THE
harbinger...
SHAWNEE MISSION EAST 7500 MISSION ROAD PRAIRIE VILLAGE, KS 66208 NOVEMBER 13, 2023 VOLUME LXVI ISSUE 6
THE
HIDDEN
PRICE OF
SHOPLIFTING. Te e n a g e rs h a v e i n c re a s i n g l y t u r n e d to s hoplifting as a pastime while overlooking the long - term leg a l re p e rc u s s i o n s o f th e i r a c t i o ns
A KS L
A LOOK INSIDE:
page 5... The Prairie Village Police Department leads a fundraiser for junior Carlie Foutch
16...
26...
Aerial Arts Club lets students share joy for aerial silks and lyra
A group of seniors forms Project FC, a coed recreational soccer team
21
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02 | NOVEMBER 13, 2023
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THE HARBINGER
d e s ig n b y addi e moore
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ĩĢěĆĢä łŅäŪĆäū
A curre n t e v e n t h a p p e n i n g i n T h o u s a n d O a k s,
Visit smeharbinger.net to view additional storie s,
Califo rnia a ccord in g to n e w s p ap e r e d i to r R i l ey K eel er
gal l erie s, podc a st s a nd v ide os
THE LANCER The TOHS football team won their first league title in THOUSAND OAKS three years HIGH SCHOOL
SCAN ME WEBSITE Read The Lancer’s story over their football team’s league title
ʼnőÁƅ ěĆʼnő PRINT EDITORS K atie Murphy Greyson Imm
ONLINE EDITORS Aanya Bansal Maggie Kissick
ASST. PRINT EDITOR Addie Moore
HEAD COPY EDITORS Greyson Imm Aanya Bansal
ASST. HEAD COPY EDITOR Ada Lillie Worthington
HEAD PHOTO EDITORS Riley Scott Liv Madden Kenna Harrington
ASST. PHOTO EDITORS Caroline Martucci Clara Peters Amelie Wong
PHOTO MENTORS Ryan Dehan Molly Miller Paige Bean
VIDEO EDITORS Abby Lee Ryder Hendon
DESIGN EDITORS Veronica Mangine Bridget Connelly
PODCAST EDITOR Emma Krause
ART EDITOR
Bridget Connelly
THOUSAND OAKS, CALIFORNIA
RIGHT TOHS starting quarterback and senior Jackson Taylor prepares to throw the ball , which resulted in the game-winning touchdown. photo courtesy of riley keeler
ASST. ART EDITOR Caroline Daniels
EQUIPMENT MANAGER Mason Sajna
Read a feature over a new math club created by juniors Mae Bledsoe and Anna Ravis and read an opinion about the negative effects of caffeine
SCAN ME WEBSITE c a r to o n by ka i mc p h a i l
ASST. SOCIAL MEDIA EDITORS Isabel Balsassaro Avery Anderson
MULTIMEDIA STAFF
COPY EDITORS
STAFF ARTISTS
Connor Vogel Libby Marsh Isabel Baldassaro Maggie Condon Luke Beil Christian Gooley Neva Hudson Avery Anderson Lyla Weeks Preston Hooker
Mary Gagen Luke Beil Paige Bean Ryan Dehan Mason Sajna Alex Sajna Emma Krause Preston Hooker Luciana Mendy
K atie Murphy Greyson Imm Maggie Kissick Aanya Bansal Ada Lillie Worthington Addie Moore Emmerson Winfrey Libby Marsh David Allegri STAFF PHOTOGRAPHERS Sophia Brockmeier Larkin Brundige Mason Sajna Lucy Wolf Alex Sajna Will Griffith STAFF WRITERS Maggie Condon Mary Gagen
Larkin Brundige K ai McPhail Lorelei Galles Zane Laing Will Griffith
ONLINE POST MANAGERS
Sophia Brockmeier Mary Gagen Connor Vogel
PAGE DESIGNERS PRINT SECTION EDITORS Emmerson Winfrey EDITORIAL | Caroline Daniels NEWS | Libby Marsh FEATURE | Veronica Mangine SPORTS | Isabel Baldassaro OPINION | K ai McPhail
SOCIAL MEDIA EDITORS Maggie Kissick Bridget Connelly
Zane Laing Avery Anderson K ai McPhail Sophia Brockmeier Lyla Weeks Clara Burdick Sydney Eck Lucy Stephens Lorelei Galles
łĩěĆőĆÚÁě ÚÁŅőĩĩĢ
The success is credited to the new head coach Ben McEnroe and recent transfer and quarterback, senior Jackson Taylor
;gZZg© g g H Z `'#H ͢ SME Harbinger The Harbinger smeharbinger SM East Harbinger
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 content and opinions of the Harbinger do not represent the student body, faculty, administration or Shawnee Mission School District. The Harbinger will not share any unpublished content, but quotes material may be confirmed with the sources. The Harbinger encourages letters to the editors, but reserves the right to reject them for reasons including but not limited to lack of space, multiple letters of the same topic and personal attacks contained in the letter. The Harbinger will not edit content thought letters may be edited for clarity, length or mechanics. Letters should be sent to Room 400 or emailed to smeharbinger@gmail.com.
NOVEMBER 13, 2023 | 03
THE HARBINGER
de s i g n by carol i n e d aniels p h o tos f ro m bookr i ot .com
BOOK UNFAIR
NORMAL BOOKS
The re c e n t a d d i t i o n o f t h e d i v e rs i t y s e c t i o n to the S c h ola stic Book Fa i r p a i n t s p e o p l e o f c o l o r a nd others being cla s s i f yi n g as di v e rs e as “ab n o r m al”
;g ͢ ̱ < Ha ͢ ̨ The members of the editorial board who agree with the viewpoint of the editorial are represented by for, and those who disagree with the viewpoint are represented by against.
W
ZWHa<
D'
In response to the criticism they received
written by a black author than have to venture
library, elementary kids excitedly
for the section, Scholastic decided to make the
to a whole other section to find the same book.
clutch
section optional for librarians and teachers
Diversity needs to be embedded into the
dollar
Ha g bills
and
stare
at the spectacle of the annual
Scholastic Book Fair. On the left is a “diversity” section full of
ordering
will
education system as a whole, not slapped on one
display at their book fairs. Now diversity as a
the
merchandise
their
school
bookshelf away from the other “normal” or “not
whole can be removed from the book fair.
diverse” books.
books written by or about “diverse” people,
Children who see themselves in “diverse”
English classes, inclusive school celebrations
and to the right are all the other books: a clear
books that are singled out may feel more
and open conversations about diversity and
message
exposed than represented. Kids who already
different lifestyles should be where students are
struggle with their racial or sexual identity may
exposed to cultural and racial diversity rather
Book fairs need to stop creating separate
also feel uncomfortable browsing these books as
than Scholastic Book Fair shelves.
sections for diverse books to better prepare
it could draw attention to a part of themselves
students to be inclusive in high school and
they aren’t comfortable with yet.
that
diverse
books
are
inherently
different.
beyond.
“
Yes, having diverse books available to young
students is important. But it’s unnecessary for
most influential role models. When students
ACCORDING TO
are
able
to
see
diverse
authors,
historical
figures and characters in their daily school lives
Welcome” by Alexandra Penfold and “Justice
A simple solution to this issue would be to
“inappropriate” topics or topics that adults don’t
Ketanji” by Denise Lewis Patrick as well as many
recategorize these diverse books so they’re
want children being taught such as LGBTQIA+
other “diverse” books.
spread out through all genres. This way, children
stories and cultural diversity subjects. The reality
While the initial intent of this new collection
are able to browse books with diversity without
is that these subjects need to be incorporated
was to combat the recent effort to censor
feeling singled out while being able to purchase
into the education system, but spotlighting them
LGBTQIA+ and racial identity topics in children’s
books from genres that interest them.
unnecessarily is simply not the way to do this.
Having to draw special attention to diversity makes the concept feel “weird” for some kids.
This year, Scholastic — the U.S.’s largest
publisher and distributor of children’s books — piloted their “Share Every Story, Celebrate Every Voice” section of elementary school book fairs. It featured a selection of 64 books classified as “diverse” spread over two mobile bookshelves.
Books that were in
the div e rsit y se c tion
It’s important that children are able to see
without having attention brought to the fact that
fair. This makes it more exclusive than inclusive.
ggW
themselves in their favorite books or as their
the American Library Association, in more than 30 states, diverse books mainly including LGBTQIA+ characters and topics have been censored, making it impossible to ignore the issues schools are facing with diversity and inclusion.
the section to be separate from the rest of the
#H¨' 'Ό
they’re diverse is when students of different backgrounds will begin to feel truly included. Book fairs are a great place to start. In more than 30 states, diverse books mainly including LGBTQIA+ characters and topics have
TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD BY: HARPER LEE
been censored, making it impossible to ignore the issues schools are facing with diversity and inclusion, according to the American Library Association. Books are currently being censored due to
The section features titles such as “All Are
books, its caused children to feel more called out
Students would rather pick up a book that
than represented, according to Education Week.
looks interesting to them and realize it was
Isolating these books is almost as detrimental as not having them at all.
GEORGE
BY: ALEX GINO
Briefs...
04 | NOVEMBER 13, 2023
smeharbinger.net/category/news
THE
lancer minute
A video series highlighting ph otos from g a l l e r i e s an d re c a p pi n g rec e n t s c h o o l e v e n t s
s to r ie s b y katie murphy d e s ig n b y l i b by ma rs h
MORP RUNDOWN
Qu ic k de ta ils a bou t the u pc oming da nc e
TIME: 7-9 p.m. DATE: Dec. 1
THEME: Cartoon Heroes and Villains
COST: $10 LOCATION: Cafeteria
THE MORP DANCE ON DEC. 1 WILL RAISE MONEY FOR CHARITY STUDENT COUNCIL IS hosting the “cartoon heroes versus
“lucky tickets” sold within the first 500 tickets will be stamped
cartoon villains”-themed MORP dance from 7-9 p.m. on Dec. 1
with a Lancer and can be exchanged for a $10 Chipotle gift card,
in the cafeteria.
according to Fishman.
Tickets will be sold for $10 cash or online payment outside of
“We’ll provide food like chips and Rice Krispie squares,”
StuCo sponsor and history teacher Brenda Fishman’s room before
Fishman said. “It’s just a mixer so you don’t need to get fancy or
and after school and during lunch the week before the dance. All
go out to an expensive dinner before.”
proceeds benefit the Johnson County Christmas Bureau. “We’re going to put fans in there so that it doesn’t get too hot and take all the precautions to expect maximum capacity,”
Social Committee Chair senior Anna Thelen is currently selecting backdrops and decorations for the event to fit the theme.
Student Body President and senior Jack Kessler said. “I’d say
“A group of seniors came up to me last year after MORP and
there was a lack of publicity last year, but we still sold over 100
said they had a lot of fun and expressed regret that they missed
tickets.”
MORP for the pandemic in past years,” Kessler said. “That’s one
Kessler hopes StuCo will sell at least 600 tickets this year. Ten
of my motivations to keep it going.”
THE CLASS OF 1973 BEGINS ATYPICAL REUNION FUNDRAISER photo by caroline martucci
CROSS COUNTRY STATE
THE CLASS OF 1973 is running a November fundraiser for
were on a tour of the school in anticipation of a reunion that
SHARE’s Uplift project benefitting Kansas City’s homeless
happened to be on the same day as the SHARE Care Fair.
population. Class reunions have donated to the school for renovations and support services in the past, but never to the SHARE
“We ended up looking around for 45 minutes and didn’t even get halfway around the displays of volunteering opportunities,” Slentz-Howard said. “I was so impressed by the students.”
program directly. The alumni fundraiser started in October and
Uplift is a nonprofit providing mobile street outreach to
has collected $2,400 so far to fund tents and solar heat lamps
the homeless by taking four vans loaded with food, clothing
that will be distributed by student volunteers through Uplift this
and other essential supplies to downtown four nights a week.
month.
According to Community Outreach Director Amy Cox, they
“The Class of 1973 wanted to give money to SHARE but have
serve 250-400 people each night with the mission of showing
the funds help the population outside of East too,” SHARE
compassion to unhoused individuals living on the streets, in the
Coordinator Erin Billingsley said. “That’s why they decided
woods or in their cars.
to focus on the Uplift project after talking with the student
“Winter is an essential time to serve individuals without
executives. It’s great that people are recognizing SHARE as
housing,” Cox said. “We provide food and other basic essentials,
something to donate to and not just a program to volunteer
which keep people alive in the winter months.”
through.” Class of 1973 alumni John Tompkins, Marie Haake and
Students can sign up to volunteer at Uplift at their website uplift.org/volunteer.
Patty Slentz-Howard are coordinating donations through the
“Hopefully this will inspire other class reunions behind us,”
Punchbowl site after learning about SHARE in October. They
Slentz-Howard said. “It’s great to see students being leaders and taking care of others in our area and beyond.”
NATIONAL HONOR SOCIETY INDUCTION CEREMONY ON NOV. 29 photo by amelie wong
STUDENT COUNCIL RETREAT
SCAN ME VIDEO Visit Instagram Reels to hear staffer Luke Beil discuss these events and see more photos
NEXT YEAR’S NATIONAL Honor Society officers will be
is a better time because winter sports are just starting up and
announced at the Induction Ceremony at 6 p.m. on Nov. 29 in
there’s less going on.”
the auditorium with changes from last year. Voting for the four officers closed on Nov. 7 for NHS juniors. Typically the induction ceremony is held in late March, according to NHS Officer and senior Autumn Sun, but this year it was moved earlier. “Last spring, a lot of candidates were too busy with activities and had to miss the event,” Sun said. “We decided that right now
Another change this year is the addition of a reception for inductees and their families with cake after the ceremony, held in the cafeteria with formal dress code. “It’s fun to be able to celebrate induction instead of just being inducted and going home like in past years,” NHS Officer senior Millie Norden said. “About 160 people applied, and everybody who applied got in.”
s tor y b y luci ana me nd y
NOVEMBER 13, 2023 | 05
THE HARBINGER
d e si g n by g reyson i mm
SHAVING LIVES
R I G H T The Prairie Village Police Department poses for a photo with junior Carlie Foutch and her mother, Misty, to kick off their fundraiser. photo from PVPD
A No - S h a v e No v e m b e r f u n d ra i s e r i s b e i n g o rganized by the Pra i r i e V i l l a g e Po l i c e D e p a r t m e n t to h e l p junior Carlie Foutc h a n d h e r f a m i l y p a y m e d i c a l b i l l s a fte r Carlie’s leuke m ia t re a t m en t
T
HE PRAIRIE VILLAGE Police
point during the month. “That’s
“I can’t leave her home alone anymore,”
fundraiser
Sergeant Luke Roth said. “If they don’t pay
the fundraiser on the department’s Facebook
Kramer said. “If she’s in pain, I have to give
until Nov. 30 to raise money for
they don’t get facial hair, because typically
account, and chose to donate because she
her medicine if she needs it, if she’s feeling
this year’s beneficiary, cancer patient, junior
we don’t wear facial hair. It’s kind of an
had learned about Foutch’s story through a
sick to her stomach, I have to give her a
Carlie Foutch and her family. All the money
incentive, most officers want to grow their
previous Harbinger feature on her.
different medicine. I have to hook her up and
raised from the fundraiser will go to the
beards so all they have to do is pay $20.”
November
Leukemia in 2021, a type of cancer in which
done
“I think if it had just been the American
not her from her G tube feedings and this and
Cancer Society or something I might’ve just
the
department’s
scrolled past it,” Ford said. “But when I saw
Foutch’s uncle and psychology teacher
GoFundMe linked on their Facebook account,
that it was for Carlie I was really compelled
Brett Kramer explained that the caretaking
Prairie Village Police Department.
to donate.”
factor can be a lot more expensive than
of
Foutch was diagnosed with acute Myeloid
always
Donations can also be made by members
Foutch family to help them pay for Foutch’s treatment and other medical bills.
we’ve
that she needs.
Senior Collin Ford’s mom, Joey Ford found
No-Shave
how
connection.” it,”
Department is hosting its annual
on
department
the
first
organized
that.”
the
Meyer contacted Kramer, to ask if the
expected, since the bills can start to add
abnormal blood cells. She was able to receive
fundraiser to help raise money for education
department could organize the fundraiser
up with the lack of an income. Most of the
a bone marrow transplant, but less than a
and research in pediatric cancer for St. Jude
for the benefit of Foutch and the family, and
money will go towards the lost wages for the
year later her cancer relapsed.
Children’s Research Hospital in 2021, but
Kramer agreed.
time spent with Foutch.
the bone marrow makes a large number of
The
community
“It’s very heartwarming that so many
this year the department decided to narrow
“Every little bit helps, so I said, ‘Yes,
The officers have already raised more than
people care,” Foutch’s mother, Misty Kramer
its focus and fundraise for a family in the
that’d be great,’” Kramer said. “I know that
$1,000 within the first week and though the
said. “They care for the cause, they care about
community.
there are so many kids out there that have
GoFundMe’s goal is $20,000, Roth just hopes
my daughter, it is a struggle every day. It’s
Detective Seth Meyer, a past school resource
gone through [cancer], or will go through
whatever amount they raise will be enough to
tiring trying to do the best for my daughter.”
officer at East, reached out to administrators
that, or are going through that. If she can be
help Foutch and her family.
The officers will fundraise during the
about any potential beneficiaries— Foutch’s
kind of an eye opener to families and other
“The majority of our officers have kids
family was suggested.
kids because it’s a harsh reality, then I’m
and can only imagine Foutch’s family has
okay with that.”
gone through with financial struggles and
month of November by donating $20 to Foutch and her family to be allowed to grow
“We wanted to find somebody that we
out their facial hair. The officers usually
could really make a connection with,” Meyer
Foutch is unavailable for comment because
hospitals,” Roth said. “So knowing that
have to be clean-shaven while on duty so the
said. “I’m not saying those big organizations
she is recovering from a hospital visit due
the money is going to help lift some of this
fundraiser gives them a chance to have some
aren’t important because they are, but it’s
to pneumonia and pain. Her treatment has
pressure in such a tense situation really
facial hair. The officers also have to donate
harder to have that personalized connection.
shifted from cure to comfort, and Kramer has
makes it worth it.”
an extra $20 as a penalty if they shave at any
This
been taking off work to give Foutch the care
we
have
that
NO-SHAVE
BASICS
T h e b a s i c s o f P V P D’s fund rai ser
SCAN ME DONATE Access the link to PVPD’s fundraising site to donate and help cover junior Carlie Foutch’s medical bills
real
personal
RULES
THE
year,
officers have to pay to participate
$20
officers must pay an additional $20 if they shave this month
THE
COUNTDOWN
17
more days of the fundraiser as of Nov. 13
out of the $20,000 $2,140 raised goal as of Nov. 8
06 | NOVEMBER 13, 2023
story b y n eva h u dso n
THE HARBINGER
d e s ig n b y l o re l e i g a l l e s p h o to s b y p a i ge b e a n
I
[MAGNIFYING AI]
Te a chers ha v e s ta r te d u s i n g A r t i f i c i a l I n tel l i gence d etecto rs to catch st ud ent s usi ng i t to chea t N RESPONSE TO increased academic dishonesty due to use of Artificial Intelligence tools like ChatGPT this year,
teachers
have
begun
running
written assignments through AI detectors. In an Instagram poll of 134 students, 40% reported that they have been accused of using AI on an assignment when they actually. Out of 125 votes, 13% of students have been accurately caught using AI. Turnitin
is
one
software
utilized
by
teachers to scan students’ work for AIgenerated
information.
Andersen
uses
Turnitin for AI detecting as well as its other features. “I
have
used
Turnitin
anyway
for
plagiarism screening, but now it gives us two different measures of originality,” English teacher Amy Andersen said. “We can see the percentage of matched material with other web sources and now an AI percentage match.” However,
these
detectors
you never know which ones are wrong or who to believe.”
issue as well.
supporting evidence is incorrectly cited.
“It comes down to asking, ‘When does the
“AI is not going to be able to tell your
online
writing and ideas become somebody else’s?’”
story the same way you can,” Gibbs said. “It
assignments turned in by students through
Gibbs said. “For me it becomes particularly
cannot generate evidence that you need to
AI detectors after encountering AI written
problematic if [students] are using it to
support your ideas yet.”
work turned in by students. He hopes that
generate text.”
Gibbs
has
begun
running
Senior Violet Paisner believes there are
in the future AI can be incorporated in the
During the college admissions process for
positive ways that AI can be used in school
classroom in a way that’s not simply copying
prospective fall 2024 students, the use of AI
as a quick way to search the internet for facts
responses written by AI.
to write or aid in writing personal narrative
or research.
“As there is with any new technology
essays has come up as a concern, according
“I think AI can be beneficial for generating
there’s an element of excitement, like ‘How
to Education Week. Because of the formulaic
ideas,” Paisner said. “There is just a very
can I use this to benefit students?’” Gibbs
models AI writes with, chatbots will craft
fine line where turning something you got a
said. “But how do you teach how to use those
essays using broad language lacking details
bunch of help writing with your name on it
technologies appropriately? AI in general is
and anecdotes only a human can provide.
becomes straight up plagiarism.”
just so ambiguous in the many different ways that it can be used.” The
introduction
of
AI
chatbots
Gibbs has noticed that if an AI chatbot is
As AI chatbots continue to develop, AI
fed information or a prompt that includes an
detectors will too. The use of these platforms
has
error, it will not correct this in the response it
is set to become more widespread and more
complicated assigned writing meant to be
formulates, making its potential of spreading
regulated, making the future of education’s
done outside of the school day because of
misinformation online much higher. It’ll
relationship with AI uncertain.
how easy it can be used to cheat. Although AI
incorporate
is often seen as a concrete hurdle, it’s seen
given — whether it be a name or date —
by many as an ethical or moral
directly into the response. When writing
the
wrong
information
it’s
for an English class this is easily caught if
can flag any work with vague language or phrasing as being AI-generated, according to senior Lauren McGuire. An essay she’d spent hours writing was flagged by
Turnitin
as
having
been
written by AI. “[AI trackers] are probably a good idea,” McGuire said. “It’s just not totally reliable to use hundreds of kids’ work because
[AI AT EAST]
S tudent s re spond to Instagram polls on the ir A I u sa ge HAVE YOU EVER USED AI TO WRITE AN ASSIGNMENT THAT YOU TURNED IN? * I n s t a g ra m p o l l o f 1 3 1 v o t e s
YES NO
44% 56%
HAVE YOU BEEN CAUGHT USING AI BY A TEACHER? * I n s t a g ra m p o l l o f 1 2 5 v o t e s
YES 13% NO
87%
HAVE YOU BEEN ACCUSED OF USING AI WHEN YOU ACTUALLY DIDN’T? * I n s t a g ra m p o l l o f 1 3 4 v o t e s
YES NO
40% 60%
de s i g n by k at i e murphy
DODGING FOR
SEPTEMBER 18, 2023 | 07
THE HARBINGER
SHARE held a dodgeball tournament on Nov. 8 in the gym with 2 3 par ticipating teams and an entry fee of cereal boxe s to donate to
CEREAL
t he Jo hnso n C o unt y Christma s T O P R I G H T A team of senior boys called “ TPD” for their theme of trailer park boys won the tournament after four matches over two hours. photo by katie murphy
T O P L E F T Players dressed in blackout and jorts themes scramble for dodgeball at the start of a semi-final game. “ That game got really heated,” SHARE Executive ref and senior Laynie Manning said. “People were chanting ‘wanker’ at me. But I made it out alive, and it was worth it for the cereal we collected.” photo by katie murphy B O T T O M L E F T Teams were encouraged to dress in themes, and the bestdressed team decided by SHARE Executives won a Chick-Fil-A giftcard. photo by greyson imm
M I D D L E R I G H T SHARE Executive and senior Blake Hanson fastens a wristband on a player who brought an extra cereal box for an extra life. “Organizing the tournament and reffing was stressful at time,” Hanson said. “I had to give out multiple red cards. There was a player who kept arguing and grabbed me after a call they disagreed with. I had to be super focused on the games.” B O T T O M R I G H T The annual tournament raised over 400 boxes for charity. “It was special when three teams thanked us for putting it together,” SHARE Coordinator Erin Billingsley said. “ We haven’t photo by riley scott been thanked in past years. Also, it was memorable to see a team huddle before their games and have inspirational pep talks.” photo by katie murphy
LOOKING FOR
Something Unique? L O
O K
I
N G
F O R
Something Unique? We have it! From home furniture to personal accessories you can find ittohere! We have it! From home furniture personal accessories you can find it here!
Sun - Wed 10 - 6 | Thurs - Sat 10 - 7 9 0 3 0 M E T C A L F AV E , OV E R L A N D PA R K 9 1 3 - 9 0 1 - 8 8 8 8 - LIKE US ON
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NOVEMBER 13, 2023 | 09
Opinion... smeharbinger.net/category/opinion
trending topics
Popular I te ms an d p e o p l e th at are f o u n d a ro u n d m ed i a S t udent s’ opinions about some
the defrosting
SNL SNL
T h e n e w e s t s e a s o n o f S a t u rd a y N i g h t L i v e d ro p p e d O c t . 1 4 , w i t h n e w e p i s o d e s e v e r y S a t u rd a y n i g h t .
comic strip
s to r y b y ka i m c p h a i l
G oi ng to t he d ent ist is a fu n a c tiv it y
to pic s trending on social media
GOING TO THE dentist is something that
but I actually feel so much better after the
now
I absolutely look forward to. The feeling of
dentist says my teeth are looking good.
DO YOU LISTEN TO CHRISTMAS MUSIC IN NOVEMBER?
getting my teeth cleaned makes me feel like
Have I flossed once in the 16 years that I’ve
a new person. I’ve never understood why
been on this earth? No. But I do take pride
people hate mint paste and various tooth
in my routine brushing... and nothing else
scratching devices that I’ve found relaxing.
matters at the dentist besides your teeth —
The shining lights and the five-cent shades
that’s something that I happen to like.
* I n s t a g ra m p o l l o f 2 2 0 v o t e s
M a r i a h C a re y p o s t e d h e r a n n u a l d e f ro s t i n g v i d e o s i g n a l i n g t h e s t a r t o f t h e C h r i s t m a s s e a s o n o n N o v. 1 .
hot take
YES NO
30%
70%
DO YOU WATCH SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE? * I n s t a g ra m p o l l o f 2 0 1 v o t e s
YES NO
c a r to o n by z a ne l a i ng
46% 54%
Whether it’s the confidence boost that
are a place of healing. Who wouldn’t like a place where you’re
I get with my new pearly-whites or the
required to smile? I walk out of the door
bouncy ball gripped tightly in my hands so
with my teeth whiter and a sore jaw that
it can’t make an escape, the happiness that
only feels natural when you grin. Not to
I get from a visit to
mention the bouncy ball you get from the
the dentist’s office
treasure chest at the end. Wouldn’t you go
is
something
just about anywhere to get a rainbow bouncy
I
think
ball and end up with a happy face? I would.
should love.
that
everyone
I get that the idea of some sort of checkup might not be appealing to most people,
this or that?
S t udent s share their opinions per taining to op-ed ar tic le s in this issu e
DO YOUR ENGLISH TEACHERS USE AI DETECTORS? * I n s t a g ra m p o l l o f 1 6 6 v o t e s
YES NO
29%
61%
DO YOU THINK SCHOOLS SHOULD HAVE THE ABILITY TO BAN BOOKS? * I n s t a g ra m p o l l o f 1 2 0 v o t e s
YES NO
12%
88%
10 | NOVEMBER 13, 2023
story b y addi e mo o re
THE HARBINGER
d e s ig n b y l u c y s t e p h e n s p h o to s b y wi l l gri f f i t h
COMMON
K ansas is nothing like what out -of-staters think it is and offers more than the
MIS KAN CEPTIONS DEBUNKING STEREOTYPES A d d i e por trays common K a n s an stereot ype s
WIZARD OF OZ Every Kansan waltzes around in blue gingham dresses and wears sparkly red slippers.
H
r ural stereo t y p e s m o st co m m o nl y assoc ia te d with it
EY DOROTHY”
Costa Rica we were all gawking at the traffic
what comes to mind? Hollywood. Illinois?
“Do you live on a farm?”
jam and one of my friends asked me why I was
Chicago.
When I went to summer
so surprised — she thought cows in the street
states have at least ten thousand more farms
is a regular occurrence in Kansas.
than Kansas.
camp in Costa Rica, my camp
I’m used to seeing a swarm of bright red
friends would crack the typical Kansas jokes at any chance they got. One girl even sat me
Chiefs jerseys versus livestock. According to the Kansas Department of
out of pure curiosity — she genuinely
Agriculture, only 13% of the Kansas population
those
My camp friends’ default idea of Kansas is
dress, sparkly red slippers and gets swept away in a tornado. One movie shouldn’t determine
cows and “The Wizard of Oz.”
any other state.
the reputation of a state 84 years after its
It isn’t given enough credit for
Another
its
much
breathtaking
more
than
sunsets
and
delicious barbeque. When I search “Kansas” on
misconception
from
leaving
And sure, “The Wizard of Oz” is a classic,
and lawyers like normal people you can find in
is
—
Wizard of Oz.”
whopping 87% having normal jobs like doctors
Kansas
farming
of
but not every Kansan wears a blue gingham
a horse to school.
with
both
a
thought I lived in a red barn and rode
involved
enough,
Dorothy’s tornado-struck house from “The
down and asked what my house looked like is
Ironically
my
camp
friends is that the majority of our population according to Pew Research Center,
champion football team or the diverse weather
47% of
up are photos of wheat fields and
of which live in the rural areas.
to
— literally anything other than farms. When I learned about history like “Bleeding
Moral of the story: Kansas is NOT just Republican farmers.
Kansas” in my seventh grade social studies class I was engaged more than usual because
of
You can catch my friends and I at the City
I was learning about my home state. A pivotal
population,
Market or shopping in the West Bottoms on a
point in our country’s history is much more
nice Saturday morning — not harvesting corn
important than Dorothy and the Wicked Witch
for my dinner that night.
of the West.
only
the
be known for its
fun college towns, our three time Super Bowl
Kansans identify as Republican — the majority
land is rural, it is home
Instead, Kansas should
are aggressive old Republican white men. But,
Google, the first things that pop sunflowers. Despite 85% of Kansas’
release.
25%
according the
to Kansas
Children’s Cabinet.
To all of the out-of-staters, I can promise
Basketball,
one
of
the
most
popular
you we don’t all wear grass-stained jeans and
sports in America — with last year’s NCAA
Driving
cowboy boots — I prefer flip flops. I’ll proudly
Championship having over 14.5 million views
past a herd
put on my white, stainless cowboy boots and
— was invented at the University of Kansas.
of 50 cows on
jean dress from Zara for a Luke Bryan concert,
I’m sure people think of basketball more than
but that’s about the only time you’ll see
farmers.
the
street
in
anyone dressed country. People
from
Kansas is a lot more than outsiders credit it pictured
— and it’s time for people to open their minds
wearing overalls, and they have nine thousand
to the actual important things Kansas has to
more
offer.
farms
Minnesota
than
Kansas,
aren’t
according
to
Beef2Live. When people think of California,
LIVE ON FARMS
All Kansans wake to the crow of their pet rooster and begin their long days milking cows and harvesting crops.
RED NECKS Kansans speak in a raspy country accent proudly display their American flags for all their neighbors.
stor y by l uke beil
NOVEMBER 13, 2023 | 11
THE HARBINGER
de s i g n by cl ara burd ic k p h o to s by mol l y mi l ler
TARGETING
MISS AMERICANA
Why i t i s unheal t hy and unnat ural for obse sse d Ta ylor S wift fa ns to idolize he r
I
T HAS BEEN a
of movie theaters like
for women. But she’s also a 5’11’’ blonde
how Swift fans were doing
white woman who meets all of our
fall) for anyone in Kansas City that
at her concerts. Swift fans who didn’t
culture’s standards for beauty. Working
has bad blood with Taylor Swift’s
get tickets even waited in parking lots
out, wearing makeup and being styled
hit albums or her love story with Travis
outside of gates just to hear her concert.
by fashion labels undoubtedly makes
cruel
summer
(and
There’s
Kelce.
a
lot
of
traits
people
Someone has to say it: the level of
appreciate about Swift as a person: she
obsession Swifties have for Taylor is
comes across as personable, kind, warm
unhealthy and needs to stop.
and
affectionate.
for
advocates for progressive politics like climate change and animal conservation,
burn me at the stake, I do appreciate
gun violence and sexism. However, her
while ironically being a frequent flyer in
her style of music and I do listen to her
public image is artificial.
her private jet. manager
Her plane released more than 8,000
why people are fans. However, there’s
of PR. Ask a Swiftie how they know
tons of emissions in a year, which is
a difference between being a fan and
about
Taylor’s
1,000
having a detrimental obsession.
her
documentary
songs from time to time — I understand
an
exceptional
up
Plus Taylor makes it known that she
causes she believes in like LGBTQ rights,
is
stands
appearance.
Before all the Swifties attempt to
Swift
She
millions of girls feel bad about their
life.
They
might
Miss
Americana
say
times
average
for
greater an
than
the
individual,
yearly
according
following
(which happens to be produced by her).
to SlashGear.com. Even though she’s
behaviors: spending tens of thousands
Everything we see from Taylor is very
loaning the plane out for other people to
of dollars on concert tickets (in the
carefully manufactured to create this
ride, that’s still a crazy amount.
case of Kansas City $14,000 for the best
unrealistic perfect image. But in reality
seats) or filming yourself sobbing like a
she’s not flawless.
I’m
talking
about
the
baby while watching a recording of her concert in a movie theater. A riot began outside a restaurant during a rehearsal dinner for producer Jack Antonoff just because she might be there. Hell, the USA Today hired a reporter to exclusively cover her.
Taylor’s reputation aside, the bottom line is that there are more important things to focus on. Millions of people
listening to a re-recording of an album se•ri•al that is ten years old is fine, but they m o • n o g • a • m i s t shouldn’t overshadow completely new
S o m e o n e w h o w i l l j u m p f ro m o n e s e r i o u s re l a t i o n s h i p t o t h e n ex t .
albums
by
other
artists
like
to
Travis’
mom
and
Taylor
looking awkward as they hug.
Swift-mania is getting out of hand. isn’t
Swift’s public feuds with ex-friends
It’s more important to read articles
unique to Swift. There’s lots of cult-
and boyfriends range from immature to
about the death of hundreds of people
like
internet
toxic. She’s a serial monogamist that
in the Middle East than yet another
like Beyonce, The Grateful Dead and
makes Pete Davidson look inexperienced.
one about the way Taylor clapped when
“Star Wars.” But specifically Swifties’
She loves to rant in her songs about how
Travis scored. But that’s all Swift’s fans
obsessions aren’t healthy for a number
much she despises her exes and it’s all
ever want to hear about her, so that’s
of reasons. No one is trading thousands
their fault that things didn’t work out.
what the media gives them.
Sure,
excessive
fandoms
all
fandom
over
the
of handmade Star Wars bracelets outside
Yes, Taylor advocates for inclusivity
R e a s o ns w hy Ta yl o r S w i ft i s o v e r ra te d
THE FANS The fans will pay tens of thousands of dollars to go to her concerts and will tape themselves bawling in a theater due to the new Eras Tour movie.
THE JET Swift’s private jet released more than 8000 tons of emissions in a year, which goes against everything she “believes in” regarding environmental conservation.
Olivia
Rodrigo. I’m tired of the NFL broadcast cutting
OVERRATED.
Seriously, let’s end the obsession.
THE SONGS Her last few albums have had the same folklore vibe to them, which gets old quickly as fans over-play them.
12 | NOVEMBER 13, 2023
THE HARBINGER
SPEAKER KID F re s h m a n E l i j ah S teward, also known as “speaker k i d ,” s h a re s a bout walking
around the
h a l l s b l a s t i n g music
bet ween
c l as s e s
d e s ig n b y k a i m c p h a i l p h o to b y c a ro l i n e m a r t u cc i
HALLWAY PICKS
Two of Elijah’s favorite songs
When did you start walking around the halls with a speaker?
“ “ “ “
to pla y on the wa y to cla ss
SPEAKER KID STARTED three
months ago. One week after [I started school], I just brought the speaker in with me.
What is your favorite genre to play in the hallways? I LIKE PLAYING rap
“GANG FREESTYLE PT.2”
By GangWay Jay
music that’s goofy. It’s fun seeing people’s faces in the hall.
When did the “speaker kid” name start and stick? THE NAME CAME a few days after I brought it [to school]. They were calling me speaker kid before knowing my name.
How has being “speaker kid” affected you and your experience at East? IT BOOSTED MY name further than ever, at first everybody would yell ‘Speaker kid!’ at me in the halls. People were taking photos with me and posting them on their Snapchat and Instagram stories.
“COME OUT”
By OneTwo, MostHated Ronny, 356 Mirskiee
de s ign by veroni ca mangi ne
smeharbinger.net/category/feature
Feature
photos by clara pet ers, m o l l y m i l l e r, riley scott , will griffi t h & kenna h arrin g t on
THIS ISSUE I N
photos
NOVEMBER 13, 2023 | 13
HIDDEN
TALENTS S tudent s share their unique ta lent s a nd tricks
A look inside student life at East in the past two weeks of school
FLIPPING | CARSON GRAVES
“
WHEN I WAS younger I had a trampoline and after learning a few tricks it just became a hobby of mine. I like pushing myself to learn new tricks and I teach myself everything.
DOLL EYES | ANDI PRENDIVILLE
“
I CAN HOLD one eye shut for a long amount of time without twitching. It doesn’t feel weird, but no one else can do it. My friends call it ‘doll eyes’ because it looks like American Girl Dolls when they flip their eyes.
T O P Junior Joseph Jenkins holds a car tire as junior Sam Day uses an impact wrench to loosen the last few bolts before removing and replacing the tire.
T O P Senior Adam Minto designs a poster for the upcoming canned food drive for Johnson County Christmas Bureau.
B O T T O M Sophomore Millie Byerly observes elements changing colors in a flame during the flame test lab.
photo by clara peters
photo by molly miller
photo by kenna harrington
S YL BRU N D I G E
EMMY SULLIVAN
ALEX TIED T
S E NIO R
S E NIO R
SENIOR
LAST
MINUTE
VISITS
Seniors who visited universities and colleges before their first application deadlines
“
I TOURED [INDIANA]
because it’s a larger school, the sports are good-ish and they have a really good business school. I can see myself there, and I’ve applied.
“
I TOURED MICHIGAN
because my brother goes there and loves it. The campus was incredible, the architecture is amazing and Ann Arbor is the coolest town.
“
I VISITED CURRY College to meet
the soccer coaches in person and watch the team play. I got to get a vibe from the campus and have lunch with the team, which gave me a good feeling about the school.
s to r y by ma g g i e ki s sick d e si g n by kat i e mu r phy
THE HARBINGER
p h o to s by ken n a h a rr ing t on
SHOPLIFTING
* n a me s changed to
S
p ro te ct i de n ti t y
around
ENIOR HARPER STEVENSON* walks to an empty aisle inside to
of
ensure
I spy a gold chain necklace, a pair of Air A fashionable hair clip, a warm winter sl
Ulta. no
Search for riddled items commonlyshoplifted by high schoolers
Looking employees
Teenagers ha v e inc re a s ingly tu r ne d to s hoplifting a s a pa s time w hi
you
want,”
Stevenson
b
Depending on the cost of the merchandise stolen,
ri
me is almost like an easy way
retail theft can be charged as a misdemeanor or a felony.
is
of getting what [I] want without
According to K.S.A. § 21-5801, if the stolen items are
d
paying for it.”
are
potential legal ramifications.
said. “And so shoplifting for
Shoplifting
increase
Misdemeanor — the highest misdemeanor charge. This
ab
gloss into her Louis Vuitton purse and walks out of the
in recent years — despite the potential legal and
could result in up to a year in prison and fines of up
st
store.
financial consequences, according to the National Retail
to $2500 if convicted. But if the stolen items are worth
th
She doesn’t need the lip gloss — Stevenson will stuff
Federation. In Prairie Village, there were 283 reported
more than $1000, it becomes a felony charge which can
it in her makeup drawer alongside the 10 others just like
theft cases in 2022 — 100 more than there were 10 years
result in 17 months in prison and fines up to $100,000.
it. And she has the money to pay for it, but ever since
ago, according to student resource officer Jeremy Shull.
Despite the risks of shoplifting, 47% of students who
n
she started shoplifting a year ago, the thrill of seeing
In Mission Hills, theft cases doubled from 40 cases in
shoplift aren’t concerned about getting caught, according
g
how much makeup, jewelry or skincare products she can
2021 to 80 cases in 2022.
to an Instagram poll of 67 students.
watching, she shoves a hot pink Fenty Beauty lip
steal without getting caught overrides any desire to pay for the items.
has
valued at less than $1000, it’s classified as a level A
seen
a
notable
Stores across the country lost an estimated $112.1 billion to retail theft in 2022. This number has doubled
“Sometimes I’ll take things and I’ll get home and
since 2019. Retailers in Kansas lost $616 million in
think to myself, ‘Why did I even take this? I don’t need
“I don’t think the workers are getting paid or care enough to stop me,” Stevenson said.
em
stresses that shoplifting charges are serious. Because
to
it,’” Stevenson said. “But it’s just so easy to take things
5-10% of shoplifters are caught, according to the United
theft is considered a crime of dishonesty, getting caught
w
from stores, and I really don’t see that big of a problem
States Department of Justice.
shoplifting can make it more difficult to get a job.
se
d
Stevenson is one of at least 67 other East students who
“borrowing,” sharing tips on the best places to “borrow”
said. “Employers don’t want to hire people with theft
sh
shoplift, according to an Instagram poll of 218 students
from and the best ways to do it. #Borrowingtipsandtricks
charges, so if you want to make yourself unemployable,
sh
and community members. This aligns with a broader
has amassed over eight billion views on TikTok, according
get a theft charge.”
nationwide pattern of teen shoplifting, as approximately
to Insider.
to mental health center Newport Academy. “Growing up, you can’t always have everything that
shoplifting
Hapem
“Theft crimes look really bad on your record,” Chahine
a quarter of shoplifters are under the age of 18, according
label
attorney
as
with it.”
trends
defense
in
revenue to theft in 2022, according to the NRF. Only
TikTok
criminal
fo
Chahine
Additionally,
Local
H
For sophomore Thomas Miller*, shoplifting is a funny
te
As shoplifting becomes increasingly popular, lawyers,
and entertaining thing to do with his friends. Miller and
co
psychologists and police officers caution that teens
his friends steal from Five Below, and he feels it’s not a
m
should think carefully before stealing, as the still-
bad thing to do because the items are so cheap.
u
developing teenage brain may not fully comprehend the
KLEPTO mania
S ta t i s t i c s f ro m t h e c i t y and Instagram s h o w i n g an i n c re a s e i n s h op l i ft i ng l o cal l y
“I make money, I can afford everything that I take,
283 216 27%
REPORTED SHOPLIFTING INCIDENTS IN PRAIRIE VILLAGE FOR 202 2
10-YEAR AVERAGE PRAIRIE VILLAGE INCIDENT COUNT
55 %
OF EAST STUDENTS SHOPLIFT *in an Instagram poll of 218 OF EAST STUDENTS WHO SHOPLIFT H AV E T H E M O N E Y T O PAY F O R W H AT THEY STEAL *in an Instagram poll of 44
p
NOVEMBER 13, 2023 | 15
NEWS -FEATURE
An electronic charger, a beaded bracelet, A pair of Nikes, a little lipstick, and a duo of diamond earrings.
rpods, lipper;
i le ov e rlooking the long - te r m re p e rc u s s i o n s a s s o c i a te d w i t h t hei r act i o ns
but we just do it because why not?” Miller said. “It’s
The limbic system, which controls the experience and
any security tags removed so they see I’m around and
isky, which makes it fun. And stealing from [Five Below]
expression of emotions, tends to be more active during
watching,” Mandsager said. “So then I report them to
sn’t that bad because all the stuff is so cheap that if you
adolescence. This can contribute to heightened emotional
[security], and they handle it.”
did get caught, you could just pay [them] back.”
responses and a desire for emotional gratification, which
Similarly, senior Sophie Harris* doesn’t feel bad
bout stealing. Harris and Stevenson both believe that
tealing from large chains like Target isn’t a big deal, as
he chains are already making substantial profits.
may lead to some teenagers engaging in risky behaviors
Target security declined to comment on when they prosecute shoplifters.
like shoplifting.
As of Oct. 1, Target created a new policy stipulating
“I think teenagers just feel invincible,” McConnahay
that the self-checkout is now restricted to customers
said. “Like they have [this] sense that nothing bad is
with 10 items or less. Additionally, womens clothing is
“You’d think that I would feel guilty, but I don’t,”
going to happen. They’re not thinking, ‘What if I get
frequently stolen at Target, according to Mandsager. As
Harris said. “I feel smart. I feel slick. Which is definitely
caught?’ They don’t have that delayed gratification
a response, a majority of the clothing items — whether
not good because I’m gonna get caught one day and it’s
where they’re like, ‘I’m going to save money and work
they are $5 or $40 — have security tags on them.
gonna be really bad.”
to get this.’”
or
Stevenson and Harris even have their own strategies shoplifting.
Stevenson
brings
her
nice
Understanding the true cost of shoplifting is crucial.
This false-security for teenagers is having an effect on
Shoplifting has hidden costs that go far beyond the initial
purses
large retail chains. Target announced it was closing nine
nto stores — Louis Vuitton or Marc Jacobs — so the
stores in New York, California, Oregon and Washington
stolen item’s value, according to Chahine. “If somebody steals a $20 item, that on average
mployees don’t suspect her of shoplifting. She used
due to theft and organized crime in September of 2023,
will cost them about $850,” Chahine said. “So that’s
o take makeup items out of the packaging when she
according to CNN, and they lost $400 million due to
a big thing that they want to consider when you steal
was stealing them, because she was nervous about the
shoplifting in 2022, according to Insider.
something small. You have restitution, fines, attorneys
ensors going off when she left the store, but now she
To combat this, Target is increasing its anti-theft
doesn’t anymore. Harris steals clothes and jewelry, and
measures according to Target employee and math teacher
fees, community service and you have to do a theft
he usually stashes items in her sleeves or pockets. If
Neeta Mandsager. Since Mandsager began working for
Prairie Village municipal judge and East parent
he’s stealing jewelry, she’ll put it on.
Target in 2022, she noticed that people would often
Michelle DeCicco emphasizes that teenagers who are
defender class. It’s all very expensive.”
The lack of awareness of the risks behind shoplifting in
steal items from the self checkout — acting like they
shoplifting for thrill or amusement have more productive
eenagers can be attributed to the fact that the prefrontal
scanned the items and leaving without paying. Most
ways to spend their time.
ortex — the part of your brain that controls decision-
Target employees can’t stop people from shoplifting due
making and impulse control — isn’t fully developed
to security reasons, according to Mandsager.
until the age of 25, according to child and adolescent
psychologist Kathy McConahay.
* s t u d e n t re s p o n s e s i n a n I n s t a g ra m p o l l o f 1 76 v o t e s
YES NO
83% 17%
“If someone is not scanning their items [at self checkout], all that I can do is ask them if they need
IS SHOPLIFTING BAD?
“Get into therapy, get a job or go into sports,” DeCicco said. “I understand how a child might think ‘Oh, [shoplifting] might be exciting.’ But that’s just such a false impression that they have.”
IF YOU SHOPLIFT, ARE YOU SCARED OF BEING CAUGHT? * s t u d e n t re s p o n s e s i n a n I n s t a g ra m p o l l o f 76 v o t e s
YES NO
46%
54%
FIND
HELP ONLINE
Scan to find resources from the Mayo Clinic to cope with kleptomania, break habits and schedule therapy sessions if needed
16 | NOVEMBER 13, 2023
hanging
story b y mar y g a ge n
THE HARBINGER
OUT
d e s ig n b y b ri d ge t co n n e l l y p h o to s c o u r te s y o f eva s m i t h & ce l e s t e m o re h e a d
A erial Ar t s Club let s athlete s share their passion for the spor t
WHILE MOST HIGH schoolers are playing soccer or
founded the Aerial Arts Club this year. At meetings in Room
basketball, aerial artists are flying, falling and flipping at
524, members stretch and share their questions or concerns
local aerial arts studios, Learning2Fly and KC Aerial Arts.
relating to their aerial routines to help each other improve.
Junior Eva Smith and sophomore Celeste Morehead can
According to Smith, going over difficult parts of a routine
be found practicing death drops — spinning towards the
with other people can help reduce mental blocks.
ground — or illusion beats to a back hip circle transition,
“I love being able to help younger aerialists and be the mentor for them that people at my studio have been for me,”
gracefully moving around a large hoop called a lyra. In order to unite aerialists at East, Smith and Morehead
Smith said. “I wanted to provide a space for aerialists here at East.”
smith
EVA
5001 W 117th St.
KC AERIAL ARTS Leawood, KS 66211
AS SHE SPUN on her lyra for the last time with her best
the studio.”
friend, Cassie Stevens at KCA in May, Smith felt the tears
When then-10-year-old Smith broke her big toe, she
start flowing. After getting so close in only a year, she
knew she no longer wanted to do gymnastics, but she still
wasn’t prepared to say goodbye as Stevens prepared to leave
wanted the sensation of flying and climbing that came with
for college.
her competition team. That’s when aerial arts came into the
In that moment, Smith realized she wanted to be the role
picture.
model for others — just like Cassie was for her, by pushing
According to Smith, creating a community at East for
her to be better. Over six years, Smith has grown in her sport
a sport that most people aren’t aware of was important to
by practicing five and a half to seven hours a week.
her, so she sought to provide a space for people in similar
“We can’t [raise our apparatus] at school because the
situations to grow together as athletes.
school would be liable,” Smith said. “But the goal is for
“I love getting to perform,” Smith said. “It’s a special
aerialists to have a place at school where they can talk about
opportunity, since most aerial artists don’t. This sport
certain difficulties, such as the physical strain outside of
definitely means a lot to me.”
morehead
CELESTE
56336 Johnson Drive
LEARNING2FLY Mission, KS 66202
THE SENSATION OF being in the air — despite the silks
According to Morehead, participating in aerial silks has
holding her up — gave her the feeling of flight when she
given her a confidence boost, both in and out of the studio.
perfected her knee drop. She twisted in the air, ending in an
She says learning new skills and executing them always
immediate stop as she caught herself with her knees.
makes her feel better and more accomplished.
Starting at 7 years old, Morehead knew she loved climbing.
“I definitely am more confident,” Morehead said. “I feel
Whether it was gymnastics or rock climbing, something
better when I do silks because of the physical activity and
about being up in the air made her feel alive.
the sense of accomplishment.”
Despite the pain of the silks tightening on her and fear of
Morehead encourages people interested in silks to sign up for a class, even if they’ve never tried it before.
falling, Morehead persisted. “It was scary when I was first learning, but it’s not
“I definitely think people should just start coming to
anymore,” Morehead said. “I put a lot of trust in the silks.
classes,” Morehead said. “It’s a lot of fun, even if you think
Even if you don’t catch yourself doing something, the silks
you aren’t strong enough. Just come to the class, and you
will still catch you.”
might surprise yourself.”
learn Sign up to learn
ho w to d o aer i al
SCAN ME LESSONS Sign up for beginner lessons at KCA. Must be 13+
SCAN ME LESSONS Sign up for beginner lessons at Learning2Fly
stor y by lyla wee ks
NOVEMBER 13, 2023 | 17
THE HARBINGER
de s i g n by aanya bans al p h o tos co ur te s y o f caden c ros bie
AU REVOIR KANSAS S ophomore Ca d e n C ro s b i e a t te n d s b o a rd i ng scho o l i n S w i t zer l and and t ravel s aro u nd E u rope d u r i n g w e e ke n d s
S
ITTING IN HER bedroom, then-
Crosbie narrowed her list of schools down
“She told us she was accepted and we
freshman Caden Crosbie opens her
to Collège Alpin Beau Soleil in Villars-sur-
didn’t really think about it at first and spent
“Some trips are paid for by the school, but
Notes app — a list of two boarding
Ollon and Leysin American School. Ultimately,
the whole summer with her,” Hawes said. “I
we have to pay extra if we want to do different
schools in Europe stares back at her.
Crosbie decided to attend Leysin American
don’t think it really became reality to any of
activities,” Crosbie said.
From the rolling mountains of the Alps,
School because of the lenient rules and safety
us until August.”
peaked with snow, to the bustling chatter of
of the town.
places like France, Spain and Austria.
On weekends, the students are granted
Hand-written letters from her friends
overnight or day travel if grades permit, and
the foreign cities surrounding, she has always
She spent weeks getting in touch with the
were scattered over Crosbie’s bed as she said
Crosbie has seen the neighboring countries
dreamed of living in Europe because of its
admissions office, paying the $3,000 fee to
her final goodbyes to her best friends with
with her new friends. Through this, she’s
beauty.
apply, taking placement tests, writing essays
tears in her eyes.
created some of the best memories she’s
Looking back at her freshman year at
and getting a student visa. All her hard work
“I wrote her a handwritten letter that was
East, now sophomore Crosbie realizes that
paid off when she received a letter in the
three pages long, and it was about her and
she craved more cultural experiences and
mail with the word “accepted” starting the
our friendship,” Hawes said. “I think for like
“Paris has been my favorite place so far,”
memories.
sentence.
an hour we cried and hugged each other in
Crosbie said. “We took a boat tour around
our arms.”
the River Seine and my friends and I went
she
“Early one morning in June, my mom
researched about a country that has always
woke me up to tell me I’d been accepted into
interested
of
both of the schools I applied to,” Crosbie said.
Switzerland,
Europe’s most iconic countries of France,
“I was really scared because I didn’t know
abroad, meeting friends from all over the
Austria and Germany, was Switzerland —
anyone over there, but overall was excited
globe and waking up to views of the Swiss
home
since I loved the country so much.”
Alps.
Needing
of
a her.
the
change
from
Sitting
most
Kansas,
between
prestigious
some
boarding
A day later, Crosbie landed in Leysin, and
began
her
school
year
ever experienced in places like Germany and Montreux, Switzerland.
shopping. We kept on saying one more store, and by the time the day was over, we could barely fit the bags in the car.” Spending her sophomore year in the land of fondue has expanded her love for seeing
schools in the world and phenomenal skiing
Her next step was telling her friends that
opportunities — a sport she’s been in love
she was accepted and planned to move later
International
with since age four.
that summer, which according to Crosbie was
Crosbie has adjusted to her new lifestyle
one of the hardest steps yet. One of Crosbie’s
well. Crosbie is currently learning French and
“I love Switzerland because it’s so beautiful
she was going to spend her sophomore year,
best
continuing Spanish. She enjoys immersing
here, and the weather is always nice,” Crosbie
and she booked her flight to her new home
didn’t believe Crosbie at first, and it wasn’t
herself in the culture everyday.
said. “I love skiing too and can’t wait to do
on Aug. 29.
until her final days in Prairie Village that the
It was that moment when she knew where
friends,
sophomore
actuality set in.
ON THE MAP
Margot
Hawes,
From Honors level classes at East, to Baccalaureate
education,
A few times each semester, Leysin students travel on culture trips, and Crosbie explored
the world to a whole other level, and she looks forward to exploring the rest of the continent with the freedoms from her new school.
so. It’s a really safe city and really close to other countries I love to visit as well.”
Locat i o n s C ro s b i e h a s v i s i te d d u r i n g h e r t i m e in Europe with photos that she to o k w it h inf or m ati o n ab o u t h e r stu dy ab ro ad program
PORTUGAL
Founded by a family of educators in 1961
FRANCE
PARIS, FRANCE
Over 300 students across the world attend SPAIN MARBELLA, SPAIN
Students can participate in recreational and competitive skiing through the school’s ski program
SWITZERLAND
LEYSIN, SWITZERLAND
S t e p h a n i e W a r d e n DDS 2200 West 75th Street Prairie Village / Kansas 66208 stephanie@wardendds.com P 913.825.2500 / F 913.825.2501
S C A N F OR F U L L L IST OF SE RVIC E S
de s i g n by r i l ey scott
NOVEMBER 13, 2023 | 19
THE HARBINGER
HALLO- !rings
SCAN ME GALLERY Scan this QR code to view more about this event
Orche stra held a pop-up Halloween concer t for st ud ent s d ur i ng se mina r on Tu e sda y, Oc t . 3 1
ABOVE All of the orchestra members participating in the performace sit in a circle while spectators surround them. Sophomore Nithmi Walpitage said, “My favorite part was playing with my friends that are in different hours.” photo by mason sajna
A B O V E Junior Remi Lee reads a spooky story they wrote during the middle of the performance. photo by mason sajna R I G H T Members of orchestra light up their sheets of music with their phone flashlights. The lights were turned off to bring greater attention to the Halloween lights hanging around the ceiling. photo by mason sajna
A B O V E Senior Reid Welsh plays the cello during the concert. The performance was during seminar, so only students and teachers had access to it. “It was fun to finally play for an audience that wasn’t super official,” Welsh said. photo by mason sajna L E F T Freshman Addison Pond looks at her sheet music while playing the violin. photo by mason sajna
20 | NOVEMBER 13, 2023
A & E...
de s ig n by so ph i a bro c kme i e r ph o to s co ur te s y o f imdb, ma so n s an ja & zi n e c l u b 7 p.m.
N O V. 2 9
7 p.m.
DEC. 1
NHS ceremony
MORP school dance
UPCOMING EVENT Mark your calendars
smeharbinger.net/category/a&e
STUDENT SPOTLIGHT
WATCH OUT
Zine Club makes miniature magazines and sells them at fairs on the weekends
“
Several floats to look out for in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade on Nov. 17
A ZINE IS
pretty much a mini magazine. You take a regular piece of paper and fold it and cut it up this certain way and it makes a little book and then you can put whatever you want on it. I love creating art, but I often struggle with finding ways to express it. Making zines just feels really easy, and I really love doing it. can put all the creative ideas in my head into a physical piece of art.
ACORN
15 million real acorns would fit inside introduced in 2021
BLUEY
7 bicycles long Australian TV show Hand-painted
NATAL I E JO N ES SOPHOMORE
A B O V E The Lawrence Art Fair showcased many artists, including the zine club, with various mediums of art
ABOVE The zine machine dispenses zines in the art gallery
T O P Sophomores Audrey Harbert and Lucy Brooks sell zines at the Lawrence Print Fair on Oct. 25. B O T T O M Several zines that were sold at the fair made by zine club members.
ICE CREAM CONE 3 stories tall 3 taxi cabs wide made in 2019
THANKSGIVING RELEASES New movies to watch this Thanksgiving on Nov. 23
THE BALLAD OF SONGBIRDS AND SNAKES
Length:
2 hr 45 min
Where: Theaters
Genre: Action
ARE YOU PLANNING ON WATCHING THE BALLAD OF SONGBIRDS AND SNAKES? * I n s t a g ra m p o l l o f 1 4 7 v o t e s
YES NO
44% 56%
NEXT GOAL WINS
Length:
TROLLS BAND TOGETHER
Length:
1 hr 37 min
1 hr 31 min
Theaters
Theaters
Where:
Genre: Drama
Where:
Genre:
Adventure
s tor y by l arki n brund i ge
d e si g n by sydney ec k
p h o to s by g reyson i mm
NOVEMBER 13, 2023 | 21
THE HARBINGER
ROOTED IN KC
WHILE TAKING A trip to a museum seems more like an elementary school field trip than a Saturday afternoon activity, I’ve found one that’s worth giving up a few hours of my shopping at Target. At Gladstone Blvd in Downtown KC lies the Kansas City Museum — a four-floor, 70-room mansion compiled
with artifacts owned by Robert Alexander Long
FIRST FLOOR
— the president of the Long-Bell Lumber company of KC and his wife Ella Long.
After entering through the free general admission, I was greeted by a woman at the front desk and given a brief description of what I’d find on each floor. The first floor contains the home’s history so I grabbed a map and embarked on my tour of all four floors.
SECOND FLOOR
The K ansas Cit y Museum displays four f loors of exhibit s on local history for fre e in Corinthia n Ha ll
THIRD FLOOR
DOWNSTAIRS
seat theater showcasing films that go into
walked down the stairs and the cafe
detail about the history of the house and
Elixir was blocked off with a sign that
the family. This broke up my 30-minute
said it would be opening later this
walk through the museum and allowed
year. It’ll serve baked goods, juice,
me to sit and listen to information rather
coffee
than standing and reading as I did in other
those doors open, I’ll be the first one
sections.
in line.
ON THE THIRD floor, there’s a 42-
I WAS UNDERWHELMED when I
and
sandwiches.
Whenever
Walking into one of the three galleries
But I kept walking and saw the
I STARED IN awe at the gold detailing
WHILE MAKING MY way up to the second floor,
on this floor, a ‘70s tune was playing. The
game room — the most intriguing
running
white-and-beige
I was surprised to walk into a room filled with KC
walls were covered in bands and artists
part of this floor. A pool table, chess
walls while wandering and reading the
history. I thought the museum would mainly be
from that decade like the Grateful Dead,
and checkers were laid out in the
descriptions of the original furniture
about the history of the mansion — I was pleasantly
The Beatles and Stevie Wonder.
completely wooden room for guests to
in the four rooms, including a tea set
surprised to see I was wrong. Only the first floor
I stood in this room for at least five
play. I deeply appreciated this room
that was purchased in 1910 during the
is directly related to the original house, while the
minutes — an extended amount of time
which shifts your attention to a game
family’s Grand Tour of Europe.
other three floors offered historical exhibits about
compared to my brisk two minute walk
and gives you the chance to focus on
the city, which was a good balance of content and
through the other three galleries. The
something else — and I could show
offered something for all visitors.
music drew me in along with the neon
my friends up at pool after a long day
colors popping from the wall.
at the museum.
It
felt
over
like
the
walking
through
the
original home — the mirrors still on the wall, an original tapestry hanging
There wasn’t an end to the amount of artifacts
up and rustic light fixtures. It was as if
ranging from school spirit wear to a jukebox. This
nothing had moved over time.
made the information feel more personal by seeing
The center of the first floor was my favorite part — a grand marble staircase
pieces once owned by KC residents. The
diversity
of
history
was
well
executed
leading to windows of stained glass with
including full exhibits on LGBTQ+ pride, immigration
a view overlooking the city. My eyes
and segregation in KC. A good museum includes all
were drawn to the windows, which were
sides of the story, and the KC Museum accomplished
decorated in shades of dark brown and
this with inclusion and diversity in stories.
green leaves.
OVERALL
MUSEUMS HOLD A a reputation of being bland, but the Kansas City Museum broke that standard. With the change of exhibitions on each floor, I was fully engaged and eager to see what the next room held. It gave me an unbiased view and a variety of historical perspectives of KC that I haven’t experienced anywhere else.
A LOOK INSIDE
A r t i f a c t s l o c a ted o n t h e f i rs t a nd second floor
A B O V E Located on the first floor is a restored trapestry from the original dinning room showcasing the greek god of winemaking, Dionysus.
A B O V E Located in the living room on the first floor is a custom piano gifted to the Long family in 1910.
A B O V E The second floor currently includes an exhibit of St. Joseph Hospital Collection which includes objects showcases the medical past of the hospital.
22 | NOVEMBER 13, 2023
story b y so ph i a bro c kme i e r
THE HARBINGER
d e s ig n b y e mme rs o n wi n f rey p h o to s c o u r te s y o f IM D B
A GUTSY WATCH “K illers of the Flower Moon” was underwhelming, as the plot was stereot ypical and the scene s were exce ssively graphic who abused the Osage Native Americans for their money. Excessive
N
OT
EVEN
violence
in
the
movie
Sticking by the classic harmony-to-
a theme for “Killers of the Flower Moon”
tragedy blueprint, the directors didn’t
— wolves, or people, can hide in plain
even
sight.
try
to
differentiate
themselves
distracts from its message. Within the
from other Hollywood movies. There’s
first 15 minutes, the characters plot the
four stereotypical court scenes and three
“wolves”
murders of all the other side characters
classic doctor’s office examination room
the
that haven’t even hit the screen yet.
scenes.
unnoticed for the majority of the time.
After
THE most
hearing
hair
scraped
off
a
One hour into the three hour long
yet
were
animals
their
the
—
actions
in
went
I appreciated this small allusion to the
the
Osage Native American children’s book
haunted
off another body like spaghetti sauce
cardinal rule of Cinemark: no devices.
that could have been followed throughout
gruesome
dripping off a spatula, I started to
As the flow of “Killers of the Flower
the
have
wonder if IMDB mis-categorized the
Moon” slowed down to a snail’s pace I
chose to distract the viewers with so
could
breaking
Hale
movie,
scrape
myself
town,
and savage
body with a saw or seeing flesh ooze
or
found
—
realistic
house
I
Burkhardt
movie.
However,
the
directors
the
movie as a “drama” film instead of
couldn’t take it anymore: I checked my
many other small details like doctor’s
scenes
that
“Killers
“horror” one. The R rating didn’t even
phone every 30 minutes and groaned as I
prescriptions or meal plans that I lost
of
Flower
Moon”
prepare me for the gore.
noticed I still had more time left.
track of this concept by the conclusion.
prepared the
me
for
Burkhardt
brought. “Killers of the Flower
meets
his
future
wife
To
complement of
the
slow
pace,
Finally, at the end of a three-hour
Moon”
had
saga of blood and guts, I prepared myself
Mollie Kyle played by Lily Gladstone 30
“Killers
the
Flower scenes
and
themes.
For
bloody
minutes into the movie — way too late
under-developed
difficult
for a pathetic attempt at tying all the
nightmare, released on Oct.
to introduce a key character in the plot.
to
example,
pieces together in a movie finale. To my
20, and was directed by Dan
Burkhardt, who works as a horse-drawn
the delivery of the theme of the movie
surprise, I enjoyed the ending — a twist
Friedkin and Bradley Thomas. It’s
carriage driver, picks up Kyle in the
wasn’t even clear.
on my perception of how the story was
overall underwhelming with no storyline
town square to drive her to her home.
Sitting in his candle-lit bedroom,
creativity or sensitivity for viewers.
Although this was likely the norm in
Burkhardt reads aloud from an Osage
The film, based on a non-fiction
the 1920s, I still wasn’t pleased with the
Native American children’s book:
book, focuses on the lives of main
unromantic setting of this scene: horse-
Do you see the wolves in this picture?
outcomes, the directors chose to tell it
character
Ernest
Burkhardt
his
poop-filled streets and violent bars —
Burkhardt laughs as the wolves are
through a late night horror TV show skit
wealthy
uncle,
William
Hale
not the ideal situation to meet the love
clearly standing in the middle of a grassy
complete with a band — one of the few
of your life.
meadow.
moments that redeemed the otherwise
Moon”
aka
a
and
King
— played by Robert De Niro — as
To
they manipulate the Osage Native Americans money
to
obtain
wealth
their
in
oil
1920’s
top
off
an
already
beginning,
the
two
relationship
hating
lackluster
began
each
other
expose
the
white
men
beginning
like
Though the directors likely hoped viewers would be pondering the theme
quiet mumbles and the book.
for
every
other film.
I had to do further research after the film to find that this scene also serves as
OIL BREAKDOWN A t i m e l i n e o f the Osage Tribe and oil discovery on their land
1896 1872
Commercial oil development begins on the land
The Osage tribe buys 1.47 million acres from the Cherokee Nation
1903
1897
basic storyline for me.
verbal connection between Burkhardt’s
a
cookie-cutter
The viewer isn’t given long enough
and
slowly started to fall in love — following
to
Instead of lazily throwing text on a black screen to reveal the character’s
to look at the picture to form a visual-
Flower
seeks
told.
their
Oklahoma. “Killers of the Moon”
understand
Congress approves pipeline construction in Indian Territory 1929
The first successful well in the Osage country was completed
1916
days
after,
I
couldn’t
get
over
their unoriginal and ridiculously gory storytelling.
William Hale was sentenced to prison for the killing of an Osage tribal member
Oil-lease auctions started to be held at ‘The Million Dollar Elm’ tree
“
w an d w th in
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Sports
...
d
24 | NOVEMBER 13, 2023
smeharbinger.net/category/sports
13
3 p.m.
NOVEMBER
W i n t e r S p o r t s Tr y o u t s @ S M E
14
3 p.m.
NOVEMBER
W i n t e r S p o r t s Tr y o u t s @ S M E
15
NOVEMBER
individual finish, for a final team score
third and the boys team placed eighth
of 103 points. Junior Jack Broghammer
during the 6A state cross country
led the boys team with a 29th place
championship meet at Rim Rock Farm
individual finish for a final team score
photo by amelie wong
on Oct. 28. Senior Lida Padgett led
of 199 points.
the girls team with an eighth place
ARE YOU EXCITED FOR THE WINTER SPORTS SEASON?
* I n s t a g ra m p o l l o f 2 1 6 v o t e s
76%
YES NO
24%
player review Varsit y S occer play e r a n d s e n i o r B e c k R e t te n m a i e r ’s v i e w o f the Oct . 3 1 g ame a nd how t he tea m ha nd l ed t he l o s s
B E C K R E T TE N M A I E R VA R S I T Y C A P TA I N
“
EVEN THOUGH WE lost, it was a big game. It could’ve
ended better, but I’m glad we went out the way we did. Everybody really stepped in, even the bench players when their names were called, which was really good.
3 p.m.
W i n t e r S p o r t s Tr y o u t s @ S M E
THE GIRLS cross country team placed
A ru ndow n of t he Oct . 2 8 sta te cross country me e t
a y le f t
1
Ma r k y o ur calendars for the se
R I G H T Senior Lida Padgett makes her way through the bridge as she passes the two-mile mark. This was Padgett’s last cross country meet of her high school career. “One of my favorite memories is hanging out with my teammates outside of practice,” Padgett said. “ You see each other at your worst and [I think] that builds the best friendships.” Padgett had a time of 18:51.8.
meet recap
d e s ig n b y i s a b e l b a l d a s s a ro
B O T T O M L E F T Junior Jack Broghammer collapses after crossing the finish line. “At the end [of the race] I’d passed a couple guys, and I was just so exhausted that I had to collapse at the line,” Broghammer said. He had a time of 16:2 9.3. photo by amelie wong B O T T O M R I G H T Sophomore Catherine Beltrame celebrates with her team after they find out East placed third overall. “I was pretty surprised with the results,” Beltrame said. “I didn’t think I did my best in that race, but when I saw the rest of my team celebrating I got really excited.” photo by amelie wong
winter tryouts
countdown UPCOMING EVENTS
16
NOVEMBER
3 p.m.
W i n t e r S p o r t s Tr y o u t s @ S M E
s tor y by li bby marsh
d e si g n by zane l ai ng p h o to s by ma g g i e condon
I
NOVEMBER 13, 2023 | 25
BREAKING POINT THE HARBINGER
T h e m e n ta l an d p h y si cal to l l a st re ss fract ure can generate fo r a cro ss cou ntry c ompe titor N MY HEAD there’s a different version of me.
a fracture here…” Yeah no kidding, I saw it 10 minutes
That’s
A different, invincible athlete. One that doesn’t
ago. I’m mad. Mad at myself. Why is this happening? Why
Competing,
know what Biofreeze is, how to find a stress
me? Why can’t my body handle it?
failing, but not being in excruciating
fracture on an X-ray or how to decipher an MRI
scan.
Someone who got to finish her freshman season of cross country and didn’t have to try and hide a limp
He tells me I have two options: stop running
what
sports
should
succeeding
—
be.
maybe
pain the whole time. There’s a line between
and start physical therapy or keep training. The risk
being sore and being in pain. I love my sport
of it getting worse is low but I’ll be in pain and my
but there comes a time when it’s not worth
performance will go down.
it. But I clearly didn’t learn that during
during track. She wasn’t unevenly walking around the
If I stop, it means spending every day cooped up
Rim Rock cross country course during the league meet
inside, in a boot. I can’t see my friends as often, I can’t
After track season a visit to the
to support her team — she was running it.
compete. But if I keep going, what if things get worse?
doctor, two x-rays and three MRI
I’m in so much pain and I want to stop and I don’t all
scans confirmed that I’d spent the
at the same time.
past season running on not one, but
That girl isn’t me. I’ve had three stress fractures in
“
my legs in the span of a year. I know far too well how
to numb the pain of injuries, how to limp through the last couple of weeks of a season.
If I just stopped running that would fix all my problems... but I can’t.
I need to run. If I’ve had a hard day, at least I have practice after school to forget about it. The feeling of
pushing my body to its limit drowns out everything else and I can just run.
I NEED TO RUN.
If I’ve had a hard day, at least I have practice after school to forget about it. The feeling of pushing my body to the limit drowns out everything else.
It’s not always fun, it’s not always easy. But it’s the
that make it all worth it. That’s why I ignore the pain shooting up my legs
two stress fractures. My left shin was re-fractured, my right foot was also fractured and had a bone bruise. All at once. And I thought one fracture, seven months ago, was bad enough. Medical
scans.
Boot.
Physical
therapy. Repeat. Now I’ve learned my lesson. When something
hurts,
acknowledge
it.
I
can’t cover it up with Biofreeze or KT-
daily run debriefs with my friends saying, “OK you get the first two miles to rant and I get the second two,”
cross country.
So of course I go with the “smart” option. I don’t
stop. I keep running, even though my bones are literally breaking and I can barely walk without pain.
tape or sneak ice packs so no one sees how much pain I’m in. It hurts, losing progress. Knowing
with every step during cross country season. That’s
Two weeks. That’s how long I last before I can’t
that after recovery I won’t be as strong
why I tell myself it’s just shin splints and I need to
handle the pain anymore. I stop running and start
or as fast. After my second round of
suck it up. That’s why I use an obsessive amount of
physical therapy. My left leg is nearly healed but for
recovery — through this cross country
Biofreeze to numb my legs, take ibuprofen in math
fear that the right might be broken as well I get a boot,
season — I’ve improved cutting minutes
class and wear gray compression sleeves from my dad.
meaning six weeks of hobbling around school and
of my time but I can’t help but compare
If I don’t talk about it, if I don’t acknowledge the fact
excruciating physical therapy sessions until my legs
myself to where I would have been without
that I’m injured, it’s not real — I can keep running,
shake. Finally, I’m cleared to run again. I’m healed.
the injury.
My bright orange racing spikes pound the blue,
Sure maybe I cut off over a minute from my
It’s nearing the end of my freshman cross country
slanted track during an offseason meet. I pass another
time last race, but the other girl — the version of
season. I sit on the exam table in room 6 in the doctors’
girl and another keeping a close eye on the clock after
me that never got injured — would be running 4
office. The lights are off and a black-and-white X-ray
every lap.
minutes faster.
keep improving.
of my left shin shines from the old computer screen.
After I cross the finish line I step off the track
Please don’t let there be a fracture. Don’t let it be bad.
attempting to stay up right and give the girl next to
I’m not her. If I can handle three fractures,
I’m jealous of her but I’m also stronger because
My doctor moves the picture down and my eyes trail
me a high five. My vision is blurry and white and my
a half hour of physical therapy a day and
along my tibia — I see it before he does.
breath comes out in short gasps. But it doesn’t matter
excruciating strength training, I can
No. It’s not real. I was going to cry.
that I can’t breathe or my legs feel like jello. I just
definitely
Finally he sees it — the small bump on the bone
destroyed my time goal by 22 seconds. My parents, my
repeats and 10-mile long runs.
indicating a healing fracture. “So, it looks like there’s
EFFECTIVE ALLEVIATORS A few to o l s t h a t h e l p e d L i b b y th rough her s t re s s f rac tu re
pull
myself
through
1K
coach and my friend all rush over, giving me hugs.
IBUPROFEN Taken before every run or race to reduce inflammation caused by shin splints and to overall reduce pain.
BIOFREEZE Helps to numb area where applied, making the pain less apparent.
COMPRESSION SLEEVE Provides blood flow throughout the lower leg to lessen pain and help speed up the recovery.
26 | NOVEMBER 13, 2023
story b y greyso n i mm
THE HARBINGER
d e s ig n b y kat i e mu rp hy
A “SERIOUS” PROJECT
p h o to s c o u r te s y o f p ro j e c t f c
A g ro u p o f s e n i o rs f o r m e d Pro j e c t FC re c reational soccer team to create a
H
l o we r- p re s s u re , f u n en viro n m e n t to pl a y soc c er i n duri n g sen i or y ea r EY, WHAT ABOUT a rec soccer
was ready to go for their first game of the
team?”
season. During the team’s season opener
Over
the
summer,
seniors
against the Dodging Coeds, they won 10-0.
Ryder Hendon, Syl Brundige and
The highlight of the game was senior Charlie
around 10 of their friends were brainstorming
Muehlberger’s headfirst slide into the ball to
ideas of how to enjoy their senior year between
knock it into the goal, which Shari compared
the stress of college applications and senior
to a cue stick hitting a billiards ball.
papers when someone threw out the idea of
Two months, five games, a few casual
a recreational soccer team. Most of the group
practices at the Indian Hills soccer field and
had either played soccer before or are current
a handful of orange slices later, the team
soccer players, so they knew they could all
had reached their last game of the season —
enjoyed the sport and pull off some wins.
or games, rather. They had a doubleheader
Thus, Project FC was born.
scheduled for Oct. 28. The only problem? It
The friends formed the coed, recreational
was below freezing and rainy for both games.
soccer team as a fun and low-pressure team
On Friday night, Hank was nervously
intentionally without the rigors of club and
tracking the storm by refreshing his weather
school soccer that so many are used to.
app every five minutes and saw that it was
They had the players — the entire friend
being forecasted earlier and earlier until he
the team was soaking wet, shivering and
group, plus Ryder’s sophomore brother Hank
was almost positive the game would be rained
down half a team. They were seriously
and his friend sophomore Barrett Tegtmeier —
out the next morning. Spoiler alert: it wasn’t.
starting to doubt if they were going to
but the paperwork provided by the Brookside
“It was super cold and wet [during] the
be able to play when they saw them
Recreational Soccer League required one more
first game, just nonstop rain,” Hank said. It was looking good for Project FC, and
thing: a coach. Syl’s mom Shari Brundige was the perfect
most
members
candidate. She supported Syl through youth
and
messing
were
making
a beacon of hope — the Dodging Coeds.
jokes
The Dodging Coeds were in a similar
bitter
situation. Half of their team didn’t show
soccer more than 10 years prior, so when
cold. Syl took advantage of the rain, and
up because they too thought the game
he asked her, it fondly reminded her of his
commemorated every goal with a celebratory
would be rained out. So after talking
soccer days in elementary school. But after six
20-yard slide across the slippery turf field.
with them and their coach for a few
years of playing on club soccer teams, Syl got
After four more goals — and four more slides
minutes, Project FC took on the Dodging
burnt out due to tough coaches and rigorous,
— the team managed to pull off the win in
Coeds as part of their team.
demanding schedules and eventually quit.
tough conditions.
around
still
shuffling off the neighboring field, like
despite
the
“It would have been the perfect
So when he went up to her and asked if
“It was like 20º and it was raining, so
movie ending had we not lost that game
she would coach the team, it was a no-brainer
everybody was freezing, I couldn’t even feel
by one point,” Hank said. “It was really
for Shari.
my hands at all,” Barrett said. “But it still was
close all the way through.”
“When he was three and started playing,
super fun.”
The team ended with a 4-0-1 record, and
soccer was all he thought about and he could
But after sprinting around the soggy field
even though the doubleheader was the last
not wait for [his game on] Saturday, and if
in the freezing cold, seven of the players
game of their season, Project FC is far from
it was raining and it got canceled, he would
couldn’t take it anymore and left. They were
being finished. The team is already talking to
just cry,” Shari said. “It was kind of like this
positive the second game would be canceled
Shari about playing in a spring soccer league,
full-circle thing, coming back his senior year.
due to the weather. Another spoiler alert: it
and some of the players are trying to form
Like that little boy playing soccer again, he
still wasn’t.
a recreational basketball team for the winter
“It felt like the coldest I’ve ever been,”
had that enthusiasm for Saturday like he did
senior Drew Trucksess said.
when he was a little kid.” Now with a coach and players, Project FC
Fact s a b o u t t h e Pro j e c t FC c l u b te a m forme d b y s e n i o rs a t te m p t i n g to h a v e a f i n a l s o c c e r h u r ra h
By the time the second game rolled around,
ALMOST PRO
STATS
post-game orange slices. “It was a lot of fun despite the fact that it wasn’t as competitive,” senior Ben Hembree said. “Because coming from a constantly competitive
environment
in
high
school
soccer, it’s kind of a relief that you’re able to be yourself and do what you want.”
season. Either way, the team will continue making memories together with or without personalized celebrations and mountains of
season 4 wins highest junior total 0 draws hank hendon record: practices: 2 scorer: 1 loss
13 goals
Fre s h m a n He n r y Ma r i e n - B ro v o n t b a l a n c e s bei n g a v a rs i t y c ro s s c o u n t r y r u n n e r w h i l e prim a r i l y f o c u s i n g o n s o c c e r d u r i n g t h e f a l l season
SPIKES?
photo by kenna harrington
photo by mason sajna
Scan this QR code to view more pictures of Marien-Brovont
NOVEMBER 13, 2023 | 27
RIGHT MarienBrovont juggles a soccer ball. “ Three other freshman were on JV with me,” MarienBrovont said. “I ended up scoring five goals for the season which is pretty good. The team was very good as well.”
L E F T Freshman Henry MarienBrovont leads a group of runners at cross country state. “As soccer ended, I had about two weeks of practice at the end of the season to get ready for state,” MarienBrovont said. “I was given the opportunity to do running because usually you have to attend a certain amount of practices, but I was allowed just to run the pace.”
SCAN ME PHOTO
CLEATS OR THE HARBINGER
d e si g n by ken n a h arring t on
L E F T Marein-Brovont kicks the ball towards the goal while practicing soccer. “ The feeling of winning is really good, which is what got me hooked on cross country in eighth grade when I won districts,” Marien-Brovont said. “But soccer is my primary sport, and I just love scoring.” photo by kenna harrington
RIGHT Cross country and soccer medals from winning races and tournaments sit in an arrangement. “I love soccer, and I’ve played my whole life,” MarienBrovont said. “I’ve been on some high level teams, and I love traveling. We’ve been to Illinois and Florida for tournaments.” photo by kenna harrington
28 | NOVEMBER 13 2023
p h o to s b y c a ro l i n e ma r t u cc i
THE HARBINGER
de sig n b y ve ro n i c a man gi n e
COMPETING FOR A CAUSE
c o p y b y a a nya b a n s a l
A n o v erv i e w o f th re e p a i r i n g s f o r t hi s y ear ’s cl ub co m p et i t i o n to i ncrease d o nat i o ns fo r the Johnson Cou nt y Christma s Bu re a u c a n driv e
“
NOT ONLY IS
the can drive supporting a good cause, but the band is just better than the orchestra, and we really want to prove that in one way or another. C H A R LI E M U E H LB E RG E R S E NI OR
D RUM MA J OR
BAND VS ORCHESTRA
“
WE’RE THE ONLY
two instrumental classes, so there’s always competition between which one’s better, who’s better, who sounds better, who’s cooler? It’s all pretty irrelevant, but it makes for fun competition. OSCA R CU RC HIN S E N IO R VIOLINIST
GET INVOLVED JOHNSON COUNTY CHRISTMAS BUREAU VOLUNTEER Scan this QR code to sign up for volunteering opportunities
Help out the JCCB
9503 JOHNSON DR, MERRIAM, KS, 66203
DONATE Scan this QR code to donate to the JCCB
SHARE VS
“
PEP CLUB
WE’RE GOING TO
“
take all the cereal boxes that we raised from the dodgeball tournament and put them on our table to have way more than Pep Club. We’re going to win.
Club to beat SHARE in the can drive because SHARE’s whole thing is community service. It would be kind of funny to beat them at their own game.
BL AK E H AN SO N S E NIO R SHA RE E XE C
CAROLINE REISER SENIOR PEP EX EC
**Turn to page 6 to view photos from the SHARE-hosted Dodgeball Event
“
I WANT PEP
CHOIR IS SUCH
a good community where people really bond and make great friends. We deserve to win and get more recognition.
AU DREY AP P RI L L S E NIO R A LTO
CHOIR
“
VS THEATRE
I’M IN BOTH
theatre and choir, but theatre is my life because you can take singing [in choir], but you can also take singing to the stage and do a lot more with it through theatre. APOLLO WEBER JUNIOR CR EW CHIEF