The Harbinger Issue 5

HARBINGER

5

ISSUE

THE

SHAWNEE MISSION EAST 7500 MISSION ROAD PRAIRIE VILLAGE, KS

11/02/15

THE APPEAL OF VAPING ATTRACTS STUDENTS REGARDLESS OF LEGALITY AND HEALTH RISKS PAGE 4

INSIDE:

TELL ME ABOUT YOUR DAY CAMPAIGN STARTEDPAGE 7 ACT TIPS FROM DINAKARSPAGE 13 TRANSFERS BARRED FROM VARSITY PAGE 29

SHAWNE 750 PRAI

2 Votes For: 11 Against: 0

I

Concealed & lethal

To prevent school shootings, teachers should not be allowed to carry guns on school grounds

t began with Columbine high school in 1999, where 13 high school students were killed. Then again at Virginia Tech in 2007, where another 12 were shot to death. Then Sandy Hook three years ago, where 26 lives were taken. This year it was at Umpqua Community College in Oregon, where 10 more lives were lost.

And on Oct. 24, at Tennessee State University, another student was shot and killed. We millennials have grown up hearing about these, and sadly, they are becoming a reality we must accept.

These unfortunate realities are forcing schools to instigate safety measures. For most, that means hiring SRO officers, requiring visitors to sign in upon entrance and keeping doors locked during school hours. Some schools are even allowing concealed carry, the possession of a firearm in public, among

teachers.

However, allowing teachers to carry a gun in school is the antithesis of the “safe learning environment” the school is supposed to provide. Permitting teachers to carry guns in the classroom elicits a new realm of danger. What happens when the intruder gets ahold of it? Better yet, what happens when a student gets ahold of it? And what happened to the no-weapon policy most schools enforce?

While a gun’s intended use is for teachers to protect students, if found in the wrong hands, it will be more disastrous than beneficial. The idea that a teacher could use a gun to defend their class is admirable, but one teacher can hardly compare to a violent intruder. The risk of an intruder getting ahold of the gun is far too great.

Even worse would be worrying that a fellow student could gain access to such a violent weapon of destruction. We’ve all seen it in the headlines before: “student gets ahold of gun and kills ten”.

It’s becoming an unfortunate cliché. But in order to ensure our safety, we must acknowledge the potential

dangers concealed carry imposes.

Finally, the no weapon policy we’ve all heard since we were only learning to read: there are to be no weapons on school property at any time. This seems obvious. So then why would we make an exception now, and allow teachers to have weapons on campus at all times? It’s a slippery slope, and soon our antiweapon school environment will become a mini firing squad full of armed adults, ready to defend the school at any moment.

School shootings are becoming an expectation, something we’ve become immune to hearing about in the news. But allowing teachers to carry guns at school is not the way to cope with these tragedies - other, less fatal, safety measures must be taken.

The possibilities of destruction far outweigh any glimmer of possible protection. More gun use on school property is not the way to solve an already over abundant use of guns in schools.

Harbinger Staff List: Fall 2015 EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

ADS MANAGERS

CO-ASSISTANT EDITORS

CO-ASSISTANT SPREAD EDITORS

Tommy Sherk

Claire Pottenger Will Clough

HEAD COPY EDITOR Ellie Booton

ART & DESIGN CO-EDITORS Aidan Epstein Yashi Wang

NEWS SECTION EDITOR Caroline Heitmann

EDITORIAL SECTION EDITOR Chase Tetrick

A&E SECTION EDITOR Anna Dierks

CIRCULATION MANAGER Elizabeth Anderson

OPINION SECTION EDITOR Courtney McClelland

FEATURES SECTION EDITOR Chloe Stanford

SPORTS SECTION EDITOR Caleb Krakow

SPREAD SECTION EDITOR Ellie Cook

Grace Chisholm

Daisy Bolin Annie Jones

CO-PHOTO EDITORS Callie McPhail Hailey Hughes

STAFF PHOTOGRAPHERS Elizabeth Anderson Ellie Thoma Diana Percy Tess Iler Maddie Smiley Hannah McPhail Ava Simonsen Abby Hans Abby Blake Kaitlyn Stratman Allison Stockwell Annie Lomshek

STAFF ARTISTS Lennah Cardozo

STAFF WRITERS Reser Hall Mac Newman

PAGE DESIGNERS Ali Lee Abby Walker Katie Hise Teagan Noblit Annie Jones Daisy Bolin Robbie Veghlan Catherine Brown

Marti Fromm Grace Apodaca Harrison Gooley Morgan Biles Kaylin McCan Seamus Carroll Isabel Epstein Ellie Mitchell Anna McClelland Jessica Parker Sofia Stechschulte Porter Carroll

COPY EDITORS Chloe Stanford Courtney McClelland Caroline Heitmann Daisy Bolin Kylie Schultz Elaine Chamberlain Tommy Sherk Ellie Booton Claire Pottenger Will Clough

ASSISTANT PHOTO EDITOR Haley Bell

EDITORIAL BOARD Tommy Sherk Claire Pottenger Michael Kraske Will Clough Ellie Cook Ellie Booton Chase Tetrick Caroline Heitmann Courtney McClelland Celia Hack Daisy Bolin Chloe Stanford

CO-ONLINE EDITORS-IN-CHIEF Ellie Cook

Michael Kraske

Morgan Biles

ONLINE A&E SECTION EDITOR

PODCAST & RADIO EDITOR

Jemima Swindells

ONLINE ASSISTANT EDITORS Celia Hack Tyler Keys

Leah O’Connor

ONLINE VIDEO EDITOR Matthew Bruyere

ONLINE CONVERGENCE EDITOR Sean Overton

WEBMASTER

ONLINE ASSISTANT COPY EDITOR

Leah O’Connor

ONLINE LIVE BROADCAST EDITORS

Nick Mantel Will Hembree Joe McLiney

Caroline Heitmann

John John Roney Will Hembree

ONLINE NEWS SECTION EDITOR Anna Kanaley Grace Apodaca

ONLINE HOMEGROWN SECTION EDITOR Lennah Cardozo

ONLINE SPORTS SECTION EDITORS Reser Hall Davis Finke

ONLINE OPINION SECTION EDITOR Olivia Favreau

ONLINE EASTIPEDIA SECTION EDITOR

CO-ASSISTANT WEBMASTERS

SOCIAL MEDIA DIRECTOR John John Roney

ONLINE PHOTO EDITORS Katie Lamar Joseph Cline

MULTIMEDIA STAFF Gabe Snyder Nick Mantel Lennah Cardozo John John Roney

CO-ASSISTANT ONLINE PHOTO EDITORS Abby Hans Morgan Browning

ADVISER Dow Tate

NEWS in BRIEF ie Mitchell

written by Ell

PHOTOS OF THE WEEK

Robotics Team Makes T-shirt Launcher

T

he East Fund granted the Robotics Team $2,996.34 to build a T-shirt launcher to use as a crowd-pleaser at various school events. According to the team’s blueprints, the launcher will be two feet wide, three feet long and one and a half feet tall.

“The chassis will be made of aluminum and it will have various wooden parts for different supports and the barrel will be PVC pipe,” said junior and member of the robotics team Eric Blom.

The current design for the launcher will include the barrel hooked up to an array of small pressure tanks filled with an air compressor.

There will be one person steering and firing it from a remote and a second person will reload the launcher after each shot.

“This grant was one of the highest scoring applications in the last few years,” Grant Committee Chairman Brent Fuson said. “It was clear,

T

EAST

An exhaustive catalog of the brilliant, quirky and multifaceted students of Shawnee Mission East

Follow @humansofsmeast on Instagram or check out smeharbinger.net for more

Emma Goode

HUMANS OF SM

T

Drone Regulations Released

he federal government is now requiring recreational drone operators to register their aircraft. These regulations are being implemented with the intention of preventing safety hazards, after a drone came within 900 feet of JetBlue flight 1834 and Delta flight 407 during their landings at John F. Kennedy Airport on Aug. 3. The pilots were concerned with the possibility that the drone was a bomb threat.

The Federal Aviation Administration hopes that the new regulation rules will help ensure that drone operators know the rules and remain accountable for flying their unmanned aircraft responsibly.

The guidelines require commercial drone pilots with permits to stay below 500 feet and drone hobbyists without permits to stay below 400 feet. Both must avoid flying within five miles of an airport unless they have

the air-traffic control tower’s permission. Pilots must also keep their drone in sight and fly only during the day.

Brian Libeer, the producer of East’s football motivation videos uses drones for his videos and recognizes the new regulation guidelines as a positive.

“Registering each drone is a necessary evil,” Libeer said. “I feel we have to police those who make poor choices and fly too high or close to restricted areas, in order for those who fly within the rules to keep flying.”

Kansas State High School Activities Association has implemented new drone rules as well; no drones will be allowed to fly during playoff football games unless approved.

“It is sad that we let fear dictate the policy,” Libeer said. “Instead of just denying everyone, set a standard policy for those who are willing to play by the rules.”

Global Temperatures at Record Levels

he global temperatures for 2015 are a record setting high.

In response, the Obama Administration proposed new fuel economy standards for passenger vehicles, requiring an average of 54.5 miles per gallon by the year 2025. This is intended to limit pollution, keeping temperatures down.

Climate scientist Richard Seager at the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory of Columbia University in New York states that the world is only going to get hotter if people continue to pollute the air and fill the earth with trash.

“Even by turning off our lights, or turning off the water while brushing our teeth can help the temperature patterns change,” said senior and president of the Environmental Club Kyle Baker. “I know that it doesn’t seem like that can impact it, but if we all do it together it can help out a lot.”

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration stated that January to September had the highest average temperature ever recorded on earth.

Junior

Top: Senior Lauren Blackburn performs the Lancer Dancer halftime routine at the varsity football game against Wyandotte. Lancers won 70-14. Photo by Diana Percy.

Bottom: Senior Chloe Neighbor dances at the Oct. 17 Coalition dance marathon to the song “Teach Me How to Dougie.” Photo by Diana Percy

well written and [we knew] it would be a great project that would first benefit the SME Robotics Club members, but also promote school spirit.”

The East Fund’s Grant Committee researched, reviewed and discussed the several Grant Applications and evaluated the application based on 14 different criteria. Some areas include applicability, clarity, collaboration, innovation, technology, subjectivity and future funding. The Committee then forwarded a recommendation for funding to the East Fund Governing Board of Directors for final approval. Finally, it was approved by Matt Johnson, SMSD’s Director of Athletics and Student Services.

“The launcher will benefit the school both inside the walls of East and outside, and within our school community.” Fuson said.

“Plus who doesn’t want a free SME T-shirt from a robot launcher?”

A BREAKDOWN OF SCHOOL, LOCAL AND WORLDWIDE NEWS

3

The highest average temperature out of all the 1,629 months to be recorded beginning in January 1880 was broken with the 59 degree Fahrenheit average reading in the month of September.

Oceans are affected from waste and high temperatures which are killing both coral reefs around the world and many species of fish according to National Geographic. The pollution disrupts the ecosystem and has caused the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, a collection of marine debris in the North Pacific Ocean. Marine debris is litter that ends up in oceans, seas and other large bodies of water.

“The Great Pacific Garbage Patch is larger than the size of Texas and we can try to fix that by recycling and reusing containers,” Baker said.

Global efforts from various countries around the world are trying to transition to a global clean energy economy in efforts to improve the global climate change in a positive way.

Who has influenced your life?

“Someone who has influenced my in life would probably be my Young Life leader Wendy Franco. She just pours out everything she has into the kids she loves in Young Life, and I think that’s something that I really hope to do and achieve in my life. She just like inspires me everyday. Every text I get from her is something that creates just a storm in me that I want to go out and be a better person after I talk to her.” photo by Allison Stockwell

4

A HIGH-TECH

HABIT A culture of vaping forms at East

written by Tommy Sherk photos by Joseph Cline

WHAT IS A

VAPE?

Vapes require a variety of individualized pieces

MOUTHPIECE The mouthpiece is where you put your mouth to inhale the vapor.

S

enior Martin Walsh’s* e-cig, or “vape” is not some cheap, “500 puff” e-cig from the gas station. His vapor clouds have the exact temperature, taste and nicotine content. He can customize and create his ideal smoke-simulating experience.

Whether they’re vaping at parties, in their room or together with friends, Walsh, his friends and other East students have taken up vaping as a high-tech hobby. Regardless of it’s illegality and potential health risk, students have created a culture of vaping that’s based on preference and personalization. A study from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention reported in April that the use of e-cigarettes tripled between 2013 and 2014 among middle and high school students.

“Vaping is such a unique, new thing,” said local vape shop employee Rick Jones*. “It’s like technology in a way, like how kids are so up to date on phones. Vaping has the same kind of thing — new products are coming out daily.”

Yet, Jones finds himself frequently turning away these customers, as it is illegal for persons under the age of 18 to purchase any sort of e-cig or vape, regardless of nicotine content.

He realizes vaping is very attractive to young people, but doesn’t want a flood of underage kids coming into the shop.

Because of the similarities between tobacco products and vaping, East’s policies on tobacco and e-cigarettes are the same: if a student is caught with a device, they may be suspended. If the student is under 18, an SMSD police officer must be notified. This policy is in effect over all school property, even if a student is using one in their car.

However, Haney hasn’t seen a rise in students getting caught with tobacco or vapes in recent years. Yet, some students still vape in school, blowing the vapor down their sleeve or quickly waving it away, leaving only a faint smell of the e-juice’s flavor. Walsh and sophomore Charlie Stanton* prefer to vape in private, at home while doing homework or after work: places where they need a relief from stress and want a buzz.

But a buzz requires the user to have nicotine, which causes the same negative effects in vapes as it does in cigarettes.

Although vape shops advertise vaping as a healthier alternative to cigarettes, in a study

published by the CDC last month, the lasting effects of e-cigarettes “may cause lasting harm to brain development, promote nicotine addiction, and lead to sustained tobacco use.”

To Walsh and Stanton, these health risks still are insignificant compared to those of cigarettes. They take comfort in the fact that they aren’t inhaling the tar and other elements cigarettes contain. In addition, they feel the ease and accessibility of vaping provides even more incentive to further their interest in vapes.

“When I smoke cigarettes, I do it as alternative to chewing tobacco,” Walsh said.

“But I’d vape if I don’t want to beat up my gums, or if I’m driving. It’s nice because you can have the windows up and [the vapor] won’t smell like a typical cigarette.”

Lack of smell is just one of the features that students find attractive. Since being introduced to the U.S. in 2007, vapes increased in variety.

Vapes are now sold with various tips and tanks, different levels of nicotine for the optimal buzz and an array of flavored “e-juices,” ranging from cereal, churro and nacho cheese flavors.

And unlike pen vapes, Walsh’s vape has a long lifespan -- when the e-juice runs out, it can be replaced, with a new flavor, too. Walsh explained that vape juice can contain 0mgs, but “seasoned veterans” can go up to 40mgs. Walsh prefers using 12mg juice, so he set up his vape to produce minimal smoke to not burn his throat.

The expanse of flavors of e-juice and personalization of devices attract kids who aren’t even looking for a buzz. Sophomore James Bradley* only uses juice that omits all nicotine. This way, there is little throat burn: he can raise the heat settings and produce huge, thick clouds for better “vape tricks,” like rings and spirals of smoke, dubbed “vapenados.”

“I do it more for the flavor and when hanging out with friends,” Bradley said. “Not necessarily for a high or anything like that.”

Jones, who sees the rapid evolution of vapes through his shop, feels that there is no stopping kids from using tobacco products, and that vapes are the healthier route. Stanton agrees, and hopes vapes will be decriminalized for people under 18. *names changed to protect identity

ATOMIZER Juice and coils are stored in the atomizer. The coils burn the cotton, which soaks up the juice.

ACTIVATION BUTTON The activation button is clicked 5 times to turn on and off the power. Once turned on, the coils start burning immediately.

BATTERY

The battery, which can last up to a few days, powers the atomizer.

The power buttons change the wattage, which is how to adjust the amount of power to put in the coils.

USB PORT The battery is charged through the USB port.

A vape shop customer drips e-juice onto the coils, which will eventually heat the e-juice, creating the vapor.

The variety of a vape shop’s e-juice flavors is on display for customers.“I prefer fruitier blends, but some people like dessert flavors, like apple pie or graham cracker,” Walsh said. “My favorite was V.C.T., which stands for Vanilla Custard Tobacco.”

HARMFUL

HOMEWORK HABITS

5

A new policy introduced at Indian Hills Middle School has created a habit of avoiding homework assignments in high school

written by Will Clough

T

he “Integer Grading System”, piloted last year by Indian Hills Middle School, has been reported to negatively affect freshmen homework habits this year, according to freshman students and teachers. The policy, which altered how certain assignments were graded, was discontinued this year, one year since its installment.

One of the major components of the policy ruled that homework would no longer be turned in for a grade. But after concerns regarding the System’s effectiveness arose throughout the year, administrators terminated it.

East freshman Tom Schotte explained how the Integer System affected his homework habits in middle school last year.

“A lot of the time I just didn’t end up doing [my homework], because there was no drive for me to do it,” Schotte said.

Like Schotte, other freshmen became unaccustomed to being graded on homework assignments in middle school, and did not anticipate the workload that high school classes entail.

Now, some teachers are concerned that students’ habits from middle school are influencing their performance in high school. One of these teachers, social studies teacher Stephen Laird, has two freshmen classes and has noticed these habits.

“A lot of freshman are struggling with homework this year,” Laird said. “They’re not turning it in, not completing it and they’re just not understanding the concept of why it’s important to their grade and to reinforce skills.”

Laird ties this misunderstanding back to their

previous IHMS Principal Carla Allen, replaced the typical letter grading scale. Instead, it assigned students numbers 1-4 correlating to performance and test scores, 4 being the highest achievement. The new grading policy also changed the previous curriculum by only counting longterm projects and summative assessments as a grade.

For upperclassmen who had never experienced the Integer System, a missing homework assignment would mean a zero, bringing down their grade point average.

But for this year’s freshmen who had become accustomed to last year’s policy in middle school, this wasn’t the case.

When the Integer System removed this threat to students’ grades, administrators noticed that many students fell into a habit of avoiding homework assignments on a regular basis.

Like Laird, administrators were concerned with the way the Integer System would prepare students for high school.

Such a sudden and drastic change in the curriculum, Laird thought, left students unmotivated and unprepared for high school. In response, the district ended the Integer System’s pilot, returned to their original grading policy at the beginning of this 2015-2016 school year.

“In discussing with district administration, they thought if we were going to do something like that, it would have to start much earlier,” Sherman said. “I don’t think [the policy] is something that is ever going to be pursued again.”

experiences with the Integer System’s homework policy.

If students weren’t used to turning in homework at the middle school level, he wonders, what should compel them to turn it in at the high school level?

In response to students’ apparent lack of motivation to complete their homework assignments, Laird says he’s been forced to alter his academic calendar.

A lot of freshman are struggling with homework this year. They’re not turning it in, not completing it and they’re just not understanding the concept of why it’s important — said social studies teacher Stephen Laird .......“Due dates have been more fluid than in the past,” Laird said. “I understand, and I work with them… I’ve adapted a little, because if I don’t change, then a lot of kids aren’t going to understand the concept.”

IHMS Principal Dr. Scott Sherman explained that the pilot of the System simply failed to motivate students academically, something he says is important in preparing them for high school. “[This policy was introduced] with the idea being that students would still have the responsibility to complete their homework,” Sherman said.

The problem, he explained, was that students were not accepting this responsibility. The policy removed students’ main incentive to turn in homework assignments: grades.

The Integer System, which was introduced by the

About the Integer Grading System The Integer Grading System only took summative grades into account

The system did not include extra credit

Piloted for one year, no longer in use

Gave students a 4,3,2 or 1 instead of percentage

Designed to reflect the effort of students

Tests were split up into sections to test different skills

Indian Hills Middle School was the first school to try the system

6

DIRECTING D VERS TY

written by Katie Hise photo illustration by Morgan Browning

East faculty and students are being encouraged to become more educated on and to embrace diversity

I

t was Thursday afternoon. East students refreshed their Twitter feed between every passing period, wondering what Pep Club has decided on as the theme for the South game Friday night.

The rival game needed the best theme. When they decided on “South of the Border,” most students understood what it meant: sombreros, mustaches, ponchos. But senior Alexavier Galicia felt it was more than a theme, it was stereotyping.

Now, almost a year later, administration is shutting down that sort of discrimination within the school. They have decided to take a stand and educate the community on diversity.

Principal John McKinney called for a mandatory staff meeting in hopes to educate them. Along with the staff meeting, he arranged the school’s first Diversity Committee Meeting Oct. 19. Students, parents and staff gathered in the library to discuss why they were there, what they see happening at East and what they can do to make it better.

The Diversity Committee aims to create a welcoming environment in the East community by helping everyone appreciate their differences rather than prejudging them.

United in their agreement that the East community needed to be educated on diversity, each attendee was there to start conversation or give examples of their personal experiences about stereotyping.

“I think the people are uneducated and don’t understand our differences,” McKinney said. “We are afraid of what we don’t understand. Our initial reaction is to move away from them. If we accept and understand our differences, we can begin to appreciate them.”

The committee’s first step toward a better community is meetings for the entire East staff. The first meeting took place in mid October and mandated staff attendance.

The meeting focused on transgenderism with a panel of students, parents, alumni and UMKC students.

Each panel member wanted to inform the staff about their personal experiences, both good and bad, in high school.

“I was a student at Shawnee Mission South,” social studies teacher David Muhammad said. “We had a stereotype about East but when I started working here I realized ‘Man, East isn’t everything I thought it was.’”

At both the staff meeting and the committee meeting, people gave pointers to the staff: how to make transgenders feel included, the importance of using correct pronouns and other tips for the staff to feel a personal connection to the issue.

Muhammad co-organized the diversity movement with McKinney. He thought that because of the generational gap between staff and the students, staff needed education on the newer generation. The meeting was an attempt to

I really want to see the goodness of East continue to radiate out. I want to see it really silence the negativity that sometimes makes more noise than it should.

— said East teacher Mr. Muhammad steer them away from any ignorance they had toward the student’s generation.

“I think [staff] might look over some of the things happening in our classes,” Muhammad said. “We might not know how to bring up touchy subjects. We have to shrivel the ignorance down to be a representation of what we want the school to be.”

This lack of information is what the committee is trying to cancel out. McKinney hopes the diversity movement will educate the community and create empathy. He feels that when someone puts themselves in another person’s place, it will cause them to think twice before saying something rude or offensive.

When the “South of the Border” theme was released to the student body, no one thought much of it. A fun and easy game theme.

What they didn’t realize is that they were characterizing a stereotype. They didn’t think of how a student who was from Mexico might feel. McKinney and Muhammad both thought it created a rude and an inaccurate representation of our school.

McKinney noticed that the PV Post covers East more than other high schools. He believes when it is good news, it is great for the public to know. But when less positive news is published, he feels it doesn’t reflect the majority of the East community.

“I really want to see the goodness of East continue to radiate out,” Muhammad said. “I want to see it really silence the negativity that sometimes makes more noise than it should.”

With the hope to empower the silent supporters, the committee plans to incorporate the different cultures together in the building. They brainstormed ideas about how to make this happen: student led talks, bringing in professionals on diversity and other ideas with the goal of education the community. No ideas have been officially decided, but the committee plans on meeting periodically to plan events.

The first school-wide event regarding diversity is a meeting on Nov. 18 at 7 p.m. in the auditorium. Parent Teacher Student Association (PTSA) president Kelly Canova said they plan on discussing not only race, but also different culture, religion, learning and physical disabilities and sexual orientation: just about any kind of diversity there is. There will also be food and raffles.

“We hope for it to be a fun event for the whole school,” Canova said. “We are going to focus on kindness – we feel like everybody could use some kindness and that will encompass [our whole message].”

Tellme

7

About

A

fter the recent suicides of South and Rockhurst students, Junior Sarah Blumenthal decided it was time to raise awareness. She is bringing a new suicide prevention organization, Tell Me About Your Day, to the East community.

Blumenthal will introduce TMAYD to students, staff and parents at the Diversity and Kindness meeting held by the PTSA on Nov. 18. by distributing bracelets and talking about the organization. Speakers from different groups at East like Coalition and We Too Are East will also be there to speak out about the effect of improving kindness within the community, according to Blumenthal.

TMAYD was created in March by MIT student Izzy Lloyd. Blumenthal has known Lloyd, a Barstow graduate, since she was 8. After two of Lloyd’s close friends committed suicide, she created the idea of wearing a white wristband engraved with bold, black letters spelling “TMAYD.” Those who wear the bracelet are willing to listen to others talk about how their day’s going: friend or stranger. By wearing them, friends can take a moment to pause their busy lives to talk, or strangers can bond over having small conversation without it “being weird,” Lloyd said.

“I’ve noticed that it makes people feel more connected,” Lloyd said. “When you slap a wristband on two strangers, they instantly have something tangible that’s in common. Before, they wouldn’t notice that.

Society has put us in this place where they don’t see being human as being a similarity.”

Lloyd encouraged Blumenthal to bring TMAYD to the high school level, because high school can be such a lonely, confusing four years, she said.

“As high schoolers, we sometimes think we are the only ones in the world with stress, or the only ones going through something hard,” Blumenthal said. “By talking about their day, students can relate to each other, and I think this will spread positivity through East.”

Principal John McKinney is expecting TMAYD to make a positive impact on the students and community at East because it creates an opportunity to have a faceto-face conversation. In today’s high-paced society, we sometimes need to stop and check in on one another, according to McKinney.

“I think this organization will let us stop our busy lives for a second and look at each other, which we know is a good thing to do, but we don’t do it very often.

Rather than text me, talk to me,” McKinney said. “I think

that’s the idea behind it. It’s just a nice, positive thing.”

Blumenthal and the PTSA decided to make TMAYD an organization instead of a club, so anyone that wants to can be involved, including students from other schools.

“With clubs, sometimes you start going, then slowly drop,” Blumenthal said. “Asking people how they are doing should be a part of everyone’s routine, and the bracelets are just a reminder of that.”

According to PTSA President Kellie Cannova, the upcoming meeting was planned last year, and will be the first ever directed by students, instead of parents, to get students more involved. The focus will be on inclusion and celebrating our differences, according to Cannova.

“The meeting is centered around diversity and all of the different groups at East,” Cannova said. “We thought that TMAYD would link together well with these other groups. Kindness is at the center of all of them.”

The meeting will have featured speakers,, raffles and possibly Chick-fil-a according to senior and PTSA member Emily Loveland.

“Everyone seems to be really on-board and excited to start the movement and share it with the rest of the East student body,” Loveland said. “It [suicide prevention] impacts students more when speakers are brought in because their stories stick with you.”

Blumenthal received $250 from the PTSA to buy bracelets and recently applied for an additional grant.

If approved, she will be able to order more bracelets on top of the 500 she already has.

TMAYD continues to grow nationwide, with 10,000 bracelets given out and nearly 1,000 Facebook likes on the official page since the start in March, according to Lloyd. More than 20 groups and schools are a part of the movement, with an additional 100 groups in the process of joining.

“TMAYD is a way to create a good community where people are reminded to check in on one another,” Blumenthal said. “You never know when greeting someone will turn their day, or even their life, around.”

In addition to bracelets and stickers, Blumenthal has created an Instagram and is working on a Twitter and Facebook page to publicize the organization.

“What I would like to do with the Instagram is to have profiles on students’ days, just going up to them, asking them about their day, and taking a picture of them with their bracelet,” Blumenthal said.

Blumenthal and Cannova are hoping the meeting

will give the organization a good start at East.

After TMAYD becomes part of East, Blumenthal’s next goal is for TMAYD to spread to other schools. She is planning to present TMAYD to other administrators in the district.

“We had the South vs. East game a day after one of their students committed suicide,” Blumenthal said.

“It would have been nice to have everyone wearing a TMAYD bracelet from their own school in the stands. In the future, I really think it will tie in and bring everyone together, all rivalries aside.”

How was your day?

written by Chloe Stanford photo by Hailey Hughes

Junior Sarah Blumenthal brings to East a suicide prevention program, Tell Me About Your Day

LANCER VOICE

Junior Allie Libeer “It was pretty good, I’m still swollen from my wisdom teeth surgery on Friday, so everyone’s been calling me chipmunk all day. Even though it’s kind of going away, my cheeks are a little bruised, and it kind of hurts to open my mouth or eat food that isn’t pudding or applesauce, so I had a nice, squishy pasta for lunch. Later today I went to the tennis banquet, which was really fun because it’s my junior year so it’s one of the last I’ll go to, and I got a varsity letter so I can finally walk on the plaque in the hallway. Now I’m going to head home to take some Ibuprofen for my cheeks.”

t h g e n i e r n t m o chan e w o m a a ge r d te n a aci s eosal to st t

Many fans who are in favor of keeping the name admit that it can be offensive to people. Yet they still argue that the name represents tradition, and why change an American tradition of football that’s been around for years?

Let’s be honest. Football is a game. No matter how hard I cheer, or how much the team means to its fan base, an 80 year tradition of grown men running around on a field doesn’t justify disparaging a proud people who endured unimaginable hardships.

What infuriates me the most, Mr. Snyder, about your refusal to change the name is that the name itself is inconsequential to your business. No fan will stop buying your jerseys, watching your games or loving your team if the name is changed. You may rile up a few fans, but you won’t see a boycott against the Redskins if you change your name; you may see one if you don’t.

So please, Mr. Snyder, for the love of football, just change the name. History will thank you later.

Yours truly, Robbie Veglahn

s?e kinnam

heads, which were used like a pelt for a bounty. In an 1863 Minnesota newspaper, the state announced a reward of $200 for “every red-skin sent to Purgatory”.

The fact that you still refuse to change this outdated slur of a name is ridiculous.

You alone have the power to revise your team’s name, something the rest of the world has been asking you to do for years.

Mr. Snyder, even the U.S. government knows you are in the wrong.

The U.S. Patent Office stripped you and your Washington Redskins of six trademarks due to the disparaging nature of the word in a 2-1 ruling on June 18. Without these trademarks, you’ll lose millions. But what are millions when you have 1.1 billion?

In a 2013 USA Today Article, you reassured Redskins Nation that the name wasn’t racist after all, but was honoring Native Americans. Even though the opposition to the name from the Native American community is overwhelming, you claimed that no one you had talked to was offended, and that no one ever should be.

For years, Mr. Snyder, you used Blackie Wetzel, a Native American in favor of the name, as a poster-child for your cause. But it’s 2015. Time’s have changed, and now the Wetzel family is changing with them.

“Right now, anybody still fighting for it, [is] on the wrong side of history,” said Blackie’s grandson, Bill Wetzel, in an interview with the Washington Post.

That anybody, Mr. Snyder, is you. The connotation behind the word is not up to you.

m ea

D

ear Dan Snyder, I’ve loved your team since before I could sing “Hail to the Redskins”. Born in D.C. to a lifetime season ticket holder, how could I not? I wore my first Art Monk jersey when I was two months old and got my first signed Joe Gibbs football when I was two years old. Even after moving to Kansas City when I was four, my room was just as full of Redskins memorabilia as it was Chiefs.

My Sundays, filled with Tomahawk Chops and “Hell yeah, ‘skins!”, were always better in the stands. FedEx field: home of the Redskins, home of the drunk white men in war paint and headdresses. Their cry, heard throughout the stadium, would ring over the beating drum: Braves on the Warpath/Fight for old D.C. This kind of not-so-subtle racism defined every aspect of Redskins culture, and I didn’t think anything of it. What else would you expect from a child?

But Mr. Snyder, you are not a child. You have no excuse. The term redskin has been used as a racial slur towards Native Americans for centuries. Etymologists believe the origin was referring to scalped Native American

Ap rop

opinion by Robbie Veglahn

9

Cleveland Indians

Atlanta Braves

North Dakota Fighting Souix Chicago Blackhawks

Kansas City Chiefs

More Controversial Team

s e Na m

10

Living by the

Sagittarius

Nov 22- Dec 21

Philosophical, experimental, optimistic

Perservering, dominant, practical, determined

Dec 22- Jan 19

Scorpio

October 23- Nov 21

Transient, self-willed, purposeful, unyielding

Capricorn

I

t was midnight on a Thursday, my mom and I met each other in the hallway after hearing weird noises coming from downstairs.

We immediately ran to check it out, worried out of our minds. We ended up finding my brother throwing a fit over a video game and complaining about other irrelevant things. Of course he didn’t care that he had woken both of us up. He was being the usual self-centered person that he is, a characteristic relating to his zodiac sign. Simultaneously my mom and I turn to each other, “ugh, he is such a Scorpio.”

It’s times like these when my random knowledge and obsession of the zodiac signs comes into play.

I don’t read palms. I don’t believe in voodoo. I don’t worship mystical gods. But I do follow the true power of the in depth zodiac astrology, which differs from the day-to-day horoscope crap. That stuff is a bunch of hooey.

What is important is the general characteristics pertaining to each sign, for example an Aquarius being creative.

The day we are born forms our zodiac signs. Time, place and planet alignment all form your sign and its characteristics.

With every sign there are the stereotypical traits that tend to be true. My friend’s mother, who is a Gemini, throws extravagant parties.

This proves the typical ‘gemini’s are wonderful entertainer’s’ stereotype.

I’ve also seen various Pisces friends fitting the stereotype of crying all the time... I wish I was exaggerating. My Leo friend, junior Katie Crossette, coincides entirely with the role of the hard working leo. She has three jobs, all while maintaining her IB academics.

Once you learn more about your sign’s characteristics you can find yourself relating to characters from TV shows.

Many Tumblr and Instagram users have capitalized on this by connecting zodiacs to almost any fictional character there is.

After learning and researching more about the signs, I started helping my mom analyze past boyfriends and why they failed. I used my knowledge to give her advice on who she was compatible with. I tried to do this with my brother, but him being a stubborn Scorpio, he wouldn’t take my masterful advice.

After learning about the signs I realized why I had become friends with certain people. Being more of a tame sign myself, I can’t help but wish I was more like the fire signs because they add spice to people’s lives.

That is probably why two of my best friends, juniors Lauren Cole and Ava Dawn Jones, are fire signs. No matter how bland my day is, they always add a kick to it. Jones and Cole have no issue speaking their mind. They’ll tell you like it is and never take BS from anyone, which is exactly what my sign and I need.

As my love for the zodiacs grew, the more I realized how many Pisces friendships I have, and how much of a love-hate relationship they are.

My Pisces friends, juniors Grace Meninger and Olivia Favreau, are Pisces to the core. I love them for their sweet empathetic qualities. However, being a sign that thrives on being independent, I get annoyed at how much they rely on dependency. Their diva tendencies of not liking to share, also peeves me. When you look into your signs relationship with other people, you can find out why you feel certain ways about them.

The more I learn, the more I have become obsessed. One of the first questions when I meet someone is always, “What’s your sign?” If I don’t get the chance to ask, I find myself stalking people’s birthdays on Facebook, just

Which

ZODIAC The importance of astrological signs explained written by Sean Overton

Libra

Sept 23- October 22

Balance, truth, justice, sensitive, moral, visual

to Virgo Aug 23- Sept 22 see if Analyzing, practical, I guessed reflective, thoughtful their sign correctly, and Leo usually I am right.

Jul 23- Aug 22 People can’t help but Ruling, warm, generous, embrace the natural faithful, initiative behaviors astrology has imprinted upon them.

Learing about the positive and negative characteristics of my sign, I have realized how true they are.

As a Capricorn I am naturally Cancer goal driven, but the downside is Jun 21- July 22 having a natural tendency to fall Emotional, diplomatic, intense, into lethargy. Realizing these traits impulsive about myself has helped me change my life completely. Since I know I Gemini can be lazy, I have set myself on a May 21- Jun 20 rigid schedule, writing out daily lists, Communicative, inquisitive, weekly and yearly goals and plans for indecisive, intelligent the future so I stay organized.

Some may say it’s tacky, or makebelieve, but my knowledge of the Taurus signs has helped me create a better April 20- May 20 understanding of myself and the Secure, strong, appreciative, people around me. My infatuation instructive, patient with the zodiacs has made me realize that I ain’t’ got time for certain people, or should I say signs, in my life and opened Aries my eyes to why people do the Mar 21- Apr 19 wacko things they do. I owe Active, demanding, it all to the ominous, alldetermined, ambitious powerful zodiac sytem.

Pisces

Feb 19- Mar 20

Secure, emotional, appreciative, instructive, patient, empathetic

Aquarius

Jan 20- Feb 18

Knowledgable, humanitarian, creative, insightful, duplicitous

ZODIAC are you?

11

MORE

WORTHLESS THAN

WORTHWHILE

opinion by Davis Finke Students would benefit from lessons structured around teaching real world skills

M

assive formulas are written onto the white-board. How to find the derivative of E to the X power, how to find the derivative of a constant: equations we must know in order to pass our exam that would take place the following day. I write down each formula, make flashcards and memorize them. After we take the exam, our teacher explains a new method that makes every problem shorter and easier.

Every year, I hear people complain about teachers forcing students to memorize useless vocabulary words or extensive formulas, simply for testing purposes.

We read books that have sub-par reviews and out-dated language. All it does, in my opinion, is give students headaches.

In calculus, our tests are split into two sections. One section allows calculator usage, while the other does not. Logically, it doesn’t make sense to me why we would restrict kids to doing problems by hand when a calculator can quickly do the trick. School should be about teaching and preparing students for the real world. Your boss wouldn’t give you a task you could complete on the computer, but restrict your computer access. They’d want it done in the most efficient way possible. Shouldn’t it be the same in school?

English class, year after year, has progressively become more irrelevant.

Learning how to write analyses of ancient poems may be important to some people, but like I said before, shouldn’t school be about helping people prepare for the

real world? I just don’t see how learning ancient poems that nobody has heard of will help me be successful in life unless I want to become an English teacher.

Aside from poems, we have read books this year that have gotten sub par reviews posted on National Public Radio (NPR) and New York Times, ranging from ‘terribly written’ to ‘pointless book that mumbles on and on without a focus.’ Why would students be reading books with such reviews, especially when they were written almost 100 years ago?

Four years of English class, and the only book I’ve actually enjoyed was Outliers, because it talked about things that would factors that could influence my life, like the effect hard work has on lifelong success. Not to mention it was written in the last decade.

I realize some people may have a love for English, but the workforce is becoming more and more competitive.

According to a poll on CNN, an increasing amount of students are shying away from four year colleges and going to prep institutes such as tech school or DeVry.

If this is the case, why are we spending so much time and effort on programs or classes that won’t help us compete in the working world? It would be more beneficial to require students to take classes like financial literacy so they can learn to manage their money, which is one of the biggest issues in America. Weeks shouldn’t be focused entirely on what Gatsby’s car symbolized.

Another fact that I find interesting, is that states such as Missouri, Tennessee, Utah and others are requiring high school students to take classes like accounting and financial literacy. Clearly, people are starting to realize that this type of knowledge is just as valuable as any other core class.

One of the best things I have heard this year came from my AP government teacher.

He said most teachers and parents only care about tests and grades, but what he cares about is what you get out of the class.

Government is one of the few

classes I’m taking that presents me with information that I find interesting. I think more teachers need to take up the same philosophy that my government teacher has. I feel as if it would help more students actually learn valuable things.

Teachers may be teaching things I view as useless, but I also see another issue. Millions of dollars were spent on supplying every students with laptops, and elementary students with iPads, assuming they would become more adapted to using technology. I see the logic. Give students new technology so they can be prepared for when they have jobs. But the issue rises when teachers limit the use of these laptops.

Taking notes in class is one of my least favorite things to do, but I do it because I know how important it is. The thing that bothers me though is how teachers refuse to let students take notes on their laptops. I know that studies show kids retain more information when it’s written down by hand, but it should be my choice to type my notes if that’s what I want to do. We spent mass amounts of money for a reason, why not let students utilize their laptops to their full abilities?

In my opinion, our academic logic in school needs to change. Teachers should allow students to use things such as laptops and calculators to their advantage. Preparing students for the future is what’s important, therefore there should be a bigger focus on job related classes that would actually help kids instead of making their lives difficult.

LASTING LESSONS

Davis’ list of what he believes would be more beneficial to learn in class

Conflict resolution

How to evaluate a contract to see if you’re receiving fair treatment

How to write a resume

How to present yourself in a job interview

Etiquette

Car maintenance

How to balance a checkbook

What type of insurance you need

How to network professionally

How to search for good jobs

How to responsibly use a credit card

Self-defense skills

Emergency survival techniques

What our rights are when interacting with the police and law

What taxes are and how to pay them

How to budget

12

LET’S GO (little) LANCERS The ‘Little Lancer Cheer Clinic’ performed at the football game on Oct. 22. The clinic is the cheerleading squad’s largest fundraiser, with nearly 200 girls participating.

above Junior Hope Hess lifts one of the girls into the air during the game.

Hess formed a bond with two specific girls at the game, and so they ended up sticking with her the whole time. “They came up with this idea that they would run like 30 feet away and then sprint to me and jump into the air,” Hess said. “I did it so many times, so I was sore after about 10 minutes.” photo by Katie Lamar

above Senior Maggie Brophy has a dance party with a few of the participants.

“It was so rewarding to see all of the girls having so much fun,” Brophy said. “It definitely made me think back to when I was in their shoes and has made me grow even more appreciative of how amazing the SME Cheer program and the East community are." photo by Ellie Thoma

left Freshman Emma Kerwin puts her cousin Payton in a stunt, who came in town solely to participate in the cheer clinic. “My first Little Lancer Clinic was so fun,” Kerwin said. “It was really cool to be able to cheer with Payton and all of the other girls.” photo by Annie Lomshek left Junior Tyler Lockton gives a first grade participant a piggy-back ride. “The game is my favorite part of the Little Lancer Cheer Clinic,” Lockton said. “I was having so much fun running around with all of the girls.” photo by Diana Percy

13

ACTingUP

photos by Annie Lomshek photo courtesy of Akshay Dinikar

Senior Bhavish Dinikar and graduated brother Akshay both achieved perfect Act scores. Here are their strategies.

BHAVISH’S 1 W

TIPS

riting Section: If you’re unsure on which answer to choose, substitute in each possible answer choice and read it aloud. The correct answer will be the one that sounds the best.

However, keep in mind that you should read it aloud as silently as possible so other people don’t suspect cheating.

AKSHAY’S 1 I

mmerse and enjoy yourself in the reading passages. Don’t treat them like some kind of complicated code you have to break, or a foreign text you have to translate into teenage slang.

Instead, approach them like a thrilling fiction book. Smile at the silliness of the characters, or all the odd medaphors.

2M

2B

3I

3B

ath Section: Some problems can be a bit tricky or time consuming to solve. If you’re stuck, then write an equation for the problem and figure out which variable you need to solve for. If it’s still tricky, then plug in each answer choice into the equation with your calculator and see which one is correct instead of working the problem.

t is really easy to make sily errors in this section, so make sure to double-check your answers very well. My main hurdle in this section was that I found it very time pressed. Therefor, just read the graphs, because usually the information at the start of the section is useless.

4

A

ll of the answers in this section can be found in the passage, even if some appear as if they are not. Before you answer a question, find the part of the passage that has the answer to the question, and read that part again to make sure you understand it. Then before looking at any choices, think about what the answer could be, and the one closest to that is correct.

TIPS

REAHTE. Seriously put your pencil down when you’re feeling overwhelmed in the middle of a test section, and take five deep breaths.

There’s plenty of time to finish, and you’ll do better if you’re working at your optimal pace, not some breakneck spead with your brain jamming the accelerator full throttle. ring snacks, and feast during the breaks. A sugar rush can do some pretty remarkable things. Remember in the movie “Over the Hedge” when Hammy drinks caffeine, and the world stops spinning because he becomes so fast? That could be you after a pack of Welch’s fruit snack.

4

G

o to bed extra early the night before the test, and eat your favorite breakfast, for me that’s four waffles with grape jelly. Eating a big breakfast gives you the energy to make it all the way through the test without getting too tired. Also, make sure you wake up early enough so you are stressed on time before the exam.

Seniors Isabel Holloway and Bethany Snyder got perfect scores on the reading and science sections of the act.

Isabel Holloway

These are their secrets.

A good quick tip is to answer the questions that don’t require any reading, like vocab words. Then answer the harder ones. I also read the questions before I start reading the passage because it helps me know what I’m looking for. Lastly, start the section with the hardest test, so things get easier.

Use logic and reasoning on the graphs. 99% of the time, you won’t understand the graph, but as long you comprehend the numbers, then that’s all that matters. Also, do some pre-tests so you can get a feel for the types of questions they ask you. It also helps you know how fast to go.

Bethany Snyder

U O Y G N I P E KE T

hey met in grad school, studying at the University of Kansas for their master’s in journalism. It was 2003.

Dan Blom, 53 at the time, was taking his first ever journalism class, despite already having been in the Newspaper Business for 30 years. He was studying part-time while teaching and working for the university.

Jay Senter, 30 years younger than Blom, began grad school in the fall of that year.

He was pursuing his passion for journalism, which began during his high school years working on the Harbinger.

They formed an acquaintanceship, but it didn’t extend more than casual conversations during the number of classes they shared. In 2005, they went their separate ways. Senter graduated while Blom continued his work for KU, later working for the Mid-America Regional Council in Kansas City.

But they would reunite years later, running into each other during a city council meeting.

Soon after, they would form a partnership as co-publishers of the Prairie Village Post, an online website dedicated to covering news in Northeast Johnson County.

The idea was originally Senter’s. He launched the site in June 2010, aiming to fill the gaping hole in news coverage within the community. The Kansas City Star stopped covering Johnson County unless it was breaking news, and The Sun was on its last leg, ceasing publication in 2011.

He aimed to post two to three stories a day, in addition to balancing his job as an internal communications manager at the

ED

written by Claire Po ttenger

news site Prairie e lin on , ng di un Since its fo f in the firm ly rooted itsel ws s ha st Po e ag ill V ne fering truly loca l community by of

University of Kansas and a newborn baby. absolute, journalism applied information “I saw that nobody was covering anything, that people can count on. It’s information and with my previous experience, I knew that doesn’t have a bias, that allows you to enough about the web and how to get a understand an issue and come to your own website going that I thought it doesn’t really decision and weigh in on it.” cost you anything,” Senter said. “But I also Tyler Motsinger, father of sophomore had a day job at this point, so I was getting Kirby and senior Oscar, feels that the site fills up really early and staying up late to make the void left by The Sun. sure I posted on the site.” “[The Prairie Village Post] really filled Enter Blom. At a city council run in, that hole. You can get national news or city Blom learned what Senter was doing with news from other sources, but what’s great the Prairie Village Post and the two agreed about PV Post is that they provide news that to meet for lunch. That lead to ongoing no one else is covering,” Motsinger said. conversations about the site. Both eventually “They understand what people living around came to the same here are interested in conclusion: for and what’s important the site to really ...a community can’t function fully without to us.” a platform for information, and to serve develop and be the Senter said he as that platform is the ultimate goal of the has witnessed the community’s voice, Post. it was going to — said co-publisher Dan Blom evolution of people take more than just recognizing the site Senter working part time. as their major news source. When he first In 2012, Blom signed on as co-publisher. started, he spent the majority of his time Coverage then expanded from Fairway, digging up stories to cover. Now, members Prairie Village and Mission Hills to Mission, of the community are pitching story ideas Roeland Park, Westwood, Westwood Hills, constantly, sometimes with four or five ideas Mission Woods, North Leawood and a day.

Merriam. Shortly following the expansion, With just two reporters to cover Senter began working full time. the happenings of Northeast Johnson Blom explains that a community can’t County and a commitment to inform their function fully without a platform for community, Blom and Senter have created information, and to serve as that platform is a system to produce strong, newsworthy the ultimate goal of the Post. content.

“You can get anything from the Internet, Typically, they divide their stories two anything from Facebook, anybodies opinion,” and two. Both are usually awake and working Blom said. “But what you don’t get is vetted on their computer around 6:15 a.m. everyday,

checking Google alerts, emails and posting breaking news briefs, as well as tidbits of information that aren’t worth their own story.

The rest of the morning is spent focusing on writing and publishing their content for the day.

In the afternoon, they focus on their content for tomorrow, as well as orders of business. They get interviews, take pictures, attend city council meetings, work on ads projects and develop the site.

Because both work from a home office, they have the ability to structure their day, but that doesn’t mean it is less packed.

“A lot of times you start at 6 a.m. in the morning, and you’ll end up at 9 p.m. at night walking out of a city council meeting,” Blom said, “So everything else that normal people do during their day you just fit it in whenever you can. You go to the grocery at two in the afternoon cause you’ve got to be at a council meeting at 6:30 that night.”

Senter feels that they have a ways to go before they are a sustainable, long-run operation. But now they are established in the community and aren’t going anywhere.

“We’ve gotten to the point where we show up at things and people will ask “ ‘Are you the guy from PV Post?’” Senter said. “ That’s really cool that people are plugged in enough to their community and are excited enough to know who Dan and I are.”

15

relaxed rUSH High school students get fraternity bids earlier in the year through verbal commitments

A

s soon as students resume high school each fall, rush chairRush chairmen and students agree that the informal rush men from local college fraternities begin scouting for their process provides more of a relaxed feel and is generally a more next pledge class. Senior boys are faced with the decision enjoyable process than formal rush. Through the process of inof where they will live for the next four years, who they will be as- formal rush, boys are more likely to really get to know each other sociated with and, who will most likely be their new best friends. and find out if the house is fitting for each student. In opposition, The process of recruiting high school kids is called informal formal rush is typically more stressful, given that rush chairmen rush. It isn’t common in all colleges, but is practiced heavily by and students have a week to make decisions. the University of Kansas, Kansas The process of informal rush begins over State University and the Univerthe summer and in the early fall. During that sity of Missouri. Though recently, time, rush chairmen are staying in contact It’s really nice to know I already have a with students through social media and text in local colleges, the recruiting home in Lawrence. It makes me really message. They usually then reach out to high process has started to begin earexcited to get up there next year. lier, according to former Inter school students over text to collect their GPA — said senior Worth Blackman and ACT. Then, they may offer an invitation Fraternity Council President Stephen Nichols. to come up and see the house. Chairmen usu“95 percent of our bids are exally have a good idea as to who they want in tended throughout the school year in the winter and spring pe- their house based on the input of the freshmen in the house. riod,” Kansas University’s Phi Delta Theta rush chairman Luke “The goal of kids visiting the different houses is to see how Haverty said. “We usually leave two or three bids open for formal they interact with the rest of the guys in the house,” Nichols said. rush.”

“It is really telling as to if we will extend a bid to them or not.”

Seniors Worth Blackman and Tom Peters accepted a bid to Peters visited multiple houses before deciding on Phi Delta Phi Delta Theta at the University of Kansas this month.

Theta.

“I’m glad that I’ll be going into college with a solid group of “Ultimately I made my decision based on the guys in the guys looking out for us,” Peters said. house,” said Peters. “They made me feel at home.”

“Yeah, it’s nice to know I already have a home in Lawrence,” Because informal rush has increasing popularity in local Blackman said. “It makes me really excited to get up there next schools, rush chairmen start as early as they can each year in oryear.” der to make sure they’re reaching out to a multitude of students.

lancer voIce

What has your rush experience been like so far?

My day of visiting houses consisted of watching a Chiefs’ game and hanging out with the guy. It was a really laid-back feel.

Senior Will Kost

I’m going to Mizzou. I’ve had no official contact but both of my brothers, my dad, my uncle and my grandpa are Beta’s so I’m hoping to get in touch with some of the Beta rush guys at some point this year.

Senior Charlie Jensen

written by Anna Dierks photo by Abby Blake

PERCENT OF

UNDERGRADUATES STUDENTS INVOLVED

IN

Greek LiFe

KU KSU MU

18%

15%

28%

16

left

photo by Haley Bell

The Nelson Atkins lights up the Kansas City classic building with royal blue

bottom

The Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts lights up the North side of the unique building and flashes a KC logo on the side

ph ot ob y

Ha il

ey

Hu g

he s

photo by Hailey Hughes

HOME

Kansas Cittians show their support for the Royals in the World Series throught the city and the suburbs

17

photo by Hailey Hughes

left

The “Legend-Dairy Baseball” cow was auctioned off on October 5, 2001 at Starlight Theatre. The cow was created by artist Ron Raymer. This piece of art is apart of the CowParade which includes a variety of themed cows that can be seen around KC

below, left

A yard along Ward Parkway is painted with the KC Royals shield; this is one of many along the busy road

below, right

A house at 68th Terr and Ward Parkway showed their pride with an “American League Champs” banner

photo by Ava Simonsen

E TOUW N ES H

photo by Haley Bell

18

ph

ot ob y

Ni

ck

A

M

an te l

written by Daisy Bolin

hot air balloon fest. Who wouldn’t want to watch unique, themed balloons spice up the sky, especially here in Kansas? I was interested the second I heard about the Great Midwest Balloon Fest.

However, the fest ended up being a huge disappointment.

Because I was under 18 but older than eight, there was nearly nothing for me to do. Despite my numerous attempts to ask directors and representatives about any requirements and information regarding both the festival and balloon rides, I showed up to learn the full story on my own. It wasn’t deceiving information, it was a lack of it. More information about age restrictions and suggestions should be provided by the website and or when asked about details.

After walking for what felt like a mile from the parking lot to the festival with my three friends, I was caught off guard. I couldn’t tell whether I had made it or not: no balloons, nor a welcome sign, in sight. All that greeted me were a row of port-a-potties and a few booths selling pottery and homemade bracelets. So, following the rest of the crowd, I continued walking.

I finally reached the “official” entrance where two people stood collecting tickets, while K-Love radio played in the background.

I handed the lady my ticket and proceeded along the mulch pathway. Immediately, I was hit with the stench of beer and cigarettes, making it painful to breathe. Maybe it was just the helium, though.

The Great Midwest Balloon Fest leaves teen attendees wanting more

White tents containing more booths lined the pathway in front of me. Instead of seeing more homemade craft booths that I had expected, they contained signup forms and representatives of different insurance companies and window stores. I thought this was a balloon festival.

Lost in the sea of the advertisements, I decided to follow a mom pushing her stroller to find my way around. After a short walk, lagging behind her, I made it to the “Kids Zone.” Oh god. Fouryear-olds impersonating Minions and miniature Dorothy’s swarmed the area. I don’t hate kids by any means, in fact I babysit them all the time, but between the shoving aside and crowding, it was too much to handle.

Even more prevalent than the Kids Zone full of bouncy houses, face painting and a costume contest, were the shiny Ford trucks set out for a raffle. I didn’t understand why all of these ad reps were so prominent, because what did they have to do with balloons?

In attempt to get away from the teeming children, I again, began to wander. I suddenly found what seemed like the more traditional part of the festival.

As I approached the Tilt-AWhirl ride, I was finally hit with a waft of hamburgers grilling and funnel cakes frying. This was what I had been waiting for.

Instantly, I hopped in line for my turn. I devoured a greasy, deliciously-fried funnel cake with the help of my friends, while watching hot pink and magenta blow-up, animal kites. I was

mesmerized by the whale kites, bigger than RVs filling the pale sky. They were oddly entertaining, but as time went on, the faces with plastered smiles were slightly creepy, following me no matter where I was standing.

As I peered into the sky at 5 p.m., minimal hot air balloons cruised over Kansas planes. And with nothing left to do, as we were the oldest kids there, my friends and I polished off the funnel cake and hit the road. It was just our luck to see hot air balloons begin transcending into the sky, right as we started the 40 minute ride home. *** The next morning, 6 a.m., each of us rolled out of bed to go back to the festival.

Hello, round two.

I left my house with the goal to get on a balloon.

Speeding along the highway through a thick fog, I watched hot air balloons drift into the sky. It was a pretty addition to the tasteless gray morning. By the time I was pulling into the gravel parking lot, the balloons were much closer to the ground- I could even see the people inside the basket through the sunroof of my car.

Soon, that would be me standing in one of the baskets, overlooking Bonner Springs... Or so I thought.

The first problem I encountered was the price. As a 16-year-old with minimal funding, my wallet cried at the thought of a 300 dollar balloon ride. So, I settled for the $15 tethered ride, just 50 feet in the air as opposed to hundreds.

As I pulled out my $15 to hand the ticket lady, she stopped me.

“Are you 18, Miss?”

You’ve got to be kidding me.

I drove 40 minutes, early in the morning to Bonner Springs. I even called ahead of time and scoured the website for any restrictions on balloon rides. Not one person stopped me, not one tab on the website led me to understand that there was an age minimum of 18 or a required parent signature.

After watching numerous families ascend in the tethered balloon without me, I was more concerned with getting back into my warm car than I was with experiencing the “Great” Midwest Balloon Fest anymore.

Overall, here is my tip to you, if you are going for a festival– don’t. I wish I could say I felt that my hot air balloon experience had been fulfilled. There are flaws to be fixed– the layout, content and information on the festival should be drastically improved.

Wow, I didn’t think I could get so heated over some balloons.

Engineering the Elevation How A Hot Air Balloon Reaches Its Heights

ENVELOPE: fabric holds hot air inside

UPRIGHTS Connect gondola to the envelope and add support to burners GONDOLA/BASKET Holds passengers and fuel tanks

SKIRT extra fabric channels incoming air into the envelope

left A girl giggles as she whirls around a carnival ride.

right A man stands alone, flying his kites while other balloons flood the sky. photos by Hailey Hughes

20

T D A N N C U E B A of

N

CAKE

Newly opened specialty bakery brings endearing atmosphere and savory new tastes written by Annie Jones photos by Ellie Thoma

othing Bundt Cakes’ new store opened recently in Mission along with its first location in Overland Park. I was of course interested in trying the cake but also wanted an excuse to say the pun.

Bright walls made me feel like I was visiting the inside of a doll house, while the smell of fresh, sugary icing filled the small store. The chartreuse, pastel brown and light azure theme was everywhere. The punny name made me even more excited to devour a just-baked bundt cake.

While scanning the unfamiliar place, I found small tables of party decorations that were set up in the empty space between the counter and door.

On the tables were fake bundt cakes set up on platters and displays. These inspirations were a great way to promote their products and give cute ideas for parties.

I continued to examine the room and noticed that to my right there were pages packed full of cake decoration ideas and examples. The majority of the baubles were flowers and dainty-looking cake toppers all revolving around certain themes.

The cakes were all iced the same way: ivory vanilla icing piped to look like drippings down the side. The uniform icing seemed to give the company a signature that I couldn’t help but admire. The only differences in the cakes were the decorations on top, like a miniature banner with “Congratulations” held up with toothpicks surrounded by cameo pink daisies.

Displayed in the window at the counter were about two dozen bundt cakes of all different sizes and flavors. Sizing of the cakes went from bundtinis, bundtlets, eight-inch bundts to 10-inch bundts from smallest to biggest. The options in themselves were creative, and made me want to order all of them, mostly so I could tell my friends I ate a “bundtlet”.

With the help of the great service, I ended up ordering a dozen bundtinis. In other words, it was a “bundtiful” amount of cake for one girl.

While I waited the 15 minutes for my dozen, I saw the store offered a punch card that read “for every 10 dozen bundtinis you buy, get one free dozen!”. I grabbed a card, anticipating my first punch.

As I was walking around prizing my new punch card, I discovered the store’s taster palette for the flavor of the month: pumpkin. I couldn’t help but take two of the small squares topped with a dollop of icing.

My total came out to be about $20; the most

I have ever paid for basically a dozen cupcakes so the bundtinis averaged to be around $1.50.

I thought it was a reasonable price for a single bundtini. I was kind of ashamed knowing I was about to go home and indulge in $20 worth of bundt cakes. By myself.

There are only 10 flavors of the cake, so the extra two bundtinis left in the dozen were replaced with lemon. Of all flavors, lemon? I wish the clerk would have at least asked me which flavor I would prefer, because I’m not a huge fan of fruit-flavored cakes. I feel that they contrast each other too much, but the lemon actually turned out to be delectable tasting, like homemade lemonade.

All of the bundtinis were extremely moist and rich, allowing me to easily gobble up the small cupcake-sized bundts. I only took single bites out of every one so I wouldn’t overwhelm myself with the patent flavors. All the tastes were obvious to their names, and the second I bit into any one of the bundtinis, I recognized their flavor.

I broke my one-bite-only rule for a few of my favorite flavors: pumpkin, chocolate chocolate chip and red velvet. By the time I was finished devouring my mini cakes, I was extremely pleased with all the bundtinis. They all were baked to perfection, and the recipes had clearly been mastered.

It was no surprise that I savored all the cake flavors and determined that there most likely wouldn’t be any flavor of cake that I didn’t like. I mean, at the end of the day, it’s all cake and it’s all mouthwatering.

On my way out the door, a sign that read “Thanks a Bundt” made me chuckle, topping off my experience at Nothing Bundt Cakes. The sign was an adorable and endearing addition to the character of the store, making me love it even more.

5/5 STARS

above

The checkout counter of the bakery is well decorated

below left

A white chocolate raspberry and a marble bundt cake are quickly eaten

below right

A sample book offers plenty of different bundt cakes to choose from

21

HOORAY

FO R

H EIRLOOM written by Anna Kanaley photos by Abby Hans

I

woke up Saturday morning in an unusually happy mood. I tossed my sky-blue comforter on my bed, threw on a pair of jeans and a hoodie and suggested going out for breakfast with my family.

It was my dad’s idea to go to Heirloom.

A few weeks earlier my dad, mom and sister tried it for the first time and raved about it. It was decided: we would spend our morning at Heirloom Bakery.

I arrived with high expectations. My dad loved their homemade pop-tarts and my mom claimed it was the cutest new breakfast place that would soon be all the rage. For the most part, Heirloom lived up to these reviews. I’d give it an A+ for presentation because of its dainty and comfy atmosphere.

However, I was let down by the food. I’m not saying it didn’t look tasty. There was so much to choose from: strawberry rhubarb pies to banana nut muffins, granola parfaits to Build-Your-Own egg sandwiches. In fact, the food looked so appealing that the hardest part was deciding what to order. Well, the second hardest part. The first was paying the cashier for the over-priced food.

I’ll start out with the good stuff. It’s a darling bakery with a cozy atmosphere. The wooden walls and floors gave it a simplistic vibe. Framed black and white photographs lined the white and grassy-green wallpaper.

Water-filled mason jars sat on tables, serving as water glasses. A small flower arrangement in a teal blue vase sat on each table, along with a card that read “Be a doll, bus it all.”

I ordered a classic cinnamon roll and a bottle of Shatto chocolate milk. The cinnamon roll was nothing special, but maybe I’m biased because I’m so used to Dolce Bakery’s fluffy, sweet cinnamon rolls. Heirloom’s was dry and the icing was cold. The Shatto milk was creamy and delicious as usual, but I didn’t judge Heirloom based on that, because

A visit to Heirloom Bakery & Hearth offered a charming atmosphere but sub-par food it was prepackaged by the Shatto company.

I really wanted to love Heirloom, so I gave it another chance a week later when I went for lunch with a friend. I took my time to order, making sure I would actually like my food this time. I split a BLT with my friend, ordered a maple oatmeal and pecan scone, a chocolate chip cookie and a chai tea latte.

The BLT didn’t disappoint me. I usually don’t go for BLT’s, but this one made me want to order it again. It had just the right amount of crispy bacon, fresh lettuce, blood-red tomatoes and creamy mayo, evenly spread on toasted, homemade rye bread. The $10 price was a little high, but I didn’t regret it.

The chai tea latte was better than I thought it would be. Topped with a thick layer of white foam, it had a subtle spice to it and was almost more of a chai tea than a latte, which made it even better. I’ll make sure to order that again when I return in the future.

Unfortunately, neither the maple oatmeal and pecan scone or the chocolate chip cookie lived up to the BLT or latte. I love maple, so I was ready for this scone to blow me away, but it was definitely a let-down. The deal breaker was that it was dry and there wasn’t enough maple on it, and the nuts took away from what little maple-taste there was.

The cookie didn’t wow me either, mostly because there just wasn’t anything special to it. I’m an avid baker when it comes to chocolate chip cookies, and these were far below my standards. It was a waste of $1.85.

I visited Heirloom one more time last week to see if it could make up for its underwhelming food. I ordered a $4 homemade apple pop-tart, which my dad claimed was what they’re known for, and a slice of cheesy pesto bread. I also got another chai tea latte and BLT, and my friend got a $1.85 moose-shaped sugar cookie for the Royals.

The glazed pop-tart was amazing. Or at least the first few bites were. After that the apple filling was almost too rich to finish, so I offered the rest to my friend. I’d order the pop-tart again, but with a different filling.

The cheesy pesto bread was cold, tasted like it had been sitting out all morning and didn’t have enough cheese or pesto.

Overall the food was overpriced. My total was $20 for a slice of bread, a BLT, a pop-tart and a latte. Still, it was fun to go to for the aesthetic, but after spending that much money, it didn’t make the cut.

I’d definitely go to Heirloom if I’m in the mood for an artsy and simplistic venue, but I wouldn’t go for the food.

This apple flavored pop tart is one of Heirloom’s most popular sweets

HEIRLOOM

HIGHLIGHTS Cheesy Pesto Bread The cheesy pesto bread is one of the many different kinds of bread that Heirloom bakes fresh

Sugar Cookie This cookie is shaped like a moose in honor of the Royals

Chai Latte The chai latte was one of Anna’s favorites because of its rich flavor

22 written by Ali Lee

Goosebumps delivers their trademark scares, just in time for Halloween

M

any of us can remember wrapping ourselves in a blanket, intently listening while our mom read us a “scary” “Goosebumps” story.

The tales weren’t very frightening, but as a 7 year old, they were scary enough. I wasn’t scared enough to need to sleep with my parents like I was after watching “Blade”. Now, with the release of the “Goosebumps” movie, I can take a trip back to when my mom read those stories, a time where “frightening” things weren’t so frightening.

I have long left these memories of “Goosebumps” and made the drastic switch to movies like “Paranormal Activity” and “Nightmare on Elm Street”. Movies that I watch now are actually scary. So, when “Goosebumps” was released I knew I would enjoy the nostalgic Halloween film.

Going into the theater I expected a sentimental experience. I wanted nothing less than to be reminded of one of my favorite childhood book series. At first I was caught off guard by the approach of the movie, but once the plot started to unfold, it became more clear to me. It wasn’t a simple interpretation of a book in the series like I had expected it to be, instead it was

more of a story about the stories. It was a mash up of the series’ monsters together, and this time their target was R.L. Stine, the author of the goosebumps series, portrayed by Jack Black. The monsters are let loose into a modern world where a group of high schoolers are sent to capture and return them to their stories. I was expecting more of a rendition of one of the novels, but It was nice to see an original take on “Goosebumps”.

Within the movie, there’s romance between two characters, Zach and Hannah. I can’t say I was surprised that there was a romantic subplot. With a mysterious new neighbor named Hannah, the leading character, Zach, is enticed not only by her, but her odd and cryptic dad as well. All signs pointed to a relationship between the neighbors. Yet, I’m not sure that this added anything to the movie.

It was easy to tell that they tried to add more intricacy in the plot, but the result was a movie primarily focused on the monsters. Although it was relaxing to watch the movie, I was never really spooked.

The plot was easy to follow and suitable for young audiences, just like the books. I realized watching a

Halloween movie and not being scared is just as much, if not more fun, than watching other horror movies. It’s entertaining and gets you in the spirit for Halloween, yet you can look forward to not being paranoid that ghosts are haunting your house.

The movie allowed me to reminisce on my childhood and walk back to my car without feeling like someone was following me. Horror movies are great to get your adrenaline flowing, but it’s refreshing to be able to see a scary movie that is more sentimental than frightening. I couldn’t think of a better way to kick off Halloween.

ALI’S RATING

A LOOK INTO

BLOOD WEDDING A preveiw into East’s drama-filled fall play, Blood Wedding

R

oom 219 is abuzz with laughter, singing and the “hitting of the quan,” when junior Kylie Ledford takes the makeshift stage. Veiled in a dark cloak, she pauses in the center and delivers the opening line, “It must be here...and soon.“ A cold, silencing wave spreads through the drama room.

While their classmates have spent their afternoons cramming for biology tests, sweating at practice or binging on Netflix, the cast of the fall play, Blood Wedding, have spent their afternoons rehearsing lines about knives, betrayal and death. Now, after six weeks of rehearsals, the cast is ready for the opening curtain.

Written in 1932 by Spanish playwright, Federico García Lorca, Blood Wedding follows the drama surrounding a forbidden love between members of two feuding families.

“It’s very dark,” said junior Christian Kennedy. “It’s about murder and it’s about passion and being in love.

It’s not quite Romeo and Juliet, but it does have that ‘I would die for you’ feeling.”

Maintaining its Shakespearean nature, the drama

written by Morgan Biles

is written mostly in verse. This structure allows for the development of symbols throughout the three-act play.

These symbols can be seen in the lullaby sung in the first act, or even in the characters themselves.

“There’s the beggar woman who symbolizes a lot of darkness and the moon which represents a different kind of darkness,” Ledford said. “There’s all these different characters that show different emotions that all come together to bring a really interesting plot and mood to the entire show.”

However, the shows’ multiple symbols are not exclusively heard through the characters’ words. They can also be seen thanks to the intricate tech work of the show. Video projections, raised platforms and lighting will all add to the atmosphere of the show.

“The show is mostly mood lighting based,” said senior and lights crew chief Leah O’Connor. “So there are a lot of stage lights that are used to create texture and a lot of different washes that are a lot of different colors. It’s kind of a surrealist type lighting approach to this surrealist type play.”

Adding to the landscape of the show are the costumes. For this show, the costume crew ran into hurdles when creating huge wooden frame wings for the character of Death.

“Making [the wings] we were so frustrated,” said sophomore and costumes crew chief Gaby Troup. “We were screaming, we were so mad, but we did get it made and it looks good.”

The show premieres this Thursday and goes until Saturday. Admission is free for East students and $7 for adults. The cast hopes to look out and see the faces of their peers at the show.

“We come see [other students’] football games and support the basketball games and I think [East students] should come see the show to support us,” senior Chloe Kerwin said. “A lot of people have never seen an East show in their life and they’re really missing out. We are so privileged with such great directors and the talent of everyone on and off stage.”

Sunkissed Earth

Eco-Friendly Jewelry Handmade in Kansas City

www.SunkissedEarth.com Use promo code

GOLANCERS for 20% off entire order!

(Expires 12/31/15)

Be the first to see new designs and get exclusive discounts:

facebook.com/sunkissedearth instagram.com/sunkissedearth

ularity wing pop ro g e th it cred cess Students oya ls’ suc R e th to City

photo by Hailey Hughes

written by Olivia Favreau

I

t was the night of game six of the ALCS. Soon there would be a chorus of car horns, fireworks and fanatic celebrations across Kansas City, letting everyone know who won. Now, from the sides of buildings downtown, to all the fountains in Kansas City, everything is emblazoned in Royals blue.

Which is how Heidi Downer, the head of Marketing, Events and Media for KCMO Parks and Recreation wants it to be.

“The Royals sponsor all of the fountains,” Downer said.

“So as soon as postseason play was confirmed we turned them blue.”

Downer explained how Kansas City organizations and businesses use everything in their power to capitalize on baseball’s popularity.

The Royals’ team flag flies on the Brush Creek bridge in the Country Club Plaza, the city logo banners featuring a baseball on every street pole downtown. These are the kind of marketing details that make up Downer’s, along with the city’s effort to feature the Royals everywhere they could. For Downer and Kansas City as a whole these displays are just business.

“Professional sports are an important asset and addition to the quality of life for cities that have them,” Downer said.

“The economic impact from hosting postseason play is substantial to our city.”

Such tactics weren’t just used with the recent success of the Royals. During the 2012 Major League All-Star game, which was hosted at Kauffman stadium, Kansas City created the Kansas City Social Media Command Center to inform visitors coming for the All Star Game of tourist destinations within the city. The social media platform that the center primarily used was Twitter for the five day period before

of Ka nsas

the game. Kansas City was mentioned in 30,000 tweets according to Spiral16, a data collection website. During the week of the postseason games this year, Kansas City was mentioned in over 120,000 tweets, according to Topsy Twitter analytics.

Despite the income that the city receives from such advertisements, Downer realizes that the banners and fountains do more than that; they provide a sense of pride in the community.

“As the ‘City of Fountains,’ we recognize the important role our fountains play as sources of beauty and celebration,” Downer said.

The Student Section, East’s student store, has also taken notice of this influx of possible income surrounding

Even in our IB group chat we’ve talked about convincing a teacher to not have us turn in homework assignments that day or move the test because the Royals are playing that night and we know we’ll be preoccupied by the game — said junior Brena Levy the Royals. Currently featured in the store are T-shirts that mimic the style of the Royals logo, but replace Royals with Lancers.

“One of my students came in and said ‘this is what I was thinking’ and showed us the idea and then everyone approved it and loved it,” said Marketing teacher and The Student Section sponsor Mercedes Rasmussen. “It was because of the Royals fever that’s going on right now and so we thought it would be a great market for it under the circumstances.”

For students like junior Miranda Baggett, seeing people wearing Royals T-shirts adds a sense of community, despite the fact that they’re strangers. Baggett can simply call out the current game score and start a conversation.

“I like the bonding of it,” Baggett said, “Like how even if you have never talked to a person you can have this bond.”

This, bond, Baggett believes, recreates the baseball town Kansas City once was. Baggett’s mother always told her about school days in the ‘80s when students would skip school to attend Royals’ parades. She now sees the same mentality present when classrooms are stream the game.

“When the game was playing in the cafeteria or when you go to a restaurant and the Royals’ game is on, there is at least seven other tables with me who are non-stop watching the game,” Baggett said. “And when something happens, they all scream.”

Alongside Baggett, junior Brena Levy believes that the Royals’ influence bleeds into almost every aspect of life in Kansas City. Before each Royals’ game, she gets a series of alerts from junior Coleman Brockmeier, who sends blue and crown emojis to an International Baccalaureate group chat.

“Even in our IB group chat we’ve talked about convincing a teacher to not have us turn in homework assignments that day or move the test because the Royals are playing that night and we know we’ll be preoccupied by the game,” Levy said.

Downer, Rasmussen, Baggett and Levy agree that Kansas City’s new-found appeal is a direct result of the Royals’ success. From economic income to a positive social environment, Kansas City is thriving.

“With the score 4 to 3 the Royals have won this sixth game and are going to the World Series!” ` The chorus of hundreds erupts across the city.

PRIDE E D I S T U O While r inspi ecent suc red s pike cesses of a nd f in lo loca aculty rema ca l pride l spor ts t , in loy e a l to some Eas a ms t stud other ents tea m s

S

ophomore Harrison Quick walked into school proudly displaying his Toronto Blue Jays shirt with a big smile after the Oct. 21 7-1 victory over the Royals.

“Toronto SUCKS!” “GO Royals!”

“Nice shirt, NOT.” Quick was bombarded by sarcastic comments, dirty looks and insults directed at him and his favorite baseball team. His smile had vanished by the time he reached first hour.

Quick is the ultimate non-Kansas sport fan.

While he was growing up in KC, the Chiefs and Royals were laughing stocks of their leagues. Because his grandfather supported the Green Bay Packers, he decided to as well. Quick also has a extreme love for Canada because of the culture, wildlife and people, which prompted his support for the Toronto Blue Jays.

“I have always just liked [the Packers and Blue Jays], and the Chiefs and Royals were just not good at the time [I grew up], and I wanted to choose different teams,” Quick said.

Quick believes that he

has good motives and has supported these teams for a long time, yet he still gets labeled with the term “bandwagon fan,” a fan who only supports the teams who have recently found success. Quick says people call him these names at least once a week during sports seasons.

“I kind of take [being called a bandwagon fan] in stride because I know I am not going to be able to argue with these people,” Quick said. “I’m not in the position to be arguing and I know on the inside that I like these teams.”

Although Quick has faced scrutiny for loving his teams, he doesn’t intend to stop any time soon. Quick said he needs to stay strong with his beloved Blue Jays, as they were recently knocked out of the ALCS. Now, the flack from Royals fans is stronger than ever.

He’s also still vocally and proudly supporting Green Bay as they try to continue their unbeaten record.

I

saac Harnden is a half-Kansas, half-Denver sports fan. Even though he supports most KC sports teams, his betrayal of the Chiefs for the Denver Broncos permits constant comments from friends and classmates during football season.

The birth of Harnden’s fandom comes from living in Boise, Idaho from age two to seven, and his father living in Colorado.

“Everyone [in Boise] was a Broncos fan, including my family, so I started to support them too,” Harnden said.

Harnden is unique in that he still supports the Royals and the Chiefs (when they are not playing the Broncos). Harnden also supports the Sacramento Kings NBA team, because they used to be a Kansas City sports team.

But still, like Quick, he gets comments hurled at him because of his Broncos support.

“I get a lot of people saying I am a fake fan, but the way I see it if you’ve been cheering for the Royals as well, who haven’t been good in a long time, that doesn’t classify

M

r .

Bickers is a die-hard Texas sports fan.

His mother lived in Houston when she was growing up, and Bickers grew up in a suburb of Houston. His heritage is what supports his devotion.

“My favorite team, nostalgia wise, is the Astros because they were the first team I remember being a fan of,” Bickers said.

Unlike the student nonKansas sport fans, Bickers participates in good-natured trash talk, mostly joking between teachers and students.

“When the Astros were playing the Royals I switched

you as a bandwagon fan,” Harnden said.

Harnden still holds his head high, and has not given in to the persistent KC fans, as his Broncos try to continue their unbeaten record. He also continues to proudly support the Royals in their World Series quest.

my projector background to the Astros, and I [also] went into Mrs. Fishman’s room and put a big orange Astros star on her whiteboard,” Bickers said.

Bickers is not usually very vocal about his support until it comes to the big games during the play-offs. He goes along with all of the jokes, but ultimately feels that sports are merely entertainment, and that is as far as he goes with them.

“It’s a bit surreal [not being a KC fan] because everyone thinks you’re a supporter of Kansas City teams even if you tell them you’re from Texas,” Bickers said. “But once I explain to them I am first and foremost a Texas fan, they get it.”

Strategy. Experience. Compassion.

Fighting for the injured and their families.

• Motor Vehicle & Truck Accidents • Construction Accidents • Workers’ Compensation

Visit PottengerLaw.com or call 816-531-6006 today for a free consultation.

Enjoy a night of feasting, castle games and a live and silent auction benefitting the East Fund.

All money raised will aid academic programs, technology upgrades and extra-curricular activites.

200 unique items will be for sale, plus special drawings.

INDIAN HILLS COUNTRY CLUB

EAST FUND AUCTION SATURDAY, NOV.14 • 6-10PM visit www.theeastfund.org to register $30 per person

27

THE

UNDERAPPRECIATED

ROSTER

written by Chase Tetrick photos by Allison Stockwell

A

Mastered Manager

fter junior Chace Prothe finished his fall season of soccer his freshman year, he began looking forward to the spring, otherwise known to him as lacrosse season. But as the soccer banquet came to a close, it dawned on him that he would have nothing to do until the first day of lacrosse season in March.

“I’m the kind of person who has to stay busy,” Prothe said, “and five months was way too long for me not to do anything.”

That’s when he looked to Coach Hair and the basketball program.

Knowing that he wasn’t the best at basketball, he looked for other ways to be involved with the team. After talking to Freshman Basketball Coach Andrew Gagnon, Prothe learned about managing and thought it would be a fun way to participate in a winter sport.

After his debut to the managing stage, his love for it grew everyday as he was constantly improving his skills. Before he knew it, he was keeping track of every shot, block and play that happened.

“Coach Hair came up to me at the end of the freshman season and asked if I wanted to keep statistics on the Varsity team,” Prothe said. “It didn’t take much convincing; I loved it.”

Since becoming the varsity manager, Prothe has attended nearly every practice and game.

“At practice, I am basically the practice player and water boy,” Prothe said. “I play against the guys when I can, and get them water or whatever else Coach Hair asks me to do.”

The games have a much more serious tone than practices, according to Prothe. He often dresses up in a blazer or collared shirt, and sits on the bench to record every part of the game.

“The games are a little different than practice,” Prothe said.

“The guys like knowing how many blocks they had or how many points they scored so I have to be on top of it.”

Prothe started his management career for the fun of it, but as he moved from the freshmen team to varsity, he became more focused on his job. Now, Prothe sees sports management as a possible career.

“I had never really thought about managing a sports team in high school, but now that I’ve started, I can’t imagine not,” Prothe said. “It is really fun way to be a part of a team and stay busy during the off season.”

F

Football Fanatic

reshman Jack Melvin is one-of-a-kind when it comes to the personality and energy he brings to a team.

Melvin is a member of the special education program at East, and began his managing career this fall when he decided to join the varsity football team. Head Coach Dustin Delaney reached out to Melvin to be a part of the football team, and asked him to come to all of the practices to help out.

“I manage because I love going to practices,” Melvin said.

“I like seeing all my friends everyday after school.”

Melvin can be spotted almost everyday on the sidelines of the turf field after school. Often dancing to music or cheering on the players, Melvin helps bring water out on the field and plays catch with anyone he can.

“Jack is a great kid,” Delaney said. “He brings a lot of energy with him, and we love seeing him at practice everyday.”

Following in special education alumni Dan Walker’s footsteps, Melvin signed up to manage the football team after some thought and a persuasive conversation with Coach Delaney. Just like Walker, Melvin’s trademark smile and outgoing personality make him well known around East, especially to the football team.

“We were all upset when Dan graduated, but Jack, like Dan, fills in the position perfectly,” Bamford said.

Melvin is currently attending only practices, but in the future he hopes expand his role.

“I go to most of the practices,” Melvin said, “And next year I get to go to the games, so I am really excited.”

Sports managers find their way onto their teams in a variety of ways

A

Injury Prone

lthough injuries often diminish players’ interest in sticking with their sport, junior Katie Kuhlman felt just the opposite.

Kuhlman played JV soccer her freshman year, but her ankle never felt quite right. Over the off-season, her injury progressively worsened as she continued to play. As a result, she wasn’t cleared to play her sophomore year. She then learned that she had a benign tumor growing in her ankle.

“I knew I still wanted to be involved in the team,” Kuhlman said. “I was still a soccer fan, and wanted to be with all of my friends who play soccer, so I talked to coach Kelly and decided to manage.”

Kuhlman had hoped to return to the team this year, but her ankle injury prevented this hope. She had surgery a few weeks ago, and is not expecting to be healthy by this upcoming season.

“There is still a small chance I can play this season, but everything would have to go perfect,” Kuhlman said. “I am looking forward to going to all the games though and supporting my team.”

Kuhlman does her best to come to every practice to support her teammates, making a point to attend every game.

“At the games, I usually sit on the bench next to the players,” Kuhlman said. “I toss them waters as they come off the field and talk to them about how they played.”

Although Kuhlman is upset that she cannot join her teammates on the field, she puts on a brave face, enjoying every minute she can with her fellow teammates. She even went to the varsity team’s tournament in St. Louis over the summer.

“We didn’t win the tournament, but it was fun to stay with the whole team for the weekend,” Kuhlman said. “I felt more involved and got a lot closer with the girls since we were together for 3 days straight.”

Kuhlman uses her injury as a way to grow and bond with her friends and fellow teammates, despite the fact that she isn’t in the game with them.

“I manage girls varsity soccer to stay involved in the sport and to stay close with my soccer friends,” Kuhlman said. “It is tough to watch them play while I sit on the sideline, but I know I want to support them just like they have done to me.”

DIFFERENT LANES

28

Despite some swimmers swimming year-round and others just being seasonal, they will all unite during the season with the goal of a state championship

Hayden LINSCOTT

YEAR-ROUND SWIMMER

FASTEST 50 METER FREESTYLE

mil

sec

NUMBER OF YEARS ON A SWIM TEAM

12 3

years

NUMBER OF TEAMS PARTICIPATED IN

teams

- Indian Hills Country Club - Swim Academy - East below

written by Catherine Brown Junior Hayden Linscott walks with his friends to his first class. They mutter about their lack of sleep and complain about the homework they had the night before. Meanwhile, Linscott has been awake since 4:30 a.m. Every Tuesday and Thursday he has morning swim practice for his club team, Swim Academy. However, he has gotten used to jumping in the cold water to swim for two hours straight.

Year-round swimmers like Linscott have learned to combine their commitment with the sport and their enjoyment of it. Seasonal swimmers, those who don’t swim year round, like senior Tom Peters, seem to have a more difficult time balancing the two.

“I come into the season at a little bit of a disadvantage compared to the other guys who swim year-round,” Peters said. “It’s kind of hard to enjoy practices that first week when I’m trying to get back in shape.”

Although he feels he might be at a disadvantage, Peters knows that it’s possible to keep up with those who swim year-round, because last season he was the only seasonal swimmer to go to state. He swam a 1:02 in his main event, the 100 yard breaststroke, proving that having the right mindset and putting in hard work pays off.

While swimming is a physically demanding sport, it is also a mental exercise, since swimmers spend most of their time underwater with only their thoughts to help them stay motivated.

Over the years, Linscott’s mindset on swimming has changed. He started swimming year-round at 10-yearsold and used to dread going to six practices every week.

Linscott says that swimming is not as social of a sports as baseball or soccer, and due to this, he’s not as motivated as he believes he could be.

Junior Hayden Linscott practices backstroke during his club swim practice, Swim Academy

photo by Abby Blake

Gradually, year after year, Linscott kept improving his times and became one of the best swimmers on his club team.

While Linscott takes a more serious approach to his team, Peters has a more relaxed attitude when it comes to swimming. He started swimming for Indian Hills Country Club (IHCC) during the summer at the age of six. For the first few years, Peters only swam because his mother would sign him up, commonly a six-yearolds dilemma. However, Peters thrived in the spirited atmosphere, which kept him returning. IHCC is his only preparation for East’s season throughout high school.

According to Peters, his summer swim team fostered his interest in pursuing the sport at East. However, he has to adjust to the different intensity level of being on the varsity team for East, with better swimmers filling the East pool than he was used to. His summer practices were laid-back, and he would usually only show up three times a week. Once East’s season starts, he will have to practice six days a week and be much more competitive.

“Swimming is a lot of hard work but it’s worth it because of the good friendships you create,” Peters said.

“You get really close with people on the team.”

Both Linscott and Peters play an experienced role on the varsity team. They both went to state last season, where East beat their biggest rival, Blue Valley North, by three points. Every year that Linscott has swam for East, he has gone to state. Last season he placed fifth at the state meet in the 100 yard freestyle with a time of 47.82.

While some swim year-round and others only swim for the East team, they will come together again this winter with one goal in mind: another state championship.

below

Tom PETERS SEASONAL SWIMMER

FASTEST 50 METER FREESTYLE

mil

sec

NUMBER OF YEARS ON A SWIM TEAM

12 2

years

NUMBER OF TEAMS PARTICIPATED IN

teams

-Indian Hills Country Club -East

Senior Tom Peters adjusts his goggles during an East swim practice

photo by Joseph Cline

29

Taking OutTransfers M

Transfer students are not allowed to play varsity sports within 18 weeks of changing schools written by Harrison Gooley photo by Haley Bell

any transfer students come into East thinking they will be playing, but to their surprise, they’re ineligible for varsity play. The Kansas State High School Activities Association states that any student who transfers into a public high school is ineligible to play varsity sports for the first 18 weeks they attend the school.

“If a student changes schools without a move on the part of his/her parents, they are ineligible for eighteen weeks.”

The eligibility rule has been set in place to eliminate the recruitment of high school athletes. This way, coaches don’t have the ability to bring in an athletic prodigy to carry their team to success.

For East students, there are highs and lows to the rule.

Some feel as though the rule gives them an entire season to improve their game, while others feel as though the rule is unfair.

“I’m not a fan of the transfer rule,” junior Devon Dietrich said. “The rule punishes those who don’t deserve to be punished.”

The rule also stops students from coming to schools who are attending just for sports, not education or other purposes.

However, many students transfer for non-athletic reasons. The rule was put in effect for every student-athlete that transfers, even transfer athletes who begin their year on the first day of school like every other student. All transfers undergo the varsity ineligibility process no matter who they are, what kind of an athlete they are and what reasons they are moving schools

VARSITY ATHLETES

The pros and cons of being on a high school varsity sport

for.

For some, the rule has been a road block for their athletic goals. Transfer athletes put in hard work for their teams during practices, but they can’t achieve their personal goals during games or meets.

Dietrich who transferred from Pembroke Hill this year, runs JV cross country. Last year she ran with the second fastest varsity girls cross country team in PHS history. Had the KSHAA rule not been in place, Dietrich would be a top five runner for East, with a 21:58.0 5k time. Dietrich sees the rule as unfair to many students who transfer.

“If you weren’t recruited and transferred for purely non-ath-

It is hard to stay motivated and positive if you already know you can’t reach your goal — said junior Devon Dietrich letic reasons, hard work should be rewarded, and you should be able to compete in the highest level you can,” Dietrich said.

Others see the transfer rule as a way to better their game for the next season.

Junior Trevor Thompson transferred from Bishop Miege in January of 2015. As a freshman, Thompson played varsity baseball for Miege, finishing the season batting .437. During the 2015 spring baseball season, Thompson could not play on varsity at East due to his transfer ineligibility. Going into the

Pros

season, he did know about the rule. In his eyes, the JV season was one to use as a way to improve his game.

“I felt like it was a year to get better and work towards next season to win a state title,” Thompson said.

Not having the chance to play varsity has been a gift in itself, according to Thompson. It’s not only a chance to get better, but it’s a way to play without having to worry about losing a starting position or failing to complete a job. Not having the added stress enables players to play the game at their level and work at their speed.

For sophomore JV volleyball player Gracey Stoetzer, this season was a better experience than it could have been on varsity. Stoetzer was able to have more fun with her teammates. “[JV] was a good time,” Stoetzer said. “I already knew a few of the girls I played with on JV, so we all became really close as a team. I was able to relax more and enjoy every game we played.”

Some students find it hard to motivate themselves because they train and practice with Varsity, but then can’t compete with them when it matters.

“It makes pushing yourself more difficult during a race, since none of the people you usually pack run with are next to you to push you... It is hard to stay motivated and positive if you already know you can’t reach your goal,” Dietrich said.

Next season, these student athletes are looking forward to leading their varsity teams. The eligibility rule will not apply to them anymore, but it will rest itself on this year’s transfers.

Cons

Athletes get to compete at the highest level

Athletes constantly have to work hard

Athletes get to train with better players on their team

Underclassmen may start before juniors or seniors

Coaches take more interest in athletes and their development

There is more pressure from coaches and teammates

A KICKED UP AND MINDFUL INDOOR CYCLING EXPERIENCE

4722 Broadway, Suite 220 Kansas City, MO 64112

816.561.1995. info@mojocyclingstudio.com

OUR GOAL IS TO CHALLENGE YOU PHYSICALLY AND ENERGIZE YOU MENTALLY.

MOJO… IT’S WHAT YOU NEED!

D UBLE TAPfor 178

written by Isabel Epstein

J

J

Four East students share their style on Instagram and blogs

EMMA AND ANDIE “A and E Blog”

uniors, and best friends, Emma Vaughters and Andie Ogg run a trendy fashion Instagram and a blog together called “E and A Blog”. According to the duo, their styles are similar, but they each bring something different to the blog that diversifies it from other accounts, which only show one blogger’s point of view.

“We’re both really similar and our styles are,” Ogg said. “Since we’re best friends, it just made sense to collaborate on it.”

Ogg and Vaughters have always been interested in fashion, but they have very different goals for their futures.

Vaughters isn’t sure if she wants to commit to a career in fashion, while Ogg is more confident with her future plans.

“I want to pursue a career in fashion,” Ogg said. “I’ve always wanted to, but I

want to do merchandizing or something with marketing.”

Though they don’t agree on their future plans, collaborating on the blog has many benefits, like a lighter workload. With both of them running the blog, they can usually post about twice a week. Together they choose different locations in Kansas City to go to and take photos over the weekends.

“A variety of locations is important and a location that’s not too busy because you don’t want to distract from the focus, which is your outfit,” Vaughters said.

Ogg and Vaughters get excited about different parts of the blog. Andie loves everything behind the scenes, like taking photos and choosing locations. She gets excited when she looks at a photo on her computer and knows how great it’ll look on the blog. Emma likes to create the actual posts.

“[The blog] was a way for me to combine writing with fashion,” Vaughters said.

Another benefit of working together is the combination of their styles. Ogg’s style changes over time. She combines simple pieces like jeans with patterns and prints, while Vaughters’ style is a mix of traditional and funky pieces like hats and purses. She likes to put together things that are completely different, but create a cohesive look.

“My style is really classic but also trendy, which seem like opposites,” Vaughters said.

Their style is even demonstrated in their blog design. The soft colors show how classic their outfits are, and they mix urban and natural settings to give the blog variety.

Ogg and Vaughters use the differences in their styles and ideas to

modeling, she started her account to show off her style, which she considers casual. Many of her outfits include printed tops and jean shorts.

“I like simple pieces that are really versatile,” Kohring said. “I like when the outfit all just works together.”

Her favorite stores are Madewell, Free People and Urban Outfitters.

“I love TJ Maxx,” Kohring said.

“TJ Maxx is so underrated, they have so many good brands that are so inexpensive.”

She also uses other fashion accounts to get inspiration for her outfits and photos. She always uses a nice camera to give her photos a professional look.

“Make sure that you’re on a good wall because a wall and a theme is a big part of it,” Kohring said.

Emily tries to post on her blog as much as possible and looks for new modeling opportunities, but no matter what happens, she still wants to work in fashion. She’s thinking about being a fashion merchandiser if modeling doesn’t work out.

“If I get any modeling careers down the road that would be pretty cool, but I don’t think I’d move to New York to model,” Kohring said. “I think I’d need to be taller. We’ll see.”

make their blog unique.

“We don’t really ever have opposing ideas or fight about certain things because we put our own stuff into each o f our posts,” Ogg said.

ALLISON “Preppy in KC”

EMILY “Style KC”

unior Emily Kohring started a fashion Instagram account as a fun way to show off her style. When she was stopped at Starbucks by an agent who asked if she was a model, she began to seriously consider a career in fashion.

Now, she runs an Instagram account, @ stylekc, and is featured as a model for Threshing Bee, a local clothing store.

What sets Kohring apart from other fashion bloggers is that she models. She got the modeling job with Threshing Bee from a friend who helps run their social media accounts. Though this was her first job, she had been considering modeling before then. After the agent saw her at Starbucks, she talked to her mom about applying to Exposure Modeling.

“I just recently submitted the photos [to Exposure Modeling] s o I haven’t heard back yet, but we’ll see if anything hap p e ns ,” Kohring said.

B e fo r e she ever thought o f

Fashion

31

S

ophomore Allison Benson was sitting in her second hour geometry class, scrolling through Instagram when she saw a comment on a photo from her fashion account, @ preppyinkc. Someone was congratulating her for getting her photo on Buzzfeed.

Skeptically, she looked it up and was shocked to see the picture she had taken of her new clothes in the middle of a story about Target’s Lilly Pulitzer line.

“I literally almost peed my pants it was so exciting,” Benson said.

Lilly for Target sold out almost immediately last April. Benson was one of the lucky few who got the brand’s trending clothes, so she posted a picture of everything she bought on her account.

Now, six months later, @preppyinkc has over 600 followers. She started the account last winter to have fun and show off her style, which she describes as

preppy and colorful. She posts pictures of her daily outfits, craft projects and the Lilly Pulitzer gear she constantly buys.

“I love Vineyard Vines, Anthropology, Gap, Madewell and J. Crew,” Benson said.

Along with her outfits, she has different tricks that help make her photos look professional.

“Lighting is everything, and t rying out lots o f

photos by Tess Iler

different shots and poses,” Benson said.

She keeps up with trends while staying on budget by searching the sales racks at her favorite stores. Learning things like this and operating her Instagram for almost a year has proved to her that she has potential in the fashion world.

“I always pictured myself as a teacher, but now that I started this, I don’t know. I think it would be really fun to work for Teen Vogue,” Benson said.

Although Benson says that fashion isn’t an easy field to get into, she is confident that running her blog has taught her a what it takes to manage an account and stay up to date with fashion.

Having her photo featured on Buzzfeed proved to her that other fashion lovers identify with her style.

32

adancing culture photos by Hailey Hughes

Senior Priyanka Radadiya practices the Indian styled dance called Bharathanatyam, a traditional dance form

above

The performers at the competitions have a variety of costumes. “The day before my dance teacher will tell us to wear this costume with your hair like this and you just show up and perform”, Radadiya says. “One time I almost fainted because you wear about 10 lbs of clothing and accessories.”

middle

The director of the “Classical Dance and Music Festival” thanks all the performers and guests for coming.

right

There’s five layers to the makeup that has to be applied periodically. “It takes 30 minutes to get the first two layers dry enough to start with hair then we switch off hair and the rest of the makeup until you’re finished with that,” Radadiya says. “Then you put on the costume and ornaments and final touches.”

the prep To prepare for her performance, Priyanka must spend up to three hours of makeup, hair and other detailing to be fully ready to perform.

Alta, which are crushed rose petals, is applied to the fingertips and toes to show during the dance. Since it stains, it must be applied very last.

Ornaments go on the head and hair after makeup is complete. The type of ornaments are the same throughout the group.

The feet accessories are important to the dance due to the jingle sounds they make.