Issue 3

Harbinger

ACCESS

DENIED

The district’s growing concern with blocking websites, what you’re being protected from and why you can’t YouTube “funny cats” at school written by Toni Aguiar

SMEHARBINGER.NET

art by Kat Buchanan

ISSUE 3 | SHAWNEE MISSION EAST | PRAIRIE VILLAGE, KS | OCT. 4, 2011

FRESHMAN STRIKES A POSE P. 13

“This address has been blocked under SMSD and/or CIPA guidelines of use...”

For senior Taylor Runion, this disheartening white screen has been a constant through her school years. In elementary school, it was addictinggames. com. Then in middle school, myspace. com and youtube.com. Now, grooveshark.com and deviantart.com. The white screen declaring a site inappropriate for school has followed students from the days of Lunchables to open lunch.

From Runion’s point of view, it seems that though her usage of blocked sites has become more educationally motivated, things have not changed in SMSD’s never-ending battle against websites deemed to be inappropriate. These range from pornography and DIY-bomb sites to sites pertaining to sexual health and

teacher rating sites like ratemyteacher. com. However, as the list of inappropriate sites grows longer, SMSD’s Information and Technology department has dealt with the likewise-growing number of issues with students trying to get through filters, as well as the ever-changing world of technology.

According to Principal Karl Krawitz, East alone has experienced an uptick in the number of students called into administration either for trying to access forbidden sites or downloading programs such as Halo or Google Chrome. In a survey of 200 students, 51 percent of students had succeeded in getting around the district’s firewalls, and only 34 percent feel that the filters are needed.

“Kids have gotten very good about knowing how to get around filters,” Dr.

Krawitz said. “And that’s been on the increase because you can find a way to get around it just by Googling it.”

The effort that students put into getting around the filters varies based upon their attitude towards the blocks and the resources available to them. Often, the key issue for students is a feeling that the blocks are set up for illegitimate reasons.

With some sites like Reddit that offer a powerful forum for discussion within the social media, simplifying the system of blocking takes precedence over providing information for students. According to East Network Analyst Richard Allan, it’s easier to block the entire site instead of than to take the time and the risk of going through to pick out the inappropriate sub-sites.

CONTINUED ON p. 5

INSIDE the issue pp.3-5

NEWS The budget versus books

written by Holly Hernandez

Marching Band Festival

P. 3 pp.7-11

OP/ED

P. 11 Staffer finds local police to be after the wrong crimes

pp.12-15

FEATURES

P.Junior 14 is

successful in professional make-up art

pp.16-17

SPREAD

Ways to jam-pack your fall with seasonal sensations

P. 27

pp.22-27

Wilco’s new album breaks free from the norm while keeping it close to home

Each of the five schools’ Marching Bands in SMSD are coming together for the district marching festival on Oct. 4, at 7 p.m. at the South Stadium. East’s theme this year is Stevie Wonder, and they have rehearsed four of his songs for their portion of the show.

Band teacher Kim Harrison says that this festival is one of the most important things they do during the year.

“All of the students in the Shawnee Mission bands, they know students from the other schools that play their instruments,” Harrison said. “I think that the Shawnee Mission festival is more important than the competitive festival because the kids want to do good in front of their friends and their peers.”

Sophomore Abby Scott says she is excited to see the other schools’ marching and hear their sound this year, but says she’s also anxious to play.

“For me, band it’s just having a lot of fun with the drum line kids and getting to play together,” Scott said.

Harrison says the festival is a way to gauge how the year is going to go.

What makes up the

MARCHING BAND? 10X Flutes

Musical Auditions

This fall the school musical will be Bye Bye Birdie. Auditions for the musical will be Oct. 10 in the auditorium. The play centers around a teenage heart-throb who has been drafted for the army. His agent has selected one teenage girl to receive a “goodbye kiss” from him.

Fine arts teachers Ken Foley, Brian Cappello and Tom DeFeo will be directing the musical.

Junior Max Duncan plans to audition and says that even though he was part of “Bye Bye Birdie” back in middle school, he is excited to see how this year’s production will be different.

Singing “I Can’t Help Falling in Love,” by Elvis Presley for the audition, Duncan says he’s nervous, but hopeful that those nerves will turn into energy that he can use to his advantage.

“I think the waiting—like when two people are before you, and you are just waiting to go in is the worst,” Duncan said. “But it’s fine once you start singing.”

Each student planning to audition should prepare 16 bars of a Broadway song, bring a copy of the sheet music and be prepared to

Mellophones

11X Clarinets 13X Trumpets 11X

Trombones

4X

6X

Tubas

12X 23X

Saxophones

A&E

SPORTS

BRIEFING

Why the band loves Stevie Wonder, how many upperclassmen utilize College Clinic and what this issue holds for you

Percussionists

The Week in Photos

College Clinic

To gain information about college admissions, programs and scholarship opportunities—SM East is hosting the 49th annual College Clinic Wednesday, Oct. 12. Over 200 representatives will be scattered among the school in the cafeteria, gyms and classrooms to answer questions and guide students and parents through the early stages of the college process.

From campus life and academics, to how much it cost, how big the school is and the majors/activities they offer—students can get a head start on planning.

“It gives you the opportunity to collect a lot of information about the variety of colleges and universities that you have an option to attend,” principal Karl Krawitz said.

Junior Samie Fetzer plans on attending the clinic with her parents and says she hopes to learn more about each individual college that she has in mind. She thinks that it’s important for all students in each grade level to attend.

“You learn about a lot of colleges you normally wouldn’t have learned about,” Fetzer said.

Out of 225 juniors and seniors surveyed

140

have attended the College Clinic

& 105

found it helpful

pp.28-31

P. 29

Looking into the intensity of boys’ basketball conditioning

02 | NEWS

Photo by Hiba Akhatar

WIDE RECEIVER SENIOR ANDY HIETT, pounds the field after missing a catch at the Olathe South football game.

Photo by Holly Martin

SENIOR DANIELLE NORTON, smiles with her father after being named the Homecoming Queen’s Second Attendant at the Olathe South football game.

Photo by McKenzie Swanson

JUNIOR BRYCE MCCLANAHAN, chases the ball and attempts to header it at the Lawrence Freestate soccer game.

SMSD CUTS LIBRARY FUNDS Shawnee Mission School District has cut all funding for new library books

written by Stephen Cook | artwork by Andrew McKittrick and Sam Stevens This year, the Shawnee Mission School District has cut funding for new library books in an effort to save money “[High school students are] so busy with other classes, due to increased financial pressure caused by decreasing they’ve got so much work to do, they don’t have quite as federal education funding. To “eliminate the purchase much time to read for fun,” Knop said. of library books,” as the Budget Reduction plan states, Michael Hill, one East’s top debaters and an SMSD will have a district-wide International Baccalaureate student, savings of $107,212 . constantly researches and reads up on There’s a lot of “I would hate to see us not topics and theory so that he can have the be able to get any books at all,” information you can get off edge in his debates. However, despite all East librarian Kathi Knop said. the Internet, but there still the reading that Hill does, he doesn’t use “There’s a lot of information you is nothing like holding that the East library. can get off the Internet, but there library book in your hand.

“The books I’m looking for now are still is nothing like holding that not books that you will find in an average Librarian Kathi Knop library book in your hand.” library because it’s a lot of research papers Since no district funding is and really academic books that I need for going to help SMSD schools buy debate,” Hill said. “So I usually just assume books, this means schools are going to have to use other that the East library doesn’t have them and so I’ll get them funds or hold fundraising events in order to raise money online or I’ll order them from Amazon.” for new library books. Knop says that events, such as the Hill, who says that he spends around 10 hours a week Used Book Sale and Cappuccino day, are going to be used researching information for debate on top of the rest of to raise funds for new books at East. his other IB responsibilities and schoolwork believes However, even though the district is cutting funding that online articles are typically read and used more than for new books, that doesn’t mean that all library funding books for a reason. is being cut. District libraries will still receive funding for “I think research online that’s in the form of articles things such as supplies and audio/visual purposes. Knop and Google Scholars is a lot more consumable,” Hill said. says that the $3,000 budgeted to the East library will be “You can take an article online and read it pretty quickly able to be moved around so at least some new books can and it’ll make all the arguments you need. It’ll tell you be bought. exactly what you want to know you don’t have to read an This is Knop’s first year at the East library. Before that, entire book for it.” she was the librarian at Mission Valley Middle School.

Certain libraries around the country are picking up on She believes that the cut for book funding will be more this message--instead of having actual books, they have noticeable in the elementary and middle schools than it gone completely technological. will be in the high schools.

“There’s a couple of colleges that have already gotten

Results from survey of 127 students

100%

28%

68%

100% of budget for new books has been cut.

68% of students read fiction books for fun.

28% of students use books for their research.

53%

53% of students have never checked out a book from the library.

LIBRARY

rid of all their books; they have a library with absolutely no books in it,” Knop said. “There was a library in Boston that has they were the first one that I heard about that started that. They showed a picture of it and there was not a book in there--it was all computers.”

Knop agrees that research can often be more efficiently done using online resources, as compared to using a book.

“I think for us, I will buy a lot less books now in the non-fiction [section] because research can be done so easily online and it’s updated constantly,” Knop said. “It’s more current rather than buying a science encyclopedia that’s going to be outdated in three years. They’re very expensive and now that we don’t have the money, you really have to think ‘Ok, what do kids use’, what are they going to use the most?”

Knop feels that this funding cut would have had a much bigger impact in the years past, when many people still used books for research.

“They didn’t have the online resources 10 to 20 years ago that we do today,” Knop said. “If students were doing a report, they had to have the books in order to get that research done. Now, there’s so much information that you can get online and there’s credible sources.”

Even though Knop feels that this is unfortunate, she also thinks that it is a good time to think about where the future of the library is really headed.

“I think it’s sad that this happened, however, I think it’s also a really good time for us to step back and say ‘How much money do we really need?’ Are there some ways where we can find alternative sources, instead of filling up the space with books?” Knop said. “It’s going to change, it’s definitely going to change.”

Shawnee Mission School District Schedule of Supplies and Services-Summary Library Budget

$587,736.01* 2009 Library Budget

$425,569.94*

$274,237.52*

SMSD

2010 Library Budget 2011 Library Budget

Book Drop

* District library supplies and services budget does not include books

NEWS | 3

STEALING

A student comes in after school to work on an art project she couldn’t work on during seminar

SEMINARS New schedule limits seminar time written by Greta Nepstad | photos by McKenzie Swanson

Junior Jake Lanon is in the middle of preparing for dis- homework, or seek additional help from their teachers. trict band and orchestra auditions. Being a member of the This was possible because they had two seminars to work East band, he uses his seminar time to practice percus- with--one on Tuesday and one on Thursday. sion. Because of mass schedule changes this year in the “Seminar is the best time I can take tests,” senior Seth Shawnee Mission School District, students only have one Berkbuegler said. seminar session per week--and for Lanan, that means less Berkbuegler believes that, in the long run, his grades practice time. might be affected because of the minimized amount of “It’s really hard to come in after school because I’m do- seminar time. ing stuff after school and it just makes it a lot When the schedule was four harder to practice,” Lanan said. block days and one seven-period “We ought to provide stuBoth students and teachers at East are day, the International Baccalaufinding it difficult to adjust to having only dents today with more oppor- reate (IB) class Theory of Knowlone seminar each week. In addition to after tunities just based upon the edge was taught during the two school sports and extracurricular activities, complexity of what their edu- seminars. Before East made the students who once had the option of finishing cational lives are today.” switch to block in the 2008 and work in seminar, have more homework each 2009 school year, it was taught Principal Karl Krawitz night and less time to meet with their teachbefore school at a “zero hour,” in ers. The teachers have more classes to teach which students were expected in addition to larger classes. to be at east at 6:40 a.m. IB coordinator Rebecca Murphy Principal Karl Krawitz feels it is unfortunate that the believes that this was a factor preventing students from atstudents don’t have as many opportunities to seek addi- tempting an IB education. Now that there is only one semitional help as they did last year. He said that when they nar a week, IB students might have to come to school in the had to reduce the amount of time available to students, evenings or have a seminar class on Saturday mornings. they were forcing them to make other decisions. This is not Murphy felt that every student put their seminar time something he encourages and hopes that there isn’t a de- to good use last year and that the challenged learners had crease in students’ grades. their needs met at every level in the building by being able “We ought to provide students today with more oppor- to have more contact with their teachers. Now, she feels tunities just based upon the complexity of what their edu- that the seminars have been turned into more of an activity cational lives are today,” Dr. Krawitz said. period, rather than an academic period.

Sometimes students don’t have access to their one sem“I wish that we didn’t have to take away the amount of inar because of pep assemblies or lectures in the audito- hours we had for academic support,” Murphy said. rium.

Since a large number of students at East are involved “Having two [seminars] was much better,” sophomore with after school activities, their options of meeting with a Leslie Flores said. “Now they aren’t very good and aren’t as teacher are reduced. useful to me.”

When students were assigned group projects, they In previous years, students used their seminars to make always had seminar to meet with their peers. Having the up labs that they could only complete while in the building, seminar late in the week, rather than in the beginning, is

SEMINAR COUNTDOWN

32

21

seminar missed seminars opportunities this year this year

4 | NEWS

11

seminars with no interruptions

the

PROS & CONS

OF FEWER SEMINARS Hashing out why or why not you should support the change

an issue according to sophomore Anna Jones. A lot of assignments are assigned on Monday and due later on in the week. Because she has assignments due late in the week, Jones doesn’t think it’s very logical to have her one seminar on Thursday.

Jones also had a difficult time making up a lab in her chemistry class. Being sick with pneumonia the day before, she had no choice but to come in early. If there was still a seminar on Tuesdays, she could have made it up then. Waiting until Thursday was not an option because it was too long of a wait. Her teacher, Mr. Ogdon, had other students to help that morning and couldn’t give his full attention to Jones. She was late to her first hour and wasn’t confident in her work.

According to English teacher Kristin Fry, the cut back of seminars is “not so bad.” Fry believes that the seminars last year were too long. They were three hours a week and she observed that some kids didn’t use their time properly: some slept, played video games or listened to music. Fry feels that having fewer seminars encourages kids to get in the healthy habit of doing their homework.

In past years, seniors were given the choice of leaving school early on seminar days. This year, however, it is mandatory that they remain in class. This hasn’t stopped students from breaking that rule and leaving school early.

Jody Gustafson, an office personnel in charge of checking the attendance of students, gets more calls from parents excusing their children on seminar days. On Thursday, Sept. 22, around 80 students were pulled from school by their parents after 12:30 p.m. with the excuse that they had doctor’s appointments. That morning, Gustafson had received 40 notes from students stating that they were excused to leave that afternoon.

Murphy is confident that the lack of seminars will not hurt the grades of students.

“If you’re motivated academically, you’re going to make it work whatever schedule you’re in,” Murphy said.

PROS

-Less time spent pretending to do homework -Going to engaging assemblies -Less time spent in a classroom

CONS

-More homework to do at night -Less time to make up assignments (such as art projects or labs) -Less time to talk to teachers

A look at the filters set up by SMSD and the changing world of technology around them Continued from page 1

When Grooveshark, a free music site similar to Pandora, was blocked last year, the change was met with dismay from students who used the site to listen to music during study time or in art classes.

“I don’t think the filters are necessary, because the only things they’ve filtered out for me have been Grooveshark or times when I’ve been looking for a picture for an art project,” Runion said. “What they do block seems excessive, in my opinion, but I can get around them using an ‘s’ in the address.”

By searching around the Internet, students can find proxies such as sockstunnel.org that reroute requests through the proxy so that the district’s filters can’t pick up on the bad request.

Some will even set up “tunnels” that route the entire connection through another server. At this point, though, it isn’t just a simple desire to check Twitter during school hours. Students such as former East student Kevin Blouthe* view the filters as an imposition and a challenge; the mere presence of the filters motivated Blouthe to find a way through them using SSH tunneling-- a far more advanced and time-consuming route than proxies.

“I just wanted to see if I could set up my own server,” Blouthe said. “But it was just for fun, since I could get Facebook and Twitter on my phone without the server. My freshman year, it was a huge deal to get on Facebook because there was no other way. People didn’t have smartphones, really.”

The use of smartphones has illustrated an flaw in the district’s system of filtering. The requirements and guidelines of the district have turned into an issue of liability for SMSD. This liability downplays the important role smartphones play, as the phones aren’t directly under the district’s responsibility.

“Even though students can just get social networking sites on their phones for the most part, I feel like the blocks are a liability thing,” Bouthe said. “If the school’s letting you connect, it’s like they’re endorsing you wasting time and going on random websites.”

According to Blouthe and Allan, the district’s underlying knowledge that kids will goof off is overshadowed and covered up by old guidelines and Children’s Internet Protection Act (CIPA) requirements. CIPA defines what is safe for children to access by primarily filtering out obscene or pornographic content.

Yet according to Leigh Anne Neal, Director of Communications and Public Information in SMSD, CIPA does not simply provide basic guidelines for Internet filtering, but rewards those public institutions with technology grants that comply. In other words, kids will goof off no matter what, but the school can’t encourage it just because of policy issues.

“I feel like [the firewalls] are well-intentioned but kind of inneffective,” senior Henry Falk said. “It’s probably just a necessity to keep kids safe from Kindergarten on up, but the system really needs to be updated.”

The lack of concern for smartphones because of the absence of their status as a liability

UP AGAINST

TION

CAU

TION CANUCAUT O I T U A C TION N CAUTION

THE WALL

has created a way for students to consistently get around firewalls, according to students such as Falk and Runion. For those phones with Internet access, the filters that SMSD imposes on its server no longer applies to them. This rise of smartphones-- whether they be iPhones, Androids or Blackberries-- has deeply changed the game of cat-and-mouse that plays out between students, websites and the district.

“I think absolutely smartphones have changed everything, especially now that the rules have kind of relaxed with cell phone usage,” Allan said. “I think everyone knows how to get around it when they need to get around it, and that’s usually with their iPhone or whathave-you.”

With the use of smartphones as an entirely different gateway to the Internet and the evergrowing and changing nature of the Internet itself, the task of keeping kids away from sites they are used to going on at home continues to rise in both complexity and workload, explained Dr. Krawitz.

According to him, the ability for the school district to keep up with the number of inappropriate websites themselves and the proxy websites used to get to them is growing thin.

As compensation, the number of sites is more finely filtered than ever before in an attempt fully comply to the guidelines laid down by CIPA (guidelines that deal with blatant obscenity and pornography) and the district, according to Dr. Krawitz. This, in part, has contributed to the increase in students being written up by East administration either for being on inappropriate sites during school or for downloading applications off of the Internet.

“I don’t think the school district has the capacity to stay up with the multitude of ways that one can manipulate around the system, and I would imagine that they’re challenged by that every day,” Dr. Krawitz said. “Which makes it even more the reason why they try to filter as finely as they can to catch anything that might be offensive.”

Often caught in these filters are sites that have an educational basis but contain content that is at first glance inappropriate. Deviant Art, a website of user-submitted art and tools for graphic design, is inhibited by the district’s servers because of nudity in art. Websites that pertain to health or politics may also be blocked because of keywords that are caught by the district’s filtering software. Even social media sites such as Reddit and Facebook can contain valuable information-- either through discussion about everything from scientific ethics to politics or through the use of social networking in business.

“Facebook is a huge marketing tool, except we can’t use it to find examples of for kids to look at,” marketing teacher Mercedes Rasmussen said. “It’s tough because business is changing and, yeah, I can teach for television, newspapers, magazines; but the future of advertising is in social networking.”

Despite requests from East’s business department, the district has failed to allow access

CAU

to social netowrking at school because of all the legal issues, Rasmussen explained. And according to business teacher Jennifer Hair, the decision to allow Facebook or a “school-safe” software version of Facebook takes too long to finalize. By the time these decisions are made, Facebook has already evolved.

According to Neal, sites like these are primarily blocked due to policy-- whether it is to conform to CIPA, by request from higher district administration or because of a security threat.

According to her, these policies-- as well as the funding SMSD receives as a result of following CIPA guidelines-- shape the district’s attitude towards the role of the Internet in Shawnee Mission schools. Sites such as Grooveshark and Facebook as well as potentially inappropriate educational sites were reviewed by the staff development department before being deemed unacceptable by district officials. These policies define what is unacceptable as well as the balance between informative and obscene. In this way, the Internet becomes a quandary of distraction and danger versus information and ideas.

“I know that one of the greatest learning tools that any of us have ever had has been the evolution of the Internet. I’m all by where I can go and what I can find at the drop of a hat,” Dr. Krawitz said. “The other side is that you’re also vulnerable. It just depends where a person wants to go [on the Internet].”

The Internet, as an open source, is defined by who uses it. This view of the Internet as a potential friend rather than a foe has led to the breaking down of firewalls in certain school districts, as Director of Information Systems Tim Peltz did with the Racine Unified School District in Wisconsin did last year. He explained in a recent edutopia.org article that teachers are being trained in how to teach how to use the Internet as a resource to be used, not to be limited.

“The Internet is a right, whereas previously it was seen as a privilege,” Peltz said. “If you take the Internet away, it’s kind of like saying, ‘You can’t have this textbook.’”

Behind this way of thinking is a belief that students should learn how to use technology constructively at school, and that students will use the technology at home anyways. And without education about the Internet and the complex ethics surrounding it, kids will not be exposed to the more productive side of the Internet, according to Peltz.

“I think you could be okay in some sense with no blockage of anything if you trust the judgement of the people you’re working with,” Dr. Krawitz said. “But at some point, because the school is seen as an extension of the home, common sense says we shouldn’t allow what some parents wouldn’t allow, which ranges from nude art to social networking.”

However, the district continues to rely on the CIPA guidelines and district administration to make decisions about filters. According to Dr. Krawitz, under these policies, the blocks, though potentially unfair and ineffective, will remain a constant in SMSD.

Students Unfiltered

Results from a survey of 200 students

Of the 119 students that have tried to get past the firewalls, 85 percent have succeeded.

34%

A minority of students believe that filters are needed within SMSD.

Of the 56% of students that own smartphones, 79% have used them to access websites that are normally blocked.

42% When asked what sites they thought should be unblocked, students responded with multiple answers in some case.

*Name has been changed

Students are divided over whether the firewalls are effective at keeping kids off of “inappropriate” sites.

36% Facebook 58% YouTube

28% GrooveShark 13% Netflix 7% Reddit

NEWS | 5

OVERWHELMED

and out of time

Students and teachers are lacking efficient time to perform during seminar periods

T

photo by McKenzie Swanson

Harbinger

Editors-In-Chief Kat Buchanan Toni Aguiar Assistant Editors Emma Pennington Evan Nichols Online Editors-InChief Jeff Cole Duncan MacLauchlan Online Assistant Editor Becca Brownlee Art and Design Editor Chloe Stradinger Head Copy Editors Chris Heady Jack Howland News Editor Tom Lynch News Page Editors Sarah Berger Editorial Editor Julia Davis Opinion Editor Ian Wiseman Opinion Page Editors Vanessa Daves

Mixed Editor Paige Hess Spread Editor Emily Kerr Assistant Spread Editor Tiernan Shank Features Editor Christa McKittrick Features Page Editors Jennifer Rorie Haley Martin Haley Martin Alysabeth Albano Katie Knight A&E Editor Kennedy Burgess A&E Page Editors Andrew Simpson Will Webber Sports Editor Anne Willman Sports Page Editors Adam Lowe Corbin Barnds Freelance Page Editors Alex Goldman

he entire student body files into the auditorium. Today’s seminar is going to be used for the announcement of the Homecoming Court, as well as a non-essential presentation regarding caps and gowns. They sit there attempting to pay attention but where their attention really is focused is on that test in Chemistry to make-up or that session of gymnastics that needs to be made up.

Though six seminar dates have been confirmed, only two of which have been left uninterrupted, leaving the entire first quarter mostly void of study, test and help time that for the last three years has always been there.

Due to the district’s decision to streamline the five Shawnee Mission high schools’ schedules, East’s twice-a-week seminar from last year fell victim to a cut, leading to a new policy of only one seminar per week. But due to the SHARE Fair, Dr. Krawitz’s speeches, an early release and a pep assembly, they might as well not have scheduled any.

This situation not only impedes on students’ ability to get ahead on home-

work, but more importantly, on students’ ability to get that crucial one-on-one time with a teacher, make up a test, or complete that lab they missed. The option to stay after school is available for some students, but for the majority of the student body, it’s not.

What about the student who plays a sport after school, or fills his afternoons at work? Sure, they could come in before school to take a test, but what if that test, like most, takes an hour to take? Most THE MAJORITY OPINION OF THE HARBINGER EDITORIAL BOARD

11

FOR

ABSENT

teachers don’t get into the building until seven, which wouldn’t permit the student enough time to finish.

International Bachelorette is suffering as well. With only one seminar a week, their Theory of Knowledge program will be well short of their needed 100 hours of class. Without reaching that minimum, the students will not be eligible to receive their IB diplomas. Currently, they are

a publication of shawnee mission east high school 7500 Mission Road, Prairie Village, KS 66208 October 4, 2011 Andrew McKittrick Kim Hoedel Photo Editor Grant Kendall Assistant Photo Editor Hiba Akhtar Online Photo Editor Brendan Dulohery Assistant Online Photo Editor Jake Crandell Copy Editors Evan Nichols Emma Pennington Kat Buchanan Katie Knight Matt Hanson Anne Willman Chloe Stradinger Toni Aguiar Online Copy Editors Matt Gannon Kim Hoedel Sarah Berger Ads/Circulation Managers Vanessa Daves

0

0

AGAINST

Erin Reilly Leah Pack Staff Artists Sam Stevens Matti Crabtree Connor Woodson Webmaster Chris Denniston Multimedia Editor Thomas Allen Assistant Multimedia Editor Dalton Boehm Transmedia Editor Holly Hernandez Convergence Editor Alex Lamb Assistant Convergance Editor Holly Hernandez Homegrown Editors Andrew Beasley Mason Pashia Blog Editor Zoe Brian Video Editor Nathan Walker Eastipedia Editor

brainstorming ideas on how to assemble to earn the extra hours they’ll need.

Teachers are feeling the effects as well. With one less seminar, they are strapped to make up for that grading and planning time, and have had to dip into hours they never had to before.

The school doesn’t have the ability to go against the district’s orders, but they do have the ability to let the one seminar we do have stay untouched. Before this schedule took effect, the administration talked of moving those assemblies which would ordinarily be during seminars to days that already had a modified schedule.

A seven-period day is suited perfectly for this scenario. Cut classes by six to eight minutes, which would be almost unnoticeable, and a pep assembly would be able to perfectly squeeze in to the end of the day. The administration truthfully has no proof that this would fail. It’s only what they did for the 50 years before block scheduling came into effect.

Not doing this is neglecting a problem that will only intensify as more students are affected by it.

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.

Sami Walter Live Broadcast Editors Duncan MacLachlan Connor Woodson Assistant Live Broadcast Editor Andrew McWard Online A&E Section Editor Zoe Brian Online Sports Section Editors Matt Gannon Matt Hanson Live Broadcast Producers Thomas Allen Drew Broeckelman Patrick Frazell Connor Woodson Chris Denniston Anchors Tiernan Shank Patrick Frazell Marisa Walton Morgan Twibell Emily Donovan

PR Representative/ Business Managers Alex May Online Graphic Designers Paige Kovarik Paige Hess Staff Writers Alex Lamb Greta Nepstad Mitch Kaskie Nick May Stephen Cook Morgan Twibell Emily Donovan Holly Hernandez Leah Pack Jeri Freirich Online Staff Writers Zoe Brian Drew Broeckelman Katie Knight Editorial Board Julia Davis Becca Brownlee Christa McKittrick Kat Buchanan Toni Aguiar

Evan Nichols Emma Pennington Jack Howland Jennifer Rorie Matt Gannon Matt Hanson Photographers Spencer Davis Holly Martin Emma Robson Eric Erpelding Anna Danciger AnnaMarie Oakley Haley Johnston Josh Winters McKenzie Swanson Miranda Gibbs Marisa Walton Multimedia Staff Tiernan Shank Andrew McWard Alex Lamb Haley Martin Mary Newman Drew Broeckelman Spencer Davis Matti Crabtree Adviser

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.

EDITORIAL| 7

BIG XII BLUES

My heart couldn’t hurt more.

It feels like someone took my heart and threw it into the middle of the road, while four semitrucks ran over it repetitively, all while someone is poking my an opinion of CHRIS HEADY soul with a pitch-fork.

Okay, maybe that’s a little dramatic, but my Big 12 is crumbling, people. My first true love is disintegrating before my very eyes. And to put it plainly: I’m as much pissed as I am woebegone.

The break-up of the original Big 12 teams might be the worst conceivable idea in the history of history. It surpasses Napoleon’s genius idea to venture into North Russia during winter. It’s miles ahead of assuming Vegetarian Sausage is somewhat edible. It’s dumber than calling Ray Lewis a racist to his face. I can’t take it anymore. The SEC, ACC and Pac-12 need to keep their filthy hands off of my teams or so help me I will streak at all of their sporting events for the next 19 years.

The beginning of the Big 12 demise shocked me, but I wasn’t too worried. At first, when Colorado left for the Pac-12, I thought what everyone else thought: “OK fine, whatever. They suck anyway.” But then Nebraska left.

And that’s when my relationship with the Big 12 took a sharp turn towards heartbreak.

Texas A&M began talking to the SEC, Texas began talking to seemingly everyone and all the while, I never took it seriously. “They can’t break up the Big 12, can

8 | OPINION

they? Arguably the best conference in every sport, would they?” No, no. Not the Big 12. Surely they wouldn’t break up the conference that has at least three top 25 football teams every year, or gets at least five teams in the NCAA tournament. Not the conference that turns out class acts, like Anthony Robles, the one-legged Iowa State wrestler who won the NCAA title last year.

I kept telling myself the end wouldn’t come. But it seems imminent. Most sports analysts say the apocalyptic end will come soon. And if so, the worst idea to ever grace the minds of humans will ensue. Breaking up the Big 12 is selfish and wrong. The way we’re headed there will be two conferences in 20 years: The Pac-98 and The Big-outrageously-large-gargantuan East. Hooray for diversity!

The idea is flat-out dumb. Screw money; the Big 12 conference is gold. Break it up and the best overall conference will be cast into tiny pieces. The classiest, most gracious conference will be nothing more than a puff of smoke.

What do new conferences plan on doing with age-old rivalries? The way it’s projected, KU won’t be in the same conference as MU. And even though I hate the Tigers more than rocks in my shoes, the rivalry is sacred, and to take it away would be a damn shame. Same goes for OU and Texas, and Baylor and A&M. The new team coming from the Big 12 to any other conference will just feel like the new kid who sits at the end of the lunch table but doesn’t say anything because he’s not really a part of the group. They’ll play the games.

artwork by Matti Crabtree

Demise of the Big Twelve Conference disappoints loyal fan They’ll make money, but the games won’t mean as much as they did when they were in the Big 12, since there was so much history riding on it.

Did the Axis of Evil (Pac-12, SEC and ACC) think about the fans? If Iowa State goes to the Big East, do you really think Cyclone fans are going to fly to South Orange, New Jersey to watch Seaton Hall? No ma’am.

But mostly we need to discuss the worst part about this debacle: Me. Why my Big 12? Seriously, why’d they have to go pick on my conference? The one I’ve cherished since I could write. In fourth grade I was so excited for the Big 12 football season I hand-drew all 12 logo’s, taped them to a sheet of paper and had a countdown on it. I’ve woken up every morning after Selection Sunday and filled out the bracket of 64 teams for the NCAA tournament, fillng in all the Big 12 teams to advance to the second round. If it was Big 12 versus anyone else I’d root for the Big 12. No doubt about it.

If worst comes to worst, my precious baby that was the Big 12 will disappear. And I’ll miss the crap out of it.

I’ll miss laying on the couch watching the Big 12 tournament on 38 the Spot, seeing seven What-a-Burger commercials every hour. I’ll miss rooting for 12 teams from my area of the country. I’ll miss those gray roman numerals more then anything in the world.

The Big 12 will always hold a special place in my heart.

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CHARACTER LIMITS Staffer discusses how modern technology has negatively affected communication

written byEmily Donovan | photos by Jake Crandall I thought I was researching the Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen and its relationship to French history.

Why am I on Facebook?

It’s like I can feel my brain oozing into impatient, inarticulate goop every time I open the Internet and my conversation skills drying up with every text message.

The French Revolution was the beginning of modern liberalism. I wonder if Napoleon was involved in the military before the Revolution.

Yes! Seven Facebook notifications! I am literally at rock star popularity right now.

Oh, wait, Napoleon might have died of arsenic poisoning? Symptoms of arsenic poisoning include: headache, confusion, convulsion, diarrhea and vomiting.

Upset stomach, diarrhea, Pepto Bismol! Related videos… oh, hey, the original Macarena! Okay, how embarrassing that dance is does not correlate to how seductive the Spanish lyrics are supposed to be. I hope Spanish speakers scoff when it’s played at wedding receptions.

Wait. Wasn’t I looking up French history?

It’s been at least half an hour and I’ve taken in a lot of information, but will I retain any of it? Or was any of it quality? In a week, will I even remember how Napoleon died?

Pulling up multiple tabs, clicking through to related topics and sending messages to each other has made information immediately available, but it comes with its repercussions. Accessibility of information is killing not only my studying abilities, but my capability of more elegant communication.

When we Google something, we don’t want frilly, unrelated topics, we want our curiosities gratified instantly. This cutting to the chase comes at the cost of cordial conversation.

We don’t exchange pleasantries or discuss English literature or controversial historical events when we pass each other in the hallway. I experience a lot more “Hey”s or “How was the English test?” texts than meaningful or even sincere conversations.

I for one wish more people had genuine interest when they asked how I’m doing or what’s up. Conversation isn’t spam like unwanted search results, it’s integral to filling basic social needs.

If we can’t talk intellectually even among friends, we certainly won’t be able to do so comfortably with teachers or co-workers.

If I, as a teenager, am unintelligible in daily conversation, I can only imagine the foreseeable future of a society of equally incoherent adults. My list of regularly used vocabulary seems to become shorter and shorter by the day.

Rather than a litany of details whose meaning may be lost in translation, we instead use bland words that grow more and more common.

Learning a new word each day is a great way to expand your horizons, but this doesn’t mean stretching to use impressive words incorrectly or in a context that no one will appreciate. Ernest Hemingway and William Faulkner had an infamous rivalry. Faulkner once said that Hemingway “has never been known to use a word that might send a reader to the dictionary.”

Hemingway responded, “Does he really think big emo-

tions come from big words?”

I agree with Hemingway in the sense that we draw meaning from words that we already know. However, the fact that we as a society don’t find meaning in bigger words means that those words will go extinct if we can’t use them.

We “like” things now, rather than stating our opinions on them. Where critique used to mean constructive criticism, we now give comments like, “I liked it, it was good.”

Our ability to click a button to show our approval has given us an opportunity to avoid stopping to really think about the subject at hand. Instead, we want to appreciate something immediately then move on to the next thing that might please us. This lack of reflection cheapens the experience and undermines personal appreciation and response.

Instant gratification is ubiquitous in technology, but we don’t take advantage of its opportunities for research or personal edification. Instead, we do what all teenagers and people in general tend to do most naturally: we socialize.

The most popular websites, like Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, Wikipedia and email services, encourage visitors to share their own and view others’ content. Herein, informal language is king of the castle and extravagance is abandoned to give free reign to lawless, grammar-less communication that often can’t express a message much less an emotional depth. Texting, Facebook and Twitter all allow us to send a message to our friends and affiliates with the click of a button.

That click is redefining friendship in way more than Facebook relationship statuses can describe. Technology doesn’t just enable us to share with others, it serves as a way to define our relationships with them.

Is she really my friend if our friendship overview photo on Facebook is a cat? He didn’t text me back in two minutes or less, he must be angry at me. Or he fell asleep. No, he’s totally angry. Do I really want to be friends with someone who not only confuses the forms of “your” but spells

it “ur?” They’ve been dating for ages and they text all the time, but they’re so awkward in-person that I seriously doubt if they know what each other’s voice sounds like.

Language is humans communicating with humans and we do so in a fashion that we think our reader or audience will understand. In a world where informal settings like via text or tweet have become more and more popular, language overall is slowly devolving to be less and less formal.

If we’re not careful, we’ll lose both our likelihood and ability to speak elegantly.

Rather than simply accepting information, we should analyze it. What about this little kid in a YouTube video is adorable? How exactly is that lolcat personified? Additionally, this analysis shouldn’t be treated as a dirty little secret.

If we have an opinion on something, we should share it. We have a stigma that we shouldn’t speak unless if we’re confident in what and how we’re saying something. We need to fight to prove that we can, in fact, be intelligent in daily life.

Not to mention the fact that we can’t seem to stay on subject for more than thirty seconds.

Overall, technology and our dependence on it makes us less intelligent when we speak and write. And less attentive. And less focused—in both subject and word choice.

Syntax, that is.

Can syntax be applied to spoken word? An online dictionary is up on my screen as fast as my keyboard and mouse can get me there.

Syntax is used interchangeably with word choice, but it actually encompasses structure as well. Is it ironic that I’m looking up “word choice” in a thesaurus? I almost want to tweet about how paradoxical this seems, but I feel like I should watch the quality of my tweets.

Wait, what was I looking up again?

Oh, wait. French history. Right.

OPINION | 9

FROM THE OUTSIDE LOOKING IN Junior observes her peers’ behavior and expresses her feelings on how East cliques are different from the usual stereotypes

Photo illustration by Emma Robson

I’ve been haunted by school motivational posters since the first grade. I couldn’t help but stare at those colorful “Be Yourself ” and an opinion of “Individuality” signs TIERNAN SHANK that hung at random points all over the building.

But in elementary school “being yourself ” and “individuality” came naturally to most of us.

Whereas now in high school, we’re insecure about our “individuality” and being excluded from the “in” crowd.

Throughout my years in school, I’ve never experienced cliques like they describe in teen novels such as “The Clique Books” or “Pretty Little Liars.”

In my earlier days, I read late into the night about a queen bee who ruled the school with her vicious gossip and lies. I thought for sure this is what my high school years would mimic, and wondered how I would survive. Sleepovers were spent watching movies like “Clueless” or “Bring it On” and laughing at all the hilarious jokes (half of which I didn’t understand) but at the same time, fearing that I would be subject to this humiliation in due time.

In elementary school, I had heard about middle school and knew how many kids would be joining my grade and I feared it with a passion. What if, just like in the books, there was a vicious clique that could rip you apart in seconds and ruin your life?

When I finally became an agitating middle school student, there wasn’t a group of girls who wore pink on Wednesdays and jeans on Fridays like the “plastics” from Mean Girls. I didn’t walk through the hallways in fear that some clique might try to throw me into a trash can. I’ve come to realize that cliques aren’t what they are portrayed in books and movies, they are actually a necessity for a high school student.

At East we don’t have that kind of reigning clique.

KIDS

and their

CLIQUES Students involved in extracurriculars talk about how they build chemistry by getting together with others in their “clique.”

10 | OPINION

With such a large population, it’s hard for students to gain the status of “ruling the school.” In a small school where there are maybe only 60 kids to a grade level, a tight group of ten kids can be louder, showier and more hurtful to the other 50 kids in the class.

The cliques at East that I see are made up of kids with shared interests and activities. They hang out together because they like to do the same things.

Debaters debate. Choir members sing.

There are the theater kids who stay at school late into the night constructing scenery, making costumes and rehearsing for the upcoming production.

They think nothing of devoting an entire Saturday to building sets and painting flats, just for doing something they enjoy, not because they have to.

The IB kids spend most of their school day with each other, moving from class to class together.

They work on projects, study for tests and do homework in their own separate world.

The drill team can be found early in the morning waving flags and moving to the beat of the marching band. Easy to spot on game days with their black and blue uniforms, these ladies dance, plan fundraisers and travel together.

The amount of time spent together as a group in these activities helps those involved form a close bond. They create inside jokes, eat meals and spend a lot of time together.

But the recipe for cliques that we have at East doesn’t form the kind of hurtful clique you see in movies and TV shows.

I think there are a lot of positive aspects to these kinds of cliques. It helps a big school like Shawnee Mission East feel not so big. It helps even the most nervous freshman feel a sense of identity and belonging. Cliques help break a large public high school into smaller communities.

Walking into my first Student Council meeting freshman year, I felt as fidgety and nervous as a chipmunk. But as the year progressed, I grew to

The Actor

“We sometimes have Thespian events, which is when we hang out and bond by watching shows and movies.”

JUNIOR AJ ORTH

love my fellow members and enjoy the time we spend together during those early Wednesday morning meetings.

These types of activities can give kids an outlet other than academics to help support and cheer each other on.

I don’t think I would perform half as well as I do in cross country without my friends standing on the sidelines giving me tips and pushing me on. In swimming, while panting at the wall after a hard set, we all congratulate each other and compare our thoughts on how awful we felt during the workout.

Although my teammates and I are not always positive, it makes me feel better when I know that my teammates are feeling just as horrible as me.

With all the good that comes from the acceptance and support of cliques, there is also a negative side.

It is easy for kids in these activities to feel boxed in and hesitant to reach out to kids in other activities. For example, when I hangout with my friends on the soccer team I don’t always understand their inside jokes or lingo. But at the same time, they don’t understand my swimming jokes or specific StuCo information.

And what about the student who isn’t involved with anything? They could feel excluded and left behind by the new friendships their friends have formed. But with so many activities to choose from at East, it’s almost impossible not to get involved, or be a part of some sort of clique.

Cliques can be both a blessing and a curse. They can help us overcome our fears and meet new people but they can hold us back at the same time.

The cliques at East are not like “the plastics” from Mean Girls or categorized as jocks, nerds, or desperate wannabees. They don’t seek me out in the hallways trying to destroy my confidence or spread degrading rumors. In retrospect, the cliques at this school are quite the opposite, and lend a helpful hand to students to make everyone feel accepted.

“After practices and on weekends we like to hangout with each other.

We go over to each other’s houses and just bond by watching movies and doing other things together.”

SOPHOMORE FAITH CONNELLY

The Cheerleader

The Singer

“On weekends, some of us sit by a fire and sing together. Knowing the people you’re singing with helps a lot.”

SENIOR KURT JENSEN

written by Nick May | photo by Grant Kendall

F

ive-O. Boys in blue. The po-po. The cops. The police.

There are lots of names for the men and women of law enforcement that patrol our streets and keep us safe. They drive around Prairie Village in Dodge Chargers and prevent or take action against local illegal activities. I have always had tremendous respect for the police, and believed that you could count on them to punish the wrongdoers of society.

However, recently I have lost some faith in the people who “Serve and Protect”.

I still think that they are outstanding people and will try their hardest to take care of law breakers, but I also think they need to get their priorities straight.

My belief is that they should focus their time more on serious crimes and less on things like loitering and curfews.

Granted, the city of Prairie Village doesn’t have as many murderers or rapists or robbers as KCMO or St. Louis, but we also don’t have an official curfew, either.

Near the start of this school year, my friends and I made plans to go to a ‘First Friday,’ and then to Porter Park to hang out on the playground. We arrived at the park around 10:55 p.m. The night was going well, until I saw the foreboding glow of red and blue flashing lights.

I looked up and saw a police car in the parking lot. An officer stepped out of the car, shined his flashlight on us and began walking towards us.

He started with the usual questions.

“Do your parents know you’re here?”

“Yes sir.”

“Have you been drinking this evening?”

“No sir.“ “Do you have any illegal items in your possession?”

“No sir.”

He then took all of our IDs, when another car arrived on the scene.

The first officer called in all eight of our in-

dividual names to the station, one letter at a time, all in the military-alphabet system that I recognized from cliched action movies.

He spelled out my first name: “NOVEMBERINDIA-CHARLIE-HOTEL-OSCAR-LIMA-ALPHA-SIERRA.” The officer finally told us what we had done wrong: we were in the park after the 11 p.m. closing time. I checked my phone to see what time it was: 11:15. Suddenly the first officer jerked his finger at me.

“Hands away from your pockets, please!”

I did as I was told and said I was sorry.

After we were cleared by the station, not found to be criminals, we explained to the officers that we didn’t know about the 11p.m. closing time. This is when the first officer pointed to a sign behind us.

“It should say it right here...”

As he pointed with his flashlight, we could all clearly see that a closing time was not listed on this sign, nor any other sign in the park.

We got off with a warning and drove home.

Sure, what we were doing was breaking city rules, but don’t the police have bigger fish to fry than a group of late night park-trespassers?

This situation shows the problems that I believe exist in the police world of today. The “Porter Park Incident” was not a serious issue, and I feel that the officer was way too gung-ho about a simple misunderstanding. I understand what his intentions were, but I think it wasn’t fair to investigate us if the closing time wasn’t even posted. Also I think that two officers was a bit excessive.

I think that officers these days focus too much on partying and curfews. I’m not supporting any illegal activities, and I think that it’s good that the people doing these things are getting caught, but I do think that these nonviolent crimes shouldn’t be as high a priority as serious, dangerous crimes.

EXCESSIVE ENFORCEMENT

Local police focus too much on preventing petty crimes OPINION | 11

Bonding Over Barbecue

Junior bonds with dad over mutual passion for national barbecue competitions written by Evan Nichols | photo illustration by Brendan Dulohery The world of competitive barbecuing Competition and the American Royal in seems an unlikely fit for a high school 2002. His skills slowly started to improve, girl. Massive smokers, whiffs of burning and his background as a professional charcoal and wood, slow-cooking brisket chef—he’s currently the executive chef at and ribs--barbecue is a pastime practiced the Hilton by KCI--aided his cooking. As mostly by men. for Katey, BBQ slowly made its way into But for junior Katey Magee, BBQ her life as well: her earliest memories of means home. Her father, Rob Magee, barbecue go back eight years ago. is currently the number one barbecuer Rob started doing 10 competitions a on the Kansas City Barbecue Society’s year. Then 20. Then 30. Currently, Rob (KCBS) overall point standings. Katey is does around 40 competitions annually: a part of Rob’s team, “Munchin’ Hogs at it’s a weekly occurrence. Katey and the the Hilton.” She knows the ins and outs family will usually attend the competiof competitive BBQ competitions: how tions around Kansas and Missouri, but he to prepare, how to cook, and most im- usually goes to the out-of-state competiportantly, how to identify a good piece of tions alone.

BBQ. As long as Rob keeps barbecuing, Katey started getting involved in the Katey will continue to work with Rob, cooking three years ago. She works proving that she can handle the smoke mostly as an extra hand for Rob, cleaning just as well as the men. and prepping the meats, and occasionally The KCBS consists of over 14,000 cooking herself. At one competition in members worldwide. Their overall point Warsaw, MO, Katey competed against Rob standings take into account a team’s 10 as her own team, and came out victorious best scores from the season. Rob’s team, in the chicken category.

“Munchin’ Hogs at the Hilton,” is currently “There were 24 teams [at the competinumber one in the nation in total points tion] and we needed one more to make it with 2920, only 80 off a perfect score. No a qualifier for the Jack Daniel,” Rob said. team has ever reached the coveted 3000 “So we said, ‘well, you know what, if we point mark before, but Rob and Katey are can get my daughter to cook chicken, we shooting for it. Last year, they were only can make this a qualifier.’ And they came 64 points off the mark. up to me and said ‘OK we need it.’

“Today I was looking for at a competiKatey ran to Wal-Mart and picked up tion in Cummings, GA,” Rob said. “There’s some packaged, frozen chicken. Rob 65 teams already signed up, so that means stayed back at the competition, using his if I go there and win, I can bring my score choice cuts of chicken and his original up so I get the [perfect score].” rubs. Returning to the site, Katey defrostRob didn’t sky rocket to the top of the ed her chicken and cooked on the small national leaderboards overnight. He came Webber grill that her dad had provided from humble, smoky beginnings: grilling her with. with friends on flimsy barbecue pits for Well, awards came around, and they fun. He and his team did the Lenexa BBQ said “second place for chicken, Munchin’

Hogs at the Hilton,’” Rob said. “So I’m like ‘wow that’s great,’ and then I look at my daughter and I’m like, ‘Uh-oh.’ And all of sudden they say, ‘first place, Katey-cue.’

My daughter just spanked me in chicken.”

The competitions are an all-day (and all-night) process. According to Katey, all friday is spent prepping the meats--cutting, putting on the rubs and marinades, seasoning--and then the fire is started around 11 p.m. that night. She recalls all-night poker games between the men, and the time another team left a golf cart parked by their cook site.

“It was like 2 in the morning, and he took [the golf cart] on the highway to the next exit so they could get McDonald’s,” Katey said. “But then they forgot the fries, so they went back again.”

In the morning, sometimes as early as 3 or 4 a.m., the team will put on the meats that have to be long-cooked: the brisket is usually put on the smoker around midnight and taken off at 9 a.m. Saturday afternoons bring perhaps the most stressful time of the competition: the turn-in.

Starting at noon with only half an hour between each turn-in category, the cooking has to be precisely timed. Being even one second late to a turn-in will disqualify an entry.

“I think between 12-2 are the fastest two hours of my life,” Katey said.

Besides the success as KCBS competitions, Katey and her step-sister, junior Sydney Griswold, have found BBQ success at East as well. Last year, the two won SME’s Lancerque competition. While most other competitors only entered one or two categories, team “Katey-cue” entered all of them.

“At the end of the competition they came up to us and said ‘sorry we couldn’t give you all the awards,’” Katey says laughing. “We knew exactly what we were doing.”

This past weekend, Rob and the family went to the American Royal, one of the biggest barbecue competitions in the nation. Four hundred and fifty teams compete at this event. But the American Royal is more than just a regular BBQ competition for the Magee’s. With Katey’s birthday being Sept. 30 and Rob’s on Oct. 2., the American Royal is a family celebration, too. Rob caters this event and invites friends and family to come out and enjoy.

Rob admits that being gone every weekend to barbecuing can be stressful on the family, but the American Royal is a time of family togetherness.

Rob has had the idea of opening up his restaurant for nine years. All the prize money he earns from competitions goes from towards his restaurant fund. And after taking home the first place, $25,000 prize from the USA Barbecue Champion in Las Vegas May 22, Rob has a sizable investment prepared. Once the economy improves, Rob plans on putting his plan into action.

Rob plans to cut the amount of competitions he attends once the restaurant is opened, but for the time being, “Munchin’ Hogs at the Hilton” will keep on cooking’.

As for Katie, the future is still wide open.

She will continue to work on the team, but after high school, she wants to attend The Culinary Institute of America in New York, following in her father’s footsteps.

Katey’s favorite competition:

MARYSVILLE, KS

Travel time: 4 hours Size: 25-30 teams Why: “[Marysville] is my favorite

contest because the reps (representatives)... in charge at this contest are just so nice and they treat every team like family. It’s also a contest that just me and my dad do, it’s the only contest in the whole year where its just me and my dad, its nice to have that.”

TOP LEFT AND BOTTOM LEFT, The trophy Rob and Katey Magee won at the Extreme Makeover BBQ Throwdown and various ribbons the Magees have won at BBQ competitions MIDDLE LEFT, Rob Magee explains the smoking process he goes through at every contest.

12 | FEATURES

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MODEL BEHAVIOR FRESHMAN SIGNS WITH EXPOSURE MODEL AND TALENT AGENCY

written by Julia Davis | photos courtesy of Karly McNeil

C

amera flashes light up the small Manhattan apartment. A rush of cold air sweeps through freshman Karly McNeil’s hair as she tries to make falling onto a zebra-print couch look graceful.

Landing on her back, she closes her eyes and hopes that maybe this time she got it right.

Before she can move, her face is being splashed with water.

You look like a drag queen. Take that makeup off.

She does what the photographer says. Then it’s back to the couch. She feels completely lost. All the do’s that she thought she knew are now don’ts.

Don’t model! Don’t try to look pretty! Don’t try to pose!

She had always wanted to be the person in front of the camera; but, now that she finally was, she didn’t feel like it was meant to be.

Go back one year, and McNeil was a typical eighthgrader at Indian Hills Middle School, with no photo shoots or runway events clogging up her schedule. The removal of her braces and overcoming of her “middle school awkwardness” towards the end of the year allowed her to go out and begin her journey in the world of modeling.

As a child, McNeil had always been intrigued with modeling, but it was never something that she thought would become a reality. Then a family friend who worked at “Exposure Model and Talent” recommended she come in and see what the agency thought of her look, and after one meeting, the agency signed her as a model.

From the get-go, she was being booked for photo shoots and go-sees. Having never done any type of modeling before, McNeil taught herself how to pose and

learned about control from looking at her shots.

“At first it was really hard trying to push myself to go outside of my boundaries, and let myself know that it was OK to make mistakes,” McNeil said. “The first couple things I did I was really unsure of what was OK and what wasn’t, but eventually I just had to let go.”

McNeil started off her modeling career in August with a trip to New York City. As she stepped out of the taxi for the first time, it hit her—the crowded sidewalks and mile-high buildings, the cacophony of car horns and street music, the aroma of smog and warm pretzels. This was “her place,” as she put it. This was where she belonged.

The trip was a four-day marathon of test photo shoots for different photographers and meetings with casting agents. Exposure arranged meetings for her with many well-known agencies, including Abercrombie and Fitch and Teen Vogue, but her favorite part of the trip was her meeting with Seventeen Magazine.

“It blew my mind, because I had no idea that any of it was going to happen,” McNeil said. “I walked up to the doors of Seventeen, and my eyes started fluttering. I remember thinking ‘What is going on?’”

Four days flew by and before she knew it, she was looking back at the city she loved as it grew smaller and smaller through her airplane window. She thought about the photo shoots that she posed for hours in front of a camera for, and the pressure that came with every possible opportunity. In her hand she held a stack of prints from the various shoots that she had done. The Karly in the pictures could have easily passed as 25, with her bold red lips and copious amounts of eye shadow. But the thing that she loves so much about modeling is the

fact that she can still be a freshman in high school while pursuing it.

Through her initial modeling experiences, McNeil has come to realize that although she loves posing for the camera, she enjoys being a typical freshman girl even more.

She has been an avid piano player since she started playing at the age of four. She has also been in a Frequent Friday, and got a role in both A Midsummer Night’s Dream and the musical revue.

“I feel like modeling is really fun, but not necessarily my passion,” McNeil said. “Music is and will always be what I love to do.”

As for the future, McNeil wants to keep modeling as a side job, but her reason for modeling is more about having fun and less about succeeding in the industry. She plans to use it as a way to pay for college and see where it takes her. Her main goal is to get a good education and have a career to fall back on in the future.

For now, McNeil is just enjoying her experiences and taking advantage of all the opportunities that modeling has given her. Although the Karly in the pictures looks like an adult, she still feels like a child and wants to act as such.

“I’ve learned to be positive about myself, and never take myself too seriously,” McNeil said. “Because there’s some models who try so hard, but they are miserable.

You can still goof off and have a good time, and that’s why I love it.”

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FEATURES | 13

MAKING

FACES Junior is working as a professional makeup artist in Kansas City FOR ADDITIONAL COVERAGE, VISIT

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written by Leah Pack | photos by Miranda Gibbs Turning around to grab eye shadow, junior Claudia Griggs second guesses herself as she pictures her makeup design at her first photo shoot. Will the photographer like my idea? Did I interpret his vague directions the right way? Her nerves build up as she hears all the professionals talk about the best and worst photographers and makeup artists around the area.

Those nerves all go away as she hears the model and photographer talk about how well she is doing.

“It was just a little self confidence booster since it was my first time,” says Griggs, looking back at her first makeup experience in a professional setting.

At five years old, Griggs received a special Christmas present from her grandmother Mimi.

Mimi gave her granddaughter a book, filled with makeup tips and designs ranging from everyday looks to eccentric styles, called “Making Faces”

by Kevyn Aucoin. Written inside was, “To my little artist. Love, Mimi.”

The book Griggs got on Christmas was what first sparked her interest in makeup. From her first attempts at replicating looks from “Making Faces” to professional photo shoots, she has quickly improved her skills as a makeup artist without any professional training.

By fourth grade Griggs started wearing makeup to school, copying the designs she saw in “Making Faces.” In sixth grade, Griggs reached her eyeliner-wearing stage. She remembers getting in trouble at St. Agnes, where she attended Catholic school, for having makeup on.

She didn’t let their disapproval get in the way of her love of makeup and continued wearing it to school.

Griggs grew out of her cake-face, eyeliner-

PROFESSIONAL

WORK photos provided by Claudia Griggs

14| FEATURES

wearing phase and became more serious about makeup in high school. The summer before sophomore year, she began to watch YouTube tutorials and experiment with different colors and looks. A lot of her knowledge about makeup has come from jazziebabycakes and xsparkage, two of her favorite YouTube channels.

After doing almost every makeup tutorial on YouTube, Griggs was interested in creating more original designs. She liked the idea of using a variety of colors, so she got a 94 pack of Crayola Crayons. Each day she would pick three random colors to base her makeup design off of.

Griggs got her first job at a photo shoot last February.

For the shoot, she was told to do three different designs. The first enhanced the model’s features, the second was a smoky eye and the third, her favorite, was the artist’s choice. The photographers gave very little guidance to what they were looking for, and although they weren’t specific, they were very picky.

According to Griggs, there is a significant difference between the levels of pressure involved in doing makeup on friends or herself and in a professional photo shoot. At photo shoots, makeup artists have to step up their game a notch. Those who might normally take risks on a makeup design might avoid doing so, but Griggs didn’t let the pressure affect her style.

“You can’t have any screw ups during a photo shoot because if you’re not perfect they won’t call you back,” said Griggs. “That’s why a lot of people play it safe, but I like to step out of the box. I think it’s more fun to go ahead and just play the wild card, and I’ve never gotten criticized for it.”

Being at her first shoot and having little experience caused some nerves for Griggs, but as un-

certain as she was, she did her job well. The combination of her age and natural talent impressed the professionals at the shoot, and she ended the day with business cards from other photographers in the Kansas City area, which have led to more job opportunities at photo shoots.

To stay on her game for photo shoots, Griggs practices as much as possible. For the most part, Griggs practices makeup on herself, but she prefers working on other people. Every person has a different face structure. A different eye shape.

A different eye lid. The shape of some one’s face can completely change a look, and it is important to learn how to work with as many different faces.

“It is kind of crazy how many rules there are when it comes to doing makeup,” Griggs explained. “I prefer doing it on other people just because it’s more fun. It’s a whole different territory.”

Griggs is hoping to get involved with helping out with makeup for the East theater department, along with continuing to do photo shoots in the future. Although she feels makeup won’t uphold a successful career, she is planning to carry on her hobby in any free time.

“I really see makeup as something fun for the side, or even just doing someone’s makeup for their wedding or something,” Griggs said.

To Griggs, makeup isn’t just an element of fashion. To Griggs, makeup is an art form.

“People underrate makeup,” Griggs said.

“They don’t realize what goes into it. I see a face as an open canvas. You can make a person into anything you want them to be. You can turn a person into a zombie. You can turn a women into a man. You can make someone black if they’re white. It really is almost like magic.”

GUIDE TO THE

CAT EYE

Apply cream color eye shadow on the eyelid Griggs uses Peachfuzz from Too Faced.

Use fluffy dome brush and apply a darker shadow in the crease and brow

Griggs uses Hot Cinnamon and Polished Platinum from Este Lauder.

Apply liquid eye liner

Griggs uses L’oreal liquid eye liner.

To draw the flip, follow the lower lash line with liquid eye liner and continue the natural lash line.

math teacher

RICK ROYER

TEACHING MOTTO: Content is secondary; my job is to teach young people period, not to teach them specifically the content.

english teacher

LISA LESLIE

MOST AWKWARD MOMENT WITH A STUDENT: I have a bad habit

FAVORITE IN-CLASS SNACK: Chocolate Donuts.

WORST STUDENT FASHION TREND: Nothing is bad, I just don’t like too

of reading shirts aloud, and I had a young lady walk into my class one day with a shirt that simply had an arrow pointing upward that said “I’m up here!” The implication was kind of obvious, but I had read it out loud before I realized what it said.

many piercings. They make me hurt.

MOST AWKWARD MOMENT WITH A STUDENT: As a first year

WORST EXCUSE GIVEN FROM A STUDENT: I’m

teacher, my students took the hinges off the door and shut the door so when I opened it, the door fell...and I thought I did it.

such a sucker for students I’d probably believe everything they tell me. It doesn’t matter how lousy the excuse is that they give me, it seems pretty legitimate to me.

TEACHING MOTTO: It’s all about the teaching, not the grades.

Q: What’s your favorite color?

A: I suppose I would say blue which is

kind of a standard answer. I like orange a lot too, but blue is the favorite.

Q: A:

What were you like in school?

Q: A:

What is your ideal student?

I was a band geek, and I would say band saved my life.

Awake.

things you didn’t know about

YOUR TEACHERS A quick profile of students’ favorite teachers at East written by Morgan Twibell| photos by Jake Crandall

spanish teacher

PAMELA JAMES

FAVORITE COLOR: Purple TEACHING MOTTO: Never let them see you teach. People often think of ‘teaching’ as a teacher talking to a group of students from the front of the class. I like to do that as little as possible. Students should be actively involved doing something.

WORST EXCUSE GIVEN FROM A STUDENT: I’ve gotten so many...I liked when

a student told me that there weren’t any computers in Washington DC; that was a good one.

MOST AWKWARD MOMENT WITH A STUDENT: Oh, so many! I

yelled at my fifth hour the other day because they were all tardy, but really the bell didn’t ring for another five minutes.

Q: Who was your childhood hero?

A: The Bionic Woman and Wonder Woman.

Q:

What is your least favorite subject to teach?

A: I have a few, but I’d have to say direct and indirect object pronouns because nobody gets them in English either.

english teacher

SPRING GEHRING-LOWERY FAVORITE IN-CLASS SNACK: Apples or granola bars.

WORST STUDENT FASHION TREND: Ugg boots--blegh!

FAVORITE NOTE-PASSING INCIDENT : I found a note at my old school

that said: “Hey, what’s poppin’? I see you’ve been talkin’ to my sister with the hairy lip. I don’t like that.” This cracked me up.

CHILDHOOD HERO: I really loved Wonder Woman because she flew an invisible plane and had a magic lasso.

Feminist superhero, magic lasso, invisible plane - nothing is cooler than that.

Q: What is your favorite reality TV show?

A: “I don’t even want to admit this... but “Big

Rich Texas.” It is terrible - the worst mind trash that you can find on TV. Maybe that is why I love it. After all, go big or go home! Can you tell I am from Texas?”

FEATURES |15

R

elax in the fresh air while you still can, because before you know it, you will be stuck at home in the biting cold wishing for a warm autumn day.

College football and the NFL are kicking off and there’s no better way to celebrate it than to have a pick-up football game at your local park.

For a great break, try a picnic of Oklahoma Joe’s Barbecue sandwiches along with fresh apples.

When you play football with your friends, it doesn’t matter how good you are, all that matters is that you are getting fresh air and spending time with your friends. Some of the most fun plays of my football game past didn’t come from the superstar track athletes; they came from the average kid who was having fun.

For an interesting twist, play in the mud. Playing tackle football in the mud isn’t just for Brett Favre and Levi jeans commercials; anyone can have a fun time in the mud. You are bound to get dirty when playing tackle football on the tornup, wet field, so make sure to wear a comfortable pair of old jeans and an old, worn out sweatshirt.

Another great help when playing football in the mud is to bring goggles. It is extremely painful to receive a face full of mud and have nothing to protect your eyes.

Now that you played football for yourself, relax and watch an NFL game while snacking on the Oklahoma Joe’s leftovers.

Football

FALL into

Corn Mazes

A look at the components needed for a fall full of perfect day trips written by Andrew McKittrick | photos by Spencer Davis

TASTY TREATS

Spice up your picnic with these little tricks

THE HEALTH NUT

+

=

CORN ON THE CORE

+

=

GIMME S’MORE

+

=

SOUNDS OF THE SEASON

Even though you might not have the talent of the Lancer football team, gather up a group of friends for an equally fun time. Local parks such as Harmon Park or Porter Park are perfect places to practice your spiral and your footwork before you hit the actual gridiron.

16 | SPREAD

FUN

I

t is the final challenge in the Tri-Wizard Tournament from Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. Harry Potter is preparing to race into a maze made out of towering hedges and filled with magical creatures and traps. The cannon shoots off and Harry sprints off into the maze. You may not be able to recreate the towering hedges or magical creatures and traps, but you will be able to share the excitement and atmosphere as is in Harry Potter.

Corn mazes are cheap and can be used multiple times without seeming the same thing twice. From racing to see who can get to the center first to playing hide-and-go seek in them, there is fun to be found for anyone.

One of the many pumpkin patches and corn mazes in the Kansas City area is at the Deanna Rose Children’s Farmstead. Deanna Rose is located near 138th and Switzer.

Every year I pick out a round, giant pumpkin and take it home to carve out. The pumpkin seeds getting scooped out and baked to make a tasty treat and a laughable face is carved on the side. A Halloween tradition from the first time we visit the pumpkin patch in kindergarten to buying pumpkins from our local school is picking out the perfect pumpkin.

Picking the perfect pumpkin and carving the pumpkin takes time, but for many, it is a yearly tradition. Whether the designs are of a creepy ghoul or a laughable ghost, trick-or-treaters will be sure to enjoy your creation.

The theater department went to the Louisburg Cider Mill for a fun day of corn mazes and bonding. Students walked through the corn maze and then drank the Mill’s famous apple cider and ate cider donuts.

Albums for the open road

T

here is nothing better when you get home from a long day of school then a fresh, juicy, handpicked apple.

Such apples can be found at Wagon Wheel Orchard in Edgerton, a 30 minute drive from East. Even though the summer was extremely hot, many of their southern apple variety are still having a good season for picking.

The picking schedule puts Fuji, Golden Delicious and Liberty ready for picking now; Granny Smith ready to pick Oct. 2; and Arkansas Black ready to pick Oct. 21. Call or email to find out what is available for picking. As you are deciding which apples to pick, you can choose from Granny Smith apples that are ready to eat that day or Arkansas Black apples that will be ready to eat in a matter of weeks.

Apple picking can also be a great time to buy the classic fall drink, apple juice. Most apple orchards will sell freshly squeezed apple juice straight from their own apples. This will give each and every orchard’s apple juice its own flavor and color.

Apples are not the only fruit that can be picked at most farms. Fall pears are currently in season at most farms and can be a great alternative to those who don’t like apples and apple juice.

Make sure to email or call Wagon Wheel Orchards before you go to check seasons and availability of apples and pears.

G

et in touch with your community and spend some time going to an event in Kansas City.

Going to a festival can be an interesting way to kick off a fall season.

Playing carnival games and trying the cake walk at fall festivals can be a much needed break from the rigor of hours of homework, a job and chores. Forget your daily troubles by racing down an inflatable slide or getting a tattoo airbrushed onto your arm of Spiderman on a brick wall.

If you are in need of service hours, you can also volunteer to work at a fall festival. Even if you don’t need service hours, you can still help young kids clutching their paper sack filled with free toys and candy up inflatable obstacle courses or help to hand out candy at the cake walk.

Volunteering at your fall festival is better than working at your average food pantry, because there is a more friendly atmosphere and the energy level is higher. The time rushes by and afterwords you usually have the chance to play on the inflatables or try the games for yourself.

Check your local churches, schools and communities for times and dates of fall festivals and to find where to sign up to volunteer.

Apple Picking Festivals

Last Night on Earth Noah and the Whale MENU

Infinite Arms Band of Horses

Bon Iver Bon Iver

Easy Tiger Ryan Adams

This sign hangs outside of the fenced in hay bails at the Louisburg Cider Mill. Although there is no apple picking located at this site, Missouri boasts many other prime locations for this activity. Some top picks include Weston Red Barn Farm and Vaughn Orchard, both located in Weston.

The Plaza Art Fair starts off the season of festivals in Kansas City. Soon to follow is Great American BBQ Tour at the American Royal from Sept. 30 to Oct. 2 and The Renaissance Festival repeating Saturdays and Sundays until Oct. 10.

SPREAD | 17

R

elax in the fresh air while you still can, because before you know it, you will be stuck at home in the biting cold wishing for a warm autumn day.

College football and the NFL are kicking off and there’s no better way to celebrate it than to have a pick-up football game at your local park.

For a great break, try a picnic of Oklahoma Joe’s Barbecue sandwiches along with fresh apples.

When you play football with your friends, it doesn’t matter how good you are, all that matters is that you are getting fresh air and spending time with your friends. Some of the most fun plays of my football game past didn’t come from the superstar track athletes; they came from the average kid who was having fun.

For an interesting twist, play in the mud. Playing tackle football in the mud isn’t just for Brett Favre and Levi jeans commercials; anyone can have a fun time in the mud. You are bound to get dirty when playing tackle football on the tornup, wet field, so make sure to wear a comfortable pair of old jeans and an old, worn out sweatshirt.

Another great help when playing football in the mud is to bring goggles. It is extremely painful to receive a face full of mud and have nothing to protect your eyes.

Now that you played football for yourself, relax and watch an NFL game while snacking on the Oklahoma Joe’s leftovers.

Football

FALL into

Corn Mazes

A look at the components needed for a fall full of perfect day trips written by Andrew McKittrick | photos by Spencer Davis

TASTY TREATS

Spice up your picnic with these little tricks

THE HEALTH NUT

+

=

CORN ON THE CORE

+

=

GIMME S’MORE

+

=

SOUNDS OF THE SEASON

Even though you might not have the talent of the Lancer football team, gather up a group of friends for an equally fun time. Local parks such as Harmon Park or Porter Park are perfect places to practice your spiral and your footwork before you hit the actual gridiron.

16 | SPREAD

FUN

I

t is the final challenge in the Tri-Wizard Tournament from Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. Harry Potter is preparing to race into a maze made out of towering hedges and filled with magical creatures and traps. The cannon shoots off and Harry sprints off into the maze. You may not be able to recreate the towering hedges or magical creatures and traps, but you will be able to share the excitement and atmosphere as is in Harry Potter.

Corn mazes are cheap and can be used multiple times without seeming the same thing twice. From racing to see who can get to the center first to playing hide-and-go seek in them, there is fun to be found for anyone.

One of the many pumpkin patches and corn mazes in the Kansas City area is at the Deanna Rose Children’s Farmstead. Deanna Rose is located near 138th and Switzer.

Every year I pick out a round, giant pumpkin and take it home to carve out. The pumpkin seeds getting scooped out and baked to make a tasty treat and a laughable face is carved on the side. A Halloween tradition from the first time we visit the pumpkin patch in kindergarten to buying pumpkins from our local school is picking out the perfect pumpkin.

Picking the perfect pumpkin and carving the pumpkin takes time, but for many, it is a yearly tradition. Whether the designs are of a creepy ghoul or a laughable ghost, trick-or-treaters will be sure to enjoy your creation.

The theater department went to the Louisburg Cider Mill for a fun day of corn mazes and bonding. Students walked through the corn maze and then drank the Mill’s famous apple cider and ate cider donuts.

Albums for the open road

T

here is nothing better when you get home from a long day of school then a fresh, juicy, handpicked apple.

Such apples can be found at Wagon Wheel Orchard in Edgerton, a 30 minute drive from East. Even though the summer was extremely hot, many of their southern apple variety are still having a good season for picking.

The picking schedule puts Fuji, Golden Delicious and Liberty ready for picking now; Granny Smith ready to pick Oct. 2; and Arkansas Black ready to pick Oct. 21. Call or email to find out what is available for picking. As you are deciding which apples to pick, you can choose from Granny Smith apples that are ready to eat that day or Arkansas Black apples that will be ready to eat in a matter of weeks.

Apple picking can also be a great time to buy the classic fall drink, apple juice. Most apple orchards will sell freshly squeezed apple juice straight from their own apples. This will give each and every orchard’s apple juice its own flavor and color.

Apples are not the only fruit that can be picked at most farms. Fall pears are currently in season at most farms and can be a great alternative to those who don’t like apples and apple juice.

Make sure to email or call Wagon Wheel Orchards before you go to check seasons and availability of apples and pears.

G

et in touch with your community and spend some time going to an event in Kansas City.

Going to a festival can be an interesting way to kick off a fall season.

Playing carnival games and trying the cake walk at fall festivals can be a much needed break from the rigor of hours of homework, a job and chores. Forget your daily troubles by racing down an inflatable slide or getting a tattoo airbrushed onto your arm of Spiderman on a brick wall.

If you are in need of service hours, you can also volunteer to work at a fall festival. Even if you don’t need service hours, you can still help young kids clutching their paper sack filled with free toys and candy up inflatable obstacle courses or help to hand out candy at the cake walk.

Volunteering at your fall festival is better than working at your average food pantry, because there is a more friendly atmosphere and the energy level is higher. The time rushes by and afterwords you usually have the chance to play on the inflatables or try the games for yourself.

Check your local churches, schools and communities for times and dates of fall festivals and to find where to sign up to volunteer.

Apple Picking Festivals

Last Night on Earth Noah and the Whale MENU

Infinite Arms Band of Horses

Bon Iver Bon Iver

Easy Tiger Ryan Adams

This sign hangs outside of the fenced in hay bails at the Louisburg Cider Mill. Although there is no apple picking located at this site, Missouri boasts many other prime locations for this activity. Some top picks include Weston Red Barn Farm and Vaughn Orchard, both located in Weston.

The Plaza Art Fair starts off the season of festivals in Kansas City. Soon to follow is Great American BBQ Tour at the American Royal from Sept. 30 to Oct. 2 and The Renaissance Festival repeating Saturdays and Sundays until Oct. 10.

SPREAD | 17

ONLINE

What’s new to smeharbinger.net written by Becca Brownlee | pho

OLD

RELIABLE The parts of the site you know and love

GALLERIES

VIDEO

BROADCASTS

HOMEGROWN

tos by Jake Crandall

SPORTS

So far this year, the central feature of the new revamped sports section has been the team updates, or beats. With one update per sport published weekly, these posts have seriously increased the site’s sports coverage. Now, the updates are being merged together into weekly roundup posts called weekly updates. The weekly updates will be posted every Friday.

The section will now include a weekly sports column written by a cycle of writers, from both the print and the online publications. This column will begin this week. The purpose of this online column is to create a venue for staff members who have a passion for sports writing.

% PODCASTS CONVERGENCE Can’t get enough? Want to see the story rather than just read it? Brand new to smeharbinger.net this year are videos and media that complement articles featured in the paper.

You can now log on to find videos, photo galleries, sound clips and more.

Interested in a particular topic? You can browse through older stories related to what you’re reading, follow links to find out more and gain more insight through additional coverage. The Internet is the way of the future; check out smeharbinger.net to see how it’s taking the newspaper to a whole new level.

PHOTO OF THE WEEK

The Photo of the Week feature provides a range of photographs taken by various staff photographers. Several photographs are chosen from events throughout the week and Harbinger Online viewers can vote on their favorites.

Each photo comes from a different event, capturing a different moment that may have gone unnoticed. Every voter can catch up on the events that occurred throughout the week, truly promoting every East event. Each Tuesday the winner of the previous week will be featured on the right sidebar that can be viewed on every page.

18 | ONLINE

POLLS

WHAT IT’S ALL ABOUT...

Staff photographers compile an album of photos in galleries.

Video offers visual and audio components to news and features.

With two live broadcasts a week, the site streams big games to viewers across the nation.

Homegrown exposes the East community to local artists and musicians.

Podcasts bring a radio format to both news and opinion pieces.

Polls give visitors to the site an opportunity to voice their opinions.

Photo by Jake Crandall

Junior LILY KAUFMANN, left, does a solo performance to the song “What a Feeling” from “Flash Dance.” The reason she was picked to sing this song was because she’s a dancer and “it fits my vocal range,” KAUFMANN said.

Photo by Grant Kendall

Sophmore ALEC ARMER, below left, sings a duet with his twin brother, JUSTIN ARMER, called “Mrs. Robinson” from “The Graduate.”JUSTIN dressed up as Simon from Simon and Garfunkel.

Photo by Jake Crandall

Parents, below, videotape and take pictures of their children on Tuesday during the first performance.

This was their only chance to do so because it is prohibited in the rest of their performances.

Photo by Jake Crandall

FROM

Freshman AUSTIN DALGLEISH, below, watches the performance backstage with fellow cast members.

“I’m really into theatre,” DALGLEISH said. “When I heard about the musical [revue], I immediately thought about auditioning.”

HOLLYWOOD

TO YOUR

NEIGHBORHOOD Theatre Department performs “A Knight at the Movies,” a series of famous songs from Hollywood movies

PHOTO ESSAY | 19

MIXED Understand

✚

✚

A PAGE ABOUT

Observe

✚

Tolerate

✖ Block

I’m reading over a guy’s shoulder.

Everyone totally needs a new Patagonia.

Learn all there is about Facebook from me! Plz

Eating breakfast for dinner!! #sweet

Cool-threads: where I get all my clothes.

Currently on all my social networks #5

Created by @ngonews Inspired by @guykawasaki

Quick to join and then ✖ unsure what to do with such a new way of expression. The newbie is most likely a parent or a friend who signs up because their friends have one. They are the ones who tweet pointless messages.

newbie

✖

Realizing they can ✖ promote themselves or their wares with the service, The Brand joins Twitter to use it as a marketing tool as well as keep in touch with friends, only to convince people that they don’t use tweets as adds.

AKA The Social ✖ Networking stalker.

They want everyone to know what they’re doing in their life in any way possible. Groupies are more often than not, self-delusional about how much people really care about their lives.

brand

groupie

✖

SOCIAL NETWORKING

✖

Sharon Stone totally looks like a drag on 30 Rock.

Mike and Carol broke up, boo-hoo. Who cares

✖ You know the type; they use their accounts to voice their views on the world and who is annoying at the moment. Essentially, a way for people to moan at you without you being there. Usually start out funny and get rather disgusting. diva

PROFILES OF VARIOUS TWITTER

USERS

✖

THE HISTORY OF SOCIAL NETWORKING 1971

THE FIRST EMAIL WAS SENT. THE TWO COMPUTERS WERE SITTING RIGHT NEXT TO EACH OTHER. HEY!

2003

HEY!

20 | MIXED

FIRST CONCEIVED AS A FRIENDSTER CLONE. THE FIRST VERSION WAS CODED IN 10 DAYS.

2008 TWITTER IS LAUNCHED

FACEBOOK IS LAUNCHED,

ONE OF THE WEB’S FIRST

SOCIAL NETWORKING SITES, GEOCITIES, IS FOUNDED. THE CONCEPT WAS FOR USERS TO CREATE THEIR OWN WEBSITES, CATEGORIZED BY ONE OF SIX CITIES KNOWN FOR CERTAIN CHARACTERISTICS

MYSPACE IS LAUNCHED,

1994

ORIGINALLY AS A WAY OF CONNECTING U.S. COLLEGE STUDENTS. FIRST LAUNCHED AT 2004 HARVARD COLLEGE, MORE THAN HALF OF THE 19,500 STUDENTS SIGNED UP WITHIN THE FIRST MONTH. INFORMATION from: http://www.onlineschools.org/blog/history-of-social-networking/

artistically

INCLINED

written by Ian Wiseman | photos by Spencer Davis

written by Ian Wiseman | photos by Spencer Davis

T

ammy Smith developed a

love for drawing as a young child. She would constantly sketch her surroundings, but mostly her objects were people. Eventually her love evolved from drawing to sculpting and finally to 3-D mixed media.

She passed this love to her son, junior Murphy Smith. Through their shared passion, both the artists thrived.

Tammy helped improve her son’s abilities from the minute he picked up a pencil. She aided in his drawing techniques to make his sketches look more realistic.

“She inspired me to do anything artistic,” Murphy said.

A

s a professional artist,

Mike Savage must be flexible.

“I don’t always get to paint what I want,” Mike said. “However, I’ll paint the object my way, taking the client’s idea and running with it.”

Watching his father paint gives senior Chris Savage a strong appreciation for art, yet, Chris mixes with art like oil does with water. His passion is in other fields.

“I want to be either an astronaut or a theoretical physicist,” Chris said.

“I may be going to space camp in Florida for a month this summer.”

According to his father, Chris possesses the ability to focus on that which intrigues him.

Check out more photos at smeharbinger.net

22 A&E

Like his mother, Murphy evolved in his artistic interests. He found his niche in the art form of steam punk.

“Picture a Tim Burton, turn-of-thecentury mass based on the idea of steam power,” Tammy said.

Murphy’s projects have ranged from a pair of goggles to a bicycle.

“It’s fun for him,” Tammy said. “It’s what makes him unique. Everyone needs some form of self-expression.”

Now, Murphy helps his mother set up tents, art and decorations for the Plaza Art Fair. Just as she first helped develop his artistic skills, Murphy aids his mother in her pursuit of her passion. Together, their art grows.

To Mike, Chris is a leader, always seeking to complete jobs by his own method.

“His passion is not in art,” Mike said.

“But he is passionate. He is able to pick up new things, like electronic media, and just run with it.”

Though Chris favors science over art, Mike seeks to never squander his son’s passion, regardless of what that might be. He couldn’t care less that Chris does not share his love of art.

“He needs encouragement, not criticism,” Mike said. “I don’t want my opinion to get in the way of Chris doing things his way. He needs to go after what he loves, whatever that is.”

Just run with it.

Tears & Triumph Cancer dramedy ‘50/50’ radiates with humor and authentic emotion

F

ilms about life-threatening afflictions are sad by nature—but making them genuinely touching without feeling overly sentimental, on the other hand, takes a lot of skill. Not only does the cancer dramedy “50/50” achieve that, but even more impressively, it seamlessly balances that emotion with a hearty sense of humor.

In his best performance yet, Joseph Gordon-Levitt stars as Adam Lerner, a healthy 27-year-old with a good job at the local NPR station, a nice house and a gorgeous girlfriend (Bryce Dallas Howard) to share it with. Then after a trip to the doctor, Adam learns there’s a tumor growing on his lower spine. Suddenly, all his priorities change as he requires a cancer treatment with a 50 percent chance for survival.

The extremely dependable Gordon-Levitt stands among the best of today’s younger actors, and his mere presence has become a near guarantee of high quality.

A far cry from his last role as an intimidating, apathetic metal-head in the indie film “Hesher,” the role of Adam offers a wide range of emotion, and Gordon-Levitt seizes this opportunity with nuance and vigorous focus.

Beginning the film as a pushover nice guy, he slowly evolves through the chemotherapy and sickness, in a sympathetic progression through weakness, depression and anger until ultimately developing an acceptance of his mortality. His sarcastic wit becomes more and more cynical, and his frailty advances in crippling him. When

The Many Faces of Joseph Gordon-Levitt The versatile actor in some of his lesser known roles

Adam lashes out in fury as he eventually breaks down, Gordon-Levitt’s emotionally-charged frustration is sure to make viewers tear up.

Best friend Kyle (Seth Rogen) supports Adam throughout the whole process with humor and hope, becoming his caretaker after his girlfriend buckles under the pressure. In a more endearing performance than usual, Rogen still delivers the laughs, but this time around he’s not as obnoxious and there’s more dramatic weight in his friendship. He might seem fairly selfish at first, exploiting Adam’s cancer to get them laid and using marijuana to ease Adam’s suffering for them both, but he proves a worthy companion in the end.

Where that other Rogen dramedy about a life-threatening disease, “Funny People,” overloads on the depressing drama, Rogen imbues “50/50” with a lighter tone and he feels right at home here, partially because he lived the role in real life. Inspired by the cancer experience of the screenwriter, Rogen’s real-life best friend Will Reiser, the movie and the characters consistently sparkle with honesty.

Reiser scripts the proceedings with an enlightened understanding, never bogging the film down in too much sadness, while keeping the humor brisk and evenly paced. Even Adam’s realizations about his life, brought

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written by Alex Lamb | photo from filmonair.com about by his assigned, newbie cancer therapist (Anna Kendrick, building on her charming timidity in “Up in the Air”), offer sharp insight, echoing from Reiser’s own cancer survival.

Director Jonathan Levine sublimely ties the experience together, eliciting universally strong performances from his cast and poignantly portraying the importance of the relationships in Adam’s life. Adam rejects his overbearing and worrisome mother (Anjelica Huston), and Levine handles Adam’s attempt at reconnecting with a somber, resonating delicacy.

More interesting, however, is the tender, light friendship Adam develops with two spirited old men (Matt Frewer and Philip Baker Hall) he goes through chemo with, and the appreciation for life they impart to him. That includes sharing pot-laced macaroons with Adam, which Levine shows with a fuzzy, hilarious and happy-go-lucky slo-mo stroll through the gloomy hospital halls.

Adam’s worsening condition builds his journey to a powerfully stirring climax, assured to ignite audience tear wells, and by the time it ends, “50/50” stands as one of the most fulfilling, emotionally intense movies this year. Gordon-Levitt’s achingly heartfelt, affecting performance isn’t always easy to stomach, but the bittersweet ride proves hugely rewarding.

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OSCAR WORTHY

3rd Rock From the Sun

Mysterious Skin

Hesher

Where Jo-Go got his real start.

Starring as the youngest member of a family of aliens posing as humans, Gordon-Levitt proved early on he was imminently likable and a charming performer in this hilarious TV sitcom.

A disturbing and intensely acted piece of art house cinema, GordonLevitt broke through as a strong dramatic talent in “Mysterious Skin,” where he played a young male prostitute who was molested as a child.

Gordon-Levitt’s most raucously entertaining performance thus far. His portrayal of a destructive, over-the-top metalhead makes for a twisted, darkly hilarious romp, showing his wild side and extreme acting

photo from wildaboutmovies.com

photo from totalfilm.com

photo from aceshowbiz.com

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BEYOND THE REQUIRED book suggestions beyond the required school reading

written by Tom Lynch | photos by Jake Crandall

FRESHMEN

SOPHOMORES “Catch 22”

“Revolutionary Road”

“The Historian”

Usually, I’m not a fan of the so called “slice of life” works of fiction, but Cannery Row is the exception. It’s called a “slice of life” because it really doesn’t have any plot. Instead, it is intended to capture the feeling and people of the cannery district of Monterey, California. The novel introduces the reader to various denizens of the Row. The story (however unimportant it is) is about Mack and the boys, a group of unemployed yet resourceful men, wanting to do something nice for Doc, a proprietor of a biological supply house on the Row who serves as friend and caretaker to all of the Row’s depressed inhabitants.

Mack and the boys plan to give Doc a party and spend most of their time and energy acquiring the provisions while also simultaneously enriching and enraging the local grocer: Lee Chong. Cannery Row is not as heavy handed as “Of Mice and Men,” but it does similarly romanticize its cast of misfits. The book emphasizes the values of the lower class and insists that friendship and a warm heart is all that is needed to create a paradise in one’s life like the Row. However, the novel has several instances of violence and cruelty just like “Of Mice and Men,” showing that however utopian a society one might inhabit, there are always messy parts to disrupt the peace.

All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque was my favorite book from sophomore year. However, some people I have talked surprised me by saying that it was in fact the worst novel we read, but if you by chance enjoyed All Quiet like I did, then you will enjoy Catch 22. Similar to Remarque, Joseph Heller bases his novel on his own experiences during war, in his case, as a bombardier during World War II. The novel follows Captain John Yossarian in his exploits as a member of a fighter plane crew in charge of releasing bombs during the war. Yossarian has one wish: to survive the war. Unfortunately, the wish becomes more and more difficult, as Colonel Catchcart continues to increase the number of missions the crew must take.

John is convinced that everyone is trying to kill him—a notion that sometimes arises in a war where... everyone is trying to kill each other. The book is written out of chronological order giving the story a confusing quality resembling the atmosphere of war. The most interesting part to me is the contrast between the actions of Yossarian, which are motivated by his interest in self-preservation and that of the Air Force Administration whose actions are based on making America look good in the war. This book isn’t just important for the word that it added to our language, but because it takes dead aim at many of the basic principles of war.

Revolutionary Road is the Great Gatsby in the 50s. Where Gatsby lived during the roaring 20s, with its extreme decadence and pervasive parties, Revolutionary Road presents a different take on the pervasive theme of the American Dream during the staunchly conservative 1950s. However, there is very little similarity between the settings and plots of the two stories. Besides the themes, the thing that struck me as the most analogous between the two novels was the writing—F. Scott Fitzgerald’s style is a big reason why Gatsby is one of my favorite books, and Richard Yates was certainly on even ground. Revolutionary Road chronicles the lives of Frank and April Wheeler, from their meeting through their crumbling marriage. At first Frank and April had high hopes. Then April gets pregnant, and they are forced to move to the suburban Revolutionary Hill Estates.

Despite this, they are self-assured that they’ll never become suburbanites. They only begin to question where their lives have gone, after April stars in an embarrassing amateur theatrical production.

The plot reminded me of the 2010 film Blue Valentine, with kids being the catalyst for derailing the couples plans, and becoming the scapegoats for the troubles in the marriage. Just as in Blue Valentine, Revolutionary Road leaves the reader with a jolting feeling of catharsis when the final scene is finished.

Seniors have not read Frankenstein yet; luckily, I read it in eighth grade. If you finish Frankenstein, and are in the mood for another Gothic novel, then you should try out The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova. Frankenstein is well written, and has a very creative plot albeit antiquated—or at least that’s what you’d think. Its themes are probably more a part of society now than ever (you’ve heard about stem cell research, right?). Although they are different from the ones in Frankenstein, the themes in The Historian—harnessing a love of scholarship—serve as important lessons to a modern audience in the same way as those of Frankenstein.

Even if you don’t end up liking Frankenstein, there’s a good chance you’ll like The Historian, after all it mixes about ten different genres from travelogue to historical thriller to provide quite literally something for everyone. The Historian recounts a historical investigation into the life of Vlad Tepes, a 15th-century prince of Wallachia known as “Vlad the Impaler” and his fictional counterpart, Dracula. The story is told through three narratives connected through letters and journal entries: that of the a historian named Paul during the 50s complimented by his mentor during the 30s and daughter during the 70s. When you pick this book up, be prepared for not only a good read, but for a story that might literally haunt your dreams.

“Cannery Row”

JUNIORS

SENIORS

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

John Steinbeck | 1902-1968

Joseph Heller | 1923-1999

Richard Yates | 1926-1992

Born in Salinas, CA, Steinbeck is one of the most prominent 20th century American authors. He wrote 27 books, one of the most notable being The Grapes of Wrath.

Heller is regarded as one of the best post–World War II satirists.

He is remembered most for Catch-22. Most of his other works are satires of the middle class.

Born in Yonkers, NY, Yates’ parents divorced when he was 3, leaving him with a unstable childhood. His other works explore life during the mid-20th century.

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Elizabeth Kostova | 1964This Yale grad considers Dracula to be “the formative experience of my childhood.” She lived in Europe for much of her childhood and young adulthood. http://3.bp.blogspot.com http://www.randomhouse.com.au http://www.littlebrown.co.uk http://www.nicholasbasbanes.com

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W E I V E R P N O I S I V FALL TELE written by Erin Reilly| photos

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from www.tv.com

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5 - NEW GIRL

Zooey Deschanel stars as Jess Day, an unconventional woman in her late 20s who has just gotten out of a bad breakup. She moves in with roommates Nick Miller, Schmidt and Coach (Jake Johnson, Max Greenfield and Lamorne Morris) after seeing their ad on Craigslist.

While at first caught off guard by her quirky humor and therapeutic Dirty Dancing marathons, the guys rally for Jess, helping her move on from her old relationship. After Nick, Schmidt and Coach warm up to Jess and her big heart, the four become an inseparable, motley family.

Even though Deschanel’s performance perpetuates her role as the comical yet lovable girl-next-door, her fans will not be disappointed by her portrayal as Jess in this witty new sitcom. Quick one-liners coupled with her dream-like demeanor make her one of the funniest characters on the air this fall.

2 - DEXTER

Your favorite serial killer, Dexter Morgan (Michael C. Hall), returns one year after the events of season five with his dark passenger’s thirst rekindled and his emotionless heart healed. Religion is the major overtone this season, forcing Dexter to question his convictions about his life thus far, his relationship with his four-year-old son, his sister, Deb (Jennifer Carpenter) and his moral code. It will also help him understand the new killer threatening the innocents of Miami, whose cult-inspired crime scenes keep viewers rapt in sick fascination. Has Dexter finally met his match? Even more importantly, will this be the end of Miami’s dark avenger?

After the anticlimactic season five, many loyal followers were skeptical of the sixth season. But after viewing the premiere “Those Kinds of Things,” I can personally assure you that this season promises to be possibly the biggest game-changer yet. If there’s one element this series hasn’t lost, it’s shock factor. Only one thing’s for sure: no one is safe.

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3

4

3 - THE OFFICE

Following the replacement of Michael Scott (Steve Carell) by Andy Bernard (Ed Helms), season eight of “The Office” immediately kicks off with a drastic plot twist. This season, you can expect to see James Spader portraying Robert California, CEO of Sabre-Dunder Mifflin, another baby for Pam (Jenna Fischer) and Jim (John Krasinki), possible tension between Dwight (Rainn Wilson) and newly-wed Angela (Angela Kinsey), certain quarreling between Andy and Dwight over power and lots of hilarious drama. Although it won’t be the same “Office,” it seems the series will prevail this season.

NETWORK BATTLE

5

4 - PAN AM Titled after the former airline, “Pan Am” is set in 1963 and follows the lives of four women (Christina Ricci, Kelli Garner, Karine Vanasse and Margot Robbie) who become Pan Am stewardesses in order to climb the business ladder, escape relationship problems and see the world. Historical themes are integral to the plot. One stewardess is really an operative for the CIA in charge of detecting possible Communists en route by Pan Am (since the show takes place in the midst of the Cold War). This takes what could be a flippant show and gives it a serious twist.

Capturing the wonder, thrill and freedom of flight during this era, “Pan Am” is a unique drama that seems influenced by the suave setting of “Mad Men” coupled with the drama of “Sex and the City.” “Pan Am” is especially interesting because of its portrayal of independent women through their roles as stewardesses. This show is definitely one of the most hyped up new series for fall-and with good reason.

1 TWO AND A HALF MEN CBS

Ratings from 2010-11 season compared

FOX ABC NBC

=1 million primetime viewers The most watched show in primetime was American Idol. CBS had the five most popular dramas and two most popular comedies. The fastest growing show was Modern Family. www.huffingtonpost.com

With the warlock from Mars (Charlie Sheen) out of the picture, Ashton Kutcher is keeping his comedic career alive portraying the depressed billionaire Walden Schmidt in the wake of Sheen. After making billions selling out to Microsoft and then being dumped by his girlfriend, Walden meets Alan (John Cryer) while trying to drown himself. The two become friends after Alan talks Walden out of suicide and helps him find two rebounds.

The addition of Kutcher to the cast looks promising for the show’s “TV Top 20” streak. Sheen reports that after viewing the premiere via Twitter that watching it was “odd...but cool!”

The Sheen drama surrounding the show will soon be resolved. Sheen settled his lawsuit for $25 million against former boss and “Two and a Half Men” producer Chuck Lorre for “unreasonable firing.” While the conflict should be over, Sheen’s egotistical personality will be ever-present.

“I’m Charlie Sheen, and in here burns an eternal fire,” Sheen said to conclude his Roast on Comedy Central. “I just have to remember to keep it away from a crack pipe.”

WORDS of

WILCO WICLO’S BEST TRACKS

ART OF ALMOST “I can’t be so far away from my wasteland, I never know when I’m? with my own hands, almost...almost... ”

OPEN MIND

FEELIN’ THE ‘WHOLE LOVE’

Wilco’s eighth album doesn’t let fans down, combining classic sounds with experimental riffs written by Kennedy Burgess | photos courtesy of last.fm In a world where faux angst and teenie - lyrics “I can’t be so far away from my wastepop anthems fill the airwaves, all I (or any- land, I never know when I’m? with my own body) wants to hear is an honest man play hands, almost...almost... ”. his guitar and lull authentic tunes with his In the last five minutes of the seven minband. Wilco’s Jeff Tweedy is the Clark Kent in ute and 15 second track, Tweedy and the this situation, seeing as he he’s been at it for boys ditch the synth and go for a straight 20 years. Wilco is one of the few bands able guitar and drum frenzied conclusion to the to lay out seven studio albums and re-invent track, recently added guitarist, Nels Cline their music each time. Wilco’s eighth studio album, “The Whole Love”, was surrounded by hype, following their 2009 release of “Wilco (the Album)” which exposed fans to a more audacious side of Tweedy’s creativity as an artist. Tweedy pushes musical limits even further in “Whole Love”, and like the mad music–producing scientist he has come to be, creates a monster of tracks that give fans a glance at a more aged Tweedy. It’s as if the entire album is his way of looking back and moving forward as an artist and as a person in general.

The verses and choruses of “Whole Love” delve into experimentation that mirrors that of “Yankee Hotel Foxtrot”, but is padded with easy listening and ironically dark melodies much like 2007’s “Sky Blue Sky”.

WILCO’S EIGHTH STUDIO ALBUM The opening track, “Art of Almost”, takes the listener through a transfiguration of channeling Radiohead the entire way there. sounds with multiple buildups. It’s sort of “Art of Almost” was the tentative interlike the moment in the Wizard of Oz when lude to what came to be an honest, nostalgic the tornado hits and Dorothy is whisked album. The rest of the tracks that follow are away to another world (sort of). The song is cold and raw songs that display a re-invented more haunting though, (and less bizarre). version of the Wilco that won fans over circa The track starts out with repetitive, simplis- 1995 with the release of “A.M.” Tweedy remitic synthesized beats and slowly grows into nisces through his lyrics, showing fans that a unified, orchestra of stringed instruments “dad rock” can be simply cool. Songs such (the tornado), leading into Tweedy’s opening as “Open Mind” are coated with a country-

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folk haze: via slow guitar riffs accompanied

by Tweedy’s musky voice. “If I could shine a light on the dark and disobeying night so young, I still sway, we’re too old for cliches”, he hums.

This contrast with tracks like “Rising Red Lung”, a straightforward acoustic folk song, and the more contemporary tunes (i.e. “Whole Love” and “Art of Almost”) were seemingly awkward the first listen through.

Each song roams in a different direction than the last, but it all somehow comes together in a way that showcases all of the elements Wilco fans want to hear – country, folk-rock, experimental – it’s all there in the 12 songs that make up “The Whole Love”.

Though, by the end of the album, I was longing for another track that mirrored “Art of Almost” and its shocking fuse of instrumental grandeur. There was something about that track that left hope for the rest of the album. The folk-instilled songs that followed were still pleasing, but felt so safe for what is a pretty bold album. Tweedy uses the same essentials in “The Whole Love” that are reminiscent of the first track, but still lack the attention grabbing manner of “Art of Almost”.

Most of all, the album was refreshing.

Each track on “The Whole Love” was sincere in a way that makes the album worthy of listening to all the way through more than once. It captures the experimental essence of Wilco, but stays true to their aesthetic by packing in tracks that take them back to their roots.

INSTANT CLASSIC

“If I could shine a light on the dark and disobeying night so young, I still sway, we’re too old for cliches.”

RISING RED LUNG “Found a fix for the fits, come listen to this, it’s buried under the hiss, and it glows.”

ALT.

COUNTRY

ALT.

ROCK

POP

COUNTRY

HIP HOP

ROCK

JAZZ

BLUES CLASSICAL EVOLUTION THE of

ALTERNATIVE COUNTRY

A&E | 27

UNDER

PRESSURE With an injury to quarterback Dakota Collins, junior Nick Pirotte is getting his chance to start

written by Katie Knight | photo by Jake Crandall

J

unior Nick Pirotte stood helmet-less on the edge of the Shawnee Mission South football field as he yelled “Let’s go defense!” to his teammates who were playing against Olathe East. Suddenly, a defensive lineman on the opposing team began to stumble and fell directly on senior quarterback Dakota Collins’s left ankle. Five plays later, it was clear he had lost all ability to walk; he was laying on the field and making no effort to get up.

“Pirotte!” Offensive Coach Jason Filbeck yelled back to Pirotte. “Start warming up!”

Once Pirotte comprehended all that was happening, he realized that it would be up to him to carry his team through the remainder of the game, if not the rest of the season.

Despite what coaches and players might expect, Pirotte didn’t feel even a little bit anxious. Besides feeling prepared, the pats on the back and teammates telling him not to worry helped him feel confident from the start.

“I think I was the least nervous person in the stadium,” Pirotte said. “I felt prepared and I knew the entire team would help me out. It happened so quick I didn’t really think about it.”

Though the Lancers were losing 28-7 when he subbed in, Pirotte sparked a late rally and got the score to 35 to 27.

Despite the tough loss, head football coach Chip Sherman and Collins both were pleased with Pirotte’s performance.

“I felt good [when Nick had to go in] because he’s a good back up,” Collins said. “He did a really good job Friday when he replaced me at Olathe East and he almost bounced back, and that shows why he’s a great backup.”

Though Pirotte never really expected to have to go in, he prepared for the possibility. The coaches trained him all summer and throughout the preseason by giving him mental repetitions, meaning learning by watching. This consisted of watching other people run plays and watching film of past games to allow him to see things he would likely experience in a game situation. Even though he was happy for an opportunity to play, he wished it would have happened under different circumstances.

“You don’t want something like [a bad injury] to happen, but you’ve gotta be prepared for when it does,” Pirotte said. “You always have it in the back of your mind that it could happen, but you don’t want to think about it because you just want what’s best for the team.”

Since taking over the quarterback position, Sherman and Collins agree that he has a great work ethic and a great attitude. Even though Collins will be able to come back in

two weeks, he has been working hard to get up to speed.

“He’s been working really, really hard with the receivers and trying to get on page with them,” Collins said. “It’s kind of hard being the JV starter and then trying to work with your varsity receivers, and he’s been doing a good job getting tied down with them.”

Of all the obvious differences between starting for JV and starting for varsity like number of attendants, level of intensity and amount of recognition, Pirotte has found the level of competitiveness to be the most prominent of all.

“There isn’t a level above [varsity], so that makes a big difference,” Pirotte said. “As a team you wanna do the best you can that night like it’s the biggest game, whereas JV sometimes you don’t have some guys playing because they play the next day on varsity.”

Besides working hard to adapt to the varsity skill level, Pirotte has been working on bonding with his teammates.

Though he’s known them and practiced with them all season, Pirotte doing things like going to eat at Cici’s Pizza with the team and hanging out afterwards.

“I’ve always felt like I was part of the team even though I didn’t play,” Pirotte said. “The off the field chemistry was there it was just getting the on-the-field chemistry to where it needs to be.”

Now that he feels on the same page with the rest of the team, Pirotte has begun to shift into the leadership role that, according to Sherman, is required with being in the quarterback position. Though he has made progress, he still has yet to gain 100 percent of their respect as a leader. “[The guys] look up to him, but they’re still not like, ‘he’s our quarterback,’” Collins said. “He still has to earn that like I did when I had to come in.”

In order to gain the respect of the team as a leader, Pirotte has been trying to be more vocal towards the team, and get over the awkwardness of telling someone older and with seniority what to do out on the field.

Now that he’s dealing with the amount of pressure

COLLINS

PIROTTE

2

2

3

2

games as starting QB touchdowns thrown yards gained

418

510

that comes with varsity, Pirotte has figured out that getting pumped up beforehand doesn’t help at all in starting a game.

“I usually try to stay pretty calm just because as quarterback, you don’t really need to get pumped up,” Pirotte said. “You just need to stay mellow, cause it’s a lot of mental stuff; quarterback is not as physically challenging as it is mentally. So I just listen to country music and that’s about it.”

Though Sherman believes Pirotte has done a solid job filling in for Collins the past two weeks, Pirotte still feels the need to work hard on improving fundamentals, such as throwing mechanics, drops and reading defense. In the end, according to Pirotte, working hard with the coaches and the support of his teammates will get him to where he wants to be for the next two weeks until Collins returns.

“My team helps out quite a bit,” Pirotte said. “That helps more than anyone realizes. As a team I feel like we’re ready [to go on with the season].”

REMAINING FOOTBALL GAMES LAWRENCE FREE STATE at S.M. South

28 | SPORTS

BLUE VALLEY NORTH at BVDC SM WEST at SM South

SM SOUTH at SM South

ON THEIR

GAME

OFF THE COURT

Boys basketball team works hard during the fall to prepare for a successful season

QUICK LOOK

a week of conditioning MONDAYS/ WEDNESDAYS

WEIGHT ROOM

bench press squats

auxiliary lifts

bicep curls TUESDAYS/ THURSDAYS

ARC WORKOUT sprints explosions

quickness drills

squat jumps SUNDAYS

two scrimmages with no coaches

written by Mitch Kaskie | photos by Josh Winter It may not be known, but basketball is a fall sport. Well, at least it may seem like it for out of season basketball players.

While football, soccer and cross country take the limelight of fall sports, you can find these guys pouring sweat on the track, in the weight room or on the court.

The basketball conditioning is a three month program starting in September and ending during buffer week, which is mid-November. It consists of lifting and speed camp, along with open gyms and full-speed league games. The work ethic of the Lancers in the fall is far from laid back. A main reason for this hard work is the knowledge that it will bring the team together on and off the court before the season even begins. With two games every Sunday, they hope to learn each other’s playing style and build chemistry, which is necessary to have going into the season.

“We have the advantage of playing extra time with our teammates to get used to playing as a team,” junior Cory Perkins said.

Besides the fall games, players hope to see the training, lifting and speed work have an impact on the season.

“I think we have a huge edge because no other school has the opportunity to do this,” senior Alex Schoegler said.

What is done in the off season can reflect in season; that is the mentality the team is taking in with them. The conditioning is high intensity week in and week out, and very rigorous.

“It’s been really tough because the coaches know our team has a lot of potential in the next few years so they really want to push us to get everything out of us,” Perkins said.

The week begins with every Monday and Wednesday in the weight room with Head Coach Shawn Hair. The players work through reps of different types of lifts targeting muscles required in basketball.

“They help us get tougher and just have more explosion on the court,” Schoegler said. “Coach Hair really emphasizes explosion.”

On Mondays, the lifting session is based on bench press, squats and curls. The players do 10 sets of 10 for each lift, switching the type of lift after each set. On Wednesdays they do different types of auxiliary lifts and core workouts. The auxiliary lifts include three sets of 10 dumbbell bench, flies, rows and lateral pulls. Then they move on to core workouts, such as flutters, leg lifts, dumbbell curls, dumbbell pushups, hammer curls, tricep extensions and lunges.

“You know by the end of the workout it’s going to be hard to walk to your car,” Perkins said.

It’s no different on the track. On Tuesdays and Thursdays a trained professional puts the players through a speed camp program called ARC. The program mirrors the mindset in the weight room: explosion. The workouts concentrate on repetition of sprints the body isn’t comfortable with, keeping players thinking about their form and pushing through the pain.

“We just started the speed camp, but running around the track for the past couple of weeks has been tough,” Schoegler said. “The first day of the new conditioning was really intense and worked our leg muscles out pretty hard.”

Every Monday and Thursday, the players also have a chance to go to open gym and work on their game. Players work on shooting for about a half an hour, then go into scrimmage.

Every Sunday, the team takes the court at Rockhurst College and plays two games against other JV and Varsity teams from around the area. The games are full speed and high intensity. Although the teams are not allowed to have coaches, players step up to get everyone going. Schoegler has stepped up as a leader in training and on the court.

“As a senior, I feel the need to push everyone to get better,” Schoegler said.

This is where the players really get a feel for what they will see in the winter. It helps them get back into real game situations and see the competition they will be playing against.

The pre-season training really gets players thinking about the season early. With the work ethic being put in on the court and in the weight room, they are hoping for success.

SPORTS | 29

LEAVING IT ALL

ON THE FIELD East athletes will do anything it takes to succeed in their sport written by Paige Hess | photos by Hiba Akhtar The competitiveness of East athletics has driven athletes to find ways to push themselves in their respective sports: running suicides, watching training videos, weight training beyond their limits. Students are becoming more likely to seek extra help outside of the set team training programs, calling in personal trainers and private sessions with coaches. This year especially, there has been a growing trend in the way that athletes prepare themselves for their upcoming seasons away from the team.

In some cases, athletes do not even play the sport they love the most--rather, they sacrifice their passion to play a sport that they are likely to excel in.

Junior Will Cray has attempted three different sports at East and has started over this season with a brand new sport, soccer. Cray hadn’t kicked around a soccer ball in years before he talked with his friends last spring about making a switch into the sport, but decided he was going to try out for goalie regardless.

“I stopped playing basketball and started thinking about soccer because I thought that I was not going to get enough playing time in [basketball] order for the work to be worth it,” Cray said.

Cray went to kick-arounds during the summer but also received hands-on coaching from his coach Brude Williams, going to him for help with and advice about his position. Williams, the keeper coach at East, did a few private lessons with Cray preseason to show him exactly how to be a goalie. “[The training sessions] helped me with getting the technique down, so that I could use it on the field,” Cray said. “[His drills] made me get used to the way a keeper

TOP 3 Sports that use trainers

30 | SPORTS

moves, and the different saves I would make.”

According the head football coach Chip Sherman, sports teams at East have become more and more competitive with each mounting school year. He has noticed how prestigious sports are becoming at East. This forces athletes to wonder whether they are even good enough to try out for the sports they are passionate about.

“East has had a wonderful tradition of sports--tennis, swimming, golf--that are all really strong,” Sherman said. “Now, we are trying to get all of the other sports to [be strong] as well. We are getting better and better all the time.”

This strive for excellence has led athletes in a variety of sports to resort to personal training and specialized programs to get an advantage in the sports they participate in.

“Every situation is different, some kids may really benefit from a personal trainer,” Sherman said. “There are many kids that can thrive from that. Personal training’s biggest benefit is that it gets really slowed down, and you get individual attention to learn and get specialized.”

According to Sherman, the amount of personal training has decreased with certain sports. Sports like tennis, golf and swimming require a lot of personal training, giving the players an advantage--but with football, basketball and baseball there is more help within school.

“There are not as many [athletes going to trainers] as when I first came here,” Sherman said. “Now the kids feels like they get a lot of their programming done here at school. Parents don’t feel like they have to pay any extra money to go to a specialized place to get training like that.”

Junior Will Humphrey loved soccer, but was frustrated that he was not getting much playing time. His foot skills from soccer led him to his new position in football: the kicker.

“I’ve been getting help from the kicking coach for football,” Humphrey said. “Dane, the kicking coach, comes to practice once a week to give [the other kicker, senior Sean Luenz] and I tips on how to become better and more consistent at kicking. He has helped me become more consistent and taught me certain drills that have made me better.”

This summer he was working and preparing for the upcoming football season, rather than training for soccer like he had before. Other students’ behavior reflects Humphrey’s: many more are looking at outside resources for the extra drive to put them ahead.

Junior basketball player Zach Schneider has participated in camps and skillbuilding programs in which he has seen great improvement in his playing skills.

His training programs consist of skill work, conditioning and strength training that he believed helped increase his athletic ability.

“I believe it helped increase my athleticism and especially my skill set in my sport,” Schneider says. “I went to them because I love playing basketball and love it enough to work at it to be the best I can be.

I think it definitely put me ahead.”

Senior Conner Schrock shows how playing the sport you love makes it easier to practice due to how much you enjoy it and how outside practice can help. He has had lessons and is constantly learning how to change and improve his golf game.

All of the workouts and extra time practic-

1

2

Golf- Since golf has become such a game of precision, it has become very difficult to be succesful without the outside help of a trainer.

Baseball- There are two parts of baseball: hitting and fielding.

Many high school players are begining to take hours of private hitting lessons.

ing his skills have added up to his success.

“Just this year I’ve started working out more and I was surprised how much it helped my golf,” Schrock said. “To succeed in golf, I have to work hard and be disciplined about my practice schedule, sometimes that means sacrificing being with my friends but in the end it pays off.“ Schrock and Schneider represent situations where their skill applies to the sport they are passionate about. But this isn’t always the case. Junior Jackson Stephens was a much better baseball player than any other sport, yet he chose to quit the spring sport and prepare to play soccer in the fall, because that is the sport he most enjoyed. For senior baseball player Kurt Jensen, extra practice is nothing new to him--he has been receiving hitting lessons since he was in middle school. The lesson helped his hitting due to the repetition.

“I have more bat control,” Jenson said.

“I went to get a lesson just because my dad wanted me to, but then I started to enjoy it once I got better at it.”

Regardless of the motives behind joining a team, being involved in sports can help a student learn values and rules of conduct. Students are shown how to practice self-discipline and how to work with others to accomplish a specific goal. For some, being involved in a sport is one of the most important aspects of their high school experience.

“I always tell somebody that if you like being part of a team, and you like doing it then id. “It doesn’t matter. What does matter is that you like it and you are helping out with the sport and yourself and the main thing is that you are enjoying it.”

3

Tennis- Whether kids are learning the perfect serve or returning a backhand there is a lot to the technical side of tennis that is being taught now.

upcoming games 3:30 p.m.

Oct. 4

Girls Tennis vs. Lawrence

7 p.m.

Boys Soccer at SM South

1 p.m.

Oct. 5

SPORTS ROUND-UP

written by Anne Willman

3

players to watch

Oct. 6

Oct. 7

7 p.m.

Football at Blue Valley North

2

Oct. 8 Girls Tennis-Regionals TBD Cross Country in Lawrence

Oct. 10

The volleyball team had a deserved win against Olathe Northwest. In the third game against Olathe Northwest, the volleyball team was down 16-9.

Coach Salanoa called a timeout and asked for everyone for their personal best. The Lancers went on a seven kill streak and won the game 25-23 earning the current number one spot in the Sunflower League.

Teacher that would be the best allaround athlete?

Shaban Scott He’s made me look stupid on the court

Moment

FIRST

wins

in the Sunflower League

Gymnastics FOUR

meets

TWO

Sunflower League

meet is on Oct. 15

top three finishes

VARSITY is made up of

Football

TWO games

TWO wins

THIRD

in the Sunflower League

VARSITY 48 underclassmen is made up of 22 seniors

Boys Soccer EIGHT

EIGHT

games

wins

FIRST

in the Sunflower League

VARSITY 18 underclassmen is made up of 6 seniors

Girls Tennis NINE TEN FIRST wins matches

in the Sunflower League

VARSITY 3 underclassmen is made up of 2 seniors

*all statistics are up to date as of Sept. 28

Will football win all Will soccer stay games in the remaining undefeated? season?

No

Yes

Winner of the faculty sumo wrestling contest from years ago

Soccer, Girls Golf, Volleyball, Girls Tennis

THE

POLL

Fall team that will most likely win a state title?

*poll of 156 students

Football, Girls Golf, Soccer, Volleyball

f

Despite the hefty beard, his elusiveness is peaking

No

Teams that will win Regionals?

Gymnastics

Shawn Hair Challenge him.

I dare you.

Yeah!

I called it!

Volleyball

Heck Yeah!

No

Soccer, Girls Tennis, Girls Golf, Volleyball

No

Yes

Soccer, Football, Girls Tennis

Coach Filbeck

Corbin Barnds Senior

EIGHT

VARSITY 2 underclassmen is made up of 7 seniors

The soccer team killed Leavenworth 10-0. The team continues their undefeated streak and is first in the current Sunflower League standings.

T. Michael Chaffee

Matt Gannon Senior

NINE games

ol ry ls’ G nt Gir ou sC os Cr

Chris Heady Senior

1

Grant Heinlein

7 p.m.

Boys Soccer vs. SM Northwest

Matt Hanson Junior

Volleyball

The girls golf team placed third in the MO-KAN Invitational at Blue Hills Country Club on Sept. 19. It is the largest tournament the Lancers play in all season—excluding state—and is the only tournament that the team has the opportunity to compete against Missouri schools. The tournament consisted of 20 teams (93 individuals). The team failed to place in the top three the last two season in the Invitational, and were happy to improve this season.

Oct. 11

PANEL

VARSITY 4 sophomores is made up of 2 juniors

Events

7 p.m.

Boys Soccer at Kansas City Christian

Volleyball- Varsity Triangular

Freshman Hannah Arnspiger has been at the top of varsity all season. She took second for the team at Rim Rock (16:06) following sophomore Anna Kuklenski (15:57). She has continued to progress throughout the season, working her way up the ladder on the varsity level. Arnspiger will be a strong contender in the upcoming regional and state meets.

SECOND in the Sunflower League

5 sophomores and juniors

Girls Golf at Alvamar Golf Course

the sports

FIVE topFOUR three finishes

tournaments

Hannah Arnspiger McKenzie Swanson

begins Oct. 15

Girls Golf

Noah Eidemiller

Football vs. Lawrence Freestate Boys Soccer at Olathe Northwest

Sunflower League

is made up of 14 seniors

Sophomore Noah Eidemiller, a starting forward, has made a large impact on the team this season. He has scored seven goals and appears to be one of the fastest players on the field. Eidemiller understands the concept of reading the game: he is able to dissect the defense and attack on offense.

7 p.m.

5 p.m.

ONE clean sweep

meets

VARSITY 3 underclassmen

Senior Mimi Fotopoulos is an experienced player. She was undefeated last season (23-0) and won the singles state title. Fotopoulos is known for her strong inside-out forehand. She also has a mentally tough attitude which contributes to her play. Fotopoulos, the dynamic player she is, has played both singles and doubles this season. She will look to help the team defeat Blue Valley North this season to claim the team state title.

Volleyball- Varsity Triangular

8 a.m.

Cross Country

FOUR

Mimi Fotopoulos

Girls Golf at St. Andrew’s Golf Course

5 p.m.

BREAK DOWN

THE

lookingahead the

Boys’ Soccer

all

tb Foo

Girls’ Tennis

SPORTS | 31

A WEEK FIT FOR

ROYALTY

Homecoming week lets the student body and the nominees show off their school spirit.

Photo by Anna Danciger

Homecoming Queen, EMILY FRYE, left, celebrates winning after the halftime ceremony at the football game. “Walking with my dad was fun, my dad started tearing up a little and I was shaking out of shock,” FRYE said. “Between his crying and my shaking, we were a pretty big mess, but I felt that he was proud of me.”

Photo by Hiba Akhtar

Below, a student watches the surprise fireworks display at the Homecoming Bonfire last Saturday.

Photo by Spencer Davis

Homecoming King GRANT KENDALL, above, shows confusion and surprise towards the crowd after being crowned at the dance.

Photo by Hiba Akhtar

Third Attendant LANIE LEEK, above, watches on with her father as DANIELLE NORTON receives her tiara.

“I felt really honored and excited to be walking with the other nominees,” LEEK said.

32 | PHOTO ESSAY

Photo by Jake Crandall

SAM HENEGER and the other nominees, below, line up during the Homecoming Assembly. “I was most excited because I got to stand next to my best friend from second grade, JEFF COLE.”