2011 Issue 8

Harbinger

Art students showcase work photo essay p. 29

SMEHARBINGER.NET

ISSUE 8 | SHAWNEE MISSION EAST | PRAIRIE VILLAGE, KS | DEC. 12, 2011

TO TWEET OR NOT TO TWEET?

Social media allows us to say whatever, whenever.

We have a constitutional right to offend people.

But what are the consequences?

p. 4 | story by Harbinger Staff | photo by Grant Kendall

INSIDE THIS ISSUE:

>

page1cover.indd 1

p. 8

news

A look at the Suicide Watch program at East

p. 11

opinion

Staffers reflect on lessons learned from Coach Sherman

pp. 16-17

spread

East teacher and students ride horses

p. 25

a&e

Review of Spielberg’s “War Horse”

p. 32

photo essay

pictures from East Art Gallery at First Fridays

12/8/11 10:45 AM

THE

PHOTOS OF THE WEEK

NEWS IN BRIEF

written by Haley Martin

SCHOOL SRO officer gets arrested, resigns

Photo by McKenzie Swanson

SOPHOMORE VICTORIA SABATES, looks over to approve SOPHOMORE DAVID CASPARIAN’s ad for Anti-Cancer Bands in their marketing class. Sabates was looking for typos and punctuation before the ads were hung throughout the school.

Photo by Hiba Akhtar

JUNIOR MADISON HATTAWAY, dressed in a toga for Latin Club, brings in cans for the club’s “Roman Can Battles.” The Latin Club decided to put on the battles to benefit the Can Drive as a result of the National Classical League emphasizing charity this year.

Photo by Hiba Akhtar

SENIOR JACK KOVARIK, holds up a sign with “#TEAMEAST” at a rally held in support of both PRINCIPAL KARL KRAWITZ and SENIOR EMMA SULLIVAN after the media-frenzy surrounding Sullivan’s tweet in regards to GOVERNOR SAM BROWNBACK.

School Resource Officer (SRO) Richard Pacheco resigned from his post at East just before Thanksgiving. Several days before, he was arrested after being accused of aggravated assault, and was released shortly afterwards. This, according to KCTV 5 News, was not his first run-in with the law--in 2003, two of his ex-wives filed for protection orders and he had been charged with a domestic assault. Three months ago, Pacheco was appointed Chief-of-Police in Mosby, Missouri, just outside of Kansas City. Pacheco was unavailable for comment.

Students prepare for new finals schedule

Finals week will be split up over two weeks this semester, with a weekend break in between students’ third and fourth hour exams. On Thursday, teachers will administer their first hour finals in a normal hourand-a-half time period -- after their first final, students will go to the rest of their shortened classes for quick reviews and study sessions. On Friday, students will take their second and third hour finals followed by an early dismissal where students can stay for lunch or leave after their last exam. Then, students will have a weekend to study and relax before the rest of their finals, with winter break officially beginning for 9-12 grade on Tuesday, Dec. 20, afternoon.

COMMUNITY

Johnson County Christmas PV City Council discuss Bureau sets up in KC tax hike Gift-giving, cozy fires, enjoying the first of many snowfalls--the Johnson County Christmas Bureau aims to give every family a chance to enjoy these tradition holiday exploits without having to worry about making ends-meet. The organization gives students a chance to contribute to their community by providing assistance to low income families in the area. Giving away donated toothbrushes, soap, bedding, toys and other common household necessities, they hope to improve the life of someone less fortunate. Donation boxes have been set up around the community including the Commerce Bank at 83rd and Mission.

NATION

Court approves new racebased admission guidelines The Obama Administration recently sent public universities court-approved guidelines detailing the act of admitting students based on their race. The guidelines state that schools are close to as diverse as they were in 1960--so they are taking action. The administration believes that students need to learn in racially diverse communities in order to be prepared to live and work in an interconnected world. It has also been suggested that secondary schools redraw their boundaries to become more diverse. Thus, students can be admitted by their race and other admission qualities to create a diverse community that will contribute to the learning atmosphere of colleges.

City honored for energy conservation efforts

Prairie Village Council members had a meeting on Monday, Nov. 21 discussing whether or not a tax should be placed for the up-keep of local parks. The plan would be to increase the cities sales tax by a half of a percent which would produce $1 million in revenue to go to the parks. They would like to make improvements to the parks similar to the recent reconstruction and landscaping of Weltner Park Council member Ruth Hopkins told the PV Post that she would rather focus on maintence and basic services before working on the city park plan. The council is working on coordinating a city-wide vote on the tax.

The city of Prairie Village was recently honored as a 2011 Honoree for their Geothermal Project/Energy Conservation Measures from the Mid-America Regional Council’s (MARC) Sustainable Success Stories held at the Kauffman center this year. The city is working on weatherizing their buildings and installing a geothermal heating pump which will conserve 33,484 gallons of gas according to the project’s website. The city council approved the building contract in July of 2011 and they are in the middle of the contruction process. Once completed, the council is hoping to save the city a substantial amount of money.

THE EFFECTS OF RACE-BLIND ADMISSION In the 1990s California, Texas and Florida all got rid of affirmative action for their public university admissions with dramtic changes observed.

ASIAN

Photo by Jake Crandall

SENIOR HENRY SIMPSON, handles pressure from SMNW in the Boys’ Basketball home opener last tuesday. The Lancers beat Northwest 66-52.

02 | NEWS

Asians saw a significant increase in enrollment at UC Berkeley who asian enrollment grew from 37.3 percent in 1995 (before California’s ban) to 46.6 percent in 2010. California’s population is about 12.8 percent asian.

BLACK

UC Berkeley’s black enrollment dropped from 6.5 to below 3 percent between 1995 and 2005. Florida and Texas much smaller declines as they adopted practices to counteract the bans

HISPANIC

UC Berkeley’s hispanic enrollment dropped from 20 to 8.6 percent between 1990 and 2005. However at UC San Diego, University of Florida and University of Texas, hispanics saw an increase in enrollment.

Information from www.racerelations.about.com

WHITE

Whites were expected to benefit, but this was not the case. In all three states white enrollment decreased.

As an explanation some point to the fact that the white populations in the region have also dropped.

FINALS SCHEDULE Dec. 15

First block final along with a full 7 period day

Dec. 16

Second and third block with a shortened day.

Dec. 19

Fourth and fifth block with a shortened day.

Dec. 20

Sixth and seventh block with a shortened day.

Three sources sound off on the risks associated with Facebook profiles

SAVING interviews by Jeri Freirich | photo illustration by Jake Crandall

Principal

DR. KARL KRAWITZ

Do you often see Facebook impacting kids in a negative way?

Definitely, I think that’s the thing that most students aren’t aware of because what we are seeing is colleges, corporations, companies and military personnel doing background checks to get a sense of the person they are trying to hire. If someone has a negative page, then chances are that company or university will most likely not consider their application. We are seeing more of that lately.

Do you think it is fair to decide on whether the applicant should be accepted by their Facebook?

No, because at the same time I think you’ll see those companies trying to get a sense of that person. They can get an idea of a person, but they will be reluctant if they know people can hack

into the sites and create phony situations. I have a perception of all of the students. I will say in my mind that they wouldn’t be out there doing stuff they do, but reality tells me I am living in a fantasy world. It is such a tough issue because you are trying to guard yourself. Unfortunately, it will never go away and I think that’s what haunts kids.

Do you ever worry about what students put on their Facebook?

I really do, I don’t know why students put their personal life on social media. Right now, I think students really have to go back and assess what they have on Facebook.

You only have to have it backfire on you and then it seems like these people are trailing you. I have seen more negative than I have seen the good and maybe that’s being magnified too much.

KU Assistant Director of Communications

LAUREN ERICKSON Does KU look at applicant’s Facebook’s?

It is not a part of our application review process. We do a lot with the social media, but it is not related to a students admission to KU. Our admission is solely based on students applications, materials and whether or not they meet our criteria.

We engage students and get to know them through Facebook and Twitter, but we don’t look at their profiles on whether or not they should be accepted.

What is your main concern when it comes to Facebook?

It is not a part of our application review process. We do a lot with the social media, but it is not related to a students admission to KU. Our admission is solely based on students applications,

FOOLPROOF YOUR FACEBOOK 1

PHOTOS

When you make a new album on Facebook, be sure to take advantage of options to make the photos only available to certain people. You can also request for a photo to be taken down by the poster by using the “untag” options.

page3news.indd 1

2

STATUS UPDATES

Status updates have evolved from simple updates on where you are or who you are with, to a post about what you’re feeling. With these expanded types of statuses comes a new privacy option: choose which friends see your status.

3

materials and whether or not they meet our criteria.

We engage students and get to know them through Facebook and Twitter, but we don’t look at their profiles on whether or not they should be accepted.

Is it OK to not let a student into a university based off something you have seen on Facebook?

I think it’s only fair that colleges and universities make it clear what they are considering when they look at a student for admission. If a school said they were going to look at everything they can find on students and the students knew that was how they were being considered then I think it’s fair game. I think it’s important for schools to be up front with what they are requiring.

FRIEND LIST

Create specific friend lists that see certain types of posts. For even more control over the separation between work, school and social life, check out Google+ and its “circles” feature.

4

FACE

Senior

CAMILLE GOEHAUSEN Why do you have your profile on private?

It’s been on private because I get creeped out sometimes. I don’t know all of my friends and I don’t want them to be able to see my pictures.

I haven’t worried about colleges looking at my Facebook until this year, but I don’t think I have anything on my page that would hurt me too bad if colleges did look at it. I am also friends with a lot of parents and possible future people I could work for in the future so I think that’s another reason why my friends and I are on private. It’s better to be safe than sorry.

Have you thought about the consequences that can occur because of Facebook?

Yes I have, especially now because I know there have been multiple instances of people getting in trouble with the school

because of pictures, but I personally don’t think I have anything inappropriate. I just think it’s better to be safe about it.

Do you think Facebook affects kids in a negative way?

I think it can. People can take things out of context on Facebook and be bullied through Facebook, but I also think there are a lot of positives to it. Sometimes people post things without really thinking about what they are posting.

What is your opinion on colleges looking at Facebook?

I think it can. People can take things out of context on Facebook and be bullied through Facebook, but I also think there are a lot of positives to it. Sometimes people post things without really thinking about what they are posting.

SEARCHABILITY

Take a cue from teachers and edit your searchability on Facebook; this prevents people from searching your name on Facebook in order to find you. You can set up personalizations such as mutual friends, similar schools and others.

NEWS | 3 12/8/11 9:15 AM

#TEAMEAST #TEAMSULLIVAN

#HEBLOWSALOT

KRAWITZ #HEBLOWSALOT #TEAMEAST

THE POWER in

#TEAMKRAWITZ WORDS TEAMSULLIVAN

#EAST#FREEDOMOFSPEECH #EAST ere?

omH r F _ o G oWe

e_D r e h W @

#TEAMEAST

Page4News 1

How a tweet caused Principal Karl Krawitz to rethink social media’s power

#HEBLOWSALOT #TEAMKRAWITZ What the “tweet heard around the world” can teach East

NOV. 21 #FIRSTAMMENDMENTRIGHTS

written by Harbinger Staff | art by Kat Buchanan What was referred to by the Wichita Eagle as “the tweet heard around the world” has come and gone--the Twitter feeds have been refreshed, the student meetings have drawn to a close and Governor Sam Brownback has formally apologized for the “over-reaction.” But the reaction itself opens up a discussion that can’t be contained in 160 characters or less, over the ramifications that come with students speaking their mind online, and what it means for them to do so.

These recent events in the media are only the jumping-off point for the conversation that administrators, students and professionals are having concerning students’ online conduct.

“I really think that if people become so aware of the negative side of social networking, it will implode itself--because no one will want to do it,” principal Karl Krawitz said. “I think people will back away from doing it, because there’s nothing out there to make them feel good about the way they can protect themselves.”

Dr. Krawitz has taken interest in the current lack of social media education among high school students for the upcoming spring semester. Dr. Krawitz said the administration has been sending out emails in hopes of bringing specialists into the school to present a new perspective on the world of social media, due to students’ lack of knowledge on acceptable online conduct.

“I think [students] somewhat still think that they’re confined in this vacuum that’s somewhat safe within the framework of individuals who they’re communicating with,” Dr. Krawitz said. “But it only takes one person to take that [username] and exploit it, at just the drop of a hat. Before you know it, anything you might have been saying about something or somebody is now everywhere.”

Similar to a panel of corporate specialists presented to the PTA this past semester, Dr. Krawitz hopes to bring in professionals to offer insight on social networking and how to operate within personal rights and ethics when using sites like Twitter and Facebook.

“I don’t see any downside to teaching social media etiquette,” attorney advocate at the Student Press Law Center (SPLC) Adam Goldstein said. “The wrinkle is that you always have the right to use bad etiquette. The school has the right to teach you what good etiquette is, but the only way to really learn a lesson like that is to have the option to do it wrong.”

Students do, however, already have that right, according to Goldstein. The online transgression has to be something illegal or an event that stops the operation of school--but, as Goldstein put it, “you can’t legally be punished for being disrespectful online.”

“First Amendment rights exist on social media,” Goldstein continued. “At least at the minimum, you have just as much right [to free speech] as you have sitting at home--legally, it’s the same as saying things out loud.”

Law professor at the University of Missouri, Kansas City (UMKC) June Carbone agrees, insisting that “posting offensive comments on Facebook is much like putting up a sign in your front yard”--it may be frowned upon, but you have every right to do it.

The administration’s concern lies in the fact that students are tweeting from school and school-sponsored events--not from home.

Students at East are allowed access to smart phones and electronic

04 | NEWS

COMING FULL CIRCLE

devices during passing period, lunch and before and after school--this, according to Krawitz, doesn’t likely deter students from using such technology during class hours.

“We all know that the system is so grossly abused,” Dr. Krawitz said. “Just like those who get to go out to lunch is abused--but we don’t have the personnel to manage it.”

Social networking during class can hold negative connotations from a student standpoint as well, providing an unwanted distraction from lesson plans. Junior Eden McKissick Hawley feels that more than anything, social networking during class hours is counterproductive.

“Sometimes I think Twitter is a funny place where kids can say what’s on their mind,” McKissick Hawley said. “But there are a lot of negative repercussions that come when kids are reading what’s on Twitter more than they’re reading what’s in class--I think that, overall, it’s not a helpful thing for schools.”

However, high schools around the United States have taken strides toward embracing social media in the classroom setting, according to the New York Times--one of which is Silver Creek High School in Longmont, Colo.

“Silver Creek unblocked many social media sites, including Facebook and Twitter, two years ago after recognizing that they could provide learning opportunities,” Phil Goerner, a librarian at Silver Creek told the New York Times in September.

Dr. Krawitz feels that the going-ons of social networking sites like Facebook are better practiced at home, hoping to keep home matters and school matters separate.

“It’s none of our business,” Dr. Krawitz said. “It’s none of our business what a person says, does, whatever. I think the only time [what a student does outside of school] becomes our business is if it’s happening out there and it’s affecting an individual here--and as a result of what’s said out there, it turns into something real, a disagreement here.”

His care for the matter does, however, detail the conduct of students when representing or reflecting the student body as a whole in any given setting.

“If they’re representing the school--anywhere, at any time--especially during the day hours, then those things fall under the guidelines of the school,” Dr. Krawitz said. “Whether it’s here in the actual building or somewhere else.”

Carbone says while there isn’t necessarily a concern with “image” when it comes to the reflection of the school, there is still the matter of correct behavior.

“I think that schools have some ability to insist on a behavior code for students that emphasizes consideration for others and appropriate behavior in public settings,” Carbone said.

The potential of actually writing up a social media policy--outlining rules for web usage during school hours and events--is not on the administration’s to-do list, according to Dr. Krawitz, due mainly to a lack of personnel and manageable technology. Students’ rights advocates also show opposition to a potential content-tracking system that would keep social networking content under the administration’s eye during school hours.

CON’T. ON PAGE 5

Sullivan tweets at Brownback. abcnews.go.com

Brownback’s staff contacts Krawitz. pvpost.com

NOV. 28

NOV. 21

Sullivan begins to get media attention locally and across the nation. huffingtonpost.com

Rally is held in support of East.

AnnaDancinger

NOV. 29 12/8/11 11:19 AM

INTERNET LOCK-DOWN Stop Online Privacy Act (SOPA) attempts to censor various areas of the web written by Leah Pack The House Judiciary Committee will make their first revision to the Stop Online Piracy In short, the bill will be able to take URLs out of the Domain Name System which alAct (SOPA) that could potentially block all websites that use or encourage the use of copy- lows people to find websites. Other sites that are associated with websites that have been right and trademark infringement on Dec. 15. The bill was introduced to the US House of blocked from the internet will be banned as well whether or not they violated the bill. Due Representatives by committee-chair and bill sponsor, Lamar Smith on Oct. 26. The bill was to the bill’s vague wording, actions that will constitute for means of punishment are uncreated in hope to stop piracy. clear possibly putting social media websites in the path of legal trouble according to interFollowing the progress of SOPA closely, junior Sam Tulp has educated himself about all net bloggers. Today, social media sites such as Google, Yahoo and Twitter have made their aspects of the bill. position against SOPA clear by publicly opposing the bill and sharing their concern with “I am against this bill because of the justification it gives to further restrictions being lawmakers. made and further limiting of speech and censorship,” Tulp said. “I also feel this is an ex“Currently we use the DMCA (Digital Millennium Copyright Act) under this act blame ample of the rich and powerful lobbyists coming from the Music and Film industries using does not fall on the hosts of websites and does not blame websites for copyright violations their money and influence to lobby and whine about how there are people out there cir- made by its users as these things are beyond their control,” Tulp said. “Under SOPA this cumventing copyright and ‘stealing’ from them.” would change and the potential exists for websites to be shutdown during times in which The purpose of SOPA is “to promote prosperity, creativity, entrepreneurship, and in- copyright infringement is being determined.” novation by combating the theft of U.S. property, and for other purposes” according to the #VoteSocialMedia, a past trending hashtag on Twitter, is just one of the ways people are bill proposal. If passed, the government will give law enforcement the power to shut down speaking out against SOPA. Websites like www.americancensorsip.org encourage people websites that display unlicensed content. This may include opposed to the bill to talk to their senator. This website asks people copyright infringement, unauthorized fixation, selling or to submit their contact information, and in return a representative buying recordings or videos of live performances and hanwill call each person to review discussion points and directly condling counterfeit labels, goods and services. nect them to their senator. Mozilla Firefox also created a site similar The passing of this bill will cause the unauthorized use to this. of copyrighted material to become a felony, meaning both “There are some new measures that could make downloading the user and website owner could potentially face legal conmore difficult and riskier,” said Tulp, “but it does not seem as though sequences. The punishment currently being deliberated the restrictions will at all dampen the way I will acquire my music.” is the five year jail sentence. The government will also deControversy over SOPA has caused internet users to question mand all websites and telecom service providers to oversee their security within the Web and the power of the government; that there is no pirated materials on their page. some bloggers comparing the desire to censor the Web to China’s “I am against SOPA because people don’t get a say in the Great Firewall, a nationwide system of Web censorship. Bloggers government anymore,” junior Ivan Novikov said. have also noted the similarities that do prevail such as “corporate According to the bill, in the situation that a claim is made self-discipline” which holds companies responsible for their users’ against a company, the provider will be given five days to cut actions. For example, if a YouTube member posts a video of themoff all business with the site in question. The short amount selves singing the newest hit song, the company would be punished. of time to take action could possibly lead to the complete “There’s not a higher power that can police what the American shut down of a site if they do not react in time. government does besides us,” Novikov said. “And the only way that “While many are making claims that this Act could inwe can police them is prevention, and the only way of prevention hibit freedom of speech it is not necessarily that this bill with the American government is protest and civil disobedience.” specifically does (though there are certain provisions within it that make almost a blacklist of websites that the govern- Digital theft of music, movies and ment can restrict and shutdown).” Tulp said. “It is not the other copyrighted content 24 perFOR MORE SOPA INFORMATION, VISIT WWW.SMEHARBINGER.NET bad in this bill but rather the further things that this bill can cent of global Internet bandwith and justify in the future. riaa.com

PIRACY IN AMERICA

17.5 percent in the U.S.

HARBINGER INVESTIGATES THE FREEDOM OF PERSONAL SOCIAL MEDIA ACCOUNTS “The school can monitor whatever it wants, although, frankly, I find the idea of grown people spending time doing nothing but reading teenagers’ social media sites a little creepy,” Goldstein said. “But, if that’s what they think the best use of their time is, they are legally entitled to do it.”

The idea of a lockdown on web surfing receives negative responses from the students involved, as well as the administrators and professionals.

“I think if I knew that my school was looking over my

Page5News 1

shoulder at what I was saying online, I’d probably be more careful--but I’d also think that that’s not their place,” McKissick-Hawley said.

Dr. Krawitz is also opposed to strict monitoring of networking content. He feels that while implementing a social media policy for the district or even East is out of reach, the more effective way to enforce change is to educate the student body on the consequences associated with social media usage, to the best of the administration’s ability.

continued from page 4

“Education’s job is to help students understand what they’re getting into,” Dr. Krawitz said.

Dr. Krawitz hopes to further the wave of social media knowledge by adding the topic to class curriculum.

“I could see it becoming a part of our Legal Studies program,” Dr. Krawitz said. “In all essence, because of the nature of it, I think it probably needs to be.”

NEWS | 05 12/8/11 11:19 AM

pg6ads.indd 1

12/7/11 8:35 PM

SPEAKING OUT

who has criticized or commented on their policies or office, they should contact that person, ask what their concerns are, and then ask what they would suggest doing to change them. Not only does this allow for the government to make a direct connection with the people it is leading, it also shows that the administration respects the opinions of its constituents.

The course of action taken by Brownback’s office concerning Sullivans’s tweet was unacceptable.

What the government, district, and students can learn Emailing an SMSD from Emma Sullivan’s “tweet heard ‘round the world” administrator with no discernible call for ith the media frenzy finally subaction was an inappropriate and ineffective siding, it’s time to step back and way to handle a teenager’s criticism. The learn from senior Emma Sulliemail from one of Gov. Brownback’s assisvan’s tweet and the consequent public reactants, Niomi Burget, to SMSD Youth In Govtion to it. The recent events have shown us ernment coordinator Deborah Brown about the importance of constructive dialogue, the Sullivan’s tweet simply said: “I would like to need for social media policy and the need share with you a message that was brought for decorum in today’s speech and writing. to our attention.” If the office had instead If each tier of people involved in the recent asked to talk to Sullivan directly and asked events—the government, SMSD and stuwhy she tweeted the way she did, the situdents—can turn it into a learning experiation could have been resolved in a much ence, it will allow for more responsible use less confrontational, media-frenetic manof social media in the future. ner. Brownback’s acknowledgement of the If a government office is truly interfact that his office “overreacted” to Sullivan’s ested in initiating dialogue with a person

VIA

SOCIAL MEDIA

at art by K

an

Buchan

W

Harbinger

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

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

tweet hopefully signifies that his office will Had a policy similar to the one above take a more constructive approach to criti- been in place at the time of Sullivan’s tweet, SMSD could have simply stated, “Emma’s cism or comments in the future.

Policy EGAEA-R, SMSD’s current policy tweet, although coarsely worded, was an exconcerning computer usage and internet pression of protected free speech. Therefore, safety, does not specifically cover the use of as our policy states, it does not warrant any social media by students. It seems like the school disciplinary action.”

This being said, just because students precautionary measures taken by the district to limit social media access-blocking have the right to speak out doesn’t necessocial media sites, prohibiting cell phone sarily mean that they are exempt from all use in class—would negate the need for a rules of politeness and class. Decorum is policy on its use, but that is not the case. too often brushed to the side when voicSullivan’s tweet showed THE MAJORITY OPINION OF THE ing opinions today. just how easy it is to use HARBINGER EDITORIAL BOARD Brownback said in his apology for his staff’s social media during a overreaction to Sullischool-sponsored event FOR AGAINST ABSENT van’s tweet, “freedom or even school itself. A social media policy is a of speech is one of much-needed addition to the Administrative our most treasured freedoms.” This treasure is not something to be wasted. WashingGuidelines and Procedures booklet.

The new policy should only apply to so- ton Post writer Alexandra Petri pointed out cial media posts that are deemed unprotect- in her Nov. 28 blog concerning Sullivan’s ed free speech (e.g. defamation, speech that tweet: “The race is always to the loudest, causes a substantial and material disrup- the rudest, the most unapologetic, the least tion, instigating a riot) that happens during grammatical.” It’s a sad truth in today’s school or a school-sponsored event. For ex- world, but it can be combated. The ability ample, if a student posted on their Facebook to support your opinion is much more imduring school, “I am going to kill Daniel portant than the opinion itself. CommunicaSimpson tomorrow, I hate him so much,” the tion and publication in the 21st century may school should take action. This statement, be faster and more publicly accessible, but which is hate speech (speech that dispar- that doesn’t mean our words need to be less ages a person based on race, sexual orien- structured and supported.

Social media isn’t going anywhere, and tation, religion, etc.) and could cause Daniel to miss school due to fear of being hurt, is for that reason we need to learn how to use it not protected by the First Amendment. Dis- and respond to it appropriately. The governciplinary measures would be acceptable. ment needs to be able to handle criticism via The school should also be able to deal with social media sites, schools need to be able cyber-bullying that affects students in the to mediate social media-based conflicts, and same way if the bullying can be argued as students must remember to use social media in a respectful manner. hate speech .

11

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

0

Letters to the editor may be sent to room 521 or smeharbinger@ gmail.com. Letters may be edited for clarity, length, libel and mechanics and accepted or rejected at the editors’ discretion.

a publication of shawnee mission east high school 7500 Mission Road, Prairie Village, KS 66208 December 12, 2011 Assistant Photo Editor Hiba Akhtar Online Photo Editor Brendan Dulohery Assistant Online Photo Editor Jake Crandall Copy Editors Evan Nichols Emma Pennington Kat Buchanan Katie Knight Matt Hanson Anne Willman Chloe Stradinger Toni Aguiar Chris Head Jack Howland Head Online Copy Editor Matt Gannon Online Copy Editors Kim Hoedel Sarah Berger Ads/Circulation Managers Erin Reilly Leah Pack

0

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

Alex May Online Graphic Designers Paige Hess Staff Writers Alex Lamb Greta Nepstad Mitch Kaskie Nick May Stephen Cook Morgan Twibell Emily Donovan Holly Hernandez Leah Pack Jeri Freirich Online Staff Writers Zoe Brian Drew Broeckelman Katie Knight Patrick Frazell Editorial Board Julia Davis Becca Brownlee Christa McKittrick Kat Buchanan Toni Aguiar Evan Nichols Emma Pennington

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

The Harbinger is a student run publication. The contents and views are produced solely by the staff and do not represent the Shawnee Mission School District, East faculty, or school administration.

EDITORIAL| 7

page7editorial.indd 1

12/7/11 8:50 PM

WATCHFUL EYE

East and district embrace more open attitude towards teen suicide problem

written by Morgan Twibell | art by Chloe Stradinger

HABITS TO FIGHT

DEPRESSION SLEEP Research has shown that people who go without enough rest, 8 hours for teenagers, are six times as likely to become depressed.

EXCERCISE Evidence indicates that to prevent, and even to treat, depression with exercise requires three thirty minute sessions of exercise per week.

FOOD Lots of seafood is key! Omega-3 fatty acids as well as vitamin B12 are thought to contribute to mental well-being. Salmon, tuna, dark green vegetables and nuts. You can also find B12 in seafood and some dairy products.

MEDITATION Practicing regular meditation has been shown in studies to improve overall mental health and effectively treat depression. For a guide to meditation check out www.smeharbinger.net.

8 | NEWS

According to Principal Dr. Karl Krawitz, the once “hush, hush” attitude that schools had toward the subject of suicide is no longer present. The suicide watch program at East has been around since before Krawitz came to the school, but it has been enforced more over the past three years. Suicide watch assists the administration in gathering and receiving information that would support students who show the signs of being suicidal.

Schools in the Shawnee Mission School District and other districts around the country are addressing this situation head on by using various support groups like the suicide watch program at East.

East started off this school year with a number of students on suicide watch that was somewhere in the teens, according to Krawitz.

“I think that number has shrunken considerably,” Krawitz said.

When students are on suicide watch, the administration intervenes and tries to get at the situation early on so that they can provide the services needed. They offer up names of therapists and teen counselors that work in the community.

Krawitz and other administrators in the building want to be able to offer these supportive outside services to parents and students.

“Especially in the last year or two, we have been having a lot more training being given to our staff about all of the signs of suicide,” Krawitz said. “This has been extremely helpful to our staff.”

Over the past two years, the Shawnee Mission School District has began giving their staff “Gate Keeper Training.” Gate Keeper training has been around for the past 10 years but is new to our district. This training program trains the staff at the beginning of the year on identifying warning signs of suicide like depression and other stress factors. It also teaches the staff how to address the problem by telling them who to talk to and what kind of discussion to have with a student.

According to Becky Wiseman, one of East’s counselors, a big part of the process is teaching the staff how to follow up with the kids by finding resources in the school and in the community. This is important because in some cases these students will go to a staff member when they want to open up.

“We do this training so that the staff will know all the warning signs and risk factors and what to do if they are concerned about a student,” Wiseman said.

Jane Smith*, who has been through suicide watch, has confided in the school nurse during her struggle. She is the one that Smith has opened up to the most since she is in her office a lot to take her various medications.

“I don’t want people to know, and I really didn’t feel comfortable telling a lot of people,” Smith said. “I felt really comfortable talking to the nurse, though.”

From Wiseman’s perspective, if administrators, parents, students or teachers are concerned about someone they will go to her and say things like “I’m really worried about my friend” or “I’m really concerned about this student, can you

check in with them?” Wiseman’s role is to have this student in and speak with them.

“I have a checklist that I go through of questions to asses their risk factor,” Wiseman said. “If a student is at risk, it’s my role to contact parents and offer community resources; sometimes that means immediate mental health screening, sometimes that is just a list of counselors or support groups that the student and their family can seek help from.”

In addition to the checklist that Wiseman goes through with these students, East has a service called the Student Intervention Team (SIT). SIT is a team of professionals who review cases that are brought to them and they then try to make an action plan for these students with the information they are given.

According to Wiseman, each student that meets with her has their own unique story. In Smith’s case, she recently attempted suicide—she has been suffering depression because she has been bullied since elementary school. Smith recently returned to school after seeking an outside therapy and rehabilitation treatment.

“I was just at the point where I felt like I was hopeless and I was hurting a lot,” Smith said.

When students go to Wiseman to get help, one of the main pieces of advice she gives these students is to look to their support systems. Whether that is looking to their friends, their family members or even their teachers, they have to be able to know that there are a lot of things out in the community that can be helpful to them.

“I have to go to therapy once a week and I’m on really heavy anti-depressants,” Smith said.

The only reason Smith feels she is able to keep her spirits up while she’s at school is because she doesn’t want her peers or her friends to see her as “weak.” She feels she will be illperceived if she is constantly down and emotional.

“I just act like nothing’s wrong and I just tell myself that,” Smith said.

In most cases, when a student is feeling unsafe in their environment and is worried about the actions they might make, either the student or their parents will go to Wiseman.

Once Wiseman has worked with a student and she has determined that some resources, like outside therapy or mental health screenings, need to be put in place she will do a follow up with the student to see how things are going for them.

“A lot of times that communication will continue but that truly is up to the student,” Wiseman said. “If the student has gotten therapy or counseling set up and they do not want to do it here at school then I will definitely respect that.”

After realizing all of the help that the suicide watch program has brought to East, Krawitz believes it is something that should be heard about and spread throughout other schools in the district as well as the country.

“I think from this point on not only in this school, but in schools across the country, it’s going to become something that will be a yearly discussion and training will be given,” Krawitz said. “It has become very much a reality.”

Keep up with your lancer news during break at smeharbinger.net

Congratulations District Orchestra Participants!

We’re here to give you the tools, skills and support you need to change our world for the better. At Rockhurst, we’ll prepare you not only for academic excellence, but also for a lifetime of leadership and service. People thrive here. And you can, too.

ROCKHURST UNIVERSITY Future leaders welcome.

F O R G E T YO U R C A M E R A?

WE DIDN’T. smephotos.com

of Kansas City.

Sign up for a campus visit at www.rockhurst.edu/visit or call (800) 842-6776.

Rockhurst University admits students of any race, color and national or ethnic origin.

$10 OFF! your $75 purchase

OR

$20 OFF! your $150 purchase

good through 12/31/11 Limit one coupon per customer. Cannot be combined with any other offer. Present this certificate.

Some brands excluded.

Hawthorne Plaza Oak Park Mall 5013 W. 199th Street 11179 West 95th Street 199th and Roe Avenue 2nd level next to Nordstrom Overland Park, KS 66209 Overland Park, KS 66214 (913) 338-1685 (913)599-1685 Prairie Village Shops #22 on the Mall 71st and Mission Road Prairie Village, KS 66208 (913)677-1685 or (888)670-1694

www.bagandbaggagekc.com

A STICKY SITUATION

Sugar consumption is remains too high because of sugary drinks still offered in the cafeteria and vending machines

written by Sarah Berger| photos by Hiba Ahktar East banned soda in 2007 to cut down “Since the cafeteria has juices, and not on student sugar consumption and to ofjuice blends, the natural sugar is not all fer students healthier and more nutritious bad and will just come with the concendrink options. But even five years later, trated fruit,” Funk said. the school cafeteria still carries drinks, According to Dr. Karen Stephens, a such as orange juice, with high amounts dietitian at Children’s Mercy Hospital, the of sugar. Even though cafeteria does offer average teenager needs about 125 grams many healthier alternatives along with the of glucose a day, and all of this can be sugar, kids still choose to consume sugary easily obtained by eating a balanced diet alternatives. consisting of fruits, vegetables, carbohyThe district made the choice to ban the drates, and milk. She believes the extra option of soda in both the cafeteria and sugar in drinks is just unnecessary. vending machines. Now, the only place “Drinking sugar is like putting water soda can be found in the school is a vendin your gas tank and expecting it to run,” ing machine in the teachers’ lounge. Since Stephens said. “It just doesn’t work.” the ban, the district has been taking steps According to the CDC the average to make drinks healthier. amount of sugar in a regular soda is 28 According to Jill Funk, the district’s grams compared to the average amount nutritional analyst, East, like all the other of sugar in an orange juice which is also schools in the Shawnee Mission School 28 grams. The consumption of sugar, District, follows a school wellness policy according to Stephens is still too much. that includes goals and specific nutritional Because of this, the consequences are still guidelines to promote student health. the same.

Sophomore Ellen St. Clair feels the cafAccording to the Center for Disease eteria does give students the opportunity Control and Prevention, childhood obesity to be healthier, and even says she prefers rates have tripled in past 30 years. The water to the other unhealthy alternatives. overconsumption of sugar can be linked St. Clair believes students can still make to this statistic because kids are choosing their own decisions and bring soda in to drink too much sugar. from home or when they go out to lunch.

“We are seeing an extra amount of “I think the choices are pretty good weight gain in children because of these since there are no sodas and they serve drinks,” Stephens said. “As well as brittle drinks like water and Vitamin Water,” St. bones in these young, teenage girls.”

Clair said. “If students do still want soda The average teenage boy drinks they will just bring it in themselves.” around 22 ounces of soda and other sugEven with steps the cafeteria making ary drinks a day. This more than doubles to improve students’ health, students still the average 10 ounces of milk they concrave sugary drinks. St. Clair believes the sume a day. Teenage girls usually drink problem isn’t the choices offered, but the around 14 ounces of sugar-filled drinks according to St. Clair students still crave compared to the only six ounces of milk for sugar. they drink a day. The student’s choice to “I think the good taste of sugar just drink the sugar offered in schools is one of draws them in,” St. Clair said. “And then it the main causes for this. just gets them addicted.”

Even though soda is eliminated from Funk believes the new alternatives are the school, juices and sports drinks are healthier for students; even though they still offered and have high natural sugar contain sugar, all the sugar is natural and contents. These natural sugars are an not artificial. improvement and healthier than their

10 | NEWS

artificial, high-fructose corn syrup counterparts, but still supplies students with sugar. Drinks ranging from Gatorade to V8 V-Fusion to apple juice hide large amounts of sugar behind presumably safe names and labels. For example, a small bottle of orange juice has, on average, 30 grams of sugar. This is about the same as that of Pepsi or Sprite. Even milk has a high sugar content; the small jug of chocolate milk sold in the cafeteria also has 30 grams of sugar in a serving.

Though high doses of sugar are written in the fine print of many labels, tasty and healthy alternatives do exist and are offered in the school’s cafeteria.

“We’ve been making gradual changes over the years,” Funk said. “We now only serve skim or one percent fat content milk and one hundred percent juices and not juice blends.”

Stephens also recommends the healthier alternatives that the East cafeteria offers.

“I would recommend water and skim milk for kids,” Stephens said. “There are also some good sugar free alternatives out there.”

The healthy alternatives that are offered still taste like their sweet competitors. Propel flavored water has only six grams of sugar and also contains no artificial coloring. Nestle Pure Life flavored waters are also a very healthy alternative; this water has no sugar in it at all and is completely flavored naturally.

No matter if students love sugar or see the danger in it, if the sugar is natural or artificial, Stephen thinks it is the cafeteria’s responsibility to keep students well nourished.

“Kids eat lunch and sometimes breakfast five days a week in the cafeteria,” Stephens said. “They are getting a significant portion of their meals from there, and nutritious options should definitely be offered.”

What’s in THOSE Drinks?

Sports Drinks 1%flavoring and vitamins 5.1%Sugar

92% Water

Lemonade

12.5% Sugar 76%Water 10% Lemon Juice Juice Blend 27% Reconcentrated Juice

9.2% Sugar or corn syrup 63.5% Water Soda 8% Sugar

89% Water >1% Flavoring

an opinion of

ADAM LOWE

Day in and day out Coach Sherman proved us all wrong. On days when anyone else would quit, he kept going. He inspired us, he taught us and he supported us in everything. After our first breakdown of the summer workouts, I already knew something was going to be different about this sea-

son.

As my teammates and I slowly walked off the field, coach spoke out in his raspy voice over the crowd. He needed the juniors and seniors, apparently he had some thing to “talk to us about”.

Nothing could have possibly prepared me for what I was about to hear, or how I’d react. He calmly told us he had been diagnosed non-hodgkin’s lymphoma, a type of cancer.

I was devastated. It seriously felt like I had been hit by a train. The first thing that came to my mind was, how long does he have to live? Over the next couple of weeks he proved me wrong time and time again. Not only did he continue living, but he didn’t skip a beat. He was so nonchalant about it.

He made it seem like it was just going to be easy.

And it wasn’t all what he did, but what he didn’t do that inspired me. It was the times when he wouldn’t complain even though anyone else would have. These were the times that he taught me and all of my teammates so many life lessons without trying. These were the times that made him Coach Sherman.

Every single day he would come to practice with just as much energy as anyone of us on the field. Never once did he complain. Not when the hot sun from practice was bothering him after a day of chemo. Not when the radiation was making his throat so sore he could barely talk. And definitely not when a treatment session happened to land on the same day as a game. He never needed to worry, since he was so mentally tough. That definitely made me play harder. If he could do it, I could block better. Being able to watch him go through

his unbearable fight was such an honor and a learning opportunity for me in so many ways. *** The worst feeling you can have as a running back is seeing the ball fall out of your hands. Seeing it roll around on the turf is agonizing. The main job the running back has is to hold onto the football and when the ball is on the ground, you have failed, and in week four of my junior football season, I experienced that feeling of pure terror for the first time ever on a varsity stage. As I walked off the field I felt nothing but pure disgust in myself. I looked over at Coach Sherman and at that moment, he began one of the most prolonged butt-chewings I have ever been apart of on a high school playing field.

Sherman yelled and he screamed and then he walked away. And then he yelled again and screamed again and finally walked away. All of this lasting over the span of about eight to ten minutes.

As I stood there on the sideline licking my wounds, Sherman came over to make his real point. He came up to me and looked me straight in the eye and said “Adam I believe in you, and I want you to go out there and show me what you can do.”

Sherman knew I could handle that, in fact, he knew that the butt chewing I had received that night would stay with me for a long time and help me even after football. He knew that because he cared and he made sure he really knew us, unlike most football coaches. But Sherman was one of a kind in that way. He was such a good teacher and motivator that he made the things he taught us on the field applicable in life. At the end of the game, I could tell Sherman knew I took something from the football field that day; not necessarily about how to hold a ball, but how to take criticism and use it to learn on the spot.

He was able to teach me a lesson while also showing us respect at the same time. *** Ever since I started playing football in sixth grade, I had always dreamed about my senior football season. I had always hoped I would stay healthy and enjoy a great last year on the

field, but on Aug. 23, just nine days away from the first game, my hopes took a hit from a 250 pound defensive lineman.

I got tackled on my left knee, and ended up tearing my MCL. I would miss at least two games of my senior season.

This was a gut check. Never had I ever felt so down for so long. All my hard work flew out the window. I felt like I could watch it staring me down while I sat in the doctors office hearing the diagnosis.

I didn’t feel like going to school that next day, but then I thought of Sherman. I knew in the back of my mind that this was exactly what he would not want me to do. When I eventually did tell him, he reacted just like Sherman would. He was positive and didn’t rush me back into the game before I was totally ready.

Majority of football coaches would try and hurry you back to play and not really be worried about your health, but not Coach Sherman. Again, it was what he didn’t say that really made the difference. I knew he didn’t want to hear what I was saying. But he swallowed that urge and told me exactly what I needed to hear. He would be there at anytime of the day or night if there was anything he could do to help me.

And I loved him for it, because he actually meant it. I’ll always remember what he told me before I left his office: He told me that he knew I would be strong and get through this. He believed in me, and he wasn’t afraid to tell me that either.

As this last season came to an end, I have closed the door on a very important chapter of my life. I have now been able reflect more on the sport that I loved and the Coach that I have learned so much from. I look back there are so many memories I treasure and so many things I have been fortunate to be a part of. I thank Coach Sherman for being a part of my life and for teaching me so much, even though he didn’t always mean to. Sherman continues to prove me wrong every single day, but now, I will have to watch him do it from the stands.

Even though my playing years are over, I know Coach would just want me to appreciate the things I have learned from him, and from football, and use it for the rest of my life to be the best person I can be.

Coached in LIFE

Football players reflect on the past season with Coach Sherman I’m a quitter by nature. I’ve never been afraid of trying something new, but finishing is a different story. My attic is a shrine to my short-lived passions, complete with gently used shin-guards, an opinion of WILL WEBBER undersized jerseys and stacks of entry-level piano, guitar and violin books. It’s not that I’m incapable of success—I have no trouble cruising through academics and other activities that come easy to me. But when the going gets tough, I get going. And in the spring of 2011, the going got really tough.

I had been seeing an asthma and allergy specialist after a particularly unhealthy year, which included three bouts with pneumonia and a hospital stay. So there I sat, in the sterilized doctor’s office, awaiting the results of my blood tests.

The doctor informed me that my immune system doesn’t work so well. I catch nearly every disease around me, and my body does nothing to prevent it from spreading and growing in severity. Every week for the rest of my life, I would infuse healthy antibodies into my blood stream through IVs. The process usually takes two hours, and yes, it does hurt every time I push the needles through my own stomach. Even worse is the toll that it takes on my body afterwards; I become overwhelmed with soreness and fatigue.

I didn’t react well to the diagnosis; I felt sorry for myself. But three weeks later, everything fell back into perspective.

It was the first day of summer football conditioning when Coach Sherman told us about his cancer. I sat in stunned

page11opinion.indd 1

silence along with the rest of the team.

How is that even possible?

He was invincible in my eyes; this was the man who opened up the weight room at the crack of dawn to work out harder than any guy half his age. I couldn’t accept that someone so healthy could get cancer. I guess Coach wouldn’t accept it either; he came to practice each day with the same vigor and positive attitude that we had always admired.

Even as he battled this terrible affliction, Coach put others’ well-being before his own. He recognized how I struggled on the first couple of days following each treatment and suggested that I sit out anytime I began to feel bad. Sure enough, I did feel bad, but I tried to follow his example and push through the pain. He was facing Stage 4 cancer and never showed a trace of weakness. I believe his attitude provided me with a dose of inspiration that helped me in ways my treatments never could. The whole team felt this motivation from Coach, and we showed our support by shaving our heads as he underwent chemotherapy. I wanted Coach to beat his cancer more than anything.

My teammates were all in. They lived and breathed football; from the moment they woke up, it was weights, protein, practice, film. I just couldn’t get into it; couldn’t shake off the feeling of dread before every practice; couldn’t ignore the lingering sting from my infusions every time I got hit; couldn’t convince myself that the effort was worth the little playing time I was getting. In just the second week of the season, I found myself in a very familiar situation—ready to quit. I waited for coach after practice, my parting speech replaying through my head. I began to tell him about my concerns of health and playing time, but I saw my own pathetic

reflection in his eyes and stopped mid-sentence.

Was I really trying to tell a man fighting cancer that this was too much for me? My treatments lasted two hours; his lasted seven. My shaved hair would return in a matter of weeks; his wouldn’t. I think Coach knew what I was trying to do, but he stopped me from making a monumental mistake.

“Maybe you could try things out at linebacker this week,” he suggested.

“Yeah. That sounds good, Coach.”

I played every game this season for the first time in my career. Between my freshman and junior year, I caught bronchitis, H1N1 and pneumonia multiple times. But this year, nothing was more contagious than perseverance. I became part of a team that just wouldn’t quit.

In the last few minutes of our playoff game against the eventual state champs, everyone knew that we were facing imminent defeat. But none of us could accept that it was over. This couldn’t be the last time that I would congratulate a teammate after a touchdown. I cherished every neonorange second that ticked down the end of my career. This couldn’t be that last time that I would line up on the 50-yard line and bitterly shake hands with the opposing team. But as I solemnly repeated “good game” to each Olathe South player, I realized that it wouldn’t be their last. And I boarded the team bus for one last ride.

In a few weeks, I probably won’t remember where I’m supposed to line up in our stack defense. But I’ll never forget Coach Sherman’s true lessons: he proves every day that no challenge is too great for the human spirit. Coach showed me that I’m not a quitter; I’m strong enough to overcome my own obstacles. I couldn’t quit if I tried.

OPINION | 11 12/8/11 9:00 AM

K N I L C M O O R ASS

CL

l ca

hoo c s h g i

H

ke a i l e b n

nce

nte e s n o is

pr

art by Matti Crabtree There are a few things in high school that make me feel as if I’ve been spending these last four years in the Leavenworth Penitentiary.

Yes, I realize we don’t walk an opinion of through the halls in orange EMMA PENNINGTON jumpsuits. And I know we don’t have chains tied around our ankles as we drag ourselves down the hall. We also are not here by choice. There are many ways high school and prison are similar.

Seven hours of my day I sit in a classroom. The room is hot and stuffy. The window isn’t allowed to be opened. There are over 30 kids in each classroom.

Thirty desks, too. I’m not allowed to go to the bathroom. No option to leave. No choice of what I want to do for the day. Luckily, we get the choice of what we want to wear unlike other schools, but sometimes this feels like our only choice of the day.

The first order of business is bathrooms. Honestly, prison would be better than school when it comes to bathrooms. We are forced to take the dreaded blue shield with us to toilet paper infested stalls. No passes would be needed if there was a cold metal toilet and sink in the corner of each room. Of course it would be a little awkward at first when freshman Sally Ann in the back row first takes the step to the toilet while the class is reading Huck Finn, but it’s something we could become accustomed to.

On the off-chance a teacher even lets you leave their sight, you’d better not forget to take their hall pass with you. To me, a hall pass is eerily similar to having

12 | OPINION

a guard walk with me from room to room. It represents a trust issue. Teachers don’t trust us to be in the hallway without holding a plastic shield (which somehow makes it OK for us to be in the hall at any given time) similar to how guards don’t trust felons to not start a fight with another inmate for taking too many slices of white bread.

Of course high school has its very own brawl in the crowded hall every once in a while, but nothing compared to the near death fights that probably go down daily in the Penitentiary.

Not only are these hall passes constantly getting lost and stolen, they are also possibly one of the most unsanitary things, well, ever.

These six-inch blue plastic passes get set on the floors of bathrooms day in and day out. And who knows what goes on in the boys’ bathrooms. As a girl, the stories we hear about the infamous writing on the bathroom wall seems to be endless. These passes go from students hands, to the bathroom then back to a dirty post-bathroom hand. When a teacher doesn’t make you carry a shield it’s a giant wooden sword or an oversized plastic bug or a sombrero. Why teachers think we are less likely to lose these items behind is beyond me. Students still play catch with the pass down the hall no matter what shape it is.

Like prison, if a student is caught outside of the classroom without one of these dreaded passes we are embarrassingly escorted back to our room.

Upon returning from a quick break in the restroom (Note: don’t take more than a few minutes or the guards, aka teachers, will question you) it’s back to the holding cell for another 30 minutes.

Another shuffle through the halls. On to the cafeteria.

This may be the one place that both high school and prison truly have in common. After three years of eating in the cramped cafeteria, my open lunch time has finally arrived. As lucky seniors (and who am I kidding, sophomores and juniors too) open lunch has proved not to be so fun after all. The privilege of speeding to the local Hen House and snarfing down chicken strips just in the nick of time to sprint back to class just isn’t quite as wonderful as it may sound. Yet again, prison wins this duel due to the fact that they probably don’t have to choke down their food in what seems like five minutes or, maybe they do have to choke down their food, but not for lack of time to eat it.

Students are locked up against their will for doing nothing. None of us are mass murderers. None of us are terrorists. Heck, most of us have never even stolen anything. Since we are all forced to spend all our days in this prison for doing nothing other than being born we should be given more freedoms throughout high school.

Many students don’t get a free period to take a class they want until their junior or senior year. Teachers need to look at the big picture and realize we, the students, aren’t that bad. I mean, at least we aren’t trying to knife each other. It’s understandable that the district needs to keep our schedules fairly structured for safety reasons, but when it’s all laid out on the table, sometimes I think I’d rather just be put in jail. At least I’d have a decent amount of time to eat my lunch.

EXTREME SLEDDING

Sledding — to the extreme

A few flurries—or a few feet—shouldn’t confine you to the warmth of your house. Get into the cold wildness and embrace it. Nothing gets the testosterone flowing like extreme sledding. Slow slides down the bunny slopes isn’t exactly manly. Pile an array of sleds and guys into the car, throw it into four-wheel drive and scout out the perfect Double Black Diamond man-hill. When looking for a man-hill, make sure it has a good variety of extreme terrain such as rocks, bushes and trees. Next, build a snow ramp. It wouldn’t be extreme sledding if there was no air involved. Begin to test out different sleds and choose a weapon of choice—then, continue your sledding-to-the-extreme for the duration of break.

STEAMING

HOW-TO:

BE A MAN

IN THE

WINTER

THE PERFECT FOLLOW-UP TO A WORKOUT While you may want to eat an entire batch of Mom’s Infamous Crescent Rolls this season, don’t let your figure get out of hand. After working hard all fall, it would be a shame to let holiday munching get the best of you: steer clear of hibernating and gaming in the basement. There’s nothing more manly then getting a nice morning lifting session in. After sweating it out at the gym, follow up by relaxing with a hot steam. During the brutally cold and dry winter, a few minutes in a steam room gets your sinuses cleared up and your skin feeling as smooth as lotion. This will lead to feeling like a man who’s ready for the day. Top it off with an eggnog protein shake—appropriate for the holiday season, and still keeping you “swole.”

CATCH THE GAME

WHAT YOU SHOULD BE WATCHING THIS SEASON The holiday season is coming up, and with that comes a two-week break. It also means that there is the tempting possibility of hibernating in a cozy house—but just because the family is decorating the tree, baking cut-out cookies and blaring the “Charlie Brown’s Christmas” album throughout the house doesn’t mean you have to lose sight of what makes the holidays manly. Here’s a four-point plan to maximize your manhood this winter break:

After a long day various manly activities, it’s OK to kick back in front of the TV. Here’s a personal Television Guide to make a lazy day indoors a bit more manly. First, don’t forget to catch some of the best college bowl games over the Holiday season. With multiple games every day starting on Dec. 17 and ending Jan. 2., it may seem a little overwhelming. Here are three not-so-obvious manly bowl games you do not want to miss: MAACO Las Vegas Bowl: December 22, Arizona State vs Boise State Like my dad always says, the team with the most points will win. There will sure be a lot of that in this game.

Valero Alamo Bowl: December 29, Washington vs Baylor Robert Griffin III. Enough said.

Cotton Bowl: Jan. 6, Kansas State vs. Arkansas A Classic Big 12 vs. SEC showdown. Can Kansas State quarterback Collin Klein put the team on his back, again?

Also, on Christmas day, get your dose of manliness when the NBA returns from the lockout. Five games will be running all day. Merry Christmas, men.

written by Mitch Kaskie | art by Kat Buchanan

*

THE MOST EFFECTIVE WAY TO BRING OUT YOUR INNER MAN THIS CHILLY SEASON IS TO COVER UP THAT FACE WITH MORE THAN SOME SCRUFF — THE END OF “NOSHAVE NOVEMBER” DOESN’T MEAN THE DEMISE OF DUDES’ BEARDS

page13features.indd 1

SNOW SPORTS

SNOWY FOOTBALL ANYONE?

If you’re a backyard football guy, then you realize that there is nothing better than some snow football. From the first throw off or kick off (rules may be settled beforehand), the natural restraints on America’s game will be discovered. Traction on the packed down snow will quickly cause problems--loss of footing, late hits and most of all turnovers. That’s where the hard-hitting, face-blasting, man-up style of football comes into play. After all of the mis-cues on snaps, ice cold passes and fumblerooskies, frustration takes over and you’ll find yourself shoving a buddy’s face into the frozen tundra after a play. Although the tips of your toes and fingers may be numb, and every breath is sharp, the fight continues. Eventually, a side is glorified and pride is won.

OPINION | 13 12/8/11 8:22 AM

Life as a college student College freshmen answer high school seniors’ questions about everything from academics to sororities interviews by Emily Kerr

Gillian O’Connell Dartmouth Q. How difficult are college courses compared to high school regular, AP, and honors courses? - Jack Kovarik

Q. How do you spend your time daily? - Louis Ridgway

They are significantly more difficult than regular high school courses.

A rule of thumb here is that each hour you spend in class, you should be spending 2-3 hours outside of it working on it. Like for my English course I do reading every night and I am generally working on an essay every week. In my math and combo Chem/biology course it is more doing problem sets. Tests are really challenging. The way testing is here, we had two midterms and a final this week, so there are only three tests that your entire grade is based upon. For my biochem class, the median grade on tests is a 65. You have to keep in mind during the test that it is ok if you aren’t getting it, because no one really is.

I get up earlier than most, so I can get work done. I get up at 6:45 and I study for a little, head to breakfast and go to my earliest class at 8:45. I study more right after that class and then head to lunch (sometimes) and then I go to the library around one and then I go to the gym and then dinner and then sleep. I know, it sounds really exciting but that is my average day. It’s a lot, but I have breaks in there.

Caroline Barnett Kalamazoo

Q. What is the biggest adjustment you’ve had to make?

-Morgan Saterlee

Q. What is the hardest part about being on your own (moving away)? - Casey Schmidt I think the hardest part is just adjusting to new experiences. For awhile its hard adjusting to a new community because you’ve spent so much time in one community.

You have to figure out a new way to fit in and meet people.

I think the best way to meet friends is to have no anxiety about it. You’re always going to be nervous, but you just have to push past that and try new things. Just go out and start a conversation with someone you don’t know; everyone is pretty much in the same boat as you not knowing anyone on campus.

I have found that the type of work that you are doing in college is a whole different way to think about things. Instead of doing ten problems of math and reading a chapter for an English class, it’s more like reading 100 pages for each class and then discussing it the next day. You have to get better at time management. There is always stuff going on on campus and after awhile you want to do all of it, but you have to realize “I can’t do everything, I have to take a break and go do homework.” You have to balance work and social life.

Q. What’s the hardest thing about living with a roommate? - Heather Hartong

Henry Foster KU Q. Is joining a fraternity a good idea?

- Michael Esselman I definitely think it is a good idea because if I wasn’t, I wouldn’t know as many people. This way you are automatically thrown into a group of friends that you get to know throughout the year and then can be friends for the rest of your lives. Academically, without being in it and having the competition I wouldn’t get the grades I have. For guys we just have rush parites throughout the year and it is an informal way to get to know everyone.

I know some fraternities have really big parties where they drink, but we don’t drink at ours.

I technically have 20 other roommates. I love it because you get to know everyone so much better and quickly and it is just a central meeting area too. A lot of parties actually happen in the locker room [where the boys live]. The girls love the locker room, which is cool too. It’s basically just a big room with a bunch of open closets in two lines across the room. We also have a common sleeping dorm which is called “The Roost” and in theory everyone is supposed to have their own bed but we actually have too many people.

It’s really not hard at all to live with these guys, it’s really cool.

Katy Richardson TCU Q. Is it better to go Greek or be an independent? - Kellie Johnson I would say that going Greek at TCU has been a really positive thing and I’m really glad I did. College is really different and when you are just thrown into it it gives you a really great outlet to make friends right off the bat. It gives you a smaller community within the bigger community. I think if you are not really sure what you want to do you should just try it out and you don’t have to stick with it. it I actually

14 | FEATURES

really enjoyed rush, I had no idea what I was getting myself into. I went into it thinking ‘alright, well this will be fun.’ You just go to all of the houses with a group and talk to girls from each of the houses. At first it was a little intimidating, but I got the hang of it. The whole rush process allows you to see what philantrophies the house does, what kind of events they do and the kind of girls they look for.

Ross Guignon Illinois Q. What is the biggest perk of being a college athlete? - Caroline Dodd A lot of things. For starters, you are given an unbelievable amount of resources. We actually have our own academic center and we are required to come to it as freshman for ten hours a week. As far as academics go, that side of it is pretty incredible. We also get a lot of different clothes, which is awesome. We get practice clothes to wear to practice and there are also a bunch of other clothes they give you that you can wear around. I get my laundry done for me (laughs), I don’t think everyone gets that done for them.

Q. How do you manage your time with the responsibilities of independent living, homework and extra activities? - Shannon McGinley That’s actually the most important thing.

I’m usually pretty good with time management, but I got hit pretty hard when I first came with how much work I had. It is really a matter of taking advantage of your down time and knocking out some studying or knocking out some small things that usually you put off. But if you are able to stay on top of the small things, then it really opens up time at night if you just want to relax and watch TV. And always keep a planner.

Sarah Genton KSU Q. What is the easiest way to make friends?

- Carolyn Welter I’ve made a lot of friends that live in the same dorm as me.

I think that living in the dorms your freshman year is a really good idea, because you’re bascially just living with those girls on your floor and it’s not hard to just knock on their doors and hang out. I’m in a four girl room and I knew Mary Joyce [her roommate] and she knew another girl and then the last girl we went potluck with. It has worked out really well so far because we all really get along. I don’t recommend rooming with your best friend, especially alone. I recommend going pot luck for sure.

Q. Freshman 15: Myth or fact? - Emma Cousineau It’s hard to adapt. You come from home where you are eating healthy food that is constantly provided for you that is obviously free. But if you know how to make the right choices, then you aren’t going to gain 15 pounds. One section of the dining hall is Mexican food and then there is Italian food and they always have hamburgers and hotdogs and deli meats and soup and salad. They also have ice cream, which is the worst part for me. They give you a lot of options, but it’s just really about picking the right option.

You also walk evWhat are you most erywhere, so you don’t realize worried about for college? how much you “Totally being on my own and not being are actually able to rely on laundry being done, homedoing.

cooked meals and things. If I’m sick [now] my mom will get me whatever I need, things like that.”

Lilli Stalder

BLENDING

Jeemin and Rachel Kim pose with their grandparents on Geojedo Island off the coast of Korea in 2009

CULTURES

Students growing up in multicultural households gain various perspectives on life written by Emily Donovan | photos by Alic Erpelding Junior Stefano Byer thought that he was used to driving “I want to help other people, people above the speed limit until he found himself packed into that have nothin—especially in comJunior Stefano Byer stands in the Italian the back seat of his friend’s car in summer of 2011. Doubling parison to Prairie Village,” Stefano said. Alps mountains during his vacation there the in-town limit, the driver pushed the small, manual shift Stefano’s mother, Silvia Byer, is a na- with his family last summer car until the odometer reached around 100 kilometers, or tive of Italy. She believes that Stefano’s 60 miles, per hour. goals reflect how spending six weeks in Some of Stefano’s friends make fun of him for wearing a Italy every year of his life has given him seat belt. Racing through Italian cities, these young Italians a more worldly perspective. consider the speed normal, not reckless.

Stefano’s desire to go to college “Never drive with an Italian,” Stefano said. abroad has fueled his decision to enStefano’s driving experiences are an example of the two roll in the International Baccalaureate greatest contradictions in his life: Italy and America. Stu- program. By the end of his senior year, dents who grow up in multicultural homes, like Stefano or he will take tests in six subjects that are Korean-American sisters freshman Rachel and junior Jee- standardized across the globe, making min Kim, are shaped by their cultural inheritance by inter- his high school credits easier to transfer ests, careers and language. to an Italian college.

Stefano spends almost 11 months a year in Kansas City, “The fact that he is in the IB program home to his father and that half of his extended family, but is an indicator that he feels this interhe stays with his mother’s parents every summer since national atmosphere within the househe was born, speaking and thinking in Italian. In these hold and within himself,” Silvia said. few weeks, Stefano and his family are immersed in Italian Italy and his cultural inheritance agreement that we never speak Korean to each other. It’s culture in everything from food and family to architecture, have defined Stefano’s interests and plans for the future. just awkward because we both know that English is more until they return to his American life in Kansas City after However, other multicultural students, such as Rachel and comfortable for the both of us.” six weeks.

Jeemin Kim, embrace their inheritance without being deFor Rachel, growing up in America has given her a piece Growing up with two different cultures has affected Ste- fined by it. of two cultures. According to Rachel, though it can somefano in more ways than his tendency to swear at other drivThe Kim family is from South Korea. Unlike Stefano, Ra- times be difficult, growing up in a bilingual home has been ers under his breath in Italian when he’s behind the wheel. chel and Jeemin don’t think twice about the culture contrast a unique experience. She’s happy to have been able to learn For him, being exposed to Italy while growing up in both between their Korean parents and their peers’ parents. not only two languages while growing up, but two lifestyles.

American and Italian culture has shaped not only his per“Over the years, it’s just become part of who I am,” Rachel Two lifestyles are exactly what Stefano’s mother had ceptions of the world, but also his hobbies. said. “We’re in both cultures pretty equally and I wouldn’t envisioned for her son. Thanks to her efforts, Stefano has “I kind of fell in love with art after going to the Vatican,” call myself completely American or completely Korean.” retained Italian culture and is fluent in Italian even without Stefano said. “I’ve always liked architecture, always liked In 1996, when Jeemin was one year old, she and her par- contact with many other Italians while in Kansas. photography and taking pictures of architecture, but after ents moved to Wisconsin, where Rachel was born, to fol“He integrates himself fairly easily in both cultures visiting the Vatican Museum, I appreciated art a lot more.” low a job opportunity for her father. The two have grown which was my goal, in fact, of making him comfortable in His time spent in Italy has given Stefano exposure to up and lived all of their lives in America and are therefore both worlds,” Silvia said. both his interests and his future career. Stefano believes more accustomed to American culture with Korean influBelonging to two cultures is a unique part of Stefano, that everyday life in Prairie Village doesn’t show the hard- ences, especially predominant in language.

Rachel and Jeemin’s lives that gives them a different world ships of life like a big city like Turin, Italy does. While JohnAccording to Korean custom of using titles, Rachel never view than their peers. son County, one of the most affluent counties in the United simply calls Jeemin by her first name but rather uses “eon“I know that my life has been completely different from States, is, in his opinion, a great place to grow up, he plans ni,” a Korean term used for an older sister. most people at East by being in a different culture at home to move abroad. He hopes to go to college in Italy and there“At home, when I’m talking to my sister or my parents, than at school,” Rachel said. “It’s not living in two different after do humanitarian work with Doctors Without Borders we use a mixture of Korean and English--we call it Kang- worlds, but it feels like it sometimes.” in less fortunate areas. lish,” Jeemin said. “My sister and I have this unspoken

ITALY: La Befana On January 6th, children across Italy set out boots on their front porches in hopes that La Befana, the old witch, will drop candy in them. It is somewhat similar to Santa Claus on Christmas.

celebrated

HOLIDAYS ITALIAN & KOREAN

in

households

information courtesy of www.italiansrus.com, www.afk.com

KOREA: Mid-Autumn Festival Also called Chuseok, the Mid-Autumn Festival is a celebration of family unity and rice harvesting.

During the three-day festival, families feast on rice cakes, dance and visit the graves of their ancestors.

FEATURES | 15

SPRING GEHRING-LOWERY ENGLISH TEACHER Spring Gehring-Lowery has been thrown, bucked and trampled by horses all her life. She says this is typical after a lifetime of horseback riding and training. Gehring-Lowry has always made herself get back on the horse. Except for the time she was knocked unconscious after falling underneath the hooves of her own horse, she couldn’t climb back onto the saddle.

“All I’ve ever wanted was to be with horses,” Gehring-Lowry said.

At the age of nine, Gehring-Lowry entered in her first competition. It was a 4-H club, which is a local event with different levels for kids. That year, Gehring-Lowry entered Ms. Kitty, her pony, and Patty Puff Special, her buckskin quarter horse.

Since Ms. Kitty and Patty Puff, she’s owned Shelly, Ahle, Allocate, Twister, and now, Aoife. Aoife is an Oldenburg, and Gehring-Lowry trained her herself.

Aoife is kept at Willow Creek Stables, where Gehring-Lowry visits at least five times a week. This allows Gehring-Lowry to be in touch with her “quiet” side.

“When I’m with horses, it’s like my moment of zen, and at risk of being sacrilegious , it’s my church,” Gehring-Lowry said. “It’s my moment when I feel completely quiet and I feel in tune with the world.”

Although the horses fulfill Gehring-Lowry’s sense of peace, it’s also been difficult. In addition to a horse lover, she’s an Honors English teacher, a wife and a mother. All four of these things are important to her, but finding time for them is hard.

“It’s caused arguments,” Gehring-Lowry said. “I know there are times where my daughter or my husband get frustrated because I’ve spent so much time with my horse. I love it, but at times riding does make me feel selfish.”

Gehring-Lowry’s had to do some “creative thinking” in order to please her family and herself. Because, to GehringLowery, “riding horses is like music for a musician and art for an artist.”

“You can’t ask them to stop painting or stop making music,” Gehring-Lowry said.

Gehring-Lowery daughter, Kaela, started taking lessons when she was 10, but recently dropped out at the age of 12.

Gehring-Lowery was disappointed, but didn’t push her daughter to continue on with something she doesn’t like.

That doesn’t stop Gehring-Lowery from asking Kaela to come to the barn with her. Sometimes she bribes Kaela with a trip to Culver’s.

“It’s probably one of the stupidest hobbies you can do because it’s terribly expensive, dangerous, you can get very badly hurt and even die,” Gehring-Lowery said. “It takes a ton of time...but yet, I love it. I absolutely love it. And I can’t imagine my life without horses.”

FOR ADDITIONAL PHOTOS, VISIT

WWW.SMEHARBINGER.NET

HIDDEN

CO$TS

OF HORSES A look at the extreme costs of horseback riding 16 | SPREAD

LAUREN WEINRICH KATHRYN SOPHOMORE FRESHMAN

KATY YOUNG KATY FRESHMAN

Dressage translates directly to from English to French, meaning “to train.”

It’s a type of style that horses compete in when they show. It’s “very complicated,” explained sophomore Lauren Weinrich, and there are multiple levels with different patterns of groundwork for each level. This is what Weinrich has been training horses to do in addition to groundwork with fouls.

“Horses make me happy,” Weinrich said. “I understand them.”

Ever since she can remember, horses have played a part in Weinrich’s life. Her mother, who grew up with horses, got her started at the age of four. She’s been riding ever since.

Five years ago, Weinrich and her family had a stallion named Dierderik imported from Holland. Throughout the years, they acquired mares along the way. When Dierderik and the mares produced fouls, the Weinrich family needed someone to train them.

“I figured I could do it myself,” Weinrich said. “Because I’m a decent enough rider.”

She has no set schedule, but she tries to get out to Pen Dragon Stables, which is in Liberty, Missouri, at least three times a week.

In her career, Weinrich has successfully trained six horses. She considers a horse to be fully trained when a horse is able to “do the basics,” which includes being able to go at a walk, trot and canter, which is a slow gallop. Weinrich usually starts training them when they’re about four years old. Usually, depending on the horse, training takes around a year to be complete.

When Weinrich is having trouble with a horse, her mom or other more experienced trainers are there to help. Each horse trained is a success for Weinrich.

“I feel proud,” Weinrich said. “I feel very proud of myself and the horse.”

With her hair twisted into a tight bun at the base of her head and her black riding suit buttoned, freshman Katy Young trots into the Kemper Arena on her American Saddlebred, Scooter. Fearless, she trots around the arena a few times, letting each of the three judges observe how “animated and accurate” he is.

November 15-19 was Young’s second time competing in the American Royal. On Tuesday morning and Thursday afternoon, she competed in Pleasure-which a division open to mares and geldings shown by amateurs. Young finished fourth on Tuesday, winning $50. On Thursday, there were a total of 14 riders in Young’s division, all of whom had been.

Young didn’t place.

Young has been taking horseback riding lessons since she was six, after two years of begging for her parents’ permission. Her trainer, Annalisa Hall, gives lessons every Thursday and sometimes Sunday at R&R Stables.

“I don’t feel like I’m good with school,” Young said. “But I do feel like I’m good at horse riding.”

Young’s hopes for the future include going to a college and studying to be a veterinarian for horses. So far, she’s looked at William Woods University, Kansas State University and the University of Missouri. She’s also interested in becoming a trainer and giving horseback riding lessons.

“When I’m near horses or in the barn, I feel whole,” Young said. “I feel like I can forget all of the problems I’m having in my life. I just ride.”

Every year, junior Anne Recker travels to Estes Park, Colorado with her family to trail ride. This tradition started when Recker was six. It’s where she first fell in love with horseback riding.

Recker began taking horse lessons from Tara Passmore, a horse trainer, when she was an 11-year-old. She rides at Passmore’s house near Hillside Lake.

“She taught me how to actually ride,” Recker said. “Not just hang on.”

Recker and her family own three horses: Aurora, Star and Bambi and a mule named Rudy. Aurora, who is an American Paint Horse, belongs to Recker. “[Aurora] has been a really good friend to me,” Recker said.

This fall, Recker competed in a series of rides called Competitive Trail Rides. There are simple obstacles like walking over a log, Recker explained, but there are also obstacles designed to frighten the horse. Ten points are judged for the horse, and 10 for the rider.

Recker won the competition. Her prize was called a Belt Buckle Award, which was “very cool,” according to Recker.

This past summer, Recker also worked at Jackson Stables, Inc. This is the same place she and her family ride every year in Estes Park.

“It’s my favorite thing ever,” Recker said. “Being out there, with all the horses.”

Sophomore Kathryn Sackett has a feeling that her dad is going to get her a horse for Christmas. She’s been taking lessons since she was eight and hopes to one day compete in a show. But first, she would love to have a horse of her own.

“I would be so happy and thankful if I were to get a horse,” Sackett said.

Since she was eight, Sackett has been riding horses at Kirin Stables.

Usually, she rides Leo, who is very sweet, Sackett explains, but can sometimes be stubborn. “[I’ve] always loved horses,” Sackett said. “Taking lessons was the only way I could think to get close to them.”

When Sackett was 13, she started mentioning to her dad, Troy Sackett, that she wanted to start competing. His initial reaction was doubt.

He thought she was going through a phase and would grow out of it.

Although she has yet to compete in her first show, Sackett has attended the American Royal and the White Fox Manor competitions and would like to compete in show jumping and possibly cross country.

Sackett also believes that competing will look good on her resumé.

She hopes to join the equestrian team in college, maybe at Minnesota State and Kansas State.

“I want to continue [riding] because it’s fun and I love the bond you form with the animal,” Sackett said. “The way you and the horse work together to achieve something.”

ANNE RECKER JUNIOR

FOOD Hay or Hay Pellets: $1168/ year Grain or Pellets: $140/year Minerals and salts: $20/year

KATHERYN SACKETT SOPHOMORE

EQUIPMENT

Horsin’ Around

As a general rule, a horse needs 2 to 2.2 pounds of feed for every 100 pounds of body weight. www.acreageequines.com

Saddle: $2,000-New Tack: $500 Bedding: $142.50

Horsin’ Around

In addition to equipment, you also have to pay a farrier to trim and reset the shoes every six to eight weeks. This can cost anywhere between $100 and $400. www.petplace.com

TAKIN’ LIFE

BY THE

REINS written by Greta Nepstad | photos by Grant Kendall

Horseback riders experience the freedom that horseback riding brings

BOARDING Stabling: $1168/ year Shots and vet: $250/year

Horsin’ Around

With self care board, you are required to provide everything your horse needs, but with full board everything is provided. horses.about.com

Sophomore Kathryn Sackett, above top , rides a horse named Leo. Sackett practices vertical jumps and courses two times a week at Kirin Stables. “I don’t compete now, but I hope to someday compete in jumping,” Sackett said.

Sophomore Kathryn Sackett, top , is critiqued by her coach Courtney.

“She is actually very observant and not afraid to tell me anything,” Sackett said. “But she is also really helpful.”

One of the horses at Kirin stables rests in between practice runs. There are 30 different horses at Kirin Stables, of all different breeds. Sophomore Kathryn Sackett prefers riding Thoroughbred horses. “I like riding Thoroughbreds because they are more spirited,” Sackett said. “I’m not sure what kind of horse Leo is, but I like to ride him because he actually makes me work and pay attention when I’m riding,” Sackett said.

SPREAD | 17

SPRING GEHRING-LOWERY ENGLISH TEACHER Spring Gehring-Lowery has been thrown, bucked and trampled by horses all her life. She says this is typical after a lifetime of horseback riding and training. Gehring-Lowry has always made herself get back on the horse. Except for the time she was knocked unconscious after falling underneath the hooves of her own horse, she couldn’t climb back onto the saddle.

“All I’ve ever wanted was to be with horses,” Gehring-Lowry said.

At the age of nine, Gehring-Lowry entered in her first competition. It was a 4-H club, which is a local event with different levels for kids. That year, Gehring-Lowry entered Ms. Kitty, her pony, and Patty Puff Special, her buckskin quarter horse.

Since Ms. Kitty and Patty Puff, she’s owned Shelly, Ahle, Allocate, Twister, and now, Aoife. Aoife is an Oldenburg, and Gehring-Lowry trained her herself.

Aoife is kept at Willow Creek Stables, where Gehring-Lowry visits at least five times a week. This allows Gehring-Lowry to be in touch with her “quiet” side.

“When I’m with horses, it’s like my moment of zen, and at risk of being sacrilegious , it’s my church,” Gehring-Lowry said. “It’s my moment when I feel completely quiet and I feel in tune with the world.”

Although the horses fulfill Gehring-Lowry’s sense of peace, it’s also been difficult. In addition to a horse lover, she’s an Honors English teacher, a wife and a mother. All four of these things are important to her, but finding time for them is hard.

“It’s caused arguments,” Gehring-Lowry said. “I know there are times where my daughter or my husband get frustrated because I’ve spent so much time with my horse. I love it, but at times riding does make me feel selfish.”

Gehring-Lowry’s had to do some “creative thinking” in order to please her family and herself. Because, to GehringLowery, “riding horses is like music for a musician and art for an artist.”

“You can’t ask them to stop painting or stop making music,” Gehring-Lowry said.

Gehring-Lowery daughter, Kaela, started taking lessons when she was 10, but recently dropped out at the age of 12.

Gehring-Lowery was disappointed, but didn’t push her daughter to continue on with something she doesn’t like.

That doesn’t stop Gehring-Lowery from asking Kaela to come to the barn with her. Sometimes she bribes Kaela with a trip to Culver’s.

“It’s probably one of the stupidest hobbies you can do because it’s terribly expensive, dangerous, you can get very badly hurt and even die,” Gehring-Lowery said. “It takes a ton of time...but yet, I love it. I absolutely love it. And I can’t imagine my life without horses.”

FOR ADDITIONAL PHOTOS, VISIT

WWW.SMEHARBINGER.NET

HIDDEN

CO$TS

OF HORSES A look at the extreme costs of horseback riding 16 | SPREAD

LAUREN WEINRICH KATHRYN SOPHOMORE FRESHMAN

KATY YOUNG KATY FRESHMAN

Dressage translates directly to from English to French, meaning “to train.”

It’s a type of style that horses compete in when they show. It’s “very complicated,” explained sophomore Lauren Weinrich, and there are multiple levels with different patterns of groundwork for each level. This is what Weinrich has been training horses to do in addition to groundwork with fouls.

“Horses make me happy,” Weinrich said. “I understand them.”

Ever since she can remember, horses have played a part in Weinrich’s life. Her mother, who grew up with horses, got her started at the age of four. She’s been riding ever since.

Five years ago, Weinrich and her family had a stallion named Dierderik imported from Holland. Throughout the years, they acquired mares along the way. When Dierderik and the mares produced fouls, the Weinrich family needed someone to train them.

“I figured I could do it myself,” Weinrich said. “Because I’m a decent enough rider.”

She has no set schedule, but she tries to get out to Pen Dragon Stables, which is in Liberty, Missouri, at least three times a week.

In her career, Weinrich has successfully trained six horses. She considers a horse to be fully trained when a horse is able to “do the basics,” which includes being able to go at a walk, trot and canter, which is a slow gallop. Weinrich usually starts training them when they’re about four years old. Usually, depending on the horse, training takes around a year to be complete.

When Weinrich is having trouble with a horse, her mom or other more experienced trainers are there to help. Each horse trained is a success for Weinrich.

“I feel proud,” Weinrich said. “I feel very proud of myself and the horse.”

With her hair twisted into a tight bun at the base of her head and her black riding suit buttoned, freshman Katy Young trots into the Kemper Arena on her American Saddlebred, Scooter. Fearless, she trots around the arena a few times, letting each of the three judges observe how “animated and accurate” he is.

November 15-19 was Young’s second time competing in the American Royal. On Tuesday morning and Thursday afternoon, she competed in Pleasure-which a division open to mares and geldings shown by amateurs. Young finished fourth on Tuesday, winning $50. On Thursday, there were a total of 14 riders in Young’s division, all of whom had been.

Young didn’t place.

Young has been taking horseback riding lessons since she was six, after two years of begging for her parents’ permission. Her trainer, Annalisa Hall, gives lessons every Thursday and sometimes Sunday at R&R Stables.

“I don’t feel like I’m good with school,” Young said. “But I do feel like I’m good at horse riding.”

Young’s hopes for the future include going to a college and studying to be a veterinarian for horses. So far, she’s looked at William Woods University, Kansas State University and the University of Missouri. She’s also interested in becoming a trainer and giving horseback riding lessons.

“When I’m near horses or in the barn, I feel whole,” Young said. “I feel like I can forget all of the problems I’m having in my life. I just ride.”

Every year, junior Anne Recker travels to Estes Park, Colorado with her family to trail ride. This tradition started when Recker was six. It’s where she first fell in love with horseback riding.

Recker began taking horse lessons from Tara Passmore, a horse trainer, when she was an 11-year-old. She rides at Passmore’s house near Hillside Lake.

“She taught me how to actually ride,” Recker said. “Not just hang on.”

Recker and her family own three horses: Aurora, Star and Bambi and a mule named Rudy. Aurora, who is an American Paint Horse, belongs to Recker. “[Aurora] has been a really good friend to me,” Recker said.

This fall, Recker competed in a series of rides called Competitive Trail Rides. There are simple obstacles like walking over a log, Recker explained, but there are also obstacles designed to frighten the horse. Ten points are judged for the horse, and 10 for the rider.

Recker won the competition. Her prize was called a Belt Buckle Award, which was “very cool,” according to Recker.

This past summer, Recker also worked at Jackson Stables, Inc. This is the same place she and her family ride every year in Estes Park.

“It’s my favorite thing ever,” Recker said. “Being out there, with all the horses.”

Sophomore Kathryn Sackett has a feeling that her dad is going to get her a horse for Christmas. She’s been taking lessons since she was eight and hopes to one day compete in a show. But first, she would love to have a horse of her own.

“I would be so happy and thankful if I were to get a horse,” Sackett said.

Since she was eight, Sackett has been riding horses at Kirin Stables.

Usually, she rides Leo, who is very sweet, Sackett explains, but can sometimes be stubborn. “[I’ve] always loved horses,” Sackett said. “Taking lessons was the only way I could think to get close to them.”

When Sackett was 13, she started mentioning to her dad, Troy Sackett, that she wanted to start competing. His initial reaction was doubt.

He thought she was going through a phase and would grow out of it.

Although she has yet to compete in her first show, Sackett has attended the American Royal and the White Fox Manor competitions and would like to compete in show jumping and possibly cross country.

Sackett also believes that competing will look good on her resumé.

She hopes to join the equestrian team in college, maybe at Minnesota State and Kansas State.

“I want to continue [riding] because it’s fun and I love the bond you form with the animal,” Sackett said. “The way you and the horse work together to achieve something.”

ANNE RECKER JUNIOR

FOOD Hay or Hay Pellets: $1168/ year Grain or Pellets: $140/year Minerals and salts: $20/year

KATHERYN SACKETT SOPHOMORE

EQUIPMENT

Horsin’ Around

As a general rule, a horse needs 2 to 2.2 pounds of feed for every 100 pounds of body weight. www.acreageequines.com

Saddle: $2,000-New Tack: $500 Bedding: $142.50

Horsin’ Around

In addition to equipment, you also have to pay a farrier to trim and reset the shoes every six to eight weeks. This can cost anywhere between $100 and $400. www.petplace.com

TAKIN’ LIFE

BY THE

REINS written by Greta Nepstad | photos by Grant Kendall

Horseback riders experience the freedom that horseback riding brings

BOARDING Stabling: $1168/ year Shots and vet: $250/year

Horsin’ Around

With self care board, you are required to provide everything your horse needs, but with full board everything is provided. horses.about.com

Sophomore Kathryn Sackett, above top , rides a horse named Leo. Sackett practices vertical jumps and courses two times a week at Kirin Stables. “I don’t compete now, but I hope to someday compete in jumping,” Sackett said.

Sophomore Kathryn Sackett, top , is critiqued by her coach Courtney.

“She is actually very observant and not afraid to tell me anything,” Sackett said. “But she is also really helpful.”

One of the horses at Kirin stables rests in between practice runs. There are 30 different horses at Kirin Stables, of all different breeds. Sophomore Kathryn Sackett prefers riding Thoroughbred horses. “I like riding Thoroughbreds because they are more spirited,” Sackett said. “I’m not sure what kind of horse Leo is, but I like to ride him because he actually makes me work and pay attention when I’m riding,” Sackett said.

SPREAD | 17

Ladies and Gentleman: Unfortunately, the time has come.

The season that everyone said was going to happen in 2002, 2009 and 2010, an opinion of but didn’t, has finally come.

CHRIS HEADY People: The Jayhawks are finally having a rebuilding year.

This became very, very prominent in the Kentucky game Tuesday night. I’ll say it. Kentucky isn’t good. They’re just not. They’re a typical Calipari team; young, athletic freshman and sophomores with monstrous egos who think they can walk into any gym and beat anyone, but don’t play as one cohesive unit. Kansas should have won the game last night in Madison Square Garden. A Bill Self team should have beat the crap out of Kentucky. Problem is, they didn’t. And KU won’t be a top 10 team with these glaring problems.

1. They aren’t playing like a team for 40 minutes: The person I blame most for this is Tyshawn Taylor.

After the first few possessions of KU’s first practice at “Late Night at the Phog,” I could tell right away there was a problem with Taylor. He’s driving too aggres-

sively, and forcing up shots that don’t need to be forced and by doing that, he’s not looking for open shooters.

Which makes sense. Not like Connor Teahan is shooting lights out this year or anything (he’s shooting 5-9 from three, and 58 percent from the field). Taylor has an obvious ego issue that needs to be called in check.

I was fine with Sherron’s ego. In fact, I loved Sherron’s ego. He played well with it; it drove him. Taylor, on the other hand, can’t. People will look at the box score and see Taylor had 22 points Tuesday night, what they won’t see is his countless turnovers and incredibly costly mistakes that lead to the KU collapse. As the point guard, and a senior point guard at that, he should be able to control a game and not have the urge to just score points. He’s not Sherron Collins, no matter how much he may think he is.

Aside from Taylor, the rest of the team doesn’t seem to be on par. Instead of running a fluid, set offense, the Hawks seem way too rushed and don’t look comfortable with each other, which causes confusion on both the offense, and defensive end.

2. Why on God’s green earth are we not giving the ball to Thomas Robinson?

Seriously. Why isn’t T-Rob touching the ball on ev-

ery possession? The guy has exploded in the past two years and developed into a dominating inside force that can score from inside out. Instead of pounding the ball inside to Robinson, KU is settling for long, contested jumpers that don’t need to be taken, especially with a Pre-season All-American center down low in Robinson. The reason the ’08 team was so great and was able to make a run in March was because of how well rounded they were, and how well they played from the inside, out. Sure, KU doesn’t have a Darnell Jackson-like body down low, or even a Cole Aldrich arsenal of moves, but KU does have a Julian Wright-Wayne Simeon breed in Robinson. The more Robinson touches the ball, the more points KU will score. Period.

The reality is, if KU doesn’t shape up, this is going to be a long year. Then again, this is the rebuilding year we’ve all been worried about. The Hawks don’t seem to have a dominant force to control the game, and that will be a reoccurring problem throughout the season. My message to KU Fans: Be patient. Keep the faith. It’ll be a long season, but with a Bill Self-led team, I can still see KU winning 22 to 25 games this season, and probably a three or four seed in the tournament.

SPORTS & BLOGS via Harbinger Online L a s t night, I had a sex photo shoot in my room.

Before you an opinion of MATT HANSON jump to conclusions, let me clarify: it was a photo illustration for the upcoming issue of Harbinger.

However, the strangest thing about this shoot wasn’t having two partially undressed models pose for pictures in my room. The strangest thing was that two rooms down, my parents were reading a bedtime story to my 6-year-old brother, Blake.

Aren’t I a great influence?

I’m almost 11 years older than my little brother. We’ve spent the last six years in very different stages of development. While he was having his first laugh, his first steps, his first day of Kindergarten, I had my first girlfriend, shot up about a foot, had my first sex photo shoot in my room. Just normal teenage stuff (OK, maybe not the last one). But by no means is it normal for him to be exposed to it.

He’s been exposed to so much more than any other kid his age. The other day, eight teenage boys walked into my living room, sat down and started exchanging vulgarities over a bet. He just sat there, unfazed by their arrival or

18 | ONLINE

their course language. He couldn’t care less. He’s that used to teenagers.

I’ve known other kids who were exposed to older siblings and their friends when they were young. A good number of those kids turned out to be pretty wild. It’s only natural. They emulate what their older siblings do, only they do it at a much younger age.

Is Blake going to be one of those kids? Is he going to stroll into first grade cussing? Is he going to want to go to parties in third grade?

Think about this: When I’m halfway through college, he’ll be halfway through elementary school. All my friends in college will have their high school senior little brothers come visit them. My brother will be hanging out with frat bros when he’s in third grade.

There are so many things my brother must hear and see that he won’t begin to understand until he’s much older. When I had forty kids over for a party last year on my birthday, he was there, amidst the groves of 16 year olds and booming music, playing with his Legos like nothing was going on.

How will my teenage actions influence him? I’ll be so ashamed if he turns out wild because of my actions. The best thing for me to do now is to be more careful about what I expose him to.

Until then, Blake: We’ll talk about it when you’re older.

On Friday, history was made.

“The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim” an opinion of was reELI MITCHELL leased, a video game that marks Bethesda’s first creation since “Fallout: New Vegas” and easily one of the most anticipated games of the last decade. One of the main features of the long-awaited sequel is the incredibly extensive character creation process that allows you to customize your character down to the individual hairs on his chin. Seeing as I write a fashion blog, I decided to take a look at what “Skyrim” has to offer clothing-wise.

Helmets Helmets are very in this season, as you can see by the picture. This stellar model is wearing a curved horn steel helmet. If you’re looking for something to keep your head warm this winter, this is a buy. Plus, I hear that women think the horns are sexier than a Nord in a loincloth.

H

Online Beards While it’s No-Shave November, why not take the opportunity to style your hair into something a little more than just stubble? The Dovahkiin in the picture has done just that, and styled his hair into a common style found on Tamriel, known as the extended Egyptian. Or why not go all the way and grow it out like a Khajiit? That’s what I’m planning on doing.

Armor Worried about what armor will look the best this season? Check out this cream-colored Dragon bone set. The sharp curves create deep shadows that complement perfectly the Skyrim Skyline, not to mention how buff it makes you look, even if you’re not at max strength. After a quick review of my character’s wardrobe, I decided that it was not only good enough for him, but good enough for me in real life. I made the executive decision to have all of his clothing hand-tailored (or smithed) and sent to me first class! It won’t be long before you see me packing heat in the form of a battle-axe.

MIXED

A PAGE ABOUT

Christopher Elbow

You Say Tomato

1819 McGee Street Kansas City, MO 64108

5018 Main St. Kansas City, MO 64112

CHRISTMAS HANUKKAH vs.

A: I like Christmas because we get a break off of school, we get time to relax.

Also, we have time to spend with our families and celebrate together.

Q: HOW DID YOU LEARN THAT SANTA WASN’T REAL? A: I opened the trunk of my moms car and I saw a gift in there, then I got it from Santa. That’s how I found out.

A: On Christmas Eve my family goes to a movie and then we drive around looking at Christmas lights. We eat lasagna and open presents.

Students share their view on receiving gifts eight nights in a row and receiving gifts all at once

page19MIXED 1

SPOTS SANTA BABY

St. Nicholas was a tradition that comes from the Dutch “Sinterklass” Dutch people brought the tradition to New York in the 17th century, which was known as New Amsterdam The name Santa was originated by an American named Clement Clarke Moore in his book The Night Before Christmas in 1823

EIGHT DAYS? A: I really like that I get to spend time with my family.

Q: WHAT DO YOU LIKE THE MOST OF THIS HOLIDAY? A: I like playing dreidel

-Sophomore Erika Levy

1. Kwanzaa is a religious and political celebration reaffirming the African-American people: True False

2. Christmas trees are grown in all 50 states including Hawaii and Alaska: True False

3. The narrator of the original Rudolph movie was: a)Anthony Hopkins b)Burl Ives c)Orson Welles d)Glenn Close

4. Hanukkah is referred to as all of the following except: a)Festival of Lights b)Dreidel Days c)Feast of the Maccabees d)Feast of Dedication

5. The menorah symbolizes: a) Life b) Oil c) Light d) Freedom

6. Which color is not a Kwanzaa color? a) Blue b) Green c) Red d) Black

HO HO HO!

Answers: 1) False 2) True 3) b 4) b 5) b 6) a

TAKE THIS QUIZ TO SEE HOW WELL YOU KNOW THE WINTER HOLIDAYS

HOT

BEST PLACES TO WARM UP THIS SEASON

WHY WE CELEBRATE CHRISTMAS WITH THE ARRIVAL OF OL’ SAINT NICK

A: Hanukkah is about when they were building a temple a long, long time ago and they didn’t have enough oil to have light in their temple so that they could build it, and live in it. So they used this little bit of oil they had left but the oil actually lasted a lot longer than it was supposed to and it lasted for eight days, that’s why we light candles on the menorah to symbolize the light

-Senior Leyann Dahlgren

HAPPY?

2801 Holmes Kansas City, MO 64109

Q: WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE EVENT DURING THE

Q: WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE TRADITION?

holiday

Andre’s Confiserie Suisse

Q: WHAT IS THE SIGNIFICANCE OF HANUKKAH?

Q: WHY DO YOU LIKE CHRISTMAS?

ARE YOU

THE HOLIDAYS

MIXED | 19 12/7/11 8:38 PM

Getting in his Groove

Choir student teacher takes away new perspective from time at East

FOR A RECORDING OF THE CONCERT, AND AN EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW VISIT WWW.SMEHARBINGER.NET

written by Stephen Cook | photo by Anna Danciger Standing in front of a group of over 150 choir students, Nick Lee, who is most wellknown by his teaching name, Mr. Lee, tells the group a story. The previous night was Halloween, and he had tickets to the Chiefs game. Not exactly sure what he was getting himself into, he wanted to make use of the tickets, so he and a friend went to the hectic game. Full of awkward, dangerous and hilarious encounters, Lee shares his story with the class.

As the story comes to a close, the Choraliers madly erupt into applause and cheers.

This is Nick Lee, who student-taught in the choral program at East for eight weeks.

Lee, who is studying at Concordia University in Seward, Nebraska, is planning on getting his degree of Bachelor of Science in Education, endorsed in Vocal Music and Drama and then graduating in the Spring.

Mr. Lee found out about Ken Foley, the choir director at East, when a student at Concordia, who previously had Mr. Foley as a teacher at Pembroke, told Lee that it would be a great opportunity to learn under him as he student taught.

“After the fact, I said ‘Hey, I had a student from Pembroke who went up to Concordia, do you happen to know Whitney Cain?’”

Foley said. “He said, ‘Yeah, that’s the reason I found you, because she said you should go work with Mr. Foley in Kansas City.’ It’s sort of a small world type of deal.”

In order to find out more about the choir that Lee was about to direct, he decided to make the four hour drive to East on a Wednesday night for the fall choral concert.

Lee wanted to get the chance to hear the choirs before choosing songs for them to sing at their next concert.

“I was really nervous the first time I walked in the school because I just had no idea what I was getting into,” Lee said.

“It’s weird sitting there in that seat and watching these students, all of whom I was

20 | FEATURES page20features 1

about to get to know really well and listening to this beautiful concert that they had put on and spent all these weeks preparing.”

Lee was finally able to meet Mr. Foley after the concert. The man who up until this point he’d only heard about, read about and seen in pictures online. Lee calls meeting Foley a “surreal experience.”

Even with all the driving that evening, Lee was still energized and ready to start being a part of East.

“I got in the car and we started driving home,” Lee said. “You think I’d be tired from all the driving, but I was so ecstatic, just so excited to get down here. It was a good kick off, even though I did get home at 1:30 in the morning.”

Despite his current dedication to choir, Lee wasn’t always planning on going into music. Originally he started out at the University of Nebraska Kearney, where Lee, a percussionist by trade, was a part of the drumline. At the time he was looking to go into Medicine, but a single experience changed his mind.

“We were singing Handel’s Messiah and right in the middle of that piece, something just hit me,” Lee said. “I just was so taken by the musicality of that and I just decided that I wanted to devote my life to music, so I decided right then that I was going to become a music teacher.”

In order to pursue his new career path, he transferred to the University of Concordia back in Seward, his hometown, because he was looking for a more challenging choir program than the one offered at his previous university.

In the middle of October, when Lee showed up at East on his first day teaching, he didn’t know what to expect. Between the sheer number of kids and fear of the unknown Lee was “terrified.”

Lee quickly became integrated into the choir program as he got to know people and as students had the opportunity to discover

his personality. *** It was a Friday, and just like other Fridays, the piano was in the center of the choir room, with all of the students circled around Lee as he led them through warmups.

“I’ll never forget the first time I was telling the Choraliers this dream I had about this crocodile encounter,” Lee said. “For whatever reason, [at] the last second I decided it was a good idea to tell 155 strangers about the weirdest dream I’ve had in a very long time.”

Although the story seemed random for Lee at the time, it marked a turning point for him and the group.

“I just got in the zone where I was telling this story and people were laughing,” Lee said. “That was the first moment that I really, really felt comfortable being in front of these people, and shortly after that I started sharing other stories with the choirs.

After sharing the crocodile story with the group, Lee started “Mad Props” Fridays, a time when he congratulates the choirs and tells them what the’ve done well that week. It’s also a time when goals are set for the upcoming week. Usually a story or other funny happening is involved as a reward.

Junior Dani Mader, like many other choir students, enjoys the “Mad Props” Friday that Lee started. They’ve become something that is looked forward to each week.

“The ‘Mad Props’ of the Week really make us feel good and get us excited to work on a Friday,” Mader said. “Plus you never know what to expect from him and he’s one of the kindest student teachers I’ve ever met.”

Mader, who plans on studying the arts in college, thinks that Mr. Lee has been a valuable example for students who are thinking about teaching in the future.

“I love going to choir even more which I didn’t think was possible,” Mader said. “He’s an awesome teacher and is really inspiring.

I want to be a fine arts teacher and he’s a really good example. He’s going places in life.”

Lee is thankful that his time at East went smoothly. He says that student teaching can often make or break a prospective teacher.

Since it is the last chance to make up your mind, some people end up dropping out at the last moment. “[Student teaching at East] really has secured me with this idea that I do want to become a teacher,” Lee said. “I look back and just think, if this wouldn’t have been a good experience, I could be changing the course of my life. But because it has, I’m ready for years in the future that maybe aren’t as good.”

Throughout his time at East, Lee has seen classroom ideology truly come to life. “[In our educational classes] they said the number one thing you can do is just really get to know your students,” Lee said.

“Whether or not you actually teach them anything should come secondary to you being involved in their lives.”

From Foley’s perspective, who has been teaching for years, student teachers can either help or hurt the classroom. “[In] the immortal words of Forrest Gump, ‘Student teachers are sort of like a box of chocolates, you never know what you’re gonna get,’” Foley said. “And it’s true, because if you get a bad student teacher it makes your life tougher, but if you get a good one it really helps. [Mr. Lee’s] really fun to work with, he’s been great.”

Reflecting on his time at East, Lee feels that he’s been impacted more than the students have been.

“I came here to teach all this stuff and I’m not sure I’ve taught anybody here anything, but I have learned so much about myself and about what it means to be a leader in the classroom,” Lee said. “I’m very, very excited to start teaching in my own classroom and just start changing lives, but we’ll see, because I came here to change lives and my life has been changed.”

12/7/11 9:05 PM

RUNNING in a NEW DIRECTION

East graduate rediscovers her love for running through road racing. written by Kennedy Burgess | photos by Haley Johnston

Nov. 20 was a particularly gloomy day: 45 degrees, clouds overhead and windy. While most people slept in or got a head start on Thanksgiving plans, former East student Allie Marquis rushes toward line of 20 red port a-potties lined up in front of the Double Tree Hotel in Corporate Woods, where a congregation of runners has accumulated. Marquis is late. The 26.2 miles she signed up to run on a whim a month ago is starting in 5 minutes and she hasn’t stretched or done her normal warm up jog. Technically, she hasn’t formally trained for the marathon either – most marathoner runners train six months out before the race, clocking in 20 miles in one day at times. But her lack of preparation is in the back of Marquis’ mind, though.

The 21-year-old thinks to herself, “If I can’t finish the race, I’ll drop out. I’ll just take it easy.” *** The most difficult aspect of running for Marquis isn’t the pain. It’s not the multiple injuries she has suffered over the past three years, not the up-hill climbs during a 12 mile run or the blackish-purple blisters of blood that form underneath her toe nails from running seven days a week. The hardest part for Marquis is taking a day off.

Marquis’ ambition for running goes back to her freshman year at East in 2006, when she first discovered cross country and track.

“It was simpler then,” Marquis said. “I liked it because it was something I was really good at and felt motivated to work at even more because of that.”

Her training in high school earned Marquis a scholarship to run to run cross country and track at KU. The offer had been something Marquis had yearned for ever since she realized her talent for the sport freshman year. Marquis’ best friend and former coach, Tricia Beaham, has watched Marquis grow from the moment she joined the cross country team. After highschool, Beaham and Marquis frequently kept in touch, and now call each other as often as once a week to catch up.

“She has this diligence about running that is remarkable,” Beaham said. “She puts in so much time and effort, but it was something that made her happy too.”

Even with her drive, the glitz of collegiate running began to wear off when Marquis entered her freshman year at KU. Instead of the 35 – 40 mile a week runs Marquis was used to in high-school, she and other teammates were now clocking in at 90 miles a week. Marquis would see a nutritionist every day, advising her with a regimented diet to make sure her caloric intake was sustaining her.

Marquis had to make sure she could balance out the 1,000 calories she was burning some days. The change was like a freight train to her body.

“I think a lot of people believe that once you compete in college, you’re just in love with it,” Marquis said. “You have days though, where you’re just exhausted and my body definitely went through shock.”

Marquis eventually found herself having frequent hip problems, an injury she noticed that was gradually becoming more painful which affected her stride because they were out of alignment. Marquis had to take daily trips to the trainer for her hips to be pulled in and out of their sockets to get them normally aligned again. Later in her sophomore year, Marquis was hit with a stress fracture in the bone of her foot, a common, yet serious injury for many track athletes where the weight-bearing bone in the foot is cracked because of overworking the muscles

page21Features.indd 1

from the impact of her feet constantly hitting the ground.

“It’s frustrating because it’s not muscle so you can’t massage it out, you can’t heat it,” Marquis said. “You have to take a lengthy break because that’s your bone healing.”

By the spring season of her sophomore year, Marquis healed enough to hop back on the track with her teammates.

During an intense practice one day, Marquis began to feel the same pain she had felt in her foot just months before. It was unbearable and sudden. Just days before she was feeling the healthiest she had felt in weeks. The bone in her foot had fractured again. Marquis had to stop her training, and decided to quit for a few months.

“It literally happened like one day I was on the roads fine and then the next day it was like I couldn’t take a step,” Marquis said. “The sudden injuries are the hardest because a couple days earlier you were having a great run and feeling it.”

Even with a successful fall season her junior year, Marquis felt like she had hit a brick wall, not enjoying the short distances as much as she once did. She was in a funk. She had lost the desire she had felt in high-school to run every day – she was no longer running because she loved it; she was running because she felt she had to.

“My heart and mind always go back to the longer distances,” Marquis said. “I love just pushing the body just to see how far you can go before it breaks down.” *** Thousands of people pile behind the blue starting pads – 5k runners, half marathon runners and the marathon runners – the air still crisp so the fog from their breath creates a collective cloud of exhaling.

“Five minutes runners! Five minutes!” The starter announces over a megaphone. Marquis thinks back to what Beaham told her the night before.

“She’s one of those people who will go out and say ‘Wow, I feel good let’s keep going this pace’,” Beaham said. “With a marathon though, you can’t do that so I told her to ease into her pace, and gradually up her speed with each mile.”

“One minute racers! One minute!” The starter yells again.

Marquis’ heart-rate elevates – not because she is nervous and not because she is afraid. Despite losing valuable warm-up time beforehand, Marquis remains calm. She knows this feeling.

“10, nine, eight, seven, six, five…” The crowd joins in as the starter counts down until the long “beeeep,” sounds the start.

Like a school of fish, the runners cross the starting pads in clumps of 40.

Marquis treats her first four miles like a warm-up, just as Beaham told her, running steadily to the rhythm of the up-beat rap playing from the iPod strapped around her arm.

By her fourth mile into the race, Marquis feels her hips and calves tightening up. She tries to shake out the strain in her muscles, but the cold air prevents any relief.

“Run through it,” Marquis thinks to herself. “Just go another hour and see how you feel.”

By mile nine, Marquis has loosened up. Two more miles pass, then three, then five. At the half, Marquis remembers why she started running in the first place. She picks her feet up quickening into a seven minute pace.

“Keep it rolling,” Marquis repeats the phrase in her mind.

“Keep it rolling.”

At 15, Marquis realizes she is first in the women’s race. As she passes more mile signs, Marquis feels her hips locking again. The next four miles are hell.. She lifts her head up and sees a girl in front of her.

“Catch up to her,” Marquis tells herself. “Pass her.”

Marquis pushes herself past the other runner, only to realize she wasn’t in the race, but she doesn’t look back. She goes through a highway underpass and up a small, gradual hill leading to the finish. There are no other female marathon runners in front of her, only the tunnel of onlookers bundled in blankets and coats and the giant clock above the blue finish mats. Marquis takes a deep breath and takes her final steps of her first marathon. She looks at the clock as she crosses: “3:10.”

“The second you cross the finish line you’re exhausted,” Marquis said. “But, it’s such a good feeling.” *** A black Jeep Liberty rests outside of a house on W. 20th Street Lawrence, KS. The back windshield of the liberty displays a red and blue bumper sticker that reads in bold letters “KU TRACK.” A petite, blue-eyed blonde dressed in a babyblue dry-fitted zip up and Adidas running leggings opens the screen door to the house, as a little, brown fur ball sprints past her, into the front yard. “Trixie! Trixie, come back inside,” the blonde yells in a bubbly tone to a small Yorkie.

Inside the house, the chatter of three other girls is heard from the kitchen; laughing and joking food sizzles on the stove.

Framed photographs of KU track runners hang on the walls and sit on tables.

The photos of the track runners show a chapter in her life that Marquis is gradually closing. Just three weekends ago, Marquis ran her first marathon, the annual Thanksgiving Gobbler Grind, finishing first in the entire women’s race with a time of 3:10 – a time that qualified her for the Boston Marathon. Just a year ago, she was battling two stress fractures and a lack of passion she once had for the sport. “(Running) is an every day thing,” Marquis said. “Some days you’ll really feel it and other days, you’ll just want to take a break, but once you just get out there, you feel better.”

Even after her successful finish in the marathon, Marquis continues to train. She is still unsure of whether she will run next fall, her senior year, but knows her track days are over.

Marquis plans to run Beaham’s last marathon with her, supporting the coach who grew to be the person she calls once a week. She also plans to properly train for marathons in the future, including Boston, which she will run in two years.

Beaham sees a something in Marquis that parallels with her own running career in high-school and college. She knows Allie will always continue to run, and is hopeful to see where it takes her.

“There’s this new frontier in running she’s willing to work hard to discover and go after,” Beaham said. “She’s got so much passion for the sport, but she’s excited about it too.”

Marquis continues to set new goals for herself, especially now that her spark for the sport has returned. She has been looking through Olympic time trial times on the internet and feels as though that could become a reality for her eventually.

“I want to run Chicago and New York too, and the Olympic trials are something I’ve been looking at lately” Marquis said.

“There’s always something more to go after.”

FEATURES | 21 12/8/11 8:13 AM

visit us on twitter

5835 Lamar Ave, Mission, KS 66202 /913.262.7300 /rjscatering@rjsbbq.com

H AAPP PPY HOLIDAYS! HOLIDAYS!

Corinth Tailors

@sme_harbinger

Watch live broadcasts of your lancers //smeharbinger.net

Lancers, bring your student I.D. and get 20% off !

TO ADVERTISE call 913.993.6688 or email us at smeharbinger@gmail.com pg22ads.indd 1

12/7/11 9:01 PM

MAKING the

BIG TIME

Fan girl discusses her love for Nickelodeon boy band and shares thoughts on newest album

Nov. 21, 2011. The day was finally here. Not that I would ever be able to forget, with Big-Time Twitter blowing up my phone with tweets from Big Time Rush promoting their new album, Elan opinion of evate. Every three seconds my KIM HOEDEL phone would buzz with yet another fan’s tweet that singer Kendall Schmidt felt the need to retweet: “@BTRluvr4life: OMG!!! SO EXCITED!! <3 YOU BTR! ELEVATE!1!!1” Gotta admire the originality of preteen girls.

Nevertheless, I read every single one while furiously typing out my own tweets to Big Time Rush (BTR) @Jamesmaslow, @1loganhenderson, @theCarlosPena and @HeffronDrive from my purely fan girl twitter account.

Big Time Rush, like Hannah Montana, is a band born out of a TV show. Their hit Nickelodeon series follows the ‘four hockey players from Minnesota’ as they try to make it as a boy band in L.A. Two years ago, my three best friends and I fell in love with the very same four quirky cute guys, their catchy pointless dance music and dippy screen writing.

Its safe to say that I’m obsessed.

The night before the album was released, I Googled around the area trying to find any stores selling Elevate that opened before school, any 24-hour Walmart or Target nearby. Nope. Thanks, Kansas. It looked like my ‘Elevation’ would have to wait till after school. And after eight very long, very boring hours—it was time.

Picture: you’ve just been peacefully shopping for groceries at the local Walmart, you’re way out the door, about to head home and cook your Hamburger Helper, two-year-old daughter in hand and—BAM. You almost get mauled by a crazed high school student as she burst through the entrance doors and sprints toward the back of the store, best friend in tow. That girl is me, Kim Hoedel.

It was there. I had it. “Elevate” by Big Time Rush. Unfortunately, the CD player in my car was broken, so we entertained ourselves with flipping through the CD booklet discussing which member wrote which songs and arguing over who looked best in which picture. I had tried to switch cars with my dad so that I could blast Elevate on the ride home,

Oh say, did you see?

Big Time Rush singing the Nation Anthem at the Cowboys vs Daulphins football game on Thanksgiving Day

but his brakes had just gone out. Even though I said that I didn’t mind, he advised me to value my own life over Big Time Rush.

Home at last and home alone. Score. Phaty rage—and by ‘rage,’ I mean blaring BTR and dancing around like a 7-yearold. I bolted inside and popped the CD into our living room sounds system. I couldn’t wait to see what catchy computerized cords BTR had in store for me. But as the songs wen on, I noticed a theme that was comprised of a lot of clichéd love lines and an overdose on the words ‘beautiful’ and ‘baby.’

When did Big Time Rush become We The Kings?

I was let down when my hopes of synthetic pop beats turned into soft singing and sweet piano playing. At first, I wasn’t worried, BTR always threw in one or two emotional love songs. Last album it was “Worldwide,” a song that wasn’t my personal favorite until recently, when Big Time Rush pulled me up on stage at their Hutchinson concert and serenaded me with it.

I skipped around the tracks and was shocked to find an uncomfortable amount of slow, quiet cord progressions. On to the next track, surely this would end the streak. Nope. On the contrary, I was overwhelmed by Kendall’s raw voice belting out a love ballad. No. No, no, no. Stop BTR. What are you doing?! Song after song, my heart sank lower and lower.

Seriously, BTR? The reason my friends and I loved Big Time Rush in the first place was because it was mindless. It all started as a joke, watching the show to make fun of it, but now it has progressed to fan girl twitter accounts, poster plastered walls, 45-minute phone call about the newest find in quirky BTR Youtube videos, two concerts (and counting), one involving a five hour commute and Tivos filled to maximum capacity with Big Time Rush episodes.

I liked that as a graduate of elementary school, it wasn’t my demographic. I liked that it was pointless and stupid without drama or real-world problems. Every TV show now involves death or some lame love story—whereas Big Time Rush is more like “Oh no!! We knocked Jordin Sparks down a well! What are we gonna do?!?”

Big Time Rush’s first album was written originally for their show: stupid, pointless, poppy, computerized and most importantly, awesome. Now with Elevate, Big Time Rush is trying to be a band first, and a TV show second. The mem-

BIGGER THAN NICKELODEON

Where you may have seen BTR recently

Empire state of mind This past Nov. Big Time Rush performed at Rockerfeller Center Annual Christmas Tree Lighting

bers of Big Time Rush wrote eight of the songs themselves, and while I love that they wrote their own songs, I miss the empty pointlessness of it all.

What really stinks about listening to their newest album is you can hear the demographic they are trying to target.

Each song is a sensitive love song to the listener. The album might as well be called ‘Girl.’ The songs are full of typical boy-band messages like: Oh, you think you are invisible but I see you and I love you, you think you are ugly but you’re beautiful and I love you, and I will always be here for you because I love you.

Does BTR think I have self-esteem issues? I mean, not me personally, I’m the 17-year-old who was crazy enough to do their choreographed dance on stage with them, but that’s not what’s important. It means BTR thinks their listeners have self-esteem issues. Like typical Rushers are girls who skulk around, feeling lonely all day, hating themselves and turn to Big Time Rush for love and support. Awesome. Proud to be a Rusher.

Let’s get real. Elevate was kinda disappointing, Big Time Rush let me down with their ‘scandalous’ attempts to separate themselves from Nickelodeon by including H-E-doublehockey-sticks in a song lyric, mentioning ‘clubs’ in another song and singing about ‘deep’ emotions and romantic physical contact.

Let’s get real, again. The album came out three weeks ago and I’ve had every song memorized from Day One. Big Time Rush’s music quality isn’t the point, not for me. The point is that they are cute. They are funny. They make you smile and are just altogether mindless and quirky.

I’m still a die-hard Rusher. I will still listen and love every song from Elevate because those are my boys. I will still tweet @bigtimerush day and night. I will still double-check to make sure the new episode of BTR is set to record on my Tivo. I will still have my computer home page set to the picture of James and me BTR posted on their Nickelodeon webpage. I will still spend every moment in Honors Physics trying to spell out BTR song titles on the periodic table.

We all have our secret obsessions; I’m just willing to publish mine for anyone to read. But I’ll come out and say it: I will always support and love Big Time Rush, no matter what.

I mean, think about it, after this article comes out, they’ll probably be the only friends I have left.

Presidential Performance This Dec. Big Time Rush performing infront of the president and his family at the National Chirstmas Tree Lighting

A&E | 23

NOTHING

‘NEW’ TO SEE

STAR STUDDED CAST OF ‘NEW YEARS EVE’ FAILS TO DIFFER FROM EARLIER ‘VALENTINE DAY’

I

written by Vanessa Daves | photos from allmoviephotos.com

’M A SUCKER FOR CHEESY, PREDICTABLE ROM-COMS. SO, WHEN I FOUND OUT THAT DIRECTOR GARRY MARSHALL AND WRITER KATHERINE FUGATE (THE DUO WHO CREATED “VALENTINE’S DAY”) WERE TEAMING UP AGAIN TO FILM “NEW YEAR’S EVE,” I WAS ECSTATIC.

Their previous movie debuted in 2010, bringing together some of the most renowned and talented actors of our time, and “New Year’s Eve” was no different. Featuring stars like Ashton Kutcher, Robert De Niro, Sarah Jessica Parker and Halle Berry, “New Year’s Eve” covers all of the different stories of New York City on the international holiday: from broken hearted to just married, from death beds to newborn babies, from deployed to employed. It certainly proves to be better than “Valentine’s Day” and one of the best feel-good movies of the year.

The great thing about romance comedies is their ability to make audiences believe in happy endings, which is quite a feat in a society where those are hard to come by.

For the cynics out there, I challenge you to give this movie a chance. Get past your qualms about stereotypes and flat characters and just let yourself enjoy the story. Sure, it’s cliché when one of the characters shows up to meet her man in a carriage, but that’s what rom-coms are all about.

The motion picture opens on the day of New Year’s

DON’T BOTHER

SUPRISING STARS IN

Eve, with Claire Morgan (Hilary Swank) preparing for the night’s upcoming events. As Vice President of the Times Square Alliance, she is in charge of the ball dropping, the confetti falling and entertainment – and she refuses to accept anything that doesn’t bring out the “magic” of the holiday season. Meanwhile, Ingrid (Michelle Pfeifer), a middleaged woman, has just quit her job and finds herself on an adventure with a delivery boy named Paul (Zac Efron), who is helping her achieve all of her New Year’s resolutions before midnight in exchange for tickets to the hottest party of the year. Paul’s sister, Kim (Sarah Jessica Parker) is recovering from a divorce and struggling with her daughter’s (Abigail Breslin) stereotypical teenage rebellion. Randy (Ashton Kutcher) is a New Year’s Eve grouch who refuses to go out that night until he gets stuck on an elevator with the new girl in his building (Lea Michelle). Oh, and, of course, Ryan Seacrest plays himself.

Going into this film, I wasn’t sure that it wouldn’t live up to my expectations. The beginning of “New Year’s Eve” had me worried; Hilary Swank’s opening voice-overs were boring and the first few scenes didn’t assuage my fears. But as the movie progressed and got closer to the countdown to midnight, the audience was drawn in by its witty jokes (“New Year’s is the worst night of all to go out. People who don’t drink or party all year suddenly going all Kanye on you”) and ­cheesy, romantic lines (“Don’t be afraid to follow your heart.”).

All the different stories told in the film may make it hard

WAIT FOR NETFLIX

to follow in some places, but the ability for this one movie to connect to so many different people makes any possible confusion worth it. In today’s society, a New Year’s celebration is different for everyone; this movie takes a realistic route to show how it differs from person to person, to class to gender. Whether or not you believe in the holiday “magic” like Swank’s character does in the movie, the holiday season impacts everyone. And despite all the different stories, the movie still manages to weave them all together in the end.

This movie will make you wish you had a significant other to spend the upcoming “New Year’s Eve” with. It will make you wish you had a kick-ass list of resolutions or lived in a crappy apartment so you could meet an extraordinary person while stuck in an elevator. It will make you wish you were experiencing your first kiss on New Year’s Eve or falling in love for the first time.

Yes, “New Year’s Eve” is cheesy. It’s even annoyingly happy. But, if you give it a chance and don’t take it too seriously, it will leave you with a warm and fuzzy feeling when they leave the theater and hope that Marshall and Fugate will team up again for another motion picture soon. “Memorial Day,” anyone?

WORTH A SHOT

AT THE PREMIER

HILARY SWANK

TIL SCHWEIGER

LUDACRIS

ACTUAL OSCAR WINNER ‘MILLION DOLLAR BABY’

NAZI KILLER FROM ‘INGLORIOUS BASTERDS’

THE RAP GENIUS BEHIND ‘BEER-N-CHICKEN’

NEW YEAR’S EVE

AND WHY THEY DON’T FIT 26 | A&E

Path of se the Hor Originally written by orse Michael Morpurgo in War H 1982, War Horse was a children’s novel told from the horse’s point of view.

War Horse was adapted to a screenplay and hit the broadway stage in 2007. The show was a huge success and went on to win the Tony Award for Best Play.

Production for the film version began in 2006, but fell through due to financial reasons. Spielberg took over in 2010.

Just Horsing Around Why couldn’t the pony sing?

He was a little hoarse!

What disease do horses fear most?

Hay fever!

What’s a horse’s favorite sport?

Stable tennis!

NUMBER OF HORSES KILLED IN WWI 800,000

=50,000

NUMBER OF ANIMALS

HARMED IN THE MAKING OF THIS MOVIE

0

A HORSE’S TALE written by Alex Lamb | photo from filmofilia.com

Spielberg returns to form with sweeping equestrian epic

A

t first glance, “War Horse” looks like little more than a sappy, clichéd (although admittedly big-budgeted) family flick. One horse touching the lives of many civilians and soldiers, overcoming exceptional obstacles as it courageously fights through World War I sounds like an overly sentimental ABC Family original movie. Yet upon closer examination, this holiday blockbuster proves itself just as genuinely beautiful as the creature it celebrates.

Two outstanding elements mainly account for this–not only is it based off the 2011 Tony award winner for Best Play, but it’s also directed by virtuoso Steven Spielberg. Adapted into a rousing war drama from one of cinema’s greatest directors, this grand tale overflows with terrific performances, sprawling landscapes and gorgeous cinematography–not to mention heartfelt emotion and an astounding, intense representation of WWI. At the center of “War Horse” lies the relationship between teenager Albert (newcomer Jeremy Irvine) and Joey, the tenacious stallion he raises and loves. Joey helps Albert and his family seemingly save their farm in what’s probably the coolest field-plowing scene ever filmed, but at the onset of WWI, with no money left, they have no option but to sell Joey to the British cavalry–despite heartbroken Albert’s complete protest.

This begins the episodic structure of the movie as Joey’s ownership switches to a sterling army captain (Tom Hiddleston) on the frontlines in France, alongside a valiant major (Benedict Cumberbatch) and his mighty horse. Later Joey connects with two young brothers (David Kross and Leonhard Carow) among the German soldiers, and then with an older French farmer

JUST DON’T

(Niels Arestrup) and his spirited granddaughter (Celine Buckens). Eventually Joey is thrust into the harrowing trenches of the battlefield, and by this time Albert has enlisted himself in the war, determined to find his beloved horse and bring him home.

Each of these segments prove engaging as co-writers Lee Hall and Richard Curtis give the characters developed stories that all tie in with Joey’s journey, exhibiting man’s devotion and admiration for the fierce will of the horse.

Among the uniformly excellent European ensemble cast, Irvine’s display of resounding hope and compassion certainly drives this theme home, and he serves as an effective emotional anchor for viewers. Cumberbatch also stands out through his commanding presence and vigorous energy, showing he’s primed to soon hit it big.

The most impressive performance, however, comes from the different horses that play Joey.

Their actions and expressions never feel forced as Joey interacts with the people and environments, thus earning the affections of the characters and viewers simultaneously. And with some of the astonishing feats Joey accomplishes and suffers through, you’ll really care about this horse.

A mesmerizing sequence in the third act wholly exemplifies this as Joey flies through the trenches and across the battleground, without a rider. All soldiers make way for his majestic stride, fireworks in the sky and explosions in his wake. During scenes of such gripping power and enormous magnitude, you know you’re watching a Spielberg movie.

An incredible earlier set piece dives headfirst into the heat of trench warfare as the British try to fight across No Man’s Land, reminiscent of

IF YOU’RE REALLY BORED

DARN GOOD

a similar aggressive attack in the Kubrick WWI classic “Paths of Glory,” as well as the D-Day battle in Spielberg’s own “Saving Private Ryan.” The steadfast, amazingly precise control Spielberg exerts over the action ups your heart rate and efficiently conveys the horrors of WWI, without going to the graphic, extremely realistic lengths of his aforementioned war masterpiece–this is a family-friendly film, after all.

Imbuing each character’s struggle with an empathetic importance and larger scale, Spielberg brings poignancy to every segment of the movie. Yes, this is a melodrama, but Spielberg’s deft direction makes it a melodrama of the highest order, still authentically heartwarming in delivery and tone.

Heavily contributing to this accomplishment are two of Spielberg’s longtime collaborators, John Williams providing a swelling original score and Janusz Kaminski achieving remarkable cinematography. Composed of giant wartorn backdrops, breezy open fields and magnificently colored skies, and utilizing expansive, sweeping overhead and fast-paced tracking shots, the camera work is a marvel to behold, giving the film quite the breathtaking scope.

In fact, “War Horse” feels less like typical Spielberg movie magic and more like the wonder of traditional, old-school Hollywood epics of the ‘50s and ‘60s. By all means that’s entirely appreciated here, considering he hasn’t directed a truly great, crowd-pleasing blockbuster in nearly a decade. And with his animated visual spectacle “The Adventures of Tintin” releasing stateside only two days before this (it’s already a hit in Europe), it’ll be quite the extraordinary holiday at the cinema.

Steven Spielberg, welcome back. We’ve missed you.

GIDDYUP AND GO!

A&E | 25

SPICING UP PARK

PLACE 1

2

3

4

5

6

MEXICAN RESTAURANT BRINGS NEW BUSINESS TO TOWN CENTER written by Alex Goldman | photos by Jake Crandall

1

ROASTED TOMATILLO SALSA

2

LIME, RED ONION, BASIL

3

AGAVE CHIPOTLE GLAZE

4

GRILLED PINEAPPLE SALSA

5

LEMON, WHITE ONION, BASIL

6

SALSA VERDE

26 | A&E

CHECK PLEASE BAD AFTER TASTE FINE DINING EXPERIENCE CULINARY GENIUS

J

ust like the title of his highly praised book “Simple Food, Big Flavor,” celebrity chef Aaron Sanchez offers simple Mexican food with some really big flavor at his brand new restaurant, Mestizo.

Sanchez, whose mother was also a successful restaurateur, has starred in shows such as “Iron Chef America,” “Chefs vs. City” and “Chopped.” After opening two very successful Mexican restaurant in New York City, Sanchez has opened what will be another success at 5270 W. 116th Street in the Park Place shopping center in Leawood.

When I asked if I could meet and interview the celebrity chef, the waiter said that I was going to have to wait in line with thousands of other people after he finished filming his latest show. After hearing the waiter praise Sanchez like he was some kind of culinary god, I was expecting some fine dining.

I quickly realized that Mestizo is not a typical Mexican restaurant; the food isn’t the cheap Tex-Mex stuff made with “meat” that was squirted out of a hose. Instead, Mestizo offers fresh food that tastes as delicious as it looks.

The restaurant has a modern Hispanic design that has a blend of warm colors decorating its walls--it gave me a cozy feeling when I sat down. The restaurant’s wide windows give you a great view of the Park Place public skating rink. I wasn’t sure where I wanted to sit with all the choices of seating. Mestizo offers their customers seats either at a booth, table or upstairs in their second level that has a second bar along with several plasma TVs. Sitting indoors, it was nice to see Mestizo’s open kitchen where the chefs makes each dish from scratch.

Looking at the menu, it is impossible to find the typical burritos and enchiladas found at most other Mexican restaurants around KC. Instead, there are dishes ranging from steak tacos to sauteed shrimp to ceviche soups all created by Sanchez.

I decided to take the waiter’s recommendation by ordering the Mexican classic, chilaquiles: a traditional Mexican casserole that has baked chicken breasts on tortillas with salsa cheese and cream poured over it.

Mestizo prepares their chilaquiles by first marinating the chicken breast with an agave chipotle glaze and leaving it in a refrigerator for a day to get the glaze’s sweet and spicy flavor to set into the chicken.

They then bake the chicken breast onto a bed of corn tortillas before covering it in a thick cream made up of mango, lemon zest, lemon juice to add a hint of lemon to the dish. The chef then melts some Monterey jack cheese blended with Oaxaca cheese on top of the casserole before sprinkling some basil to top off a very delicious dish. Every bite I took out of the chilaquiles hit me with a bold blend of sweet and sour with a little kick of spicy.

When I saw the waiter walk by with an order of churros for another table, I knew what I was ordering for dessert. After taking one bite, it was easy to tell that the churros are made fresh from handrolled dough by the soft and chewy texture. They are served with ice cream and a rich chocolate sauce to dip the pastries in. The churros are a great way to finish off a lunch or dinner and will definitely satisfy anyone’s sweet tooth.

The only negative I found at Mestizo is the price of most of their platters. Their entrees range from $12 to $27. They might be more expensive than most other Mexican restaurants, but the quality of the dishes and the fact that it’s a professional chef makes up for it.

Mestizo offers the best cuisine from the eastern Mexican coast that have a unique touch that isn’t like any other Mexican in Kansas City. If you are looking for a delectable Mexican meal that they have never had before, then Mestizo is the perfect choice.

ONTHE MENU

STEAK TACOS

Tenderly cooked steak wrapped in an authentic soft shell, corn tortilla.

Each taco is sprinkled with goat cheese and other authentic seasonings.

CHEESE DIP

Melted authentic Oaxaca cheese mixed with red and green peppers, onions, and basil. The dish is served in a bowl, but can be eaten in a freshly made tortilla.

PORK BELLY TACO

Like the steak tacos, the chicken is wrapped in the same style corn tortilla, but without the goat cheese.

FOR ADDITIONAL PHOTOS, VISIT

WWW.SMEHARBINGER.NET

12 1

Unique ways to get immersed in the holiday spirit written by Chloe Stradinger | art by Toni Aguiar

ways to have

jolly

HOLIDAYS

Break away from the usual hot chocolate and make yourself a drink that’s as refreshing as summer and as delicious as Christmas. Also, it’s ridiculously easy to make; cut a hole about one inch in diameter in a lemon and put a soft peppermint stick in it. The peppermint stick is part hollow, so when you suck on it you’ll suck up the sweet peppermint flavor as well as the lemon juice— an unexpected and delicious combination!

gift hunting

Nowadays, we ask for our parents to spare us of their often poor gift-giving attempts and hand us some cash.

But gifts should be more personal than that. This year, get everyone on your list something special (and find something for yourself) on Gifts.com. This website is full of a variety of gift ideas for every age.

christmas tree farm Nothing, not even the “new car smell,” beats the smell of a real, live Evergreen. Gather some buds, make hot cocoa and take a trip to the Christmas tree farm. The rich colors of the trees and wintery smell will put you in the Christmas spirit in no time. Playing hide-and-go-seek or tag in the trees is a fun way to top off your outing.

4 5 6 7 44

donate warm clothes We all have old clothes or toys we’ve pushed to the back of our closet because we’ve outgrown them or simply don’t like them anymore. Even though you don’t want them, they could make someone else’s holiday a little bit better. Donate them to a local food pantry where people in need can pick them up to use or give to their children.

After all, one man’s trash is another man’s treasure.

write to a soldier Sure, we all get tired of our families over the holidays, but that doesn’t mean we stop being thankful for them.

Every year, families miss their soldiers who are serving our country oversees and soldiers miss their families. Express your thanks for their brave services and make their holiday brighter by writing them a letter through soldiersangels.com.

holiday mix tape Christmas music is as catchy as the flu and way more fun to have.

But spare yourself of the repetitive radio remixes; make a CD with your own favorites. Throw a little of Justin Bieber’s new “Mistletoe” album on there, as well as some other holiday classics like “Baby It’s Cold Outside” and “Last Christmas.”

candy cane lane It isn’t uncommon that we high schoolers find ourselves driving in circles around Kansas City looking for something fun to do, often with no success. So next time you and your friends decide to waste some gas, head to Candy Cane Lane! On Outlook Street, Prairie Village, the displays on this house will provide some entertainment for you and your friends and brighten your Christmas spirits.

8 9 10 11

25

Countdowns are a fun way to keep track of the days to Christmas and to get you excited for it. You can print a festive poster countdown from online, buy a chocolate advent calendar from Target or even follow Christmas Countdown on Twitter. Each time you mark off a day, think of one thing you’re excited or thankful for this holiday season.

build a fire

Something about a fire brightens everyone’s spirits. The warmth and calming sounds the flames make bring everyone together. So gather some friends to roast marshmallows or hit the books and study. Whatever the occasion, the atmosphere around the fire will relax you and make you thankful for the warmth in the winter.

stroll in the snow It’s the question that every teacher asks their students when they run to the window and have a freak-out when they see what mother nature is dishing out: “Haven’t you ever seen snow before?”

Duh. But no matter how many years we see it, there is something magical about the fresh, falling snow. So gather your friends and take a walk under the shimmer of the moonlight on the snow; it’s a great study break.

elf party

Host a Christmas party for, in the words of Buddy the Elf, “humans who share an affinity for elf culture.” Have your guests go all out and dress in tights and pointy elf hats, or just get comfy in Christmas sweaters, footie pajamas or an attractive mix of the two. Here’s how to ensure that you won’t end up a “cotton-headed ninny-muggins.”

decorations

DADaYSysOFofCH ChRIrisSTtmMAS

twitter countdown

12

AND FINALLY...

mint lemonade

2 3

as

abc’s 25 days

Shark week is the second best thing that has ever happened to television. What’s as good as one amazing week filled with shark attack reenactments? ABC Family’s 25 glorious days filled with Santa Claus impersonators and movies that capture the magic of Christmas. Tune in to watch movies that will tickle you with their cliches and have you secretly wishing. Tonight’s showing?

National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation.

One of the best scenes in the whole entire “Elf” movie is when Buddy prepares the department store for Santa’s arrival. So follow his lead and cut out paper snowflakes and make paper chains to hang from the ceilings. The more, the better; it’ll give the illusion it’s snowing.

For the centerpiece, make replicas of the Empire State Building and others from NYC. If you really want to go all out, hang candy-cane wrapping paper in your front hallway and lean giant lawn candy canes (found at target) against the walls to replicate Candy Cane Lane.

food

Put together a spaghetti bar with all of Buddy’s favorite toppings: Pop-Tarts, mini marshmallows, M & M’s, skittles and syrup.

A&E | 27

looking ahead to

STATE

The Competition

Blue Valley North is annually the Lancer’s rival in the pool and this season will be no different. Led by Sihan Lou and Jack Goldsborough, North will have no trouble putting swimmers in position to win their events. With most of their points coming from three swimmers, North’s depth is in serious question but regardless, they will give East all they can handle come February 18.

SPEEDING through recovery

The Relays

After breaking his leg, senior Grant Minick works towards getting back into the pool

written by Christa McKitrick | photos by McKenzie Swanson Junior Troy Demoss heard he was a really more Zack Holbrook said, “I was like, ‘wow, ming,” Miller said. “He is getting more core good swimmer. Junior David Martinez heard that can really happen to him after we just got and muscle strengthening by being in the he was a good freestyler, sprinter and but- him.’ He’s a great swimmer and I didn’t want pool which is definitely helping his recovery.” terflyer. Senior Jonathon Grandstaff heard he to believe it.”

Minick has noticed the quicker healing was a pretty good swimmer back east in VirBecause the injury was so close to swim and strengthening as well, which has been ginia. season, the swimmers figured that Minick faster than he, and the other swimmers, exSwimmers and non-swimmers alike were would be out through January and he would pected. hearing floods of rumors and stories like these not have time to get in shape for the state meet “I think [my recovery] is going a little faster about Grant Minick, a senior who moved to on Feb. 16-18. However, Minick’s recovery has than the average… I’m definitely trying to get the East area from Manassas, VA., a week be- been quicker than they expected, partly due back as fast as possible because I have sports fore school started this year. East swimmers to Minick’s dedication to get back in the water. to look forward to this year,” Minick said. that swim for the Kansas City Blazers with The day after Minick Minick returned to practicMinick heard the news first and spread the broke his leg, he had suring with the KC Blazers about word about this new teammate quickly. gery to insert a metal rod a month ago. He started easy, But these high expectations were crushed into his leg, which landed only completing about 800 when Minick fractured his left femur at a la- him on crutches. About a yards of mostly pulling to get crosse practice in early October while cutting month after the surgery, a feel for the water. Day by hard to dodge a fellow player.

Minick began working day, Minick has worked to “I was making a hard cut to my left and with physical therapist build up his leg strength and when I planted it just snapped,” Minick said. Lori Miller through the get back into his best shape.

“I knew right away that it was my femur... be- Athletic Rehabilitation At first he did his own workcause it popped really loudly.”

Center three times a week. out in his own lane because After the injury, Minick’s thoughts instant- This was about two weeks he was not ready for the inly jumped to his swim season and how it didn’t before the swim season tense practices, but now he stand a chance. He thought about the time he started. Miller focused on is much improved, practicing spent at two-a-day practices and dry land to increasing the joint monine times a week with the KC perfect his strokes and his speed. He thought bility to Minick’s hip and Blazers.

“It’s definitely improving, I can that he wouldn’t have a chance to get up to his knee--the two joints that “Now he’s able to finish an top shape for his last year on the swim team. the femur is part of--and entire practice and he’s going now leg press a little weight After about two months of physical thera- increasing his strength. Althe same speed as everybody with that left leg and my balpy and easing back into swimming, Minick’s though Minick’s muscles else at practice which is great ance has gotten a lot better.” injury is healing and he expects to be able to were not harmed, they to see,” senior Andrew Horcompete for East after Winter Break. were weak from disuse afnung said.

East’s head swim coach Wiley Wright had ter surgery.

Minick is comfortable in the water now, never met Minick prior to his injury, but symAt Minick’s first physical therapy ses- but certain things are still hard for him such pathized with him as soon as he heard the sion, Miller worked with him on bending his as sprinting and starts. news. Wright had first heard about Minick knee further and easy exercises to activate “Getting my speed back up [is hard] bewhen East’s girls’ swim coach, Rob Cole, told the quadriceps muscle. Since the first ses- cause I can do aerobic right now with my pull him in September that there was a new family sion, Minick’s strength has improved and he but my speed relies a lot on my legs and my whose daughter and son were strong swim- no longer needs crutches or even has a limp. leg’s really weak right now,” Minick said. mers.

At the most recent session, Miller continued As of now, Minick hopes to be able to be“I felt sorry for the kid, you know, senior to focus on strengthening Minick’s muscles, gin practicing with the East swim team after year, new school--that’s tough as it is and then but was able to prescribe more strenuous ex- Winter Break. Until then, he will practice with to do that on top of that...I’m sure that wasn’t ercises including squats, lateral band walks, the KC Blazers and not participate in meets. the highlight of his senior year,” Wright said. and calf raises because Minick’s legs were Minick will continue his hard work in and The East swimmers quickly found out stronger. So far, according to Miller, Minick’s out of the water so he will be ready to race for about Minick’s injury through word of mouth healing process has been right on track and is East come January. and were shocked, both because of the injury going progressing quickly now. and what it meant for Minick’s swim season. “[Minick] is starting to progress at a quicker “I was kind of in disbelief about it,” sopho- rate now which I think it partly due to swim-

Six WeeksAfter After 2 Weeks

28 | SPORTS

With relays scoring double the points, they often decide meets and fortunately they may be the Lancer’s strength this season.

With the strongest crop of sprint freestylers since 2006 the Lancers will be in position to win both the 200 and 400 freestyle relays with a chance to set the state record in the 400.

Zack Holbrook

After a remarkable freshman campaign, Holbrook’s off-season has positioned him as one of the top freestylers in the state. Capable of placing in the top three of the 50, 100, 200 and 500, Holbrook can swim anywhere the Lancers are weak in points. Watch for a potential school record in the 500 come state. Holbrook may be most essential in both the freestyle r e l a y s where he will bring the relays home.

The Newcomers

Joining Grant Minick, Troy Demoss will also be returning to the team after his one year break from high school swimming. With a chance to win both the 100 back and the 200 IM, Demoss could be the Lancer’s highest scoring swimmer at this year’s state meet. Likely both of these newcomers will find their way onto a pair of relays particularly the 400 relay which may be viewed as the state favorite.

GAME ON.

Staffer sits in on girls’ basketball practice for their season driven by the motto:

written by Holly Hernandez Senior Caroline Dodd walks into basketball practice a little after 3:00 p.m. with her burnt orange headband on and neon yellow sports bra showing out of her number 33 jersey. Practice is supposed to start right at 3 but so far she hasn’t missed anything. A few teammates snag one or two more practice shots in before assistant coach Kelli Kurle blows her whistle and hollers, “stretch!”

With the girls’ basketball season underway, the team follows a rigorous practice schedule preparing for the upcoming season. Having lost key players since last year, this year head coach Scott Stein says they need to really narrow in on their game.

Working on offense and defense, conditioning and getting the team to work well together is what he is hoping to have them accomplish.

The girls sit in one large circle, stretching. Just like coach ordered. Each one pulls and leans, touching one toe, then switching sides. One girl lies face down on the court, while another one of her teammates kneels on top of her—massaging her back with her elbows. Number 33 begins braiding number 40’s hair just as Kurle shouts that practice has officially started.

It’s 3:15 p.m. and Kurle blows her whistle again. The players know where to go and what to do. It’s obvious that to them, it’s just routine. As groups of four spread to each corner of the gym preparing for line shooting, Dodd holds the back of her leg to her waist, doing one last hamstring tug before the scrimmage begins.

A regular practice goes as follows: from 3 to 3:30 p.m., line shooting—which is when the team is in multiple groups spread evenly at each basket throughout the gym and shoot from five different spots, once around the court and back, then seven or eight shots must be made at each spot.

Next up, stretching. Then warm-up drills: three on two, and two on one.

Stein doesn’t arrive at practice until 3:30 p.m. each day. So until then, his assistant coach Kurle runs the team.

NEWPAGE29.indd 1

“When coach Stein gets here, we sometimes do these things called stations where we practice fundamentals, ball handling, shooting and stuff like that,” Dodd said.

“Right now it’s kind of been just learning new things because it’s the beginning of the season. We’ll scrimmage sometimes.

And we usually run at the end.”

The team also practiced over Thanksgiving break, having Thanksgiving off but

by Friday were awake and ready for practice again by 8 a.m. Christmas break is the same. However according to KSHSAA, who oversees high school activities in Kansas, a certain number of days off must be given to teams. This year, it is six days.

Dodd says that Stein expects them to be intense and work hard during practice. He is trying to implement the ‘no talking rule’ more this year.

“Last year we would get in trouble a lot for talking so this year he’s trying to make it like…he doesn’t want us making conversation if we’re out or anything,” Dodd said.

“He just wants us to practice like we’re in a game, so play really hard.”

Stein thinks it can be challenging to work new people into the mix and get them use to playing together, but that it’s all about their focus during practice transferring to their games.

“The hardest part is getting them to understand that they have to practice harder than what they do most times,” Stein said.

“When people are in the stands, they [the team] plays harder they try to play faster, the other team is putting more press on them. The hardest part is to step up their intensity during practice.” *** Dodd quickly passes the basketball to junior Grace Pickell half way down the court who passes it back to Dodd, scoring a lay up. Stein’s angry voice can be heard in the background. “It’s critical against two on two plot that you don’t dribble!”

As Stein strategically places the players where they need to be. They flip over their reversible jerseys, some alternating from

blue to black, others vice versa.

“Step up Grace! Turn! Go! Grace don’t take this personally but safely get rid of the ball…do you understand?” She simply replies, “I got it.”

Pickell is a junior this year on varsity this year. She played freshman team her freshman year and JV her sophomore year.

Sometimes, she was able to suit up and sisters on the jv/varsity squad share play a little varsity then too. their thoughts on sharing the court with She says her favorite part about bastheir siblings ketball is bonding with the girls and the friendships you make, but on the other side it can sometimes be hard to stay fired up. varsity | senior | guard | #44 “It’s just hard to keep your head up and jv | freshman | guard | #35 just keep going, especially if you mess up “We can get pretty fiesty with each other in practice. your confidence goes down,” Pickell said.

I’m always going to go my hardest against her just “After a two hour practice when you’re on because she’s my sister and we’re competitive.” the line, it’s not always possible to be like CAROLINE NICK ‘OK let’s do this,’ Pickell said. “But you realize in the end it’s going to be really worth it.”

Dodd agrees with Pickell that even varsity | senior | guard/post | #40 though practices can be rough and intense, jv | soph. | guard/post | #5 that you may not like certain things while “She’s really encouraging with me and she’ll help it’s happening and that it can be difficult me do better. Even though she’s older, I still get mad having to practice over the holidays, that when she beats me.” EMILY DODD it’s all worth it once you finish a game.

“I feel like all the running we do, even though we don’t really like it at the time, it really does pay off because when we’re in the hard games and stuff, and you feel like varsity | senior | point guard | #23 you’ve got to keep going that’s when it realvarsity | soph. | point guard | #12 ly pays off,” Dodd said. “I feel like you feel a lot better when you have put in that work.”

“We’re really close so we have a good feel on the This year, Stein says he thinks that this court of where each other is...kind of like unspoken season will be even better than last year communication” SHANNON MCGINLEY because the players are familiar playing with each other more than they were before, and that they have stepped up their game during practice.

“Those that are returning obviously... Two seniors on the team committed to playing sports there are a significant number that know in college next year: Caroline Nick will play basketball what I’m like, nothing’s a mystery, they at Emporia State University and Shannon McGinley will know how practices are going to go,” Stein play softball at the University of Virginia. said. “There’s not much of a figuring out period here finding out what I want, so that makes it easier.”

SISTER,

SISTER

HANNAH & CAROLINE NICK

EMILY & CAROLINE DODD

ERIN & SHANNON MCGINLEY

QUICK BIT:

SPORTS | 29 12/8/11 8:58 AM

SNOW PLACE LIKE HOME Staffer discusses his love for snowboarding and why he chooses it over other sports despite living in a mountainless state

written by Nick May | photo by Alic Erpelding

My finger hovers over the computer mouse, ready to click the red, rectangular “PURCHASE” icon. This is a big decision, involving a lot of money. Will I still want this in a year or two? Was my mom right, and maybe I won’t use it?

That red rectangle is testing me. It’s challenging me. I’ve always had problems with impulsive buying. What if this is another occasion? Finally, I follow my gut feeling and clicked on the daunting red rectangle.

I had just spent all of my birthday, Christmas and allowance money on brand new snowboarding gear, despite living in Ohio at the time, 20 hours from the Rocky Mountains.

This wasn’t my first time spending significant amounts of money on hobbies. I played hockey and lacrosse, both expensive sports. The difference was, I could play lacrosse with the goal in my backyard or play catch with my brother basically any time I wanted. Even hockey was fairly accessible, with different leagues and programs running year-round at the local indoor ice rink. But when you live in Kansas, or anywhere else that you don’t have a mountain in your backyard, it’s extremely difficult to be an avid boarder.

The most important difference with snowboarding and skiing compared to normal sports is the fact that you have to go to a mountain (or at least a big hill)

to do them. Most people don’t live within range to legitimate snowy destinations, so the frequency of boarding is limited.

Knowing that you can only board for a few months out of the year, makes the handful of times you do go more special.

Besides the requirement of a mountain, snowboarding has other quirks.

Unlike basketball, soccer and football, where you wear team uniforms, snowboarders wear off-beat and vibrantly colored clothing. With baggy snow pants, colorful bandannas and boards with edgy designs, it’s as much of a fashion show as it is an adrenaline-laced thrill ride. Some colors found in snowboarding gear, for example the highlighter yellow from my goggles or the neon pink and green from my bandanna would be extremely tacky anywhere else.

From my navy blue baby snowsuit to my electric blue jacket now, I’ve always treasured wintertime. It started when I lived in Cincinnati. My house was on a big hill that was perfect for sledding; our front yard was so steep that many kids from around the neighborhood would come over to our house and sled.

When we were a bit older, my parents took my siblings and I out to a manmade snow park called Perfect North. In my mind it was the greatest thing since the invention of snow. With 23 trail runs and two terrain parks, Perfect North was

located at a manageable distance of a 40 minute drive. I first tried skiing, which I picked up quickly, but soon became bored with the monotonous and unexciting movements. I had seen some snowboarding on the X Games and thought that it looked exhilarating from the speed and skill required, so I made the decision to rent a snowboard instead of skis with my friend the next time we went to the slopes.

From the first run I went down on a snowboard, I knew it would be something I wanted to master. I’ve always liked balance-incorporated sports, playing everything from ice hockey and rollerblading to “Ripstiks” and “Heely’s” shoes. I know a lot of people who don’t want to try snowboarding because they think it’s too hard, and while it’s very difficult to get the hang of, part of that challenge is what makes it so addicting. Skiing may be easier to learn, but once you learn how to snowboard, it’s way more exciting and intense.

To snowboard, the basics include a solid wooden/composite board with bindings that screw into the board’s base. I usually include the boots into this category, since they are essential to ride. Snowboarding is not a cheap hobby; a good board/bindings/boots setup can run anywhere from $300-$1000 and higher. That much of an investment forces you to be committed and passionate about snowboarding, and to go out as much as you can.

Snow Creek, which is the closest snowboarding spot in Kansas, usually opens mid-December, leaving a small amount of time to ride. If you have your own equipment, you can get just a boarding pass for a little under $50 for a day. However, with gas prices rising, the hour long trip there and back is an additional expense in itself. Although artificial snow parks better than nothing, they pale in comparison to the real McCoy, the Rocky Mountains.

After years of pleading, I finally convinced my parents to take us on a Colorado ski trip last spring break. We went to Vail, and it was one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever seen. When I was up on the mountain, everything was blanketed in a layer of white powder, and I could look out across the sky and see the clouds below. Once I reached the top, it took multiple heart-pounding hours to ride down the entire mountain.

With beautiful places like that being the venues for the sport, it’s almost worth the limited time and insane amounts of money. In the end, I say basketball, soccer, and football players can have their fields and courts and year-round play, and I’ll take my picturesque views and the unforgettable rush of fresh, cool powder rushing underfoot as I speed down the mountain.

PEAKING EXPENSES a look at the prices of snowboarding gear $300 winter parka

30||SPORTS SPORTS 30

$170

heavy-weight fleece

$150 used snowboard

$500 new snowboard

$450 mountain season

pass at Snow Creek

$250

half season pass

THE

SPORTS

ROUND-UP

written by Matt Gannon | photos Marisa Walton

LOOKING AHEAD Coach Hair Boys’ Basketball at the upcoming games this winter

4 p.m.

Dec. 12

Boys’ Swimming at East

7 p.m.

Girls’ Basketball vs SM South

8:30 p.m.

Dec. 14

Boys’ Basketball vs Ruskin at Avilla

2:30 p.m.

Dec. 16

Wrestling at Blue Valley

5:30 p.m.

Girls’ Basketball at SM North

7 p.m.

Boys’ Basketball at SM North

10 a.m.

Dec. 17

Wrestling at Blue Valley

7 p.m.

Dec. 20

Boys’ Basketball at SM West

Jan. 3

5 p.m.

Wrestling vs. Leavenworth

Jan. 6

5:30 p.m.

Girls’ Basketball at Leavenworth 7 p.m.

Boys’ Basketball at Leavenworth

Jan. 7

9:30 a.m.

Wrestling at Rossville

THE SPORTS FACTS

BOYS’ and GIRLS’ BASKETBALL

THEN

FIRST BOYS’

BASKETBALL

COACH: 1959

Glenn Saunders Record: 105-131

Q What is one thing that you particu-

larly want to focus on this year?

A Defense, definitely. We played okay defense last year, but part of the problem was that we weren’t really strong offensively, so we would have to play great defense to win. I think that defense will once again be a major key for us. We aren’t the quickest, we aren’t the biggest, you know, so right along with defense goes rebounding.

Q Were you content with the end of last season? What do you want to build off of?

A No, I think offensively we really had our struggles. I mean, we had trouble scoring.

We averaged about 45-55 points a game, and you have to play great defense to beat people consistently when you aren’t putting up a lot of points. If you go out there and score more than 60 points a game, then your defense only has to hold them to 59; that’s kind of the way I look at it.

This year we’ve got guys who can score the ball, we’ve got a lot of scorers on this team.

Q Who are those scorers going to be and how much of a part will they play?

A They are going to play a huge part, you

know. Vance [Wentz] is a great scorer.

Zach [Schneider] is a great scorer. Chase [Hanna] can really shoot the ball. All of our point guards have the ability to shoot it too, Alex [Schoegler], Henry [Simpson], Andy [Hiett], all of them. And we’ve definitely got to get some inside points from Billy [Sutherland] and [Chris] Tuttle.

Q How do you think that inside presence will help the team this year?

A It will be huge. I mean you talk about playing the game from the inside-out.

And I think that the biggest thing I see is that, you know, if we just rely on the good shooters that we have sometimes we will be hot and sometimes we will be not so hot. But, if we can get the inside baskets consistently then our offense will be a whole lot better.

Q How important are the younger members of the team?

A The junior class is great. There’s no doubt. This is the largest junior class we have ever had in my 16 years of guys that are playing JV and varsity. We have 13 JV and varsity, which is just unheard of, and

Coach Kennedy Bowling Q With a lot of graduates

on last year’s team, who will likely be the leaders of the year’s squad?

A I think for the boys team, it will be between Brandon Shatto and Will Patrick. They are both really good seniors. and for girls, I think [senior] Kristen Anthonis will be my top bowler.

Q What numbers are they bowling?

A Will [Patrick] is probably bowling like 200s. Brandon is more around 180s/190s. In regards to Kristen, I’m not sure about her; she just got a new bowling ball, so its kicked her game up a little bit.

Q What do you look for in a good bowler?

A Okay, I know some people

NOW

don’t think this is true, but I actually do look for some athleticism. I like to see that they’ve got some athletics.

A lot of people think there is no athletic aspect to bowling, but there is. And obviously, it doesn’t hurt if they can bowl pretty well, but even if they don’t we can teach them. It is definitely not beyond our capabilities.

Q What is the one thing the team, as a whole, could work on?

A Picking up spares. When we practice it, I have kids aim for individual set pins like the 10 or the seven, which sometimes frustrates them because they can’t just go for strikes.

But, it’s a key skill that is fundamental to bowling well.

PRESENT BOYS’

BASKETBALL COACH

Shawn Hair Record: 194-138

Watch the next

game on Dec. 14 vs Ruskin

Coach Stein Girls’ Basketball Q What makes this team

different?

A You know, this team isn’t a whole different. We’ve got three returning starters back. But, I would say last year’s team was a little more experienced out on the court and off of the bench. And that is one of big focuses this year; it’s key to get these players experience.

Q What is the team’s main goal this year?

A To win the league title.

Q What style of play do you want to see your team play?

A I want us to be aggressive on both sides of the ball. We need to push it up the floor, and really go after it on defense. We are definitely an

THEN

GETTING to know thePLAYERS JUNIOR CHASE

that really speaks volumes.

Q What is your team goal this season?

A Well, we had a team meeting and we had every kid write down individual goals and team goals. I think the five things that really came out of that are to try to win all the home games, try to beat all of the Shawnee Missions (we play all of them twice), try to win 15 varsity games, try to win our substate and go to state, and then compete for the league title. Those five things are what we are really striving for.

Q What are the biggest things you are looking for out on the court?

A I think the biggest thing we are looking for is effort. I want every kid out there playing hard. But, I also want the kids to be more responsive to the game and to the crowd, and really feed off that energy as the games get bigger and bigger and as the season progresses.

up-tempo team, and we need to take advantage of that.

Q What is the big thing that the team needs to emphasize?

A Doing the little things. One of my big coaching focuses is the fundamentals. If we aren’t sound fundamentally, then the team will struggle.

The little details make the big difference come game time.

Watch the next game tonight at East- 7 p.m.

FIRST GIRLS’ BASKETBALL

COACH: 1976

Carolyn Howard Record: 22-27

JUNIOR CHASE

HANNA

Boys’ Basketball

Last movie that made you cry?

“I don’t think I have ever cried in a movie.”

Cheer leading or drill team?

“Drill team.”

SENIOR CAROLINE

NICK

Girls’ Basketball

Which sock do you put on first, your right or left?

“I put on my right first.”

Celebrity Crush?

“Ryan Gosling. He is nice looking.”

JUNIOR GAVIN

JORNS

Wrestling

Do you like white or wheat bread better?

“I like wheat better. It is more natural.”

Of all of the teachers and coaches at East, who would you pick to back you up in knife fight?

“Coach Sherman. He doesn’t put up with anything.”

FOR WINTER BROADCASTS, VISIT WWW.SMEHARBINGER.NET

NOW

PRESENT GIRLS’ BASKETBALL COACH

Scott Stein Record: 12-10

SPORTS | 31

THEIR

‘FIRST’ SHOW

art students get a chance to sell their artwork at Studio B during First Fridays

Senior Jean Orr, above, browses art at the “Changing Currents” art exhibition. The show highlights the art of some of the most talented upperclassmen working at the participating schools photo by Hiba Akhtar

Senior Sam Stevens’ art, right, was one of the artists featured at the showing. “This was a joint project between SM East, SM North, and St. Theresa’s,” Stevens said.

“Half of the profit generated from this goes to the students, and half goes to the Missouri River Relief Fund.” photo by Jake Crandall

“The field trip was really interesting,” said Senior Katie House, a featured artist whose artwork is above top. “It was just a Saturday morning where we got into boats and just got to travel around the river and see some really cool sights.” photo by Grant Kendall

Senior Duri Long’s piece, “Deer in the Headlights”, above, sold for $75. “I found a headlight in an old scrap yard and I ended up getting it to light up with the help of an auto shop guy,” Long said. “And then put a deer in front of it for the deer in headlights look.”

Senior Sam Rider, left, admires the art on display. “I heard about this show because my friend [senior] Katie House had some artwork here,” Rider said. “I didn’t know there were artists at East my age that were this good.” photo by Spencer Davis

photo by Grant Kendall

FOR ADDITIONAL PHOTOS, VISIT

WWW.SMEHARBINGER.NET

32 | PHOTO ESSAY