korea as being part of the shrinking “axis of evil,” the majority of America did not know about North Korea. Furthermore, many Americans still do not know about North Korea because of the dominating effect military action in Iraq over our media. Those

Military success should function as diplomatic pressure way shape or form against the North Korean status quo; diplomatic pressure and not military action being the most effective in my mind. The world was 'shock'ed and 'awe'd throughout the U.S. led coalition's invasion of Iraq. The United States brought military strategy and technology to a whole new level, using the threat of the 21,000 pound MOAB, the largest conventional, nonnuclear bomb ever, and using missiles that could take 90 degree turns to maneuver the streets of Baghdad, an improvement of the ‘daisy cutter’ bunker buster that was used to blow craters as deep as 60 feet. The war caused a low number of casualties when compared with other wars in history, but in my mind any civilian deaths would be too many. The images we see on CNN are not the images and pictures seen everyday in Iraq. Images of looters and martial law ruling the streets, merchants protecting their shops with their lives, and curbsides lined

Underground paper merely an outlet for teenage humor When Americans sing “let freedom ring,” they aren’t kidding. The United States was built on the concept of total freedom. We make use of a liberal constitution filled with laws that help keep our country free, including the First Amendment, which specifically gives us a wonderful opportunity to say what what we want and express ourselves comPat Ryan pletely. This applies to the freedom of page editor the press as well. For many years, SM East students have written student publications. The Harbinger is filled with legitimate school news and events. It is the kind of paper that students and parents alike can read and enjoy. There are other student publications, however, that aren’t so universally positive. Namely, the Eastonian. In this publication, a small group of students express their opinions about the more risque elements of high school life. Profanity, drug use, and sexual activity are all topics that flow freely from the Eastonian. Knowing this brings about a few points that I feel I must express: the Eastonian can be offensive, it can sometimes be hilarious and it’s a crucial part of our student body. Yes, it is important to have an underground paper. It’s

vital to have an uncensored point of view reaching a large number of people. Neglecting subjects like teen alcoholism and sexuality is a means of hiding the reality of high school. But after a point, does the publication gets too profane and offensive? And if it does, should the writers reassess the purpose of the underground publication? Junior K a t e F u h r m a n doesn’t think so. “It’s all fun and games,” Fuhrman said. “It’s only offensive to people that are babies about it. There really shouldn’t need to be any limit because no one takes it seriously. It simply exaggerates your faults.” Senior T y l e r J o h n s o n likes the Eastonian because “it puts some fun into high school”. If Johnson is correct, then this Saturday Night Live-esque publication is simply a means of teenage humor. It can be

hurtful and offensive, but then again, you don’t see G e o r g e W . B u s h calling Saturday Night Live and telling them to leave him alone. Yes, the Eastonian does contain libel and it is , indeed, inappropriate. But it does contain true uncencored commentary, which brings me to my next point. The administration can not be able to ban the papers. That is a direct violation of students’ rights. They can disagree with the point of view of the Eastonian all they want, but technically, they can notand should not do anything about it. According to the school rules, underground papers are subject to restrictions in order to “protect social order, morality, and harassment”. High School students are at the peak of their testosterone eruptions, but they also possess a degree of maturity. The next time the Eastonian causes the social order of Shawnee Mission East to turn into anarchy, give me a ring. The Eastonian is a tabloid and is meant to be a dirty, uncut, harsh, but altogether true publication.

art by Barrett Emke

Opinion

thank you, get to wark, ideals

page 12

Thanks for all the Moments Choir travels through mountains to make memories We jumped. We cheered. We hugged. We danced. The three tall trophies we Lindsey Melvin held high in the air copy editor jumped along with us. The other choirs stared with jealousy., and for a while I forgot that it was cold. While the snow came down, I only thought, “we are here, we won, and we did it together.” The Choraliers have done a lot together this year. From singing for the governor in January to getting a standing ovation at the District Choir Festival, our choir has had reason to feel proud wearing the blue and white robes. That’s why when the opportunity arose to compete in Winter Park, Colorado at the skiMusic Festival, we jumped on board…literally. One hundred and five of the Choraliers boarded two coach buses on Thursday, April 3at at 8 pm. For ten hours we tried in vain to find the most comfortable sleeping position without encroaching on our seatmate’s territory. We arrived grumpy and disheveled in Littleton, CO at 6 the next morning, which was spent rehearsing in a small church. We closed our eyes during “Alleluia” to really feel the music and to become part of it. As I stood on the risers in front of the judges I wondered what they were thinking. I wondered how they felt judging a choir with so many of us up there, holding hands. We sang, and in what felt like an instant, we were walking out. I could see one judge saying, “that was good.” But since we were up against choirs from Missouri, Kansas, Florida, Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, Texas and all over the country, we had no idea who would win. Saturday we spent the day either hit-

ting the slopes or hitting about every tshirt store in town. Saturday night we would find out who won at the street dance held outdoors. I wasn’t really fond of the idea of spending a couple hours of my night in the cold, but now, I think it was the most memorable and truly exhilarating experience of the trip. It was snowing, and white Christmas lights were on all the stores. It made the atmosphere perfect. There was a huge platform with two torches on either side from which the announcers announced the awards. Shawnee Mission East Chamber Singers won best in class for the 5A school division. We screamed and jumped loud and proud. Then, to announce best in class for large mixed

choir, they played the most climatic chord of “Elijah Rock.” We went wild. And for best overall choir…Shawnee Mission East, once again. People that I didn’t think were emotional were jumping up and down, hugging their friends. That’s when I realized: this is the definition of “group effort” and this is what makes me proud to say I’m a Choralier from SM East, whether we win or not. I’ll never regret hopping on that bus and taking the trip. I’ll never regret attending the snowy street dance. Because as Mr. Resseguie would say, we had “a moment,” and what a moment it was.

staff editorial

Liberation or Reconstruction?

Don’t lose sight of American ideals in the heat of battle As dozens of Iraqis celebrate American victory in Baghdad and television stations declare the conflict stage of the war over, the world turns its thoughts towards the reconstruction of a war-torn, impoverished nation scarred not only by the effects of heavy bombing and an oppressive regime, but also by a brewing civil strife between the ever-warring Sunnis, Shiites, and Kurds. The decisions made in the next few weeks will be the most important and lasting changes made for the people of Iraq. It will be crucial for Americans to be aware of what is happening in Iraq so that a true democracy may exist. Thus far, things have not been democratic or fully successful. But to gauge success, a re-examination of our goals is necessary. The two main objectives of the United States were first to destroy Saddam Hussein’s weapons of mass destruction, and second to liberate the people of Iraq and plant in the country the seeds of democracy. In regard to the first objective, we have at this point failed. Even if weapons of mass destruction are found, it is clear that the thousands of gallons of nerve gas, anthrax, and other chemical weapons President Bush accused Hussein of possessing have not been found, and never will. The media spin has focused recently on liberating Iraqis and not on the removal of chemical weapons; the administration is presumably interest-

ed in keeping it this way and avoiding embarrassment. News stations showed video of the people of Baghdad toppling statues of Hussein, but wide angle shots of the center of the city revealed little more than one hundred citizens involved in the festival, and most living in the city appear to be hiding in fear or engaged in the looting of the unprotected treasures, artifacts and resources of Iraq. Not to be misleading, however, because the US military has been protecting the oil resources – the first building to have marine protection in Baghdad was the Ministry of Oil. But this war has not only been about oil. It is about oil, roads, water, telephones, hospitals, drugs and a variety of other projects that will need to be completed in Iraq in the next few months or years. It will be important that democracy wins in Iraq and a free market created, one that would not favor American companies over competing international corporations. While it is acceptable that the United States create the ability to recoup some of the war costs incurred, it is unacceptable to do so at the expense of freedom or democracy. The hope is that American values and ideals win out over profits, salaries and the financial interests of American citizens. Any other outcome would be unfortunate, for Iraq, for the Middle East and for the World.

Get off the couch and do something, if it’s not too late. School: The Final Frontier. These are the voyages of an editor-in-chief, his continuDave Lucas ing mission: to get a life and editor deal with frustration. To tell people when they are wrong. To meekly go where others aare scared to go. That’s just what I want to do today. I like stepping on toes, as long as they don’t belong to someone bigger than me. The topic for the day is laziness and procrastination, better known by it’s technical term senioritis. If you are not a senior, don’t stop reading; some of the worst cases of senioritis take hold late junior year. You may feel hopeless. You might believe yourself the only terminal senioritis victim. But with a balanced diet, four backups for your morning alarm and a little personal fortitude, we can all overcome the symptoms and avoid the permanent vegatative state. I myself have been there. Everyday becomes another pile of dirt as you dig yourself deeper on the way to complete and utter uselessness. Some teachers even expect this behavior and put up with it, which only encourages us, but we can’t take all of our motivation from external influence. It’s time we were men...err...people. I have found that if one is willing to work hard as a senior, it is easy to rise to the top, as the competition is purposely strangling itself. My friends, this is the time to boost your selfesteem. You can do the bare minimum and still be miles ahead of your friends, except for that small percentage of students that faithfully spoils any chance of a curve. I myself have let the ball drop on several occasions, but I finally realized that there are still important things to be done senior year. I get upset when other people don’t come through with things I am expecting, so I should return that same courtesy and complete whatever is needed of me. Now I am the first one to admit to procrastination. I have chosen to go to bed under the pretense that I will get up at four in the morning to finish homework. It really doesn’t work, because once my bed has me, it rarely lets me go. So basically, I have decided to be responsible again. I started using a planner. Even this had difficulties. I had to put my money and driver’s license into my planner to ensure that it ia always with me. Now I always know what’s going on--well, most of the time at least. I turn in assignments, and I strive to make sure people can always depend on me. If I was alone, if other people were not impacted by my actions, I could afford to stop working and coast until the end of the year. I am glad that I have reasons to keep going; it makes these last weeks of high school more bearable. I enjoy the teachers who take it easy on homework these days, but I am not upset with the teachers who continue to demand effort every day. In some sick and twisted way, I am grateful to them. They help me to expect more of myself. But don’t tell them I said that; I still enjoy complaining whenever I feel particularly abused. So consider this a pep rally. Keep working even when there seems no reason to. Take pride in your effort. You can also take pride in the fact that you read to the end of my column. That in itself shows that you have a little determination left. Yeah. Build on that.

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