The Harbinger: Issue 5

the harbinger.

SHAWNEE MISSION EAST 7500 MISSION ROAD PRAIRIE VILLAGE, KS 66208

OCT 30, 2017 VOLUME LIX ISSUE 5

THE NEW Students have transformed Xanax from a prescribed anti-anxiety medication into the latest recreational drug, one they’re using at home, at parties – and at school PAGES 16-17

COVER DESIGN GRACE CHISHOLM COVER PHOTOS DIANA PERCY & ELLIE THOM A

THE HARBINGER

2 CONTENTS

table of contents.

peek inside.

editorial

All eligible citizens should vote . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

A more detailed look at a few stories in the issue

THE DOCTOR IS NOT IN

E

PAGE 7 | NEWS

NEWS

SINCE BIRTH

INSANE IN THE BRAIN

PAGE 19 | FEATURES

PAGE 26 | A&E

News briefs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Homestead country club . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 School board candidates. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 HEALTH SYSTEM DISAPPOINTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Xanax is now a party drug, not just a prescription. . 16/17

OPINION

Living phoneless. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Rocker’s deaths bring memories of past music. . . . . 10 Cross country outshines track. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Fearing scary movie. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13.

Employees criticize SMSD health care system for lack of scheduling availability and overall impracticality | audrey Kesler

Sisters senior Melanie Vahle and junior Amanda Vahle share a close bond, stemming from time spent together | Grace Goldman

New Netflix addition “Inside the Mind of a Serial Killer” leaves a crime-show enthusiast wanting more

the harbinger staff.

PRINT EDITORS-INCHIEF Grace Chisholm Robbie Veglahn ASST. PRINT EDITORS Emily Fey Lizzie Kahle HEAD COPY EDITOR Daisy Bolin ART & DESIGN EDITOR Katie Hise ONLINE EDITORS-INCHIEF Reser Hall Kaleigh Koc ASST. ONLINE EDITORS Annabelle Cook Will Tulp PRINT SECTION EDITORS Editorial- Caroline Chisholm News- Lucy Patterson Opinion- Gracie Kost & Scout Rice Features- Lila Tulp & Abby Walker Spread- Annabelle Cook A&E- Grace Padon & Liddy Stallard

Sports- Elias Lowland PAGE DESIGNERS Anna McClelland Carolyn Popper Jackie Cameron Natasha Thomas Gabby Leinbach Brynn Winkler Kaylin McCann Sarah Wilcox Sarah Bledsoe Meg Thoma Elizabeth Ballew Ava Johnson STAFF ARTISTS Donna Kay COPY EDITORS Mac Newman Madeline Hlobik Abby Walker Harrison Gooley Reser Hall Kaleigh Koc Annabelle Cook Will Tulp Caroline Chisholm Scout Rice Lucy Patterson Alex Freeman Pauline Shaver Daisy Bolin STAFF WRITERS Lucia Barraza Miranda Hack Jackie Cameron Maya Stratman

PHOTO EDITORS Diana Percy Ellie Thoma Carson Holtgraves ASST. PHOTO EDITORS Grace Goldman Print- Audrey Kesler Online- Maddie Smiley SME PHOTOS EDITOR Carson Holtgraves HEAD PHOTO MENTOR Izzy Zanone STAFF PHOTOGRAPHERS Tyler Browning Ellen Swanson Reilly Moreland Luke Hoffman Lucy Morantz Elizabeth Anderson Ava Simonsen Morgan Plunkett Katherine Odell Katherine McGinness Hadley Hyatt Ally Griffith Kate Nixon Aislinn Menke Kathleen Deedy ONLINE SECTION EDITORS News- Alex Freeman

F E AT U R E S

First Fridays. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14.

Senior Tommy Nelson’s turtles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15.

Village Hairstyling. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 . .

VAHLE SISTERS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 Meeds brothers pursue the Air Force. . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

A R T S & E N T E R TA I N M E N T

Sports- Jet Semrick Features- Brooklyn Terrill A&E- Kaylin McCann Homegrown- Pauline Shaver Opinion- Miranda Hack Eastipedia- Lucy Kendall Humans of East- Kate Nixon MOBILE MEDIA EDITORS Anna Kanaley Lucy Hoffman ASST. MOBILE MEDIA EDITOR Brooklyn Terrill VIDEO EDITOR Avery Walker ASST. VIDEO EDITOR Drake Woods VIDEO TRAINING EDITOR Nic Bruyere LIVE BROADCAST EDITOR Peyton Watts WEBMASTER Marti Fromm

PODCAST EDITOR Lucy Patterson ANCHORS Ian Schutt Drake Woods INTERACTIVE EDITORS Will Tulp Annabelle Cook MULTIMEDIA STAFF Ian Schutt Dylan King Maggie Schutt Reilly Moreland EDITORIAL BOARD Grace Chisholm Robbie Veglahn Reser Hall Kaleigh Koc Emily Fey Lizzie Kahle Annabelle Cook Will Tulp Daisy Bolin Anna McClelland Anna Kanaley Lucy Hoffman Brooklyn Terrill Harrison Gooley Caroline Chisholm

“Death Day” and “Blade Runner” review . . . . . . . . . . 22 .

“Loving Vincent” review. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24.

Nelson Atkins Picasso exhibit review . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 . .

NETFLIX’S “SERIAL KILLER” REVIEW. . . . . . . . . . 26 .

SPORTS

Golf season recap. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27 Winter sports preview. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 . .

Allen family bonds through motocross. . . . . . . . . . . 29 .

MORE

Mole Day photo story. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 . .

“Save the Bees” photo story . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 Halloween makeup alt-copy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

editorial policy.

The Harbinger is a student-run publication. Published editorials express the views of the Harbinger staff. Signed columns published in the Harbinger express the writer’s personal opinion. The contents and views of the Harbinger do not represent the student body, faculty, administration or Shawnee Mission School District. The Harbinger will not share any unpublished content, but quoted material may be confirmed with sources. The Harbinger encourages letters to the editors, but reserves the right to reject them for reasons including but not limited to lack of space, multiple letters of the same topic and personal attacks contained in the letter. The Harbinger will not edit content though letters may be edited for clarity, length, libel or mechanics. Letters should be sent to room 521 or emailed to smeharbinger@gmail.com

WRITEN BY Editorial board DESIGN Caroline Chisholm

OCTOBER 30, 2017

D E T O IV

OFFICAL BALLOT

EDITORIAL 3

YOUR VOTE, YOUR VOICE Participation of young voters is important in local elections

W

FOR: 15

e are a society of complainers. Twitter is inundated with political feuds and quarrels, with constant rants about how awful the democrats are or how idiotic that republican is. The halls of East are filled with complaints about the construction on Mission Road or about the district’s rules and requirements for transfer students.

But on Nov. 7, some East students will have a chance to put their opinions into action. All across Johnson County in churches and recreation centers, ballots will be cast in the Kansas state general elections to determine the future of our schools, our jobs, our lives. Yet, of the students who responded to a Harbinger survey* saying that they were over 18 and thus eligible to vote, only 60.6 percent were registered to do so.

Some senior’s lunches are still being packed by their moms, but on Nov. 7 many of those seniors will be able to exercise an inherent right of adulthood for the very first time. In order to continue the progress of this nation, it is essential that the youth of the country start the practice of voting in all elections – not just the presidential ones.

Low voter turnout among youth has been making headlines nationwide since last year’s presidential election, when only 31 percent of millennials (18-34) took to the polls compared to 72 percent of those over the age of 71, according to Pew Research analysis.

But what isn’t making news is the voter apathy during local and state elections, especially in years without presidential elections. According to the Harbinger poll of 325 students*, only 52 percent of East students were even aware that these elections were taking place. And this trend is one being mirrored by voter turnout of all citizens, not

AGAINST: 0 just youth.

According to Johnson County government voting records, there are over 370,000 people who are registered to vote. There were 294,208 votes for president cast in JoCo precincts, which is approximately 80 percent voter turnout.

But on odd-numbered years like 2017 where there is neither a midterm or presidential election, JoCo voter turnout for local general elections has been a dismal 12.94 percent on average since 2000.

Only 13 percent of those eligible decided that voting on issues in their own backyard was worth their time. Not only does staying home from the ballots for local elections disrespect the institution of voting, but it is outright illogical. If anything, these elections have even more of a direct impact on your daily lives than presidential.

East students may not feel the immediate repercussions of President Trump’s stance on North Korea in the classroom. But they do see the impacts of when the district decides to take away funding for the arts program or when WaterOne construction makes getting out of the driveway impossible. And in an election like this with a heated race for a multiple seats on the SMSD school board, seats that will help decide the next superintendent, some East students for once have a say in how their district will be run. It’s a privilege – but people don’t seem to care.

What seems like centuries ago, young and old alike were getting amped by “Rock the Vote” ads, and the country buzzed with a general sense of pride and duty every November. According to the New York Times, voter turnout for presidential elections hovered around 65 percent in the 1960’s and 70’s – in 2016 it was an abysmal 58 percent.

But today, there is a certain learned helplessness among

40% of millenials identify as non-white , making the most diverse voting generation in history

YOUTH VOTERS In 2012, 4% more of young women voted over young menIN AMERICA information courtesy of: www.dosomething.org & civicyouth.org

A breakdown of youth voters in America

OFFICAL BALLOT

some young voters, a belief that if their vote may not make a difference, why do it at all? And the 2016 presidential election did nothing but enforce this fallacy.

For many millennials, 2016 was the first time they had voted. Their first experience in exercising this fundamental right was full of hatred, animosity, and negativity on both sides of the aisle. And with only 37 percent of millennials voting for President Trump, for 73 percent their first experience voting was met with a loss according to research done by Brookings Governance Studies.

After years like this, it’s easy to lose faith in the system as a whole. It’s easy to believe that your vote doesn’t make a difference when all is gridlock in the senate, fighting on the news and someone you didn’t vote for in the White House. But change is difficult, and in order for any to occur there must be a dramatic shift in the overwhelming attitude around the importance of voting.

After last year’s election, we as a society are at a crossroad. In the midst of frustration and seemingly neverending political feuds, we can either choose to make a statement and vote or be cowards, too lazy and stubborn to try and fix problems we can’t stop complaining about.

If you can vote in the upcoming election then it is your responsibility to do so – without the opinions of all citizens, the public sovereignty we treasure as a nation doesn’t really exist.

Changing the direction of your city, county, state, country, starts with your vote. Get informed about the candidates. Get registered. Make the effort to do something that generations of men and women fought for you to do.

Your country is the result of your involvement. *325 East students responded to the survey

An estimated 24 million voters were ages 18-29 in the 2016 election

55% of the voters ages 18-29 voted a democratic vote The peak of the most young voters was in 2008

DESIGN LUCY PAT TERS ON

4 NEWS

THE HARBINGER

NEWS IN BRIEF

BY LUCY KENDALL Staff Writer

EAST

Chemistry students celebrate Mole Day At 6:02 on the morning of Oct. 23, 316 students gathered in the cafeteria to celebrate the 23rd annual Mole Day. The mole is a unit in chemistry that is equivalent to 6.02 x 10^23. It is used to convert very small numbers of molecules in a substance to numbers that are easier to use in calculations. This number is the reason behind this early morning full of activities and celebration for chemistry students and faculty, which has been a tradition at East for 22 years.

“The group of Chem 2 kids this year really sold the enthusiasm,” chemistry teacher Jerrod Bardwell said. “They did a bunch of stuff that we have never done before like making a tunnel for all the Chem 1 students which got them pretty excited.”

Students who came to the event were welcomed into a cafeteria full of donuts, bagels and several mole-themed activities such as Molesical Chairs, The Electron Toss, Whac-A-Mole, Molevengers Bowling and The Mole Toss.

“It was nice because they had food to eat so you didn’t have to worry about making breakfast at 5:30 in the morning,” sophomore and chemistry 1 student Emme Tucker said. “They also had Whac-A-Mole so you could get all your anger our whacking people in the head.”

As a reward for getting up early, students also earned 6.02 points of extra credit in the class for attending the event. flip to page 23 for pictures

LOCAL

California Pizza Kitchen closes Park Place location The California Pizza Kitchen location in Park Place permanently closed its doors to customers on Sunday, Oct. 8. The well-known restaurant notified the general public with a note taped to the door only stating its departure and did not disclose a reason for shutting down.

This is the second location in the area to shut down, the first being the Country Club Plaza location in 2014. The only California Pizza Kitchen left in the area is located inside the Kansas City International Airport.

“My family used to go the one on the Plaza every year around Christmas which became a tradition for us,” junior Hannah Phillips said. “Then we started going to the one in Park Place so we were super disappointed when we heard it closed.”

While several restaurants at the Country Club Plaza have come and gone through the years, the open space in Park Place is hopeful for a soon replacement due to its prominent location.

“We are hoping to get another restaurant or retailer in the space as soon as possible,” General Manager of Park Place Kelly Barton said. “Since California Pizza Kitchen left Oct. 8, we just started marketing for that spot.”

NATIONAL

Netflix remains profitable despite debt rumors

Netflix is slowly falling deeper in debt in an effort to gain more viewers, while still defending its position as a leading top-tier streaming service.

As of Sept. 30, Netflix has totaled their long-term debt and other obligations to $21.9 billion, which is $5.1 billion more than this time last year.

In order to provide its viewers with their popular Netflix Originals like House of Cards, Stranger Things and The Crown, Netflix has had to borrow several billion dollars. However, each of these shows has helped its service more than triple in reaching out to the global audience during the past four years.

Netflix CEO Reed Hastings explains the reasoning behind spending money for TV series in an interview with Peter Kafka from Recode.

“We have chosen to do serialized entertainment because you get into a show and then you get excited and addicted by it,” Hastings said. “Bingeviewing is a very novel thing that we pioneered.”

Nonetheless, all of the allegations regarding Netflix going bankrupt are found to be untrue.

Netflix has remained profitable, with the company earning $130 million on $3 billion in revenue in its latest quarter, leaving the company in a position for prolonged success despite the debt.

PHOTOS of the WEEK LEFT | Senior

ABOVE | Freshman Henry Bunte reads a recipe while Senior Claire McCormick pours milk into a pot during foods class. | Mor gan p lu nk et t

ABOVE | Autotech teacher Brain Gay engages two students in a lesson by demonstrating skills on a real car. | DI A N A P E R CY

Cheerleader Chloe Krause helps a Little Lancer Cheerleader during the varsity football game against Shawnee Mission West

| K AT HE RINE O DE LL

OCTOBER 30, 2017

CHC

to the new

DESIGN ROBBIE VEGL AHN

NEWS

5

HCC CHANGES:

BREAKDOWN A look at a few of the changes happening at Homestead this year

1

BRING OUT THE BUBBLE

THE CHANGE: After a fall in membership, a prospective new owner attempts to revamp Homestead Country Club and return it to prestige of the past

T

BY MIRANDA HACK Staff Writer

he sale of Homestead Country Club to Hulsing Hotels, owned by East parent Dennis Hulsing, will be finalized on Oct. 30. Hulsing plans to remodel Homestead, with hopes of creating an environment that will both attract new members and maintain current ones.

When he last saw the club in 2004, Hulsing had considered Homestead to be one of the best country clubs in the area, in terms of both facilities and membership. On his return, he found that the club has been nearly halved in size, since Homestead sold roughly six acres in 2014 in an effort to combat the shrinking numbers of patrons and lack of market demand.

“I was looking for a [country club] for myself — a person who likes to work out and play tennis— and I didn’t quite find what I was looking for,” Hulsing said. “When I had lived here before, 13 years ago, I had belonged to this club and it had a lot more membership and a lot more energy.”

Hulsing is currently planning a ‘facelift’ for the entire club, including new indoor tennis courts, a reconfigured restaurant and lounge area and increased amenities that will be included in the clubs dues. The new amenities, which include group fitness classes, childcare and new spin rooms, will be included in the monthly dues, as opposed to being a separate cost for each individual amenity. This is something new to the Kansas City area country club market, Hulsing says, so he hopes that it will give him an edge over

the competition.

“With my vision, and what I created in North Carolina, fitness classes, child care, all of that is part of the dues,” Hulsing said. “So you don’t feel like you are getting nickel and dimed. You know what you’re gonna get.”

Hulsing is making these renovations in hopes that they will attract new members to Homestead. According to junior Homestead lifeguard Molly Kate Ford, the club, especially the pool area, is currently outdated in basic features like

Junior Gretchen Ternus, who became a member of Homestead in June 2017, has also noticed dwindling numbers of patrons at the club.

“I would go to the pool in the middle of the day and there would be 5 other people there,” Ternus said. “Or I’d go to the workout room and it would be empty.

But then I’d go to Milburn Country Club the next day and it would be packed.”

Despite the recent decline of Homestead, member and East parent Judith Deedy believes that Hulsing and his company will increase the overall value of the club through these long term investments and renovations.

The first aspect of Homestead that Deedy believes needs renovation I want to recreate that same is the massive, outdated bubble environment, that same energy that sits on top of the tennis courts that Homestead used to have for in the winter. Hulsing is planning me. I want to make everybody into to replace this with indoor tennis courts; an option he considers more family. attractive and convenient– and a change welcomed by Deedy.

D ENN I S H U LSI N G “I’m excited that we’ll have F UT URE HCC OW N ER someone to do capital investments, and make some improvements that diving boards and is lacking in proper we have needed to get done for a while,” cleaning equipment. While working Deedy said. “It will be nice to have at Homestead, Ford has dealt with someone to stabilize things at the club.” chipping paint, uneven concrete and Hulsing’s plan is to create an a faulty pool vacuum – all factors that environment where family and friends she believes have contributed to the low can come together, and to garner numbers of patrons at Homestead in excitement for the club that he has recent years. spent 13 years away from.

“I think that one of the main reasons “I want to recreate that same that they didn’t have a lot of members environment, that same energy that was because of the lack of well kept Homestead used to have for me,” facilities,” Ford said. “So I think working Hulsing said. “I want to make everybody there will become more enjoyable with into family.” the cleaned up areas and a new owner with different plans.”

BUILDING OF INDOOR TENNIS COURTS WILL BEGIN SOON

What members think: I know that they are planning on covering some of the tennis courts, which is something I think we’ve been needing for a while. I think it’s just good that we are finally updating the club.

JUDITH DEEDY M EMBER & EA ST PA R ENT

2

RENOVATION SENSATION

THE CHANGE:

HCC WILL BE RENOVATING FACILITIES, INCLUDING LOUNGE & RESTAURANTS

What workers think: I think that one of the main reasons that they didn’t have a lot of members was because of the lack of well kept facilities. [Working there would be better] with the cleaned up areas and a new owner with different plans.

MOLLY K ATE F ORD JUNIOR & HCC EM PLOYEE

3

MORE BANG FOR YOUR DUES

THE CHANGE:

HCC WILL BE INCLUDING SERVICES LIKE CHILDCARE & WORKOUT CLASSES IN DUES

What members think: I think a lot of people don’t go there right now because of the outdated amenities, especially the workout rooms. Those are almost always empty, and I feel like more people would want to come if they were updated.

GRETCHEN TERNUS JUNIOR & MEMBER

DESIGN LIL A TULP PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE SHAWNEE MISSION P OST

THE HARBINGER

6 NEWS

MEET MEMBERS the

HEATHER OUSLEY

Q

WHY DID YOU DECIDE TO RUN FOR THE BOARD

Q

Q&A with the candidates for the SMSD School Board

BY LIL A TULP Section Editor

as a parent, what do you want to see changed within the district

“ A

A“

Q

A“

Q

What experience do you have

A“

Q

Q

What impact do you hope to make

While we have been advocating for additional funding, there have been things going on within the Shawnee Mission School District related to that like larger class sizes, educators not getting raises and things that should be very transparent.

So I felt that now is the time that I want to run to help elect a new superintendent and restore the transparency."

MANDI HUNTER WHAT MOTIVATED YOU TO RUN FOR THE BOARD

As a Shawnee Mission graduate and having children currently enrolled in the district, I had been watching the operation of the current Board of Education and had some concerns about the lack of discussion we were seeing regarding decisions that have a direct impact on those of us with children currently enrolled in school. ... A lot has changed in society and technology in that amount of time and I felt strongly that the Board needed new perspectives to represent the constituents in the district."

MARY SINCLAIR WHAT MOTIVATED YOU TO RUN FOR THE BOARD

I think we need to work on building back the respect and trust [of the teachers] that I believe is currently lacking. I also feel that some teachers don’t feel comfortable speaking up when they feel that something is wrong in fear that they might be shot down and lose respect."

From the outset of our children's elementary education, we have been involved in the school.

Through holding positions on the executive committee for PTA, to being a room parent . . . Being an attorney in private practice as well as a mother to children currently enrolled in the school district provides my guidance in the pursuit of a position on the Board of Education."

A“

A“

Q

Q

I feel like I bring a different perspective to the table. I graduated from East, my siblings graduated from East, my kids will be graduating from East and I’ve been advocating for the Kansas PTA since my son was enrolled in kindergarten, for almost 15 years."

JAMES LOCKARD How long have you planned to run

A“

I served four terms on the East area advisory board and at that time I was interested in running for the board, but as teachers, you can’t run. Once I was retired and burned out with taking care of the animals, I figured this was the right time and that’s kind of when the idea came."

My platform really focuses on thoughtful decisions on academic matters. One, keeping track and building on educational progression through all grades. Two, to restore the support for teaching. And three, to push for more effective communication through the district and state legislature."

WHy did you decide to run

A“

Well I think a big thing is getting to play a part in choosing the new superintendent, but I also want to start an initiative to bring back some kind of advisory board. I feel like there are definitely things that would benefit from a change so I want to be a part of getting the old things repaired and getting things replace by new ones."

DESIGN BRYNN WINKLER PHOTOS AUDREY KESLER

OCTOBER 30, 2017

NEWS 7

SMSD

THE DOCTOR IS NOT IN Teachers experience difficulties with new district health center

TEACHER BENEFITS HEALTH INSURANCE

By Blue Cross Blue Shield of Kansas City

DENTAL INSURANCE

By Delta Dental of Kansas

*names changed to protect identity

BY CAROLINE CHISHOLM Copy Editor

O

nly three months after its grand opening, the new Priority One Health Center at the Center for Academic Achievement has caused dissatisfaction among employees in the district.

The center, which opened Aug. 16, employs medical staff to provide appointments for employees and family members on the district’s health insurance plan.

The clinic, meant to be a cheap and convenient care option to boost health for SMSD staff, has seen 259 patients of the 3,287 on the district health insurance, including administrators, teachers and family members.

According to Health Center coordinator Tammie McCoy, 100 percent of the 168 patients surveyed after their visits said the service provided to them was excellent and that they would recommend the center to other staff members.

However, the survey results do not include the teachers and staff members who have not been able to use the health center. According to elementary school teacher *Jasmine Christian and math teacher DeAnna McClendon, this is due to its inadequate hours.

The Priority One Health Center is open on Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. and on Tuesday and Thursday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Teachers are in school working during the majority of the available appointment times.

According to both McClendon and Christian, there are not enough appointments, it is difficult to get people to cover shifts and there is a lack of time during the day to get to appointments.

McClendon attempted to make an appointment online only to find the hours she was available were booked, so she called the Priority One Health Center offices three separate times to schedule an appointment and received no response.

McClendon had to seek medical treatment at a Minute Clinic, where they diagnosed her with bronchitis, costing her $80 in co-pay.

According to Christian, teachers struggle to secure

appointments after school hours. The later hours available book quickly because it is the only time convenient for district teachers.

According to McCoy only one to two doctors are staffed each day for the after school hours which means there aren’t many appointments available for the teachers who don’t have the ability to leave their classes during the day.

“I can see where [the hours] could be a struggle to try to get over there during their open hours, and also make sure their class is covered,” principal John McKinney said. “And in my opinion I think the health clinic would want to look into that and make adjustments. In my administrative mind, it seems like an easy fix.”

Other school districts, such as the Independence School District, also offer health centers. The Independence district health center offers hours from 7 a.m. to 12 a.m. on weekdays and additional hours on Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m.

If teachers want to have appointments during the school day, they are expected to have their colleagues cover for then, according to an email from SMSD sent to district employees.

Teachers also have the option to use their plan periods, but elementary, middle school and high school periods are only 50 minutes.

“It takes 13 minutes to get there and 13 minutes to get back, and you’re supposed to be able to have a 30 minute appointment with the doctor,” Christian said. “So that doesn’t add up.”

But staff, including McClendon, said that is not feasible as high school teachers have six academic classes and only one planning hour.

“We don’t have the personnel to cover other teachers because we are teaching extra classes,” McClendon said. “For me to ask one of my colleges to fill in for me is taking away their plan and I am not going to do that to them.”

Additionally there are limited aids at smaller elementary schools, available to take over a class, so getting classes covered with time to complete an appointment is unrealistic, according Christian.

“At our school we only have one aid, and he’s so busy working on small groups in classes or he’s on lunchroom

VISION INSURANCE

By Vision Service Plan

RETIREMENT INFORMATION FROM SMSD.ORG

duty or filling for other teachers while they are at meetings, so the odds of getting him to cover my class would be slim,” the teacher said.

The health center has not received any complaints about their current system according to McCoy. Teachers are hesitant to speak out against a district system so the problem isn’t being addressed to the center, according to Christian.

McCoy said the health center is willing to be flexible by changing hours so that their patients are happy with the service provided to them, and the center has already adjusted a physician’s schedule on Tuesdays to cater to more highlyrequested hours. “[The hours] are not set in stone. It’s a work in progress,” McCoy said. “These are starting hours, and that’s why with our survey we want to know if these hours are not working well because we want this to be shaped to what works well for the staff.”

The center holds potential according to both McClendon and Christian. SMSD’s idea to provide this medical benefit to the staff is good if it were to be dependable, according to McClendon.

“It’s a great benefit if it would work, but it’s sometimes yes and sometimes no,” McClendon said. “It’s not very reliable.”

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DESIGN K ATIE HISE PHOTOS K ATHERINE MCGINNESS

OCTOBER 30, 2017

OPINION

PROS of cell phone use access to the Internet **helpful when trying to complete homework Tracking devices **helpful when parent or guardian needs to ensure that children are safe and where they are supposed to be Parents can set usage guidelines for their children **helpful when teaching discipline and time management IN FORMATION COURTESY OF PARTSELECT.COM

reaching for

CONNECTION

BY NATASHA THOM AS Staff Writer

I

recharge my iPhone at least six times a day.

My fingers regularly cramp from speed texting, and it’s rare for my Safari to have fewer than 20 search pages open by second period.

After every new buzz from my device is an adult telling me to put my phone away. My mom never fails to snatch up my phone at the dinner table, and my next door neighbors shoot me disapproving looks when I run into my garage door, eyes locked on the newest Snapchat filter.

A waitress once made a joke that my friend and I were going out to lunch with our phones, not each other (which won her two icy glares). But it’s flat-out hypocritical to judge only teens for the same phone addiction the Pew Research Center says plagues 91 percent of American adults.

So I decided I was done with the criticism, the loaded jokes and the holier-than-thou raised eyebrows. I voluntarily lived five days with no phone; I had to see if the adults were actually right about my tech addiction. Was my phone obsession nothing more than a useless trend among teens, keeping me from the face-to-face interactions that older people are always advocating? Spoiler alert: Phones are not useless. They are 100 percent necessary.

Monday, the night before my phoneless adventure, I explained the plan to my dad.

He gave me a ground rule: I needed to keep my powered-off iPhone in my backpack at all times, in case I really needed it.

On Wednesday, I realized why it was so important that I still have the phone on me.

After school, I waited outside for 35 minutes before my brother came to the car. He hadn’t been more than five minutes late out of school in two years, and my concern for his safety almost made me break my no-phone rule. Luckily this time it was just a miscommunication between us (he thought I was staying after school) – but what if he was in some kind of trouble? The seemingly small incident scared me, and I had to finish the week on edge about what could happen without my phone, my lifeline in an emergency.

Thursday morning went no better than Wednesday night. I woke up to my brother yelling at me to come downstairs. As I rushed to the car 15 minutes late, I realized the automatic alarm that I’ve always relied on was powered off in the bottom of my backpack. Avoiding my brother’s glares, I realized I’d have to go without everything I counted on my phone to tell me: to wake up, to study for a test, to go to an appointment.

If fact, that afternoon my mom told me that I had an orthodontist appointment scheduled right after school, but obviously I’d missed it without my phone’s reminder. My parents nagged me with the usual “When you grow up, you can’t be irresponsible and just miss appointments!” Well, I’d like to see them keep track of their numerous calls and meetings without the shared iPhone calendar used by every worker in their company.

My missed appointment was nothing compared to missing my social life. Email became my single connection to people that I didn’t see in person, but other teenagers simply don’t communicate through email anymore.

Why would they when texting is more personal, and Snapchat comes with moving filters? Only four people actually remembered to email me.

I trudged through the week forced to watch my social life collapse in on itself, wondering

9

Phones are no longer luxuries, but necessities in today’s society how many late night Facetimes I’d missed, or the latest group chat gossip I was left out of.

I’d never questioned my place in my friend group before, but somehow my phoneless five days dragged out a FOMO in me that I’d never experienced. I tried to patch up my sadness by making plans with a friend through email, but the ones that did check it didn’t look fast enough to actually hang out.

My FOMO only worsened on Friday, the trademark day ‘to have something to do.’ I tried to get together with three different friends, but I could only talk to people when I was at home with my computer. My first plan to see a “Happy Death Day” collapsed when two friends forgot to check their email and confirm rides. I didn’t let it ruin my night – I had already arranged to meet a friend and spend the night at their house. But when I left for soccer practice and didn’t answer my email for hours, the sleepover fell flat. Instead of going out with friends, I spent my Friday night alone, watching Family Guy. Finally, Saturday morning came. I powered on my phone for the first time in five days.

The screen covered in notifications made me hesitate at first, but clearing them out finally brought me back into the know – a place I hadn’t been all week. Each reminder checked was a breath of fresh air. Every message read and responded to was anxiety falling away. I was back to being one of the functioning, noseburied-in-their-cell-phone members of society.

Phones are simply vital to thrive. It’s no longer a choice in today’s world – office workers need their shared calendars to keep up with an overflowing schedule, people in an emergency need an on-hand way to contact help, and everybody needs the easy, universal connection to others.

DESIGN AVA JOHNS ON

THE HARBINGER

10 O P I N I O N

THE END OF AN IRREPLACEABLE E RA

BY PAU L I N E S H AV E R Copy Editor

E

ver since I was in preschool, with personally-styled, crooked bangs and a tendency to turn R’s into W’s, I have “weally” loved music. I look forward to exploring albums by different artists, spending time looking at the meaning behind different songs, forcing my current favorites on my family and friends, kind of like my dad did to me. Because of this appreciation for music, it has always been linked to the musicians my dad grew up with. To me, they are the best of the best. The lyrics are meaningful and clever, the guitar solos and voices are enchanting and, for some reason, I could never connect quite as well to the music on the top 100 stations as I could to the songs my dad kept on his playlists.

Sadly, the sources of the music that I admire and love – Tom Petty, Chris Cornell and David Bowie – are dying out.

In the last two years, these three men have passed on. And, with every loss, an inevitable and terrifying question comes to my mind: what will happen when all iconic, revolutionary musicians are gone?

Bowie, Cornell, Petty. I relish experiencing the different emotions that musical artists like these seem to be feeling – joy, disdain, anguish. They’re so obviously authentic. To me, the vast majority of pop songs, or at least the ones I hear on the radio, ooze shallowness – money, clubbing, drugs,

The recent deaths of several iconic musicians highlight their meaningful music of the past, which is better than popular, current music

proclamations of lust rather than love. Much of this might be forgivable, if only it was even a little good. It seems like the emotional outlet of music that I so appreciated in my favorite artists has turned into a superficial money pit.

The artists who have passed were each so unique, talented and important to the music industry during their time. Tom

So yeah, I’m terrified. We’re stuck in a deep, monotonous-sounding rut of musical creation, and all of those who created unique, interesting and undoubtedly quality music seem to be passing on.

PAU LI N E SH AVER JUNIOR Petty was one of the most iconic classic rock musicians who ever lived. Chris Cornell, who was the lead singer of Soundgarden, helped popularize the grunge genre and forever changed alternative rock. David Bowie. . . He was something else. Incredible performer, lyrical genius, talented vocalist.

Some may argue that there are many innovative artists who continue to change the music industry today, but what they’re “innovating” isn’t even good. The changes they are making aren’t beneficial to music.

My brother acts like Kanye West’s talent is a gift from Jesus himself, and insists on playing his albums on repeat each time a new one is released. But to be honest, they all sound the same to me. “F-bombs” in every other sentence, annoying auto tune and angry voices screaming the same words over and over again. All similar, all bad.

Every time my brother blares low quality rap on full volume, I cringe. The “chorus” is more than likely the same phrase repeated over and over again, the backbeats sound like they all share the same, unskilled drummer and the songs themselves are, altogether, forgettable. That feeling I got when listening to “Ashes to Ashes”? Nada. The artistry I witness when listening to the clever lyrics of Bob Dylan or the emotional warbles of Neil Young? Zip. So yeah, I’m terrified. We’re stuck in a deep, monotonoussounding rut of musical creation, and all of those who created unique, interesting and undoubtedly quality music seem to be passing on. It’s like some sort of ironic and cruel reminder that this generation better get a move on changing where we’re headed with our musical taste.

But maybe that’s what we need: a wake up call. Though there’s second-rate music in every era, it seems like we’re creating a percentage much too high for comfort. Let’s get back to what real music sounds like, with meaning, thoughtful lyrics and creativity, and start creating more of it. If that’s what these deaths will be, encouragements and not just tragedies, maybe that feeling of loss is worth it.

But for God’s sake, Dylan and Young better hold on a little longer.

RECENT DEATHS OF CELEBRITIES DAVID BOWIE Location & Date of Death MANHATTAN, NY January 10, 2016 Cause of Death Liver Cancer Most Listened to Song on Spotify “Heroes”

CHRIS CORNELL Location & Date of Death DETROIT, MI May 18, 2017 Cause of Death Suicide by hanging Most Listened to Song on Spotify “You Know My Name”

TOM PETTY Location & Date of Death SANTA MONICA, CA October 2, 2017 Cause of Death Heart Attack Most Listened to Song on Spotify “Free Fallin’”

DESIGN GRACIE KOST PHOTOS LUCY MORANTZ

OCTOBER 30, 2017

OPINION

O

n my right, I have my sophomore sister Eleanor squatting and low-key dry heaving on the starting line — adrenaline has never sat well in her stomach. To my left, I have junior Lucy Hoffman, jumping up and down slapping her heels — her signature “Cotton Eyed Joe” dance move.

Behind me are the seven other girls on varsity cross country whose faces show a mix of crying and nervous laughing. And then there’s me, corralling these crazy people around me in a huddle to pep talk them, yet internally stressing about how the finish line seems 3.1 miles too far away.

“If you get tired and start hurting, look up, find your teammates, and think of each other,” Coach Tricia Beaham always tells us.

This is the sole reason I love cross country more than track. During cross country, my nine best friends and I are all bound together through the same 20 minutes of living hell: racing a 5K. We’re able to relate to each other about one common race — something impossible to do during track.

I’m a middle-distance runner in track. I’ve never hurdled or sprinted, so I don’t know what

Th

et

it’s like to fear hitting a hurdle or not properly getting out of the blocks. In cross country though, every single one of us knows what that burning sensation in your lungs feels like, and we’ve all had that “what if I just walk?” thought cross our minds mid-race.

I’ve often heard that there is no way to compare cross country and track, and in terms of the actual sports themselves, I agree with that. They differ in types of events, in the workouts and in the team atmospheres. Track is a sport that fosters a team atmosphere, as everyone cheers on all the events and supports the team as a whole. But for me, collapsing into sweaty hugs at the finish line in cross country solidifies the familial atmosphere present in cross country more than track.

I’ve gone to state more times in track than I ever did in cross country, and admit that racing only a half-mile sounds refreshing compared to the 3.1 miles I’ve been racing for the past eight weeks now. However, having to rely on each runner during a cross country meet and the longevity of a 5K that mentally bogs runners down is what teaches us to motivate each other.

I love being able to grab Lucy’s hand for a second during a race, or look up and see Eleanor motioning for me to come run beside her. In track, we are all dispersed into different events and there isn’t enough time during a race to have these brief, yet meaningful moments.

Since we all race a 5K in cross country, we’re prescribed the same workouts from the start of our summer running program in June to the end of the season in late October. For me, this plays a huge part in shaping the closeness of the team: we’re forced to spend at least two hours running with each other six days a week.

All this time together allows us to learn everything about each

other on runs from how our days went to the Shrek character we relate to best. In turn, we inevitably become best friends.

While the training is a big part in our bonding, it isn’t the only thing that makes the cross country team so tightknit. Every Friday night in the fall we indulge in excessive amounts of fettucini at team carbo-loads. Eating and joking with everyone about how “shrecked” we’re going to get in the meet the next day makes us buddies not just laced up in our spikes, but slouched on the couch too. Our “carbo loads” in track are pretty much non-existent — only a few distance runners will go out for Noodles and Company before an important meet.

The cross country team’s closeness is present in all aspects of the sport — figuratively and literally. On the starting line, 10 of us are crammed shoulder-toshoulder in a box three feet wide. But these claustrophobic moments are also why I love cross country. It’s so much better to be surrounded by people on the starting line who you care about and who motivate you, whereas in track at the starting line I’m sharing a lane with other teams’ runners which makes me even more intimidated and nerve-wracked.

Maybe it’s because I did it first, or maybe it’s because it’s 10 times as painful, but cross country has always stood out more in my mind compared to track. Cross country is not an easy sport— there are times during interval workouts that I question why I’m even running. But getting to share the pain with my best friends has made it all worth it.

CR D OSS INDE M

ea m

as pe ct o f cr oss cou ntry ma

kes it m

to ared p m o c ore appealing and fun

d fiel d k an trac

Comparing courses

--

BY M ADELINE HLOBIK Copy Editor

11

The benefits and drawbacks of both sports

PROS

CROSS COUNTRY Team runs the same event, so they can motivate each other TRACK & FIELD Better at it Friday night meets are fun

CONS

CROSS COUNTRY Easy to burn out fast TRACK & FIELD Not a team effort, events are split

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DESIGN ELIZABETH BALLEW PHOTOS K ATE NIXON

OCTOBER 30, 2017

OPINION

MUTING THE

MUrder The Halloween season presents a challenge to watch scary movies

BY AL EX F R E E M AN Copy Editor

T

here’s a black screen and then static.

Chirping crickets sound in the background as the ad for another horror film plays on Youtube – and yet again, I’m furiously slamming the *lower volume* button on the side of my iPhone.

I attempt to distract myself for the next 30 seconds while the ad plays. I start the countdown and lift my eyes to the ceiling.

I like the texture, but I wish we could repaint the brown of that wall. It looks gross next to the white of the ceiling. Twenty seconds. Is that a spider in my lightbulb? It better not be. Ten seconds. God, I really need to re-do my nails.

Maybe I’ll have time to do that tomorrow night.

Three. Two. One. Phew. It’s over. I turn the volume back up, and carry on.

I overreact during every movie: I’ve wept each of the nine times I’ve seen “Rent” and I even shed a tear watching “The Velveteen Rabbit” during the Rep Children’s Shows.

These tears translate into uncontrollable fear when it comes to anything remotely scary.

Scary movies have always been hard for me to watch.

This fear was previously easy to avoid – I just didn’t watch scary movies. But in the past year or so, it’s created a problem for my social life. I stay home from scary movie marathons in a friend’s basement because I know I won’t sleep for days afterward. Just a few weeks ago, a group of friends I hadn’t seen in nearly a month went to see “It” while I sat on my couch and played “Trivial Pursuit” with my parents.

I knew I had to face my fear of loud, creepy bass lines and heart-stopping jump scares.

I challenged myself to sit through one full

movie – if I could do it once, I could do it again.

The first movie I saw was “Happy Death Day,” during which, I nearly fled the theater every time the murderer appeared on screen.

I, the girl who looks away when someone falls off their bike in a Youtube video, watched each of the 12 terribly unique and gruesome times the main character was murdered. Every time the music announcing another death came in, my heart pounded with the beat, and I buried deeper into my red-cushioned chair as I fought the urge to cover my eyes.

But still, I made it through the 96-minute film without audibly screaming or peeing my

I, the girl who looks away when someone falls off their bike in a Youtube video, watched each of the 12 terribly unique and gruesome times the main character was murdered. I fought the urge to cover my eyes.

ALEX FR EE M AN JUNIOR pants. I was thoroughly proud of myself, until I saw the film’s rating: PG-13. The scariest movies are always rated R, so was I cheating my way out of the challenge if I just watched a PG-13 film?

I typed “scariest movies on Netflix” into my Google search bar and found a movie that topped multiple lists: “It Follows.” And after watching it, I can see why.

I saw the movie on my phone screen in the privacy of my bedroom, with my head buried under my covers for most of the film.

Twenty minutes in, I realized there was no way I’d make it through 87 more minutes if I was giving it my full attention. I opened Twitter to distract myself, but Richard Vreeland, the composer for the film, is way too good at his job. Even with my eyes nowhere near the screen, I was shaking and cowering at each BUM BUM BUM. Right after I watched the movie, I felt perfectly safe and secure. The film completely slipped my mind for about 48 hours, but the fear hit me on the third night.

Of course, I was home alone taking a shower, which must be the time when everyone feels the most exposed. Convinced that a giant man was about to bust through my shower curtain and rip me apart, I darted to my room with conditioner still in my hair to call my mom. Now, every time I look out my bedroom window, which is on the first floor of my house, I wholeheartedly believe that I will see someone walking directly toward me with the intention to kill, just like in the movie.

After this experience, I never want to watch a horror film ever again. My mission to overcome my fear was a complete failure – so badly that I’m actually more afraid than I was before to watch anything remotely scary.

But I did gain one useful piece of information from my experience: it’s OK that I don’t like scary movies. I shouldn’t have to suffer through sleepless nights or feel my heart pounding so fast that it’s trying to break out of my shirt every time I’m walking alone in the dark just so I don’t miss out one night of “fun.” So next time you invite me to see a scary movie, I’m happy to drive you to the theater, and I’ll gladly grab some dinner with you afterward, but when it comes to watching, count me out.

Lancer VOICE

Students share their opinions on horror movies

“I usually like horror movies because I like that feeling you get when you get one of those jump scares and your heart skips a beat.”

Megan Biles freshman

I love horror movies. They are actually my favorite thing ever. I like how they make everyone feel the same emotions and make you all jump at once.

ElleAngelo junior

13

DESIGN k aylin mccan PHOTOS GRACE GOLDM AN

THE HARBINGER

14 F E AT U R E S

First Fridays brings students and the community together

RIGHT | A dance circle takes place in the Crossroads during a First Friday.

BY M AYA STRATM AN Staff Writer

S

enior Gabrielle Perdomo is usually found in the art room working on her latest abstract acrylic paint portraits.

Junior Jonah Howard sits with earbuds in at lunch to perfect his next jazz song, using his computer to layer sounds upon sounds.

And Junior Liza Sanborn is busy fifth hour exploring a new passion, ceramics, pushing personalized stamps into bowls. Even though they have different interests they’ve all been caught skipping the Friday night football game to drive out to the Crossroads Art District for First Fridays.

Right outside of the snack bar YJ’s a circle has formed right in front of some speakers.

Gabby’s dancing with her friends in the middle. Jonah’s standing on the outside, watching. Sanborn’s laughing at the sevenyear-old kid spinning in the middle.

On the first Friday of every month, up to 10,000 Kansas Citians meet. Streets and sidewalks are filled with people milling around food trucks, live music, acrobatic

performances, vendors and art exhibits.

Art galleries and studios as well as local businesses feature both native and national artists according to Crossroads Arts District.

For Perdomo, First Fridays is a place to find other striving artists. She aspires to sell her own colorful canvas portraits just like local artist Peggy Noland has sold her unique clothing.

Perdomo has followed Noland’s transformation from an Instagramentrepreneur to Los Angeles store-owner.

At the First Friday in October Perdomo finally got the chance to meet Noland — and compliment Noland’s wild styled hair.

For others, like Howard, it’s a convenient place to meet up with friends who live in the KCMO area. He can always find Liam Owens and Eliza Keeney, two of his best friends who share a passion for First Fridays. And once they have met up at their regular meeting spot, YJ’s, Howard and his friends go around trying out the new food trucks and popping into any and every gallery.

One thing Howard won’t leave without seeing is a band started by his dad’s friends,

ABOVE | A local artist sketches a picture of buildings in the Crossroads.

RIGHT | An artist in the Crossroads paints on canvas during a night art show.

Sun Dog. This surf-punk band plays on the corner outside of Barkly Advertising Agency, and is always seen performing in hockey masks. He finds it inspiring that these men have been able to sustain themselves through playing music all their lives, something Howard would like to do as well.

Sanborn doesn’t see as many people she knows personally. The one face she does always see, however, is the artist whose water color prints she loves. It’s always “Hey good to see you” every inevitable time they run into each other, even though they don’t know each other’s name.

Perdomo, Howard and Sanborn are all tethered to First Fridays by its sense of community. Though Perdomo relates to the up-and-coming artists, Howard loves the different musicians and Liza finds joy in the everyday vendors, each appreciate the harmony of First Fridays.

“It’s all of the Kansas City people coming all together,” Perdomo said. “It’s something really cool to experience. It’s hard to explain unless you are actually there.”

DJ and MC Leonardo Gayden and his group of friends have spent the last six years at each First Friday, jamming out to hip hop, soul music, funk, and remixes of pop.

They all go to their usual spot — right in front of YJ’s at 6:30 p.m. and wait for the crowds. Gayden explains how they all know each other and have been doing this since he started coming to First Fridays around six years ago.

Gayden always hears stories from parents at the next First Fridays how the

break-dancers have impacted their kids — they go home to practice in their rooms for hours.

Like the kids who go home and dance for the next month, students like Howard, Perdomo and Sanborn are left with memories of graffiti filled alley ways, young artists works they connected with or strange people they met on the street asking if they want to try on wigs. They experience firsthand the pull of the Crossroads at the beginning of each month.

“I think it’s important for keeping the art scene alive in Kansas City and breathing,” Howard said. “Otherwise it would just be a bunch of really disorganized events and no one would be able to keep up with the art music and culture. First Fridays just kind of unifies everything.”

To Perdomo, the most valuable Kansas City experience anyone can have is coming out to First Fridays. As she walks around, Perdomo recognizes art students from Rockhurst, St. Teresa’s and Pembroke that she follows on Instagram and Snapchat.

Though she’s met some of them during local art programs, she wouldn’t have ever talked to them in person without those Friday nights. “[The coolest thing is] all the random people you see there that you would have never known existed,” Perdomo said. “You realize how small of a world it is.”

While Gayden thinks it’s important to keep First Fridays going through the word of mouth, he knows it will continue whether they are there or not.

“When you have 10 thousand people clog up the streets until 11 or 12 p.m. at night there’s no way that’s not going to keep going,” Gayden said.

DESIGN ANNA MCCLELL AND PHOTOS DIANA PERCY

OCTOBER 30, 2017

F E AT U R E S 15

After serious injury, comfort is found in pet turtles RIGHT | Tommy holds up his turtle named Darth Maul.

TOP | Tommy and his turtle tank in his

TOMMY’S

room.

MIDDLE | Hanging on to his crutches, Tommy reaches into his turtle pen.

TURTLES

BOTTOM | Tommy nudges one of his turtles around with his crutch.

BY K ATIE HISE Assistant Art & Design Editor

M

ost East students have seen senior Tommy Nelson walk across the track at the SM North field as a candidate during the homecoming game. A lot of them have seen him score nine goals during last year’s varsity soccer season. Many have seen his bright smile and orange-brown hair in the halls.

But they’ve likely never seen the homemade enclosures in his backyard and how his smile brightens when his pet turtles eat their dinner of cherry tomatoes and live worms.

He currently has four of these green and brown shelled pets – Michael, Darth Maul, Eileen and Speedy. Speedy was shipped while Tommy was in his ACL surgery, his new friend welcoming him home. His turtles are a constant support system in his life, something he can come home to everyday after school to care for, just like a pet dog or cat. Having Speedy in his room while recovering is an easy way for him to escape without having to crutch outside.

“I remember before he tore his ACL,” Tommy’s sophomore sister Karoline said, “they lost a big [soccer] game and he was sad and it was like 10:30 at night. He was like ‘I’m gonna go out and play with the turtles and work on the cage.’ It’s his little sanctuary. When he is stressed out or honestly whenever he wants, that is his place.”

Bricks, plastic wiring and netting enclose Tommy’s “sanctuary,” an old garden area his backyard. Inside resembles the woods, with random logs, a couple of plants, some cement, copper plates and of course, his three outdoor turtles.

Tommy has decided, for now, that this is the best environment to keep his friends safe and secure after learning that turtles can both dig and climb. This allows Tommy to enjoy each turtle, instead of them running away after a few weeks. And although the turtles technically belong to the Nelson family, Karoline said they are Tommy’s turtles. She describes them as his “children.”

The birth of this “family” was Fred, a Russian

tortoise that will always be Tommy’s favorite according to Karoline. Some people would get sick of the murky smell or need to wash the turtle every two weeks and set it free, but not Tommy.

He has kept them in their enclosure in the Nelson backyard and although they are all green, they come from far different backgrounds.

Michael is an ornate box turtle who Tommy has had the longest, around four to five years.

Darth Maul is a three-toed turtle that has been in the family for three months. He went without a name for three weeks, and it was senior Jac Pritchard at a varsity soccer team dinner who created the unique name because of the red stripes on his head, just like his evil namesake from “Star Wars.” Tommy and his mom chuckle about the ironically named Eileen, named for her one eye.

Speedy is Tommy’s most recent addition to the family. He is a Russian tortoise, the same species as Fred. Tommy wanted to go back to his roots with the Russian tortoise, so he ordered this one online and keeps him in a medium-sized aquarium in the Nelson basement.

Even now, when Tommy is in a wrap and brace working on physical therapy, he still works on caring for his little friends every day to feed them their worms and vegetables.

There is something about the way his friends eat in slow-motion that Tommy loves. They lunge at the worms and cherry tomatoes with their heads, chomping, dropping and repeat, all in slow-motion. This process is one of Tommy’s favorite parts of having pet turtles, along with watching them crawl and squirm around on the ground. “[I think Tommy likes turtles because] if Tommy was an animal he would totally be a turtle,” Karoline said. “They don’t do much, they are quiet, they are super easy to take care of but you can still play with them.”

While it is hard to find a time when Tommy isn’t smiling, it is obvious that his smile gets bigger and brighter when talking about his turtles. He hopes to take Speedy to college with him, bringing that piece of family with him ensuring brighter smiles to come.

DESIGN ANNABELLE COOK PHOTOS ELLIE THOM A AND DIANA PERCY

16 S P R E A D

*NA MES CHANGED TO PROTECT IDENTIT Y

BY E M I LY F EY & LI ZZI E K A HLE Assistant Print Editors

SIDE EFFECTS* amnesia mental impairment DIFFICULTY FOCUSING DROWSINESS

dosages PRESCRIBED DOSES

.25-1 mg daily abuse DOSES 2-4 mg daily *information courtesy of drugs.com

30%

THE HARBINGER

OF MALE UPPERCLASSMEN HAVE SEEN SOMEONE TAKE XANAX AT SCHOOL

OF MALE UPPERCLASSMEN HAVE SEEN SOMEONE BUY/ SELL IT AT SCHOOL

I

t’s 2 a.m. and junior Carter Wade* stumbles through his front door. He’s hours past his curfew, and 20 milligrams of Xanax past what his body can sustain.

Wade doesn’t remember being driven to a rehab center in a cop car. He wasn’t aware his body was being loaded into an ambulance after he became unconscious in the backseat. He couldn’t process that his heart was about to stop.

The defibrillators revived his heart, but not his memory – he learned of his brush with death the next morning from the police.

They told him his heart had stopped due to the toxic amount of alcohol and Xanax he’d consumed, the same substances he’d been abusing for months. He never wants to touch it again he said.

“My initial reaction was like ‘Holy s---, I died. That’s serious.’ Xanax is not something to mess around with.”

***

Xanax, a prescription drug which combats anxiety and panic disorders, has become a recreational drug used by teens.

In a Harbinger poll of 341 East students, 18 percent have taken Xanax before, and of those who have taken it 55 percent did so without prescription. What was once stored in orange pill bottles in medicine cabinets is now being exchanged in Ziplock baggies in restroom stalls at school like junior Jeremy Jennings*. People skip the prescription pills, instead opting to purchase “bars” – two milligrams of Xanax powder pressed into bars. Once “barred out,” students achieve a buzz similar to the effects of alcohol or smoking.

“You take it and after about 15 minutes, you get really relaxed,” senior Joe Swanson* said. “If you’re just on bars, it’s just like you’re chilling, kinda dumb, and you forget a lot of stuff. If you mix it with alcohol you won’t remember s---, weed intensifies it.”

This “party drug” as Jennings calls it, has been popularized by its accessibility.

While it may be dealt in school, the pill can be popped just about anywhere. Xanax

is discrete. Odorless. Cheap. Students like Swanson are taking advantage of the ideal characteristics of Xanax in order to obtain a “buzz” similar to alcohol during class, without the fear of being caught due to smell or suspicion. Students take it to escape endless lectures and pointless presentations and instead, “don’t give a f–– about a thing,” as Jennings would say.

“A big part of it is that it is so easy,” Wade said. “When you are smoking, it is easy to get caught, cause you smell and you actually have to smoke it. With the pill, you can do it in front of anybody. You don’t have to think twice.”

You’ll have no weed left and you’ll see a video of you stealing beet or something like that. You just stop caring and when you are messed up, you are just like ‘why not drink,’ or ‘why not smoke.’

CART ER WADE* JUNIOR Xanax, or Alprazolam, belongs to the family of benzodiazepines. These “benzos” slow down normal body functions, such as heart rate and breathing, according to Dr. Tama Sawyer, head of the Poison Control Center at the University of Kansas Health System.

Xanax can be found floating around “anywhere without cameras,” according to Jennings. A poll taken of 338 students showed that 21 percent of students have been offered Xanax at school; 19 percent of those students actually took the pill.

Jennings takes the pass out of his class to go buy a bag of bars from the bathrooms and locker room. But inside East is not the only location you can find the drug. Junior Peter Stockton spent two hours a day looking up YouTube videos on how to access the Dark Web. After exchanging U.S. dollars for

Bitcoin, Stockton was able to buy Xanax for 25 cents a bar and ship it to an abandoned house he knew of. Swanson just gets it from his “boss.”

During one lunch period, Swanson made $175 dealing Xanax to students. According to Swanson, he probably deals to 10 students consistently within East and upwards of 200 outside of East. He turns a profit by selling the bars for nearly twice the normal rate; if he bought 100 bars for $50, he would sell each for $5, profiting $150. According to him, he has the Xanax market of Kansas “locked down.”

“My bosses have a Dark Web order coming in for me Monday,” Swanson said. “I don’t know how they do it, they just tell me they’re getting like 5,000 bars for $400.”

Yet the drug’s abuse continues after the 2:40 p.m. bell rings, whether it be at home, work or Saturday night parties. Once outside of school, Xanax is added to the long list of other drugs that students are able to obtain, which leads to lethal combinations.

According to Traci Tucci, a recovery advocate at the rehabilitation center First Call Recovery Center, people who misuse central nervous system depressants, or downers, are more likely to abuse other types as well, mainly alcohol.

When mixed, the two downers double the effects of the substances in the brain: Xanax intensifies the alcohol, while the alcohol intensifies the Xanax. Sawyer said since Xanax and alcohol affect the same areas of the brain, mixing them makes one more susceptible to memory loss or complete blackouts.

Wade and his friends start off by saying they are just going to relax – take one bar and have a “nice and easy night.” But one bar turns to two or four. When they begin to feel careless, they being drinking and smoking.

The next thing they know, it is 8 a.m., and the Ziplock bag that was filled with Xanax at the start of the night is empty, along with their memories – which according to Swanson, is part of the point.

“You’ll have no weed left and you’ll see videos of you stealing beer or something like that,” Wade said. “You just stop caring

OCTOBER 30, 2017

XANAX DEFINED

and when you are that messed up, you are just like ‘why not drink,’ or ‘why not smoke.’ It just escalates to the point where you will do whatever.”

S a w y e r acknowledges that Xanax is a “fairly safe drug all by itself” in small, prescribed doses.

But but she warns against mixing it will any other drug that makes you sleepy. The most popular combination she sees is Xanax and alcohol. According to www. promises.com, a rehabilitation center, more than 95 percent of drug deaths from Xanax involved other drugs, with an average of more than two additional drugs.

Those who have anxiety disorders, like senior Scheele Prust, are prescribed minimal amounts of the drug and still feel its effects.

After experiencing panic attacks throughout middle school and early high school, her psychiatrist prescribed her with a quarter milligram of Xanax to be taken as needed. A bar of Xanax is eight times that amount.

On a flight home from Los Angeles, Prust took a prescribed dose of Xanax to prevent a panic attack. With just a quarter milligram in her system, she was finally relaxed and slept for the whole flight. She “can’t image what a whole bar would do to you.”

“Teenagers tend to have the idea that one is good, two will be better, three will be better, you know, more is better,” Sawyer said. “That is not the case when you are dealing with drugs: more is not better – it’s more dangerous.”

At first, Stockton was taking one or two bars at a party on the weekend. What he thought was just casual use quickly transcended into popping four to five per day, at any location or time he needed it. If one bar wasn’t doing enough, he would take another until his body returned him to the calm, relaxed state he felt while on the drug. For nearly two months, he described himself as addicted.

A benzodiazepine used to treat anxiety and panic disorder • Slows brain activity • Calming, tranquilizing effect Sawyer explained that the more abusers take the drug, the higher their tolerance gets. Abusers have to increase their intake in order to get the same desired effects.

“At the point where I was taking four to five bars a day, my tolerance had been so high and it became dangerous when I mixed it with alcohol,” Stockton said. “I finally was like ‘I need to be done.’ I have been clean for five days now [at the time of the interview].”

It took him two straight months of blacked-out weekends before he worked up the courage to show his mom and counselor all of his Xanax. But quitting Xanax cold isn’t as simple as throwing away his pill stash for Stockton.

His mom and rehab specialists wanted him to go on a hospital IV for three days.

Stockton wanted to sober up on his own. Xanax is a short-term drug according to Sawyer, and Stockton’s abuse has left him with withdrawals, as many drugs do, now that he is off the drug.

He gets an average of three to

DESIGN ANNABELLE COOK P HOTOS ELLIE THOM A AND DIANA PERCY

SPREAD four hours of sleep a night. His head constantly pounding, his body jittery and shaky. The hallucinations come and go.

“Going off Xanax is like a bad acid trip,” Stockton said. “It’s hell.”

17

On top of the normal dangers of ingesting the drug, Corporal Joel Porter of the Prairie Village Police Department recognizes the dangers of buying Xanax from an unknown source. In the last few years, Porter has seen instances of “people attempting to purchase one drug and being sold something completely different and overdosing on the unknown substance.”

After Wade’s near death experience, doctors conducted a drug test to determine what he had taken in the hours prior. The results showed traces of Xanax in his system.

It also showed traces of drugs Wade can’t imagine himself taking. He had bought the pills at a party that night from someone he knew, never questioning their credibility.

“It’s not that hard to buy pill presses,” Tucci said. “You can get them on Amazon. It’s a really scary reality. So you have somebody out there that wants to turn a profit so they sell ‘Xanax’ bars, and press it with whatever drug. It clearly can be very dangerous.”

Even if recreational Xanax doesn’t lead to blackouts and hospital visits, the effect on the mind and body can be long term. According to Sawyer, taking anxiety medication without a prescription can actually lead to extreme anxiety and panic disorders. How Xanax will work on each person is impossible to determine.

“Right now, your mind is as fresh and new as it can possibly be,” Sawyer said. “You have the possibility to learn so much, so the fact that you would jeopardize it by taking something like Xanax that makes it difficult to learn or achieve your goals is really a social problem...This is not the time to experiment with drugs at all.”

17%

**based on a Harbinger survey of 338 students

Xanax, a prescription drug, is now being used by teens in recreational circumstances despite the drug’s harmful side effects

DESIGN

PHOTOS

THE HARBINGER

18 F E AT U R E S

Prairie Village barbershop barbers build bonds in the community Whenever the barber pole is spinning, customers can expect a warm welcome from all the guys: Larry Keyser, Ray Portillo, Craig Brady, Gifford and Koester “I know everybody and everybody knows me,” Gifford said. he brrr of electric razors and hum of Martinett vacuums echo Customers keep coming back too, according to the barbers. through the 80s retro wood-paneled barbershop. The red, white and blue barber pole spins in the window facing Tomahawk Gifford has been cutting H&R Block founder Henry Bloch’s hair since Road. Rex Hudler’s voice booms out of the two Vizio flat screens as he was a young man. Now, he’s cutting his great-grandchildren’s.

Leonard Popplewell, a 2008 East graduate, still gets his haircut the Royals score their third run against the Twins in the bottom of the seventh. Polaroids of customers line the walls the length of the by Gifford. He’s been getting his hair cut at the barbershop for as long as he can remember. He returns shop. month after month because he’s gotten to “It’s just got that small town feel,” barber know Gifford so well that he looks forward Bill Koester said. to his next stop in the barber chair.

The Prairie Village community has been I usually know just about everyone “These guys are legends,” Popplewell built around Village Hairstyling since it opened its doors for the first time in 1948, who walks through that door. It’s just said. “I love it here.”

Past customers who have moved on according to owner of 32 years, Windy a good feeling when you see people from the shop still come through from Gifford. Generations of men, women, teens in public and they know who you are time to time to see the Polaroids, carefully and babies have sat in the burnt orange like, ‘Oh you’re from the barbershop! analyzing every picture framed on the chairs that line the left side of the shop. wall, searching for themselves, family and You cut so-and-so’s hair.’

“I’ve got plenty of third and fourth friends. Gifford eventually had to stop generation families that I cut hair for,” Gifford putting pictures up because he ran out of said. “They just keep coming back for more.”

B I LL KOEST E R space.

But customers don’t just go to Village BARB ER “I wouldn’t have enough time to buy Hairstyling for a haircut – it’s not the Sports more film before another person would Clips on 89th. It’s the barbershop. According to senior Matthew McGannon, customers don’t go in for quick buzz come in for a picture to put on the wall,” Gifford said.

For the barbers, both the shop and Prairie Village is a place to or beard trim – they go for the quality haircut and the time spent with call home. A place where they can enjoy themselves at work, crack their specific barber.

“I’ve been getting my hair cut by Bill for the past seven years,” jokes with customers and friends, talk about the Chiefs and their McGannon said. “I consistently go back because I get a solid haircut win against the Patriots or just telling stories about their vacation to California. They’ve built a bond with the entire community. and I’ve gotten to know him really well.”

“I usually know just about everyone who walks through that door,” Village Hairstyling has become a community within itself. From talking about sports to what the next vacation is – the lives of the Koester said. “It’s just a good feeling when you see people in public and they know who you are like, ‘Oh you’re from the barbershop! You customers and barbers are intertwined. cut so-and-so’s hair.’”

You can hear the conversations in the background.

The barbers aren’t looking to leave the shop any time soon. For “I saw you won your football game on Friday night. How’d you play? I remember when you first started playing tackle in elementary now, they’re happiest evening sideburns and debating whether or not Alex Smith will be the MVP this year. school.”

BY HARRIS ON GOOLEY Copy Editor

BELOW | Old polaroids of past and current employees and customers are hung all around the store.

TALK

Customers attend Village Styling for the local feel and interesting conversations

of the

TOWN

LEFT | Windy Gifford has been

working at the barbershop for 32 years, cutting hair of people all ages.

ABOVE | The old-fashioned barber-

shop keeps the same look from when they opened their doors in 1948.

DESIGN K ALEIGH KOC PHOTOS GRACE GOLDM AN

OCTOBER 30, 2017

F e at u r e s 19

The Statistics 58%

Those affected by cerebral palsy show varying levels of motility

can walk without aid

31%

limited to no walking ability

11%

can walk using a handheld mobility device.

Cerebral palsy is more likely to affect those from multiple births

11%

SINCE BIRT H .

of children with cerebral palsy are from a multiple birth.

Sisters senior Melanie Vahle and junior Amanda Vahle share an incredibly close bond

IN FO RMAT IO N CO U RT E SY O F CE RE B RA L PA LSY A L L IA N CE A N D T H E CE N T E R FO R D IS E A S E CO N T RO L A N D P REV E N T IO N

BY LUCIA BARA ZZA Staff Writer

G

rowing up, senior Melanie Vahle always knew she was different from her twin sister, junior Amanda.

Melanie was in first grade while Amanda was in kindergarten. Amanda spoke a little different than Melanie. Melanie played basketball, while Amanda cheered her on from the sidelines in her bright yellow wheelchair.

That’s just how life was for the Vahle twins.

Amanda has cerebral palsy, a neurological disease that results from bleeding in the brain during infancy. The disease caused the impairment of her motor skills, making her automated chair her “legs.” She can’t use “rightie,” her right hand, and her speech is slurred, making it difficult to communicate.

Most people assume she can’t do things that “normal” people do, like play sports or go bowling, but Melanie knows that’s not the whole story.

Amanda has a yellow belt in karate and two trophies for dance achievements sitting on her desk. Ask her about her recent art projects and she can pull out notepads full of rainbow-colored sketches and drawings.

Most people simply see her as the girl in the wheelchair; but not Melanie.

Melanie is one of the few people that really understands Amanda’s life. She is her twin sister, but first and foremost her best friend.

They’re not in the same social groups and they can’t bond over Psychology homework

or tennis practice, but the two girls are never apart – and they’ve become closer sisters because of it.

Ever since their older sister Katie left for college, Melanie has taken on most of Katie’s “helper” duties. On a daily basis, Melanie helps Amanda eat, she drives her to and from school always double checking that her chair is safely secured to the floor of their white, wheelchair-accessible minivan, and sometimes she’ll help translate for Amanda when people can’t understand her. She will also occasionally help Amanda with texting, which she finds especially interesting when there is drama going down in the friend group. She’ll quickly type out whatever Amanda wants to say on her iPhone 5 then keeps her updated on incoming messages.

The twins choose to be together even outside of necessary “helping time,” finding ways to connect and spend time together.

They love to get out of the house and walk their Cairn terrier, Toto, and when they have free time after school or on weekends, they will pile into the minivan and go on adventures to Starbucks or Chick-fil-A. After a recommendation from one of her helpers Amanda has a newfound addiction: pumpkin spice frappuccinos. Saturday nights are dedicated to movie and popcorn night, sometimes spent at the theater or tucked under blankets in the living room.

They almost always watch Amanda’s all time favorite movie, “Miracles from Heaven,” or their favorite TV show, “Grey’s Anatomy.”

Over the years, their relationship hasn’t always been this close.

In elementary school, both Melanie and her older sister Katie felt nervous about people knowing that Amanda had cerebral palsy. They never knew how people would react, or how they would see them after they knew. They feared that if people found out then they wouldn’t want to be friends with them.

“I always kind of hid it,” Katie said. “I would be like ‘that’s my sister’, but if people found out and they [reacted well] then I’d be like ‘Heck ya! She’s my little sister’ but if they weren’t into it I wouldn’t [tell them].”

It wasn’t until high school, when Melanie started spending more time with Amanda, that she started to understand her sister more and feel truly open and comfortable with her condition.

When Amanda and Melanie joined Young Life, a Christian youth group, their freshmen and sophomore years they went from occasionally hanging out to consistently doing activities together every week. After all of the years of living very separate lives, the two girls finally had a common ground. They had something to talk about and a new group of friends to hang out with, together. In fact, it was during a week at Young Life camp that Melanie first started learning how to take care of Amanda.

“Amanda’s always had helpers, but that was the first time Melanie had been on the side of the caregiver sister role rather than

‘I’m just your sister,’” Katie said.

From that point on, the girls have only grown closer. Over the years, Melanie feels she has learned from her sister and found a more complete understanding of the struggles people living with special needs go through.

She’s seen Amanda’s outbursts of frustration after people pass by her and simply don’t bother to open the door for her.

She’s witnessed Amanda’s anger after people talk to her like she is a baby, when she’s 17 years old. She’s seen these struggles, because she’s the one helping her sister through them.

“I definitely get a different sense of people with special needs because I’m around her every single day,” Melanie said. “If I didn’t have a twin in a wheelchair I wouldn’t understand [everything they go though.]”

Next year, Melanie will be heading to Lawrence to study marketing or business at the University of Kansas while Amanda stays home to begin her senior year at East.

Their daily conversations on Amanda’s new art projects or the latest Young Life meeting will turn into occasional FaceTime chats and texting. But the two girls believe their bond will survive while Melanie’s away at college.

They’ll still be able to FaceTime every night to fangirl about Grey’s Anatomy, and Amanda can send Melanie pictures of their dog, Toto.

Only a few day-to-day activities will be be different when they’re apart.

“Someone else will have to open doors for me,” Amanda said.

COME SUPPORT THE LANCER FOOTBALL TEAM AT THE

PLAYOFFS all games begin at 7:00 p.m.

regional:

Thursday, november 4

sectional:

friday, november 10

sub-state:

friday, november 17

state:

friday, november 25

DESIGN ABBY WALKER PHOTOS LUKE HOFFM AN

OCTOBER 30, 2017

F E AT U R E S

21

AIR FORCE

Brothers share same goal of graduating early and joining the Air Force

BY SAR AH W I LCOX Staff Writer

H

BROTHERS

undreds of Air Force recruits march in a straight line at basic training camp in San Antonio, TX. A sergeant stood in front of the crowd as they saluted: “Hut one! Two!” Henry Meeds, a 15-yearold at the time, finally saw his older sister’s stories of camp come to life as he faced the massive grey buildings. He was immediately impressed. Each recruit dressed in navy and gold-studded uniforms and wore the same straight face and stern eyes. After one visit he was captured by the environment and knew this was where he wanted to be.

Henry went home to research the fastest way he could enroll in basic military training and Technical School: joining the Air Force.

Bennett, his twin brother, realized his passion for planes before junior year. Shortly after a phone call with his uncle, Blaine Meeds, who was in the Air Force, Bennett found the best way to achieve his dream of becoming a pilot: joining the Air Force alongside Henry.

Now seniors, the boys are on the fast track to reaching their goals by graduating early in December. While their classmates are just starting to think about majors, the two will begin a plan that will take more than six years of their lives — including at least two months of basic training followed by six years working for the Air Force at the Missouri National Guard.

“Six years is a really big commitment, but

I definitely think it’s the best route for both of us,” Henry said.

The Meeds will begin their undergraduate degrees at Johnson County Community College in January in order to get ahead on classes. Bennett hasn’t decided his major, but will pursue commercial or cargo aviation while Henry is interested music therapy.

They will finish their last semester of English before taking a break from their academics while at training.

“We both wanted an opportunity to have a great experience and get a free education,” Bennett said. “Graduating early will just help us get a head start.”

Once finished in Texas, they can resume college at any school in Missouri, paid for by the Air Force in exchange for six years of service. With enlisting, the Meeds twins will be able to receive other bonuses such as job security and the GI bill that gives monthly allowances. The perks were appealing when the brothers decided to enlist, but they knew that it comes with up to 12 months of training starting at 5 a.m.

“The intensity will be an adjustment but it’s good for us and we’ll learn discipline,” Henry said.

Drills, obstacle courses and competitions between other flights, or groups of recruits, in the Texas heat are set up to test each recruit's physical endurance. Technical School is next with written exams to test their responses in critical situations.

Even so, the boys are eager to act in a simulated deployment and learn how to operate an M-16 rifle. Palmour, the boys’

sister who recently graduated training and tech school, has told them to expect a sixday physical program filled with long days of aerobic running and muscular endurance training.

“They won’t have contact with friends or family for at least two months,” Palmour said.

“It will be a big culture shock.”

According to the Meeds’ recruiting officer, Sergeant Jason Jones, training is supposed to push the recruits to their limits, and the Air Force will do their best to keep them out of their comfort zone. He told the boys to prepare to be separated because they will purposely be kept in different programs.

Even if they are separated during training, the boys will be reunited after training at the Missouri National Guard in St. Joseph, MO. While at the National Guard, the twins will be able to study their major and would never deploy unless there is a draft.

Even though they will be leaving high school early, Bennett and Henry will officially get their diplomas when they walk in graduation with the rest of their class in May. They can still go to prom, basketball games and any other school functions.

Despite missing their last semester of high school, their sister has reassured them that the sacrifice is worth it. In their eyes, it’s the best of both worlds.

“Enlisting is the best thing I’ve ever done,” Palmour said. “It’s allowed me to travel the world, meet amazing people I would have never known and serve my country.”

THE MEEDS

10 YEAR PLAN Brothers plan for the coming years DEC. 2017 — The brothers' last day of high school JAN. 2018

— Begin taking final

semester of high school and start classes at JCCC SUMMER 2018

— Begin basic

training in San Antonio, TX ONCE GRADUATED

—

Station at National Guard Headquarters in St. Joeseph, MO for 6 years AFTER 6 YEARS

— Bennett

and Henry return to undergraduate school to pursue Aviation and Music Therapy respectively

blade runner: 2049

DESIGN LIL A TULP PHOTOS COURTESY OF WARNER BROTHERS

22 A & E

Reviews of two new October movies

T

ABOVE | Two of the main

characters of “Blade-runner: 2049” pose in front of a car with the neon backdrop of this retrofuturistic action film. These two characters are played by Ryan Gosling and Harrison Ford. | Courtesy of Warner Brothers

BY WILL TULP Assistant Online Editor

he original “Blade Runner” became the defining film of ’80s science fiction upon its 1982 release. The movie inspired filmmakers, writers and directors worldwide to release similarly-styled works ranging from the classic movie “Terminator” to Japanese anime “Ghost in the Shell.”

“Blade Runner 2049,” the sequel set 30 years later in Los Angeles, recaptures the retro-futurist world and aesthetic of the original and beautifully brings it into the modern era of technology. Just as in the original, the sequel is overflowing with skyscrapers covered in Japanese neon signs and colossal screens, dark and rainy atmospheres and futuristic fashion full of exaggerated cowl necks and oversized jackets.

Both the original and the sequel revolve around the idea of “replicants,” androids created to function as humans, and an overall mission to hunt certain dangerous replicants. But while the original movie focuses on eliminating four replicants, “Blade Runner 2049” revolves around hunting down one: the daughter of original Blade Runner Rick Deckard and his replicant partner, Rachael. The same central themes of self-identity, humanity and technology exist among many others in the sequel, but the plot feels matured, deeper and more captivating than the original.

“Blade Runner 2049” doesn’t just parallel the original in its plot and themes, however.

THE HARBINGER

The sequel takes the same sense of wonder and cinematic choices that shaped the original and infuses them into the movie purposefully and effectively.

The original film enchanted moviegoers of the time with unbelievable technology such as flying cars, androids and voice-commanded computers, and the futuristic technology is ever-present in its sequel. Holographic human partners, advertisements able to hold a conversation and mass-produced models of mankind hark the same feelings of astonishment that were evoked in its predecessor.

Cinematically, “Blade Runner 2049” is unarguably a masterpiece. The dark, rainy, neon atmosphere established in the first film is reimagined with a modern, dystopian twist. The film is a visual Candyland, from staggeringly bright orange deserts to vivid, deep purple and blue city streets. Every shot in the film is wallpaper-worthy, and nearly every scene could stand as its own poster or art piece.

The sequel also matches the original in its rather lengthy runtime. “Blade Runner 2049” surpasses the original’s runtime of two hours and does not stop there, ending after a whopping two hours and 45 minutes.

Though understandably daunting to some, the length is necessary to fit the deep, interesting and at times confusing storyline. Scenes and certain subplots almost never seem extraneous; they all further the plot, character development or themes unveiled throughout. The film pulls you in, slowly reveals itself and never gives a

reason to pull out a phone and check the time.

Furthermore, the movie is teeming with talent. “Blade Runner 2049” is directed by Denis Villeneuve, whose last film, “Arrival,” was one of the most critically acclaimed movies of 2016 with eight Academy Award nominations. Ryan Gosling, who played the protagonist of the movie named “K,” fits the role of a part-human, part-android blade runner perfectly. He delivers a solid, powerful performance on par with the exemplary acting in his last movie, “La La Land.”

Harrison Ford performs his original role of blade runner Rick Deckard as well as in the first film, and the incredibly creepy performance of Jared Leto’s character Niander Wallace and Ana de Armas’ role of Joi are of the most outstanding in the movie.

“Blade Runner” and “Blade Runner 2049” have one other aspect in common: both experienced very disappointing box offices. With a movie this intriguing, exciting and stunning, it is a shame to see the film underperforming and underappreciated. According to New Musical Express, the sequel made a mere $74 million in its opening weekend compared to its $150 million budget. Additionally, the movie has been pulled from 855 theaters as of last week since its release on October 6, according to Forbes.

There isn’t much time left to catch the film in theaters, but as far as fall films go, “Blade Runner 2049” is a must-see. While it won’t change the world of science fiction, it is more than worth its runtime, worth the ticket price and most importantly, worth the watch.

HAPPY DEATH DAY A

BY JACKIE CA MERON Staff Writer

fter years of hiding under the blanket while my older brothers watched movies like “The Ring” and “The Sixth Sense,” I was relieved when “Happy Death Day” was almost a luke-warm horror. It looked scary enough for my taste — I’m not a fan of limb chopping and blood spurting. Pop out scenes and paranormal activity are what keep my light on at night. Although “Happy Death Day” was a subdued scary movie, there were still a few jump scares that made me flinch in my seat.

“Happy Death Day” follows a young woman named Tree, played by Jessica Rothe, as she relives the day of her own murder over and over again. The day of her death also happens to be her birthday, hence the title. Even though the movie replayed the same day over and over, its repetition didn’t become boring. A variety of eerie scenes combined with the mystery of who killed her kept me intrigued the whole hour and a half.

The movie opens with Tree waking up in another student’s dorm room. She leaves his dorm and leads an uneventful day until that night. On her way to a party, she comes across a music box sitting in a tunnel but ignores it, thinking it’s a joke. I was trying to keep myself from yelling ‘Don’t go in there, you idiot!’ Like any other scary movie, it was the moment where the protagonist makes a moronic decision and pays for it. Only, instead of dying, she wakes up in the dorm room from that morning. Unharmed. She relives the day she had before thinking it’s only a bad case of deja-vu. Everything is identical. The day ends with the same being in a creepy baby mask, taking Tree’s life again. Then she magically wakes up in the same dorm again. And again.

Tree thinks she’s going crazy but decides that in order to leave her deja-vu trap she must get rid of her murderer, meaning she must continue to die until she solves the case.

When the knife pierced her heart, the bullet reached her, or the car went up in flames, I was curious if the cycle would finally break. By the

fourth time she bit the dust, I was impressed with the numerous ways someone could be murdered. Kudos to Rothe who used a different shocked face each time she was killed.

As the movie went on, my suspect list grew.

It was entertaining trying to figure out who did it; it seemed obvious one moment but the next moment Tree was waking up to another death day. Could it be the guy she didn’t call back after one mediocre date? Was it her jealous sorority sister or maybe the Uber driver she spit on last week?

Besides the fact that I was never informed as to why her day repeated, “Happy Death Day” proved to be worth my $5. It had enough suspense and pop-out scenes to keep me on the edge of my seat but not hiding for my life.

Different emotional elements of “Happy Death Day,” like the fact that Tree shares her birthday with her deceased mother, made the movie more personal than the average scary movie.

This refreshing take on a Groundhog Dayesque movie left me frightened but not enough to leave my nightlight on.

WHO WAS IT Jackie’s top suspects from the movie

?

NAME:

LORI SPENGLER MOTIVE:

TREE IS A BAD ROOMMATE

NAME:

TIM BAUER

MOTIVE:

NEVER TEXTED HIM BACK AFTER DATE NAME:

STEPHANIE BUTLER MOTIVE:

SLEPT WITH HER HUSBAND

NAME:

JOSEPH TOMBS MOTIVE:

SERIAL KILLER STAYING NEAR BY

6:02 AM OCT. 23

OCTOBER 30, 2017

DESIGN DIANA PERCY

P H O T O S T O R Y 23

Chemistry students attend the annual celebration of “Mol Day” on Oct. 23 at 6:02 a.m., representing Avogadro’s number

ABOVE | Junior Michael Perry and his Chemistry 2 classmates welcome students into the cafeteria for Mol Day. “It was the morning and people were sleepy.” Perry said. “Me and some other guys were going to do a hype tunnel, and then everyone started to do it.”

ABOVE | Senior

Ellie Green watches as junior Dane Erickson lights the hydrogen-filled balloon on fire at exactly 6:02 a.m.

“It was a little nerve-wracking,” Green said. “I got the full effect.”

| el l i e th o m a

| e llie t ho m a

ABOVE |

Sophomore Layla Villanueva hits a Chemistry II student in the live “WhackA-Mole” game. “I just thought it was funny they had a giant human version of it,” Villanueva said.

“I’ve never seen that before.”

| ally griffit h

CENTER | Chemistry teacher Mr. Jerrod Bardwell takes a picture of students enjoying themselves at Mol Day. | D I ANA P ER CY

ABOVE | Junior Josilynn Arendale joins a conga line led by Chemistry II students.

“A bunch of Chem 2 kids just started getting riled up,” Arendale said. “They all started the conga line so I just joined in.”

| m or ga n p lun k e t t

ABOVE MIDDLE | Junior Noah Manalo gets hit with an arrow by a student playing “Mol-ing” (bowling). “We were trying to make the game a little more exciting,” Manalo said. “[Junior] Will Tulp had the idea of putting a pin on my head for people to try and knock down.” | DI A N A P E R CY

ABOVE | Junior Dane Erickson sets up for Mol Day by taping

“Molvengers,” the day’s theme, onto the windows. “The Chem 1 kids were tired and probably didn’t really want to be there,” Erickson said. “We just had to do everything we could to make them motivated and show them how fun the mole is.” | DIA NA PE RCY

LIFE THROUGH DESIGN GRACE PADON PHOTOS HADLEY HYAT T AND GRACE GOLDM AN

24 A & E

THE HARBINGER

Pablo Picasso and Vincent Van Gogh’s legacies live on in Kansas City through a movie and a muesum exhibit

PICASSO’S PIECES Three of the piece that are

featured in the “Through The Eyes of Picasso” exhibit

BY LIDDY STALL ARD Section Editor

T

he undulating white walls engulfed me on either side and a wrinkled face with two big brown eyes welcomed me into the Bloch galleries of the Nelson Atkins Museum of Art. Above the picture of Picasso’s eyes, taken by local photographer David Douglas Duncan, read the words “Through The Eyes of Picasso.”

This exhibit, which will be in town until April, takes an unprecedented look at Picasso’s art at the turn of the century.

Not only does the viewer see the work of the artist but also the pieces that inspired his shift from realistic paintings to a much more worldly and abstract approach to his sculptures, paintings and ceramics. The pieces chosen for this exhibit are anything but boring. I could stare at one of his portraits of a woman for hours and interpret the abstract lines and shapes hundreds of way.

The exhibit, which consists of six connected spaces, is filled with a combination of Picasso’s own work, artifacts from around the world that he collected and housed in his studio as inspiration, and many of Duncan’s black and white photographs of Picasso working in his studio. As you walk through the winding exhibit, you take on the role of Picasso and see how he viewed art over his lifetime, hence the name “Through the Eyes of Picasso.”

When you first walk down the ramp you’re greeted by the many faces of ethnic masks. Before seeing this exhibit, I would have never put together the intensity of the masks with the wild imagery of the Picasso I viewed in elementary art. Now, as I see these tribal artifacts next to the Picasso’s it makes perfect sense where he is pulling his many flat, geometrical shapes that turn into noses, eyes, figures, even still lifes. Picasso’s love for masks came about after he visited the Ethnographic Museum of the Trocadero in Paris. Although Picasso never left Europe, the art from Africa, Oceania and the Americas inspired him and he adapted many of these abstract styles in his own work.

One of my favorite pieces collected by Picasso was a painting of a mask from Papua New Guinea. Based on the Nakanai culture, this particular painting was done on bark cloth in warm, neutral tones. When looking at it from above the bark’s small painted hairs stuck up at you giving its’ rectangular nose and small beady eyes a 3D appearance.

A quote by Picasso was placed above the masks. It explains why the masks from these cultures changed what he thought art was and the concept of art being a form of catharsis.

“For me the masks were not just sculptures, they were magical objects, intercessors, against everything, against

La Femme Qui Pleure, 1937

unknown, threatening spirits. They were weapons to keep people from being ruled by spirits, to help free themselves.

If we give form to these spirits we become free.”

A religious painting of Picasso’s that takes up most of the wall, demonstrates Picasso’s realistic style.

Seeing this piece at the beginning of the exhibit next to one of his more flatter geometric portraits showed the juxtaposition of the direction Picasso took after his visit to the Trocadero.

As you move further through the rooms you see how his style continues to loosen. He Les Demoiselles embraces the artifacts, colors, forms and shapes d’Avignon, more into his work.

1907 Picasso was said to master the art of painting at age 14 but as he grew older he began to paint humans in abstract, almost unrecognizable, ways. One of Picasso’s later pieces, “Large Still Life on a Table,” stood out to me because of the bright colors and wavy shapes. Although this is said to be a still life, the wobbling legs of the table and white cup that looks like it’s about to tip over and spill, give this piece movement.

One of the techniques he picked up from the masks and used in “Large Still Life on a Table” and other paintings are the hidden shapes and unevenness displayed in facial structures and objects. He drew the face of a woman and her nose resembled a rectangle with bright pink circles for Mujer en un Sill, cheeks 1925 At the end of the exhibit there was a wall covered in black and white photos taken by Duncan, a Kansas City native. These pictures of Picasso show him dancing around his studio shirtless and playing with children, all while being surrounded by artwork. These pictures further tell the story that the studio was his home and that was where he felt his happiest. It appears that nothing outside of the four art covered walls mattered. My favorite picture is of Picasso in a bathtub with a smile from ear to ear and the same bold and interesting eyes that welcomed me into the museum.

This exhibit was definitely worth the hype it is receiving. It is not your typical “painting after painting on the wall” show.

The combination of all of the global artifacts with Picasso’s pieces make it anything but boring and the energy of the crowds and the playful artwork make it far from typical. The photographs add a photo journalistic touch. There are places to sit, read, and ponder the images. I left wanting to go back and take it all in again... “through the eyes of Picasso.”

OCTOBER 30, 2017

THEIR EYES

DESIGN GRACE PADON

A & E 25

BY DONNA K AY Staff Writer

I

first learned about the movie, “Loving Vincent” last year in Mr. Paris’s Psych 2 class when I was assigned to do a presentation on Van Gogh’s life and influence.

This project sparked my love for his work – I have been looking forward to the film’s release ever since.

This animated film literally paints a picture of Vincent Van Gogh’s life. The 125 artists involved in this production painted around 65,000 mesmerizing scenes inspired by Van Gogh’s tragic life and death; it was more of a 90-minute artistic experience than a film.

I teared up as 94 of Van Gogh’s paintings, such as classics like “The Bedroom” hit the screen at Tivoli cinemas in Westport MO. The film opens with world famous, “The Starry Night” painting and shows numerous other paintings, like the “Sunflowers” and “Marguerite Gachet at The Piano,” with the strokes of each dancing across the big screen.

To see these paintings come to life was a nice experience because of how tranquil it made me feel. Even if you aren’t a Van Gogh fanatic like myself you will enjoy the stunning world renowned paintings move with peaceful music throughout the film.

Van Gogh’s life of mystery unfolds through the eyes of Mr. Roulin, the mail man’s son, who is determined to deliver the last words of the late painter. The film starts by detailing Van Goghs desolate childhood in the mid-1800’s,

where he was outcasted by his own family, to a few years later when he gave his severed ear to a prostitute, after getting into an argument with a friend.

All of his stories are weaved together, making the plot easy to follow. The film ends two years after his death when the son finds a letter that Van Gogh wrote in his last days to his brother, Theo. Roulin is desperate to deliver the letter to Theo and, in turn, find out why a seemingly-happy man would have wanted to end his life.

His complex and distressed life expressed through his paintings made the film emotional and real, and the plot easy to follow. The artists painted over the faces of actors that looked similar to the figures in Van Gogh’s paintings – this way you could see the detail, and emotion in their faces, for example when Marguerite Gachet was asked about Van Gogh’s death, you could see the sadness in her eyes, by the deep blue tones used.

I especially enjoyed the details you can see in each scene, through soft pastel colors used in Van Gogh’s bedroom, and the eloquent deep yellows used in each landscape.

The tale of his death was told so beautifully that it seems as though Van Gogh himself was telling the story, weaving in emotion and humor through his brush strokes. Without any real answers, I was left to form my own opinion about what killed him. I was left clinging to the arm of my chair throughout, but never got the relief I hoped for in the end. However, as much as I would’ve liked to know exactly what happened, the inconclusive ending added an element of suspense.

Even though the ending could of been more secure, overall I enjoyed the film. I would recommend this to any fellow art lover, or someone in the mood to watch a beautiful, and well made film.

DESIGN MEG THOM A

THE HARBINGER

26 A & E

insane

IN THE

BRAIN

“Inside the Mind of a Serial Killer” is yet another criminal show that won’t disappoint

W

BY CAROLYN P OPPER Staff Writer

atch Again: “Criminal Minds,” “Law & Order,” “The People vs. OJ Simpson,” “Making a Murderer,” “Quantico.” Oh Netflix, you know me too well. I started watching murder mysteries in fifth grade and conquered my nightmares of being dismembered by a psychopath by sixth. It’s been a beautiful, gory, twisted ride ever since. So when yet another murder documentary made its way into my recommended list with an 89 percent match, “Inside the Mind of a Serial Killer,” how could I resist? At first, they butchered it – no pun intended. But if you have the same patience Surinder Koli had when he cut up and ate the bodies of 29 little girls, take the time with this series, because it’s worth the wait.

Maybe that sounds a bit extreme. Netflix had rated it “TV-14”— basically equivalent to Gossip Girl or Glee. You probably wouldn’t watch it with the kids you’re babysitting, but based off the first two episodes, I didn’t expect to see any mutilated limbs or bloody crime scene photos – the reason why my cuticles are bitten raw.

Because of the title, I was under the impression I could be learning about the general makeup of a serial killer’s brain — something I have always been interested in learning more about. Why is it that Angus Sinclair — a man who bound, raped and killed at least three women without remorse — had the compassion to be married and have kids?

Highlighting criminals living everywhere from Scotland to Australia, this series features a different killer each episode.

First, there was soldier Eddie Leonski, an alcoholic obsessed with stealing women’s voices. Great. Creepy enough – this should be fine for me, enough excitement. Not my usual graphic, heart-wrenching horror, but exciting enough.

But as the narrator with his stale, pretentious British accent dragged on, I thought the creators of the show had decided not to include any real footage, evidence, nothing.

For the first 82 minutes, it was all summaries and interviews, no dissection of a serial killer’s past explaining why they feel the need to kill.

In the absence of black and white family photographs, real murder location photos and all things suggesting “this really did happen,” criminal sketches and newspaper clippings panned back and forth on a continuous loop. Each transition, the sound of cymbals clanged louder and louder in my ears, I fought the urge to rip out my headphones and forget I had chosen to review this series.

For the first two 40-minute episodes, Snapchat became the most interesting thing in the world, and for some reason I was considering re-reading the second Harry Potter book.

Insider tip #1: skip episodes one and two.

I wanted to feel like Agent Hotchner from Criminal Minds, but instead I was listening to the ironically cheery criminal psychologist Dr. Linda Papadopoulos say, “It’s horrific thinking about the level of torture and violence that these young girls endured.”

That may be, but all I know about the extent of the torture was that the girls were raped, strangled and killed. It’s horrific but not enough to get a real reaction out of me, a true crime show veteran. I’ve been doing this since silly bands were hotter than fidget spinners.

Although I felt the urge to throw my laptop at the wall during the first two episodes, it showed signs of promise in episode three: an opening scene with children screaming and sobbing, inflatable rafts pulling what looked like lifeless bodies into a dock. It showed the chilling image of kids crammed into a storage closet, trying to stay silent.

Finally, “Inside the Mind of a Serial Killer” had my attention.

Quickly, my reaction shifted from boredom to anxious. Snapchat notifications lost their urgency, and the face of Anders Breivik became of top interest. The Norwegian terrorist who believed his country was becoming contaminated with immigrants and Muslims detonated a bomb beneath a government building and shot 69 campers

SURINDER KOLI

TOP 3 SERIAL KILLERS FEATURED

VICTIMS: 19 young/teenage girls WHAT: raped, killed and cut up their bodies to eat

and counselors at a left-sided political camp.

It’s like the series was trying to make it up to me – each episode was better than the last. I had forgiven the show for leading me to believe I would be learning the neurological makeup of serial killers’ brain. One day I’ll learn exactly what makes a psychopath a psychopath, but for now I can deal with watching security footage of Stephen Griffiths carrying his victims’ body parts in a trash bag out of a hotel.

To all crime show junkies: go ahead and keep scrolling if like me, your Netflix account can’t keep up with the amount of murder series you watch. For everybody else: skip the first two episodes and enjoy each grisly, murderous second of the next eight.

ANDERS BREIVIK VICTIMS: Norwegian camp counselors and campers WHAT: bombed an office building and shot 69 people at a campsite

ANGUS SINCLAIR VICTIMS: Scottish women and teen girls WHAT: murdered at least 6 women in a gruesome sex killing spree over just a few months

DESIGN S COUT RICE PHOTO IZZ Y ZANONE

OCTOBER 30, 2017

S P O R T S 27

SWING NG INTO SECOND

After a successful regionals, girls’ golf finishes second at state behind direction of first year head coach

was a father-figure who truly cared about her progression both on and off the golf course.

“He’s like my second dad, and he wants me ll of the rainy Sunday afternoons spent to do well, and I want to not disappoint him,” hitting balls on the driving range and Saferstein said. “If I play well, I’m not only happy hot after school practices paid off for the for myself, but I’m happy that I make him happy Lady Lancers. also.”

After a successful first season under first-year Despite the team’s competitive preparation, head coach Dave Hanson, the Lancers won state- the Lady Lancers couldn’t take the momentum runner up to Washburn Rural on Oct. 16. from their landslide regional win to state. The The Girls’ Golf team coasted through girls’ golf team placed second behind Washburn regionals, winning by 64 strokes. The top five Rural at Mariah Hills Golf Course in Dodge City, finishers at the regional tournament were all KS on Oct. 16.

Lady Lancers, with the team shooting 317. Senior “State was pretty disappointing because Marti Fromm won the regional, shooting a 77. we thought we could’ve gone into it winning,” Sophomore Martha Saferstein, senior Julia Fromm said. “On the 14th hole we were beating Stopperan, sophomore Karoline Nelson and [Washburn Rural] by two.” senior Emma Linscott rounded out the top five The players with the top four scores, Fromm, of the entire tournament.

Linscott, Stopperan Linscott credits a and Nelson, shot a portion of the success combined score of 335. to the fresh attitude Fromm and Linscott brought by Hanson. both placed in the State was pretty disappointing be“He’s very top 10 with Linscott cause we thought we could’ve gone competitive,” Linscott finishing 8th, shooting into it winning. On the 14th hole we said. “Before we would a career best 10-over were beating them [Wahsburn Rural] 82, while Fromm placed just play five holes in two hours and try not 4th, shooting a sevenby two, then we lost. to really practice. With over 79.

[Dave], he wanted to play In last five years, nine holes and wanted to M ARTI F ROMM a team score of 335 SENIOR improve. I remember at would win the state KCCC one day I shot 38 title. However, this year and I couldn’t wait to tell Washburn Rural was led to the championship Dave because I was shooting 42’s.” by senior KU-commit Abby Glynn, who placed Aside from his competitive nature, Hanson second in the tournament shooting a threebrought skills and experience to the team over 75. Washburn Rural ended up beating the this year. He is in his twentieth year as a golf Lancers by eight strokes. professional at Indian Hills Country Club, This was a surprise to Fromm, because the where he has honed his craft as a teacher. All score that the Lancers shot was still a solid the work Hanson has done in those 20 years team score. By comparison, if this year’s team was recognized when he was awarded the 2017 played last year, the Lancers would have bested Midwest Section PGA Teacher Professional of Washburn Rural’s team score from last year by the Year. two strokes, which would’ve given them the state As a coach, Hanson has a philosophy of title. creating competition at every practice in hopes The returning Lady Lancers look forward of preparing his team for tournaments. to having a chance to avenge this year’s loss at “I think competition breeds the best in state. According to Saferstein, next year’s team people’s ability,” Hanson said. “If you’re is the favorite to win it all since all of Washburn competing in practice it will make events not Rural’s varsity team will graduate in the spring. seem so stressful.”

“Even losing four seniors, our expectations Hanson’s competitive side is noticed by other are to win a state title,” Hanson said. “And win a golfers, not just Linscott. For Saferstein, Hanson state title big.”

BY RESER HALL Online Co-Editor

A

ABOVE | Golfers have been preparing for the state tournament since August and have competed at various tournaments in preparation.

STATE SCORECARD PLAYER

Marti Fromm Emma Linscott Julia Stopperan Karoline Nelson Martha Saferstein Megan Stopperan

SCORE OVER PAR 79

+7

82

+10

84

+12

90

+18

92

+20

93

+21

DESIGN SARAH BL EDS OE

28 S P O R T S

THE HARBINGER

A look ahead

A preview of some of the toughest match-ups for boys swim as well as the preseason MVP for boys basketball

BY ELIAS LOWL AND Section Editor

TEAMS TO BEAT

VARSITY BOYS SWIM Blue Valley North Jan. 16, 4 p.m.

Wichita East

Jan. 23, 4 p.m.

Lawrence Free State Jan. 30, 3:30 p.m.

We lost nine people [who were on] the state team last year, so we have some big shoes to fill.

I think we need to have some new people step up, but I still think we’ll win a fourth state championship.

ER I C B LOMQ U I ST J UNI O R

ABOVE | Then-senior Christian Hense swims the first leg of the 400 yard freestyle relay. |

Co urt e sy o f LIBBY WILS O N

RIGHT | East swimmer dives off the block, after the buzzer starting off the 400 yard butterfly relay. | Co urt e sy o f K A I T LY N ST R ATM A N

VARSITY BOYS BASKETBALL

schoemann’s 2016-17 stats* Shots Attempted - 203 Shots Made - 89 Total Assists - 29 Total Points - 248 Offensive Rebounds - 13 Defensive Rebounds - 40

PRESEASON MVP

JACK SCHOEMANN

TEAM STATS* 2016-17

Shots Attempted - 947 Total Assists - 222 Shots Made - 470 ABOVE | Senior Jack Schoemann dribbles down the court on his way to score a three pointer

| M A DDI E S M I L E Y

SENIOR FORWARD Jack Schoemann, who earned Honorable Mention in the Sunflower League last season, is looking to lead the team to another post-season run this year.

Schoemann – who was second on the team in rebounds – uses his six-footseven height to spread the floor, allowing his teammates to move freely around the court. While he is a strong

rebounder, Schoemann is a capable ball handler, acting as a point guard in setting up his teammates to score.

He finished the season in the top five for assists on the team. Schoemann, as well as being able to distribute the ball to his teammates, was second on the team in average points scored last year, just behind alumni Trevor Thompson.

Total Points - 1299 Offensive Rebounds - 148 Defensive Rebounds-405

*Stats provided by Ryan Oettmeier

MOTOCROSS MANIA

DESI GN GABBY LE IN BAC H PH OTOS CO U RT E SY O F THE ALLEN FA MILY

OCTOBER 30, 2017

S P O R T S 29

Family bonds through their shared passion for motocross

BY M AC NEWM AN Copy Editor

T

hen 7-year-old Andy Allen and then 9-year-old J.R. Allen stood on the metal pedals of their red Honda 70 and Honda 50 mini dirt bikes. They revved up their singlecylinder engines and hit the same one-foot-tall dirt bump going opposite directions. Their front tires collided mid-air, and the two boys tumbled a few feet to the dirt and rocks.

Andy laughs as he recalls the story, “It didn’t hurt that much.”

Now a freshman and junior, Andy and J.R. have spent the last seven years competing in dirt biking tournaments and riding for fun with their dad, Mark Allen. With their two other siblings, the family has bonded over the adrenaline rush – controlling a motorcycle going 90 mph – and the love for the sport – watching dirt biking every weekend together.

While the other siblings, 9-year-old Marshall and 11-year-old Cecily, don’t compete yet due to their height, they are not far behind their older brothers.

Mark is in it to stay young. J.R. and Andy are in it for the love of the sport. Cecily is always hesitant to go but always has a blast. Marshall is in it to follow his brothers. And Rachel, their mom, holds down the fort, not a rider herself.

Although all different reasons to compete, the result is the same, an unbreakable bond between father and child.

Some of their best memories – even better than watching dirt biking every weekend

Aftermarket Seat

during season, cheering on their favorite pro rider, James Stewart – come when they’re all out tuning up their bikes and hitting the dirt slopes.

“Me, J.R. and my dad are all motorheads, and I love nothing more than being out riding motorcycles with [them],” Andy said.

The three even went to Taylor Park in Colorado over the summer to ride for three days straight in the mountains, sightseeing and riding on single tracks.

Me, J.R. and my dad are all motorheads, and I love nothing more than being out riding motorcycles with [them].

AN DY ALLEN FRESHMAN A past amateur rider for three years, Mark passed on the sport to all of his kids, from their first Honda bikes to their current Europeanmade big bikes and Fox gear. The Allen kids have spent their childhood with their dad, riding dirt bikes.

The Chicken Ranch or Plat County Riders Association, spanning 300 acres in Leavenworth, is where the Allens go about once a month during riding season, from April to October. They travel an hour to reach the enduro events, 2-hour races through forests,

always making sure to stop for Jimmy Johns on the way.

“It’s our hillbilly country club,” J.R. said.

Most of the people they see at the “ranch” live out of RV’s and travel the country to compete for money prizes, some as young as 16 years old. The Allens do not care about the cash, however; they compete for the adrenaline rush and entertainment. When the competition or day of riding is done, they pile into Mark’s Ram 2500 truck and go home.

Marshall, who rides separate smaller jumps, sees both of his brothers’ success on the tracks and aspires to be like them. J.R. and Andy both compete in the highest level of enduro competitions. Usually with 20-30 year old guys, they weave in between trees, rocks while standing atop their bikes for the entire 2-hour race.

“I am better at enduro because it requires more skill and endurance, whereas [in closedcourse] motocross you have to have a lot of guts to do the big jumps,” J.R. said.

Although dirt biking is considered dangerous by most people, Mark believes teaching his kids to properly ride early prevents them from getting injured later in life.

They always go by their motto, “Don’t go out of your comfort zone.” No broken bones, only bruises and burns so far.

But, despite the inevitable new bruise or fall, none of the Allens are planning on stopping anytime soon. While J.R. plans to stop after he is sixty, Mark is a bit more ambitious. “[There is] no end in sight,” Mark said. “I’ll ride dirt bikes until I’m 70.”

WP Shock Obsorbers Aftermarket Exhaust 250cc Engine D.I.D Wheels

J.R.’S BIKE BREAKDOWN

A quick look at overall parts of the bike

TOP | Freshman Andy Allen takes a break on the side of a trail in Tayler Park, Colorado.

MIDDLE | Junior J.R. Allen flies

through the air, mid-jump off of a dirt bump.

BOTTOM | Freshman Andy Allen and

junior J.R. Allen pose with their trophies at a competition four years ago. Both brothers won their BMX races.

THE HARBINGER

DESIGN CARS ON HOLTGRAVES AND ELLIE THOM A

30 P H O T O S T O R Y

SAV I N G TH E

bees

SME Coalition raises money to save the bees by putting together a showing of “The Bee Movie” RIGHT | Soph-

omores Lariah Graves and Eden Sokoloff set up decorations before the fundraiser. “We [set] up black and yellow streamers to keep up with the bee theme,” Sokoloff said. |

ABOVE |

Junior Cooper Lintner and senior Anna Kanaley throw confetti into the air. “It was actually an accident,” Lintner said. “The mess was made so I figured I might as well enjoy it.”

ai slinn menke

RIGHT | Mr. Muhammad watches “Peppa Pig” with his daughter before the movie starts. “I turned ‘Peppa Pig’ on my phone for my daughter to watch, so she would calm down before the movie since she had just eaten two brownies.”

| E llie t ho m a

ABOVE LEFT | Sophomores

| DIANA PE R CY

Olive Henry, Shelby Winter, and Gabby Buck sprawl out on a blanket before the movie. “The food and good vibes were perfect for a Friday night,” Winter said. “Meeting up with friends and watching a whimsical movie is always a fun time.

| DIA NA PE RCY

ABOVE | Senior Isabel Miller

ABOVE | Students gather with their blankets and chairs as “The Bee Movie” begins. |

EL L I E TH O M A

ABOVE | Senior Ellie Willis pets her dog.

“Aspen, my dog, had so much fun meeting everyone and she really enjoyed all of the attention she got.” | k at e n i xo n

ices cupcakes while setting up for “The Bee Movie.” “The cupcakes weren’t actually mine, but I got bored and thought, ‘Hey why not try and be cake boss for a sec,’ but that failed.”

| LUCY M o ra ntz

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DESIGN LIZZIE K AHLE PHOTOS K ATHERINE ODELL

THE HARBINGER

32 A LT- C O P Y

BY GRACIE KOST Section Editor

LAST MINUTE

MAKEUP Three different makeup ideas prove better than real costumes

CHEETAH BRONZED AND BAD-ASS.

That’s how I felt in this classic cat look. The detail in the whiskers and cheetah print alluded complexity, but surprisingly, we were putting the finishing touches on just 20 minutes later. Enhance the cat features with a dramatic cat eye, killer contour and a golden eyeshadow and you’re all set. I’d recommend keeping the mouth more subtle with a simple black lip, don’t drag out the corners, and draw the cat-eye liner back a few levels. Unless you want to be extra, then of

course, go for it. I went for the half-human-half cat look and dotted cheetah print on the left half of my forehead, leaving the right half of my face natural.

Looking in the mirror as my friend did my face up, this was one reflection that didn’t scare me out of my seat.

After dotting on the last few whiskers and coloring in the tip of my nose, I was ready to pounce. While a cat costume is typically overdone, it all comes down to the makeup –– you will be a (non) basic b–––.

I

t’s the day before Halloween and despite it being my favorite holiday, I find myself scrambling to find a last minute costume as I do every year. I text my friends and try to decide between a rag-tag cat costume, or if I’m feeling especially creative, a Greek goddess (bedsheet Toga, anyone?)

Makeup is an easy alternative to the all-out

MIME THE ONLY THING I have to say about this look is, no thank you.

Maybe if you found some white face paint that actually cooperates rather than smudge off when you layer it, you could make it work––or a better makeup artist than junior Lizzie Kahle (kidding, you did a great job working with what I gave you).

Not only did this look create a horrific detriment to my face, but it made me tense and took over an hour more than I ever would want to spend doing makeup, especially, mime makeup.

I wound up looking

more like a ghost clown and less like a fun and flirty mime. I went for this look thinking it would be cute with a striped shirt and beret. Maybe it was the spontaneous mole we dotted on my face or the caked on layers of the as-close-to-white-as-wecould-get foundation but this look just ultimately scared me – in a bad way.

Halfway through the process I found myself asking why mimes even have black slits over their eyes. I never ever want to look in the mirror and see myself like that ever again.

Halloween spirit with minimal effort.

These looks are perfect if you need to spark your Halloween creativity before your weekend plans. Or worse, have to drag your little sister and her princess costume around the neighborhood while your mom makes you dress up. Here are a few ideas to bring out your inner freaky.

The best part is that after doing these makeup looks, your costume won’t have to be too extravagant. In my experience, I can tell you heads will turn.

SKULL I PULLED UP to the Starbucks window with a chalk-white face and black stitches drawn from the corner of my mouth up to my ears. My eyes were blurred into a spooky abyss of glittery black eyeshadow. It’s safe to say the barista was a bit frightened.

Since it was our last makeup look, we had learned to use our mistakes against themselves and enhance the look. Rather than even bothering with the white costume makeup, I used my friend’s winter foundation, which was

very pale. When black eyeshadow smudged across my cheek, I put it to my advantage and turned it into a crack of the skeleton’s skull. The perfect mix of goth and glitter encased my face, transforming me from alive to fabulously dead.

My inner ghouly-girl came out in this look.

After 45 minutes of sitting in my bed, snapchatting and scaring my friends in ten-second photo bursts, with the black and white paint, I faced the inevitable reality of washing my face off.