Issue 2 by The Harbinger

T H e H A R B IN G E R Issue 2 September 15, 2014 Shawnee Mission East Prairie Village, KS smeharbinger.net

RIGHT NOW Football player receives Division I offers after successful junior year season

enior Kyle Ball stands inside the Iowa State practice facilities awaiting instruction in June, four hours away from home. The Iowa State University coaching staff divides close to 200 high school football players into groups A through G by skill level. The players have not performed a single drill when they receive their groups. Coaches running the camp and over 30 other school representatives present have already read the stats, watched the film and started to evaluate every big name on the field, before Ball even crossed the border into Iowa. His 6-foot-3-inch, 235-pound stature and junior stats earn him a spot in the top group. As he moves with other players to start warm ups for a day of football camp, more than 30 coaches from area programs gather around the group A players to observe. “When we warmed up, they were talking to all of us in our line and basically ignoring everyone else in the camp, ” Ball said. “They were watching you the entire time.” After Ball’s junior year, he began to receive mail ranging from personal letters signed by coaches like Bill Snyder to mock magazine covers with his face photoshopped onto a college uniform. Then recruiting officers visited the East weight room to speak with him about their schools. When summer came, Ball was invited to area recruiting camps held by universities to allow coaches and recruiters to see the region’s top prospects. * * *

story continued on page 29

written by Daniel Rinner

photo by Annie Savage

HEALS THROUGH TRACK pages 16-17 INSIDE: SENIOR

SEVEN WONDERS OF PV page 21

WHAT LANCERS WANT page 15

BREAKDOWN

A LOOK INSIDE ISSUE 2 SEPTEMBER 15, 2014

16-17

FEATURES Hurdling Through

After losing his older brother in a car accident in July, senior Erik Harken finds solace and drive through track, preparing to win state this year

Weekly Poll Q: “What’s the best part of Fall at SME?”

50% Fall Sports

NEWS “Quoted”

See who has been saying what in the news this month, in a breakdown of some of this Sept.’s most memorable quotes

SPORTS Middle-Ground

After a hiatus, middle school sports teams return to Indian Hills for the 2014-2015 school year.

LETTER EDITOR From the

rom the rapid rise of ISIS in Syria and Iraq to downright cruel political attack ads filling commercial breaks, media outlets have become pretty glum. Ebola headlines are just some of the multiple viruses on the news prompting me to double-pump the hand-sanitizer. Fanatical reports regarding American politics, bathed in bias, are cropping up all over the internet. I can’t get on Twitter, turn on the TV, scroll through Facebook or sit through my first hour without being dragged into the assumption that the world might actually be ending this time. So where’s the good news? You’re looking at it. Before you scroll, click, double-tap your way through that brightly-lit

screen, take a second to enjoy a throwback. Newsprint, inky fingers, and stories that speak from your perspective: a student. That’s who we are. We aren’t flashy. We report, we discuss, we educate. While channels like MSNBC and Fox believe in spewing bias dipped in negativity, we here at the Harbinger believe in objectivity and truthful journalism. The beauty of high school publications across the nation is that they not only give a voice to the youth, they emphasize the importance of good writing. It’s hard to count the times we’ve discussed whether or not a certain phrasing might hint at a bias, or accidentally give the wrong connotation. In this increasingly polarized world of media, it’s good to be surrounded by students who understand what it means to be objective, what it means to see both sides. We’re not paid, we don’t do it for our GPAs or resumes. We’re here because we love this. We love late nights fueled by pizza and coffee. We love debating comma placement and a certain tint of yellow. We like to decipher coded edits, laugh as one more person accidentally leans too far back in a J-room chair, and most of all,

Bonfire

20%

COLUMNS Conversion

30% Fall Musical

Staffer Will Brownlee reflects on his coversion to the Islamic faith, to find peace after dealing with personal struggles

ALT-COPY Fit-Bands

Multiple students use different brands of athletic wrist bands to moniter their exercise and stay fit

we like East. We’re here for ourselves, but we’re also here for you, the reader. From bowling team members to Lancer Dancers, we represent a wide stretch of East. That diversity is the crux of our staff. In simple terms, we’re people who care about other people. We see the good of East, and we also see the bad. And, above all else, we strive to give our student body something to look forward to every other Monday.

MORGAN KRAKOW CO-EDITOR PRINT

his tor y

PERMISSION TO EDUCATE: Kansas Bill to require parental consent in order for students to receive sexual education in the classroom “How do people express their sexual feelings?” A poster that hung in Hocker Grove Middle School in Shawnee, Kan asked this question. Below, it gave examples of ways that individuals can express themselves sexually: from holding hands to dancing to oral sex. In January 2014, it was taken down. Then, the abstinence-based sexual education program it was part of was put under review. An offended parent caused the Shawnee Mission School Board to take action when an eighth grader took a picture of the poster and showed it to her father. The ensuing controversy over the amount of sexuality that minors are exposed to at school caused two Johnson County Kansas state senators to introduce Senate Bill 376. It would require schools across the state to obtain written consent from a parent or guardian before a child can receive any sexual education. The Harbinger believes that Senate Bill 376 should be struck down. Requiring parents to sign off on sexual education for their child as if it was an R-rated movie means that our state has changed the way it views sexual education. Senator Mary Pilcher-Cook of Shawnee, referring to explicit words and images in sexual education class, said that the bill was born out of the need to “protect our children from this harmful material.” This bill denies that sexual education is necessary for a child’s development, viewing it as an optional add-on. It affirms that adult sexuality is something that young people need to be protected from, rather than prepared for. It affirms that it is harmful, when it is precisely the opposite. The National Survey of Family Growth showed that young people who have received comprehensive sexual education were more likely to use condoms or birth control methods the first time they have sex than their peers that didn’t. Moreover, they were more likely to have healthier partnerships for that first time. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says that nearly half of high schoolers are sexually active. If that’s true, then it’s completely illogical for our state government to take steps away from comprehensive sexual education. This is not a matter of protecting children from words like ‘oral sex.’ It’s a matter of our health. According to the CDC, even though teenagers make up a quarter of the total sexually active population, people between the ages of 15 and 24 acquire half of all sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). These diseases, such as AIDS, gonorrhea and chlamydia, are serious. The best defense against them is knowledge. In order to protect our access to this knowledge, we should send a message that topics regarding our own health are not to be meddled with. The Harbinger encourages its readers to contact their state representatives -- Barbara Bollier and Kay Wolf for Prairie Village -- and encourage them to vote against Senate Bill 376.

editorial

THE HARBINGER STAFF fall 2014 CO-EDITORS-IN-CHIEF Morgan Krakow Sophie Tulp

ASSISTANT PHOTO EDITOR Hailey Hughes

ASSISTANT EDITORS Caroline Kohring Tommy Sherk

OPINION SECTION EDITOR Audrey Danciger

HEAD COPY EDITOR Pauline Werner

OPINION PAGE DESIGNERS Courtney McClelland Chloe Stanford Ellie Booton

ASSISTANT HEAD COPY EDITOR Hannah Coleman

math

ART & DESIGN EDITOR Phoebe Aguiar NEWS SECTION EDITOR Sophie Storbeck NEWS PAGE DESIGNERS Will Clough Will Brownlee SPREAD EDITOR Aidan Epstein FEATURES SECTION EDITOR Hannah Coleman FEATURES PAGE DESIGNERS Anna Dierks Caroline Heitmann Claire Pottenger

e c n e i sc

COPY EDITORS Pauline Werner Sophie Tulp Morgan Krakow Hannah Coleman Tommy Sherk Audrey Danciger Caroline Kohring Sophie Storbeck Maddie Hyatt Julia Poe Susannah Mitchell Phoebe Aguiar FREELANCE PAGE DESIGNERS John Foster Maxx Lamb

english

SEX?

STAFF WRITERS Davis Finke Katharine Swindells Lauren Cole Teagan Noblit Jessica Parker Elaine Chamberlain Stella Braly Kylie Schultz Celia Hack Daniel Rinner STAFF ARTIST Yashi Wang PHOTO EDITOR Annie Savage

A&E SECTION EDITOR Audrey Danciger A&E PAGE DESIGNERS Yashi Wang Maddie Hyatt SPORTS SECTION EDITOR Will Oakley SPORTS PAGE DESIGNERS Ellis Nepstad Michael Kraske Alex Masson STAFF PHOTOGRAPHERS Annika Sink Abby Hans Abby Blake Kaitlyn Stratman Haley Bell Alison Stockwell Paloma Garcia Morgan Browning Kylie Rellihan James Wooldridge Joseph Cline

ONLINE PHOTO EDITORS Katie Lamar Callie McPhail ONLINE CONVERGENCE EDITOR John Foster ONLINE INDEPTH NEWS SECTION EDITOR Mike Thibodeau ONLINE NEWS BRIEFS SECTION EDITOR Will Clough

ONLINE HOMEGROWN EDITOR Katharine Swindells Sean Overton ONLINE OPINION EDITOR Katharine Swindells Sean Overton ONLINE A&E EDITOR Katharine Swindells Sean Overton Online Sports Section Editors Michael Kraske Daniel Rinner VIDEO EDITOR Matthew Bruyere PODCAST & RADIO EDITOR Leah O’Connor EASTIPEDIA EDITOR Matthew Kaplan

SMEPHOTOS Paloma Garcia

INTERACTIVE EDITOR Mike Thibodeau

EDITORIAL BOARD Sophie Tulp Morgan Krakow Pauline Werner Tommy Sherk Audrey Danciger Caroline Kohring Hannah Coleman Julia Poe Mike Thibodeau Susannah Mitchell Phoebe Aguiar Katharine Swindells

HEAD WEBMASTER Jacob Milgrim APPRENTICE WEBMASTERS Katie Lamar Katie Roe

ADS MANAGER Celia Hack ONLINE EDITORS-IN-CHIEF Susannah Mitchell Julia Poe ONLINE HEAD COPY EDITOR Maddie Hyatt

LIVE BROADCAST EDITOR John Foster ASSISTANT LIVE BROADCAST EDITORS Ellis Nepstad Katie Roe MULTIMEDIA STAFF Tommy Sherk John Foster Gabe Snyder Katie Roe Sean Overton Leah O’Connor Matthew Kaplan SOCIAL MEDIA Katharine Swindells Tyler Keys

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

2,200 members of the community will see this ad. Contact us for information on advertising with the Harbinger smeharbinger@gmail.com 913-993-6688

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news

Harmon Park: Resurfaced written by Caroline Heitmann

New tennis courts are under construction in Harmon Park and will be ready for the boys tennis season in the Spring

he tennis courts at nearby Harmon Park are under construction. Work started July 21 and is projected to wrap up around late November. The construction will be ready for the boys tennis team to practice in spring, but with the work currently underway, the girls tennis team has relocated to different courts to practice. “We had to ask Round Hill Bath and Tennis Club if we could use some of their courts,” tennis coach Sue Chipman said. “And they very graciously consented to loan four out of the five courts they have for about two and a half hours after school when we need practicing.” However, this has caused slight difficulties, as the players have had to find their own transportation to Round Hill. While the club is only about two miles away, it still has created a problem. Players either have to drive themselves there or catch a ride with someone else. In addition, the traveling has taken up otherwise useful playing time. “Sometimes we’ll get there later so we don’t have as much time to practice,” sophomore Susan Haenisch said. “So that can be difficult because at [Harmon Park] we could just go right out.”

The tennis courts won’t be the only thing being redone though. The scope of work involves other areas, including sidewalks, curbs and gutters. However, the main difference will be the courts. “We are putting a drainable base on top of the existing courts, and resurfacing that with asphalt,” Prairie Village Public Works employee Keith Bredehoeft said. “So it will basically be like a brand new tennis court.” The construction has been split into two areas, the four west courts and six east courts. While they will be done at the same time, there will be two distinct areas of construction. The project should cost around $515,000 and has been in the Prairie Village Public Works budget for about two or three years. The trouble will be worth it though, according to sophomore varsity member Joie Frerich, who is looking forward to the new courts for next year. The cracks bothered the players, and leaves and imprints previously distracted them. “I am definitely excited that they are going to be redone and nice,” said Frerich.

Q & A with SHARE Director Krissie Wiggins Q: Why did you decide to become SHARE director? A:

I’ve always heard about the SHARE program at East, and when my son started last year, I thought ‘Okay, this program is amazing.’ This marries a lot of the things I love. I mean, it’s all about getting kids involved with something I feel so passionate about, which is volunteerism, a basic human need. As human beings, most of us at some point have had that nagging that we feel like we need to do something for someone else. And once you sort of catch that bug, it’s your life-long giver, and that’s what we are all about doing.

Are there any new ideas you are going to incorporate this year?

One big change right off the bat, is that we are doing a Senior Service Day this year. On the day they have the national PSAT testing, which is Oct. 15. Mr. McKinney says they have curriculum for the freshmen planned that day, but his big idea was to send the seniors out into the community to do volunteer service. Maybe it will be a good way to introduce some of those seniors who have maybe never had the chance to volunteer or get involved with SHARE, to give them an introduction to what service is like.

do you think organizations like Q: Why SHARE are important to communities?

It’s a win-win for everybody. Clearly there are great needs out there in our community, in our own school. I think you can serve your fellow student, you can serve your local community, and you can serve the world. You can help your fellow neighbor, you can collect cans for food drive, or you can go feed the homeless at a soup kitchen. Or you can go spend some time with a child who needs some attention. It helps that child, and it also helps the person who is assisting because it sort of just feeds your soul.

Q: What excites you most about the upcoming year?

I feel like we have a chance to redesign SHARE for the next 30 years. We have a chance to plan for next year, which will be the 30th anniversary. I just think it’s totally up to the student body what they want to do with this program. And just from what I’ve seen so far, the ideas that you kids have and the kinds of things you want to do, who wouldn’t be excited about that? You really have a chance to make a difference in this world and it can be a little thing, or a huge thing, or it could be a little thing that grows into a big thing. I’m just thrilled to help you all figure it out.

photo by Ali Lee

HE SAID SHE SAID news

SPORTS: “We’re not going to change the way that we played just because of the last couple results. We’re ready to get the taste out of our mouths.” Mid-Fielder Soony Saad’s post-game interview regarding Sporting KC’s performance after September 3 game against the New England Revolution. SKC lost 3-1

The month’s most quotable moments

FOOD:

“This ain’t right! Bob, we’re going to fix this for you! Hold on! Barbecue is on its way!” Joe’s Kansas City posted this message on their Facebook page upon recieving the news that their brisket had been removed from a customer’s bag by airport security last Monday. After attending a Chiefs game, Bob Porter, a government affairs consultant had his Joe’s Kansas City barbeque confiscated from his bag on his flight back to Washington DC.

NUMBERS: $350,000,000

Ammount of donation money Harvard’s Public Health school received last Monday, marking the largest monetary gift the university has seen in its history

37%

Percent of voters in support of Independent Kansas Senate Candidate Greg Orman, narrowly surpassing incumbent Sen. Pat Roberts (36%), after Democratic candidate withdrew from the race

number of organizations in this year’s Lancer Day Parade

GLOBAL BEAT: “Well, I’m sure they’re very worried about my health at this time. And even though right now, last month and a half, my health been, or so, not -- it’s been failing. So right now that I -- what I can say to my family and friends, that is, to continue to pray for me, and also ask them to, you know, continue an effort in getting me released here.” Suspected of trying to “evangelize” in North Korea, American Kenneth Bae described to CNN his health throughout serving his 15-year sentence in a labor camp

North Korea

news

school, local and worldwide news broken down written by Caroline Kohring

Jewish Student Union Reinvents Itself Seniors Jacob Milgrim and Morgan Krakow are bringing the Jewish Student Union (JSU) back to East. The first meeting will be held after school on Sept. 30 in room 307. JSU is a club where students can connect with their Jewish heritage at school. Over the summer, Milgrim and Krakow met with Rachel Prero, the regional director of Jewish youth group NCSY. They discussed the direction they wish to take with the club this year, and how they are going to make a comeback. “People aren’t interested,” Milgrim said. “But we want them to be.” In order to publicize JSU, Milgrim and Krakow plan to hang posters, make announcements and contact other Jewish students. History teacher Brenda Fishman will sponsor the club again this year. “I hope to get more kids involved and have some really great programs this year,” Fishman said. “Morgan and Jacob will do a great job. They’re both very enthusiastic, and I’m looking forward to working with them.”

Enterovirus Strikes Midwest Twelve states have reported clusters of enterovirus illnesses, which typically occur in the gastrointestinal tract, throughout the Midwest and the Southeast. Six of these states, including Kansas and Missouri, have confirmed cases of an enterovirus known as EV-D68. Enteroviruses aren’t uncommon; according to the CDC there are 10 to 15 million viral infections each year in the US. However, EV-D68 isn’t as common as others, so the sudden increase of EV-D68 cases has sparked health officials’ attention, according to CNN. Although EV-D68 can lead to hospitalization, enteroviruses are not typically deadly. Children’s Mercy Hospital noticed a spike in children needing intensive care around mid-August, when the school year began. The Missouri Department of Health reported that as of Aug. 29, Children’s Mercy had seen over 300 cases of respiratory illness, and around 30 were confirmed cases of EV-D68. Fifteen percent of these children were placed under intensive care. According to school nurse Susan Varner, there have been no confirmed cases of EV-D68 at East. This is because symptoms resemble the common cold, and they are difficult to tell apart. Symptoms of EV-D68 start out resembling a bad cold, then elevate to fever, rash, wheezing and difficulty breathing. Varner advises students to avoid close contact with students who are feeling sick or showing symptoms. “[To prevent illness], good handwashing is the most important thing,” Varner said. “If they have symptoms, they need to stay home. Fever free for 24 hours.”

BBQ Restaurant Changes Name Local barbecue restaurant, formerly known as Oklahoma Joe’s Bar-B-Que, plans to rename their restaurant Joe’s Kansas City Bar-B-Que. According to the restaurant’s website, the name change has been in process for a few years now. The name Joe’s Kansas City can be found on retail sauce, fry seasoning bottles, table candles and signs inside the restaurant, as well as on their website. The name Joe’s Kansas City was chosen because the restaurant is Kansas City-based, and has been for several years. The website states that they take pride in their tradition of Kansas City barbecue, and they wanted their name to reflect this. Not only is Oklahoma Joe’s famous around the country, but it is a favorite among East students as well. Senior barbecue enthusiast Jack Anderson supports the restaurant’s decision to change their name. “I’ll miss the classic name, but I think it’s cool that they’re changing their name to represent Kansas City,” Anderson said. “I might get lost a few times trying to find it though.”

Photos of the Week photo by Haley Bell

photo by Annie Savage

Awards Listed as one of the “13 Places You Must Eat Before You Die” by celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain

photo by Callie McPhail Above-Theresa McAlister does a crunch during Cross Country practice Bottom Right- Katie Hise inflates a float decoration during freshman float building Top Right- Sophomore Emma Henderson Above- Freshman Sarah Blumenthal cheers with the rest of the JV cheer squad blocks a shot

Claimed “Kansas City’s Best Barbecue” by Zagat, a large online survey site photo by Abby Hans

Awarded by Men’s Health magazine as America’s Manliest restaurant

GOURMET AND GOING TO GOURMET, AND GOING TO STAYSTAY THATTHAT WAY WAY

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opinion

The Missing

Win men

written by Katharine Swindells

STEM

I pause outside room 509, buzzing with excitement. I am about to enter Java Computer Programming, a class I have been looking forward to all summer. But, upon opening the door, my heart sinks. I’m disappointed, though hardly surprised, to see that only one of the students in the class is a girl. From the moment I walked in, all pink jelly shoes and winged eyeliner, my classmates were immediately making judgements. Simply because of my gender, whether they’ll admit it or not, every guy in that room was already doubting my ability to fit in. And, quite frankly, that terrifies me. If any of the boys in Java don’t understand a concept straight away, nobody cares. But if I don’t do well, I’ll be confirming all of their assumptions. “Did she really think she’d be any good at this? I could tell from the moment I met her she’d be terrible with computers.” Suddenly doing well in this class has become about more than just my GPA. It’s about proving that I, as a girl, am good enough to be here. And this is a problem that millions of women and girls are facing all over the world. They are consistently being told that Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM), is not where they belong. A major part of the problem is that, from a young age, math and science are labelled as “male.” Practically from birth it’s building

blocks and toy trains and chemistry kits for the boys, dresses and dolls and miniature kitchens for the girls. Society’s not exactly subtle about the roles it wants us to fulfill. And this continues throughout childhood, until it’s deeply ingrained in all of our minds. A study at Washington and Lee university gave young girls Barbie dolls dressed in “non-traditional” outfits such as firefighter or astronaut. Almost immediately these girls were more likely to say that a woman could do that job. Putting girls into tight gendered boxes from such a young age can have a huge impact on their future worldview. Aside from the inherent gender biases, women in STEM frequently face direct, aggressive sexism. A friend of mine once told me that boys at a math competition repeatedly tried to look down her shirt and pull up her skirt, not stopped by any of the adults at the event -- all male, of course. Only three weeks ago, a close friend told me she was reconsidering majoring in Physics because she had been the only girl at the open day and had been patronized and sneered at, by staff and students alike, the entire day. A recent study showed that over three-quarters of female scientists had experienced sexual harassment working in their field. When women in STEM are constantly faced with this demeaning attitude, is it any wonder their numbers are so low?

Gender Percentages of Students in AP Classes Nationwide

90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10

Male

Female

Chemistry

CalculusBC

Physics1

Physics2

Computer Science

Senior Katharine Swindells discusses her determination to open up the world of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) to women.

And women who make it past that, who do go on to pursue careers in STEM, still face blatant discrimination. A 2012 study at Yale showed that professors at major research institutes were far more likely to hire the man when presented with two identical resumes. And even those who did hire the women, offered her a salary on average $4,000 lower than the man. Numbers from the Bureau of Labor Statistics show that, in Computer and Mathematical occupations, women make up only one-third of the workforce, and only earn 80 percent as much. What’s more, the women who are making advances in STEM simply aren’t being acknowledged. Increasingly I have seen a refusal for media to notice the awe-inspiring achievements of teenage girls in STEM. Anyone hear about Brittany Wenger - the girl in California who, when she was only 17, designed a computer program that can analyse tissue for breast cancer? Or Ann Makosinski - the 16-year-old Canadian that invented a flashlight powered by body heat? Or even the Turkish 16-year-old, Elif Bilgin, who worked out how to create a bio-plastic that could replace petroleum-plastic, from banana peels. Young women won’t be inspired to pursue STEM when potential role models are continually undermined and ignored? But I’m far from alone in my desperation to get more women into STEM. The company GoldieBlox creates engineering toys specifically geared towards young girls and the organisation Let Toys Be Toys is campaigning to end gender categorisation of childrens toys. More and more STEM institutes are introducing mandatory sexual harassment workshops. The charity Girls Who Code works to teach computer programming to teenage girls, and a similar organization, Black Girls Code, specifically addresses the lack of non-white young girls interested in STEM. There’s ever been a Computer Engineer Barbie doll, part of their ‘I Can Be’ career doll range. So while these organizations try to open up the world of STEM for young women, thousands of women around the world will try to prove that they have a place in this “male field” and many teenage girls will try to fight against stereotypes to have their potential acknowledged. And I’ll try, I’ll try really hard, to get an A in Java.

STEM Superwomen These women paved the way for girls and women today pursuing careers in math and science.

Ada Lovelace

Known as the world’s first computer programmer. Photo by National Library of Medicine

Rosalind Franklin Rosalind Franklin Key contributor in the understanding of DNA structure. Photo by Science Museum

Marie Curie Nobel Prize recipiant for her contribution to radiation reserach. Photo by Vigyan Prasar

FINDING FAITH

opinion

Conversion to Islam helps achieve a higher purpose in life written by Will Brownlee

photos by Annika Sink

“Allahu Akbar.” God is great. I face northeast towards Mecca, bow my head and recite the holy words. I feel content, at peace and connected with my creator. I finally feel complete, after years of struggling through various personal setbacks, from rehab to boarding school to counselor after counselor, I have finally found something that enriches my life; something that provides meaning and structure. I have converted to Islam. A while ago I started looking for answers. Adolescence is a time of discovering oneself and my identity crisis was even more challenging. I wanted to be an individual; I wanted to differentiate myself from others around me. I acted out, and I got bad grades. I didn’t want to conform to what was expected of me by society. I wanted something different than the white picket fence and the SUV in the driveway. I needed to get myself back on track, and feel like a complete human being again, to finally be happy after a long period of not feeling comfortable with who I was or who I wanted to be. For a long time I didn’t know what I was missing in my life. There was a spiritual emptiness; a void I had yet to fill. I continued to do poorly in school, so I was sent to boarding school in Ohio my junior year. My faith had dwindled and I no longer felt like a Christian. I didn’t identify or understand the doctrine; It didn’t speak to me anymore. I enjoyed the community it provided and I went on service trips and found them very rewarding. But, ideologically I felt lost. The idea of the trinity didn’t make sense. If there is one God then how does he have a son who is also God? Who was Jesus praying to if he himself was God? And how can Christianity be monotheistic if three entities are God? I could no longer follow a religion I had no spiritual connection to. I started researching eastern religion and I read a lot about Islam. I was pleasantly surprised. In the media, Islam is frequently portrayed as a violent, fanatical political system, not even a religion. But the more I learned about the faith, the more I liked it. I discovered a beautiful way of life dedicated to the worship of one God. Islam is all about providing for the disadvantaged, living humbly and coexisting with humankind. The Jewish Torah and the Christian Bible are also seen as holy texts. All the biblical prophets, including Jesus are mentioned in the

Qur’an, a series of divine revelations revealed to the illiterate Prophet Muhammad in 7th century Arabia. The Arabic word Islam is a combination of the words submission and peace. To be Muslim, you have to find peace within yourself and with others around you. I embraced who I was, my faults and my mistakes and accepted I could only do the best I could, and that is all I could expect. I could no longer dwell on the negative. Nobody is perfect. The idea that all humans are equal in God’s eyes is emphasized especially in Islam. The Prophet Muhammad said no human being is better than another except in piety and good action. This made me realize that I can’t take what I have for granted. I’m not better than anyone else, but I’ve been blessed with opportunities that most people in the world, probably even the country, don’t have. I have access to a good education, a roof over my head and food on my plate. I had been taking this all for granted, making excuses for my own mistakes. I couldn’t continue living a meaningless life. I stopped being pessimistic and started changing my life for the better: to be more Islamic. I quit eating pork, spoke words of kindness to others and stopped complaining about every small inconvenience. Luckily my family supported me throughout my transition and so did many of my friends. When Ramadan, the month of fasting, started I decided to take part in it. It was difficult at first, and sometimes the hunger and thirst were almost unbearable. However it got easier as the month progressed as I learned to empathize with those who went hungry every day. I also knew there were over a billion people fasting with me. Ramadan humbled me and I became a grounded, more modest person. The last night of Ramadan, I went to a mosque and officially converted by taking the shihada, testifying in Arabic and English that there is no god but God and Muhammad is his prophet. I broke down and cried tears of joy. I felt all of my past mistakes wash away. I was reborn. My new Muslim brothers embraced and congratulated me. I was now one of them. No better, no worse, just a member of the human family. I’ve never felt more welcome in my life. “Alhamdulillah,” I said. All Praises and Thanks to God.

1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

Before every prayer, Will washes his face, arms, and feet with water.

The first prayer of the day starts at 5:30 a.m. This time varies depending on the location of the sun.

Prayer Routine

The next prayer is at 1:30, but Will prays at 3:00 because of school.

Another prayer is at 5:30.

Will prays again at 8:00.

The final prayer at 9:30.

opinion

Privileged Perceptions Racism remains an issue in today’s society. written by Sean Overton Growing up at my old school, St. Peters, we had all types of ethnicities and cultures. Almost every week I hung out with my Mom’s friends, who were racially diverse. I ate original Egyptian cuisine with with her friend Glen, and learned about Pakistani and African culture from others. That was the lucky opportunity I had from a young age. I got to see what it was like for people of other ethnicities, the struggles they went through and adversity they faced. Then I came to East. The United States census shows that 91 percent of people in the Shawnee Mission School District are white. That was a big change for me. To go from many cultures and ethnicities to almost completely white was a whole new world. Many East students may not have had the opportunity of growing up with various cultures. There is no way we could ever put ourselves in their shoes, but I got the rare opportunity to try and understand people of ethnicities different than my own. It was a chance to realize that as a white teen I have privileges because of my skin color. When we as white people recognize the privilege we receive for our skin color, that is when we can start to recognize the setbacks for people of color. Even in

58% 58% of white people age 18 -24 agree discrimination against whites is a growing problem.

New York City, a place far more diverse than East, they face racial issues of their own. A study of New York City ethnicities by dosomething.org showed that 80 percent of the people stopped by police while driving were either of Black or Latino heritage. A mere eight percent of people stopped were white. We can recognize our privilege, and how we can evoke change. White privilege is the advantage white people have built up in society. Through the years, other ethnicities have been repressed, while white people have been put on a pedestal as the dominant race. Privilege is not an insult to white people, it is just a fact of how things are. We as white people can all recognize that other ethnicities have to deal with institutionalized, systemic racism in addition to problems they face every day. Obviously white people don’t have perfect lives in the slightest. But racism does not cause white people’s everyday problems. A dosomething.org statistic shows that in a 2009 report, two thirds of the criminals receiving life sentences were non-whites. In New York, it is 83 percent. We need to put ourselves in people of color’s place. White people are represented more in media than any other ethnicity. A me-

51% 51% of Americans agree that discrimanation against blacks is still a problem.

diamatter.org survey showed that 84 percent of guests on cable news programs are white. We can try to put ourselves in the shoes of a young black or Mexican child growing up, and see how hard it would be for them. Having to constantly see white, white, white and always having to search for someone like themselves. Without proper representation, minorities are constantly searching for a role model to let them know that their skin color is beautiful. White privilege not only affects people of color, but everyone in society. When a child of color is not given the same advantages their whole life, that is taking away an opportunity to fulfill their full potential in life. That could be taking away a future doctor, or architect, or even the next president from society. With privilege comes the fact that we cannot experience racism because we as white people can never be in the same place a person of color has been. Many

white people would also like to argue that they don’t see race, or that we are in an equal, post-racism society. Those are great thoughts to have, but that isn’t acknowledging racial issues that are relevant today. Racism is the two centuries of people of color getting stolen from their homeland, driven out of their native lands, tricked, raped, infected with disease, and otherwise removing their chance of them being the dominant race, or even an equal race. To help white people progress we must start by recognizing that we come from privileged groups, listen to groups who have not received the same privilege and speak out against racial slurs and unjust treatment. For white people, we can never personally know what it is like to be in the shoes of a person of color, but we can listen to them, try to be empathetic and let their voices be heard.

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 Blacks rating anti - black bias

Whites rating anti - white bias

Whites rating anti - black bias

Blacks rating anti - white bias

Information courtesy of thenation.com and dosomething.org

photo essay

RIDEDIE

photo by Hailey Hughes

On Saturday, September 6th, five East students competed at the “Kessler Wine Mixer”, a longboarding competition in Kessler Park, Missouri. The participants included juniors Brett Kirkman and Gabe Snyder, as well as sophomores Lars Troutwine and Phillip Fuson. The main events included a longboard competition down Gooseneck Hill, a Freeride, and Slide Jam. Troutwine came in first in the “Downhill Grom” and Snyder won third in the adult division. The boys have advanced from cruising around Prairie Village to big time events and competitions much like this one.

LARS TROUTWINE

“

“ “

I just went for it and pushed as hard as I could at the top and then went for it and [made the sharp turn]. That made me a lot more confident about the race.

-Fuson

“ “

The course was a really easy and fun ride. It was a good time hanging out with friends and meeting some outof-state riders.

GABE SNYDER

-Troutwine

It was my first competition since I’ve broken my femur last spring. After the first few runs I started to get comfortable and less nervous. The rest of the day turned out great.

“

-Kirkman

Our team is pretty tight. We’re all close and skate as much as possible. We all push each other and that makes us better.

-Snyder

continued on page 32

PHILLIP FUSON

BRET

KIRKMAN

“

photos by Annie Savage

feature

A Medical Mind et Senior Lauren Hunter discovers her passion for Medical Ministry through youth-related ministry

Senior Lauren Hunter hustles out of her two-hour small group session. She sighs and fakes enthusiasm as her overly-peppy small group leader pulls her aside. Hunter’s leader asks her what she plans to do after high school. Hunter responds with confidence -- medicine. This has been her plan for years. But her leader has a different idea. She suggests that Hunter pursues ministry. Dead-set on working in the medical field for many years, Hunter didn’t feel she needed suggestions. Especially from someone she had met two days before. Hunter, still hungry and tired, tries to be polite as she shakes off the idea. But, in Asheville, North Carolina, at a youth conference called Montreat, the idea became more practical by the day. Through long treks up Montreat’s mountains and extensive conversations on the youth group’s porch, Hunter realized her love for the field of medical missionary work. Medical missionary work is the act of providing medical help to impoverished areas while incorporating faith-based views. Now she is planning to visit Cusco, Peru in January. Hunter feels grateful for the Montreat words that have shaped her life. At first, Hunter assumed that pursuing ministry meant working in the

church and delivering sermons. Hunter was still set on her dream of working in the medical field, so the idea blindsided the 17-year-old and made her rethink her ideal career. Hunter took this idea to her youth leader, Zach Walker, for his opinion. “When Lauren told me her small group leader had a suggestion about her life I expected it to be a little far fetched,” Walker said. “But she was spot-on, medical missionary work is an amazing fit for Lauren’s gifts, talents and strengths.” Hunter also talked to her friends on the trip. “I encouraged her to pursue ministry,” Hunter’s friend, senior Stephanie Wilcox, said. “I do think she has a lot of potential.” “I have a huge passion for helping people and for medicine,” Hunter said. “So combining the two would be my dream come true.” Since returning from Montreat, Hunter has been hungrily researching medical missionary programs. With the help from a family friend, Hunter found a group called MedLife that works with high school and college students to introduce medical missionary work. The group travels to multiple global locations throughout the year including Peru, Ecuador, Tanzania and In-

dia. After scouring the MedLife website, Hunter decided on a trip Cusco, Peru in January. The trip is quite inexpensive compared to most of its kind, but Hunter has forked over much of her free time to finance herself. Giving up her Saturday nights and having to rethink her spring break plans are only a few of the sacrifices Hunter is making to achieve her dream. Hunter knows the trip will be even more rewarding knowing that she paid for it herself. She also knows that the incredible experiences soon to come will far outweigh the hard work she is putting in now. “Very few people have both the diligence to stick to their passions but the flexibility to know when their gifts might takes shapes they don’t expect,” Walker said, “Lauren is one of them.”

written by Anna Dierks

Lauren’s Boarding Pass

Passenger: Lauren Hunter, 18ter

Destinations: La Romana, Dominican Republic, San Jose, Costa Rica

Dates of past trips: Spring Break of 2013, Spring Break of 2014

Lauren engages with the children of the Dominican Republic

photo courtesy of Lauren Hunter

Scan code for more pictures

Customers shop for a rug at the Oriental Rug Shop in Midtown

Hispanic Musicians perform at the Ethnic Festival in Swope Park in 2014

Local band “Lazy” performs at Mills Record Company on “Record Store Day”

BEHIND THE LENS Senior Andrew Hartnett finds his passion through analog photography and art.

“Everything is art, really, when you look at it. It’s the world, it’s humans. It’s who we are. We’re artists.” Andrew Hartnett, 12 People participate in a drum circle in Loose Park

photos by Andrew Hartnett

written by Susannah Mitchell

t’s quick. It’s a physical stimulation. A short breath in, then out again. There’s no brains in it; he just goes. Snap, snap. He’s a sharpshooter, armed with a Pentax ME Super camera. And then he sees the subject. Senior Andrew Hartnett can imagine a frame around them; he can practically see the shot. He rushes towards them. Quick. These pictures, these moments, they’re hard to come by. They disappear in a second. He has to be there before they slip away. To get a glimpse into the life of a Middle Eastern rug store owner, or a guy writing illegibly on his stomach. It’s fascinating. Andrew clutches the camera in front of his stomach. He pauses for a moment, and then snaps the picture. Another pause. Then he keeps going, on to the next one. This is his routine. He’s done it for years. He’ll grab his camera, check to make sure he has enough film and set the shutter speed. Then he’ll go downtown to the bus station, the plaza, anywhere he’ll find interesting people. “To go to a completely different culture,

Volunteers sort food at Harvesters Community Food Network

and a completely different part of town, it’s enlightening,” Andrew said. “These people are living real lives, and they struggle, and [life has] never been perfect for them.” Andrew’s appreciation of photography began through his love of art. He studied art, mostly painting and drawing, reading countless books dedicated to different art movements -- cubism, fauvism, anything that he was interested in -- for a number of years. He loved the art; he breathed it. But drawing and painting take patience, patience that he doesn’t have. Yet, he likes the luck of photography, and the communication between the photographer and the subject. So he decided to sign up for Photo 1 his sophomore year. Earlier this year, photography teacher Adam Finkelston nominated Andrew to work with the Nelson Atkins Museum’s Photography Scholars Program. Only 15 students from around Kansas City were allowed entry into the program, and after submitting a 500-word essay about his work, Andrew was admitted. It was there that he started shooting more and spending more time developing; he spent

hours working and shooting galleries to present to the group each week. Every other student in the program used a digital camera, and could easily edit all of their photos from their computers. Andrew was the only student working with an analog camera: his Pentax ME Super. For him, analog, or film, cameras are what make photography engaging as an artist. To him, analog makes the art of photography much more honest, and much less gimmicky. But it also meant working longer than everyone else. Even outside of the program, he has to go out and wait for the right moments to shoot. Then he’ll head to the darkroom to develop the film and to make prints. Bathed in darkness he’ll work to find stories hidden in his photographs. And yet, Andrew doesn’t label himself as a photographer. He observes his surroundings and tries to capture people’s stories; their lives in a single photograph. He considers himself a regular person, like the subjects he captures. “There are people that are much better at [photography] than I am that are constantly

involved in it,” Andrew said. “I’m just trying [so] many things at this age and just seeing what I enjoy and what fulfills me. I take it all very seriously, and I try my hardest, but I try not to take myself very seriously.” His photographs hung on one of the walls at the Nelson, displayed as part of the photography program. Even then, he didn’t think they were very good. He doesn’t think any of his photos are very good. And he’s okay with that. As much as he shoots, there’s always going to be some way in which he can improve. His photos aren’t supposed to be about him; his photography has to do with the people around him. He’s just an observer. He has to be receptive, sensitive, and when he finds what he’s looking for, he can practically see the photograph right in front of him. Like a reflex, he knows he has to capture it before it disappears. Every shot he gets is a lucky one. It’s pure chance. And that’s the beauty of it. “Everything is art, really, when you look at it,” Andrew said. “It’s the world, it’s humans. It’s who we are. We’re artists.”

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WHAT A LANCER

WANTS

Jackson Schlutz

What freshman Jackson Schultz really wants is to be a player on the Kansas University (KU) basketball team. He dribbles for hours after school in the driveway, his family’s Jayhawk flag flying there as a standard. He wears all the necessities of KU garb: the jersey, the long, blue basketball shorts and the crocs with the Jayhawk and basketball charms. And he just goes. He doesn’t pay attention to people staring as they walk down the sidewalk when he shouts and hollers at a perfect basket. Instead, he hoots louder, listening to the thrill of his voice that echoes and shouts right back at him in his quiet neighborhood. He wants to be that player that scores the final three pointer in the few remaining seconds of the game, when the crowd comes flooding down from the stands. He wants to be crowded by random people. People who don’t even know him, but think he’s amazing anyway. Jackson doesn’t want people to see autism when he talks to them. Or for people to roll their eyes in exasperation as they scuttle away to class. He wants to be showered with the love and the awe that emanates from a KU basketball crowd. And that’s all he wants. To him, his goals are not ridiculous. They are not e x t r a o r d i n a r y. He believes that they are, in the simplest form, the most basic want and need of all, love. And Jackson wants to know one thing: who wouldn’t want that?

Four Lancers share what they want most in life. photos by Hailey Hughes

written by Hannah Coleman

Cathy McAllister

When junior Cathy McAllister was 6, she made a pact with her older sisters to shun the existence of Barbies forever. They giggled at their defiance that set them apart from the norm. Barbies would not be, and never would be church material, so every Sunday morning, they would drag out their baby dolls instead and dress them up for Mass. Cathy liked this small little reality tucked away from prying eyes, where no one would judge. Being homeschooled her entire life meant that being with her family 24/7 was a normal circumstance. Nothing could harm her. Hundreds of headbands, swaying ponytails and Nike shorts were all she saw. It was a choking feeling. This was nothing like her bubble. And it was terrifying. It was the first day of cross country practice, freshman year, her first year of public school. She already felt like an outlier. She glanced back and forth nervously at a constant rate, keeping her sisters Theresa and Megan close to her side. She felt comfortable in that pocket, just the three of them, like it had always been. Summer after summer, morning after morning, five miles here, six there. Running together. Always together. The possibility of being separated from them was impossible for her to imagine. She had been encircled by 10 loving brothers and sisters. They took the timidity out of her and brought out the good parts. The part of her that she can’t share with others. The part that isn’t afraid to laugh, to show her talent, the way she can run and the way that she doesn’t fear it. And that is all she knew and all she ever wanted to know. But what she d i d know was that she could run. And oh, she wanted to. It was a natural yearning that begged to be satisfied. And she couldn’t disappoint her sisters who she grew up running with. Never that. She lived for that. Always. Since that first day, Cathy has moved from JV freshman year, to nearly the top of Varsity junior year. For once she didn’t have regret. She finally allowed herself to be satisfied for that one moment.

Luca Perdomo He was laughing nervously, his voice going up in pitch. “I’m good at everything,” junior Luca Perdomo said simply. Laughing in spite of himself, he continued, “I’m just so amazing, you know?” Behind his good-natured reply, there is an underlying fear that Luca can’t shake. His fear of the future. It was a wake-up call, like none he’d ever experienced before. How could one simple email scare him so much? It was seventh grade, his first year of middle school. And he wasn’t “doing so fancy.” That’s what the screen said. It’s what his teachers were saying. And his parents were eyeing him petulantly, frowning down at him. Luca knew it, too. He could remember the times he refused to try. He would procrastinate until his grades reached an all-time low. It stimulated a new type of fear. Something completely foreign. Not only that, but he felt another emotion that he could finally put his finger on. He started to care. And he wanted to care, about school and about life. He couldn’t look his parents in the eye after that email. He wishes he could entirely forget the whole ordeal. The thought of turning out to be a good-for-nothing kid horrified him. Not being able to give anything back to them, the people who raised him. And now, Luca is good at everything he tries. Drawing, he can play violin, his grades are up, he wondered how much better he could be. “I’m good at everything,” Luca said again. I want to be good at everything. I want to know that in my future I am good at everything. I just want to know that I have a future. Do I have a future? All he wants is a future.

Frederick Meis Senior Fredo Meis can recall the exact moment when he walked past the gargantuan photo of a shirtless guy at Abercrombie & Fitch, the scent of thick cologne following him. He walked in, and then he walked out, but this time with a question burning in his mind. He hadn’t even considered it until now. The manager had asked him, “Hey, do you wanna [model] here?” But even as he sauntered out of Abercrombie & Fitch in Brussels, the capital of Belgium, with his tall, dark complexion and dirty blonde hair, he couldn’t bring himself to accept the offer. I’m not model material, Fredo would say to himself. My nose bends down in that way. I hate that. Fredo realized from that experience, that getting an offer to work at Abercrombie & Fitch, an American-founded store, would get him closer to his real goal, insecurities aside: coming to America itself. Fredo grew up in Belgium, with a close-knit family, more than he could ever ask for. But something about the possibility of elsewhere fascinated him. He couldn’t stand just sitting there, twitching, waiting for something exciting to happen. His lifestyle was prone to getting tiresome. Getting offered a job at Abercrombie made him see the reality of his situation. He decided to take his intense fascination of American culture to a new level, he wanted more. He worked to become fluent in English. And when he found the opportunity to come to America for a year, he snatched it up. Fredo could finally become a part o f that culture he discovered at Abercrombie, that he has seen and heard about for so long. And this year, he wants to blend into the red, white and blue mass that he sees as America.

t h y m h A New R

spread

Senior Erik Harken copes with his brother’s death this past summer in a car accident by constanly running written by Julia Poe

enior Erik Harken’s legs ache from a five mile cross country run. He shakes them out, hopping from foot to foot, before he starts his sprint towards the first hurdle. Erik leaps over the first two hurdles effortlessly, but he loses control and his toe clips the third hurdle. He grimaces in frustration, but he keeps going. Track season is six months away, but Erik is already training to be perfect. “Remember, pull that lead leg up this time,” hurdles coach David Pennington reminds him. Erik nods, wipes sweat off his cheek, sucks in his breath and tries again. His eyes squint in focus as he controls every step. His feet beat a rhythm into the track as he clears each hurdle. One, two. Three, four. One, two. Three, four. In track, speed is Erik’s second priority. His main focus is getting into the perfect rhythm -- arms driving in the right direction, feet landing with exact timing. If he controls his rhythm, the speed will come. If he controls his rhythm, he will win. Running hurdles is simple for Erik, a controlled variable. After this summer, Erik has come to love the rhythm, the things he can control. If he spends too much time off the track, Erik starts to think about things he can’t control. Erik couldn’t control six boys in a 2000 Ford Explorer hurtling down a beat-up country road the day after the Fourth of July. He wasn’t in the car. He couldn’t hit the brakes as the wheels swerved left, couldn’t stop it from flipping, rolling, smashing into a tree. He couldn’t save his older brother, Mark, from dying that day. Erik remembers fragments of moments from the day he lost Mark. He fell asleep in the back of his mom’s car with his best friend Cole on their way to the lake. He woke up at a police station. All Erik could

photos by Callie McPhail

2 do was stare helplessly at Cole, whose brother also died. “I never heard the news because I was still in the car,” Erik said. “But I heard my mom and my aunt scream. It’s something I’ll never forget. That noise — I still think about it sometimes. It’s like feeling your heart stop.” The next two days were a blur of sympathy casseroles and condolence cards that Erik loved and hated at the same time. Then Pennington called. Pennington knew that Erik needed to get back on the track. It would give him a sense of control, a distraction from funeral plans and grief-stricken family members. Erik needed to clear his head, and hurdling was the best way to do that. Erik jogged the few blocks from his house to meet Pennington at the East track. After an hour of practice, Erik was panting and dripping with sweat in the July heat. It was the most calm he had felt since the crash. The next day, he was back on the track. And the next day. And the next. Before each practice, Erik tied a metal ring that his brother had welded to the laces of his track spikes, and he made a promise to Mark and himself — he would win state. Erik qualified for state his sophomore year. Junior year, after a season of personal records and first place medals, it wasn’t a surprise when he qualified again. Mark wasn’t able to make it out to Wichita to watch, but Erik wasn’t worried -- he would be there senior year, the year that mattered the most. Erik won second in the 300 meter hurdles. He was seeded first in the 100 meter race and expected to win the state championship by a landslide, but he false-started and was disqualified. “Erik is always hardest on himself,” Pennington said. “When I saw he disqualified, I immediately ran down to get to him before

he could start beating himself up too much. I just put my arm around him and told him next race, focus on the next race because that’s all you can control.” He came home, and Mark congratulated him on the big win. All Erik could remember was the 100 meter race. “Don’t worry about it,” Mark told him. “You’ll get it next year.” Months later, Erik still believes his brother. He will win state next year. He wants to win state for many reasons — for college scholarships, for a state championship medal, for redemption. But mostly, he wants to do it for his brother. He trains every day, running for himself and for his brother. And slowly, he is beginning to feel himself fall back into rhythm. Still, there are times when Erik feels lost and helpless again. At night, the silence is crushing. The crash stole Erik’s ability to sleep, and on sleepless nights his mind always wanders to the same place -- anger. Erik admits that he still hasn’t grieved, hasn’t had the chance to crumble and cry and then move on. Instead, he’s angry. At first, Erik was angry at his brother, his friends, their recklessness. Then he was angry at God, at the crash, at the car for overturning and the tree for stopping it too quickly. Now, he’s just angry at himself. For wasted memories, for not trying hard enough. “My brother and I were really competitive when we were younger,” Erik said. “When he died, we were just starting to get really close, like we were just turning that corner. It’s like I lost the potential of a best friend, like I lost a whole future with him.” Still, he remembers Mark, a boy with dark hair cut short, who loved to barbecue and explore museums on rainy Sundays. He remembers long runs around their neighborhood. He remembers cherishing his brother’s praise after a meet, knowing that Mark would always tell the truth, knowing

that his compliments were always sincere. He remembers, and he tries not to regret. When he can’t sleep, Erik texts Cole. They were best friends before the crash; now, they are practically brothers. They drag their bikes up to the tennis courts at Windsor Park and play in silence until 3 a.m. Erik is always exhausted at practice the next day. “At least I’ve gotten better at tennis,” Erik laughs. “That’s one good thing that’s come out of this.” Getting back into rhythm takes time. It’s been two months, two months of sleepless nights and long texts to Pennington, two months of trying to remember and forget at the same time. But out here on the track on a September afternoon, he’s starting to feel normal again. “He’s strong, but no high school boy is strong enough to take that on his own,” Pennington said. “There was nothing I could say. There’s no easy way to ease a loss like that. But when Erik is out here, he’s happy.” His final run is smooth, precise. Erik’s legs clear each hurdle with several inches to spare. His feet tap a constant rhythm on the track, steady as a heartbeat. One, two. Three, four. One, two. Three, four. Erik leaps the final hurdle and keeps running, keeps sprinting to the end of the track before jogging back to Pennington. “I just want to run at State right now.” The corner of his mouth drags upward in a grin as he speaks to Pennington. “And win.” “You will.” Pennington returns the smile. “You have some unfinished business to take care of.” They bump fists. Erik begins to tug off his shoes, carefully slipping his brother’s ring off the laces, and laughs. “Yeah. I sure do.” He’s almost back in rhythm again.

SAFE DRIVING

A look at driving in Praire Village and importance of practicing safe driving habits to aviod traffic tickets and save lives

Within the year of 2014 the police department has taken accident reports

In the average month there are seatbelt violations in Praire Village

226

In 2014 there have been youth and adults cited with texting while driving violation

264

VIOLATIONS

1,532

253

Speeding is most common violation in Praire Village

In 2013 the Prairie Village Police department had 422 accident reports

Stay stay SAFE Always be aware and follow road signs when driving.

Never drink and drive. Be sure there is a designated driver if people are drinking.

Be sure you don’t overcrowd your car. Only drive with the number of people you have seatbelts for.

Keep up to date on any repairs or maintenance your vehicle needs.

statistics courtesty of Praire Village Police Department

t h y m h A New R

spread

Senior Erik Harken copes with his brother’s death this past summer in a car accident by constanly running written by Julia Poe

photos by Callie McPhail

SAFE DRIVING

A look at driving in Praire Village and importance of practicing safe driving habits to aviod traffic tickets and save lives

Within the year of 2014 the police department has taken accident reports

In the average month there are seatbelt violations in Praire Village

226

In 2014 there have been youth and adults cited with texting while driving violation

264

VIOLATIONS

1,532

253

Speeding is most common violation in Praire Village

In 2013 the Prairie Village Police department had 422 accident reports

Stay stay SAFE Always be aware and follow road signs when driving.

Never drink and drive. Be sure there is a designated driver if people are drinking.

Be sure you don’t overcrowd your car. Only drive with the number of people you have seatbelts for.

Keep up to date on any repairs or maintenance your vehicle needs.

statistics courtesty of Praire Village Police Department

feature

6 3 4 2 1 9 3 3 7 9 5 8 4 3 7 7 4 5 1 8 4 143 5 749 2 76 1 8 46 1 35 749 2 76 8 246 1 35 74932 7 8246 3 4

Life in Color

A student and teacher at East associate colors with letters and numbers in a natural phenomenon known as Synesthesia written by Audrey Danciger

ark blue, male, inherently evil. These words are not usually associated with numbers, but for senior Bethany Wiles, they embody the number nine perfectly. Every name has a color. In fact, every word, letter and number has a color. Numbers even have genders and unique personalities as well. This is normal for Wiles. Associations like these are normal for most people with synesthesia. Synesthesia is what causes Wiles and approximately 3.5 million others worldwide to see the world differently because of the way their brains perceive their surroundings. To an expert, this means that a person’s experience in one of the five senses triggers an experience in another. But for Wiles it means seeing or hearing a word, letter or number and involuntarily seeing a specific color. The world of synesthesia is vast and hard to define. One reason for this is that it’s under-researched and experts are still in the dark about its exact cause. Another reason is that synesthesia doesn’t manifest itself in just one way. In fact, there are over 60 different types known today, ranging from hearing music and seeing corresponding colors to experiencing sexual arousal and tasting flavors. Wiles first found out she had grapheme-color synesthesia, meaning she associates graphical entities with colors, in eighth grade. It wasn’t until she learned about synesthesia in a Beauty Guru video on Youtube that she learned there was a name for what she had been experiencing her whole life. When she told her mom, they decided to do a little more re-

search. The more they learned, the more sense it made that Wiles was a synesthete. But her mom wasn’t completely convinced at first, and tested her on number/letter to color associations to make sure they matched up. “For about a week [my mom] made me go over numbers just to make sure I wasn’t imagining it or anything,” Wiles said. “She would literally just shout numbers and I would shout back colors and I was right every single time.” Her mother’s skepticism is common. People who seek help because they see colors when listening to music or counting numbers are sometimes written off by those who aren’t aware of synesthesia. Because the concept is so foreign to those who don’t experience this phenomenon, it may be hard believe or fully embrace at first. According to author and synesthete Maureen Seaberg, there is a certain stigma associated with synesthesia because of how little the world actually knows about it. “People, children in particular, with synesthesia are very misunderstood in therapy settings,” Seaberg said.“Psychiatrists who are not aware of this and don’t know that it’s not a psychosis or hallucination and can misdiagnose people. [Synesthetes] could be medicated when they don’t need it or just labeled as something that they’re not.” Wiles, however, never saw a psychiatrist, and it wasn’t until she told her father that everything clicked. He has a form of synesthesia too, although it differs greatly from hers. As Wiles understands, whenever her father thinks about any cycle of time, for instance days of the week, he pictures himself within a panorama of that cycle, facing whatever specific day he is thinking of. Though knowing that her dad had it too solidified Wiles’ notion that she was a synesthete, it didn’t explain why their experiences were so vastly different. While researchers still argue over the exact cause, Yale professor Dr. Lawrence Marks, considered one of the fathers of modern synesthesia research, believes that there may not be just one. Some studies indicate that there may be a genetic component involved, which could explain Wiles and her father. However, this doesn’t account for the cases of synesthesia that

arise in patients who have suffered major head injuries. Marks believes that there isn’t a single gene out there that determines whether or not a person has synesthesia. There may be a gene that sets the stage for its development, but even then, it can’t determine when or how a certain case will present itself. It takes time for synesthesia to develop and and each individual case is shaped by personal experiences and perceptions. “You can’t be born with having colors to letters because you have to learn the letters first,” Marks said. “So clearly experience is necessary.” This “experience” is anything that inspires and shapes someone’s synesthesia. A synesthete may associate the letter “L” with the color blue if that’s the color it was outlined in when they learned it in preschool. They might associate the name “Carol” with the taste of baked beans if that’s what they were eating the first time they had dinner with a new friend. Seemingly insignificant events can actually lead to associations that synesthetes will carry with them for the rest of their lives. Experience is the reason that Wiles and her English teacher, and fellow synesthete, Laura Beachy Langdon don’t see the same thing when other students in class ask what color their names are. For Wiles, the name “Maggie” is yellow, but for Beachy Langdon “Maggie” is red with some orange to it. These colors have nothing to do with the personality of their classmate and student, they’re just what they see automatically when picturing that name. According to Marks, individual experiences and the way the brains perceives these experiences shape each case of synesthesia into something totally unique. Each case allows synesthetes to see the world in a distinct way, and researchers doubt they’ll ever be able to fully understand each case. Thinking about her own view of the world, Wiles smiles coyly and lets out a small laugh. “You know, I kind of feel a little bit bad for people who don’t have any of these experiences,” Wiles said. “I don’t know, it just makes me very happy.”

SYNESTHES IA

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BLOCH

Where you get your degree matters to your success! Get your degree at one of the nation’s top-ranked schools of management. The Bloch School at UMKC provides a fun, experiential educational experience that prepares you to succeed in any career path you choose. Choose the program that will shape your future  B.B.A. (Bachelor of Business Administration) Emphasis areas offered: Enterprise Management, Entrepreneurship, Finance, Marketing and Real Estate

 B.S.A. (Bachelor of Science in Accounting) For more information on our programs, contact Gene Pegler at 816.235.5254 or peglere@umkc.edu. bloch.umkc.edu

Come to the first Spanish Club meeting of the year! Tuesday, Sept. 16 in room 510 There will be a taco bar, games, and cultural activities! Open to all who are interested in Spanish language and culture. Hope to see you there!

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written by Sophie Storbeck

If I Stay

“If I Stay” movie brings book to life, but fails to impress

Book Rating

was warned that “If I Stay” was a sad movie. That it was sadder than “The Fault in Our Stars.” That I would be in tears by the time the credits rolled. And yet I still went to the afternoon showing of the movie adaptation of Gayle Forman’s novel. I had read the book and knew that I was in for a tragic teenage romance. And though I usually tune out at those words, I was interested to see how the move and the book compared. I expected to like the book more than the movie, but I was surprised. A terrible car crash leaves senior in high school Mia Hall (Chloe Grace Moretz) trapped somewhere between life and death. Sometime after the crash, Mia follows her body in an outof-body-experience to the hospital, while trying to listen to nurses and family members talk about the state of her parents, Kat (Mireille Enos) and Denny (Joshua Leonard) and her brother, Teddy (Jakob Davies). During her out-of-body-experience, her ‘real’ body is in a comatose state in the ICU. The Mia that’s wandering around the hospital can’t interact with anyone or anything.

Mia has flashbacks of her life, which I assume were supposed to bring interest and emotion to the story. I thought they were great at first, but I eventually found them boring and repetitive -- Mia and her boyfriend, Adam (Jamie Blackley) fight, Mia and Adam get back together, Mia and her family are perfect and always get along. Mia realizes that she has to choose whether she fights to live and stay with Adam or follow a white light she sees in the hospital halls and choose to die and be with her family. I didn’t appreciate how this portrayed Mia as a girl who depended so much on her boyfriend -- a teenage romance cliché. Mia struggles internally, unable to ask anyone for help to make the right decision. She’s on her own. Although I didn’t shed any tears, I still thought that the movie was more emotional than the book. I can’t say too much without giving spoilers, but I will say that Moretz was heartbreaking in her role as Mia. In the book, Mia and her family are unrealistic. They got along, never fought and Mia thought her parents were the coolest. If this was

supposed to make me any more emotionally attached to the characters, it didn’t work. They seemed flat and unreal. Mia didn’t have much of a personality in the first half of the book. The movie was better at making the characters three-dimensional and lively. It made Mia’s family unit a little less perfect. The movie also cut out strange parts from the book that confused me, like when a rockstar came to the hospital to help Adam get past a nurse to see Mia. Eventually, the movie started to show more of Mia’s flaws. As she relived old memories with her family, Adam and her best friend Kim (Liana Liberato), her life began to seem less perfect. Although I think that the memories were, again, placed to make the watcher feel more connected to the characters, I didn’t feel anymore related to the Halls. Both the movie and the book seemed improbable at times, like how Mia and Adam’s relationship was sudden and intense from the start. I got the impression from the movie that Adam bought Mia expensive tickets to a Yo Yo Ma concert

before they even met. They are also overly in tune to their emotions, so much so that I found it unbelievable. At times they seemed to know exactly what they should say, like when Adam delivers the line, “but the you who you are tonight is the same you I was in love with yesterday, the same you I’ll be in love with tomorrow.” I liked both the book and the movie, but I thought that the movie was better. The book was good at keeping the plot interesting and fastpaced, but the movie brought the story and the characters to life. The movie made me feel for the characters. It dove deeper into Mia’s memories, revealing the different aspects of her life- her family, her best friend, her boyfriend and her music.

Movie Rating

A Look

Chloë Grace Moretz American Model and Actress • She was in competition for the role of Katniss Everdeen in “The Hunger Games”. • Moretz has been cast to star in upcoming film adaptation of YA best-seller “The Fifth Wave” • Filmography Highlights:

Dark Shadows (2012) The Amityville Horror (2005) Let Me In (2010) Kick-Ass (2010) Hugo (2011) Carrie ( 2013)

The Seven Wonders of Prairie Village

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While Prairie Village may not be synonymous with paradise, its hidden treasures here and there can be appreciated by all.

written by Kylie Schultz

photos by Hailey Hughes

et’s be honest: right now, there’s some place we’d rather be. Whatever the location we sit daydreaming about in math class is, it makes the city we do live in look dull and boring. Sure, we’d never pass up a trip to TCBY, and everyone oohs and ahhs at the Christmas lights in the Village around winter time, but Prairie Village doesn’t seem to hold a candle to the big Christmas Tree in New York City, or to a gelato shop in Italy. That’s why I went cruising around the cape cods and leafy trees, scouting out those little things that make the this place more spiffy. So, without further ado, I present to you: the Seven Wonders of Prairie Village. I started my journey with a trip to The Great Harvest Bread Company, a little bakery in Corinth square. On the way there, I saw a little free library by 82nd St. and Fontana and stopped. They’re like oversized birdhouses with books inside. The idea is that you take a book from the little case they have it in and replace it with another book you’ve already read. They’re always stocked and always changing, which keeps it interesting. I leafed through the books for a bit, tucking a few titles in my mind for future reference. I arrived at Great Harvest, and was greeted with orange walls and the glorious smell of homemade bread. I was immediately drawn to the display of large fresh-baked cookies, stashed next to an entire shelf-full of gluten-free options and gourmet hamburger buns. Finishing my sample of fruit-nut bread, I got in line again. I was in the midst of pondering how somebody could incorporate caramel apple nut bread into a peanut butter and jelly sandwich when the lady working asked me what I’d like. I ordered an oatmeal cookie on a whim, and, sweet buttery goodness, was that thing tasty. Still craving sugar, I went to a place I’ve been going for cheap candy since the beginning of my middle school days: Bruce Smith Drugs. I rounded the corner, coming faceto-face with every dentist’s nightmare: an aisle twenty feet across, six shelves high, stocked with every type of sweet imaginable. Snickers, Skittles, Butterfingers, oh my. They had six types of M&Ms. I didn’t know there were mint M&Ms. In the discrete little boxes near the bottom were the true gems. Pieces of Laffy Taffy, Lemonheads, Ring Pops, and Jolly Ranchers, all for under a buck. With a paper bag full of sugar, I decided to take a little stop by one of the most charming places in Prairie Village, this little footbridge behind Village Presbyterian Church. It’s a fantastic place to go and chill, gazing at the little patch of nature left untouched in this rapidly urbanizing world. It’s in-

visible from the road, shrouded in a plethora of green. I only stayed there for a bit, nothing accompanying me and my thoughts but the chirping of birds and rustling of trees. The bridge is built over a creek, and looking into the water below, you see only looming trees and the large blue sky. They seem to be the only things surrounding you for miles and miles. Then I was off to Brighton Gardens Assisted Living, home to some of the most awesome people in the world. There’s Jewel, a 78-year-old lady who’ll catcall you from clear down the hallway, asking whether or not you have a boyfriend. If you say no she’ll try to set you up with different volunteers, which, quite frankly, is hilarious and adorable to watch. There’s also the opportunity, one of my favorites, to play approximately twelve games of cards with one of the residents Bill, and then lose approximately twelve games of cards to Bill. Socializing with people who have witnessed such a large part of our history is never dull either. My final destination was Wild Bird Center in Corinth Square. Nestled in between BRGR and a liquor store, it’s barely distinguishable except for the bright windmills and wind chimes dotting the front patio area. With a single step inside I entered a whole new world. Muted colors mingled with the flashy flourishes of pinwheels, wind chimes tinkling just above the classical music. It’s also a Bruce Smith Drugs for birds, numerous types of bird seed and birdhouses painted anywhere from an earthy green to bubblegum pink. They have a three-legged cat. That place is the definition of zen. Driving home, I passed the seventh wonder of Prairie Village: Shawnee Mission East. Let’s face it, Lancers. We’re pretty cool. We achieve nothing less of excellence from the classroom to the swimming pool and our school pride is through the roof. We have the loudest student sections and incredible teachers, the second best football team in the state and juniors and seniors coming out with perfect ACT and SAT scores every year. SME is five floors of hard work, four years of memories, and three fantastic Lancer Day Parades(for me, at least). Maybe it’s the blue “E” printed on our chests or helmets, maybe it’s skill. Whatever it is, we’re the best. It may not be an exotic beach in the Caribbean where you can read under the shade of a palm tree. It may not be that picturesque little wooden cabin sitting atop the Matterhorn during skiing season. But when you stop your busy life and just glance around, taking in everything you’ve overlooked, Prairie Village is rich in that quaint, simplistic beauty: the very best kind.

The footbridge tucked behind Village Presbyterian is a snapshot of tranquility.

Little Free Libraries provide the opportunity to read and be spontaneous while you do it.

The Seven Wonders at a Glance Here’s a look into some of the places that make Prairie Village oh so wonderful.

Candy shelves at Bruce Smith Drugs include anything from Snickers to Baby Cigars.

Great Harvest Bread Company bakes dozens of kinds of bread fresh every morning.

The diverse people make Brighton Gardens endearing even to teenagers.

The Wild Bird Center has anything from a three-legged cat to vibrant birdhouses.

S ND

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H S E

written by Will Clough

I’ve never really been into hanging out at the local grocery store. Don’t get me wrong, I’m sure there’s some great things to be said about aisle three, but I usually leave it to my mom to find them out. Grocery shopping can be a pretty tedious task, and I can’t remember the last time anybody got excited about needing to grab extra milk. The store is always filled with different people who usually have the same goal: trying to find something - anything - to eat. When you’re just trying to get a meal on the plate, it doesn’t make a difference where you buy your local produce, but for some, there’s more to it than just “buying groceries.” Grocery shopping can be an experience, especially when you

photos by Paloma Dickey

pay attention to what goes into your body and where it comes from. I’m no expert when it comes to natural grocery store strategy, but I can see there’s a certain crowd that each store tries to pull in. This is a little different from your local HyVee, who’s just trying to make sure your mom always has enough margarine in the fridge. These natural grocery stores, like Whole Foods and Fresh Market, are there for the people who want a little more than just aisles full of food. Each of these stores brings something different to the “all natural” table and it might be a good idea to know what you’re getting yourself into before pushing that cart into the checkout line.

WHOLE FOODSalth kicks

e on one of those trendy Where you go when you’r

Whole Foods is the kind of place where you can find just about anything and everything. That goes for people as well as products. They’ve got a practically unlimited selection of produce that contains anything from iceberg lettuce to imported Belgium endive. With so many regular and organic alternatives, it’s hard to choose which kind of “I can’t believe it’s not milk!” product you want to buy. The grocery store is complete with a coffee shop, gourmet bakery, cheese table and even a brick oven for in-store pizzas. The calm lighting and naturally open floor plan aims to showcase the wide array of services and products available. This vast interior welcomes all shoppers and entices them with sophisticated display pieces. Whole Foods wants all of their customers to feel like they are in the “first class” of the grocery store world - no matter who you are.

The store is home to all kinds of shoppers who want to feel good about what they put in their biodegradable paper grocery bags. Whether you’re trying to satisfy your needs for humanely grown chia seeds, or you just like pretending you like the taste of granola, Whole Foods will welcome you with open arms - all you need is a fully stocked bank account. The all-natural grass that your beef is being fed with comes at a price. Literally. If you really want the ability to hand make your own “nut-butter” flavor then you better be willing to fork over a few benjamins. But at the end of the day, most shoppers find the variety and sophisticated atmosphere a price they’re willing to pay for and walk out of the sliding glass doors feeling a little bit more “hip and urban” than they did when they walked in.

TRADER JOE

Giving you a chan

ce to figure this

When you’re looking for the best bang for your all-natural buck, Trader Joe’s is the place to go. TJ’s, as it’s called by its most loyal shoppers, is home to the friendliest of natural grocery prices, while still providing a strong selection of basic grocery products. The folks at Trader Joe’s try to bring natural shopping to the everyday consumer and allow everyone to give “going natural” their best shot. This is reflected in the stores setup: a typical grocery feel that uses the traditional structure of aisles and refrigerated display drawers. They don’t need fancy display tables

whole “natural” th

ing out

or a live piano ensemble to give shoppers the organic and natural food they want. Despite the lack of variety found in other natural groceries, the savvy shopper can still find a small array of unusual items among the other daily produce at Trader Joe’s. This includes their own brand of many different items including alcohol, frozen foods, and canned goods. If you’re into eating seaweed chips or buying haricots verts without busting your bank account, then TJ’s has got you covered.

FRESH MARKETod Network d that you’re on the Fo

When you want to preten

Fresh Market will appeal to anyone who subscribes to Fine Cooking Magazine and likes pretending they know how to cook. Any wannabe chef will appreciate the high quality ingredients and welcoming atmosphere. If you think you’re ready to challenge Iron Chef Bobby Flay, then Fresh Market is going to be your second home. This classy store brings the market experience indoors by creating a comforting and refined atmosphere that reminds shoppers what grocery shopping should be about. They use friendly and well-furnished displays and a setup that avoids aisles almost completely. Fresh Market puts an emphasis on the products they sell and the quality they serve. The boutique style of the store uses intimate scenery and furniture that is aimed at “transporting” their customers somewhere else. The store tries to provide a humble and familiar setting that you might find at your local farmer’s market. A mediocre array of produce and overall variety shouldn’t be a problem seeing that

almost all of the items are top condition. The crew up at Fresh Market knows that quality always trumps quantity. The fresh produce section contains several different items and also covers all of the usual bases. Right next to your favorite fuji apple is probably where they keep the satsuma tangerines. The fresh bakery has both handmade breads and made-to-order pastries. The store also has a deli that has pre-made meals and dinners, for when you’re feeling too lazy to turn on your automatic oven. The Fresh Market staff bring fresh and natural ingredients to shoppers for a somewhat expensive, but relatively affordable price range. Most importantly though, they want to show shoppers an elegant way to shop naturally without taking a trip down to the Riverside Market.

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Intergalactic SuperZeroes Guardians of the Galaxy proves to be average despite popularity written by Elaine Chamberlain photos courtesy of Marvel

don’t claim to be an expert on Marvel movies (I’ve now seen a grand total of four), and I’m not even a huge fan of superheroes. I only decided to see Guardians of the Galaxy because I had friends who wanted to see it. Typically, that’s the only reason I would watch a Marvel movie--that or attractive actors. Guardians, though, had the bonus of good recommendations from everyone I knew. I thus walked into the theater with high hopes for a superhero movie I might genuinely enjoy. Unfortunately, although entertaining, the movie overall did not live up to what I had expected. To my surprise, Guardians of the Galaxy was really just like any other Marvel movie. There were too many alien races and mysterious objects for my non-sci-fi mind to keep track of and no shortage of endless battle scenes. I expected the plot to stray a little from the norm since outlaws were the “good guys,” but it was so similar to the Avengers (there were even references!) that I questioned the originality of the story. Are all these movies supposed to be tied together? Or are the screenwriters just out of ideas? The conflict of the movie revolves around an orb which contains an “infinity stone” with tremendous destructive powers (kind of like the Tesseract, one of the aforementioned references to the Avengers). Ronan, a backwards religious fanatic, eventually gets hold of it and embeds it in his warhammer. He wants to use it to wipe out his arch-enemies, the Xandarians, who live on Xandar, capital planet of the Nova Empire. Confused yet? I was.

SKIP IT

NETFLIX

The orb is first picked up by Peter Quill (Chris Pratt), a human who calls himself Starlord, on the abandoned, rather inhospitable planet Morag. Why is an earth man on the planet Morag, you ask? Allow me to enlighten you. Back on Earth in 1988, a young Peter Quill witnesses his mother’s death from cancer. Traumatized, Peter runs out of the hospital and is promptly abducted by a group of space pirates (because that happens to every kid whose mother dies). He is apparently raised by the leader of these space pirates to be an outlaw, which is why we find him 20 years later on the planet Morag stealing this orb. The Guardians of the Galaxy are initially made up of Gamora (Zoe Saldana), a green alien girl working as an assassin for Ronan; Rocket (Bradley Cooper), a sassy, genetically engineered raccoon; Groot (Vin Diesel), an adorable tree creature who can only say “I am Groot” in a variety of voice inflections; and Peter. They are all in jail when they meet a warrior named Drax the Destroyer. Drax (Dave Batista) is seeking vengeance on Ronan for killing his family, and decides to stick around with the Guardians because of Gamora’s connection to Ronan. The Guardians end up in Knowhere, which is an illegal mining colony of such substances as spinal fluid and brain matter, as it is located in the disembodied head of an ancient galactic beast. Uh... okay. Gross. Living among this abundance of bodily fluids is the Collector, a man who collects (as the name suggests) a variety

BUY A TICKET

of things from around the galaxy. He explains to the Guardians about the orb and the power of the infinity stone. Ronan soon arrives in search of the orb, and Drax confronts him, only to be almost killed and thrown in a vat of spinal fluid. The Guardians later intercept Ronan enroute to his rampage of destruction on Xandar. A very long, very typical battle occurs, at the end of which Ronan’s ship crash lands on the planet. Another long battle takes place on the planet’s surface, but the Guardians prevail and peace is restored. The infinity stone is put in custody of the leaders of the Nova Empire. A happy ending, just like a typical superhero movie. Well, all that probably made it seem like I didn’t like the movie. Don’t get me wrong, I did rather mindlessly enjoy it. Even though it was confusing and not what I expected, it was still entertaining and definitely had some clever moments. Overall, I’m sure Marvel fans would love this movie, and even if you’re like me and easily confused by galactic empires and mining of bone marrow, it would not be a waste of time to go and see it. If nothing else, it will give you a few laughs.

OSCAR WORTHY

GotG 101

above

Star-Lord is a human, kidnapped by alien pirates at an early age who was then raised to become an intergalactic outlaw

above

Gamora is an orphan from alien galaxies who continually works as an assassin for Ronan

above Rocket is a genetically engineered raccoon who acts as the brains in their legion of superheroes

sports

FOOTBALL photo by Kylie Rellihan photo by Callie McPhail

photo by Annie Savage

stories by Michael Kraske

On Friday, Sept. 5, the Lancer football team played their first game of the 2014 season. The Lancers took on the Gardner-Edgerton Trailblazers in Gardner. Early on in the game, the Lancers found success in their passing game. The first touchdown for the season was a completed pass from senior quarterback Gunnar Englund to senior wide receiver Alec Dean. Dean caught three touchdown passes that night. After falling behind early, Gardner-Edgerton relied heavily on senior running back Jadon Pearson-Bruce throughout the game. Unfortunately for Gardner, the Lancers did not allow a single touchdown. After week one of the season, the Lancers are one of three teams that have not allowed a single point scored against them. With consistent defense, and an explosive offense the Lancers were able to defeat Gardner-Edgerton 40 to 0. East will take on Shawnee Mission Northwest this Friday Sept. 19 at the Shawnee Mission North stadium.

CROSS COUNTRY VOLLEYBALL

The Lancer volleyball team took on Blue Valley West and Olathe North on Sept. 4. In both games, the team lost by ten points or more. Coming off these losses, the team hopes to reverse their losing record. “I don’t think we played to our potential last week, since it was our first game and we were nervous,” senior Konner Pendland said. “We got some more practice in and I think we’re ready for our next games.” Sophomore Emma Henderson said the team has been practicing in more real-game situations, such as scrimmages, to prepare themselves for upcoming games. “[Head coach Patty Phillips] has us running more and doing harder drills,” Henderson said. “I have high hopes for the rest of the season.”

On Saturday, Sept. 6, the East cross country teams took part in their first meet at Johnson County Community College in the Greg Wilson Classic. Varsity runners on both the girls’ and boys’ side showed that they are ready to be competitive this year, with the girls’ team finishing ninth in a meet where some of the fastest times in the nation were set. As of this meet, the boys’ team is ranked the fastest team in 6A. The girls are fourth. Junior Maddie Wilson ran a time of 14:57, leaving her ranked first. Notable boys’ performances included sophomore John Arnspiger placing eighth the 5k and senior Will Moore placing sixteenth. “To prepare myself, I’ve just been running with the team and my expectations are to make to state,” varsity runner junior Lance Meng said. “I think we have a good chance at winning the state title.”

sports

From Knights to Lancers or the first time since the late 1980s, middle schoolers in the Shawnee Mission School District (SMSD) have the opportunity to play sports for their school. SMSD will now offer cross country to all middle school students, wrestling to boys, volleyball to girls and basketball to all eighth graders, when it was once the only district in the area without middle school sports. According to Indian Hills Middle School athletic coordinator Sandy Laudemann, SMSD had several motivations for the switch. She says middle school athletics might give seventh and eighth graders exposure to a new sport, and will allow them a chance to gain experience and skill that they will carry with them when the make the transition to high school. “[The district] wanted to increase the skill set that students have before they enter high school,” she said. “Giving them the chance to try a sport that they maybe hadn’t before if they hadn’t joined a club or a community sport, and the chance to be involved.” Indian Hills’ first fall season debuted with cross country and wrestling. One hundred twenty four seventh and eighth graders stretch and run warm ups at 4:00 on the field behind Indian Hills three days a week after school, and 19 wrestlers practice on Lancer-emblazoned mats in Indian Hills’ gym for two hours every day after school. “I don’t think if you’d asked me last year we’d have 100 kids running on a consistent basis,” Indian Hills cross country coach Douglas Jones said. “More than we expected, which is a good problem to have.” When it comes to how the new programs will impact athletics at East, coaches at both buildings agree — the middle school programs will have a positive effect. East’s head wrestling coach Ben Sutherlin says that the new wrestling program at In-

The district added school sports at the middle school level, giving younger students the opportunity to gain exposure to a new activity and prepare them for athletics at East

dian Hills will do nothing but enhance the program at East. “[Wrestlers] having a couple years of extra experience with a sport that isn’t necessarily as popular with the young kids nowadays when they get here is going to help them be more successful for when they get [to East],” Sutherlin said. Eric McIntosh, Indian Hills wrestling coach, says that he’s simply showing the middle schoolers the sport and trying to cultivate an interest in an ancient sport that’s lost some of its popularity. “We’re just happy to spread this knowledge and discipline and brotherhood to them,” McIntosh said. “I never had a chance to start in middle school — these kids get a head start.” Since all of the teams are supported by the school, financial burdens for getting that extra experience before high school don’t fall on students’ families. “The kids that couldn’t financially participate in a club sport get that confidence to try out at the high school level [from school sports],” Laudemann said. “We’re taking the cost that some kids can’t afford.” Next up in the winter is basketball. Last month, Laudemann distributed an informal survey asking eighth graders to indicate if they were interested in signing up, and around 80 girls and 80 boys answered ‘yes.’ She doesn’t know if all of them will decide to sign up, but she says that those numbers give an idea of how popular the new athletics are with students at the school. All of the teams are no-cut. For example, seventh grader Palmer Bowles signed up for cross country simply because he likes to run. On Sept. 3, he stood with his classmates at the wrestling team’s first meet, shouting chants and cheering for his classmates. “It’s fun because you get to run with

your friends and you get to talk to them while you run,” Bowles said. “A lot of my friends do it with me.” East’s girls’ basketball coach Austin Klumpe is planning on the program at Indian Hills generating higher numbers of girls trying out for East. Additionally, they’ll already be familiar with everything else that comes with playing a school sport. “They’re going to learn how to be a student athlete a year earlier,” Klumpe said. “Which means they’re going to have to learn how to balance their academics with practice and games so they can develop positive habits.” Right now, Indian Hills only competes with other schools in the district because the seasons don’t line up with those of the Blue Valley and Olathe school districts. Football, soccer and track aren’t offered at and of the Shawnee Mission middle schools because of a lack of facilities and equipment. According to Athletic Director Kelli Kurle, future projects include getting more facilities so that the middle schools can compete outside of the district and increasing the number of available sports. She says that as the years go by, the district will get accustomed to middle school sports and everything involved with them. In the meantime, Laudemann thinks that the biggest advantage of the new athletics is the students’ excitement, both to support the Indian Hills Knights and to sign up for a sport themselves. “I want them to know what it’s like to play for their school and to not be afraid to go out and try something as a team,” Indian Hills girls’ basketball coach Kathy Kreamer said. “To be able to represent your school is wonderful.”

AT A GLANCE a look at the similarities and

differences between athletics at Indian Hills and athletics at East

HTS G I KN

all sports are no-cut Volleyball plays in the spring, wrestling in the fall Basketball is available only to eighth grade students competes only within the district no cheerleaders or drill team

teams practice daily players have to be academically eligible

competes state-wide offers football, soccer, gynmastics, tennis, track and golf certain programs hold tryouts students of any age can play basketball teams organize events for team bonding

ER THE LANC

photo by Kylie Rellihan

TH E

written by Pauline Werner

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sports

BAL

SOCCER

PERSPECTIVE INTERNATIONAL SOCCER HAS GAINED POPULARITY IN THE PAST FEW YEARS IN THE UNITED STATES AND IN EAST STUDENTS

written by Mike Thibodeau

ith seconds left in the 95th minute, America, as a nation, stood watching. US fans chanted “I Believe” as Portugal swung in a floating cross, before striking it into the back of the net tying the match with seconds left. In the 95 minute, America, as a nation, nearly put their fists through their TV screens as time trickled out in America’s second World Cup game. But a nation did this. Our nation, the United States of America, for the first time, nearly put our fists through our television screens because of a soccer match. With the English Premier League rising, Major League Soccer growing and the nationwide support for the World Cup, soccer is becoming a major sport in America. Even with last summer’s World Cup hype, senior varsity soccer player Ari Throckmorton’s interest hasn’t been spiked. Probably because he’s been watching since the third grade. When he was nine, while most of the kids around him were waking up on Saturday mornings to watch cartoons, he was getting up to watch his favorite player Thierry Henry take the pitch for Arsenal. In the last few years, more and more people are getting up for those early morning Premier League games as the league’s popularity has risen in the States according to Bleacher Report. Last year, on Championship Day, NBC showed 10 matches in a row, each averaging around five million viewers. Hockey, the fourth largest sport in America, and its Stanley Cup final averaged less than 1.5 million viewers per game. “There [are] obviously [EPL fans] who live in our country, who live and die like most Americans do about

the NFL,” head soccer coach and life-long Manchester United fan Jamie Kelly said. “You live and die through [English] clubs.” The MLS is growing too. With three new expansion teams, coming to New York, Orlando and Atlanta, joining by 2017, even the MLS’s smallest teams, like Real Salt Lake, are selling out stadiums. In Kansas City, Sporting Kansas City has sold out each game since the 2013 season with more people in attendance than your average NBA game, according to ESPN attendance statistics. Kelly believes Sporting’s success and the growth of the MLS has created new fans for American soccer. New fans like photography teacher Adam Finkelston, who began following Sporting two years ago. “I remember going to Wizards’ games,” Finkelston said. “The last time I went to a Wizards’ game, it was at Arrowhead, and it was terrible. There was nobody there, it was a 0-0 tie, it was just no fun at all.” Finkelston didn’t go to another game until the Wizards had changed to Sporting and they had moved out of Arrowhead Stadium and into their own Sporting Park. “Somehow I got tickets,” Finkelston said. “Just the whole atmosphere, I like the whole feel of the stadium and the crowd. It just has a lot of energy. I love the passion. It was just cool.” He started following Sporting immediately after that game. Since then, he’s started watching soccer more and he’s begun to understand the game and it’s strategy. And the World Cup this summer served to strengthen that interest. “[The World Cup] maybe spiked my interest a bit

more, but it also kind of solidified it,” Finkelston said. “It gives you a sense of [pride for] the MLS as a league. When Clint Dempsey comes to town, I’m rooting against his team, but I’m rooting for Clint Dempsey because he plays for the US. I would never root for Derek Jeter just because he was on the American League All Star team. I still hate his guts.” With stars like Sporting midfielder Graham Zusi and defender Matt Besler returning home, they’re coming back to more than just hype for soccer. They’re coming back to a stronger MLS, according to Kelly. “It’s a true testament [to] Besler and Zusi,” Kelly said. “Those guys could go play in Europe right now, but they chose to stay here and play for Sporting. We’re able to, not just bring in players, but keep our own players too instead of them just going over to Europe [which makes] our league stronger.” Even here at East, Throckmorton, whose older brother started for the varsity soccer for East, has seen a change now that he’s the one down on the pitch. “I remember when I was younger, I’d go to my brother’s high school games and they had a fan section that was pretty decent, but I don’t remember them being nearly as large as they are today at our games,” Throckmorton said. Soccer is growing in this country. More Americans than ever are watching the sport. From the Premier League and MLS down to soccer here at East, more people are paying attention to soccer.

MIKE’S TEAMS

MIKE SHARES SOME TEAMS THAT HAVE GAINED POPULARITY IN THE PAST FEW YEARS

SPORTING KC USA

ARSENAL UK

JUVENTES ITALY

sports

G N I D BUIL A PLACE TO TRAIN

Kansas City to construct United States Men’s and Women’s National Soccer Team training facility written by Ellis Nepstad

After the United States showcased their talent and potential this summer in the FIFA World Cup, Kansas Governor Sam Brownback proposed a deal that would bring a 75 million dollar soccer facility to Kansas City. The new facility will be home for both the men’s and women’s United States national soccer teams. In July, Brownback’s proposal was accepted, which could potentially make Kansas City a soccer capital in the United States. Currently the United States’ training facility is located in Clermont, Florida. Moving it to Kansas City would make the facility more centrally located, and allow for fans from either coast to meet in the middle. “[Kansas City] has kind of been a self-proclaimed soccer capital,” East soccer coach Jamie Kelly said. “But it is hard to argue when we are the MLS champions, we are the NWSL [National Women’s Soccer League] champions and the MISL [Major Indoor Soccer League] champions. When you have the three recognized professional soccer league champions in the country, it is kind of hard to argue that we are not the best.” The center will be located in Wyandotte County, on the southeast corner of 98th street and Parrallel Parkway, which is just ten minutes away from Sporting Kansas Ctiy’s stadium. The complex will have eight state-of-the-art professional soccer fields, as well as eight youth soccer fields. The complex will also have a large indoor facility, which will be used during inclement weather. Populous is a architecture company that will be in charge of designing the 190 acre, 75 million dollar facility. Populous has 12 offices worldwide, including offices in Brisbane, Australia and London. However, the headquarters are located in Kansas City. The firm developed the Sprint Center as well as Sporting Park in Kansas. “We’ve designed more than 2,000 projects worth more than $30 billion,” Populous public relations coordinator Annie Hellweg said. “These projects include iconic stadiums, arenas, ballparks and convention centers across the globe.” Some websites, such as The Topeka Captial-Journal

have estimated that the training facility will be finished in 2016. “[The time it takes] varies significantly depending on the size of the project we’re working on and the project type,” Hellweg said. “For example, we’re doing a new arena in Las Vegas that will open in the spring of 2016. We started design on that project in 2013. On the other side of the coin, we just completed a minor league ballpark in El Paso, that was designed and constructed in less than a year and a half.” When the complex is finished, it will be available for fans to watch the national teams practice. “One hundred percent I would totally go out.” Kelly said. “As a coach, you are always looking to see what you can do to make your team better, and if I could go see a drill that they are working on, and I can integrate that into my sessions, and you can always adjust [the drill] to the level of the kid.” Not only will the complex affect soccer in Kansas City, it will create jobs in the process. Studies have estimated that the facility will have an economic impact of over one billion dollars. Many soccer fans, including junior Andrew Stottle, are excited to see the United States National team train when the complex is finished. “I think the complex will draw a lot of tourists and soccer in Kansas City will become even more popular when the complex is finished,” Stottle said. “I am very excited to see how the complex effects Kansas City.”

keeping

written by Daniel Rinner

an eye on theBALL

continued from cover

Despite making the Kansas City All-Simone team, completing 28 tackles for a loss and clocking a 4.58 forty yard dash, neither Ball nor college scouts will be satisfied with a repeat of past achievements this season. “I don’t want to coast on my success,” Ball said. “I just want to constantly get better.” Ball’s total of nine tackles including five for a loss and two sacks helped East to shut out the Gardner Edgerton Trailblazers in a forty point victory. When he watches the first game’s film, he notices his simple mental errors, alignment mistakes, opportunities for improvement. 12 hours after Ball left Gardner Edgerton’s stadium, he stands inside Iowa State’s Jack Trice stadium, meeting with regional recruiters and coaches. A yellow sticker on his lanyard identifies Ball as one of the team’s more serious prospects and earns him increased attention from ISU staff. When Ball returns home from Iowa after enjoying VIP access to the game, a stack of letters from area colleges waits for him on a side table. From the outside, the envelopes look like generic college letters any first semester senior would receive. Inside, they are packed with game tickets, signed letters from coaches and flyers decorated with college football players. “We have acquired your name as someone who has the desire and the ability to continue playing football at the collegiate level…” “We really liked your junior film…” “You have been identified as one of our top prospects..” *** Ball stands inside the Iowa State practice facilities in June awaiting instruction. The staff divides close to 200 high school athletes into groups A through G by skill level. Ball’s junior year stats and his 6’2’’ 235 lb stature earn him a spot in the top group. As he moves with other players to start warm ups, more than 30 coaches from area programs gather around the players placed in group A. “When we warmed up, they were talking to all of us in our line and basically ignoring everyone else in the camp, ” Ball said. “They were watching you the entire time.” Days later, Ball travels back to Prairie Village to join the Lancers’ summer workouts. His high school goals take top priority while he plays and practices at East. At the recruiting camps, Division I coaches teach Ball techniques he can bring back to the East program. “He has brought that knowledge back and shared that with me and his peers,” defensive line coach Miles Martin said. “When upperclassmen get to that point, they always have a

special place where they become coaches to the underclassmen.” Ball felt the expectation to be a leader on the team his senior year as the only player on the current East roster to start three consecutive years. In practices, he pushes the younger players and tries to keep his teammates in the right mindset during games. “When he gets going, everyone else starts to get going,” senior Jack Anderson said. “When he gets fired up, he headbutts people.” Ball watched a group of underclassmen in his weights class lift and thought

they could push themselves harder. Now, he joins their group for exercises to ensure they can maximize their potential. He bases his leadership role on the team off of the two graduating classes he has played with. In the 2012 season, Ball started in a playoff game against Olathe East. Senior at the time, David Stewart, dislocated his shoulder during a play on defense and only left the game when officials forced him to go to the sideline. Within moments, his shoulder was reset, and he returned to the game. Players like these are the standard Ball is trying to match and exceed his senior year. “No matter what the situation was, they never stopped fighting,” Ball said. “I do what I do today because of [that class].” At this time, the only division I offer Ball has received is from South Dakota State. If his senior year performance matches his junior year pace, it won’t be the last. “I’ve always wanted to play college football,” Ball said. “I was blessed to have the genes that I do and position where I live. I want to do the best that I can and live up to that, not take it for granted.”

sports

photo by James Woodridge

STAT CHECK Kyle shares some of his stats from his junior season and from football camps over the summer. from 13 games last season...

107 TACKLES 28 TACKLES FOR LOSS 8 SACKS

after 4 camps this summer...

vertical jump

35 inches 40-yard dash

4.5

second8 s

bench

320

squat

500

broad jump

9 10

feet inches

FORGET YOUR

CAMERA? WE DIDN’T

www.smephotos.com

alt-copy Wristband technology has skyrocketed in 2014. With Apple announcing their new iWatch, it’s bound to escalate even more. Many kids in and around East have started wearing electronic wristbands that help them monitor what they eat, how much they exercise and the quality of their sleep photos by Morgan Browning

written by

Tommy Sherk

FITBIT FLEX $100

f he had the choice, junior Sam McDonald would surgically attach his Fitbit Flex to his wrist. McDonald uses the Fitbit’s features to their fullest extent — especially during cross country season. He uses it to track the number of steps he takes, how many miles he walks and runs, how many calories he has burned and even to measure his sleeping patterns. Other than the band occasionally

falling off, Sam loves the wrist-friendly Fitbit. Sam uses its Bluetooth feature to connect to his phone and track his progress multiple times a day. “Everything works and you don’t even realize it’s on your wrist,” McDonald said.

JAWBONE UP $80

ver since Junior Halle Connelly got her Jawbone UP, she has started paying attention to what she eats, how much she exercises and how well she sleeps. “I honestly don’t know what I’ve been doing without it,” Connelly said about her Jawbone UP wristband. The “super light and comfortable” band Connelly has been wearing

every day and night tracks her steps, how many calories she burns and how many calories she consumes. At night, she turns the UP to night mode, which tells her the length of her sleep and whether it is deep or light. The band lets her set sleep and step goals for herself, which she regularly tries to keep up with. To make sure she’s on track for the day, Connelly plugs the

UP into her phone and then can see her progress. “It has helped me so much to eat healthier and get more exercise,” Connelly said. “I just love it so much!”

GARMIN FORERUNNER $170

ace is very important to Junior Lance Meng, who runs varsity cross country. That is why Meng’s Garmin Forerunner 10 is a necessary tool. The two most useful features of his wristwatch, according to Meng, are its ability to track how far he has run and at what pace. “It helps knowing the pace we run at every day and keeping it consistent,” Meng said. The Forerunner also functions as a stopwatch, which Meng uses to time himself during his cross country races. However,

getting the watch to connect to the GPS signal can take a bit of time. Meng has also noticed that the watch is a little heavier than a non-GPS watch, and is a bit more pricey at $170. A feature Meng finds useful is that he can access all of the Forerunner’s information directly from the screen on his wrist.

NIKE FUELBAND $100

unior Joe McLiney’s day runs on Nike Fuel, points which he earns from exercising with his Nike Fuelband. McLiney doesn’t currently use his Nike FuelBand for any sport, but purely for personal interest. When he wears it, which is almost every day, it gives him points for different physical activities. “If I walk from the first floor to the fifth floor at East I might get 20

points” McLiney said. The band encourages the wearer to set point goals for themselves or even compete with other people who use Nike FuelBands. McLiney accesses his point values once or twice a day through an app on his phone. Though the Nike Fuelband is as entertaining to McLiney as it is useful, his only wish is that it could double as a vibrating alarm clock.

photo essay

RIDE ORDIE

below Junior Gabe Snyder takes a break in between races. Snyder raced in the Intermediate portion of the race against other competitors. photo by Annie Savage

photo by Hailey Hughes

left Junior Bret Kirkman is filmed before his competition. “We all started [longboarding] around 7th grade when all the boys at Indian Hills decided to try it out”, Kirkman said. “After the fad had died out we were the only few still enjoying it”. below Sophomores Phillip Fuson and Lars Troutwine goof around before their race. Fuson, Troutwine and Snyder are all sponsored by Ride Four Ever and Kirkman is sponsored by Burning Spider Stroke Co. photo by Hailey Hughes

far right Sophomore Phillip Fuson walks back up the windy road after his ride. The riders had to race down a quarter-mile hill. “We had to walk up the hill at the beginning”, Fuson said. “but they ended up getting shuttle rides which was really nice”.

photo by Annie Savage