Issue 5 from the 2013 - 2014 Harbinger by The Harbinger

the harbinger.

PAGE 25

LOCAL RESTAURANT: ANNA’S OVEN PAGE 30

KSHSAA FOOTBALL CHANGES

FIGHTING FOR HIS FATHER Junior uses mixed martial arts to overcome the death of his father STORY ON PAGE 14

PHOTO BY MADDIE SCHOEMANN AND MCKENZIE SWANSON

Shawnee Mission East l 7500 Mission Road, PV KS, 66208 l November 4, 2013 l Issue 5 l www.smeharbinger.net

editorial.

EDITORIAL CARTOOON:

EDITORIAL:

CONSIDER THE STUDENTS The district should get more input from the students when making big decisions

In the last few weeks, East has seen new entities entering the school: petitions as well as paint crews. Change is hard to swallow; it always is. Changes, especially within a large public school of vibrant and proud high school students, are often times met with discontent and protest. The Harbinger believes that the Shawnee Mission School District should consider the opinion of students in a decision such as repainting every surface at East. Next time a large decision is made that will affect many students, the district should consult with them first. The building is repainted every ten years. The district is allocated money that taxpayers have given up for the improvement of the public schools. The upkeep of the schools includes repainting the walls, a task that will span over four to six months with painters working through the evening. It is evident that the higherups did not consider the repercussions of such a decision. The district should have been more mindful of the students, and should have sought more input from the people who walk the halls every day: us. A debate has emerged between students and the administration as to whether East’s several skillfully-painted murals should be exempt from a new coat of paint. Yes, these murals express the personality of our school, and yes it will be a shame to see them go. The

administration scrambled to try to resolve the issue and released a statement that included their solution to the mural crisis. They will photograph the murals and mount them on posterboard so they aren’t fully gone. But the real issue isn’t the paint colors or the murals, it’s that this conflict should have been avoided. The heads of the district are essentially unaffected by this decision, but the students are in the halls and in the classrooms every single day. Both the paint committee and the district should have better consulted with the students before the executive decision was made to paint the walls. All of this happened without student input. That is why the Harbinger believes that the students should have been given the opportunity to vote on the decision to paint as well as which colors were chosen for what walls. The administration, district and students can work democratically. A healthy debate can arise, and the kinks can be worked out. If the students at East had been given a voice on the issue earlier on, the conflict between the administration and the students as well as the students and the district could have been avoided. The Harbinger staff hopes that the district will better consult with students in future drastic decisions, to avoid such conflict.

EDITORIAL BOARD VOTES FOR AGAINST ABSENT

5 3 2

THE HARBINGER STAFF 2013-2014 Co-Editors-In-Chief Andrew McKittrick Katie Knight Assistant Editors Morgan Krakow Sophie Tulp Head Copy Editor Sarah Berger Assistant Head Copy Editor Pauline Werner Art & Design Editor Miranda Gibbs News Section Editor Greta Nepstad News Page Designers Mike Thibodeau Spread Editors Phoebe Aguiar Caroline Kohring Features Page Designers Sydney Lowe Claire Whittaker Pauline Werner

Sarah Berger Sophie Tulp Katie Knight Morgan Twibell Pauline Werner Caroline Kohring Julia Poe Staff Writers Maddison Hyatt Ellis Nepstad Michael Kraske Hannah Colemann Lauren Brown Photo Editors McKenzie Swanson Maddie Schoemann Assistant Photo Editors AnnaMarie Oakley Annie Savage Opinion Section Editor Morgan Twibell Opinion Page Designer Nellie Whittaker A&E Section Editor Leah Pack

Freelance Page Designers Georgia DuBois Megan McAlister Staff Photographers Kathryn Jones Neely Atha Callie McPhail Kylie Relihan Annika Sink Taylor Anderson Taylor Bell Katie Lamar Paloma Garcia Tessa Polaschek Abby Hans Scotty Burford Editorial Board Andrew McKittrick Katie Knight Morgan Krakow Sarah Berger Will Oakley Morgan Twibell Sophie Tulp Julia Poe Grace Heitmann Mike Thibodeau Pauline Werner

Features Section Editor Maddie Hise

A&E Page Designer Audrey Danciger

Online Editors-in-Chief Grace Heitmann Julia Poe

Copy Editors Mike Thibodeau Clara Ma Andrew McKittrick Will Oakley Morgan Krakow

Sports Section Editor Will Oakley

Head Copy Editor Susannah Mitchell

Sports Page Designers Tommy Sherk John Foster

Assistant Head Copy Editor Clara Ma

Online Photo Editor Marisa Walton

Head Webmaster Jack Stevens

Assistant Photo Editors Hailey Hughes Meghan Shirling

Assistant Webmasters Jacob Milgrim Matthew Bruyere

News Editor Nellie Whittaker Homegrown Editor Maxx Lamb Opinion Editor Claire Sullivan A&E Editor Audrey Danciger Sports Section Editor John Foster Assistant Sports Editors Ellis Nepstad Will Oakley Video Editors Sophie Mitchell Annie Foster Podcast and Radio Editor Leah O’Connor

Live Broadcast Editors Jack Stevens Andrew McKittrick Anchors Sydney Lowe Will Oakley Maddie Hise Multimedia Staff Jack Stevens Sophie Mitchell Matthew Bruyere Annie Foster Social Media Jacob Milgrim Adviser Dow Tate

The Harbinger is a student run publication. Eastipedia Editor The contents and views Maxx Lamb are produced solely by the staff and do not Interacive Editors represent the Shawnee Will Oakley Mike Thibodeau Mission School DisMatthew Bruyere trict, East faculty or school administration.

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.

WRITTEN BY GRETA NEPSTAD ART BY GRETA NEPSTAD

A week in photos

F E I R B NEWS IN

Latest iPad is Released

PHOTO BY MARISA WALTON Junior Alec Dean listens to Coach Dustin Delaney after the Lancers win over SM West. Dean had the first touchdown for the Lancers.

Apple released its most recent product, the iPad Air, on Nov. 1. Starting at $499, the newest iPad is said to have faster Wi-Fi and have a clearer screen that will work better with iPad apps. The first iPad came out in April 2013, with 300,000 being sold that day. Since then, the iPads have been revised to include a longer battery life, a brighter display, a better camera, a longer memory and stronger graphics. Later this month, Apple will release an iPad mini Air. “I’m probably going to get the iPad mini Air, when it comes out,” junior Alad Aguirre said. “It’ll be easier to carry around and it’ll be much, much faster due to the A7 chip.” The A7 chip allows the iPad to have a faster central processing unit, and graphics that are stronger without using battery life.

Spin! Pizza opens in Corinth Square

PHOTO BY ANNIE SAVAGE

During soccer senior night, senior Andrew McClanahan gains control of the ball.

news.

the

THE POWER OF LIGHTNESS

A breakdown of the newest Apple product up to 2x faster Wi-Fi 300 megabites per second transmitter and receiver both have multiple antennas

1 lb. 1.05 lb. Wi-Fi + Cellular

$499 to

$929

ttery lif

Today, Spin Pizza opens its new location in Corinth Square. With multiple locations in Kansas and Missouri, the restaurant will be opening in the old CVS pharmacy location. The neapolitanstyle restaurant has recently hired students from East to work as cashiers and waiters. “I knew they were hiring and I’ve always really liked Spin pizza, and there are a lot of other kids at East who are working there, too,” senior Jamie Maddox said. The restaurant is known for its stone oven pizzas and gelato ice cream. Maddox will be working at Spin as a cashier. “Whenever new restaurants open up in Corinth Square they’re pretty busy, and everybody is going to be new so I’m worried about that,” Maddox said. “It’s going to be hectic.”

}

iPad Air

10 hrs

Coalition Starts New Fundraiser PHOTO BY ANNA MARIE OAKLEY Junior Spencer Frank participates in the Wack-a-Mole game during Mole Day.

PHOTO BY DARA O’CONNOR Seniors Haley Johnston and Alex Stonebarger conduct an expiriment in environmental education about the behavior of goldfish.

Coalition is organizing a no-shave November fundraiser in hopes of raising money for Doctors Without Borders, an organization that sends doctors to third world countries. Though it targets the male student population, girls are also invited by Coalition to participate. “[No-shave November] is basically when us guys grow out our facial hair as long as we can possibly grow it,” junior Coalition board member Noah Marsh said. “I feel like it’s going to be fairly successful because there are a lot of people in this school who can grow some pretty great facial hair.” Each person who participates is asked to pay three dollars. Money is also raised by the three teachers who will judge the facial hair grown at the end of the month: Michael Chaffee, Robert Bickers and Nathan Southwick. “Chaffee can judge length because he probably has the longest facial hair in the school,” Marsh said. “Southwick and Bickers are known for their handlebar mustaches and faux-hawks, so they can judge style.” Each judge will have a jar for donations, and students will donate to whichever teacher they feel has the best facial hair.

top 3 apps

Fantastical 2

Duck Dynasty: Battle of the Beards

Angry Birds Star Wars II

the camera 5 megapixel camera backside illumination sensor: illuminates photos

news.

CANS FOR A CAUSE StuCo’s can drive benefits Johnson County Christmas Bureau WRITTEN BY CLARA MA ART BY GEORGIA DUBOIS

The annual can drive organized by Student Council will raise money and cans to benefit the Johnson County Christmas Bureau, which provides holiday assistance to low-income families in the community. From Nov. 1 through 23, students are encouraged by StuCo to bring cans and other non-perishable items to bins located outside of the main office and throughout the school. The can drive has been held at East for over 25 years. In the past, East has been the largest source of donations to the Johnson County Christmas Bureau in the district. According to StuCo sponsor Brenda Fishman, East students have raised well over $10,000 in cans and monetary donations in previous years. This year, StuCo hoped to further stimu —

FRESHMEN

SOPHOMORES

For their can drive charity projects, the freshman members of StuCo will be organizing a competition between seminar classes in their grade. Students will bring cans to their respective seminars, and the seminar that collects the most cans will be rewarded with a donut party. The competition will begin Monday, Nov. 7, and last until Friday, Nov. 11. For their second project, the freshmen will place a wooden box on the fourth floor by the counseling center for students for students to contribute spare change. Freshmen will contribute pennies, and sophomores, juniors and seniors will contribute coins of larger denominations. The idea is to have the freshmen compete with sophomores together with the upperclassmen to see who can bring in the most money. This competition will last the entire can drive. “I think that it’s really good to give back,” Freshman Class President Maura Kate Mitchelson said. “I just want people to donate a lot. I want our project to be successful.”

things you can donate soup peanut butter jam beans ketchup corn cereal Nutella mac & cheese sugar tuna pasta

late student involvement through the Can Olympics Assembly in which 11 students from each grade level competed against one another in various events, including a soup-eating contest and a relay race. “I think [promoting a competitive spirit] makes students want to participate more,” student body president Morgan Twibell said. “We’re hoping that it will bring in more cans than we ever have, especially since we’re not doing a Bachelor’s Auction. A lot of times people don’t realize what we do, but the can assembly, I hope it continues on as a tradition and actually helps people understand what we’re [trying to accomplish].” In addition to taking part in the general drive, each grade level represented in StuCo will also organize projects of their own.

The Sunday before Halloween, sophomore members of student council got a head start on their project for the can drive: they went trick-ortreating for cans. The event took place in the neighborhoods of the class officers, and nearly 200 cans were raised toward the Johnson County Christmas Bureau. Sophomore Class President Sara Nestler hopes to be more involved and in touch with her classmates in all of StuCo’s projects this year; she feels the can drive is a good place to start. In order to spread the word about the charity event, class officers went around to seminars and explained the purpose and logistics of what trick-

JUNIORS Junior student council members will go door-to-door raking leaves in Prairie Village neighborhoods in exchange for a suggested donation of $50 to raise money for the can drive. According to junior class president Sydney Bahr, the event is an easy way to raise a large amount of money in a short of period time. Last year, they collected more than $300 in exchange for raking leaves. This year, they hope to have even more success with the project. “I think that we, at Shawnee Mission East, are very fortunate,” Bahr said. “And I think sometimes we lose sight of the needy in our neighborhoods, but I think it’s really good that we can all come together and do stuff for our zip code, for Johnson County.”

or-treating would entail. Because the event took place before the general drive, the sophomores will be taking on an additional project: they are planning to collect donations and cans at a varsity football game later in November. “I don’t know if we’re focused on how many cans we get, we’re more focused on getting a lot of people involved, and then if we get people involved, hopefully that’ll translate to getting a lot of cans,” Nestler said. “The can drive is really important because it’s helping out people in our community, and it’s really focused for people in Johnson County.”

SENIORS

The senior class officers and representatives plan to hold competitions between clubs and organizations at East to see who can bring in the most donations. Bins placed by the entrance on the south ramp will be marked with the name of each organization. In the first week of the can drive, football will compete against soccer. In the second week, the drill team will be pitted against the cheerleaders, and in the third, The Harbinger will compete against Hauberk. At the end of each week, the organization with

the most cans will be the victors of the competition. A competition between underclassmen and upperclassmen will extend throughout the threeweek drive. “We really want to do our part to make sure as many families get helped as possible,” senior class president Erin Cosgrove said. “We’re hoping, as seniors, to get the senior leaders in different organizations to really push the members of their specific groups to get involved and donate to the can drive.”

Cheaters Never Prosper?

news. WRITTEN BY LAUREN BROWN PHOTO BY SCOTTY BURFORD

According to researchers, cheating may result in a “cheater’s high” and accessibility to technology makes it all too easy Senior AP student Bailey West’s* week includes 3 AP classes, a choir concert on Tuesday and a part-time job. On top of all of that, she has a book report due by Friday accompanied by an Environmental Science test. She won’t be able to juggle it all without using Wikipedia or texting her classmates for answers to her study guide. West knows she is not unlike many other East students with a full course load who try to save time and effort by cheating. New research shows that cheating may actually make cheating students feel powerful. Accessibility to technology like Facebook and group messaging have made it even easier to get away academic dishonesty. During West’s sophomore year, she and nearly a hundred sophomore chemistry students were in a Facebook group where worksheets, labs and test answers were posted daily. West believes these kinds of cheating methods continue to function unbeknownst to teachers because most just choose to ignore the possibility that their students would deceive them. “I think if teachers want to prevent cheating, they can prevent cheating,” West said. “I’ve never cheated in a class where I really respected the teacher. Other teachers don’t follow through on their threats to punish students that cheat, and it shows [students] they can get away with it.” Many psychologists have attempted to study the motivation behind the phenomenon of studying. This month, Dr. Nicole Ruedy and her research team at the University of Washington in Seattle published a journal of multiple studies entitled “The Cheater’s High: The Unexpected Affective Benefits of Unethical Behavior.” Ruedy’s studies focus on the psychological impacts of cheating and

the correlation between unethical action and a feeling of power. Prior to one of Ruedy’s studies, participants’ baseline moods were evaluated. Later, Ruedy administered a wordunscrambling test to participants, giving them an answer key for them to grade their own work. Forty one percent of participants changed their answers, believing the researchers would not be able to tell they had done so. A follow-up evaluation of the moods of the participants after they had changed their answers showed a great increase in positive emotion or what Ruedy calls a “cheater’s high.” These findings could explain to students why, instead of feeling a sense of nervousness, they get a small thrill or Reudy’s idea of a “cheater’s high” from duping their teachers or parents. West argues that the habitual nature of cheating at East shouldn’t be attributed to the thrill or the difficulty of assignments, but to the ease with which students can turn in work that is not their own. “I’m guilty of being in group messages where people send pictures of homework assignments,” West said. “It’s just out of pure laziness because so many teachers give completion grades.” Ruedy believes students get a feeling of happiness from successfully cheating, and this dishonest behavior could become a pattern. “The danger is that this might be selfreplicating,” Ruedy said. “The high cheaters feel might encourage them to cheat more and more and maybe even go to further lengths to get it.” According to U.S. News and World Report, East leads high schools in the district with its average ACT composite score of 25.2. Forty six percent of the student body is enrolled in AP accredited classes, and East is one of three schools in the district to offer International Baccalaureate class-

es. Even though honors-level students must agree to practice academic honesty upon enrollment, students like West still admit to cheating. One of the ways students cheat is by utilizing the array of technology they have access to. According to a recent poll by Common Sense Media, 35 percent of the students surveyed admitted to using a cell phone to cheat. Twenty percent said there was nothing wrong with texting friends about answers during a test. Junior Jenna Jones* has witnessed firsthand her classmates using technology to cheat. “If we have a test in a class, we are all desperate for information about how it was and what it covers,” Jones said. “Sometimes, right after people turn in a test, they’ll text [answers to students] in the other hours.” Psychology teacher Kelli Kurle teaches both AP and IB students, yet still says that she witnesses students looking information up on their phones or sending test questions to students in other classes. “[AP or IB] kids have a lot on their plate and I think they view [homework tasks] as only a worksheet,” Kurle said. “I saw almost no cheating when I was teaching standard level classes.” According to the East Student Handbook, academic dishonesty “may result in, but is not limited to, loss of credit for the assignment.” Some teachers may choose to enforce punishment more than others, but West believes it doesn’t seem to be affecting the amount of cheating that takes place. “I think people are so afraid of not getting that 4.0, not getting a perfect grade. They’ll cheat on a test and [choose to] not learn anything,” said West. *Names have been changed to protect identity

Main Ways To Cheat 1) The Mass Text A text with all the answers or a picture of all the homework on it sent out from one person to a group of students.

Group Man that test today really sucked :\ I’m strugglin in that class. Do you have the home work? Yah

Do you need it bro?

Alright I’ll send it to you when I get a chance Awesome thanks man! np

2) The Homework Swap

Students swap homework as a last minute effort to get it done. 3) Facebook Groups The groups make it easier for students to post the homework online.

news.

THE COMMON APPLICATION

Students experienced problems with the online Common Application process, effecting their college application deadlines

WRITTEN BY MADISON HYATT Based on Common Applications errors, senior Kevin Xu has faced sleepless nights, incomplete homework and a social hiatus. Common Application, also known as the Common App, has recently encountered failed login attempts, application submission and system slowness. These problems have been traced back to the Common App’s software update on Aug. 1. In response to these glitches certain colleges have pushed back their Early Application deadlines. “[Common App’s failures] makes me kind of nervous. Homework, my social life and sleep have taken a backseat, especially this past week,” said Xu. “I’m applying early to Princeton and have been working on [the application] for the better part of the month. Its due Nov. 1 and if the website doesn’t work for me I might not be able to turn it in on time.” At times the website has been online, but unavailable for access. Effects from the glitched website may inhibit students getting into their college of choice, according to Xu. This is based on the fact that students could potentially miss their application deadlines because of all Common App’s glitches. “I’ve had to submit about four different college applications now [through Common App], but one of the problems I was having was with the PDF generator,” senior Graeham Ryan said. “Once you have everything done and you’re ready to submit, you [clicked] this button [which said] generating PDF but nothing showed up. My parents and I left it running for about an hour and it never went through.” According to their emails to students, some colleges associated with Common App are aware of its problems and have been working towards solutions. Schools such as Texas Christian University, The University of Miami and Northwestern have pushed back their Early App deadlines. College’s Early Action deadlines are normally Nov. 1, but have been lengthened in order to accommodate students experiencing difficulties with Common App. “I’m glad colleges are being considerate about their applicants, especially since students have been so stressed about something they can’t control,” said Xu. “It seems like the new Common App interface is

still in its testing phase, and wasn’t planned out as well as it could have been.” Common App is a non-for-profit organization based out of Arlington, Tex. Its goal is to make the college application process easier and less stressful for students by providing an online application compatible with over 500 colleges . Common App provides a format that enables students to apply to colleges online. Common App officials were not available for comment. Teachers can also submit letters of recommendation through the site. “For some reason it just would not let me in”, AHAP and Sociology teacher Vicki Arndt- Helgesen said. “I got in [the site] probably Oct. 20, and then, so far, I’ve been able to be in.” Common App has been emailing updates affected students, teachers and counselors daily. “We get email updates every day now from Common Application explaining [Common App’s glitches],” counselor Don Baker said. “It’s how they have set up the website, they’re talking about changing the browsers.” Varying opinions exist about the effects on Common App on college admissions. According to Xu, worry exists that the delays from submitting applications will affect the admission into the college of his choice. However, Baker disagrees. He believes that because colleges are pushing their Early Application deadlines back and students will not be affected. “I think all its doing to the kids is frustrating them,” Baker said. “I really don’t think it’s going to hurt any student at all because I think all the colleges are going to extend their deadlines. I mean, as a college I’m not going to punish you [the student] because a middle guy couldn’t make their website work. That wouldn’t be right.” Through their Twitter account, Common App keeps their followers informed and up to date on problems and solutions. There is currently no proposed solution to Common App’s technological difficulties.

o o L

h t t a k

m u eN

s r e

Over 500 colleges and universities across the U.S. and internationally use the Common Application process.

500,000 students submit applications through the Common App in 47 states and overseas in six countries.

Many colleges have pushed back their Early Application deadlines including Northwestern, the University of Chicago, Duke and Columbia . Information courtesy of commonapp.org and nytimes.com

WARNING: SERVER FAILURE

ART BY SOPHIE TULP

a HUMBLEDperspective After spending a summer in Nicaragua, Sophie Tulp reflects on the difference between lifestyles

sat at the circular lunch table, surrounded by friends I’d had for years. Everybody was talking, but I wasn’t listening. The chatter seemed to buzz in one ear, and float directly through the other. I was uninterested. “So for homecoming, do you wanna go get manicures and pedicures done together?” my friend asked me. I looked down at my thinly-cuticled, uneven nails. They were ugly; a result of biting them for years. But it didn’t bother me. I didn’t feel like spending the money on a sheer coat of polish nobody would notice anyway. I did the calculations in my head: 20 dollars for a manicure, and another 20 for the pedicure. Forty dollars, or 1,000 Cordoba. That’s enough to send Escarleth, my Nicaraguan host sister, to school for six months. Enough to buy 600

Sophie’s Nicaraguan mealplan: desayuno (breakfast), 7 a.m. fried egg in torte, lots of salt, side of gallo pinto and lots of coffee

WRITTEN BY SOPHIE TULP

loaves of pan dulce or ride the bus through every department of Nicaragua — maybe even twice. I tried to put my finger on why so many things seemed to bother me lately. I could almost smell the scent of the wet, green earth that hung in the air after the daily showers as I recalled the near two months I lived in Matagalpa, Nicaragua this summer. I wanted to go back to my days spent teaching classes about children’s rights and gender equality, gutting chickens for dinner, milking cows and hiking mountains. I wanted to return to being “tranquilo” — the Spanish word for a calm demeanor — that feeling of unwinding, drinking coffee, taking in the surroundings and just relaxing that became a part of my personality through the summer. All I wanted was to stay just a little longer. But, sitting in the cool cabin of the United Airline Plane, headed for the U.S. was eerily familiar — it felt like those seven weeks had only been a matter of days, and I had no idea that returning home would challenge me more than my entire summer abroad. On top of dealing with both Dengue Fever and a parasite, it was soon apparent that I was not the same person anymore. I struggled to find purpose in my old routine. Seemingly inconsequential things started to bug me; nights out with my friends seemed pointless, advertisements on TV glutinous, even the five dollar price of Lucky Charms at the grocery store had my thoughts going on an angry rant. Everything about my community here seemed frivolous. Everything seemed surreal. I was living in one of those picture perfect snow globes they sell at Hallmark, not the “real world” I had become accustomed to. This wasn’t the world where children have to drop out of school because they can’t pay the bus fee, or where their dreams of becoming doctors and adventurers cannot be a reality. I was trying to sort out my confused thoughts about society as I stared at the object in my hand. I wondered why people had become so attached to these. I had lived without one for almost two months, and I didn’t drop dead from social media withdrawal. Just then, it buzzed, and the screen illuminated, coming to life. I swiped across the screen of my iPhone and

opinion. glanced at the blue iMessages. “Soph u there?”

“Helloooo?” I was always forgetting to reply to texts now. The instant gratification constantly in the palm of my hand gave me a feeling of dependency. I missed the freedom that came with “turning off” from the world of social media and exploring things other than my Twitter feed. I replied to the messages anyway, shrugging off the negative thoughts that were like those rain clouds over the heads of cartoon characters. I had never been a pessimist before, so why was I starting now? I wondered whether my experience this summer was really that good for me, when sometimes I felt like all it did was reveal the flaws in the world and make me bitter. I sat in my bed that night, and flipped through my travel journal. I laughed at all that I commemorated on those mud-stained pages in Spanglish and sloppy handwriting. I smiled at the memories, and cried at the pictures of my Latin American family I missed more and more every day. Reflecting on my experience, I realized that I wanted so much for this experience to shape my outlook on life. But, it was up to me how I carried that out. I started to understand that while I spent my summer doing what I thought was fulfilling, meaningful and important, so did my friends and classmates. I needed to stop judging other people for not having the same perspective as me. I guess I thought in Nicaragua I learned how to understand people with a radically different outlook on life than myself. But it actually took me traveling 2,753 miles back home to realize that no matter where you go nobody has the same opinion. What is important to me is not necessarily what is important to somebody else, but that doesn’t mean their priorities are any less significant. It’s what makes us individuals.

almuerzo (lunch), 12 p.m. Freshly-slaughtered chicken, fried with rice, side of fried plantains cena (dinner), 5 p.m. beans and rice, heaping portion of gallo pinto, tostones

PHOTO COURTESY OF SOPHIE TULP

m o m mini

opinion.

Being the

ild result

oldest ch

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY MARISA WALTON

AN OPINION OF CAROLINE KOHRING I can’t wait to be a mom when I grow up. I want to have at least four kids and spend my days driving carpools, watching soccer games and volunteering for school functions. Don’t get me wrong, I want to have a career, too; I’m not saying I want to be a full-time, stay-athome trophy wife. I just really can’t wait to have kids. As the oldest (and most responsible) of four, I’ve become a “mini-mom”. I find myself squeezing soccer carpools and spelling homework into my already-full schedule. But I’m okay with it. However, my mom and dad (and siblings, but they don’t count) are constantly annoyed at my parenting. My parents appreciate the help, but they don’t appreciate the nagging and lecturing I tend to dish out to my younger brothers and sister. I have a bad habit of letting my sister know that she has a pile of homework yet to be done, and I’m always the first to remind my brothers that singing is not allowed at the dinner table. For some strange reason that I just cannot comprehend, they believe two parents are enough and my siblings don’t need a third. I’m a maternal person; that’s just who I am. I get it from my mom, who is truly the greatest (not that I’m totally biased or anything). Since middle school, my friends have always jokingly called me mom. But the description fits me. I like caring for people — I just want to know that everyone’s happy. Being the oldest, I experience countless mini-mom moments. The other night my parents went to a concert and left me in charge. My brothers didn’t have school the next day, so my sister and I just let them fall asleep on the couch

the sibs: Caroline’s siblings talk about how she acts like a mom

nc erly insti

ing moth s in aquir

while watching yet another episode of “Regular Show”. At 10 p.m. I heard little footsteps running up the stairs, and next thing I knew I had a six-year-old boy snuggled next to me in my twin bed. Not exactly ideal for school-night sleeping — I ended up staying up until midnight trying to get comfortable. I call this a major mom struggle. Motherhood is great and all (well, at least from what I’ve experienced in my 17 years), but it sure does have its downsides. Like having a sweaty kid crammed into your already too-small bed. In moments like this I have come to find opportunities to step back and be grateful. Yes, this may be incredibly uncomfortable and yes, there’s no way I’ll be able to keep my eyes open at school tomorrow, but at least I have a little brother who’s willing to snuggle with me. Not everyone’s fortunate enough to experience that kind of love. My favorite mini-mom moment of all time was getting to drive my mom’s minivan when she was out of town. You heard that right, I GOT to drive it, not HAD to. I took my 12-year-old brother and four of his friends to a fall carnival. I’ll admit that driving a minivan is up there on my long list of things I’m really bad at. But the whole driving-five-boysaround-mom-style thing rocked. While something like this may have been incredibly embarrassing to your average high schooler (and probably my freshman self), I’ve learned to not let it bother me. Here’s my motherly insight: when you have to drag a screaming 6-year-old out of TCBY, people will inevitably see you. It happens and it’s embarrassing — you’ve just gotta embrace it.

Does Caroline boss you around? Sometimes, yes. She tells me to get in my jammies and get in bed.

uchan

My motherly instincts don’t just kick in when I’m around my siblings — I also nanny four boys after school and I lead a small group of third through fifth grade girls. If being in charge of four kids by yourself isn’t the definition of “mini-mom”, I don’t know what is. They’re thirteen, twelve, seven and six, so to say they’re a handful would be an understatement. But I love them. Despite the countless fits, fights and spilt snacks (occasionally on purpose), I wouldn’t trade my job for anything. Because for three hours a day, three days a week, I am the mom in charge. I’m responsible for making after-school snacks, helping with homework and driving them all over the city. It’s a lot of responsibility, but it’s fun. I’ve learned a lot from nannying these boys. And I don’t just mean how to effectively stop a first-grader from throwing a fit. I’ve discovered how extremely stressful, exhausting and time-consuming being a mom is. Through this, I’ve also seen how rewarding it can be. If I said the boys and I have had more ups than downs, I’d be lying. The “I hate soccer practice and cold weather and especially you” meltdowns seem to be endless. But the “I love you” snuggles at the end of the day always make up for it. Through my days as a mini-mom, I’ve come to appreciate how awesome my own mother is. Like, she seriously rocks. Every single day, she writes me a note in my lunch and comes to all of my tennis matches (even though I’m last on the ladder). I’ve realized how much my own mom does for our family without us noticing. So Molls, thank you for being the BEST mom in the entire world. You’ve made me want to be a mom when I grow up just so I can be as awesome as you are.

Do you like when she’s left in charge? Only if she’s in a good mood. Just kidding, she’s the best.

peter

What advice does Caroline give you? She gives me advice about friends and school. I look up to her as a role model.

emily

A PINK party

opinion.

foul

Breast cancer awareness masks the reality of the disease and takes away money from research efforts OPINION OF KATIE KNIGHT PHOTO BY HAILEY HUGHES It’s 7:32 a.m. and the halls of Shawnee Mission East are swamped with students. People crowd lockers, teachers scramble to get their morning coffee. Everything seems normal...at first. The closer I look, the more pink I see. It’s that moment when I realize I need to brace myself for dealing with a wasted cause: breast cancer awareness month. From my left I’m accosted by an innocent junior with a pink bow in her hair and a pink stamp in her hand. “Would you like to get a stamp to show your support for Breast Cancer Awareness month?” she says in a high, peppy voice, with a ribbon marked in pink ink on each of her cheeks. I look back to her table where there is a mob of people, all chattering amongst one another, waiting in line to get various body parts stamped. Their hands, their arms, some even do their faces. “Um,” I respond awkwardly. “Uh, no thanks.” I step around her and hurry away towards my locker without making further eye contact with her. I’ve found myself in situations like these for a year and three months, and I still can’t seem to get used to it. A year and three months ago, I lost my own grandmother to the horrid disease that is breast cancer. I watched my Mimi lose pound after pound, her face shrinking in all the while. I watched the hair on her head, eyebrows and eyelashes fall off as the treatments went on. And in her final days, I watched as her lungs filled up with fluid and her heart failed her. And it was all cancer’s fault. So why on Earth were people celebrating? Ever since Mimi died, all of this glittery pink and the cheerleader-y “rah rah” attitude have really started to bother me. The pink ribbons and “warrior” T-shirts that are an attempt to raise awareness for breast cancer

have masked the reality of the illness. It’s not some club that all these men and women join once they get sick. It’s not a badge of honor. It’s a disease. And yet, all these campaigns seem to glorify it. I know that companies like Susan G. Komen make their events exciting in hopes of attracting more people that, in turn, will donate more money. And I know all the pink and fluff that comes with that is fueling their goal to raise awareness. I get that. But aren’t people informed, already? Who isn’t aware of breast cancer? The amount of money Susan G. Komen creates and spends on awareness is astronomical. With an average annual income of $240 million, reuters.com reported that only 15 percent of that goes to research, and 40 percent goes to ‘awareness’. The amount of money used for something as useless as making people ‘aware’ of breast cancer is heartbreaking, knowing that that much money would be a huge contribution to the research world. These awareness campaigns like Komen’s encourage routine mammograms, which, according to WebMD, reduce breast cancer deaths by only approximately 10 percent. Even worse, in 2012 Komen abruptly ended their funding for Planned Parenthood and breast cancer screenings, and promptly scrambled back into funding those companies after it was revealed that founder and CEO Nancy Brinker had received a 64 percent pay increase, making her annual salary $684,717. That’s some serious shadiness for a company that claims to do good. Another organization at fault is the National Football League. Their iconic pink socks and gloves always make an appearance each fall in hopes of raising awareness, but in reality, it doesn’t make any difference. Cork Gaines from Business Insider said that “for every $100 in pink merchandise sold, $12.50 goes to the NFL. Of that, $11.25 goes to the

American Cancer Society and the NFL keeps the rest.” All of the remaining funds are divvied up between the company that makes the merchandise (they receive about 37.5 percent) and the company that profits from the merchandise (roughly 50 percent), which is typically the NFL and each of its teams. There’s a very fine line between marketing to raise money, and raising money to market. Don’t get me wrong, though; I think most of these organizations have good intentions. I just think the main goal is off. Besides all the wasted time and energy towards awareness, believe it or not, there’s one aspect of these campaigns that bothers me more than anything: after someone dies from breast cancer, it seems that that’s all people remember about them. She was a “fighter”. He “was a true warrior”. If I were to ever die from something as dreadful as breast cancer, I would want people to think about how I lived, rather than how I came to my death. I want people to remember Mimi by how she lived, not by what took her life. So few can die for a good reason; we aren’t all martyrs. However, many can live for a good reason. My favorite author, John Green, sums it up perfectly in his New York Times best-selling novel, “The Fault In Our Stars”: “...There is no glory in illness. There is no meaning to it. There is no honor in dying of.” I just can’t fathom what a difference there would be if these companies focused their funds towards actual research rather than wasting it on movements for awareness. All that money spent on pink gear and marketing their cause could do so much good for the world of research and taking greater strides towards actually finding a cure. I just hope they remember that their goal of awareness has already been achieved. Their next goal should be curing it.

BREAST CANCER RESEARCH FOUNDATIONS

that actually put your money towards research

The Breast Cancer Fund Mission: “Beyond the Pink” The Breast Cancer Fund is working to shift the conversation from awareness to prevention.

Other goals: Work with Congress to collect data about environmental links to disease, and decrease human exposure to BPA.

The Breast Cancer Research Foundation Mission: to achieve prevention and a cure for breast cancer in our lifetime by providing critical funding for research at leading medical centers worldwide, and increasing public awareness about good breast health. News: announced grants of $45 million to scientists from twelve different countries in October.

Information courtesy of bcrfcure.org &w

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opinion.

DOUBLE MAKES THE DIFFERENCE Even though they’re not as similar as they used to be, Pauline Werner doesn’t want to miss any time with her twin brother

“HE HAS AN EERIE WAY OF KNOWING IF SOMETHING’S WRONG AND BEING ABLE TO EXPLAIN IT TO MY PARENTS WHEN I CAN’T.”

AN OPINION OF PAULINE WERNER PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY MADDIE SCHOEMANN

all photos: twins Pauline and Jack Werner have always enjoyed being around each other, even though they’ve changed over the years

People have been asking me what it’s like to be a twin for as long as I can remember. Every time I’ve tried to answer them I’ve stumbled over my words, unable to articulate it. So I’m going to fall back on what Jack said when we were six years old: it’s like being half a pretzel. But things have changed since we were that young. We no longer share a room and I’ve stopped tying his shoelaces for him. We’ve branched out and now have completely different lives. He debates, I do Harbinger. Any likeness we might have shared is gone; he now has five inches on me and a beard. People continue to feel the need to inform me that my twin and I are in fact not very much like twins. Au contraire. We fight like any siblings do. My parents are more than sick of our bickering over trivial things like whether AP is harder than IB. I’m ashamed to admit that I spend too much time nagging him about when we leave in the morning (is 7:15 really too much to ask?) or him putting his feet on the dashboard in the car while I drive. When we were little, I stopped nagging him when I realized that I wasn’t going to marry him. Stop looking at me like that. What other conclusion is a three-year-old supposed to come to when she shares a room with her twin brother and sees her parents sharing a room? But behind closed doors and out of the weird environment that is high school, I find myself knowing his opinion about something before he voices it. He has an eerie way of knowing what I’m upset about and being able to explain it to my parents when I can’t. It was no different when we were little. We never got tired of each other. My mother will tell you about how we would fall asleep on eight-hour plane rides to France completely

entwined because it was comfortable. She’ll tell you that we supposedly had our own language and communicated with each other before anyone else. But as I’ve begun the search for the perfect college and already started planning my long-awaited independent life, all of this has made me realize something that doesn’t fit into my perfect picture. Leaving home most likely means leaving my twin brother for a separate life somewhere else. I had a taste of what that will mean when I spent two and a half weeks this summer staying with my cousins in Paris. I remember wishing I had him by my side when I was out with them and didn’t know a single person and had trouble communicating. I wished that I could sit with him and make fun of the ridiculous clothes that French guys wear (denim capris, anyone?). We’re busier than ever now that we’re nearing the end of our time living at home, so it would be really easy for us to never see each other. But my parents keep this from happening by insisting that we eat dinner together every night, even if it’s a frozen pizza. I have the most loving and amazing family in the world, but sometimes the only person I want to talk to is Jack, because I never find myself needing to explain anything to him. Even though he’s not in IB or on Harbinger, it’s like he can read my mind like my family used to joke. As much as I would like to say nothing’s changed from when we were six, I’d be lying if I said that I’ve been the model twin these past couple months. Lately, I’ve been snappy and downright mean to him. Because I was doing homework or editing stories or trying to get some sleep, and of course I didn’t have any time to talk.

I could make excuses and say that junior year is just too hard with the very-real balancing act that we’re all performing. I could blame chem 2 labs or English papers or feature stories. But I know for sure something needs to change. Even though he’s learned how to tie his shoes and I’ve stopped trying to convince him to celebrate his birthday on January 21 or 23 so that I could have my own birthday, I wouldn’t mind taking a break from junior year and going back to elementary school. I don’t want to lose the other half of my pretzel before I have to.

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features.

CONNECTIONS THROUGH

CUISINE Three students use ethnic food as a way to stay connected to their culture WRITTEN BY NELLIE WHITTAKER PHOTOS BY PALOMA GARCIA

Tessa Djiko Senior Tessa Djiko identifies most strongly with her Costa Rican ethnicity because of her large family on her mother’s side, but she’s also part German, Serbian and Columbian. Her dad’s mother came from Serbia and his dad from Germany. Her mom is from San Jose, Costa Rica, where Djiko’s grandmother lives. “Every time my family gets together we’ll make arroz con pollo, so that’s like a central dish in our family,” Djiko said. “[The recipe we use] was handed down from my grandmother to my mom.” Arroz con pollo, which is Spanish for rice with chicken, is an important dish to her Costa Rican family’s traditions and is one of Djiko’s favorite foods. It is made up of, as the name suggests, rice and chicken with spices such as cumin and garlic with tabasco sauce mixed in. Another one of Djiko’s favorites is platanos, or fried plantains, which are members of the banana family. It takes a special occasion or holiday for her family to make Costa Rican food, and Djiko has traditional American food for holidays, like Thanksgiving. Even though her family doesn’t have Costa Rican food very often, it has influenced her taste in food. Since Hispanic food is spicy, she really likes spicy foods. She will add her own spices, like cyan pepper and wasabi, to foods that aren’t naturally spicy. “I cannot stand anything that is bland; I put cyan pepper and tobacco sauce in basically everything,” Djiko said. “For example, eggs or grilled cheese with cyan pepper is really good.”

Shrusti Mehta

Junior Shrushti Mehta sits in the cafeteria at debate camp, eating pasta and salad. After a week of eating what she considers average, somewhat bland American food, she has a strange craving for some of her mom’s Indian cooking. This craving is strange because she doesn’t always love eating Indian food — sometimes she gets tired of eating it so often. Mehta is used to eating Indian food, which includes things like rice, lentils, fruit, vegetables and spices; her family eats it on a regular basis. “I’ll groan a lot of the time when my mom makes Indian food like three days in a row,” Mehta said. Mehta’s parents moved to the United States after they got married in India. As part of their Indian culture, the Mehtas make Indian food for dinner almost every night. Every Monday, they have khichdi, a dish made of rice and lentils. Out of the other Indian dishes they eat, Mehta’s favorite is paneer masala. It’s made of carrots, peas, potatoes and paneer (a type of cheese) inside of chapatis, a kind of flatbread. They fill their chapatis with different entrées, like a tomato-based gravy or vegetables that have different spices in them, since they are all vegetarians. During Diwali, the Indian festival of lights, which occurs between mid-October and midNovember (Nov. 3 this year), they make sweet foods. Mehta and her sister, Heer, like to help out making these kinds of food since they’re easier to make than the more complex vegetable dishes they eat more regularly. “We like to think of ourselves as awesome chefs, but…we’re not,” Mehta said. “I can make a few things, like the bread, and rice obviously, and one of the vegetable dishes made out of cauliflower, but I can’t really cook that many food items.” Although she may get tired of eating it sometimes, Indian food is a big part of Mehta’s life. “[Indian food] has always been a part of our family and our traditions,” Mehta said. “I’ve grown up eating Indian food, so it’s a huge part of me.”

Michelle Lu Senior Michelle Lu moved to the United States from Changsha, China, when she was three years old. She speaks Chinese at home with her family, but she doesn’t know how to read or write it. But that won’t be a problem for her in learning some traditional Chinese recipes; they are handed down verbally, not written. “We don’t use recipes in China — [cooking is] a tradition because you’re expected to know [how to cook different foods],” Lu said. “For a beginner, [cooking and learning recipes] would be really hard, because you just have to know them, since they’re passed down.” She says that most Chinese meals include meat accompanied by several vegetables and fruits, which contrasts the way Americans focus more on meats than on vegetables. “In the United States, a lot of vegetables used in Chinese dishes aren’t available,” Lu said. “In China, people shop at farmers markets; that’s where they get most of the food they eat.” Especially unique and exotic fruits include jack fruit, dragon fruit, star fruit and durians, which Lu doesn’t like. Jiucai is one of Lu’s favorite vegetables that is not found in the United States. Literally translated it means “wine vegetable,” but it is comparable to chives in flavor, since it’s fragrant and savory. A more modern Chinese dish, scrambled eggs with tomatoes, is the food Lu eats most often. It’s her favorite to eat whenever, especially with chives thrown in. Her favorite, more traditional, dish is rice cakes, which are found all over China in June, around the time of the Dragon Boat Festival, which is similar to Thanksgiving. They’re made out of sticky, savory rice, and are filled with red bean paste or lotus seeds. These are especially unique since they are wrapped in lotus leaves, which give it extra flavor. “I like to put sausage in [the rice cakes], because I like the savoriness of it,” Lu said. Making these rice cakes is an example of how Lu doesn’t need to be able to read Chinese to learn how to make and enjoy traditional cultural foods.

features.

t’s 4:45 a.m. and junior Zach Rome pulls into Ranchmart Shopping center. Down the hall and on the left – Revolution Gym. For the next two hours, Zach will be pushing his body. Power cleans, sledgehammers, tire flips, sit-ups. For Zach, his discipline is what helps him wake up at the crack of dawn Monday through Thursday. This is how he has found success in the ring. Those early morning practices have helped him get closer to his goal of becoming a professional fighter. They are what helped him to beat those three Bellator Fighters, the three men who are a few short fights away from being on the big stage – the Ultimate Fighting Championship. But Zach hasn’t always had this determination. He lost it back in eighth grade. * * * Fourteen-year-old Zach Rome sits alone in a hospital room, listening: the beeping of the ventilator, the shuffling feet of the nurses outside the door. He stares at his father — Thomas Rome. It’s 2 a.m. and the doctors’ conversation has just woke Zach up. Nurses and doctors come in and begin to talk to Zach. They tell him that his father is in pain and that if his family chooses, they can put him on pain medications and let him pass away. Two hours later — 4 a.m. on the dot. Thomas is pronounced dead due to

liver failure. This is when Zach changes. He stops showing up to school, only attending about two times a week. His temper shortens. He fails to turn in homework. However, this trend began to break one day as he was wandering down a sidewalk in Westport. He noticed a business card floating across the sidewalk; bending down, he read “Integrated Martial Arts And Fitness Center” (IMAFC) across the top. Four hours after finding the business card, Zach walks into IMAFC. He begins his first class in muay thai. He starts to learn how to use outside leg kicks to take down opponents. From this point on, Zach slowly begins to pick up different fighting skills from kickboxing and jiu jitsu to taekwondo. * * * During his freshman year, Zach met fellow freshman Marshall Green in their seminar and math class. They began to talk and then realized that they both enjoyed mixed martial arts. “A year ago [Zach] started coming to my gym,” Green said. “And my gym was more serious. He liked it more than the one he was going to so he switched and we have been going to the same one ever since.” It was at Revolution Gym, Green’s gym that offers a variety of classes, where Zach met the owner, John Brown. After meeting him, Brown slowly became a father figure in Zach’s life. Brown began to help Zach regain the discipline in

DIRECTION THROUGH DISCIPLINE Junior finds a new sense of discipline after the death of his father

WRITTEN BY ANDREW MCKITTRICK PHOTO BY MADDIE SCHOEMANN AND MCKENZIE SWANSON

his life – the determination he lost when his father passed away. “[Brown] is there for everything,” Zach said. “He went to my parent teacher conferences, he gets all the emails from my teachers if I get a bad grade on a test or something and he comes and yells at me... If I’m ever struggling with anything, he is there to help out.” According to Brown, he wants to help Zach because of his own experiences. “I came from a pretty rough past myself,” Brown said. “I’m not from this side of the tracks and it’s just kinda giving back. Anytime I see a kid as great as Zach who is able to rise above some things...and hold his head high and find something he is passionate for, I want to help him out as much as possible. On the other side, I’m there to smack him on the back of the head if he needs it.” * * * Zach competes in tournaments a couple of times a month, but he begins preparing weeks in advance. Two weeks before the fight, he will cut his calorie intake down to 500 calories per day. Four days before his match, he will stop eating almost completely. His only food for that day will be a glass of skim milk with 1 ounces of honey and a raw egg. Then, two days before his match, Zach stops drinking water. If he needs to lose more weight, he’ll don a sweatsuit. Plastic bags covering his body. Tied up around his ankles. Three sweatshirts. Zach’s determined to lose weight. He knows he needs to hit his target weight. Zach competes in one to two tournaments a month with each tournament consisting of around six matches. Of the 15 tournaments he has entered in, Zach has won 13. “First I want to go pro and see where that takes me,” Zach said. “Right now it seems like I have a pretty high future in the sport but if I’m injured or if something goes wrong where I won’t be able to do as well as we think I will probably go to [University of MissouriKansas City] for sports medicine and then I would like to eventually become a sports doctor.” In order for Zach to become a professional fighter, he will need to work on all of his skills. He will need to continue to improve the discipline. The discipline that forces Zach to wake up at 4:30 a.m. and fast for days will also help him in the cage. “You know,” Brown said. “Zach is one of those diamonds in the rough kinds of kids, not to be cliche. But he is one of those kids that could go a long way. I would love to see him step up and be a leader...The kid has a big heart and that’s something you can’t teach in fighting and he has plenty of it. He has a bright future.”

features.

Creating a Company Lancers talk about how they have made their hobbies into companies

PHOTO BY ANNIE SAVAGE PHOTO BY MADDIE SCHOEMANN WRITTEN BY MADDIE HISE Resting against the wall of the Nelson, senior Sara Benson demonstrates different facial expression she would like to see from her model. She moves her body from arms crossed, straight by her side, pockets, show the a variety of poses she would like her model to strike. This is Benson’s 25th portrait since she started her company in August. In order to share the family portraits and senior pictures she takes, Benson started a Facebook page called Sara Benson Photography. Benson is one of many artists from East to start a art company such as this. Senior James Fink also started art business Big Spoon, Little Spoon. Former East student Danielle Norton actually started her own website daniellenortonphotography.com for her photography in 2010, her junior year. “The experience has benefitted me in more ways than one.” Norton said. “By developing my personal professionalism at a young age, I felt ahead of my peers in a sense. Having this real world experience, where there are no excuses or grades - just

deadlines and standards - strengthened my work-ethic and concept of my future.” When Benson started her company, she did not expect it to become the size it currently is. She started because she had friends requesting her to take her senior pictures, which she agreed to do. Then, they asked if she could put them on Facebook, which she did, creating Sara Benson Photography. “When I started it, I didn’t think it would have blown up this much,” Benson said. “I got way more hype than I thought I would. Its gotten way bigger than I thought it would.” Benson shoots senior pictures and usually ends up with a total of 700 pictures to pick from. She then edits them down to 30 to 50 and loads them to a disk for the client to do with them what they please. The starting price for her pictures is $50. Benson is saving up money from the shoots to pay for her own camera. Fellow art lover, senior James Fink has began a brand to sell his passion - artwork on skateboards. He sells shirts, stickers, skateboards and

patches for people to sew on whatever they so choose. He has also recently been considering making an Etsy — a website to sell handmade products. “I just try to make artistic things assessable,” Fink said. “Rather than having art be this intangible kind of fine art stuff, you know, that you have to pay so much [for]. I like the idea of making things kind of versatile and usable that they don’t have to be philanthropists to afford.” All the art he has been involved in always brings him back to skateboarding, the reason Fink got into art in the first place. He broke his foot at the end of his 8th grade year and the other foot right before his freshman year. He wanted to stay involved in skateboarding even though he couldn’t participate anymore. This lead him to his first product, screen-printed skateboards and photo prints of skateboards. “When I had broken my feet I was enthralled with skateboarding still that I wanted to go up to the skate park with my friends and still be a part of it, so I used that time to shoot photos of my friends skating,” Fink said.

* * * Having a company as a high school student has some benefits, according to Benson. The advantages to her clients are the low-cost of portraits compared to other fulltime companies. Being able to make her clients comfortable, usually because they are around the same age as her. Norton says even though it was hard work it paid off. “Though it was a tedious beginning designing a website, getting a logo established, and finally marketing everything, it proved to be a highly beneficial experience regardless of the ultimate goal.” Norton said Fink advises fellow high-schoolers interested in selling their own artwork or making their own company what to do. “Find a good venue or a place where people want to sell art or crafted things because there’s been more appreciation for hand-crafted things lately.” Fink said. “I guess just find people who are into the same kind of thing you are and you’re bound to make connections with people who want to sell or buy things.”

Ways to Brand a Small Business

SOCIAL MEDIA

TV ADS

WEBSITE

Eighty-five percent of people think this should be the top priority of existing small businesses

Thirty-four hours of television a week is the average amount an American citizen watches

INFORMATION COURTESY OF CREATAGE.COM

LOGOS

Eighty-nine percent of people think this should be the top priority of start-up small businesses

Fifty-eight percent of small businesses have a presence on Facebook or Twitter

EMAILS

Seventy-four of online adults prefer this method of commercial communication

the DIET dictionary spread.

WRITTEN BY AUDREY DANCIGER AND GRACE HEITMANN PHOTO BY ANNAMARIE OAKLEY

VEGETARIAN (n.) vej-i-tair-ee-uhn

A vegetarian can eat all types of food except meat. Many people choose to adopt the vegetarian lifestyle because of animal rights or environmental concerns over the increase in pollution created from factory farms and the use of resources such as fossil fuels, water and land. Despite the lack of meat, vegetarians can obtain protein through a variety of ways. Vegetables, tofu and protein supplements can be eaten to make up for it. Branches of vegetarian include pescatarian, ovo vegetarian, fruitarian and veganism.

real world example of: Senior Utsa Ramaswami has never eaten meat in her entire life. Ramaswami was just a picky eater who didn’t like eating meat. But after a while, Ramaswami decided to formally become a vegetarian. “I was young, but I kind of just decided that I didn’t like the idea of [eating] animals because I thought it was sad,” Ramaswami said. “And then that developed into a little more of an animal rights thing. But when I was little, I was just kind of opposed because I thought it was weird that you would eat something that was alive.” However, not all vegetarians choose their lifestyle for the same reasons. Junior Carolyn Wassmer had read her mom’s book, “Skinny Bitch” by Rory Freedman and Kim Barnouin, that contained information about the processing of meat. Wassmer decided to become a pescetarian 7th grade. A pescetarian is the same as a vegetarian except that they eat seafood. “I can’t imagine how people are vegetarian after eating meat because it just seems like you would crave it all the time,” Ramaswami said. “I don’t think I could do it if I had eaten meat before.”

spread.

VEGAN

KOSHER

A vegan diet is one that completely cuts out any animal products or by-products such as meat, dairy, eggs or anything made with any of those ingredients. Dietitian Paula Antinocci says that the most common reason she sees for choosing a vegan diet is for ethical reasons, like wanting to protect the environment or animals. A vegan diet also promotes health by being made up of mostly simple foods that come from the earth. However, one of the dangers of a vegan diet is not fulfilling one’s daily nutritional needs with things like protein and calcium that are rich in meat and milk. Due to the rise in popularity of this diet, today there are more vegan-friendly meat and dairy alternatives, like tofu and almond milk. These make it easy for a vegan to still keep a balanced diet.

Kosher is a set of dietary rules of Judaism, while Halah is the set of dietary rules followed by Muslims. Kosher and Halah are very similar, but Kosher food is more accessible in the United States. Followers of Kosher cannot eat animals that do not regurgitate after eating such as pork. They also abstain from eating animals that do not have cloven hooves, water animals that do not have fins and scales, insects, gelatin and birds of prey among others. The animals that followers can eat must be killed in a specific way that is as humane as possible.

(n.) vee-guhn

real world example of: At the age of seven, senior Ayana Curran-Howes had already stopped eating red meat. By age 12 she wasn’t eating meat at all. In February of her freshmen year, she decided to take on a vegan lifestyle, something she claims she always knew she would eventually do from an early age. Curran-Howes cites her innate love of animals and concern for the environment as the reason for her transition. For her, the benefits of a vegan diet outweigh having to pass up on a cookie from time to time. “You feel great, have clear skin, it helps the environment immensely and [it helps] my conscience because I am such an animal lover,” said CurranHowes.

(n.) koh-sher

real world example of:

Senior Danya Issawi loves gummy worms, gummy bears, gummy everything. But before she can have a colorful, squishy worm, she has to flip over the package to make sure the gummies were made without gelatin. Although it might seem like a nuisance to others, Issawi just sees it as part of following her religion. Issawi doesn’t find it hard to follow since she grew up following Kosher as part of her Muslim religion. Sometimes the lifestyle becomes a little hard, like when Issawi had to bring her own marshmallows to her Girl Scouts campfire because of the gelatin in them. “When you’re little and you learn to do something a certain way, it stays with you through your whole life,” Issawi said. “It’s not like I feel like I’m missing out because I’m not eating that slice of pepperoni pizza.”

GLUTEN FREE

(n.) gloot-n free A gluten-free diet is exactly what is sounds like: a diet devoid of gluten. Gluten is a two-protein substance most commonly found in wheat, rye, barley and oats. However, gluten can be in anything from breads and pastas to certain ice creams and soups, so it is very important for those on the diet to read ingredient labels. For many, a gluten free diet isn’t one they would have chosen willingly. According to the National Foundation for Celiac Awareness, one in every 133 Americans has celiac disease, which means their bodies cannot process gluten because it leads to damage of their intestines. Some follow this diet as a choice, claiming it gives them increased energy levels. According to Antinocci, a gluten-free diet is not missing any key nutrients, however those following the diet should not rely on pre-packaged gluten-free options for every meal.

real world example of:

Junior Max Danner had never heard of celiac disease when he was diagnosed with it in the fourth grade. “When you’re a kid you want to eat like every other kid,” said Danner. “I couldn’t eat a lot of stuff like birthday cake.” Since then, though, Danner has found it relatively easy to carry out a gluten-free diet. At restaurants he’ll order a steak with a side of mashed potatoes, and at home he’ll eat sandwiches made on rice bread. “I found out there are a lot of [gluten] alternatives and it’s gotten better each year,” Danner said.

SUGAR FREE

(n.) shoog-er free Sugar, spice and all that is nice doesn’t sound so nice to people who live a sugar-free lifestyle. The diet abstains from foods with added sugar. Sugary foods such as cookies, ice cream and cake are not eaten. Practitioners of this diet must be careful because there are many foods that aren’t associated with having added sugar such as peanut butter, crackers and granola bars. However, sugar-free dieters will eat natural sugars found in fruits, vegetables and dairy.

real world example of:

To senior Ada Throckmorton, a doughnut smells like one of the most amazing things in the world; she would love to have a bite. But when Throckmorton remembers all the added sugars in the doughnut, that urge goes away. Throckmorton won’t eat it because she has been raised to not eat foods with added sugars. Poor health habits of her mother that eventually led to health problems cause Throckmorton’s mother to limit sugar in her children’s diets. “When [people] hear [that I’m sugar-free], they’ll ask me, ‘Where’s your childhood?’” Throckmorton said. “I don’t have a taste to miss. So I don’t actively enjoy it, but it doesn’t hamper me in any way.” Because her body isn’t accustomed added sugars, if Throckmorton eats a cupcake on a special occasion, she will get headaches after eating the highlyconcentrated sugary food. However, she often makes sugar-free brownies and sugar-free cupcakes with the organic sweeteners. “At this point, I’ve done it long enough and it doesn’t bother me,” Throckmorton said. “I don’t feel inclined to change it.”

PALEO (n.) pa-leo

Sometimes referred to as the “caveman diet”, the paleolithic diet (often shortened to paleo) cuts out any foods that weren’t consumed by our most primitive ancestors. This means no processed foods, dairy products, refined sugars or salt. According to dietician Paula Antinocci, the guidelines of the diet stem from the belief that there is nutritional harm in eating carbohydrates. While carbohydrates provide energy for the body, the wrong kinds have also been linked to weight gain. Because of this, weight-loss programs like CrossFit, Kosama and Title Boxing have promoted the diet, causing it gain popularity. Antinocci says that the paleo diet allows for mainly meats and seafood, fruits, vegetables and nuts. Some claim that benefits of the diet are increased amount of energy and weight-loss.

real world example of:

Senior Kevin Cole first heard about the paleo diet from a presentation put on by Sky’s Limit CrossFit. The idea that the paleo diet allows you to stay in shape without working out constantly because of the lack of carbohydrates was enough for Cole to give it a shot the summer after his sophomore year. Cole says the transition to a paleo diet wasn’t that difficult for him because he was a picky eater to begin with. He follows a strict paleo diet throughout the week consisting of meats that include turkey, vegetables like carrots, nuts and minimal amounts of fruit. At the end of the school week he is more lenient though. “I go [to Chik-Fil-A] at least once a weekend,” Cole said.

the DIET dictionary spread.

WRITTEN BY AUDREY DANCIGER AND GRACE HEITMANN PHOTO BY ANNAMARIE OAKLEY

VEGETARIAN (n.) vej-i-tair-ee-uhn

spread.

VEGAN

KOSHER

(n.) vee-guhn

(n.) koh-sher

real world example of:

GLUTEN FREE

real world example of:

SUGAR FREE

real world example of:

PALEO (n.) pa-leo

real world example of:

Hard at Work

features.

LANCER VOICE Students explain why they decided to graduate at semester

Senior Drayhven Flowers plans on accomplishing early graduation with hard work and determination

“

senior Sumner Hylton

My brother graduated early, which was when I first realized it. The main reason I would stay, though, is to start getting as many college credits as possible, so I’ll be taking classes up at JCCC.

“

senior Catherine Gibson

I’m just fully ready to go find out who I am and what I want my life to be about. I’m really interested in nursing, so currently I’m saving up to go visit some nursing schools around the country.

“

senior Sydney Crawford

I decided that instead of spending a whole year at East, I would just get the credits I need and then go to JCCC. By doing that I will have a lesser course load freshman year of college and I will have credits out of the way so I can study abroad.

WRITTEN BY SARAH BERGER It’s almost 1 a.m. Senior Drayhven Flowers has been sitting in her room, trying to finish the last of her two and a half hours of homework for the night — a US History project. She’s starting to become overwhelmed; she has to get this done. There’s no safety net for her if she is going to graduate at 16. Drayhven focuses and strives to create a silent environment to work in. Finally after 30 minutes she’s done, finishing a project that was meant for a group of three all by herself. For Drayhven, nights like these aren’t uncommon. She just sees them as another one of the sacrifices she makes in order to meet her goal: graduating a year early. Drayhven made the decision to graduate early last October. Going into sophomore year, she knew she could get all 23 credits to accomplished by 2014, so she thought why not go for it? “I realized coming back my senior year would be really boring for me,” Drayhven said. “I just felt like it would be a waste of a year when I could be doing so much more.” After making her decision, Drayhven also texted her mom, Marilee Flowers, “what would you think about me graduating a year early?” Marilee’s response: “we’ll talk about it when you get home.” At first, Drayhven just figured her mom wouldn’t take this plan seriously, and was surprised when Marilee did. “[I had] a little bit of mixed feelings because once something gets in Drayhven’s head it’s hard to get her to not think about that,” Marilee said. “She’s a very determined young lady.” While her mom was stunned at first, Marilee knew Drayhven had the work ethic to accomplish this goal, and never doubted her once. She made sure to stress to Drayhven that she needed to have the right reasons for graduating early, not just to get out of high school sooner. This caused Drayhven to sit down again and think about her decision. Why do I

“

PHOTOS BY ANNIE SAVAGE, ANNIKA SINK AND MAXX LAMB

want to graduate early? Will it help me in the long run? Adding a little more work would be worth getting out of high school a year early so she could pursue a higher education. Drayhven made her decision. “That might not seem like a long time,” Drayhven said. “But it’s kind of a rushed process when you’re a sophomore and you decide that you want to be a senior next year.” Next, Drayhven went to go see her counselor and started filling out the paperwork for early graduation. After completing all the forms, Drayhven knew she was on the right track. Due to the fact that Drayhven already had a fair amount of her credits finished, she considered her workload, as a sophomore who was skipping a grade, manageable. Taking gym the summer before her freshman year helped get one of her credits out of the way, and taking health online also helped get another class off her to-do list. Next, she took English 11 in a summer school program. Since English 11 is a yearlong course, Drayhven had to take both semesters and wake up at 6:30 and go to school for three weeks during both June and July. Every day she would tell herself just get through it. Two months of your summer for an entire year next year. The completion of junior English made Drayhven’s senior status going into this school year official. Due to the fact that she is considered a senior, Drayhven gets to enjoy senior privileges like open lunch despite being only 16. To Drayhven, being two years younger than most of her classmates can be a little weird sometimes. Walking into English 12 during the first week of school was awkward for her at first, especially when other classmates would ask her why she was in a senior class. Her response is always the same she just nods and says I’m graduating early. Despite being officially considered a senior, English 12 is technically Drayhven’s

only senior class. The rest of her classes are traditional junior classes, like chemistry and American history. According to Drayhven, this can create an unbalanced work load; one night she will be like a senior with no homework, and the next she will be a junior with piles of it. Adding to her work load, next semester she will be taking American Government online. Drayhven gets through this by utilizing her time management skills and the support from her mom and her close friends. One of Drayhven’s closest friends, senior Izzy Scarlett, also made the decision to graduate early after Drayhven told her about it last year. According to Scarlet,t being in the same situation as Drayhven helps them provide a strong support system for each other. “I think it’s good for her,” Scarlett said.“I’m glad she’s [graduating early] along with myself.” Drayhven won’t turn 17 until five days after graduation. Because of this, her almost two-year age makes it hard for her to go to a traditional four-year university like most of her other senior classmates. Instead of going to a traditional college next year, Drayhven plans to continue living with her mom and working at Minsky’s in The Village. She plans to attend Johnson County Community College next fall in order to complete her general education classes. While she isn’t 100 percent sure what she is going to do after that first year out of high school, Drayhven says she hopes to become a pediatric psychologist one day. That is her next goal, and she knows that with the right amount of determination she can get there, just like she’s getting to early graduation. “[Drayhven] mostly pushes herself, and that’s what’s so wonderful about her,” Marilee said. “She has this great work ethic in that she wants to [accomplish her goals] and that she wants to do her best at it.”

WHERE LEADERS LEARN. Where will you be next fall? Let life lead you to Rockhurst University – one of 28 Jesuit institutions in the nation. Rockhurst offers a quality education with a distinct focus on lifelong learning, leadership and service. At Rockhurst, you’ll find: • 50+ graduate and undergraduate programs, • a 13:1 student-to-faculty ratio, • 45+ student organizations, • a picturesque campus near Kansas City’s historic Country Club Plaza, and much more. VISIT Schedule your campus visit at rockhurst.edu/visit.

rockhurst.edu 07.08.13.18 OmahaVoice.indd 1

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

8/20/13 10

features.

Former Essay Topics East graduates’ odd and thought-provoking essay topics

Extended Exertion

In place of the senior paper every year, International Baccalaureate students write a unique essay on the topic of their choice

Economics

How do the trading techniques in the FIFA Ultimate Team game relate to those used in real-life trading and how one could emulate these techniques in either?

English

How has Agatha Christie developed a convincing and satisfying murder mystery?

Pyschology

To what extent should the occurrence of morally-reprehensible acts be blamed upon blind obedience to authority?

WRITTEN BY SUSANNAH MITCHELL Think. Type. Coffee. Repeat. In October of their senior year, this becomes the routine of most seniors involved in the International Baccalaureate (IB) program. East requires all seniors to write a senior paper, but IB students have to write the extended essay. Basically, the extended essay is a 30004000 word research paper based on a topic of the student’s choice. Writing the essay is a requirement to receive the IB diploma, and East lets seniors write it in place of the senior paper. “I think the extended essay is a really intimidating thing,” senior Anna Jones said. “It is a really big task to find something that you can write 4000 words about but at the same time is specific enough that you can find specific research about it.” Typically, students are supposed to choose a category to write the essay about, pick a specific topic and then phrase the topic as an answerable question. The most common categories are psychology, biology, history and English. After selecting a category and topic, students then choose a mentor who specializes in their chosen category at East to help them in writing the essay. “[As a mentor] I help students refine their ideas and narrow their focus,” IB mentor and history teacher Robert Bickers said. “I help guide, but I do minimal hands-on work.” According to extended essay facilitator Kim VanNice, certain topics are hard to fit into a specific category. In the past, IB students were encouraged to write whatever they wanted and then find a category that their topic fit once they were done. This has led to several problems with essays getting graded in the wrong category, which can

cause students not to earn their IB diploma. “There was also [an essay] that was about the culture of East Coast rap vs. West Coast rap,” VanNice said. “Rap is probably the most violent type of music, [and he] ended up submitting it in Peace and Conflict Studies.” Situations like the one VanNice mentioned can lead to misinformed grading. With more organization and guidance from Theory of Knowledge (TOK) teachers, however, misgrading is happening less and less. TOK is an IB-specific class during seminar, where students engage in philosophical discussion, as well as learn about other facets of the IB program. The extended essay is introduced in September of junior year in TOK, with the rough draft due October of senior year and the final paper due the following January. IB students are supposed to choose a topic by spring break of their junior year, and then spend the next few months researching and writing. After turning in rough drafts, students are then expected to make several revisions before having the final copy sent out to be graded overseas. Although the extended essay is first introduced more than a year before its due date, by the time the rough draft is due, the essay becomes a blip on most IB students’ radars. Jones attributes this to “the mentality everyone has about procrastination. [You] have the time left, and then you don’t.” Every year, a portion of IB students wait until the week the rough draft of the essay is due to begin working on it. This leads to hours upon hours of research, sleepless nights and heaps of stress. The week the essay was due, Jones devised a system where she would write sev-

eral hundred words at a time before taking breaks, sometimes working until 1 a.m. Jones was one of many seniors who would pull out their laptops in class to work on the essay, or spend their afternoons driving back and forth to multiple libraries to find new research. Leaving the Plaza Library, Jones even managed to hit a car in her haste. But she had to keep writing. “That week,”Jones said. “I just went to the library and found books that were helpful and tried to stick to my outline and just write a set amount of words per view point or topic. And...it got done.” Senior Henry Recker had originally decided to write about the occurrence of the golden ratio as his topic. Over the summer he had researched and written much of his essay, but after reading online that his topic was extremely difficult to write, he had to pick a new topic and do a complete rewrite. As opposed to his old topic, Recker has had a much easier time writing about solutions to the cubic equation and their development. At East, IB students are generally advised against choosing Math as a category, as it’s difficult to find an essay topic that hasn’t already been answered. The extended essay is part of IB’s curriculum so that students can learn how to write a research paper and become knowledgeable about a specific topic. Although many students put off writing the essay, most view it as a good learning experience. “If I had to write [the essay] over again, I probably would write it over the same topic,” Recker said. “I think I can get a pretty good grade on this.”

PHOTOS BY MADDIE SCHOEMANN

Information Technology

Are the technological improvements being made today in security and safety actually making people safer in their daily lives?

+keych

ain

Q&A

HARBIE CONTRIBUTOR

TEACHER CONTRIBUTOR

“They were given to me as present and because my aunt thought they were funny and I was obsessed with one direction. Oh, absolutely, they are giant, the legs hang out of my backpack. They ask who they are and people just stare at for awhile and then chuckle.”

Lancer s ans we about t heir un r question s iqu and the stories e keychains behind them WRITT E N BY PH

OEBE A GUIAR

“I didn’t have it on my keychain until a couple years ago. We were moving and I found it and thought, ‘This is hilarious!’ So I stuck it on my keychain and it’s been on there ever since. Its frightening, I get that a lot; that I knew my husband in high school. Or the hair, the background it’s just really pretty.”

Q: What is you part about y r favorite our keychain ?

Q: What do peo when they ple say see your keychain?

“I like to carry around my camp Barnabas keychain. It’s a camp for special needs kids, and you are paired up with a special needs kid. You spend a week with them and do a bunch of fun stuff...People ask me about [my keychain], most people don’t really know what camp Barnabas is and they ask me about it and what is. Its really cool because I had John David Cunningham as my kid and so I tell them about that.”

Q: Where did you find you r keychain?

“I got [my keychain] at Bubba Gump’s in California. It’s different and funny, and people always ask me questions about it like, “Why do I have it? What is it?” People notice it since it’s big and it’s a stuffed animal, not like a normal keychain.”

THE ANIMAL-LOVER If you have animal keychains then you must love your furry friends. Which ever animal you choose to feature along with your keys is probably your spirit animal and you might end up reincarnated as that animal one.

THE ROADIE

Have a band keychain that shows your superior taste in music? Expressing yourself has never been so easy, just slip your favorite bands keychain onto your car keys. You must be destined to be a music critic or simply a permanent roadie later in life.

CALEN BYRD SYDNEY LOWE

SYDNEY SHEARER

KELLI KURLE

PHOTOS BY ANNIE SAVAGE

WHAT DOES YOUR KEYCHAIN SAY ABOUT YOU? 1

a&e.

THE NOSTALGIST

A l w a y s keep that embarrassing, adorable, beautiful photo of you and your best friends or favorite family member on your keys. You are the person who wants to remember the good times and wants to stay as close as you can to the important people in your life.

ER THE TRAVEL

Keep that keychain from your cruise or trip to Europe to always remember what its like to not have to go to school? You are a born adventurer, that loves to wander the world and you can’t simply stay in one place.

photo essay.

PHOTO BY KYLIE RELLIHAN

by Shawnee Misison East hosted the annual East Area Choral Festival on October 29th. The night opened with three songs performed by the East area elementary choirs, followed by two songs performed by the Indian Hills Middle School Choir. East Choraliers and Chambers performed after the Indian Hills choir. The night was concluded with Michael Jackson’s Heal the World performed by all three choirs together.

PHOTO BY MARISA WALTON

LEFT: Choir director Ken Foley smiles while motioning the elementry school students to join in and sing with the high school choir. “I always really enjoy the night,” Foley said, “It’s a great night for the parents with younger children to see what we do. Also, the younger kids get to see what the middle and high school kids get to do in choir.”

FAR RIGHT: Choir pianist Susan Parsons reads her sheet music as she playes the piano for the choir. “Overall, I think the concert went great,” Parsons said, “I was sad when it was over because it was only 35 minutes long! I also [thought] all of the younger kids were adorable,and it gave them something to aspire for by watching the Choraliers.”

TOP LEFT: Senior Madelaine Heigele laughs with her friends during the choir concert. From left, Heigele stands with seniors Claire Jaggers, Regina Base, and Elena Wickstrom. The high school choir group, the Choraliers, performed in the gym alone and along with the younger elementry and middle school children..

PHOTO BY MADDIE SCHOEMANN

BOTTOM RIGHT: An Elementary choir participant explains to a friend the schedule for the concert. Members of district elementary school choirs came and sang before and after high school and middle schoolers.

PHOTO BY MARISA WALTON

PHOTO BY MADDIE SCHOEMANN

a&e.

COLOSSAL

LET DOWN

WRITTEN BY PHOEBE AGUIAR

I always feel smarter after reading a Malcolm Gladwell book. That’s why I was looking forward to his newest release, “David and Goliath” is all about examining the obstacles, circumstances and occasions where the disadvantaged triumph over the bigger, smarter, more capable opponent, causing a seemingly-improbable victory. However, it falls short of the usual wow-factor that Gladwell’s other books such as “Outliers”, “The Tipping Point” and “Blink”, have. “David and Goliath” tries too hard. The strong numbers and anecdotes that Gladwell typically uses to back up his evidence just aren’t there. The statistics he provides are interpreted in a way that support what he’s trying to prove but are based on controversial methods of gathering data, like standardized tests. They help to support what Gladwell is trying to prove, but not without raising a few questions of the validity. The book is also

ART BY JULIA POE

disjointed and confusing in sections. The longest section of “David and Goliath” about the use and abuse of discipline and power doesn’t flow. It’s not because of Gladwell’s abrupt and formal writing, but because of the lack of connection between the variety of stories he uses and their application to the idea he is trying to convey. Another major issue I had while reading this particular book was that Gladwell’s whole idea is showing that the underdog can win, but not all of the book seemed to stay on topic. Losing a parent, having a learning disability, a troubled childhood, or a near death experience are disadvantages that Gladwell uses and they fit with the idea of what the underdog is capable of. Gladwell uses the civil war in Ireland, an out-of-control kindergarten classroom and the murder of a child, all of which simply made me more confused about why this gives a person or group of people an advantage. It just didn’t fit with the rest of the book. Take out these chapters and sections, and the book would have made much more sense and been more cohesive. What I did understand was that I am going to rule the world one day or at least be obscenely rich because I have the same learning pattern as some of the most powerful people in the world. None of us could read proficiently until we had reached higher grade levels. These people coincidentally have learning disabilities, but develop other skills to compensate. “David and Goliath” is not as strong as Gladwell’s other books, but that does not mean that this is an intriguing book that provides with me a multitude of weird factoids I can file away so that occasionally I appear superior in conversa-

LANCER VOICE Despite the prowess of Gladwell’s past books, “David and Goliath” falls short tions. This is an interesting topic to me and to examine what it really means to be “the underdog” and he offers alternative views and interpretations to events and phenomena that we often either overlook or take for granted. I learned new things from “David and Goliath” about history, science, the justice system, politics and curing childhood cancer. It holds true with Gladwell’s style; I pause in the middle of reading to tell whichever person is closest to me what interesting tidbit of information that Gladwell is describing, whether they want to hear it or not. The subject and examples that Gladwell writes about are interesting and people should know about them, but still this doesn’t deliver the amount of quotable information that Gladwell’s other books do. All of the information is relatable and I can see its importance in everyday life. It makes me want to keep reading to see how Gladwell develops and intertwines all of his different examples and stories into the one idea then showing how they all support and build off each other. And not only does this allow me to see people and events in a different light, but pick up on things that happen in my own world that can be explained by Gladwell. “David and Goliath” may not dazzle like any Gladwell’s other works but it does raise some interesting ideas and you will learn at least one new thing. If you are looking for Gladwell’s better work then consider one of his other books.

Students and teachers sound off on Gladwell’s other books

Published 2013

Phoebe Aguiar

Harbinger Staffer

“This book was good, but it wasn’t Gladwell’s best. The stories got confusing and the statistics didn’t make as strong of an argument.”

Published 2008

Mackenzie Hanna Junior “The points Gladwell brought up were interesting and ideas I had never thought of before. I thought it captured your attention with the stories and reasoning.”

Published 2005

Afton Apodaca Junior

“I liked how this book portrayed spontaneous action in a positive light, because that doesn’t happen often in our society. It was refreshing.”

Published 2000

Addie Bara Senior

“I found The Tipping Point to be interesting and helpful, which made it really fun to read and which is why I gave it a four star ranking.”

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FOR A SPEEDY RESOLUTION

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a&e. a&e.

NOT-SO-COMFORTING WRITTEN BY MORGAN TWIBELL

Westport restaurant, Anna’s Oven, misses the mark with its comfort food

As I walked toward Anna’s Oven on 39th off of State Line, the quaint sign and chalkboard out front that told me it was “Fried Chicken Friday” were very appealing to me. The inside of the restaurant was very warm and homey. I guess I could say I literally felt like I was in an oven. But immediately it took a turn for the worse. I have a very sensitive nose; I hate bad smells. And let me tell you, there was some sort of funky stench in this place. That may have to do with the fact that the menu ranges from hummus...to lasagna...to chocolate cake...but we’ll get to that later. Unfortunately, I didn’t do my research well enough to realize that this place closed at 2:30 p.m. Apparently it’s quite normal for restaurants around this area to close in the afternoon and then re-open before dinner time. With my wonderful rs ven offe luck I ars, Anna’s O Hit or mis ustomers. c r rived at fo s n o pti plenty of o ost popm 2:29. The e re th e th at Take a look service . u n s on the me in was surth rular entreé pe pa Homemade lca prisinglo ith w d pasta layere ly great. rella za ickoz ch m ee fr d ece on ly-produ Plump, horm se Even ee in ch s ur an 24 ho cheese, Parmes en — marinated e, uc though sa ppe n ia e, al in It of w sauce and a secret mix a generously I was bbly goodRadiator past er, garlic and ng gi , of d ns baked into bu or en rc bl y pe st ta a t h a t ec ith rf w coated d to pe ness. eddar, promore — roaste ch s: girl that se ee a ch n g te sa whi tion. signature la erican. showed ken volone and Am ic h c e ri e ss ti ro up a min& cheese blanco mac ute before the shift ended, the woman working the register offered to make me my food and just put it in to-go boxes. I went with the special, fried chicken. It came with mashed potatoes and of course I ordered a slice of apple pie. Because it was staring me in the face, and I’m a sucker for the dessert counter. My total came to $18.30 which I thought was a little pricey, but to my surprise they gave me a LOT of food. Three fried chicken

TOP 3 | MENU PICKS

PHOTO BY MARISA WALTON

breasts, a mound of potatoes and a huge slice of pie. I left this place a happy girl with food in hand. I found a table outside that was just around the corner from the restaurant, pretty convenient. Ok, let’s start with the chicken. I didn’t have a knife so I had to literally dig in with my hands. As I started to look at the chicken I saw some dark spots — dark spots in food scare me. I also came to the realization that no, this wasn’t like the chicken I eat at home. These chickens had the bone in them still. Usually I make one of my family members take the bone out for me before it’s served. I’m also afraid of bones in food if that wasn’t obvious already. My first bite was bland; it really didn’t have much flavor. I always like a little kick to my stuff, but there wasn’t even a measly spice on this thing. I was left with more of a “straight off the farm” taste in my mouth. Next up, I dug into the mashed potatoes. I may be biased here but these taters didn’t even compare to the ones my mom makes. They were a little runny for my taste and they had the potato skin mixed in which I’ve personally never been a fan of. For some reason they were really yellow, too. I don’t know if it was a certain type of potato that they used, but they just weren’t visually appealing either. After these two not-so-great entrees, I finished off my meal with the apple pie. Now, this wasn’t too shabby. I could dig this and it was definitely one of the best slices of apple pie I’ve ever had (sorry mom). It looked pretty and it was also the perfect combination of cinnamon and apple mushiness. Overall, my experience at Anna’s Oven was just sub-par. I don’t totally want to bash this place, though. I think it’s one of those hit or miss situations. Obviously, I was spot on in my choice to get the apple pie, I just kind of missed with the chicken and potatoes. With such a wide variety on the menu and so many things to choose from it’s hard to make that one perfect choice. Now, it definitely has great potential. It’s cutesy, grandma’s house atmosphere makes you feel right at home. I wouldn’t be opposed to going back, I would just try to select something a little different on the menu, maybe ask for their best dish. One thing I did appreciate about Anna’s Oven was that it really broke the hipster stereotype that turns me off from most downtown restaurants. It’s definitely not for the average vegan-feminist. So there you have it Anna. Thanks for the experience, but your comfort food made me quite uncomfortable.

a&e. WRITTEN BY MEGAN MCALISTER PHOTOS BY TAYLOR ANDERSON

Beating the B abysitting B lues

A look at alternative babysitting activities as the weather is getting colder

Skate City 10440 Mastin St, Overland Park, KS 66212 Waking up to six inches of snow outside, the first thing I think of is sledding down my favorite neighborhood slopes. As a nanny though I have to be more realistic about things, I mean it’s 18 degrees outside. Skate City, located Merriam, is just the place to satisfy that craving for exercise without getting hypothermia. Last weekend I visited Skate City for the first time, and within just two hours this place rose to the top of my list of favorite places as a nanny. I have realized that roller skating is just as fun as ice skating, but more convenient because it doesn’t involve any frozen fingers or wet jeans. The service at Skate City is well-tailored to be kid-friendly. While I was there I noticed an employee skate over to a little boy and tuck in his laces, which were hanging out, so the boy wouldn’t trip. The staff also provides kids with walkers that have wheels

on them to help them keep their balance. Still, it would be wise to consider whether the kids you plan to take are able to handle a fall or two. But the friendly staff is not even the best part of Skate City: the place as a whole is lively and exciting. There are several disco balls hanging over the skating rink which reflects light onto the rink. Also, there are sophisticated lights which cover the walls with kaleidoscopes of color. A DJ keeps things interesting with an up-to-date playlist and with interactive games for the kids such as the limbo and red-light-green-light. They have a large concession stand area that sells pizza, popcorn and ice cream. They even have a mini arcade with games such as coin pusher, so anyone who is having trouble keeping their balance can always have some fun.

Kaleidoscope 2500 Grand Blvd, Kansas City, MO 64108 Winter is just one of those times that creates a sense of almost inescapable restlessness. With Kansas City’s biting cold weather, each winter becomes a struggle to stay active and not fall into a boring routine. As a nanny, it is especially difficult to keep little kids engaged in activities and at the same time break things up by going some place different. Kaleidoscope, located near the Hallmark Visitors Center in Crown Center, is the perfect place to go to break this winter restlessness. Going to Kaleidoscope is like stepping into the world of Dr. Seuss. From the lopsided archways to the disproportionate and odd-looking creatures, each little detail is unique and unexpected. The entire place is decorated to appeal to kids imaginations and spark their creativity. Everything is fit to their level right down to the dwarfed chairs and mini scissors. There are hundreds of crayons and markers and plenty of colored paper.

Also, little kids can make their own puzzles by drawing a cardboard square then putting it through a machine. When they turn a wheel on the machine the cardboard is cut into puzzle pieces in the shape of a Hallmark crown. In addition to this there is a unique room with a space theme. This dark room, which is lit by fluorescent light, gives everything an eerie glow. Here kids can use fluorescent markers and melted crayons to make awesome glow-in-the-dark art. Kaleidoscope hosts 40 minutes sessions several times throughout the day. And one of the best things is there is no entrance fee. Kaleidoscope makes things easier as a nanny. When I recently visited, I didn’t have to do anything. The kids I took there knew exactly what they wanted to do and how to do it. As a nanny there is not much you have to do while kids are doing crafts.

Mission Bowl 5399 Martway St, Mission, KS 66205 So lets face it, as hard as it is for me to admit, I can no longer, as a nanny, loiter in my city’s park. It’s not summer anymore and I need to move on. But where can I as a nanny, find the same kind of excitement as running around catching a frisbee? Well that question was answered last week when I took two little kids to Mission Bowl. Walking through the front entrance of the building on Martway Street in Mission, Kansas there is something to get excited about especially for little kids. The whole atmosphere at Mission Bowl, from the colorful bowling balls to the crashing of the pins, is exciting and noisy. A great part of Mission Bowl is their staff which is super helpful. During just 20 minutes I was asked three times if they could put up the bumpers for my eight-year-

old sister. They also, when asked, will bring out metal slides for the bowling balls. Kids who lack the strength or coordination to manage a bowling ball alone will be able to participate with this. The only thing to be warned about when taking kids bowling is that it may involve a lot of waiting. I have realized that it is best to keep the number of players to a maximum of three. Any more and the games will seem to drag on forever. There is also an arcade and a concession stand if anyone becomes bored. A bonus at Mission Bowl is how inexpensive it is. There are deals for several days of the week such as Two Dollar Tuesdays, where every game and shoe rental is only two dollars. Bowling shoes at Mission Bowl are a good exchange for a summer frisbee.

a&e.

Mediterranean Menu Breakdown

A Tasteof the

Many of the items on the Holy Land Cafe Menu are foreign to the typical American diet. Here is a breakdown of some of those items

Holy Land

SHWARMA

Out-of-the-way restaurant offers an authentic Middle-Eastern experience WRITTEN BY HANNAH COLEMAN To be honest, I had my suspicions as I arrived at The Holy Land Cafe, a smallish, dilapidated place on the corner of a busy street. It looked like a dingy box left untouched and forgotten underneath someone’s bed. It was admittedly queer, but I was still curious to investigate this Middle Eastern-style cafe. Walking across the vacant parking lot, I could see only one other person through the window. My first impression was that the place was pretty sketchy, but I was really excited when I learned that my old French 2 teacher at Indian Hills Middle school owns the cafe along with her husband. I remembered her giving long, detailed lectures in class about her husband being from the Middle East and his influences on her American culture, so I made it a priority to get there. Middle Eastern food is a huge part of my family’s life. With my mom being half Arabic, my family has a lot unique dishes that most families don’t have, like shish kabobs and baba ganouj. Yes, I was questioning the authenticity, reasons being that authentic Middle Eastern food is rare in Kansas City. I mean what are the chances of having some legitimate falafel somewhere thousands of miles away from its origin? There was no immediate desire to walk into the rectangular, dimly-lit building with a squeaky, catching door, the words TAKEOUT plastered onto it. The paint on the door that I assumed used to be white was chipping off, but upon opening the door, I immediately noticed the vibrantly colored rugs plastered onto the wall and hand painted plates depicting Jerusalem.

A combination of meat where lamb, chicken, turkey or beef is placed on a vertical, revolving pole, called a spit, allowing it to cook for as long as a day.

PHOTO BY MEGHAN SHIRLING The waiter led me into a back room off of the main dining area where there were a few small tables pushed up against the window, and I sat down at a table next to a smallish lounging area. Thank goodness the seats were plush. I mean, come on, they have to be plush if I’m going to sit down and do some chemistry I might as well be comfortable. After sitting down, I looked over the menu until I saw a gyro sandwich with rice. Traditionally, gyros consist of cooked lamb slices seasoned with oregano and other spices best served with pita bread or maybe some hummus. I ordered it with a side of yellow rice, which is usually seasoned with turmeric and saffron. Since the place was actually quite subdued, I pulled out my chemistry homework and was able to do it pretty easily and stay focused, and waited while there was quiet Arabic music playing. The whole experience felt quite real, and reminded me of when my grandfather -- who was born and raised in Syria -- would cook for me at his house, with soft Arabic music playing in the background, while he danced around and singing the words. Though I had no idea what he was saying, it still made me laugh, sort of the way I felt at The Holy Land Cafe. I didn’t know too much about the culture, but it still felt real. When my food came out after about 15 minutes, I was greeted with a spectacularly rich aroma of earthy lamb and toasted pita bread. It all looked incredibly enticing; the lamb was seasoned perfectly with just the right blend of salt, garlic and rosemary, giv-

ing it a very distinctive, almost addictive flavor. It wasn’t too tough or gamey, but perfectly tender and palatable. The pita bread was fluffy, and warm, which tasted amazing with the hummus. The hummus itself was pretty unique; it was drizzled with olive oil, and some bright orange spices and light green leaves were placed delicately on the side. Authenticity is one thing, but making food that still sticks to tradition is ideal. Truthfully, going to Middle Eastern places is usually a privilege for me, and this visit was an exceptional experience. The diversity of cultures that I observed, and experiencing different smells and thick accents I never hear outside of my family was really neat. The most amusing thing about going to the cafe, in regards to the culture, was Mrs. Harzi’s influences. She had always worn vibrantly-colored shawls with swirling patterns to school everyday, and the lights hanging in her classroom mixed in with the African decor displayed all of her different personalities. In the restaurant, the couches mimicked her vibrant wardrobe, and the walls were painted deep, rich colors similar to her classroom. I loved the wild, exotic feel of everything. The cafe’s combination of traditional food and authenticity is truly a perfect blend. Its eye-catching furnishings and enigmatic color scheme add great value to the place. It was incredibly satisfying to go somewhere that felt so familiar to me. I could definitely take my family from Syria there, and undoubtedly they’d be impressed.

BABA GANOUJ

A mashed eggplant dip with olive oil and various seasonings typically served with pita bread.

GYRO SANDWICH

Shawarmah meat is typically wrapped in pita bread and served with tomatoes, onions and tzatziki sauce.

sports. SPORT

Football

Boys’ Soccer

OPPONENT REGIONALS

DATE 11/8/13

LOCATION TBD

SECTIONALS SEMIFINALS FINALS

11/15/13 10/5/13 10/8/13

TBD TBD TBD

ATHLETE OF THE WEEK

ANNIE KUKLENSKI PHOTO BY JOHN FOSTER

Q: How did you feel when you learned you qualified for state? A: I was very excited, shocked at first, but excited for my team. It was especially fun to see Trish, you could just tell she was so happy for us, and it was a fun moment for us.

T S E T CON

Q: What are your expectations for state? A: My expectations are for everyone on our team to get a personal record and that we place high at state as a team. I expect myself to get my best time of the season, and if I could place, that would be awesome.

VISIT smeharbinger.net, AND GET A FOOTBALL STATE PLAYOFF BRACKET. THE CLOSEST BRACKET WILL BE FEATURED ONLINE AND WILL RECEIVE A CHIPOTLE BURRITO. TURN IT IN BY THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 7th! GOOD LUCK!

PHOTO OF THE WEEK

Q: What do you think about when you are running a race? A: Normally I get a good song stuck in my head, like “We Are Never Getting Back Together” by Taylor Swift. If that doesn’t work then I think about how I’m going to sabotage the other girls. Just kidding.

PHOTO BY ANNIE SAVAGE

Q: Do you have any rituals that you do before a race? A: I jump three times before the announcer announces the race. I don’t like being super serious before a race so normally I blast music and start dancing by myself to songs like “Cotton Eyed Joe.” Nobody else on the team will join me.

Junior Ari Throckmorton kicks a shot that goes by the goalie to score during their game last Tuesday against Wyandotte. The Lancers won the game 3-0.

FOOTBALL

INSTAGRAM OF THE WEEK

WRITTEN BY JOHN FOSTER

mitchtyler1

TWEET OF THE WEEK @smeastxc

Girls second place at regionals. STATE BOUND!!!!

143 likes NUT CUP #27-0 #SMESTRONG

The Lancer football team beat Shawnee Mission West 27 to 0 last Friday. The “Nut Cup,” is the annual trophy for the winner of the game. The players hold the cup proudly in this photo. EAST FOOTBALL LANCERS 27 00

RETWEETS

FAVORITES

Last weekend, the girls’ Cross Country Team placed second at regionals. The top three teams make it to state, meaning that the girls qualified to go to the state meet.

SM WEST VIKINGS

SOCCER

EAST LANCERS

The Lancer football team will enter the playoffs in either the first or second seed this year, due to their 7-1 record. Their opposition for the number one seed is Lawrence Free State. Although both teams have the same winning record, Free State beat East 17-10, so they have a higher ranking. Sixteen teams will be competing in the playoffs -- eight from the East side of Kansas and eight from the West. In the first round, eight teams will be eliminated. In the next round, four more teams are eliminated. After that, four teams will participate in sub-state. The two winners from sub-state will participate in the state came that chooses the state champion. In the playoffs, East’s first game will be a home game. After that, East’s opponents depend on how the bracket is filled, until only two teams are left for the state game -- one from the East side of Kansas and one from the west. “We have been working really hard all year and during the summer,” said junior Kyle Ball. “With how well we have played this season, we believe we have what it takes to go to state.” At practice, which started in the summer when the team adopted a new offense, they put new plays into effect. Then they practiced those plays 10-15 times until perfection. Once the season started, preparing for a game involved watching film of their opponent to exploit weaknesses. “We try to win all of our games and just do the same thing every week,” said head coach Dustin Delaney. “Doesn’t matter who we’re playing or whatever, we’re going to get ready to go the same as we always do.”

WYANDOTTE BULLDOGS

EAST TENNIS LANCERS

1st

STATE

GOLF

EAST LANCERS

4th

STATE

IT’S ALL IN THEIR HEADS

sports.

Athletes must perform at their best every time they step onto the field, even if that means believing in strange things that could help them win WRITTEN BY WILL OAKLEY ART BY GRACE HEITMANN

MUST LISTEN

MUST WEAR MUST WEAR STRING AROUND FIN GER HEADBAND TO SPECIFIC PLAYLIST

GREEN

MUST GO ON HORSE RUN

MUST

MUST TIE LEFT MUST TAPE WRISTS SHOE FIRST MUST EAT SAME BREAKFAST EVERY MORNING MUST WEAR SAME GROW A SOCKS EVERY GAME BEARD MUST PACK STUFFED MUST DRINK WATER atgamethe ANIMAL IN BAG MUST CHEW GUM BEFORE GAME

EVERYTHING MUST BE PERFECT

Before every football game, senior Mitchell Tyler asks nearly the whole locker room if he should wear tights underneath his jersey. If they don’t feel right, and other people don’t think he should wear them, it “freaks him out.” For Tyler, everything has to be perfect. Before the Olathe Northwest game, one of Tyler’s wrists was taped by the trainer, and the other by somebody else. One wrist was tighter than the other; they weren’t equal. They weren’t done by the same person. He would think about it the whole game. It would make him play worse. It wasn’t the same as the week before. Something bad could happen. It was starting to freak him out. He couldn’t deal with it. So after warm ups, he had to take them completely off and have the trainer redo them. “One thing doesn’t throw me off that much if it’s, like, a little thing, and I don’t notice,” Tyler said. “It’s the combination of every-

thing that if it all isn’t right, I just freak out” Why does he do this? Well, he doesn’t really know. He just gets edgy, feels worried and panics. “If we won the week before, I have to do the same thing,” Tyler said. “Because if we lose the next week or something goes wrong I’ll just be like ‘dang it, why didn’t I wear that?’ So I just have to do the same things.“ Before every game, he’ll joke around with senior running back Luke Taylor. Taylor will always laugh at Tyler for being so uptight before every game. Then he’ll go inside and get his wrists taped. Then he’ll put his shoes on that have to feel loose and comfortable. Then he’ll go back out and kick field goals. Then he’ll practice kickoffs. It’s all a process. Everything has to be perfect. Everything has to be the same.

MUST WEAR A GREEN HEADBAND The faint green can be seen in the hair of girls’ soccer team players from the stands. Through the rain, through the sun, practice and games, green headbands are worn. It all started during a club soccer game for some of the senior players. It just so happened that during an important game, all six of the East girls on the team wore green headbands. They say the headbands allowed them to win the game. Thus, a tradition started. According to the girls, most athletic girls own more than a few varieties and colors of headbands. So, the girls realized that it must have been something more than dumb luck for them to wear the same exact headband to such an intense game. They believe that the luck of the green will continue if they are worn to every game. “We wear them to every club and high school game,” senior Victoria Sabates said. “We don’t really know why, but we do. And it’s good luck.” This tradition doesn’t seem to be stopping soon either, as some of the younger soccer players have adopted this superstition. This means that the tradition of the green headbands will carry on. “It may just be because we’re weird,” senior AnnaMarie Oakley said. “But, as long as we keep winning, the green headbands will keep giving us good luck. And we’ll keep wearing them.”

MUST RUN THE HORSE RUN A tradition that has been at East for over 25 years. A secret among all that have participated. An event looked forward to by cross country runners every Friday. An occasion that is considered “sacred” by those who participate. A code that requires sworn secrecy to those that take part. Every Friday, the boys cross country team runs to a location to carry on this ancient tradition: The Horse Run. Insko was a thoroughbred racehorse in the early 1930s, that competed in the Kentucky Derby. Insko was never able to place in the top three. Yet, his son, Lawrin, became the only horse from Kansas to win the Kentucky Derby in 1938. These two horses are buried in a cul-de-sac inside the housing community “Corinth Downs,” near 81 and Mission Rd. In the runners’ minds, it is fitting that, because cross country runners race at a high caliber, the team goes to visit the fastest living thing to come out of Kansas. This serves as a foundation to the tradition. “It’s odd that two of the fastest horses ever in Kansas [history] happen to be right here,” said cross country runner Joseph Tortellini.* “It’s funny because we’re runners, and they’re runners. That’s at least how the tradition started, and what the basis of the tradition is.” Yet, all of this is common knowledge to anyone at East. But what happens once the runners have arrived at the horses’ graves is the classified part of the story. “It’s all very strange, and very secretive,” former cross country runner Bart Toweldweller *said. “These traditions date back for a long time, and are kept true to this day.” In order to find out the rest of the tradition, one must join the boys’ cross country team. The runners are sworn into secrecy the minute they set foot on that “sacred ground,” and are unwilling to give up any information. Yet in the meantime, the tradition of the horse run will continue. “It’s always been thought that the tradition brings good luck,” Toweldweller said. “It will continue to bring us good luck as long as the tradition continues.” *names changed to protect identity

sports.

THINGS

SUNFLOWER LEAGUE SPLITS INTO DIFFERENT DIVISIONS

T T I I NG L P S

tte High Sc ndo ho ya ol W

.H .C

arm

on High Sc

ho ol

WRITTEN BY MICHAEL KRASKE PHOTOS COURTESY OF GOOGLE

SPORTS

PANEL

Andrew McKittrick

Morgan Krakow

Grace Heitmann

Mike Thibodeau

ee Mission

Ea st

instance, Olathe North is planning to play a team in Arkansas next season. Olathe South is playing Hutchinson High School, giving them a chance to prove which team has the better double wing style offense. This now gives Sunflower League teams a chance to become more recognized outMission nee No aw rt side of the league. Sh “This kind of gives kids an opportunity,” Kurle said. “To kind of get out, and a lot of the western side of Kansas is kind of viewing us as like ‘you don’t play anyone, Sunflower League is sort of ‘blah blah blah’’ so this way we can get out and about.” The boys’ basketball team always plays Rockhurst, who’s not in their league, and the girls’ bastenger said. ketball team plays Blue Valley North, also not in After two seasons, the football team’s open game is free, their league. However, the football team previously hasn’t so there will be the possibility of playing Rockhurst in the gotten the chance to play schools outside of the Sunflower future. This is something that players are looking forward League. East has a two year contract with Gardner Edgerton to. “I have always wanted to play them,” Pottenger said. “It High School starting next season, so the team will be playwould be awesome if we did eventually. Football is the one ing them in our open week one for the next two years. “Gardner is a really good team so it will be a good game sport Rockhurst holds on to where they think they’re better to get pumped up for,” junior outside linebacker Sam Pot- than us so it would be awesome to beat them.”

Who is the fall sports stud?

Starting next football season, The Kansas State High School Athletic Association’s (KSHSAA) 12 high school football teams will split up into two divisions. This is due to the Sunflower League making an attempt to branch out and play new teams outside of the league. Previously, Sunflower League teams played almost all of their games strictly inside the league. The Sunflower League will not be adding any new teams to the league, only making it so there are two divisions. Next season the teams on East’s schedule are Gardner Edgerton, SM South, SM Northwest, SM West, Lawrence Free State, Leavenworth, J.C. Harmon, Wyandotte and SM North. Next season, the teams in East’s district will include SM North, who hasn’t won a game since 2011, Wyandotte, who is 3-5 this season and J.C. Harmon (Kansas City, Kansas Public Schools) was 0-9 last season. “They kind of do a league championship in football by percentages or whatever,” athletic director Kelli Kurle said. “Since there wasn’t really like a true league champion, and it’s hard to schedule, they decided to make it kind of two divisions, and so they took the 12 teams and split them up on two sides.” Next season, most teams in KSHSAA will have an open week one, where teams can play any team they want. For

n aw Sh

What is your favorite student section cheer? What was the most exciting moment in fall sports?

I have to give the fall sports stud to Mitchell Tyler. After watching all of the football games, he can do it all.

I’m going to have to go with the roller coaster cheer. It’s a lot of fun at the beginning and really gets the crowd pumped.

I’ve gotta give this one to the 36 yard hail marry from Christian Blessen to Alec Dean as time expired. That was one of the best endings I have ever seen.

Audrey Danciger because it’s her first year on cross country and she killed it all season on varsity.

When Jay dressed up as Waldo at the West game and ran over to the other team’s side and we shouted “Where’s Waldo?”

The whole football season was so exciting that I can’t pick a specific moment.

Sports stud goes out to freshman Caroline Heitmann. She worked her way up to the top of cross country — top of C-Team. And no, I don’t have any bias.

My favorite student section cheer is definitely the parting of the sea. Props to the student section for being so organized!

The most exciting moments of this year is watching the principals jump around and cheer when East scores a touchdown, especially Higgins in his rally cap.

Senior Jack McDonald. He came from the bottom of C-team to the top of varsity in cross country. The guy’s the thing of legends!

I! I BELIEVE! I BELIEVE THAT! I BELIEVE THAT “I BELIEVE” IS THE BEST CHANT!

The Moose’s (junior Ari Throckmorton) buzzer beating goal to top Olathe South. MOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOSE!

sports. help d, with am l a n o cD -Te Jack M ent from C r o i n e S ,w is dad from h p of varsity to to the

P O T E H T O T RISING

WRITTEN BY MIKE THIBODEAU PHOTOS BY MEGHAN SHIRLING

Senior Jack McDonald has his arms draped over the varsity runners next to him. They’re huddled on the brown grass, 50 yards from the starting line. The last time he was here at Haskell, he was just another C-teamer trying to get the race over with. Now, he’s focused on Will Carey, East alumni and brother of varsity runner Spencer Carey, giving the pump-up speech. “Stick to your goals,” Carey roared like a southern Baptist preacher. The varsity runners in light blue singlets huddled around him nodding, chiming in with a “yah” or “whoo” when they could. “Stick to your time goals. Mile by mile. Minute by minute. Go hard. Keep your head on your shoulders. You guys can do this; I’m confident in that.” “East on three! One - two - three -- East!” Jack’s dad, Steven McDonald, is over by the tent preparing wet towels for the varsity runners to wipe off the sweat after their race. In under 17 minutes, he’ll be handing a towel off to his son. He’s been waiting to do this after a varsity race ever since they started running together last November. * * * His dad remembers watching Jack tense at the starting line of his first cross country race freshman year, time trials at Shawnee Mission Park. He remembers how, when Jack was younger, other parents would tell him at soccer and baseball practices how great of a runner his son was. He remembers when Jack won the Kids’ Trolley Run two years in a row back when he was still at Highlands Elementary. When Jack told him he chose to run cross country instead of playing soccer, he was excited. He was excited because he was a runner. He thought Jack might have the genes too. At the line, Jack waited for the blast of the starting gun. It was his first cross country race and he thought this was something he could really be good at. He was out of shape because he joined a week and a half late, but he was hopeful. Maybe, he thought, he even had “runner’s genes” like his dad. Crack! The gun and the runners shot off. Jack sprinted with over a hundred other runners down the hill. He had no idea

how to pace himself. By his second mile, he had burned out. When he came in, more than 90 runners beat him in that first race. Whatever, he said to himself, walking away disappointed. Bring on the next race. * * * From there, cross country kept getting worse for him. At practice, he only cared about hanging out with friends. When his friends tried to push him, he refused. Running became painful for him. When the coaches weren’t looking, he’d cut the course, shaving off a mile or two on street runs. His sophomore year, he skipped summer running all together. He came into the season out of shape. A couple times a week he’d sign in, then catch a ride with a friend dodging practice altogether. His dad tried to push him at home. He’d ask him to go on runs with him. He’d ask him every week, but Jack only went running with him twice. Jack described it as a constant cycle. At practice, he wouldn’t try his hardest. Then after taking a few days off, he’d lose everything he had gained. It was a struggle every run for him. He wanted to quit. In his mind, he pictured himself telling the coaches, I’m done. But his dad kept pushing him, never letting him quit. * * * Going into his junior year, after pressure from his dad, Jack began going to summer running. He entered the season in shape for the first time. At practices he was able to keep up with the top of C-team and JV. At time trials, he placed in the top ten of C-team. Then, late in the season at the Haskell Invitational, he medalled for the first time. He came in first for East in the C-team race and ninth overall. It bumped him up to 15 on the team, making JV for the Sunflower League meet, the last meet of the year. For Jack, reaching JV was a turning point. When League was postponed, they pushed the JV and varsity races together. Jack, who had dreamt of making JV, had gone from a C-team to varsity race within a week. For the first time, he said, he wanted to do well and help the team. * * * “I’m going to try to be a varsity athlete,” Jack told his dad in December. “I will make varsity this year. That’s my goal.” He and his dad started running 5Ks together to train, and for the first time, Jack started beating his dad. “I can’t catch him,” Steven said about racing with his son. “All I see is his backside and him getting smaller as I try to keep up.” They started early, avoiding the “I’ll-do-it-next-week” mentality. In March, they started running 5Ks. They ran the Groundhog Run, then the Trolley Run and Prison Run, all together When the season came around, Jack had already raced 60 kilometers in the off season.

In summer running, he was keeping up with varsity. In June, he was one of five runners who traveled to Colorado to train with Coach Chaffee. When he entered the season, he was consistently hitting in the low 18-minute range, a high JV/low varsity time. At time trials, he placed fifth. The next week, he was fourth for East. Then third. Then, on a golf course in Baldwin, he ran a 17:08, and placed first for East. * * * Steven stands at the Haskell finish line with towels, waiting to hand them to the sweat-dripped, exhausted runners as they come in. He waits, nervous but excited. Haskell’s a fast course and Jack’s got a chance to be the first East runner to break 17 minutes this year. Jack comes around the row of trees. Four hundred meters left in the race. Running up the hill someone shouts, “16:36!” Freshman John Arnspiger tails right behind him. Crossing the line, he glances at the time. Sixteen minutes and 58 seconds. * * * It’s a rainy Tuesday afternoon. Jack’s jogging up Mission, remembering how Regionals went three days before. “It wasn’t the way I wanted my senior year to end,” Jack said. “I think I ended up being eight seconds off from going to State. To be that close and not get it, it’s just frustrating.” East missed making state by eight points. Jack ran his fastest 5K at regionals, finishing third for East. His fastest race was his last race. In the spring, Jack plans on running track, something he’s never done before. “I used to be sensing that dreaded feeling going after school, going to run,” Jack said. “I used to just want to get home. It’s now transformed into this thing that I look forward to doing at the end of the day.”

JACK’S 2013 5K TIMES Chili Pepper Fest

17:37

Baldwin City

17:08

Haskell University

16:58

Regionals

16:48

Instagrams

photo essay.

of the

Night

Cheer took over Instagram with posts of their themed costumes the theme: MEAN GIRLS kaleighfrigon

67 likes Just my boyfriend Aaron Samuels and this loser Cady Heron

PHOTO BY MCKENZIE SWANSON

Hunting for a Bond

On Oct. 23, cheerleaders from all three squads competed in an all-team scavenger hunt around Prairie Village. There were six teams of all different themes, all following the scavenger hunt list. “Everyone goes all out for their themes and thinks of the most creative costumes they can. It makes everyone really bond because of the stressful time constraint, and you have to find the most random things,” varsity co-captain Danya Issawi said. After 90 minutes, they had a team dinner and determine the winner: Team Scooby Doo.

ABOVE: Junior Sophie Paulk talks to fellow varsity cheerleaders before the scavenger hunt began. “Building up to the event, everyone was really secretive about their themes,” Paulk said. “But once we showed up at East to start the scavenger hunt, we just ended up laughing at each other’s costumes and outfits.”

the theme: DUCK DYNASTY carolbreckie

86 likes Si or die #duckdynasty

the theme: SCOOBY DOO faithconnelly

PHOTO BY MCKENZIE SWANSON

ABOVE: This cheer family, including senior Ryley Johnson picked the theme “Despicable Me” for their outfits. “We wanted to be minions because we thought it would be really clever and cute,” Johnson said. “I’m glad we decided on those costumes, everyone was really happy with it.”

ABOVE: Junior Mackenzie Sweat takes a photo of her team at one of the scavenger hunt locations. “Our team was very competitive. Winning was our only option,” Sweat said. “We were sitting in a circle trying to think of funny ideas and someone suggested nuns and we all just looked around and were like ‘YES!’, it was perfect”.

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