SI CSSI?EFASLOOHCSSI?EFASLOOHCSHOOLSAFE?ISSCHOOLSAFE?ISSCHOOL?TXSSAFE?ISSCHOOLSAFE?ISSCHOOLSAFE?ISSCHOOLSAFE?ISSCHOOLSAFE?INEXT?AREWENEXT?AREWENEA?TXENEWERAREWENEXT?ARE765 7 6 5TARGETED8 . the harbinger. SHAWNEE MISSION EAST 7500 MISSION ROAD PRAIRIE VILLAGE, KS 66208 SEPTEMBER 06, VOLUME2022LXVISSUE1 After recent school shootings, East’s increased security measures prompt conversations about the policies’ effectiveness and frustration that schools are changing instead of gun laws SPECIAL SECTION EDITORIAL ARMING TEACHERS? 16-17 NEWS-FEATURE SAFETY CHANGES ALT-COPY GUN CONTROL FOLLOW UP STORIES COMING ONLINE 3 32
INSIDE COVER02 THE HARBINGER publication by PRINT EDITORS Peyton StamatiFrancescaMoore ONLINE EDITORS Lyda Cosgrove Kate Heitmann ASST. EDITORSPRINT Greyson Imm Katie Murphy ASST. EDITORONLINE Maggie Kissick ONLINE MANAGERPOST Aanya Bansal HEAD EDITORSCOPY Caroline Gould Caroline Wood ASST. HEAD COPY EDITOR Greyson Imm DESIGN EDITORS Nora Lynn Anna Mitchell ASST. EDITORDESIGN Bridget Connelly ASST. ART EDITOR Marissa Liberda PHOTO EDITORS Rachel Bingham Hadley Chapman Macy Crosser ASST. EDITORSPHOTO Liv ElleRileyMaddenScottSiegel VIDEO EDITOR Abby Lee PODCAST EDITOR Emma Krause SOCIAL EDITORSMEDIA Mia PaigeVogelZadoo ASST. MEDIASOCIALEDITOR Bridget Connelly SECTION EDITORS PRINT NEWS Avery Anderson ONLINE NEWS Tristan Chabanis ONLINE SPORTS Christian Gooley PRINT FEATURES Addie Moore ONLINE FEATURES Ben Bradley EDITORIAL Sophie Lindberg ONLINE OPINION WinfreyEmmerson VIDEO EDITOR Abby Lee COPY EDITOR Hassan Sufi STAFF WRITERS David Allegri Isabel Baldassaro Luke AdaLucyConnorGracieLilyMaryMaggieLarkinBeilBrundigeCondonGagenSimmonsTakacsVogelWolfLillie Worthington PAGE DESIGNERS Afa KaiVeronicaMaggieOliviaElleGraceAvaAdyaSofiaAkwanaBladesBurdickCooperDemetriouGedmanHawleyKlumppMangineMcphail STAFF ARTISTS Sofia Blades Madi Maupin PHOTO MENTORS Riley Eck Julia EmilyCarolineClaireFillmoreGoettschMartucciPollock Mason Sajna PHOTOGRAPHERSSTAFF Kate AmelieMJLiliSeriMasonJillEllaTristenClaraMollyJuliaCharlotteSabrinaAudreyLydiaBeaulieuCoeCondonDeanEmleyFillmoreMillerPetersPorterRalstonRiceSajnaSteinbrecherVotteroWolfWong MEDIAPHOTOSSTORIES smeharbinger.net political cartoon The Harbinger SM East HarbingersmeharbingerSME Harbinger design by katie murphy cover design by francesca stamati SCAN ME VIDEO A Carolinepublicationfeaturesshowingto-Harbingerwelcome-back-50-second,clipsomeofthebyGould An opinion on Andrew Tate, a review of Payless Bin and more An byfromvarsityreelInstagrampreviewingfallsportsmediadayAbbyLee art by marissa liberda TOP Check out a gallery of the August band car wash online. photo by I tristen porter BOTTOM Visit the website to see a gallery of the JV boys soccer game againstMissionShawneeWest photo by I amelie wong
Currently, no East teachers have permission to carry from SMSD. However, school employees in Kansas are legally allowed to carry guns with a concealed carry permit and specific permission from school authority, as outlined in Chapter 75 of the Kansas Statutes.
The Harbinger will not edit content thought letters may be edited for clarity, length or mechanics. Letters should be sent to room 413B or emailed to smeharbinger@gmail.com.
Instead of pointing to misleading evidence to justify giving East teachers glocks, let’s focus on upholding the new restricted access procedural changes enacted this year involving keeping exterior doors locked and speaking up when we hear warning signs of potential threats. If you hear anything about someone’s potential plans to cause harm at our school, report it on the anonymous hotline on the school MacBooks or to an SRO in-person. Walk those extra two minutes around to the main office when you’re late to school, instead of getting a friend to open a door locked under restricted access. That way, potential attackers can’t slip in through a casually propped-open entrance.Wealready have the setup, equipment and professionals to handle attacks, and the last step is to follow procedural changes that are designed to prevent shootings — it’s not to armLet’steachers.stick to securing who comes in and out of the building instead of giving algebra teachers handguns.
East teachers should not carry weapons to increase school security because of the policies and resources the school already has
Arming teachers could be a possible solution to prevent school shootings at schools in rural areas where the nearest police station is a dirt road and 30 minutes away, but East’s police station is only 800 feet away from our main office. Instead of the focus being on arming teachers, we need to divert attention and funding towards more necessary changes like gun control and providing emotional and social support at school to ensure threats don’t come from within the building. Plus, armed teachers wouldn’t have adequate training to bear the emotional toll of brandishing a deadly weapon. Eight hours of gun training won’t prepare a teacher to shoot a kid, especially a potential student of theirs. Even Meyer, who was a responder at the Highlands shooting, grimaces when recounting the experience of drawing his weapon on site of an elementary school. Teachers shouldn’t be expected to carry thatNotresponsibility.tomention, SMSD already purchased eight semi-automatic rifles for our SROs in 2015 — the necessary weapons to fight intruders are already in the hands of the people who are trained to operate them. We don’t need teachers with less training and a greater potential to mishandle a weapon carrying them too. However, some continue to argue that we do. A common argument in favor of arming teachers is that it has historically been 100% effective in preventing attacks, citing the zero cases of injuries and deaths from shootings at schools that let teachers carry guns between 2000 and 2018, from a study by Crime Prevention Center analyst John Lott.This initially shocking and pro-gunconvincing fact is debunked with a closer look at probabilities. Shootings have occurred at 0.1% of schools in the US, according to the Washington Post. Since 6.2% of teachers are willing to be armed, there is a less than 0.0062% chance that a shooting would occur at a school where teachers are armed, according to studies by the California Research Center — such a low chance that it would be surprising if an attack had occurred at a school where teachers are armed.
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The Harbinger is a student run publication. Published editorials express the views of the Harbinger staff. Signed columns published in the Harbinger express the writer’s personal opinion. The content and opinions of the Harbinger do not represent the student body, faculty, administration or Shawnee Mission School District. The Harbinger will not share any unpublished content, but quotes material may be con frmed with the sources. The Harbinger encourages letters to the editors, but reserves the right to reject them for reasons including but not limited to lack of space, multiple letters of the same topic and personal attacks contained in the letter.
FOR: 16 AGAINST: 0
TACTICALSTEACHERS
Report Bullying REPORTSUSPICIOUSACTIVITY How to gunpotential/activereportviolence 1) Click on the “report bullying” icon in your dock 2) Fill out the forum on the Sprigeo website in detail 3) Submit the report. An administrator will be contacted immediately design by sophie lindberg art by nora lynn EDITORIAL 03SEMPTEMBER 6, 2022 WITH ?
4 SECONDS — how long it would take for 11 armed and trained Prairie Village police officers to run to East in the event of an armed intruder. Not to mention the three armed SROs already in the building. 34 seconds that teachers should spend barricading their classroom doors and corralling students into a safe corner of the room — not fumbling with a padlocked cabinet to retrieve a handgun that they only trained with for eight hours. If an intruder with a gun came into East, on-site SROs Seth Meyer, Tony Woolen and Larry Fries would either be running to or already at the location of the threat in less than 34 seconds. Their 230 hours of training would have kicked in — they’ve run through scenarios of shooting while moving, around barricades, in low light, bright light, inside andAoutside.teacher weilding a gun at school with permission from SMSD and a concealed carry license (that can be earned with a mere eight hours of training) wouldn’t compare. Still, talk of arming teachers comes up in classrooms, faculty meetings and political campaigns after yet another year of nationwide gun violence.
The members of the editorial board who agree with the viewpoint of the editorial are represented by for, and those who disagree with the viewpoint are represented by against.
EASTLOCAL
There are no cuts for the Revue, and rehearsals only take up to 30 minutes after school. Sullivan rehearses 2-3 times a week on average but each student has different rehearsal schedules. This year’s revue will feature music from plays such as “Grease,” “The Sound of Music” and “Cinderella”.
Annual tuition at four nearby schools
THE COST OF EDUCATION
T HE 14TH ANNUAL Music Revue is coming up on Sept. 13 at 2:50 p.m. in the auditorium with the theme being “SME Musicals Throughout the Years”. Sophomore Gray Sullivan is performing at the Revue for the first time this year after being involved with the theater department last“Theyear.Musical Revue really showcases all of East’s talents,” Sullivan said. “It’s also a really great way to get exposed to the arts and support the school.”
T HE ADMINISTRATIONBIDEN passed a student loan forgiveness plan on Aug. 24 in hopes to make college more affordable after the forgive up to $10,000 of student loan debt to those whose income is less than $125,000 a year ($250,000 for a married couple) and up to $20,000 for those awarded a Pell Grant – a financial aid given to undergraduate students who display exceptional financial need. According to the White House, it will provide relief to up to 43 million people, targeting relief to low-and-middleincome borrowers.
NEWS04 THE HARBINGER design by avery anderson art by caroline gould EVOLUTION
The Music Revue began due to the SME theater being under construction No Music Revue was performedThe Music Revue was brought back and has been performed annually ever since2009 2010 *according to their school websites story by emmerson winfrey
It also proposes a plan to cut monthly payments for undergraduate loans in half. This would cap monthly payments for undergrad loans at 5% of the person’s discretionary income vs. the 10% that was required prior. The decision comes after student loans were paused for over two years due to WorldCOVID-19.Regional Studies teacher Shannon Nolan is especially grateful for the new plan as she and her fiancé have been working to pay off her fiancé’s $70,000 student loan debt. “[The student loan forgiveness plan] makes us more optimistic about starting a family, settling down in a house or buying a house,” Nolan said.
The plan also includes reducing the cost of college and keeping college prices more reasonable. Biden champions the largest financial aid increase in over a decade as well as making community college free. Along with the student loan forgiveness plan,n, Biden also announced he will be extending the current pause on loans to Dec. 31 with payments starting back up Jan. 1. Biden hopes this decision will help make post-high school education more affordable and give more people access to college,, according to the White House. $30,000
NATIONAL IN-STATE OUT-OF-STATE K-StateMUKUCU $11,000
$12,000$11,000 $30,000$28,000$12,000 $28,000
According to sophomore Hartley Graham,, the musical has a handful of new changes. One of the biggest ones is that there will be no opening number.
Senior Abby Whitehead is lifeguarding at the event for the first time this year. “It’s fun for people to see their dog swim and interact with other dogs,” Whitehead said. “Normally you would have to drive out to a lake to do that but it’s nearby and fun for people or families. It’s a really fun last pool day and a good way to spend one of the last days of summer.”
Thepandemic.planwill
T HE ANNUAL PRAIRIE Village Puppy Pool-ooza is happening Sept. 6. At the event, local dogs get to have the last swim in the pool before it is drained for the season. Their owners are not allowed to get in the pool during the Pool-ooza.Theevent runs from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. and is $5 per dog for entry. The event is cash only. Dogs under 25 pounds will be in the baby pool and dogs over 25 pounds will be in the leisure pool.
MUSIC REVUE’S 2008
Normally the revue opens with a number featuring everyone performing, but this year they’re cutting the number and starting the show with a solo. They have also removed the girls and boys number where all the girls and boys involved have their own group number during the show. Graham also said there are less people involved this year and a lot less freshmen in the production.
EASTLOCALNATIONALnews.
TEACHER SOMETIMES WE just stare at each other in disbelief at what we’re trying to deal with an other byproduct of the noise is that it disrupts your train of thought. So yeah, it affects me, it affects student’s ability to focus. SUSAN HALLSTROM Here’s the happening on what’s being worked on this week — and the noises you might hear WHAT’S GOING ON? continue addition exterior framing NAIL GUN POPPING continue roofing install AIR COMPRESSOR RUNNING continue sheathingexterior NAIL GUN POPPING prep and pour interior cast in place learning stair CONCRETE TRUCK BEEPING Students and staff struggle to adapt to constant construction noise NEWS 05SEPTEMBER 6, 2022 $4.6 NEED A REFRESH? million dollar budget THE ADDITION WILL FEATURE: galleryartcollaborativestudentspacesoutdoorworkingareaselevatoraccess STAY UPDATED Scan the QR code to view constructionweeklyupdates design by kate heitmann photo by kate beaulieu story by riley gaikowski
According to Hallstrom, Chemistry teacher Steve Appier— like many teachers near the new addition— has also been affected by the noise. “Sometimes we just stare at each other in disbelief at what we’re trying to deal with,” Hallstrom said. “Another byproduct of the noise is that it disrupts your train of thought. So yeah, it affects me, it affects student’s ability to focus.” Hallstrom hopes the construction will be worth the distraction it’s caused her and her somethingareconstructionit’sdistracting,”beThepulverizationwasloudesttime,”I’mwaystudentshallwaysmakingthethetheprovideteachersenvironmentclassnoisethearen’tsideroomsteachersPerestests.particularlystudentsfindHallstromnoise,Despitestudents.theextrateacherslikecanstillwaystohelpfocus,duringPrincipalJasonsaidthehaveontheotherofthehallthatexperiencingsamelevelofpollution.Ifaneedsaquietfortesting,canswitchroomstothatfortheirstudents.Noiseisn’ttheonlywaythatconstructionhasdisruptedschool.AccordingtoBasta,Northrampissmaller,thealreadycrowdedevenharderfortogetthroughontheirtoclass.“TherampsarechaoswhentryingtogettoclassonBastasaid.AccordingtoPeres,thepartoftheconstructionlastyear,duringtheoftheconcrete.newadditionisexpectedtofinishedbywinterbreak.“Sure,theconstructionisBastasaid.“Butnousebeingmadattheworkerswhojustdoingtheirjob.It’sthathastohappen.”
Sophomore Adelaide Basta has been struggling to focus in her chemistry classroom, which is located right next to the construction.“I’llbeworking and then also hear drilling,” Basta said. “My brain will go ‘Oh, what’s that?’ and then I’ll look out the window and realize, ‘Oh, it’s the ifBastahearthatmethingtointerruptionanotherconstructioninstayinghasconstruction.’”Inthepast,Bastastruggledwithfocusedclass.Thenewaddslayerofshehasdealwith.“IthinkthethatcatchesoffguardisIusuallydon’tconstruction,”said.“UsuallyIhearapencildrop I can tune that out better because I’m used to hearing pencils scribbling or falling, but I’ve never had to learn with construction going on.” Students and teachers alike have had to deal with distractions from the construction. Chemistry teacher Susan Hallstrom is one of the teachers that has been most affected by the construction due to her proximity to the site. She’s taught during construction at other schools, but according to Hallstrom nothing has been louder than this. “Usually during the day, if it’s a non-assessment day, it’s not so bad,” Hallstrom said. “I have to yell in order to be heard much of the time and my throat hurts at the end of the day. The noise is especially noticeable in my room because my windows don’t shut.”
DISTRACTIONUNDER
T HE CONSTRUCTION ON East’s new addition off the North ramp has been distracting students and making it more difficult to focus in class.
Junior Cil Hoch is now more comfortable identifying as gender-fluid in school with the accessibility of a bathroom that doesn’t require them to fall under one of the new genders.
AST’S TWO GENDER-NEUTRAL bathrooms were completed shortly before the first day of school, and have since received differing reactions from students and teachers.Theplan for the privacy bathrooms — as well as additional seating areas in place of lockers and collaborative spaces — was passed in Oct. 2020 as part of a $264 million bond issued by SMSD to schools around the district. $4.5 million was allocated to East for the renovation. Currently, the building addition and locker replacement are still underLocatedconstruction.onthesouth ramp and fourth floor, the bathrooms are made up of eight stalls and eight sinks open to the hallway without a dividing wall. The team of architects, interior design firm, district facility staff and The East Renovations Committee — a board of teachers and administrators — determined that individual privacy toilets would be more financially and spatially worthwhile than single occupant toilet rooms after considering cost, location, safety and security.While students like the idea of the inclusive and accessible gender-neutral bathrooms, the majority feel that the lack of a wall or door in front of the stalls is awkward and uncomfortable, according to six responses on an open-ended Instagram poll. In another Instagram poll of 375 votes, 41% of students said they’ve used the gender neutral bathrooms, while only 18% said they prefer using them over the older, gender binary bathrooms.
“I just said, ‘OK,’ but I’m not going to ask if I need to use the bathrooms,” Gilman said. “I’m going to use the ones that I want to use. This is great because this is a step towards treating trans people like just normal people. They won’t have to have a conversation with someone to be able to use the bathrooms.”Gilmanbelieves that even though the bathrooms’ may feel awkward or too outin-the-open for some, it’s a great option for students who identify out of the gender binary or don’t feel comfortable using the restroom corresponding to their assigned gender. The only existing options before this year were one of two gender neutral bathrooms in the library or in the nurse’s office.
HAVE YOU USED THE NEW GENDER NEUTRAL RESTROOMS? YES NO59%41% *Instagram poll of 197 votes DO YOU PREFER TO USE THE NEW GENDER NEUTRAL BATHROOMS OVER THE OLD ONES? YES NO81%19% *Instagram poll of 189 votes BREAKDOWN GENDER NEUTRAL BATHROOM STALLS HAVE BEEN ADDED SMSD ALLOCATED $4.5 MILLION TO EAST FOR RENOVATIONS EACH NEW RESTROOM HAS... 8 WATER-EFFICIENT SINKS AND MIRROR COMBOS 8 STALLS WITH FLOORLENGTH PRIVACY DOORS BATHROOM Stats breakdown for East’s new gender neutral restrooms NEUTRALITY NUMBERS BYTHE East’s new gender neutral bathrooms elicit mixed reactions from the student body 2 ELKAY WATER FOUNTAINS 24 WHERE ARE THE NEW RESTROOMS AT EAST? AT THE BOTTOM OF THE SOUTH RAMP, SECOND FLOOR FOURTH FLOOR, SCIENCE WINGFIFTH BUSINESSLANGUAGEFLOOR,ANDWING NEWS06 THE HARBINGER design
photo by riley scott & amelie
wong
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“Not only is that a step that can be embarrassing or tedious, but if you have a class that isn’t on the fourth floor, not a lot of teachers [will] allow you to travel that long,” Hoch said. “So a lot of students were kind of forced to use a bathroom they weren’t comfortable with.”Though promoting inclusivity and accessibility for all students to use a bathroom regardless of gender identity, Gilman and Hoch have noticed an increased stigma around using the bathrooms. According to Hoch, there’s a sense of judgement of those who choose to use the restrooms, and Gilman has overheard hallway conversations referring to them as “the transgender bathrooms.”“Forsomething as universal as a bathroom to a lot of students, it doesn’t seem like a big change,” Hoch said. “But for the students who need it to feel comfortable, it is a huge change. Even if it’s a change you see as small or unimportant, please be aware that this is something big for other students.”
story by lyda cosgrove
SMSD’s Director of Facilities Tyler Cubb explained that the lack of a wall or door in front of the individual stalls was the most logistically simple and safe design chosen by the team. Single occupant bathrooms — like the ones existing in the library and nurse’s office — use more square footage and cost more to install, resulting in less fixtures available. The team decided it would be the safest design due to potential issues with solid walls and interior locking doors in emergency situations, as well as behavior issues. Before the gender neutral bathrooms were added, transgender students like junior Ben Gilman had to ask administrators for permission before using the bathroom opposite of their gender assigned at birth.
Though there are currently no plans to install more privacy restrooms at East, the rest of the bond plans to build privacy restrooms at each high school and middle school in the district in the upcoming years. by greyson imm
SUSAN LEONARD bridget connelly & larkin brunridge
NEWS 07SEPTEMBER 6, 2022 Places to find at home Covid-19 tests 1 Promote vaccinations 2 Support students and staff that chose to wear a mask 3 When students come back from COVID, they must be symptom free 4 Will work with the JCDHE regarding potential mitigation measures regarding the spread of COVID-19
The new recommendations are showing signs that SMSD, along with Johnson County as a whole, are slowly headed back to the way they were before COVID-19.
story by ben bradley ON
VICE PRINCIPAL IT’S NOT THAT COVID-19 is gone, in fact it’s kind of surging. But it’s not managing us anymore,managingwe’reit.
The updated recommendations for this school year include promoting vaccinations of students and staff and supporting those that choose to wear a mask, though it’s not required, according to an email from East Nurse Stephanie Ptacek containing the district’s new policies. Keeping the students who choose not to wear a mask in mind, the district is still prioritizing clean air ventilation and providing clean air scrubbers in the nurse’sSinceoffice.the Johnson County Health Department has chosen to not continue contact tracing through the county, East doesn’t have the authority to do so in the school. This means that students who come in contact with COVID-19 will not have to be quarantined or tested at all, while students with positive COVID-19 cases will still have to be isolated for the recommended five-day period. “I like to tell people COVID-19 is different from when it started,” Ptacek said. “We know more about how to treat it. We have people that are vaccinated. We have a greater herd immunity. It’s the pandemic lifestyle.” Another change that will be implemented is the loosening of limitations on student sections at sporting games and school events. East held its first real pep rally without COVID-19 restrictions since the 2020 school year on Aug. 11 for freshman orientation day. “It’s not that COVID-19 is gone,” Vice Principal Dr. Susan Leonard said. “In fact, it’s kind of surging. But it’s not managing us anymore, we’re managing it.” In previous years, pep rallies have gone from being non-existent, to separating students by grade level, to practicing social distancing. Now, they are a fullschool and mask-free event.
THE
The same will go for indoor games and student sections. Until mid-basketball season last year, fans and sideline players were required to wear masks.
Not only have student sections at games changed, but the recommendations for the teams have also been altered.
S MSD’s CO VID-19 POLICIES c continue to evolve and affect safety protocols, school events and sports teams after Johnson Country’s regulations expired in late June.
SMSD’S NEW PROTOCOLS Tips from www.smd.org on how to prevent getting COVID-19 COVID-19 regulations are more relaxed this school year on student sections, classrooms and extracurriculars STUDENT THOUGHTS East students’ opinions on the relaxed COVID-19 protocols $9.99 IN - STORE ONLINE COVIDtest.govfree TESTSWHERETOFIND AT HOMECOVID CVS RISE INCLUDESTESTEIGHT design by
In past years, if a player got COVID-19, they would have to be quarantined and all other players would have to test negative before they could return to practice or play in a game. This year, the rules will follow suit with normal school recommendations.“It’sjusta continuation of what it would be like in the classroom,” Athletic Director Ryan Johnson said. “If someone has COVID-19 then they can’t come to practice or compete in anyVarsitygames.”tennis player and junior Nora Friskel believes that the loosened COVID-19 policies are refreshing. “I support the changes because we are able to practice more,” Friskel said. “Also, now that there’s less COVID-19 policies, at the end of practice, the seniors bring us all together in a huddle and we cheer for East on three. It feels like more of a team.”
“If we have a surge in cases, we are not having to change everything we do,” Dr. Leonard said. “Only the person with COVID-19 is going to have to change what they do by quarantining.”
YES
*Instagram poll of 173 votes
A LOOK INTO Opinions on worldy topics
DO YOU THINK DANCE CLASSIFIES AS A SPORT? YES NO19%81% *Instagram poll of 382 votes DO YOU BELIEVE PEOPLE SETTLE FOR LESS BECAUSE OF A PRESSURE TO BE IN A RELATIONSHIP/FEAR OF BEING ALONE? YES NO20%80%
TRISTAN CHABANIS WRITER, SECTION EDITOR
opinion.
@nytopinion “HOW CAN THE C.D.C. regain the trust it lost during these past few years and ensure the country is better prepared for the next epidemic? ” WHAT IN THE WORLD ?
Follow the Harbinger on social media to participate in our polls @smeharbinger @smeharbinger @smeharbie “ASSIGNED SPOTS WERE just so much easier. They’ve said it’s more sustainable, but it’s not sustainable for students, it’s not consis tent at all which causes so much stress within students.“ “GOD I WISH I knew the answer to that question, I have a rough idea but, rough.”
DO YOU THINK PEOPLE RESELLING/HOARDING THRIFT STORE ITEMS IS AN ISSUE? NO56%44%
WHAT ARE YOU PLANS NEXT YEAR? o p inion. OPINION08 THE HARBINGER design by paige zadoo photos by charlotte emley & macy crosser HARD QUESTIONS BRYNN FITZGERALD SENIOR TOMMY MARX SENIOR Students and staffers of Harbinger answer “hard questions” 80% OF STUDENTS SUPPORT THE FORGIVENESS ISSUE 1 OPINIONS SOFIA BLADES ARTISTS & DESIGNER “I LIKE BEING ABLE TO get a new spot every day and have access to different spots, and I like being able to avoid parking in someone else’s spot or someone in mine. Opinions on a hot topic : Biden’s student debt forgiveness 60% OF EAST STUDENTS/ FAMILIES WILL BE AFFECTED BY THE FORGIVNESS WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON PARKING? @smeharbinger of students at publichavecollegesloans billions in loans forgiven Septembersince2021*according to Forbes.com *Instagram poll of 214 votes *Instagram poll of 178 votes $1.75 trillion total U.S. student debt 55% $1+ HOT TOPICS
*Instagram poll of 282 votes
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@MattRinaldiTX
“NIBBLING ON A croissant in France looking at the Eiffel Tower.”
“HARVARD HAS A $42 billion endowment. Yale’s is $31 billion. But Biden will tax drivers and plumbers to pay the student loans that built those empires.”
@Strandjunker “YOU KNOW WHAT was neither in Ashley Biden’s diary nor in Hillary Clinton’s emails or on Hunter Biden’s laptop? Tons of clas sifed and top secret documents. That was at Mar-A-Lago. ”
TAKE OUR POLLS
A S I’M GETTING my daily dose of teenage gossip, I often hear the phrase, “She could do so much better, why is she dating him?” Among my friends and peers, there’s always someone that doesn’t like their friend’s significant other. People tend to believe that people’s relationships aren’t really attracted to eachSoother.whydo we fall into the trap of settling for less? Anyone who has watched a lonely friend “fall in love” with a useless buffoon can relate to this finding: people settle or lower their standards in a relationship when they fear being alone, according to Live Science. It’s too often that I see someone accept a certain kind of treatment that others believe are crucial in a relationship — things like not spending time with your partner or not caring enough to listen to what they have to say. Humans don’t just desire social relationships for no reason. We actually require them for our physical and mental health, according to Psychology Today. That’s why one of the most common fears is ending up alone, especially when it comes to romantic relationships.
Idea of ending up alone instills enough fear into people to settle for less than they‘re worth story by marissa liberda design by kai mcphail art by caroline
Yes, accepting being alone can feel lousy — people are meant to connect — but rather than beating yourself up over it, use this time to get more involved in your own life. Take the time to self-reflect. If you’re constantly having doubts about your relationship and your feelings, or often feel like you’re settling, that’s a red flag.
gould OPINION 09SEPTEMBER 6, 2022 ALONE 40% OF 16-24 YEAR OLDS REPORTED OFTEN FEELING VERY LONELY * according to the BBC Loneliness Experiment 73% OF MARRIED PEOPLE FEEL THEY’VE SETTLED FOR LESS * according to Inquisitr YOU’RE NOT SOCIAL ARERELATIONSHIPSIMPORTANTTOBOTH PHYSICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH * according to Psychology Today
Here’s the truth: when you overcome your fear of being alone forever, you’re able to fully develop who you are. Instead of fear, you’ll bring purpose, passion and personality to your relationships.
The last contributor is social conditioning. We are raised on the idea of “soulmates” — when what we really need to worry about is becoming whole on our own. A soulmate is just a complement to an already full life. Worrying about ending up alone heightens your chances of actually ending up alone because of the law of attraction. Whatever you focus on, you get. If you’re consumed by fear of being alone, that negative energy will spill over into your relationships. You may throw yourself into a relationship even if it isn’t healthy. You’re also putting a lot of pressure on your partner, and when you bring this energy to relationships, they often don’t end well.
The iconic line, “We accept the love we think we deserve” from the book and film “Perks of Being a Wallflower” illustrates the poignant answer to why we pick people who make us feel disrespected. As teenagers, we dream of what our ideal partner will be like. As time progresses with failed relationships, heartbreak and disappointment, our standards change to fit our renewed expectations. Society expects us to believe that a happy life is spent with one lifelong partner. The hollow void of being single leaves immense pressure to find a significant other and settle down, causing people to lower their standards in concern of not finding someone to meet their high expectations. But when you compromise your values, you’re ultimately straying away from your personal happiness.
When people settle for someone less than they deserve, they lose their self respect and destroy their confidence, according to CBS news researcher Virginia Clark. Many people also suffer from a lack of self love, which traces back to their experiences growing up. They aren’t comfortable being alone because they don’t want to spend time with themselves. They may not like who they are or they may have a constant need for stimulation in order to avoid their own thoughts and feelings. According to tonyrobbins.com, there are three common contributors to the fear of being alone forever — our past, our self-esteem and our social conditioning. Another key cause in this fear in adults is from past abandonment or neglect by someone whose love they craved most as a child, causing them to think of being alone and unloved as the same.
SUPPORT
Just looking at a dancer’s schedule is a physical exertion. Here’s mine for reference:OnMonday, I have dance team from 1:50-3:30 p.m, plus studio dance from 5:30-7:30 p.m. Tuesday is studio dance from 6:30-8:30 p.m. Wednesday, I have dance team from 1:05-3:30 p.m. and studio dance again from 6:30-9:30 p.m. Thursday is dance team from 6 to 9 p.m. And so on.In total, I dance 21 hours and 40 minutes a week; 13 at my studio and 8 hours and 40 minutes for the dance team at East, plus four all-day competitions a year. If over 21 hours of commitment to one sport isn’t physical exertion and skill, I don’t know what is. Based on these facts alone, competition dance and dance team easily fall under the category of a sport. It should be considered a sport at AccordingEast. to the Kansas State High School Activities handbook, in order for a student to participate in a sport, they have to undergo a physical examination and be under 19 years old, in no “club” or sport competition team outside of school and a bona fide student. Football, cross country and five other sports have guidelines including a maximum of three-hour practices five days a week. When you flip the handbook to the “Spirit Groups” page, the only rules listed are the tumbling restrictions. Dance is seen as more of a “gray area” to KSHAA.
KSHAA’s rules for sports would completely alter the functions of a dance team. The rule stating that students can’t participate in club sports or competition teams outside of school would mean that dancers couldn’t attend their own personal studio classes, according to dance team coach Alexis “Bubba” Close. Dancers couldn’t get the appropriate training they need to succeed. KSHAA’s interpretation of a sport warps the actual definition with many layers of unnecessary rules. The rules concerning sports mention strength and conditions during practice, while dance just has a list of illegal tricks. These new rules that separate dance from every other sport have helped contribute to the comments I’ve heard throughout my dancing career. Every negative comment I’ve heard about dance has originated from this popular mis-definition of a sport: a game with a ball and a way to scoreSo,points.isdance a sport? If you’re talking about the definition stated in a dictionary then yes, but KSHAA’s interpretation of a “sport” would disagree. Dancers need the recognition that we deserve, but KSHAA is preventing that. Dance will always be deemed a “spirit group” as long as the “gray area” remains. This doesn’t mean we can’t increase student excitement about the dance team. Dancers cheer at football games and basketball games. We perform at their halftimes. We help promote games by wearing uniforms to school. So, return the favor by at the very least recognizing our team’s work as a sport. Dance should receive more recognition as an official sport due to the time and effort it takes.
T WAS THE first day of fourth grade. My teacher passed out worksheets containing the classic get-to-know-you survey: full name, favorite food, best summer memory. “What’s your favorite sport?” is the one that stuck out to me.Back then, I kicked soccer balls, dribbled basketballs and attended dance classes all at once. Contemplating the toughest decision a fourth grader can make, I scribbled “dance” in squiggly, crooked handwriting.Ihesitated before reading my response out loud, already imagining my classmates’ laughter. After all, the question “should dance be considered a sport” was a hot topic in grade school. But even today, I’m never surprised by the classic response:“Pfft, dance isn’t a sport!”After making the varsity dance team this year, the families of each dancer were invited to the fall sports parent meeting... for the first time ever. Is this a sign that East finally considers dance a sport? Were they right to extend the invitation, or should dance remain exclusively an art Let’sform?break down the meaning of a “sport.” Dictionary.com defines a sport as “an activity involving physical exertion and skill in which an individual or team competes against another or others for entertainment.”
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411 Calories 6 days a week 21 hours 319 days of dancing 13 years21 HOURS, 40 MINUTES A WEEK, 13 HOURS IN THE STUDIO 9 HOURS OF TEAM 311 DAYS OPINION10 THE HARBINGER design by christian gooley photos by mj wolf story by ada lillie worthington MY SPORT AFTER MAKING THE varsity dance team this year, the families of each dancer were invit ed to the fall sports parent meeting... for the frst time ever. Is this a sign that East fnally considers dance a sport?
TO THRIFT OR TO THRIFT HOWEVER, what shoppers don’t often realize is that most pieces available on
S IX HOURS AND 22 minutes. That’s how much screen time I accumulated on Poshmark this week. Don’t judge me. I needed new Lululemon shorts and who wants to pay the retail price of $68 when you could find an equal quality pair for $32? With the cost of everything from bread to gas rising, there’s even more motivation than usual to find everyday necessities at a lower cost — including clothes. In fact, it’s more crucial than ever to buy second hand in order to keep cloth ing in circulation and out of the landfills after hitting a high of 16 million tons of textile waste last year, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Sites such as Poshmark and Depop allow users to buy and resell used clothing. However, what shoppers don’t often realize is that most pieces available on those secondhand sites are courtesy of resellers — people who make a business by going to thrift stores and loading up carts with items to resell at a markup. If you’ve seen anything about resellers on TikTok, you can just picture them circling the Goodwill bins like vultures, snatching at designer la bels and leaving the place ran sacked. However, in reality, resellers aren’t straining thrift stores due to the never ending influx of clothing — they could fill every cart in the store and you’d barely notice a dent in the mer chandise. Additionally, resellers aren’t narrowing the se lection of clothing for those who rely on thrifting because they’re usually choosing items based on their vin tage or designer status, not their condition. Spending all day at the thrift shop, choosing designer or unique pieces, setting up pop-up events and curating a Depop profile is ultimate ly a beneficial and sustainable business, but is it necessary?Considering these resellers are simply taking clothes straight from Goodwill to Poshmark with the only difference being the increased price — sometimes claiming items as “rare” and marking them as double their original retail price — com pletely defeats the purpose of buying used. It’d be more practical for second hand shoppers to sort through the bins themselves and avoid the markups and carbon emissions that come with Resellersshipping.listingtheir finds at a markup is somewhat jus tifiable since they spent time sorting through the thrift bins for clothes, however shoppers don’t save time in the end due to bidding wars and duplicate items on the resale apps. Resale sites are becoming equally as crowded as the thrift store floors. Scrolling on Poshmark has become just as time consuming as flipping through the Savers racks.
NOT What did you see in thevintagepiece?It’s story by mia vogel It looks similar to somethingIown It’s anddifferentunique Does it resalehavevalue? Are you really gonnait?wearIs it better? No GetYesit! Yes getDon’tNoit! Get it! (BIN)EFICIAL A beginner’s guide to thrifting 1920 1989 THRIFT THROUGH THE AGES A timeline of significant events in thrifting history 1902 1995 getDon’tit! Goodwill opens for business The term “thrift store” is coined World Wide Web is invented eBay is founded and opens window for online resale *according to 202archive.journalism.wisc.edu design by sofia blades & lily simmons photo by claire goettsch OPINION 11SEPTEMBER 6, 2022 Shoppers should buy clothes from thrift stores instead of Poshmark and Depop
If shoppers were to just take a few hours out of their day to go hunt for unique pieces, they could cut out the mid dleman reseller, saving money and time in their shopping experience. And in case you were wondering — I found the same pair of Lulu shorts I bought on Poshmark for $36 plus $3.95 shipping for $15 at Plato’s Closet the next day. withtobusinesssecondhandthosesitesarecourtesyofresellers—peoplewhomakeabygoingthriftstoresandloadingupcartsitemstoresellatamarkup.
TOP LEFT SHARE chairs for Chance to Dance set OUT candy to attract students to sign up for their project through a QR code. photo by I macy crosser
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PHOTOSTORY12 THE HARBINGER
SHARE IS CARING CARING SHARE ING photo by I macy crosser
ABOVE Seniors Ike Sheets, Kate Beaulieu and Suzette Navarro play with a volleyball at their table for the Unified Teams project, which is a sports league for special needs students. photo by I macy crosser LEFT Junior Ginger Hawes holds out a QR code on her phone for a student to scan and join the Wayside Waifs SHARE project GroupMe. “We pulled up QR codes on our phones. We got a lot of people in our GroupMe this way,” Hawesdesignsaid.by hadley chapman
ABOVE Senior and SHARE Exec Evan Jantsch passes the microphone to a project chair to make an announcement to the gymnasium. “The most successful part of the care fair was the amount of volunteers that came to sign up for our projects”, said Jantsch. “We had a ton of new projects this year and we got a lot of kids signed up”. photo by I macy crosser
SHARE put on the annual Care Fair to encourage students to sign up for service activities
TOP RIGHT Sophomore Seri Steinbrecher receives a tattoo from junior Grace Milroy from the Brighton Gardens project at the sophomore session of the care fair. photo by I riley scott
Grace
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SENIOR
smehauberkseniorad@gmail.com(913)203-6173Hastestert
Catch up on what’s happening at East MEET THE TEACHER Mallory Lysaught starts her first year teaching orchesrta
ORCHESTRA?TEACHINGHOWLONGHAVE YOU PLAYED
“After seeing my high school orchestra pre form in third grade, I fell in love and started playing in fourth grade.”
TOP LEFT Junior Layla Ledford examines a snake during her environmental education class. photo by I macy crosser
BOTTOM LEFT Choir teacher Ken Foley instructs the class to make a correction to the previous song. photo by I lydia coe
“Other than violin, I enjoy playing either the cello or the fute. Cello is the easiest to teach.”
GINGER HAWES THIS WEEK IN PHOTOS
IF WE HAD OUR phones I feel like it would be total ly different and less fun. The best part was getting to know all of thesepeoplerandomI’venevermet.
SENIOR BRAYDEN REYNOLDS JUNIOR EVERYONE THERE is so nice and friendly. You can walk up to anyone and talk to them. We even stayed in these ladies homes and seemedtheysoex-citedtohaveus.
SAN FRANCISCO SENIOR WHEN YOU’RE in the city you see a lot of lessness.homeItwasreallycooltobeabletohelpallofthemandgivingthemthethingstheymayneed.
ADELAIDE ECTON HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN
JEANNE OZKAN SOPHOMORE IT REALLYWAS cool to be able to meet people from all over the world. After the 22 days, we have all become really close and still sometimes.talk
CAMPING MADE COOL Students take summer camp to the next level
WHAT’SINSTRUMENTS?YOURFAVORITE INSTRUMENT TO PLAY? “This is my frst full year teaching. I taught elementary orchestra in Topeka for a semester.”
MIDDLE Senior Ellison Holy works with clay in ceramics class to make a 6 inch by 6 inch 3D relief tile. photo by I caroline martucci RIGHT Senior Reece Birch prepairs a cup of coffee for a long line for studnets during seminar. photo by I liv madden
MINNESOTACOSTA RICAPERU
feature.
FEATURE14 THE HARBINGER design by addie moore
PLAYS FEEDBACK PROCESSCHRISTMASCAROL How Eliza receives feedback for the plays she writes CAROLCHRISTMAS ROOMATES BRIEF ROUND OF COMMENTS CONNECTING TO THE MATERIAL PLAYWRIGHT AND AUDIENCE ASK EACH OTHER QUESTIONS AUDIENCE GIVES CRITIQUES321 ROLE : FAN ROLE : CRATCHITBELINDA ROLE: JESSICA VANdesignDESSICAbymaggie kissick FEATURE 15SEPTEMBER 6, 2022 story by greyson imm
Freshman Eliza King pursues her passion for theater by continuing her acting at East and playwriting at The Coterie T HE PROMPT : WRITE a short scene, set in a bookstore, with mother and daughter characters and an additional externalFreshmanconflict.Eliza King picked up her pencil and got to work. In just under two hours, she had written seven pages outlining the complex lives and dynamic bond of protagonist Lindsay and her mother Sydney and their struggle of picking out a book for their uncle in the Reading Reptile bookstore. The scene was the final task of the playwriting class she took through the 2022 KC Fringe Festival and what got submitted as part of her application to the Coterie’s Young Playwrights Roundtable.“Ithink about dialogue and try to find the happy medium between what sounds natural and what conveys my point,” King said. “I also think about how to give each and every one of my characters a different set of values, different beliefs [and] different traits, because you want a well-rounded story to really have it all.” And that character building process is exactly what stood out to the playwright and facilitator Hollis Willhoit, who taught the Fringe Festival workshop — and it’s what ultimately convinced The Coterie’s Producing Artistic Director Jeff Church to invite King to The“ElizaRoundtable.was easily the strongest and most engaged writer in the room,” Willhoit said. “She approached each prompt with grace and excellence.”TheYoung Playwrights Roundtable is an invite-only playwriting club for high schoolers around the Kansas City metro area to develop their playwriting skills and seek feedback from their peers.“It was just expert how she blends her characters [into the script],” Church said. “It felt very authentic.” From her acceptance into The Roundtable to her numerous acting roles, King’s success in theatre early on in life isn’t just a coincidence — it’s a testament to her passion. For four years now, her summers have been spent at theatre camps, her weekends at auditions and her afterschool free time reading scripts and memorizing lines. King’s first theatre experience was in 2019 when her parents signed her up for a local Theatre For Young America’s summer camp. During the monthlong workshop, campers improvised and wrote their own play, learned theatre tech skills like setting up microphones and stage lights and performed the show at the end of the camp. She was hooked.“I think that there’s something about theatre that’s just opening up and trusting others with the vulnerability that is acting and I think that kind of stuck with me,” King said. Since then, King has acted in seven more productions with various companies and has begun writing plays herself — and now she gets to continue this passion through The Roundtable. A typical Roundtable meeting looks like the twenty-something members huddled in the house seats of the Coterie, listening to what project each member is currently working on and giving feedback on those production.Church describes the theater during Roundtable nights as a fun, collaborative environment. One aspect that makes it unique for the members is that, since the playwrights usually read a small section of their plays or screenplays at each session, the teens are always eager to hear the “next installment” of the works, as if they were watching an epic TV drama series.Outside the Coterie, King will continue auditioning for roles in local and school shows. Her most recent role is Tahani Al-Jamil in senior she used them to study the character she played. “With playing roles, you really have to be able to look into the character, and sometimes that means getting into the head of the writer and thinking about why they wrote it [that] way and what their intention was,” King said.Going into the future, Eliza wants to pursue both acting and playwriting through East theatre and The Coterie — her ultimate goal is to have her work performed onstage by a“Icast.would love to, at some point, have actors do some of what I’ve written,” King said. “And also [I want] to just be able to collaborate with others, and to be able to get other people’s opinions on what I write, which is why I’m excited about the Roundtable.”
ALL THE WRITE
OLIVE GOLDMAN ASSOCIATEPRINCIPAL
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Students have approached French and Spanish teacher Gina Halksworth to ask why teachers are now stationed in the hallways on each floor, questioning where students are going and if they have a pass. Halksworth explains that the new policies help many teachers — including herself — feel more secure. “I absolutely love it,” she said. “As a professional that [has lived] in a school building for her whole adult life, it makes me feel a lot safer because it’s a potentially threatening place. We’re not trying to punish the kids, we’re just trying to make sure that we know where [students are] headed.” Before implementing the policies, Associate Principal Susan Leonard and other administrators discussed the potential negative side effects, including the inconvenience and added anxiety. To maintain a sense of normalcy, SROs now wear polos and khakis instead of uniforms, according to SRO Tony Woollen. But they still carry glocks and body“It’scams.such a balancing act,” Leonard said. “I want people to feel safe. I want an open campus. I want us to enjoy coming and going, especially students at your age. Becoming responsible, part of that is freedom. But with freedom comes risks.” Students have complained to Leonard about walking from the junior lot to the front entrance due to side doors locking after 8 a.m. Almost daily, she speaks with students who propped entrances open — a mistake that allowed the Uvalde shooter inside the school. She understands their frustration, but believes the added precaution is worth the“I’veinconvenience.seenkids prop the doors and I think, of course nobody ever thinks [a shooting] is gonna happen here,” Leonard said. “But how would you feel if it happens at East and you watched that video later, and you see that perpetrator came through the door that you propped? It’s totally not worth it at that point.” East’s administration anticipated reactions of confusion and resistance to the tightened policies. In a speech to each grade level, Peres emphasized the importance of the safety procedures and encouraged students to follow them. Last school year, he visited each senior seminar class to discuss why leaving seminar unexcused was unacceptable. He felt the conversations were largely productive and students understood the need for change. “The last thing we want is for kids to feel like it’s a prison, because it’s not — it’s a public school,” Peres said. “But we have enacted security measures because we want to keep kids safe and because we live in a day and age where we have to do things like that. It’s unfortunate, but I prefer to err on the side of safety and that’s what we’re gonnaThoughdo.” some students and staff disagree on the policies’ effectiveness, the majority see a need for government intervention. In a poll of 301 students, 85% said that stricter gun laws would better reduce school shootings than school safetyEastpolicies.alumand former East Against Gun Violence president Emma Kate Squires believes that strengthening school protocols will not effectively prevent violence, since many shooters obtain guns from theirSquireshomes. was a freshman at a Colorado charter school when two students entered with handguns hidden in their guitar cases, resulting in one student’s death and eight injuries. Later, she found out one of the shooters stole the gun from his parents. She feels that the shooting — and hundreds of others — could’ve been avoided if there were stricter regulations on securing guns within a person’s house. East Against Gun Violence member and senior Delaney McDermed agrees. While she’s glad East is increasing security, she disagrees with the fact that schools are forced to change their rules instead of the government.
IT’S SUCH A balancing act. I want people to feel safe. I want an open cam pus. I want us to enjoy coming and going, ofresponsible,studentsespeciallyatyourage.Becomingpartthatisfreedom.Butwithfreedomcomesrisks.
Real change, she believes, requires government effort. “All this policy talk, I don’t even want to get into it,” Leonard said. “Bottom line is, kids in schools are getting shot. The ones that aren’t, their rights to freedom and moving about freely are being more and more limited because of that.”
SUSAN
SENIOR THEEXCITINGWHOLE thing about high school was that teachers are sup posed to trust you. Being able to come and go and regu late yourself and leave for seminar felt very freeing. Now, you can’t do that.
“It’s like telling someone to avoid harassment by wearing less sexual clothes — that should not be the solution to avoiding harassment,” McDermed said. “There’s a root cause, and we should be addressing that. We shouldn’t be addressing the surface issue. We definitely need stricter gun control.”Leonard also resents that schools must act alone to address shootings.
LEONARD story by francesca SHOOTER ACTIVE BY THE NUMBERS. Number *accordingshootingsofto LOCAL. IT’S Recent shootings the East area OE ENTERED OFFICE AND HANDGUNPOLYMER802PEOPLE. 12 MILES securityimpacttheandshootings,Followingteacherseffectivenessofmeasures
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T’S THE POP that gets her. When a classmate opens a bag of chips, junior Maddie Doyle flinches. The bang of a water bottle hitting the ground is even worse. It’s not because Doyle has sensitive ears. At school, she’s always on high alert. It’s hard not to be, she said, with gun violence on the rise and occurring at schools near East. On Aug. 30, Blue Valley Northwest went on lockdown after reports of two armed burglars hiding in the school, according to KMBC. An Olathe East student shot two school administrators in March. And 21 were killed at a Uvalde elementary school in May. Doyle fears East is next. In the wake of this violence, SMSD has tightened safety policies to prevent and defend against future attacks, but some students question whether the increased security is worth the inconvenience, loss of freedom and paranoia at school. “I think about it all the time,” Doyle said. “I should feel like, at least I’m at school and I’m protected, but I don’t feel protected.”Easthas strengthened security by locking all entrances during the school day, restricting who can enter the building and adding a hall monitoring period to each teacher’s schedule. Propping doors open, ordering food to school and walking the hallways without a pass are no longer safe, according to Principal Jason Peres. Some students feel fearful and frustrated by the atmosphere the new policies create. Doyle’s lunch conversations are consumed by complaints about wearing hallway passes and not being able to Doordash Panera to school. Many students feel they’re being punished for the shooters’ actions, she said. “It feels like we’re putting more blame on the students rather than caring for the students,” Doyle said. “Like it’s the students’ fault that this is happening.”Tosenior Olive Goldman, the changes are a reminder that a shooting could happen any moment. When a student reaches into their backpack, she tenses up. She fears getting a detention for letting a friend inside the school. While Goldman understands the need for safety measures, she regrets that they’ve made East a stricter place. “The whole exciting thing about high school was that teachers are supposed to trust you,” Goldman said. “Being able to come and go and regulate yourself and leave for seminar felt very freeing. Now, you can’t do that.” SMSD Director of Emergency Services and Chief of District Police Mark Schmidt, who supervises district security measures, hopes students trust these policies to protect them. Being on high alert and worrying about active shooters are the student resource officers’ jobs, he said. “[Education is] the main thing we don’t want to be affected,” Schmidt said. “We want security to be out of your mind. We want you to feel comfortable, so when you get [to school], it’s a safe place.” Doyle, Goldman and other students question the policies’ ability to protect East. In an Instagram poll of 259 students, 69% didn’t think the new security measures would effectively prevent a shooting. East Against Gun Violence president and junior Eve Benditt fears anyone could bypass East’s security efforts. Especially since perpetrators are often“Thestudents.door’s still open from the inside,” Benditt said. “Someone lets who they think is just a student in, and then that student pulls a gun from their backpack and shoots them. It’s not rocket science.” Despite backlash from students against the policies, East staff members support using caution as school shootings rise.
THE HARBINGER francesca stamati SHOOTER THREAT ACTIVE SHOOTER NUMBERS. of K-12 school by year to statista.com LOCAL. shootings near area OETHROUGH AND USED A POLYMER80 9 MM HANDGUN THAT SHOT PEOPLE. 12 MILES recent effectivenessteachersstudentsschoolweighandEast’snewmeasures
Steps to transfer from a private school to graduate early ENIOR ELLA ROGERS has spent her first three high school years on advanced tracks that have been keeping her busy every day after school. Now, going into her senior year, Rogers is ready to take a step away from the stress and have a break before the next phase of her life.“I’ve just always taken really advanced coursework, and I enjoy working hard in school because I feel like I’m making the most of educational opportunities,” Rogers said. “At the end of the day, I decided to graduate early because I’ll have some time to experience different parts of the world other than school and busywork.” Rogers switched from St. Teresa’s Academy to East to be able to graduate after the fall semester. Despite being a new senior, Rogers knows her way through the bluelocker-lined halls since she had gone to East for her freshman year. She switched to STA halfway through her sophomore year because they were better equipped to handle in-person learning duringWhenCOVID-19.shemoved to STA, Rogers was on a higher track that they didn’t fully offer in their curriculum, so she was always put in classes with upperclassmen. Going into her senior year, her only options were taking online Calculus 2 and Spanish 6, so when asking if she could take a gap year, she was told STA is a “four-year institution.”Aftershe graduates, Rogers plans to try and make some money and relax before starting college in the fall of 2023 with the rest of her class. Rogers is looking for a paid internship to do during that time to make money and gain job experience. If that doesn’t pan out, she has a babysitting family that she could help out with more or she will return to Kansas City Country Club where she worked as a lifeguard this past summer. She’s also interested in using the time to travel as she’s typically too busy. She’d like to spend an extended time with her grandparents in St. Louis, stay with some of her friends at KU to get a feel for the campus and go on a senior year mother-daughter trip.While missing out on her final semester of high school was a con to Rogers’ plan, she ultimately made her decision because she realized she could get the perks of school without the stress.
Gain support from both school and a parent Transfer credits from the previous school Enroll in extra classes to get missing credits
“The extracurriculars and things don’t necessarily go away,” Rogers said. “But now I’m able to do those things without having to worry about school.” Rogers still plans on going to games and dances and enjoying her “second semester,” although she’ll miss not seeing her friends everyday in class. “If nothing else, I just have some time to regroup and relax before starting college,” Rogers said.
W HEN SENIOR COLE Murray finds himself stressed, he steps away from his work and heads to the kitchen to make anything from lemon pound cake to raspberry cheesecake. “I kind of use it as therapy,” Murray said. “It’s a nice way to turn off your mind and just do something.”Attheend of last summer, Murray’s mom went on a trip to New York to visit an old friend who just happens to own a bakery called Shandaken Bake. When they got to talking about Murray’s interest in baking, the friend offered for Murray to come up to New York for a gap year to work at his bakery and learn commercial baking under him.As soon as he got the offer, Murray decided that he was going to take a gap year in the fall of 2023 and spend his time in upstate New York baking blueberry tarts and buttermilk biscuits for the people of Catskills. When planning the logistics of his apprenticeship, Murray decided graduating early would give him more time to save up for New York working as a full-time manager at Fairway Creamery — plus the added bonus of getting to stay in bed a little longer on cold winter mornings.“Ihadbeen thinking about [graduating early] since freshman year, so it’s always just kind of been on my mind,” Murray said. When the opportunity to actually do it arose, Murray was a student at Bishop Miege where their graduation requirements of completing theology class keep students from graduating early. Murray didn’t care where he went to school, he just wanted to get started on his posthigh-school plans, so he transferred to SMSD. To graduate early, he had to make sure he met all of the requirements of his new school district. His schedule starts with commercial baking at the CAA in the morning, then forensic science, government, business management plus online English and math. After his gap year, Murray plans to go to JCCC for his pre-rec classes, then go to a university once he decides on a major. While he doesn’t know exactly what he wants to do after college, he feels at ease knowing he always has a backup. “If stuff doesn’t work out at school, I can fall back and be a baker,” Murray said. getting on with
COLE MURRAY ELLA ROGERS COLE MURRAY
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2 3 4Decide when you plan on graduating story by caroline wood graduateprivate public FEATURE18 THE HARBINGER design by ava cooper & adya burdick photos by sabrina dean GRADUATING
Two students at East who have transferred from a private school for the opportunity to graduate a semester early
ELLA ROGERS
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Evelyn was placed into the East symphony orchestra class at the end of her eighth grade year by her former teacher Adam Keda. Going into the symphony class, Evelyn wasn’t guaranteed concertmaster as she was in her eighth grade year. According to Evelyn, being in the symphony orchestra class seemed like a scarily unfamiliar prospect that would separate her away from her peers. However, she took Keda’s offer.As the school year has started, so have seating auditions — the seat you sit in for the year that determines your spot or role at orchestra concerts. When Thursday came around and the audition music was released, Evelyn spent her time going through and playing the music everyday, tweaking sections, recording videos to get feedback from Mergmagen on the smallest of details she could improve on.
As Evelyn takes on concertmaster her freshman year, until next seating auditions in the orchestra class, she has grown to have a greater appreciation for the arts and how much work, skill and determination it takes to become good at something. “I didn’t fully appreciate the arts while I was dancing,” Evelyn said. “I was taking it seriously, but I was in it for fun. Putting all those hours into violin has given me a new appreciation for the time people spend to get good at anything.” , CHAIR NOW2016 Timeline of East’s Symphony Orchestra concertmaster, freshman Evelyn Holmes’s violin career so far PLAYING JOINED THE MIDDLE SCHOOL ORCHESTRA BECAME CONCERTMASTER AT FIRST PERFORMANCE
YEARSNOTED
One of the best parts of violin for Evelyn is hearing the way pieces come together when performance day comes around. According to Evelyn, when playing in a quartet or a large orchestra group, it’s always satisfying to hear the sound of the group and knowing the work and effort that went into the final product of the“It’ssound.a different type of exhilaration,” Evelyn said. “Hearing the work you’ve put in come together into something that’s really beautiful is the best part for me.”
STARTED
the violin is something that I wanted to do and wanted to get better at,” Evelyn said. “I’ve also got a really great teacher. She has been really important because if I hadn’t had the music education that I’ve been able to get, I probably wouldn’t have stayed with the instrument for so Mermagen,long.”
With some of the rewarding moments in Evelyn’s life — getting selected to perform with the Overland Park Orchestra and being concertmaster of the Heartland Chamber Junior Music festival last summer — she has also had to face the harsh musician truth of imposter syndrome — the persistent feelings of self-doubt and inability to believe that one’s success is well deserved — Evelyn believes many musicians go through.The imposter syndrome for Evelyn comes from a place of current skill level and comparing herself to others who are on their own separate paths. To Evelyn, it’s important for her to come to terms with the idea that mistakes are okay. “I try to combat [the imposter syndrome] by remembering [that] I’ve spent so much time and effort working to [get] where I am today,” Evelyn said. “I trust myself to know that I will continue to grow.”
FIRST YEAR
URING HER FINAL performance for violin camp in June 2022 with her teacher Destiny Mermagen watching approvingly from freshman Evelyn Holmes played Allemande from Bach’s Partita No. 1. While she was performing, all the nerves were melting away and Evelyn allowed herself to lean careers, the thought of her pursuing violin was exciting to us.” It wasn’t until Evelyn moved to Kansas City that her interest for violin bloomed. For Evelyn, a large part of her love for the violin is that she was never forced into playing. She was taught to be self-motivated in practice — seeing it as a hobby and less of a chore — which is a huge reason why she hasn’t lost the motivation in playing the“Playingviolin.
FEATURE 19SEPTEMBER 6, 2022 1 ST story by
2015 2020
con•cert a seating term used to refer to the fisrt chair and first violin, the seat next to the conductor mas•ter East Symphony Orchestra concertmaster and freshman Evelyn Holmes shares her violin journey design by maggie condon & grace demetriou photo by riley eck lucy wolf
Evelyn’s violin teacher, has known Evelyn since January of 2018 — when Evelyn’s parents first reached out to Mermagen for violin lessons. Over the years, Evelyn’s work ethic and her quality of understanding the emotions and feelings behind the music she plays, as well as the way she communicates through her pieces, has made Evelyn a teacher’s dream student, according to Mermagen.
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Senior Poppy Billingsley travels to Ireland to study abroad for first semester
ABOVE Billingsley takes aphoto mid-hike on one ofthe many trails in Howth,Ireland RIGHT Billingsleyposesona
A few minutes later, the pilot altered passengers to “some minor delays.” After an hour, the flight attendants evacuated the plane and ushered all the passengers single file to wait at the gate. Two hours later, the flight was canceled. After a tear-filled call with her program supervisor, Poppy was put on a new flight to Ireland through Chicago. Poppy’s trip was further complicated by the fact that she flew into Dublin the same week as the Aer Lingus College Football Classic between Nebraska and Northwestern.“Igotonthe plane and the entire flight was filled with Cornhusker fans decked head to toe in Nebraska gear,” Poppy said. “I think I was one of only two people not going to Dublin to see a football game.”
POPPY’S IRISHGOODBYE story by conor vogel MONAGHANstartedDUBLINNEWBLISSinlivesinHOWTHvisitedCOUNTYCLIFFSgoingMAYOtoschoolinBELFASTgoingtoOFMOHERgoingtoCORKgoingto A willPoppylocationsofmapthevisitPOPPY’SSTOPS
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The following Monday, Poppy buttoned up her Monaghan crest embroidered bomber jacket and began her classes at Monaghan Collegiate College, her new school for the next four months.
ENIOR POPPY BILLINGSLEY watched in horror as her host family, the Rooney’s, dumped the Kansas CIty barbecue sauce she brought onto a pizza during dinner, she poured a glass of water from a jug on the dining room table — most of the village didn’t have filtered water coming through theSixfaucets.months ago, when her counselor recommended she apply for a semester abroad with the Council for International Educational Exchange, a program that provides students with real-world experience in foreign countries, Poppy was excited to get a host family and start at a new school in another country. But as her semester started, the expectations didn’t quite live up to reality.
While other people tried to catch up on sleep during the 5 a.m. flight on Monday morning, Poppy was the only one staring out her plane window. This made her the only passenger to notice the engine was on fire.
“The Rooney family does everything together, their children, grandchildren and in-laws are always around,” Poppy said. “I’ve been living here for two days and the house is never empty.”
& veronica mangine AN
STOPS courtesy of poppy billingsley
“I didn’t say anything because I thought maybe [it was] a normal plane thing,” Poppy said. It was not.
FEATURE20 THE HARBINGER design by
overlookingcliffthecoastinHowth,Ireland,oneofhermanystops
Finally, 24 hours after saying her goodbyes at KCI, Poppy arrived in Ireland for her semester abroad — but she still had to get out of the Dublin airport. Poppy entered the airport and was surrou ded by bright-red balloons for the Cornhuskers floating throughout the entire airport.“Iwas going through customs and immigration when the Nebraska football team plane arrived,” Poppy said. “They walked in and everybody’s just screaming, ‘Go Big Red! Go Big Red!’ at the top of their lungs.”The Nebraska fans swarmed the team, each player coming through the gate, rousing their cheers. “It was just so packed because I don’t think the Dublin Airport is fit to hold 50,000 Nebraskans,” Poppy said. “I’ve literally never seen so many people from Nebraska in one place and I’ve been there multiple times.”After waiting an hour in customs and retrieving her bags from the Zurich baggage belt, Poppy met with her other program supervisor, Verena, and got acquainted with her fellow exchange students. After exploring the city and eating a subpar chicken and mayo sandwich, Poppy made her way to her hotel for the end of her first day in Ireland — praying for a less chaotic second.Thenext day, after orientation at Dublin City University, Poppy met her host family, Pauline and Ben Rooney. She arrived at their home to find 12 members of their family who had ordered pizza for dinner.
“I am hoping to expand my cultural view and make the most of this opportunity,” Poppy said. anna mitchell
WHAT IS YOUR ACCOMPLISHMENT?PROUDEST
TELL ME ABOUT THE PRE-COLLEGE PROGRAM YOU DID OVER THE SUMMER.
WHAT ARE ALL THE ART CLASSES YOU ARE TAKING THIS YEAR?
“Jewlery Making and Pottery, then I have Digital Photo, Drawing 2, AP 3D Art, AP 2D Art, Ceramics, Graphic Design, Painting and I thiknk there’s one more. “
“Maybe that I won’t have enough confdence in myself to pursue what I like and be able to do what I like forever as a job and not just on the side. Just to have like the confdence to go through with it. Which is intimidating, but true. “
I was not used to it at all. And a little bit weird to have something that you really like and do as a hobby turned into like a full time job, but it was still fun for me.”
design by nora lynn
“I was [at the] Mecca, Maine College of Art and Design, and it was just like a pre college program, so they have different classes you can take, like fbers, sewing, illustration, [and] graphic novel design. It’s like a three week intensive program, so you kind of just focus on making three projects and you come up with them during the frst week and then the next two weeks are just work time. It was very intense. It was [a] 12 hour work day, which was like insane.
LANCER 21SEPTEMBER 6, 2022
WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST FEAR?
LOCAL
“Just continuing to work on my work because it is, especially if it’s not what you’re going to school for, it can be kind of diffcult to balance doing home work, but also trying to do what you like and not get discouraged, because it’s kind of you’re kind of working against the grain. I feel like when you’re in school, everything’s telling you art is not the main focus, you should work on your core subjects, but I’m glad that I’m still making that work. “
A concert calender of events at smaller and cheaper venues 272117138SEPT. judah and the lion the national barns courtney madison cunninghamduckwrth recordbar* 1520 Grand Blvd, KC, MO tickets $20 SEPT. recordbar* 1520 Grand Blvd, KC, MO tickets $50 SEPT. the bottleneck 1520 Grand Blvd, KC, MO tickets $33 SEPT. grinders kc 1826 Locust St., KC, MO tickets $71 SEPT. the uptown 1520 Grand Blvd, KC, MO tickets $58 A&E22 THE HARBINGER a&e. New items coming next to the SME Student Store Changes to the East Coffee Shop for this year *18+, minors okay with parents L bingo sweet tea + lemonade + mango polaroidwall add your photo to the colelction ofpolaroidscustomer SCAN ME TIK TOK Go Columbiafollow Brew’s Tik @smecoffeeshopTok STRAIGHT OUTTA STUDENT STORE NEW AT THE COLUMBIA BREW CHAIRS VS. PATIENCE these theseturneddesignsintonewshirts TMOBILE CENTER design by nora lynn a staffer’s take on East’s new chairs design by nora lynn
THE WORD “HOPELESS” is tattooed in dark, black letters across Dean Holder’s arm. On the outside, it looks like a pointless tattoo but underneath, that one word represents a lifetime of trauma.“Hopeless” follows Sky, a girl entering her senior year of high school — the first year she isn’t being homeschooled. Sky was never allowed social media, a phone, TV or any form of technology. Her mom Karen has been overprotective of her since she was adopted at 5 years-old.Skydoesn’t remember anything from before the adoption. All she knows is what Karen told her — her mom died when she was young and her dad abandoned her and sent her to foster care. The only thing she has from her childhood is a silver charm bracelet, with no recollection of who gave it to her.On her first day of school she meets Holder. The two are inseparable for days until Holder spots the bracelet on her wrist and bolts, leaving her confused and alone. Hearing “Hopeless” from Sky’s point of view makes the end of the book even more emotional and shocking. If the story was told from Holder’s point of view first, the plot twist wouldn’t have made as much of an impact on the Eachreader.unexpected moment is even more heartbreaking and astonishing than the last. Hoover’s imagination is insane. I almost wonder what kind of crazy she has to be to come up with all of these devastating“Withoutstories.Hope” is the exact same story as “Hopeless,” but this time from Holder’s point of view. As a child, Holder’s next door neighbor was kidnapped right in front of his eyes and he lost his twin sister Lesslie to suicide at the age of 17. Holder’s perspective brings so much more depth and emotion to the bigger picture. In the first book, it’s easy to hate Holder’s attitude, secrets and aggressive personality, but after hearing the details of his past, everything makes sense.The suspense and detail in this book are unsurpassed. Even for two of her less popular books, Hoover has never failed to leave me wanting to read more. “Hopeless” left me in awe. The shocking twists and turns are almost too much to handle, but after reading “Without Hope,” with the knowledge of “Hopeless,” I now empathize completely with both Sky and Holder.
SCREAMING, CRYING, THROWING UP — I’m not kidding. The twisted mind of the famous writer and character, Verity Crawford literally made meThisqueasy.book follows Lowen Ashleigh, a young, struggling author who is hired by Jeremy Crawford to finish his wife Verity’s herunablewreckaseries.suspensefulaward-winning,bookVeritywasinlife-threateningcar—leavinghertofunctiononown—soLowen is forced to pick up the pieces of her unfinished series, written from the antagonist’s point of view. Once Lowen arrives, she stumbles upon an autobiography written by Verity. The manuscript includes details of her whole relationship with Jeremy — even details on the deaths of their twin daughters. As she reads the manuscript, Lowen gets a direct look into Verity’s past. Are Verity’s books authentic because the person writing them was the villain all along? This book takes a unique angle on Hoover’s regular romance novels. The suspense and anxiety is almost too much to handle. It took patience to read, throwing it across the room after each chapter’s plot twist. “Verity” is a romancethriller leaving you in shambles, unsure of which villain to believe.
***** ***** *****
TAKING TIKTOK AND screenagers by storm, “It Ends With Us” is a hook, enticing you into Hoover’s work.Being new to Boston to start her own flower shop, protagonist Lily Bloom doesn’t know anyone. That is, until she meets the heroic neurosurgeon Ryle Kincaid and they fall in love. Lily grew up in an abusive household. She hated her father for being abusive towards her mother, and hated her mother even more for putting up with it and staying with him. The only thing that kept her going was her first love, Atlas Corrigan. Atlas and Lily dated on the down low to avoid her father catching them. The first time her dad saw Atlas, he was kicked out of the house and never seen again.Every other chapter of the book flip-flops from Lily’s past with Atlas and the present with Ryle. This format makes the story so captivating, because the information from the character’s past helps you better understand their qualities in the present. Once Ryle becomes a depiction of Lily’s abusive father, I immediately lose all of my respect for the hot neurosurgeon we all grew to love. Even Lily judged her mom for staying in the relationship — but this story helps people empathize with victims of domestic violence.This book left me an emotional wreck. The anger and sadness felt towards both characters made it difficult for me to put the book down. “It Ends With Us” has left a permanent imprint in my mind, reminding me what is and isn’t an abusive relationship.
AS A SELF-PROCLAIMED CoHort — Colleen Hoover superfan — I have read 17 out of 23 of her love-story thrillers. I’m a part of a Facebook group dedicated to talking about her books, and I can easily say I’m an expert on all things Colleen Hoover. Normally, romance novels are filled with love at first sight, joyful courtships and happily ever afters, but not in Hoover’s world. She has secured her spot as a New York Times bestselling author by teaching us CoHorts to expect the unexpected. Each of her novels leaves you heartbroken, lost and in love with the antagonist that ripped every other characters’ heart out. Infamous for her eerie details that make readers squirm in their seats, Colleen Hoover has led a revolution by turning a generation of screenagers into blossoming bookworms.
A&E 23SEPTEMBER 6, 2022
A ranking of the top three young adult novels by Colleen Hoover design by mia vogel, elle gedman & peyton moore photos by charlotte emley story by addie moore
DRIVING DOWN 75TH , I am in search of the newest Hawaiian spot — and there it is with a large inflatable Shaka hand (also known as hang loose), Mo’ Bettahs stood out like a part of Hawaii was moved to KC. As I walk into Mo Bettahs, I feel immersed in an island paradise. The walls are riddled with island palm trees and surfing decor as calming island music radiates through the restaurant. The menu is simple yet full of flavor; with three sized portions, six choices of protein and a vegetable option — you’re able to make any order your own. I decided to indulge in the regular sized teriyaki chicken and Kalua pig. I was astounded. Full of amazing flavor, the contrasting yet complimentary tastes of the sweet chicken and pig and the fluffy rice AFTER OUR MEAL Bettah’s, David and I sprinted across 75th over to Hawaiian Bros. Unlike the large restaurant on Ward Parkway, this Hawaiian Bros was cramped with no seating. Thus we were forced to take our Huli Huli chicken with a side of rice and macaroni salad outside to eat on the curb.My first bite was loaded with chicken and rice, steaming from the heat. Though I normally like my food hot — a pleasant change compared to Mo’ Bettah’s — this was an undesirable heat hot dish seamlessly. About halfway through, one of the employees came outside to check on us. He asked if our food tasted good and if there was anything we needed. I appreciated the excellent service, especially since we were eating outside the restaurant. the same smoky and charred flavor that we savored at Mo’ Bettah’s.The chicken, however, was redeemed by the teriyaki glaze on top. The mixture of sweetness and tang was flawless rendering the Huli Huli chicken understandably the most popular dish at this likely would boost the overall experience. I’d give Hawaiian Bros 6/10 stars due to the tasty macaroni salad, quintessential teriyaki sauce and good service.
A&E24 THE HARBINGER design
A comparision of new local Hawaiian restaurant Mo’ Bettahs and the pre-existing chain Hawaiian Bros H
ISLAND ORIGINS
Background information about each restaurant - founded in 2008 - started in Bountiful, Utah - founders grew up in Oahu, Hawaii - founded in 2018 - started in Kansas City, MO - founders grew up in Oregon by katie murphy photo by elle siegel & alax sajna stories by tristan chabanis & david allegri
HAWAIIAN FOES
AWAIIAN BROS WAS first introduced to Kansas City almost five years ago and since then has flourished, moving to 11 different locations throughout Kansas. Loved for its teriyaki chicken, macaroni salad and monstrous portions, Hawaiian Bros has become a staple of East student’s diets. However, on Aug. 16 Mo’ Bettahs opened their first restaurant in the area at 7006 W 75th St offering competition not only for Hawaiian Bros, but student’s appetites. We set out to see which of the two chains truly deserve the Hawaiian crown.
I F TEACHERSENGLISH thisanalyzedsong like it was “The Great Gatsby”, they’d have a week’s worth of socratic seminar material. “Can’t Feel My Face” is one extended metaphor that describes a cocaine addiction like it’s a toxic relationship with a woman. When this song debuted 2015, my little ten-year-old brain couldn’t have known the line “And I know she’ll be the death of me, at least we’ll both be numb” was about the numbness of addiction. And that you “can’t feel [your] face” when you’re high on cocaine. He knows that it “will always get the best of” him, saying that he can never quit. With drug addiction being essential to The Weeknd’s music, it’s unsurprising that this genius song would have connections to that battle as well.
A
afa akwankaa A&E 25SEPTEMBER 6, 2022 story
T 8 YEARS old I’d dance around my living room belting out the lyrics of “Slide” — one of Goo Goo Doll’s greatest hits. Before I was even one, my mom put a disc into our TV, the July 4, 2004 Goo Goo Dolls concert in Buffalo, New York. Since then, I have been their number one fan. While I knew every word of the song, I never understood its true meaning and mature hidden concepts. Essentially, the song is about growing out of the naive bliss that you experience in early teenagehood. Heavy topics, such as debating between following your upbringing and finding your own path, are woven into lines like “Do you wake up on your own, and wonder where you are? You live with all your faults.” What makes this sentiment especially standout is the relevance of the topic nowadays, as it relates to abortion.
The deeper meanings of popular songsTHAT’S DEEP S
The line “Don’t you love the life you killed? The priest is on the phone, your father hit the wall, your ma disowned you” reflects the Catholic upbringing that lead singer Johnny Rzeznik grew to realize was overcontrolling. He asks the woman he loves — May, in this song — if she wants “to get married? Or run away?” asking her to make her decision on what path she will choose to follow, but hoping that she’ll “let it slide,” referring to the abortion, and “run away” with him instead of submitting to the constraining nature of her childhood.
T HASEVERYONEHOUGH jammed to Lady Gaga in the back of their mom’s car, I doubt most know the secret meaning behind her hit song “Poker Face”. Hopefully her boyfriend never found out either, because the song is actually about how she fantasizes about being with women instead. The tasteful pair of lines, “I won’t tell you that I love you, kiss or hug you, ‘Cause I’m bluffin’ with my muffin,” when interpreted in this context, says it all. The pop star has also revealed her song’s references to poker come from her thewithoutsongShegamblingex-boyfriends’tendencies.wantedtomakeathey’dliketoo—themknowingmeaning,ofcourse. by sophie lindberg & by sophie lindberg
F EEL IT STILL” was the earworm of 2017, seemingly never not on the radio.
MYFEELFACE SLIDE WEEKNDTHE POKERFACELADY GOO DOLLSGOO FEEL IT STILL SLIDE MYFEELCAN’TFACEPOKERFACEPORTUGAL. THE MAN GAGA design
FEEL IT STILL CAN’T
I never understood the references to 1966 until I dug into theories and interviews, the song is a call to end political complacency.1966iswidely considered a year of social change, with the Electric Kool Aid Acid Test parties run by Ken Kesey and his Merry Pranksters. Music was a tool for social change at the time and inspired rebellious thinking in youth, leading to wider political diversity. The singer hopes to reignite the passion that marked the time period and show that fighting “a war for peace” will only elicit the worst outcomes for society.
For more information, visit www.SMEastSHARE.comSEPTEMBER 21 HomesTour 10SeptemberWednesday,21a.m.–7p.m.GET TICKETS NOW!
I’M REALLY EXCITED TO go for four consecutive state titles and overall I think it’s going to be a great season.
GRETA STECHSCHULTE VOLLEYBALL
KHLOE KOWALIK TENNIS
HOW ARE THINGS GOING WITH THE VARSITY NEWCOMERS?
:QHOW’S THE SEASONSOGOINGFAR?
SO FAR Varsity athletes give insight on what they’re looking forward to this season
They’ve been doing really well, especially with memorization and sometimes come in knowing the routine even better thanseniors.the :A :Q :A WHICH ROUTINE ARE YOU LOOKING FORWARD TO THE MOST THIS YEAR?
THE SEASON IS GOING great so far. I’m seeing a lot of talent this year and am excited to see how it will all play out in our upcoming meets.
JAKE DIRKS CROSS COUNTRY
BOYS SOCCER THIS YEAR’S TEAM IS really solid. We defnitely have the potential to go far and hopefully make it to state and win.
THIS YEAR’S TEAM IS going to be super fun because everyone is so close and I’m excited to play with both of my sisters.
I’m really excited for hiphop. It’s really fun this year and we have a new choreographer. I feel like we’ll do better at regionals and nationals than we have with our hiphop in the past. :Q :A WHAT ARE YOUR GOALS FOR THIS YEAR? :Q We’re shooting for top five at national and top three at state. :A Q: HOW’S THE SEASON GOING SO FAR?
We’re working on a lot of chorography right now, mostly focusinig on gameday this semester.
AVA MCDONALD
s p orts. SEPTEMBER 6-10 09 06 Boys Soccer Thournament FootballGame Gymnasticsmeet location: SMAC UP & COMING 06 VolleyballGame SEPTEMBER location: GE against: OE location: SMW against: SMW location: BMS against: BMS SEPTEMBERSEPTEMBER
Q&A WITH THE CAPTAINS
A: We’re really trying to up Comp Team’s standards. All the girls who want to be there really want to be there and we’ve been working on some really cool stunts. Hopefully we’ll do well at regionals.
HOW ARE YOUR ROUTINES COMING ALONG?
A: Q: WHAT ARE YOUR GOALS FOR THIS YEAR?
We have all of our gameday cheers down and we’ve been working hard on band dances because they’re going to be back with us. Overall, everyone’s really hype for football season. A:
THIS SEASON
photo by photo by
It’s yearsthebecauseandtotoexcitedallgirlsgreat!goingThearereallygetbackfullstuntingtumblingforpastcouplewe’vebeen so restricted. Now people get to see what cheer actually is.
Dance and Cheer captains’ plans and predictions for the upcoming season
I mj wolf
DANCEVARSITY KATE CRONENWETT VARSITYCHEER EVAN JANTSCH
Q:
I charlotte emley SPORTS 27SEPTEMBER 6, 2022 design by mia vogel
recruit the largest East gymnastics team adapt the team to a new coach buy new uniforms WHAT THEY’VE DONE GYMNASTICSJILL“WERICEWANT TO STRIVE FOR FUN AND LEAVE THE TEAM STRONGER AND BETTER THAN WE FOUND IT” LEADING LANCERS A look at some of this years fall sports varsity captains CROSS COUNTRY VOLLEYBALL SOCCER RACHEL BINGHAM AVA MCDONALD WYATT HAUGHTON LIDA PAGETT GIRLS GOLF MAGGIE LEONARD GIRLS TENNIS GRETA STECHSCHULTE BRYSON LANGFORD 12 19:21 lida’stimebest bestwyatt’stime 15:18 IN5000THEMETERS WHAT LIDA SAYSWHAT LIDA SAYS “HWe’s humble and a team leader” WHAT WYATT SAYSWHAT WYATT SAYS “She’s dedicated and talented” SPORTS28 THE HARBINGER “THERE’S NO EXCUSE FOR US NOT TO GO TO STATE” - Charlie Duske CHARLIE DUSKE JACK LUCAS MAREN ADAMS MILES CROSSER THE ROAD TO STATE STAYWORKFOCUSEDHARDCOMMUNICATEPUSHEACHOTHER ALL SINCESOCCERPLAYINGBEEN 4AGE “I WANTED TO BE A LEADER OF SOMETHING I LOVED DOING” - Maggie Leonard 3rd 5th& at 2 tournaments this year PLACED playing together since 10 at Milburn 4 4 years on togethercountrycross FAVORITE CAPTAIN TASK hostingdinnerscarbo-load 3 statewins regionalwins AS DOUBLES DYNAMICTHEIR GAMESTYLESAGGRESSIVE CLOSE ON AND OFFCOURT MINDSETSSAME DOUBLES PARTNERS SINCEAGE 8 1ST tryoutsatmet THEIR MANTRA SUPPORTOTHEREACH THEIR GOAL GO TO SUBSTATE design and copy by paige zadoo & peyton moore photos from media day 1234
Molly is playing her first year of volleyball at SME.
COURT
Ava is playing her fourth and final year of volleyball at SME. ZOE MIDDLEMCDONALDHITTER
like to offer
ALEX
AVA MIDDLEMCDONALDHITTER
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story by avery anderson design by mary gagen by macy crosser three McDonald sisters get to play together on the same volleyball team for the first time after freshman Molly McDonald made the varsity team MOLLY, would you spot on the varsityCOACHteam. HENTON
POSITIONS eachaboutDetails sisterindividual
SPORTS 29SEPTEMBER 6, 2022 COMPETITION The
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A S SHE WALKED down to the school basement to meet the bosses of East volleyball, she could feel her heart beating. It could’ve been from the exhaustion of tryouts or maybe it was the pressure and anxiety building up all week to make the varsity volleyballFreshmanteam. Molly McDonald was still sweaty from hours of scrimmaging with the other athletes trying out for volleyball. She was tired and sore — but knew that she had tried her best. That’s all that matters. Right?
All week she had put every ounce of her effort into volleyball — every serve and pass was harder than the last. But so far the only indication she had gotten of possibly making varsity was when she was put into a gym with the older varsity and JV girls after three days of tryouts. The hallway seemed to stretch on forever as she made her way towards Coach Henton’s office. When she got to the door, her heart began to beat out of control. She stepped inside and faced Coach Henton and Coach Kirby nervously, but immediately felt more at ease as Coach Henton began to “Molly,speak. we would like to offer you a spot on the varsity team.” Coach Henton kept talking after that, but she didn’t hear a word. I’m on the team! I get to play with Ava and Zoë! Molly and her sisters, junior Zoë and senior Ava, have been playing volleyball since third grade, but this is the first time they get to play on a school team together. Molly’s performance in tryouts determined if they would work and play as a team or if they’d continue to play the same sportFromseparately.playing in grade school to joining a club team to playing in middle school and now high school, the three of them have had years of training in the sport. They can be frequently found practicing sets and passes together at home.“My sisters and I work really well together and build each other up but we definitely get competitive when it comes to scrimmages,” Zoë said. Being able to know how they play and being together for practices and games adds to their strategy on the court, and the sisters work as a team by nature. They know where they’re going and they know how they play. But in order to make varsity freshman year, you need a lot more than sisterThroughsenses. the three days of tryouts, Molly tried to bond with the varsity team and put all of her effort into each point scored. She didn’t shy away from communicating with her teammates during a point and running to every ball in scrimmages — even though it could’ve been viewed as being a “tryOnhard.”the final day of tryouts the sisters walked into the gym together, made sure their hair was up in the same high-pony style and started to warm up their serves and passes — each listening to their pre-game rap and Justin Bieber.“You can tell that [Molly] immediately bonded really well with the team,” Ava said. “Everyone had gotten to know her really well by the end of tryouts.” The final tryout day was structured like a tournament with multiple games going on at a time, scrimmage after scrimmage. The coaches walked around studying the players, their movements and their ability to work as a team. Molly felt like she was being watched and judged every moment.When the tryouts were finally over and she had gotten the news that she made varsity she celebrated with her sisters and the rest of the team. However, the hugfilled celebration didn’t last long because of the varsity practice that was scheduled for right after tryouts. They ended practice with a “good work today” from the coach and rode home listening to rap and talking about their shared victory.
MOLLY RIGHTSIDEMCDONALDHITTER
11 1012 THE
Zoe is playing her third year of volleyball at SME.
Michael Muller works under Athletic Trainer Dakota Orlando as a sports lialison to aid the football team on and off the field
Muller is looking into some southern schools for college but hasn’t found the right fit for him yet. In the meantime, Muller continues to learn and observe as much as he can from Dakota.
With all sports going on at once, Dakota can’t be everywhere. That’s where Muller comes in.. He can be on the opposite end of the school helping the football players while Dakota is up at soccer. If anything happens, Muller texts Dakota and she’s there as soon as possible.“It’sgood he’s out there on the football field because there’s 100 kids out there and we only have 10 coaches who are moving around,” Dakota said. “They may not be able to notice when a kid is sitting on the sidelines because they just need a little longer break and if that’s the case, then Michael can come get me.”
“In the future I plan on going to medical school for sports medicine and Dakota has helped a lot in deciding what path I wanna take because there are a ton of different ways to use it,” Muller said. “She has helped narrow down my options and mentor me.”
MEET
“Since working with Dakota, I’ve learned so much and had such an amazing time,” Muller said. “I cannot wait to learn more from somebody like her.”
Muller and Dakota have been able to connect on and off the field while working countless hours before and after school helping players and coaches with their practices, games and other sports events.
As a football manager last year, he set up practices and brought players new pads and waters. Now he goes where he’s needed and assists Dakota with the medical aspects of practices such as checking on dehydrated players and analyzing a players pain level on a scale of 1 to 10 to report back to Dakota.
Background on Michael and Dakota
THE DUO design by maggie klumpp photos by audrey condon story by emma krause
2 SPORTS30 THE HARBINGER POWER became an Athletic Tranier in 2014 and has Eastwokingbeenatfor5.5years is on his second year of being the football manager and frst year as a sports lialison DAKOTAMICHAEL THE OF S
“I knew I wanted to shadow Dakota as soon as I started to develop a passion for helping others,” Muller said. “Which came a lot from being around her and seeing what she does for a profession, last season.”
“Her mix of fun and joking with seriousness is what I really admired about her,” Muller said. “She could be your friend one minute, [and then switch] to a whole new mindset and personality as soon as somebody needed her.” Muller’s job and duties as a sports liaison was best described by Dakota as “a form of contact.” Muller didn’t take the Sports Medicine Program as a class due to scheduling space, but Dakota has been able to answer all of his questions and teach him new things everyday while keeping him involved on the field.
COPING THE FIELD, Junior Michael Muller sprints after Athletic Trainer Dakota Orlando. But she is already 40 yards ahead of him running to the injured player. When he arrives, he’s ready to assist her with any injury spanning from a paper cut to a dislocated shoulder.
This is a daily routine that Muller and Dakota have found themselves in. Everyday after school Muller heads down to the Athletic Training Room and fills the water jugs for practices as well as the ice bath tub for players who overheat. Then, they walk to the fields and make sure they catch every injury or possible issue. Shadowing Dakota and helping her with even the minor things, is thrilling to Muller because he doesn’t know what new problem he’ll have to face that day. But Dakota’s care for others is what makes him like her as a person.
“We can learn a lot from each other,” Dakota said. “He learns a lot from me because it’s my professional career and I can learn a lot from him because he can fill me in on what is plaguing his generation and what people are struggling with.”
Muller is able to connect with players on a more personal level than Dakota because of the closer age. He’ll talk to them on the sidelines or bench about how they’are feeling or if there’s anything going on in their life that might be impacting their playing. He’s able to be a good friend to the players. “The kids feel more comfortable coming to him than they do to me,” Dakota said. “There are some junior boys that do not talk to me until senior year and are really terrified to talk to me. They have the mentality of ‘I’m gonna rip you off the field,’ but that’s why it’s good Michael can calm them down and encourage them to come talk to Mullerme.”has had players come to him with things like a hurt hip or ankle and although he’s not trained to fix it himself, he reassures them that Dakota can help them get it fixed properly and quickly so they can get back into the Sincegame.Muller wants to go into sports medicine for his profession, Dakota has been a great mentor by answering sports medical questions as well as helping him with things like spotting the difference between “injured” and “hurt,’’ which in turn helps her when she’s checking out athletes. She’s taught him about the components of taping an injury and what makes up a treatment team — admin, nurses, SROs, parents, players and the coaching staff.
Muller plans on continuing to work alongside Dakota and learn as much as he can this year and his senior year.
LEFT best,”inbecausegomydoschoolfordoneherthecleansMorganSeniorTurpin75lbsnearbeginningofworkout.“I’veweightseveryyearofandIcan’titbecauseofschedule,soIinthemorningitfitsmyscheduleTurpinsaid. photo by I rachel bingham
TOP LEFT Freshman Ben Taylor talks to sophomore Curtis Liljegren in between songs playing the sousaphone. photo by I alex sajna
ABOVE Percussionists play the marimbas and vibraphones as the sun rises to practice for game day performances. With the drum’s in the background, they find a tempo that will be adequate for games and the whole band. photo by I rachel bingham
Use this QR code to purchase photos from this event on HarbiePhoto Zero Hour is a before school program with many activities including band practice, weights, and coffee shop
ZERO design by rachel bingham
ABOVE Senior Bradley Walton plays the mellophone in a circle with junior Jack Rosemann and freshman Roxas Devine. “I think that like despite the fact that I have to get up that early, we get a lot more done than we would if we just had first hour,” Walton said. photo by I rachel bingham
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SPORTS 31SEPTEMBER 6, 2022
LEFT Senior Reese Birch pours hot coffee into a cup for a customer in the long line of students before school. As a member of the sales team, Birch gets to school every morning at 7:05 a.m. to open the coffee shop. “I love to brew the coffee before school; it’s really fun and it makes the room smell great,” Birch said. photo by I lydia coe
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