The Harbinger Issue 14 2022

the harbinger.

S H AW N E E M I S S I O N E A S T 7500 MISSION ROAD PRAIRIE VILLAGE, KS 66208 APRIL 11, 2022 VOLUME LXIV ISSUE 14

While adults often view tattoos as unprofessional and irresponsible, they can represent memories and milestones or document time periods for students who have them

02 INSIDE COVER

click for pics BOYS VARSITY LACROSSE

S c a n t o v i e w t h e g a l l e r y f ro m t h e b oy s va rs i t y l a c ro s s e g a m e a g a i n st R o c k h u rst o n M a rc h 3 1

THE HARBINGER

design by cesca stamati cover design by peyton moore cover photo by maggie merckens

online preview

GIRLS VARSITY DIVE

Scan to view the gallery f ro m t h e g i r l s g i r l s va rs i t y d i ve m e et a g a i n st L a w re n c e F re e S t a t e a n d O l a t h e E a st o n M a rc h 3 0

BOYS JV LACROSSE

S c a n t o v i e w t h e g a l l e r y f ro m t h e va rs i t y b a s e b a l l g a m e a g a i n st O l a t h e We s t o n M a rc h 2 9

FOLLOW THEHARBINGER SMEHARBINGER SMEHARBINGER

art by sophie lindberg

staff list PRINT EDITORS Celia Condon Sydney Newton ONLINE EDITORS Sophie Henschel Campbell Wood ASST. PRINT EDITORS Peyton Moore Cesca Stamati ASST. ONLINE EDITORS Lyda Cosgrove Kate Heitmann HEAD COPY EDITOR Campbell Wood ASST. ONLINE EDITORS Caroline Wood Caroline Gould DESIGN EDITORS Nora Lynn Anna Mitchell PHOTO EDITORS Elise Madden Maggie Merckens ASST. PHOTO EDITORS Rachel Bingham Macy Crosser Hadley Chapman VIDEO EDITOR Maggie Klumpp PHOTO MENTORS Emily Pollock Grace Allen Lily Mantel Julia Fillmore Riley Eck

Charlotte Emley STAFF WRITERS Madeline Funkey Christian Gooley Mia Vogel Gibbs Morris Ben Bradley Katie Murphy Luke Beil Maggie Kissick Emma Krause Maggie Condon Hassan Sufi Addie Moore Tristan Chabanis Emmerson Winfrey Lucy Wolf Blakely Faulkner David Allegri Avery Anderson Aanya Bansal Grace Allen COPY EDITORS Caroline Wood Caroline Gould Greyson Imm Katie Murphy Anna Mitchell Sophie Lindberg Paige Zadoo EDITORIAL BOARD Sydney Newton Celia Condon Campbell Wood Sophie Henschel

photo by macy crosser

Peyton Moore Cesca Stamati Kate Heitmann Lyda Cosgrove Caroline Wood Madeline Funkey Nora Lynn Sophie Lindberg Greyson Imm Caroline Gould SECTION EDITORS EDITORIAL PRINT Madeline Funkey NEWS PRINT Caroline Gould ONLINE Luke Beil OPINION PRINT Sophie Lindberg ONLINE Maggie Kissick FEATURE PRINT Katie Murphy ONLINE Paige Zadoo A&E PRINT Caroline Wood ONLINE Mia Vogel SPORTS

PRINT Anna Mitchell ONLINE Ben Bradley PAGE DESIGNERS Katie Murphy Madeline Funkey Christian Gooley Bridget Connelly Luke Beil Emma Krause Marissa Liberda Greyson Imm Sophie Lindberg Maggie Condon Addie Moore Grace Demetriou Lucy Wolf Blakely Faulkner Ava Cooper Sofia Blades Elle Gedman David Allegri Maggie Kissick Gibbs Morris Paige Zadoo ART EDITOR Natalie Scholz ASST. ART EDITOR Nora Lynn STAFF ARTISTS Sophie Lindberg Bridget Connelly Marissa Liberda Mason Sajna

Grace Demetriou Sofia Blades Ava Cooper STAFF PHOTOGRAPHERS Audrey Condon Elle Siegel Jill Rice Kate Beaulieu Maggie Klumpp Sabrina Dean Tristen Porter Lilli Vottero Molly Miller Mason Sajna Rachel Condon Riley Scott Lydia Coe Claire Goettsch Caroline Martucci Seri Steinbrecher Liv Madden Clara Peters MJ Wolf VIDEO STAFF Abby Lee Jill Rice Lily Mantel PODCAST MENTORS Ben Bradley Emma Krause SOCIAL MEDIA EDITORS Celia Condon Sophie Henschel

ASST. SOCIAL MEDIA EDITORS Mia Vogel Paige Zadoo SOCIAL MEDIA STAFF Madeline Funkey Campbell Wood Sydney Newton Grace Allen Sophie Lindberg Ben Bradley Peyton Moore Lyda Cosgrove Marissa Liberda Bridget Connelly Maggie Condon Lilli Vottero Molly Miller Addie Moore Grace Demetriou Lucy Wolf Ava Cooper Elle Gedman David Allegri Avery Anderson Maggie Kissick ADS MANAGER Greyson Imm CONTEST COORDINATOR Peyton Moore CIRCULATION MANAGERS Maggie Klumpp Julia Fillmore

EDITORIAL 03

APRIL 11, 2022

design by madeline funkey cartoon by marissa liberia

FIGHT FOR

FUEL

With the sanctions on Russia amid the Russian-Ukranian war, now is the perfect time to start investing in clean and renewable energy

U

KRAINE IS CURRENTLY in the fight of their lives for human rights and freedom of democracy, but under the surface is a war of energy.

We are in an energy crisis — sanctions imposed on Russian oil and natural gas have exposed our dependence on fossil fuels.

Now is the time to make our transition to clean and renewable energy sources. We are already behind on the path towards restoring the environment.

Russia is a petrostate — its economy relies heavily on petroleum and natural gas sales. By taking advantage of Russia’s entanglement with Ukraine, having the U.S. cut off these ties while being self-sufficient in clean energy would not only benefit the war efforts in Ukraine but also in the U.S.’s own backyard — environmentally and economically.

D E S P I T E U N D E R S TA N DA B L E G R I P E S t h a t t h e s w i t c h t o c l e a n e n e rg y c a n ’ t j u st h a p p e n ove r n i g h t a n d i t t a ke s ye a rs of i nve s t m e n t s , t h e U . S . h a s p ro l o n g e d i t e n o u g h .

If there weren’t already good enough reasons to move toward clean energy — the projected 20 million jobs that solar energy will create by 2050, a possible $2,585 of savings every year on your energy bill, new steps taken in environmental sciences, better air quality especially for those who suffer from poor air quality and indigenous sovereignty gained from the blocked construction of the Keystone XL pipeline — then the current inflation sure has to get people’s attention.

After all, Americans have been staring down the recordhigh prices on the gas pump for the past few months.

With the exception of the Build Back Better plan before it was shot down by the Senate last year — thanks to West Virginia senator Joe Manchin — the government has done very little to address the climate crisis.

The best thing high schoolers can do to change that is to persist. Keep talking about the climate crisis, especially in connection with Russia and Ukraine. If you’re into investing, put some money on major wind and solar power companies such as Ormat Technologies and NextEra

Energy. Convince your parents to look into electric cars.

With that being said, here’s a fun fact: solar and wind energy are widely regarded to be more affordable in the long term than fossil fuels. Electric vehicles are included in that affordability — they’ve been shown to cost people 60% less on fuel compared to internal combustion engine vehicles.

Conveniently, Kansas is geologically perfect for capitalizing on solar and wind energy.

Currently, 43% of Kansas’s total energy is attributed to wind energy. It’s in the top five windiest states and top 10 sunniest states, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, both of which are critically important renewable and inexhaustible resources.

We’ve already brought in more than $11 billion in capital investment and made over 5,000 jobs in wind farms alone. It’s projected that the Midwest plains could rack up more than $22 billion in revenue through wind and solar energy combined. More than a Band-Aid for inflation — a promising and profit-making solution.

These numbers aren’t completely outlandish, and neither is the possibility of change. A study conducted by political scientists Leah Stokes at Arizona State University and Hanna L. Breetz at University of California revealed that major energy crises often pave the way for new legislation.

“What we found was, overwhelmingly, these policies were passed during energy crises,” Stokes said to The New York Times. “It’s when energy is expensive or hard to get that Americans begin to realize that they ought to look for some new way.”

Despite understandable gripes that the switch to clean energy can’t just happen overnight and it takes years of investments, the U.S. has prolonged it enough.

The government could always start investing more in domestic oil fracking and lease more land for that purpose, but energy analysts agree that it’d only be a short-run solution to deflate the current gas prices that are impacting the majority of Americans.

We can either become exponentially worse by expanding a slowly-dying industry or embrace a late start on the clean energy industry that could create our future.

FOR: 9 AGA I N ST : 1 The members of the editorial board who agree with the viewpoint of the editorial are represented by for, and those who disagree with the viewpoint are represented by against.

EDITORIAL PO LIC Y The Harbinger is a student run publication. Published editorials express the views of the Harbinger staff. Signed columns published in the Harbinger express the writer’s personal opinion.

The content and opinions of the Harbinger do not represent the student body, faculty, administration or Shawnee Mission School District. The Harbinger will not share any unpublished content, but quotes material may be confirmed with the sources. The Harbinger encourages letters to the editors, but reserves the right to reject them for reasons including but not limited to lack of space, multiple letters of the same topic and personal attacks contained in the letter. The Harbinger will not edit content thought letters may be edited for clarity, length or mechanics. Letters should be sent to room 413B or emailed to smeharbinger@gmail.com.

04 NEWS

THE HARBINGER

design by caroline gould

NEWS IN BRIEF Catch up on school, local and national news

A L L F O R A L L The c o m p lete d St ra n g P a r k p la yg ro u n d , w i t h t h e re st of t h e p a r k a i m e d to b e f i n i s h b efo re J u ly .

PHOTO BY CLARA PETERS

by a anya basal

LOCAL

NATIONAL

EAST

Strang Park offers a playground accessible to all

Many businesses suffer from supply chain issues

East must gain their accreditation through Xello and state assessments

STRANG PARK ON 9879 W. 88th Terr. is set to reopen

DUE TO COVID-19

EAST’S ACCREDITATION — official approval of East’s

after construction this summer with the first all-accessible playground in Overland Park.

The total construction cost is $3 million, according to Project Manager Mike Burton. The park improvements include a new shelter, athletic courts, an all-accessible playground, walking trails, a reconstructed parking lot and a restroom building.

A main component of the all-accessible playground, the 26-foot-tall Super Netplex tower, was designed by Paralympic athlete Jill Moore White and playground manufacturer, Landscape Structures Inc. The rest of the playground will include elevated climbing nets, post and deck platforms and a sensory tunnel.

“It has a really interesting rubber belt that [people with disabilities] can climb up themselves and that allows them to access the play structure and the large slides,” Burton said.

Construction on the new playground and 90% of the walking paths is complete, according to Burton.

The team hopes to finish up the shelter, restroom building, athletic courts and parking lot ahead of schedule, aiming to complete construction prior to the end of July.

ACCESSIBLE FOR ALL Notable features of Strang Park’s all-accessible playground

A RUBBER BELT which people with disabilities can climb

and the Russia-Ukraine War, businesses across the nation are suffering from supply chain issues.

Container ships unloading goods such as appliances, automobiles and food products are spending an average of seven days at port. This is a 21% increase from the start of the pandemic, according to CNN. Local businesses are experiencing a shortage of food and supplies, according to sophomore and Tavern at Mission Farms employee Margot Beaver.

“At Tavern [at Mission Farms], a lot of our food, mostly seafood, but some other stuff that has to do with the appetizers, has been taking a really long time to ship, so it’s not available for customers,” Beaver said.

Supply shortages have also disrupted the availability of particular ice cream flavors and materials at coffee and ice cream shop Fairway Creamery, according to sophomore Johanna Ward.

“We’re constantly out of paper cups and plastic cups,” Ward said. “We’re out of soft serve a lot of time. There’s a lot of flavors that we’re missing, a lot of just regular toppings and stuff like that.”

These disruptions in the supply chain are causing an increase in prices globally, according to CNN. It’s unknown when prices will return to normal.

FEATURES SUCH AS walking trails, restroom building and athletic courts

SUPER NETPLEX TOWER designed with the help of Paralympic athlete Jill Moore White

academic ability by the state — depends on student performance on the Kansas state assessments that began on March 29.

For the past five years, the district has tested students on science, math and English. Students were not tested in the 2019-20 school year, due to online school and COVID-19.

The number of students scoring a one — indicating limited ability — on state assessments increased by 3.54% after the gap year, according to the Kansas State Department of Education.

SMSD is in their fourth year of the accreditation cycle, meaning that the district must present state assessment scores and Xello data to the state in order to assess whether the district should be fully accredited.

If full accreditation isn’t achieved, staff from the state will be sent to East to evaluate what changes need to be made to reach that threshold, according to Associate Principal Kristoffer Barikmo.

“In the final year, that team [of administrators] makes a recommendation to the State Board of Education to accredit a district, to provisionally accredit district or to put a district on an improvement plan,” Barikmo said.

This is SMSD’s first five-year accreditation cycle. The state started assigning Xello coursework during SMSD’s first year of the accreditation cycle.

“The individual plan of study, which is Xello, is relatively new and this year is the first time we’re going to be accountable for it,” Associate Principal Jeff Storey said.

Student completion of both state assessments and Xello are needed for SMSD to maintain accreditation and be recognized as a district that maintains a high level of educational standards, according to Storey.

The last day to take makeup assessments is April 29.

NEWS 05

APRIL 11, 2022

design by sophie henschel

ON TO

AT L N TA

130 East students competed at state DECA and 35 qualified for the international DECA competition from April 23-26

Seniors Eva Kading and Emma Brown work on their project for DECA internationals in the marketing room.

PHOTO BY LILI VOTTERO

by hassan sufi

E

AST’S

DISTRIBUTIVE

EDUCATION

Clubs of America team competed at the state competition on March 1 where 35 students qualified for International DECA. East will be sending 23 of these students to Atlanta to compete at the international level from April 23-26.

DECA consists of three parts: project presentations, roleplay of business interactions and the written portion of terms related to business. Within these three parts, there are 30 categories that students can sign up to compete in. Categories range from Automotive Services, Retail, Sports, Entertainment, Restaurant Management, Professional Selling, Community Service and more.

DECA is a co-curricular in the senior level Marketing Applications class and optional for juniors enrolled in Marketing 1.

According to Marketing teacher and head DECA sponsor Mercedes Rasmussen, DECA teaches students to make quick decisions, be confident, communicate well with others, be organized and have good public speaking skills.

“Students are faced with scenarios that would really happen and they have to think on the fly,’’ DECA assistant and Intro to Business teacher Amanda Doane said.

“They learn the 21st century big time skills that jobs are looking for.”

East’s DECA program is one of the largest in Kansas, containing 150 students. Students have competed in three competitions leading up to the state competition which

was held virtually at the CAA this year to create a more competitive environment.

Seniors have been preparing every day in class for the DECA competitions since the fall. They practice role plays, take practice tests and prepare their DECA project presentations. Juniors are more limited in their options, as they cannot compete in the project presentations section. Even though they’re given optional assignments in order to prepare, it’s up to them if they do it or not.

[ L E A R N I N G ] F R O M E AC H ot h e r a n d l o o k i n g o u t fo r e a c h other has united our class together.

SPENCER NEWTON SENIOR According to Rasmussen, the students’ commitment to preparation this year showed at the recent state competition.

“My junior class this year has worked really hard in taking it upon themselves to prepare and get ready,” Rasmussen said.

“The seniors have done a ton of preparation, and we had a ton of them place [at State].”

DECA Assistant, Intro to Business and Digital Design teacher Mallory Dittemore attributes the recent success to the competitiveness of her students that is created by the culture and tradition of high expectation at East. She thinks DECA is a great combination of academics and athletics which continually brings a sense of competitiveness.

“DECA merges academics and athletics really well,” Mallory Dittemore said.

“Everyone has high expectations for both [academics and athletics] and it’s similar with DECA.” Moving on to International DECA changes preparation, the focus is now on the students who are moving on to the international level according to Rasmussen.

She’s working with students to fix the critiques that State judges had, such as working on speaking skills. Students who are presenting projects are practicing more frequently and adding components that could earn them a few extra points, such as photos that enhance the text. Students who are competing in the roleplay or test sections will be taking practice tests and role-plays until the team leaves for Internationals.

For some students, performing well is just about staying consistent. Seniors Kendall Beach and Chloe Stinson are competing in the Hospitality section of the competition. According to Beach, their team needs to continue the success they have had throughout the last two years.

“We are staying true to our roleplay values because it’s always what we’ve seen succeed,” Beach said.

For most students, the best part about DECA is the special experience of the competitions. According to Beach, the international competition will be a really fun experience. She’s excited to go to a different state and compete against thousands of people from different countries.

THE QUALIFIERS The statistics regarding DECA internationals

STUDEN TS Q UALIF IE D

3% I N I N D I V I D UA L BUSINESS C AT E G O R I E S

23

STUDENTS AT T EN D I N G

130

EA ST

7

COUN TRIES

35

T O P

EA ST

STUDENTS

EA ST

20,000

ST U D ENTS COMPETED IN DE C A STAT E

“It’s really cool for me personally because I never really traveled for sports and stuff,” Beach said. “I feel like I finally found my niche.”

According to senior and Entrepreneur category competitor Spencer Newton, DECA has created a sense of community for all the DECA competitors at East. He believes that along with teaching him skills for the future, he’s made close friends and experienced things that he wouldn’t have without DECA. “Everyone in Marketing 1 and Marketing 2 wants to compete in DECA and it’s a common thing between us all,” Newton said. “[Learning] from each other and looking out for each other has united our class together.”

THE ROSTER

East students going to Atlanta for DECA Internationals

J OSE P H INE G OW E N BRYNN FIT ZG E R A L D C A MIL A MOR GA N MOR GA N T UR P IN C AT H E R INE H OL ZBE IE R L E IN SA MA NT H A H E R P IC H P E YTON MOOR E G R E TA H Y D E C OL IN G R E E N JA KE D IR KS W IL SON MOOR E KE NDA L L BE AC H C H LOE ST INSON E MMA BR OW N E VA KA D ING T YL E R MOOR E W IL L IA M MC L E L L A ND A ND R E W WA R R E N C OL IN R OME R L E O ME SSE R SP E NC E R NE W TON NOR A LYNN C A R O L I N E WO O D

06 NEWS

THE HARBINGER

design by caroline wood photos from mct campus

Kansas Sen. Cindy Holscher proposed a bill to ban the manufacturing a gun with a 3D printer or possessing an unfinished firearm that carries no serial number by g reyson imm

I

N THE WAKE of the March 4 shooting at

Olathe East High School, Kansas state senator Cindy Holscher proposed a Kansas state senate bill banning the manufacturing or possession of “ghost guns” — of unfinished firearms without a serial number.

The bill, introduced March 14, was modeled after a similar bill signed into law aiming to ban ghost guns in Delaware. Both bills specifically target 3D printed guns or guns assembled using online-order “gun kits,” like the one used in Olathe East’s shooting.

What specifically makes these guns dangerous is their easy accessibility for unregistered gun owners — such as past convicted felons, domestic abusers, young people and people with mental health struggles — as well as their lack of traceability, according to Holscher.

“Those guns need to be banned because [their lack of a serial number and registration] obviously makes it more difficult to trace them and to determine who is committing crime,” Holscher said.

She was motivated to address this problem in her state because she experienced the effects of gun violence secondhand after her son, a freshman at Olathe East, was at school when the shooting occured.

This incident has made gun violence a more personal issue, and one that’s closer to home, according to East Against Gun Violence President and senior Emma Kate Squires.

“Olathe East has made it really apparent that Kansas is not safe from gun violence,” Squires said. “We never were. Even before the Olathe East shooting, the number one leading cause of death in youth 18 or younger was still gun violence — it just wasn’t occurring at schools. Olathe East just made a broader community very fearful.”

The issue of ghost guns is a relatively new problem, gaining prominence in the past few years as more online outlets allow

for the sale of “do-it-yourself” gun kits.

Due to their untraceability, ghost gun statistics are hard to keep track of. When just focusing on federal prosecutions, Everytown For Gun Safety Research revealed that there were 2,513 ghost guns connected to criminal activity over a period from 2010 to 2020.

“The numbers [of confiscated ghost guns] have just skyrocketed, even in the last couple years,” Student Resource Officer Tony Woolen said.

ghost gun

a g u n t h a t l a c k s a s e r i a l n u m b e r by w h i c h i t c a n b e i d e nt i f i e d a n d t h a t i s t y p i c a l ly a s s e m b l e d by t h e u s e r ( a s f ro m p u rc h a s e d o r h o m e m a d e c o m p o n e nt s )

Holscher and others emphasize that the issue of gun violence is a nonpartisan cause, and that specific actions such as banning ghost guns are purely for keeping guns away from people incapable of handling them.

“The Johnson County District Attorney, Steve Howe, he is a second amendment [supporter] and pro-people-being-able-tohave-guns, but his posture is that the people [using] ghost guns that he’s had to deal with are ones that are not the most law-abiding people,” Woolen said.

Similar sentiments are echoed by Squires, who says that the bill isn’t an attack on gun ownership rights for the average citizen, but rather a piece of common-sense legislation keeping guns out of the hands of

young people.

“Most of the time, if you [ask] somebody, ‘Hey, do you think that a 15-year-old should be able to 3D print a gun in their basement?’ the answer is going to be no,” Squires said.

Despite the nonpartisan appeal made by these individuals, the bill is not expected to go very far in the near future, according to Squires. “[Holscher’s] bill is modeled after a similar one that was presented in Delaware, and that one got shut down pretty quickly by gun rights groups,” Squires said. “As they generally do with these types of bills, they don’t approve of it, because it’s ‘too restrictive.’”

Among these second amendment groups is the National Rifle Association, who has a prominent influence in state legislature according to Holscher.

“The NRA has a pretty tight grip on the legislature,” Holscher said. “They donate to several different campaigns. They also put out their ranking sheet at election time, and in the past, citizens of Kansas have paid attention to those rankings. Right now too, it is kind of tough because we still have a lot of legislators who will do what the NRA tells them, so they have been very unwilling to move things forward.”

In addition to backlash from conservative lawmakers and gun rights activists stalling the bill since its introduction into the senate, the fact that it was introduced later

AIMING FOR CHANGE

on in session makes it difficult to pass at the moment. Holscher remarks that it’s difficult to propose a bill like this so late into session.

In terms of general gun violence reform and action at East, Squires has worked to establish the Be SMART program, educating parents and students about proper gun safety and storage for gun owners.

“This isn’t something that Shawnee Mission East has heard about and just done nothing about. We have worked with Principal [Jason] Peres, and he’s been really great about getting the Be SMART program out there, which is about gun safety and storage, targeting parents and ensuring that they know how to safely secure their guns,” Squires said. “While this is really disheartening, know that East is doing something, we’re working towards change.”

Action that concerned East students can take, both Holscher and Squires say, is getting in contact with local lawmakers.

This can include staying up to date with local legislation being proposed, talking to lawmakers over the phone or email or even going to the Capitol to voice your concerns.

“Taking time to come over to the Capitol [is crucial] because the NRA people come to the Capitol all the time and tell legislators to not vote for these bills,” Holscher said. “On the flip side, I do feel that legislators listen more intently to students in the long term, honestly.”

The steps needed to be in order to get the bill passed and where the bill currently is

STEP ONE

STEP TWO

STEP THREE

STEP FOUR

Introduced and drafted

Debated on the senate floor

Vote whether to pass the bill

Take action depending on verdict

NEWS 07

APRIL 11, 2022

design by maggie kissick photo by kate beaulieu art by natalie scholz

LACK OF LIFEGUARDS The lack of people wanting to be a lifeguard this summer is causing a lifeguard shortage for pools in the East area

by christian gooley

A

FTER TWO SUMMER of moderate pool hours due to not enough employees from COVID-19, pools face continuing those restrictions because of not enough lifeguard applicants.

According to the Shawnee Mission Post The City of Overland Park says it currently has only 100 applicants to fill 225 lifeguard positions to be completely staffed before opening for the season. If they are not able to get the rest of the applications, they will be forced to close pools for the summer — leaving local kids and parents worried about where they will hang out this summer and returning lifeguards now jobless.

The City of Shawnee is also reportedly short-staffed, needing 30 more lifeguards to staff the pools, according to the Shawnee Mission Post. The city has had to get “aggressive” with hiring this year, according to Aquatics Superintendent Sean Keenan in an interview with the Shawnee Mission Post.

Shawnee is offering $100 bonuses for lifeguard referrals along with a starting pay increase from $11 to $13 per hour in an attempt to attract high schoolers to their pool.

W E A R E O F F E R I N G a b o n u s fo r a nyo n e w h o re c r u i t s a f r i e n d a n d w e a re a l s o of fe r i n g a b o n u s fo r t ot a l h o u rs of w o r k MEGHAN BURUM Prairie Village Administrator Anticipating a lack of lifeguards, the City of Prairie has increased their hourly rate by $2 and lowered the minimum age to work from 16 to 15 years old. They expect to have no issues after raising their pay from $10 to $12 an hour, especially with the younger pool of potential hires.

According to Prairie Village Assistant City Administrator Meghan Burum, the city is not suffering from lifeguard shortages in 2022.

“We are offering a bonus for anyone who recruits a friend and we are also offering a bonus for total hours of work so at the end of the year, if you have worked a certain amount of hours

you will receive a bonus,” Meghan said.

The City of Mission also sees no problems, after raising their pay $2.50 more than it was last year. In an interview with the Shawnee Mission Post, Assistant City Administrator Emily Randall said it feels like everybody’s ready to get back.

After a talk with Vicky Tillery, the recreation supervisor, the City of Fairway reports having no trouble with lifeguard staffing after raising their pay and already having a lot of returning lifeguards.

Junior Kate Schirger who worked as a lifeguard at Kansas City Country Club last summer says the lack of employees made it so she had to work five days a week even after requesting to only work once or twice a week. She believes overscheduling is a recurring problem at the pool and was frustrated with management’s handling of the issue.

“There were times we had to leave the baby pool just unguarded due to the fact that we didn’t have enough people at work to cover it,” Schriger said.

Due to these experiences, Shirger will not be returning to the pool as a lifeguard this upcoming summer.

Sophomore Maren Adams chose not to show up at her job as a lifeguard several times last summer due to poor management and managers who were on drugs during the work day. She doesn’t think she will return this summer.

However, for Junior Ike Sheets, he found lifeguarding to be “the most fun he has had in a long time” and will be returning to his job at Fairway Pool. He specifically enjoyed spending time with his friends while still getting paid and would recommend working at Fairway to other East students. Still, he recognizes that every pool is a different environment.

“I enjoyed going to work every day, and if there was ever a day I was unable to work, there was always someone to cover my spot,” Sheets said.

Those interested in becoming a lifeguard and helping the lifeguard shortage may visit redcross.org to become certified to not only keep the pools safe but also to ensure they stay open for the summers.

AFFECTED BY THE SHORTAGE POSITIVELY AFFECTED I E N J OY E D G O I N G t o w o r k eve r y d a y a n d i f t h e re w a s eve r a d a y I w a s u n a b l e t o w o r k t h e re w a s a lw a y s s o m e o n e t o c ove r my s p ot IKE SHEETS JUNIOR

SHORTAGE STATS OP: 100 255 OPENINGS APPLICATIONS

will close if they don’t fill spots

PV:

10 - 12

AN HOUR increased pay to attract applicants

East students who worked as lifguards share whether they were positively or negatively influenced by the recent shortage

NEGATIVELY AFFECTED THERE WERE TIMES we had to l e a ve t h e b a by p o o l j u st u n g u a rd e d d u e t o t h e fa c t t h a t w e d i d n ’ t h a ve e n o u g h p e o p l e a t w o r k t o c ove r i t KATE SCHIRGER JUNIOR

08 OPINION

THE HARBINGER

design by sophie lindberg

OPINION HIGHLIGHTS A look into student opinions and the opinion section

EASTER FEVER FAVORITE EASTER ACTIVITIES

A compilation of the highest-voted holiday favorites from our Instagram

ARE YOUR EASTER TRADITIONS PERMANENTLY CHANGED AFTER COVID?

N O

* I n st a g ra m q u e s t i o n w i t h 9 vo t e s

decorating Easter eggs

N Y O E S

* I n s t a g ra m q u e s t i o n w i t h 1 4 9 vo t e s

DID YOU HAVE TO ADAPT YOUR EASTER TRADITIONS AFTER COVID? * I n s t a g ra m q u e s t i o n w i t h 1 4 2 vo t e s

8%

lamb-shaped cake brunch

92%

Easter egg hunt

39% Y E S

S

61%

E

Opinionated tweets from this week

K

IN TWEETS 4/3/22

WA I T I N G F O R T H E — H O M O P H O B E S TO S TA RT W H I N I N G T H AT O R E O I S N OW “ R U I N E D ” A N D “ TA I N T E D ” L M AO # L I F E L O N G A L LY

4/4/22

4/4/22

TA K E O U R P O L L S @smeharbinger

Follow us on social media to participate in the polls

@smeharbinger

@smeharbie

NO

43%

YES

30%

NO

70%

D S

T

FARVA KC

57%

* I n s t a g ra m p o l l of 2 0 2 vo t e s

U

C U E W H I T E A M E R I C A B E I N G U P S E T B Y T H E N AT I O N A L A N T H E M F O R T H E N C A A M E N ’ S C O L L E G E B A S K E T B A L L C H A M P I O N S H I P.

YES

DO YOU EVER WEAR DRESSES THAT YOU PURCHASE FOR DANCES AFTER THE DANCE ITSELF?

E

LU0KAI

T A

TI5QU4NTUM

* I n s t a g ra m p o l l of 1 74 vo t e s

T

W H E N I T E L L YO U T H AT I T E A R E D U P W H E N I S AW @ B I L L I E E I L I S H W E A R I N G A @ TAY L O R H AW K I N S T- S H I RT AT H E R # G R A M M Y S P E R F O R M A N C E . W H AT A QU E E N ! R I P K I N G H AW K I N S .

DO YOU EXPERIENCE HYPERFIXATIONS OFTEN?

N

T HIS WE E K

East students’ thoughts relating to this issue’s opinion section

HAS COMMUNICATION THROUGH PHONES AFFECTED YOUR IN-PERSON COMMUNICATION ABILITY? * I n s t a g ra m p o l l of 2 1 5 vo t e s

YES

57%

NO

43%

OPINION 09

APRIL 11, 2022 design by nora lynn

photos by rachel condon

UPGRADE BY G N I L C Y UP C

BLAKELY TURNED THIS OLD DRESS...

c loth e s u y in g n e w b y ll a u n ti n o n ey o n c o yc le , th ri ft , Wa isti n g m in st e a d u p c ld u o c u yo when is p o intl e ss o r d o n a te

by blakely faul kn er

E INTO THIS NEW TOP AND SKIRT

NEED SOME IDEAS FOR A ?

NEW CLOSET

Suggestions for how you can start upcycling clothes

1

CROPPING

Cropping is one of the easiest ways to make an old shirt a fresh start

3

T-SHIRT DRESSES

5

TAKE GRAPHIC DESIGN

Cropping is one of the easiest ways to make an old shirt a fresh start

2

PATCH WORK

Cover up old holes in your jeans with your style of patches or fabric

4

MIX AND MATCH FABRIC

Have two similar items that you don’t wear?

Cut them in half and mix

Sign up for Graphic Design here at East and learn how to make your own graphic T-Shirt

VERY TIME A school dance comes

around, I guiltily scour the internet to pick out a new $100 dress. While it feels good to be wearing something stylish and in-season, I always struggle with the thought of what to do with the dress afterwards. It’s a down right waste to spend so much money on a dress that I’ll only wear for a few hours. Opening my closet to my already-growing collection of lightly-used dresses is kind of startling, and I’m only a freshman.

I decided to try out upcycling — the art of turning old clothes into something new. After doing some research I found that upcycling is a positive way to spice up your old dresses in an affordable way.

Every high schooler should be looking into upcycling clothes in order to keep a sustainable closet when you’re done with any certain wardrobe item.

In addition to being affordable, upcycling is also eco-friendly by putting items that would have otherwise be left to landfill to good use. Plus, you’re not buying into fast fashion brands. Upcycling wouldn’t only allow for a new, original dress, but could help get your friends to upcycle and trading dresses would save money.

Is this really the best part? I’d think it’s knowing you’re giving back to the environment. Not to mention, you will have the most unique dresses that aren’t available on any popular sites. This prevents the trend of just forgetting about your dress after you wear it once.

A fun way you can prevent your friend group all buying new dresses, host a clothing swap. Clothing swapping is a great way to receive clothes without spending any money while also getting rid of your unwanted items. This is also great if you’re not big on crafts and don’t want to go through the effort of upcycling.

You’ll be able to get rid of your unwanted

clothes while also adding new ones to your wardrobe, a total win-win. I mean who doesn’t want to go shopping for free?

Thrifting is another great way to find your new dresses without spending your whole paycheck. I always feel guilty after buying an expensive dress because it feels so stupid to spend that much money on just one event. I’ve found a love for thrifting because I spend less money while shopping when I purchase clothes second hand. You may just find your perfect dress after a little sifting through the clothing racks. Plus your purchase will be completely guilt-free.

E V E RY H I G H S C H O O L E R s h o u l d b e l o o k i n g i nt o u p c y c l i n g c l o t h e s i n o rd e r t o ke e p a s u st a i n a b l e c l o s et w h e n yo u ’ re d o n e w i t h a ny c e r t a i n w a rd ro b e i t e m .

Another great way to encourage buying second hand and upcycling is donating locally. Although donating your old dresses doesn’t necessarily have any personal gain, it feels good knowing someone else will appreciate the piece the same way you did. Think about how thrilled someone will be to have a new dress that otherwise would have been sitting under your bed for years. Some locations to donate to nearby are One Warm Coat, Planet Aid, Goodwill, The Salvation Army or Kansas City’s local women’s shelters.

After hearing all these easy and fun ideas, it would be a shame to continue wasting your money. It’s that easy to prevent your old dresses from going to waste. Don’t let your sophomore homecoming dress stay shoved in the back of your closet — Give your dresses that second life.

10 OPINION

THE HARBINGER

design by maggie condon

HYPERFIXATIONS HARM While to some people hyperfixations seem like a positive way to have knowledge in many different areas, they are actually very harmful

THE

EFFECTS: The positive and negative impacts of hyperfixations *according to oxford.com

individual.

Hyperfixation can look like a teenager being so engrossed in a task that they can’t hear their friend right next to them call their own name. It can look like a person of any generation being so interested in one topic that they push off everything just to learn about it.

This might sound great — hyperfixation is sometimes known as the “superpower” of ADHD/Autism. Why would anyone not want to have this motivation to learn something new, or to relearn something old? The reality of hyperfixations is that they can be extremely detrimental to the individual they latch onto.

I’ve hyperfixated on incomparable topics: Watching “I, Tonya’’ multiple times a day, only talking about astrology for three months, explaining Dissociative Identity Disorder to my friends for five car rides in a row and focusing almost all of my media intake on the same commentator for a year.

These are all hyperfixations that I’ve lost.

And while I could give you a detailed summary on each of these topics — and believe me, I have — I don’t necessarily want to. After dedicating such a large portion of my media consumption to these interests, at one point or another they all of the sudden left the forefront of my

used o n e for me

brain. It can feel like an immense waste of my time when I do absolutely nothing with the information I’ve learned.

Throughout my life, I’ve the intense consumption of topic as a coping mechanism to escape from reality. In the

T H R O U G H O U T M Y L I F E , I ’ ve u s e d t h e i n t e n s e c o n s u m p t i o n of o n e t o p i c a s a c o p i n g m e c h a n i s m fo r m e t o e s c a p e f ro m re a l i t y . I n t h e m o m e nt , i t ’s a n e s c a p e , b u t o n c e t h e f i xa t i o n i s g o n e i t ’s l i ke b e i n g h i t w i t h t h e re a l i za t i o n of yo u r s u r ro u n d i n g s . moment, it’s an escape, but once the fixation is gone it’s like being hit with the realization of your surroundings.

The feeling of emptiness when they seem to suddenly perish is indescribable. It’s left me for days questioning myself, my personality and my interests. I don’t even know why they suddenly leave, and I probably never will.

INT E NS E DE P T H O F FO C US IN E X AUH ST I B L E E NE RGY AB I L I T Y TO C O NSTA NT LY I MP ROV E ON E G ROWS ST RO NG I N T H E I R FI E L D HY P E R F I X AT I O N U S UA L LY RE VO LV E S A R O U N D S O M E T H I N G T H E I NDUV I DUA L E NJOYS

N E GAT I V E S

I

POSITIVES

by caroline gould T’S AN ENDLESS, vicious cycle — you’re introduced to a topic and eventually spend every waking moment thinking about or consuming information about that topic. Then one day you suddenly wake up from the daze and it’s gone, leaving an empty pit inside your brain. The cycle of hyperfixation can span from a few days to a few years.

A hyperfixation is the intense focus on one thing with the exclusion of everything else, according to Oxford Specialist Tutors. While almost everyone has experienced bouts of hyperfocus in their lives, people with ADHD, schizophrenia or those who are on the Autism Spectrum are more likely to experience hyperfixation than neurotypical people.

There’s no perfect answer as to why people hyperfixate in the degrading ways they do or why some neurotypical people can hyperfixate as well. The research in this field is severely lacking, with hyperfocus even being glossed over in the DSM-IV, the manual that provides the framework for classifying disorders, according to Vast Diversity. This leaves many who experience hyperfixations confused as to why they can feel depression when they slip away, or why they even felt too connected to a random topic in the first place.

This lack of research could be due to how different the state of hyperfocus is for each

Hyperfixations have left me to sit staring at the Google Form asking me to decide on one topic for many extended research essays, after I’ve thought about my interests and realized that they’re no longer turning the levers in my brain.

They can be degrading to personalities to say the least — as when they leave, you feel like nobody but a blank slate — but they can also be dangerously obsessive. Oftentimes, hyperfixations land on celebrities or internet personalities such as YouTubers, streamers or influencers — causing an extreme tie to a dynamic person. This is what can lead to toxic fandoms online, feeling a pain in the chest when someone makes fun of the personality you’re fixated on and can lead to depression or anxiety when said person inevitably makes a mistake.

Don’t get me wrong — hyperfixations can be positive at times, providing a platform to learn for types of people that can often struggle with focus. However, what can be portrayed as a “super power” has the potential to damage the person which the hyperfixation feeds on.

ST E M F R O M A N E GAT I V E P L AC E D ISTR ACTS F R OM R EA L ITY C U TS OF F OTH ER R ESPON SA BIL ITIES I T B E C O M E S D I F F I C U LT TO P L A N A N D C A R RYOU T ACTIV ITIES I T IS EA SY TO LOSE TR AC K OF TIM E

OPINION 11

APRIL 11, 2022

DIS conNECTED

design by anna mitchell

Our phones have greatly damaged our communication skills and we depend on conversations behind a screen

lunch, we immediately unloaded our complaints about our latest assignments, disrespectful classmates and overloaded schedules. We talked for less than five minutes before our table immediately went silent. We all reached for our phones and disconnected ourselves from the school around us.

While cell phones give us the ability to communicate wherever and whenever, they also negatively affect our communication skills and in-person interactions. For many of us, the years we were supposed to start learning in-person communication were spent communicating over texts or Snapchats which made it hard to pick up on some of the social cues our generation is missing.

We’re all guilty of it — abandoning a meaningful conversation with our friends the split-second we get a notification that our favorite influencer just posted or someone finally Snapped us back.

According to the Pew Research Center, 89% of cell phone owners say they used their cell phones during their most recent

conversation. This five-second glance at your screen can single-handedly diminish the conversation you’re having as it sends signals to the person you’re talking to that you’re no longer interested.

An easy way to improve your conversations is to simply put your phone somewhere it isn’t in your grasp. Americans check their phones 96 times a day – that’s once about every 10 minutes, according to research by Asursion.

Each buzz that follows with a notification makes you even more inclined to reach and check your phone. By putting it somewhere you can’t instantly reach for it or hear it, you lighten the urge to constantly check it or glance at it.

But, even if you do stay off your phone in conversations, our communication skills can still lack in other areas. We’ve grown too comfortable with the emotionless text conversation filled with things like “omg,” “idk” or streams of emojis.

If conversation gets dry, we can simply send a funny TikTok to set the mood or straight-up choose to not respond. Inperson, when the conversation begins

! ALERT CELL PHONE FACTS

characteristic of Gen Z., later on in life when applying for jobs and being interviewed, good communication skills are vital to succeed.

Communication skills are the most important aspect when getting an interview for colleges, jobs or internships. According to International Business Machines Corporations, having a positive interview makes you 38% more likely to get a job offer.

Oftentimes, our generation struggles with these since over text we can take as much time as we need to respond to questions.

Similarly, if you’re having a conversation with your boss and can’t resist the urge to check what text just came through, the conversation won’t simply fizzle as it does with your friends. Many bosses would give consequences or at least think less of the employee if they were checking their phone constantly during a conversation.

Luckily, communication skills are continuously developing throughout your life, so you can redeem yourself from the communication flaws your phone has taken from you.

ES PER DAY RAGE PERSO E M I V N T 0 EA CH 15 TH E E CK TEXTS ARE R RECIEVING S THEIR PHON R OF E E AD T % AF 90 WI THI NS I AGE PERSO R M E N THREE V NS TH N EA O H EN T DS RM PHONE 763 TEXTS PE A WN O 94 %O NS PER DAY F AMERICA ENT S RE OV A S ER 6 MIL TEXT *according

ach.com

to mobileco

Facts and stats about phones and communication with them

to fade, our generation struggles more to keep the conversation going because we’ve gotten used to being able to do these things over text, according to an article by GoodTherapy.

Our dependence on text conversations has also caused us to struggle with life skills we’re expected to have, such as promptly responding to questions. When we get a text from someone asking a question and we aren’t completely sure how to answer, we have the ability to ignore it until we have our answer. Because we can do this over text, we don’t develop the skill to answer unexpected questions quickly.

When I have a missing assignment in a class, I’ll type up a quick email to my teacher to avoid a face-to-face conversation.

Whenever there’s drama in a friend group, most of it takes place in the group chat and not in-person. Even breaking up with someone feels less awkward when doing so over text instead of having to tell the person face-to-face. It’s easy to hide from difficult things through a phone.

While these things may not seem as big of a deal now since this has become a

HAS COMMUNICATION THROUGH PHONES AFFECTED YOUR IN PERSON COMMUNICATION ABILITY?

54% 46% NO

A

YE S

by emmerson winfrey S MY FRIENDS and I sat down to eat

* from an Instagram poll of 299 students

12 PHOTOSTORY design by maggie merckens

THE HARBINGER

Ward Parkway Chick-Fil-A hosts a competition between SME and Rockhurst in honor of Daniel “Doc” Connelly to raise money for CASA

A B O V E The chec k fo r t h e CASA organiza t i o n wa s presented during h a lf t i m e to John Breneman ( m i d d le ) and Ryan Mc L a u g h l i n ( right), family f r i e n d s of Daniel Connelly, by Wa rd Parkway Chick-Fil-A ow n e rs Forrest and Leslie Sw yd e n .

Roc khurst was the w i n n i n g team, raising t h e m o st money toward s C A S A , during the Ch i c k - F i l - A com p et i t i o n .

PHOTO BY KATE BEAULIEU

SCAN ME PHOTO

Use this QR code t o p u rc h a s e p h o t o s f ro m t h i s eve n t o n h a r b i e p h ot o

A B O V E S o p h o m o re M i a R i s c ova l lez s i t s a t a ta b le i n C h i c k - F i l - A a s ow n e r L e s l i e Sw yd e n b r i n g s h e r fo o d . “ I t wa s a re a l ly f u n c o m p et i t i o n b et we e n b ot h s c h o o ls a n d i t g a ve m e a n exc u s e to g o to C h i c k - f i l - A m o re , ” s a i d R i s c ova l lez .

PHOTO BY LIV MADDEN

M I D D L E R I G H T F re s h m a n M a re n D i c ke rs o n a n d H e le n J o n e s o rd e r C h i c k - f i l - A i n h o p e s to b r i n g u p t h e tota l fo r S M E . “ E ve n t h o u g h i t d i d n ’ t s e e m l i ke I wa s m a k i n g m u c h of a n i m p a ct a t t h e t i m e , i t fe lt g o o d k n ow i n g I wa s c o nt r i b u t i n g to E a st ’s tota l i n t h e e n d , ” s a i d J o n e s .

PHOTO BY CLARA PETERS

A B O V E Customers wa i t i n line to order a t t h e Chick-Fil-A c o u nter.

PHOTO BY LIV MADDEN

T O P R I G H T The competition lasted from Monday, March 28 at 6:30 a.m. to Thursday, March 31 at 3:30 p,m. The final score was 613 to 406, with Rockhurst winning.

PHOTO BY LIV MADDEN

B RI N G I N T H I S A D TO R EC E I V E 1 0% O FF

T EA - R EX

5 8 32 J o h n so n D r i ve M i s s i o n , KS 6 6 2 02

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14 FEATURE

THE HARBINGER

design by katie murphy

FEATURE HIGHLIGHTS T H I S W E E K I N P H OTO S

A look into student life at East

THIS WEEK’S WINNER: ISABEL B A L DA S S A R O FRESHMAN

BOTTOM LEFT Freshman S m i t h McKinney looks thro u g h the Harbinger a t h i s classmates in Bio log y PHOTO BY CLARA PETERS

G AV E A F R I E N D A P A C K OF CELSIUS AS AN UNEXPECTED PRESENT

RUNNERS UP:

BOTTOM RIGHT Junior Evie Rod g e rs laughs at her frie n d ’s joke while eat i n g a sandwich for lu n c h d uring social skills c la s s .

PHOTO BY CAROLINE MARTUCCI

ASHLEY GA RV E R I C K SENIOR

F E AT U R E D U N I Q U E TA L E N T Sophomore Maddie Doyle is a certified scuba diver who dives on family vacations WHEN DID YOU LEARN HOW TO SCUBA DIVE? My entire family went and got certified in 2019 at the Shawnee Mission Dive Shop. It was two days long. We didn’t get to use it until for a little because of COVID-19. My parents have always wanted to scuba dive.

WHERE HAVE YOU SCUBA DIVED? Turks and Caicos. I feel like that wasn’t the best place to start scuba diving, because it’s just so pretty and nothing can live up to it. We’ve scuba dived in Florida twice. We did a shore dive where you have to carry all your air tank and your gauges and know

CERTIFIED SCUBA DIVER

*in partnership with Homegrown Kitchen Be chosen for doing an act of kindness to be awarded a gift card from Homegrown Kitchen — nominations via Instagram poll.

TOP Seniors Ge rs o n Cardona, Noah M a r t i n and Alexis He r b i g collaborate on t h e i r project for govern m e nt cla s s .

PHOTO BY CLARA PETERS

MADDIE D OY L E

A CT S O F K I N D N E S S

how to use each one. To practice, one day the instructors turned off our air without telling us. So suddenly, I was just underwater, like at the very bottom of a giant pool with no air, and I was freaking out. But it was good practice for mitigation techniques.

M A D E H E R F R I E N D ’ S D AY B Y C A L L I N G H E R A “ R AY OF SUNSHINE”

GA R R E T T LOW R E Y JUNIOR HELD THE DOOR FOR A L L H I S C L A S S M AT E S WHO WERE CARRYING INSTRUMENTS

NICHOLAS LINDMARK SOPHOMORE H E L P E D A C L A S S M AT E W H O WA S H AV I N G C O M P U T E R ISSUES

HOME GROWN C h e c k o u t H o m e g ro w n K i t c h e n ’s menu and website to see what the local daytime eatery with t h re e l o c a t i o n s a ro u n d KC h a s t o of fe r

15 FEATURE

THE HARBINGER

design by lucy wolf photos from jordan johnston

HELPING THE

HOUSELESS

Following in his parents footsteps, senior Jordan Johnston has started up his own teen volunteering group in the hopes of sharing his passion of helping with others by sydney newton “JORDAN, WE KNOW it’s Christmas, but

do you want to come with us?”

Finishing up the last of his stuffing, then-freshman Jordan Johnston knew what his parents were asking. It was their weekly tradition to pass out supplies — from tents to food to clorox wipes— at homeless camps downtown.

But it was Christmas, so Jordan paused.

He couldn’t wait to play with his new Apple Homepod and he was exhausted from celebrating with his six cousins. But then he thought of huge smiles he’d see on the houseless people’s faces when they got a home-cooked meal and the hug he would get from his friend Jose — one of the houseless people who Jordan had connected with. The answer was easy.

“Of course.”

House•less A p e r s o n l a c k i n g o r i n n e e d of a h o u s e o r h o m e , w h i c h J o rd a n a n d h i s fa m i ly u s e b e c a u s e t h ey b e l i eve i t s a m o re re s p e c t f u l t e r m

Jordan knew he’d made the right decision the second he arrived and his eyes landed on Jose’s toothy grin and eye wrinkles. He received the big bear hug he longed for and couldn’t help but smile. It was his favorite time of the year.

“I just like being able to help people,” Jordan said. “It makes me feel proud. It gives me serotonin. Because I am making a difference. It may not be a big difference, but I’m still trying to do something good for the world.”

Jordan didn’t stop his volunteering there — he went again four days later. Since then, it’s become his Friday night routine

with his parents. Get home from school.

Pack Ziplock bags with beans, toothpaste, and toilet paper. Load the car and drive downtown, where they’ll pass out bags until 11 p.m. Even during holidays.

It’s a routine he now wants to share with others.

This summer, Jordan plans to start his own teen group inspired by his own parents’ volunteering— driving downtown with supplies and delivering them to houseless people. The idea to start one was always in the back of his mind, and after two years of planning, he feels ready to start it.

“I just can’t wait to share what I love with people,” Jordan said.

Jordan first began volunteering in eighth grade when his stepmom discovered Soup Home KC — a local organization that donates supplies to the homeless. In 2020, his parents decided to give back to the houseless on their own terms, so they created their own service group called “Camp Service.” It started with only 10 people from the Prairie Village Area, but has now expanded to 93 who Jordan goes out with every Friday night — instead of going to football games or parties.

Camp Service is what Jordan hopes to model his own organization after. Similar to his parents, Jordan plans to fund his charity group with donations. He wants to set up Amazon wishlists and Target registries so people can purchase items and ship them to him. All the money he receives will go toward buying more supplies and recruiting more people. He’s currently in the process of creating spreadsheets of the supplies he’ll need and planning their first trip, although

he hasn’t chosen a name yet.

Jordan recognizes that volunteering at houseless camps can sometimes be scary.

When Jordan first started driving out to donate supplies, a houseless woman on drugs grilled him with frantic questions, getting angrier and angrier — and Jordan didn’t get what she was saying. He had a panic attack and ran back to his car.

More recently, he watched his dad get punched while trying to break up a fight between two houseless people. Another time, he spent an hour walking through a forest at 9 p.m. trying to find a houseless camp with his parents. He still sees people strung out on drugs and alcohol everytime he goes out to volunteer.

But while Jordan recognizes the danger, it’s all worth it to him — and can be for others — because seeing the houseless people has made him more grateful for his own life. As an East student, Jordan notices other teens complaining about not having the new iPhone, having to complete Xello or still having soccer practice when it’s raining.

He believes that seeing people who barely have the chance to shower and feel lucky to own four T-shirts would give them a new appreciation for what they have. After all, that’s what happened to him.

“Before I started doing this, I never realized how blessed I was,” Jordan said. “I have a nice car, a roof over my house. I have clothes on my back, I have food in my belly.

And those people don’t. People tend to be materialistic, but seeing them gives you a new appreciation.”

Jordan’s friend, junior Charlie Kitten, isn’t surprised that Jordan wants to start a

volunteer group, and plans on participating.

Charlie’s always known Jordan to be caring.

It’s not uncommon for Jordan to spend half his paycheck on supplies like batteries and flashlights. Charlie believes Jordan’s compassionate mindset will help inspire others to give back to their community, and can’t wait to see what his group accomplishes.

“One time we were walking around on the Plaza, and we both had no money so we couldn’t buy anything,” Charlie said. “Then there was this houseless person. Jordan instantly went to an ATM and he withdrew $20 and gave it to the person. And that was almost all the money he had. That’s just who Jordan is. He cares about other people more than himself. That’s why his group is gonna be so successful.”

Jordan wasn’t sure about starting his group — he was scared about what others would think. Still, he knows it’s the right decision because he’ll get to share his passion with others. He wants to show his peers what it’s like to make a difference in their community — even if it’s small. He wants to give other teens the feeling he had that Christmas.

“If there’s something you want to do, or something you want to achieve, you just have to go out and do it,” Jordan said. “Life is about going out and being unique and being true to yourself. I’ve always had this thought in the back of my mind telling me to go out and do what I really wanted to do.

And now I’m finally making my dreams a reality.”

16 FEATURE

INSIDE THE

Gen Z has altered the meaning around tattoos to be a form of art to remember challenges in their lives, honor loved ones and reclaim their identities

9%

OF EAST STUDENTS H AV E A TAT T O O * A c c o rd i n g t o a n I n s t a g ra m p o l l of 3 6 3 vot e s

30%

O F A M E R I C A N S H AV E AT L E A S T O N E TAT TO O * A c c o rd i n g t o 2 0 1 9 I p s o s p o l l

by p eyton moore ITH A NEEDLE piercing her left rib cage,

W

senior Brooke Taylor wasn’t scared. She smiled at her tattoo artist as he drew over the stencil — a permanent reminder of her Aunt Cherri. Even though she was getting her first tattoo to honor her aunt’s survival of stage III breast cancer, her parents didn’t approve.

But their religious views and strict parenting couldn’t stop her now. She was 18.

“It was the first thing I did for myself,” Brooke said. “I finally felt like I could express myself.”

After the first three weeks, she stopped noticing the Bohemian vine draped on her rib when looking in the mirror. Instead of her usual slouch, she noticed herself standing taller, flaunting her newfound confidence and body in any swimsuit. When people ask ‘Why?’ Brooke explains that it’s dedicated to her Aunt Cheri and a symbol of her independence as a child.

But it’s not just that to her it’s so much more.

As part of the new outlets for self-expression that have stemmed from Generation Z’s openmindedness, body modification such as tattoos, piercings and stick-and-pokes have developed a new meaning to young adults — one that lies beyond the art itself.

To Brooke, the vine reminds her of gardening with her aunt as a child. But it’s also the same size and in the same place as her aunt’s surgical scar. When she looks at it, she doesn’t think about the pain that cancer struck on her family — she remembers how she grew independent living with her aunt and uncle as

HOW EAST SEE a child, and felt stuck artistically after moving back in with her parents as an adolescent, which led her to escape her parents’ outdated views on body art.

For years, scientists have conducted studies in an attempt to prove their ideas that tattooed individuals have characteristics relating to sensation-seeking and impulsivity.

But, the research has never matched up, according to licensed psychologist Mary Jane Harmless. In 2019, reports surveying members of Gen Z tried to place them into this box but found the majority didn’t fit. There were some connections found between the thrill-seeking tattoo junkie and the adrenaline rush from the needle’s pain, but nothing significant enough to show a link between these characteristics and Gen Z specifically.

I T WA S T H E f i rst t h i n g I d i d fo r my s e lf . I f i n a l ly fe lt l i ke I c o u l d ex p re s s my s e lf .

BROOKE TAYLOR

SENIOR

Dr. Harmless explains that humans have been modifying their bodies since prehistoric times. The art form has transformed from a way to conform to a group as a marine, criminal or circus performer to more of an individualized artistic expression — something to honor personal journeys or remember a loved one. Researchers have reverted back to an individuals’ personal reasoning on why one might get a tattoo, according to Dr. Harmless.

“We see everything from a little black heart on your thigh to a whole sleeve of detailed art that represents a series of events in one’s life,” Dr. Harmless said. “Their bodies become a map in that way. A personal map detailing their interests, pasts and passions.”

East parent and retired tattoo artist Ben Comes explains that this generational trend had deeper roots. In the early 2000s, Comes found that athletes and music stars modifying their bodies with piercings and tattoos altered the stigma that characterized tattooed individuals as ex-cons or part of the military.

“Once successful people started getting [tattoo] work done, the younger people must think their lives are pretty OK,” Comes said.

“All of a sudden it was a sign of success.”

Tattoos have historically been viewed as unprofessional or irresponsible by employers, according to Comes.

Now, since the stigma has been slightly modified with Gen Z, the majority of workplaces no longer have the option to reject tattooed individuals as over a quarter of the US population has a tattoo, according to historyoftattoos.net. Comes found that this surgence in the art form brought a younger demographic into tattoo parlors as they no longer had to fear rejection from most jobs due to a visible tattoo.

Working in Corinth Elementary’s afterschool childcare program, senior June Hyde was always scared of the possible judgment from kids and parents for having tattoos covering her arms, legs and chest. Working in the

childcare industry with pink hair and over 30 tattoos as a 17 year old was a little daunting, but she soon realized the kids could care less — they don’t judge. Going into Elementary Education at KU, June sees herself in childcare in the future.

“It’s like my body is covered with stickers you find at a toy store so, if anything, I should add this to my resume,” June said.

June has been giving herself stick-andpoke tattoos for four years now. For June, the physical action of adding “art” (tattoos) to her “canvas” (her body) is what matters.

The design or image — whether a pickle jar, sparkles or a magic wand — is not meant to represent something huge or monumental, but rather to create a connection with her body in the moment. June has an extensive “sticker collection.” Not because she’s in love with the adrenaline rush from a needle and ink, but because it’s a form of self care.

Each time June puts on plastic gloves and inserts the ink-covered needle at a 45-degree angle into her skin, sometimes tracing an outline and sometimes completely freehanding, June is transforming her body into something she can better identify with.

The blank canvas of June’s body has never felt like her own — through seven years of gender dysphoria, transitioning and detransitioning — these tiny, self-drawn designs have slowly allowed June to gain a sense of who she is as a person, and helped to explore

APRIL 11, 2022

design & art by francesca stamati

g f n s

DO YOU THINK TATTOOS ARE A SIGN OF A PERSON BEING AGGRESSIVE OR UNINTELLIGENT?

DO YOU WANT TO GET A TATTOO EVENTUALLY? * I n st a g ra m p o l l of 3 5 2 vot e s

* I n st a g ra m p o l l of 3 69 vot e s

61%

39%

5%

95%

YES

NO

YES

NO

ES TATS her gender.

“The experience of being in a body that is very incongruent to my identity made it hard for me to see my body as my own,” June said.

“Now in the gray area, it’s still very hard for me to feel connected to my body if it’s blank.

I started by dying my hair and painting my nails, then stick-and-pokes. It was super grounding to feel like my body was actually mine and the tattoos were a way that I could be brought back into my body.”

Ask June what the equal sign between her fingers means, and she’ll explain that the uneven, faded lines on her left middle finger are a constant reminder that she’s equal to her peers surrounding her. She told her mom the meaning one day, and it brought her to tears.

The next May, on Mothers Day, June gave her mom the chance to feel equal — giving her a matching tattoo in the same spot.

Art is a form of overall connection, allowing oneself to feel connected to a person, place or event. According to phys.org, tattoos can provide an anchor that helps satisfy a need for stability, predictability, permanence and identity.

For some, the permanence of tattoos is what urged them to get into the parlor. Senior Maggie Merckens had always loved tattoos and knew she’d get one eventually, but it took years to find the right one. One that inspired her. One that spoke volumes about her character and allowed her to tell her personal life story. While backpacking on Kesugi Ridge in Denali State Park, Alaska this past summer,

she found it.

Maggie was walking five to eight miles a day with a 40-pound pack filled with food, clothes and camping equipment dragging her down, in a group of boys twice her size. Almost every day, Maggie felt like she was at a breaking point. She couldn’t catch her breath. Each day she came up with a new excuse, a new way of phrasing “I can’t do it,” “I’m weak,” “I’ll never make it.”

I T ’ S A W H O L E d i f fe re n t ex p e r i e n c e t o b e a b l e t o p u t s o m e t h i n g o n yo u r b o d y t h a t yo u fe e l c o n n e c t e d t o . I t ’s a l s o a g o o d ex p re s s i o n of h o w I v i e w my s e lf a n t h e t h i n g s t h a t I w a n t t o fo c u s o n i n my l i fe .

JANE THIEDE

SENIOR

Still, she persisted. She hiked the eight miles every day for five days and woke up at 6 a.m. the next morning staring at Denali Mountain, ready to go again.

She transformed her perspective from the girl of countless “I can’t do it’s” to being comfortable with the uncomfortable.

“I finally accepted that my body is strong enough to basically do anything,” Maggie said. “My whole mindset surrounding life and hard things changed as I learned that I was mentally and physically strong enough to do anything. I feel like I became my truest self in

Alaska and when I came back I wanted to keep that mentality with me.”

Maggie walked into the Gold Cathedral tattoo parlor three months later and walked out with Denali Mountain tattooed onto her left rib cage. She finally found her tattoo, the one that told her story, the one that spoke to her initiative.

Hundreds of high schoolers like Merckens have gotten tattoos. According to pubmed. gov, 27% of students have body piercings and 8% have tattoos, totalling to over a fourth of the demographic.

Senior Erin Hansen explains that this new idea surrounding body modification should be somewhat credited to Gen Z and their welcoming view on life.

“My mom is a Gen X’er, and she explained that our generation has opened the viewpoint for many older generations to be more open to loving your body and expressing yourself,” Hansen said. “Our generation doesn’t really care what we see, we care about their personality and what’s on the inside. Whereas older generations see tattoos as almost taboo and like it was the vision of an irresponsible or bad person, but Gen Z is very inclusive and see it more as a form of art and self-expression rather than judging it.”

According to Dr. Harmless, this tiny step toward inclusion has been accomplished by simply opening the conversation about one’s tattoos, revealing personal stories. Junior Laney Rupp finds that just the little reminder to be positive located on her left ankle can get

her through a day.

“I usually sit criss-crossed,” Laney said.

“So in English class, when I look down or drop my pencil, I see [a smiley face] and even that quick reminder to be positive and happy can do so much.”

For senior Jane Thiede, that’s all it takes — a simple reminder. Tattooed on her wrist is the “angel number” 333 — a spiritual sign that represents healing and guidance. When she looks down at her wrist, Jane can see the numbers for their spiritual meaning, but she also sees her friend Olivia Piotrowski who passed away last August.

Three was Olivia’s lucky number.

“It’s a whole different experience to be able to put something on your body that you feel connected to,” Jane said. “It’s also a good expression of how I view myself and the things that I want to focus on in my life.”

These body modifications are not only a small reminder to stay positive, but a way for teens to connect to themselves, their peers and their loved ones. For these students, the idea of permanent art on their bodies allowed for an anchor in their lives — an anchor to their body. Despite the fact that this art form can mean countless different things for an individual, they all give students the chance to connect to their body as a form of self expression.

18 FEATURE

THE HARBINGER

design by sofia blades

STAR STRUCK Chemistry teacher Susan Hallstrom explored her passion for science beyond the classroom at a Nasa interniship in 2010

by ces ca stamat i “SO, WHAT ARE you here for?” An older

man eyed chemistry teacher Susan Hallstrom at NASA’s Langley Research Center in Virginia. She explained she was interning in the environmental department, asking him the same question.

“I’m the laser guy.”

“The laser guy of what?” she asked.

“The laser guy of the world.”

He wasn’t kidding. Over the two months Hallstrom spent working at NASA in 2010, she met genius after genius, all leaders in their fields who were improving the world in their own ways.

And Hallstrom said she was lucky to get a glimpse of their work.

With the environmental scientists, she looked at particulates in the atmosphere to track pollution and ozone depletion. In an ongoing collection of environmental data — the kind of information used to make “what-if” models of fossil fuel consumption — Hallstrom was one of the lab coats facilitating the process.

All it took was an application, some rec letters and a thorough background check, and she could spend two months with masters of STEM. The cutting-edge devices and intelligent workers of NASA helped Hallstrom keep her passion strong while teaching at SM Northwest. She’d wanted to get her certificate in STEM Education for the NASA Endeavor Fellowship, a program that offers classes and study opportunities to 50 applicants each year. At the time, she was the sole NASA Endeavor Fellow from Kansas that the program had ever chosen.

“It sounded like it would be fun, and I knew I could get the internship,” Hallstrom said. “Every once in a while, I need to do something outside of school so I can keep my enthusiasm level high. To keep excited. And doing something like [the NASA internship] really helps my

excitement.”

Whether she was working in the lab or the field, Hallstrom was stunned by

I T WA S A L M O S T intimidating, because these people were so brilliant that it was tough to even carry on conversations with some of them,” SUSAN HALLSTROM SCIENCE TEACHER what her peers could accomplish. Outside the facility, she helped them use weather balloons, lasers and photo arrays to collect data on particulates — microscopic matter found in the atmosphere that can be inhaled. In the lab, they’d analyze the data — though she left most of that to the NASA experts who worked there full time.

“We’d look at particulates and people who were much smarter and mathematical than me would look at the

E=MC relationships between those particulates,” Hallstrom said.

She was the only intern in her group and felt nowhere near as qualified.

Hallstrom realized just how much NASA employees lived up to their name at weekly social gatherings — which were mandatory, since the STEM employees usually preferred work over talk.

“It was almost intimidating, because these people were so brilliant that it was tough to even carry on conversations with some of them,” Hallstrom said.

Still, working with so many geniuses was eyeopening.

Hallstrom finally understood the importance of funding scientific research and technology.

“I was one of those people that wondered, ‘why are we putting all this money into NASA?’”

2

Hal l s t ro m said. “And I met the people who were working there, who were leaders in their field. I realized that if we didn’t provide them an opportunity to work at a really good job in the United States, they were going to go work for somebody else and that expertise would leave us. These are people who are experts in weapons, experts in space travel, experts in things that I had never even thought about.”

A few days after she met “laser guy,” he brought her to the laser department — which required special clearance, a military escort and the vacuuming of her clothes to remove dust particles. The building was giant, covered by computers and topped with a ceiling that could open and shut for laser beams to blast out.

It was awesome.

And what did the lasers look like?

Nothing. She had to peek at computer screens to witness the pulse of the red streaks that aimed to reach satellites thousands of miles away. But she loved getting to see the “cool stuff” anyway.

She loved learning at NASA so much that she continued trying to grow her love of science outside the classroom.

Since then, she’s worked a summer at the University of Kansas doing a Research Experiences for Teachers program doing analytical techniques for biofuel products for a summer. Right now, she’s making videos solving chemistry problems for textbooks to be used in highlevel chemistry classes. From these opportunities and the experts they introduced her to, she’s explored both her passion and view on the world of science outside of room 402.

FEATURE 19

APRIL 11, 2022 design by nora lynn art by talie sholz

A FA MILY

FOUNDATION The Sherman Family Foundation is an organization run by a family of teachers that focuses on the importance of education in Kansas City

CROSSROADS ACADEMY

CCVI CRISTO REY

by addie moore LARING FROM ACROSS the table,

G

East parent and Executive Director of the Sherman Family Foundation Joe Allen dove into the topic of teacher pipelines with his co-workers — his wife and in-laws.

Should teachers be required to go to a four-year college? What are other ways teachers can get certified? What can we do to help low-income students?

He lost his train of thought as he felt a tap on his shoulder.

“Hey dad, do you like the blue or white dress for prom?”

As his teenage daughter asked him for his advice, their waiter headed to the table at Jalapenos in Brookside, Missouri. Joe remembered that this was a family dinner, not a business meeting — they can discuss teacher pipelines later.

Weekly Jalapenos dinners are where the Allen and Sherman families have been discussing family matters from their shared foundation that supports inner-city schools to little league soccer games since 2006.

It can be hard to distinguish between family time and work time when all of your colleagues are your in-laws, according to Joe’s wife and Program Director Beth Allen.

That specific week, the topic of business

discussion was the teacher pipeline — training, deployment and retention of teachers. The foundation spends approximately $5 million annually funding inner-city schools and the teacher pipeline, ways for people to become teachers through college or alternative programs.

The family prides themselves on helping give back to the teaching community as both Beth and Joe, along with Beth’s sister, Amy, were all teachers in their past.

YO U S H O U L D H AV E t h e s a m e access to quality education, all c h i l d re n , a n d t h a t s h o u l d n ot b e d e p e n d e nt o n yo u r z i p code.

BETH ALLEN PROGRAM DIRECTOR “What an opportunity for two former educators to be able to try to move the needle to level the playing field for kids who otherwise it wouldn’t be level,” Joe said.

“There’s so many good people in Kansas City trying to do good work — that it’s really inspiring every day to meet and talk with all of those individuals.”

Along with the teacher pipeline, the

SCHOOLS THAT BENEFITED FROM THE

SHERMAN FAMILY FOUNDATION foundation provides grants for charter schools, early childhood and special education organizations, along with other teacher development programs in the area — awarding about 100 grants each year.

The grant money goes towards things like educating new teachers, tutoring and literacy programs and school building renovations.

The foundation was started by Beth’s sister, Marny and her husband John Sherman. When the foundation was created in 2006, they naturally turned to Beth and Joe for guidance because of their experience in the education field.

After their retirement, they both wanted to continue making a difference. They give advice to whom about if a school or nonprofit organization will use grant money in a beneficial way and whether the grant should be provided. “[Having Beth and Joe] really helps us to ask the right questions to the people requesting grants and to know if the programs will really work,” Marny said.

“They know everything from early childhood education up to senior year of high school.”

The main focus of the foundation is to provide equal opportunities for everyone,

particularly children living in poverty, people of color or children with special needs.

“You should have the same access to quality education, all children, and that should not be dependent on your zip code,” Beth said.

Marny, Beth, Amy, Joe and John are all on the board of directors for the foundation.

According to Joe, it’s difficult to keep work and home separate.

“You’re trying to make human life better for people who are vulnerable,” Joe said. “It’s hard to approach that in a purely logical, distant way. Sometimes it just carries over.”

They often find themselves changing the subject from debating who they wanted to win the next March Madness game to debating the budget for the next grant.

Working together for the foundation is a huge part of their lives, and they appreciate the special bonding opportunity the work provides.

“While it’s hard to make money, and it is, it’s harder to make a difference,” Beth said. “I think that we have the good fortune of feeling every day, is that we make a difference.”

20 FEATURE

THE HARBINGER

design by madeline funkey art by tallie sholtz photos by grace allen

SURVIVAL OF THE

by grace al len

FITTEST A recap of what has gone on so far in the senior spring water gun game, Assassins

GETTING HOME FROM an extra long spring break, senior Jackson Jacobs was excited to be reunited with his friends. He was slightly suspicious when his friend senior Blake Sowden invited him over to his house during school to “be in a video of his.” He chose to trust and required a simple screenshot of who the Newtons had sent Blake for his assassin.

According to Blake, this is where the trickery began.

“When I found out I had JJ, I knew I had to get the most creative kill of the year,”

Sowden said. “I knew that had to happen and I had three days to think about it because he was out of town.”

According to Jackson, it seemed like a safe idea.

After hanging out in Blake’s basement for a little while, Blake convinced Jackson to participate in a “trivia game.” He tied him up to a chair and garnished him with a sombrero, ensuring him all their friends had done it. What Jackson was forgetting was the number one rule to the game, “trust no one.”

SENIOR ELISE MADDEN opened a text from commissioner Sydney Newton getting her first target for the assassins game: senior Celia Condon. One of her best friends.

Elise knew hunting her down would be somewhat simple since she knew her schedule pretty well, but she wanted to make it memorable.

As Celia was tipped off that her friend, Madeline, had her for assassins, Elise wasn’t a major threat to her — setting Elise up perfectly to eavesdrop in the Journalism backroom to hear what Celia was thinking.

Elise took this to her advantage, attempting to “kill” Celia at a Harbinger deadline in Celia’s own home. Lucky for Celia, she trusted no one and had DRES S E D TO I M P RESS her water gun ready when Elise jumped from the

E L I S E MADDEN

GOING INTO THE game with the sole goal of winning, it’s no surprise senior Kendall Beach has the highest kill streak by the second round of assassins.

Starting with her first target, senior Krissy Rubesch, Kendall took her out by convincing Rubesch that she would help her get her target, putting Beach with both her target, and her next target if she eliminated Rubesch successfully.

They showed up at Hen House where Kendall “sneak attacked” both Krissy and her next target, senior Emma Lee. “I did a double kill at the same time and

I

T’S BACK. 213 seniors have each paid $10 to play in an intense, month-long water gun battle in hopes of a whopping $1,050 pot.

Second and third place winners receive $420 and $315 respectively. The person with the most kills gets $105.

Run by seniors Spencer and Sydney Newton, the game begins with every player receiving their first target and one week to get them out, all while dodging whoever has them. To get their target, they have to in some way get their target wet, eliminating

At this point, he was slightly suspicious but still trusted that Blake was not his assassin.

Jackson’s eyes dropped as Blake pulled out his water gun and squirted his friend — game over for Jackson. According to Jackson, the sombrero was the icing on the cake.

Blake said that Jackson took the kill well, dapping him up after being untied from the chair, and the pair continued to hang out for the rest of the day.

&

BLAKE JACKSON

M OST C REATI VE ELI M I N ATI ON

bathroom door.

What happened next? War. It was a full-fledged shoot-out, water spraying everywhere and the jaws of their co-editors dropped in shock.

Elise was revealed as Celia’s target. Game on.

Elise knew that Celia was working the next day — the perfect opportunity. But she couldn’t show up looking like herself, it was too obvious.

“I put on a disguise,” Elise said. “I found a wig in my basement, a hat and shirt that was my dad’s and a coat that was also my dads and pants that were part of one of my dance costumes and stuffed my shirt to make [me] look even more not like myself.”

Water gun stuffed in the inside pocket of her coat, Elise dressed as an elderly man sat outside

I felt bad,” Kendall said. “But it’s the game, it’s how it goes.”

She was planning on being done with her kill streak after her double kill, but when she ran into her next target at a party, her plans changed.

Kendall’s next target was already prepared and had threatened to shoot her for an hour grace period the moment she had come down the stairs to the party, but Kendall convinced her into putting the water gun down by telling her target she wasn’t going to get her.

“I wasn’t planning on killing her but I

them from the game. School properties and places of work, while clocked in, are off-limits, making it harder for players to attain their targets — but everywhere else is fair game.

After two rounds, only 23 remain.

This year’s game has seen everything, from betrayal to rivalry to some of the most incredible kills yet, according to the Newtons. Here’s a look at some of the most memorable kills this assassins season.

of Celia’s work for almost an hour waiting for the perfect time to strike.

“I waited on a bench kind of close to her car so that they couldn’t see who I was and I saw her coworkers come out and look around to see if they saw anyone but they didn’t see me,” Elise said.

Celia walked out of her work and there Elise was, standing at her car in the disguise, and immediately shot her with her water gun.

Elise said she didn’t think Celia had realized it was her at first, even after shooting her, but she quickly realized that it was her friend under the grandpa disguise.

Madden is still alive in the assassins game as of April 4th.

walked over to the counter to talk to [senior] Andy [Warren] and he told me he had a water gun for me to use and convinced me to shoot her so I walked up behind her while she was talking with a group of her friends and shot her,” Kendall said.

Her new target after that kill was senior Lucy Humphrey, who offered to Kendall to let her eliminate her from the game and gave her the idea to find her at work to get the kill.

Kendall feels like it’s been luck that’s taken her this far but has no intentions of getting out anytime soon.

KENDALL B E A C H H I G H E ST K I L L ST R E A K

21 A&E

THE HARBINGER

design by caroline wood photos from Spotify, Amazon and IMDb

A&E HIGHLIGHTS Staffer reviews of new music and recent media releases

w rite r’s rev i ews

AS IT WAS song

Harry Styles

by mi a vogel

“

by greyson imm

TOP OF THE CHARTS” doesn’t come close

to measuring how truly wonderful this song

is.

Harry Styles released “As It Was,” the first single to his new album, “Harry’s House” on Friday, April 1 and I haven’t been the same since.

Styles evolves with each album and it’s clear to listeners that he’s grown and matured as a person and artist in “As It Was.” He’s ushering in a new era and this single is only the preface to the story he’ll tell in “Harry’s House.”

It’s astonishing how a song with such an up-beat tempo Wcan have some of the most melancholic lyrics of any current, main-stream single.

“Answer the phone. ‘Harry, you’re no good alone. Why are you sitting at home on the floor? What kind of pills are you on?’ Ringing the bell and nobody’s coming to help,” Harry sings.

Are you kidding me?! These lyrics are undeniably heart wrenching and it’s shocking that it took me three listens before I heard them.

It’s the measure of a truly talented artist to be able to make his listeners feel the way he wants them to feel, sunny and upbeat, without being confined to the bounds of lyrics and Styles walks that fine line masterfully.

I

YOU’RE LOOKING for an album equal parts blissfully carefree and gut wrenchingly-sad, Christian Lee Hutson’s sophomore record “Quitters” is the perfect pick. Hutson’s debut album “Beginners” has been on repeat in my car since its release in 2020, but the drop of its unofficial sequel, “Quitters” has exceeded all of my — very high — expectations and truly oudid itself.

What sets this album apart from others out right now is his mastery of conveying complex motifs of heartbreak, loss and acceptance, similar to other artists such as Phoebe Bridgers — who produced and sang backing vocals on the album — who are putting a new spin on the quintessential indie folk album.

Some especially profound lyrics from the album that stood out to me were “Creature Feature’s” “I don’t know what things are going to look like / Three burning crosses on a hillside / Or hands across the world,” and “I’m peeking through the bandages to see if I can handle it / I hope I don’t remember this, I hope I don’t forget again,” from “Endangered Birds.”

From front to back, Hutson’s intimate storytelling and stripped-back instrumentals make for a great listen.

F

QUITTERS album

Christian Lee Hutson

recent re le a s e s MOVIES

M OV I E | FA N TA ST I C B E A ST S : T H E S E C R E T O F DUMBLEDORE GEN R E | FANTASY RUN TIME | 2HR 22MIN

T h i rd F a nt a st i c B e a st s m ov i e w h e re Albus D u m b l e d o re sends w i za rd Newt Scamander and his friends on a m i s s i o n i nt o t h e h e a r t of d a r k w i za rd G e l l e r t G r i n d e lw a l d

PODCASTS

P OD CA ST | I N YO U R H A NDS H O ST | L I Z Z Y C O O P E R M A N RUN TIME | 42 MIN

H o st s a s k t h e i r l i s t e n e r s i m p o r t a n t l i fe d e s c i s i o n s a n d b re a k s d o w n t h e re s u lt s of each choice

SHOWS

BOOKS

S H OW | K I L L I N G I T

AUTHOR | PAU L F I S C HE R

P L AT F OR M | P EAC O C K

G E N R E | M Y ST E RY

EPISODES | 1O

PAG E C O U N T | 4 1 6

Sit-com about class and captalism fo l l o w i n g a b a n k s e c u r i t y of f i c e r l i v i n g in Miami who wants to become an e n t re p e n u e r u n t i l h e b e c o m e s a s t a t e s p o n s o re d py t h o n h u n t i n g

L o u i s L e P r i n c e fo u n d a w a y t o re c o rd a n i m a t e d p h o t o g ra p h s i n t h e 1 8 8 0 s , b u t s o o n a f t e r va n i s h e d a n d T h o m a s E d i s o n c l a i m e d t h e m o t i o n p i c t u re . N o w t h e r i ve t i n g s t o r y b e h i n d h i s d i s a p p e a ra n c e i s reve a l e d .

A&E 22

APRIL 11, 2022

design by nora lynn photos by sabrina dean

WHERE CAN I EAT

G-FREE? Guide to eating gluten-free around Kansas City

by lyda c osgrove THE DIOGNOSIS OF Celiac disease or a

gluten intolerance can feel like the end of the world to sweet tooths and starch-lovers alike. With every bake sale treat and free donut at school events off limits — often without alternative options — the window of safe foods is narrow. Though most health stores are fully stocked with plenty of gluten-free meal options and mixes, going out to eat and attending social events with

a food intolerance proves to be a challenge.

After scouring the menus of every local bakery, brunch spot and dinner restaurant over the last two years of my gluten-free journey, I’ve successfully found some of the best spots in Kansas City.

And the best thing about all of these?

You could never even tell that any of the products are gluten-free.

THE LITTLEST BAKESHOP

645 E. 59th. ST KC, MO 66106 THE LITTLEST BAKESHOP — a bubblegum pink and red building sticking out of a strip of shops on 59th and Holmes holds the proud title of KC’s first all-vegan and gluten-free bakery.

Open Wednesday through Sunday, they release daily menus at the beginning of each week, offering something different every day since all goods are made fresh the morning of — right on time for their 10 a.m. opening.

Their meal items like pancakes, tofu scrambles and sandwiches are all prepared upon arrival unless you call in advance.

Other baked goods, like the cinnamon roll sticky biscuit, muffins and a variety of cupcakes, for $4 each are available for pickup. However, they usually sell out far earlier than the Bakeshop’s official closing time of 3 p.m., which is why many customers use their online pre-order option.

Though the shop operates solely from a walk-up window, they have a back and front patio for seating despite mainly catering to those on-the-go and in need of an allergen-free meal.

EMILY KATE’S BAKERY 3008 S. 44th. ST. KC, KS 66106 A NEWLY-DIAGNOSED glutenintolerant, my 17th birthday posed a new problem — a birthday cake. Emily Kate’s Bakery saved the day with their $27 cookie cake. Though they don’t have an actual storefront, their warehouse pumps out custom cakes, cookies and cupcakes for all kinds of occasions, even take-and-bake cinnamon rolls and biscuits and pop tarts.

AS

Pick-up time is as soon as 48 hours after a custom order placement.

If you don’t have an event or need to buy a dozen cookies at once, Emily Kate’s baked goods can be found at various coffee shops around KC, like Summer Moon Coffee and Pilgrim Coffee Company, as well as Whole Foods and Cosentino’s grocery stores.

OTHER G-FREE OPTIONS jerusalem cafe

seven swans creperie

515 Westport Rd, KC, MO 1746 Washington St, KC, MO

4.7

4.8

WALDO PIZZA

7433 BROADWAY ST. KC, MO 64114

the best of both notorious stomach irritators: gluten and dairy. Waldo Pizza’s strictly gluten-free menu with vegan options is a saving grace to those with allergies, intolerances and stomach problems alike.

The joy of confidently biting into a breadstick, followed by a full pizza and freshly baked chocolate chip cookies, knowing that no post-meal pain will be PIZZA REALLY IS

experienced, is unmatched — especially knowing that no post-meal pain will be experienced. Not to mention, every wheatalternative is just as delicious as the carby-goodness I used to know and love.

Each gluten-free item comes out with a neon orange “Gluten Free” sticker to avoid any confusion or cross-contamination when out to eat with a big group.

APRIL 11, 2022

the boogie

design by sydney newton photos from imdb

A&E 23

BATTLE OF

Lizzo released a new reality series on Amazon called “Watch Out for the Big Brrls,” where 13 plus-size women audition to become Lizzo’s backup dancers for her tour

by mia vogel

T

HE RESULTS ARE in — Lizzo’s reality TV show just took a DNA test, turns out it’s 100% that b*tch.

The Grammy-winning superstar has long encouraged people of all shapes and sizes to feel “good as hell” about themselves, campaigning through her music and social media for body positivity, self love and empowerment. Now, she seeks to do exactly that in her new Amazon Prime Video show, “Watch Out for the Big Grrrls.”

In the eight-episode series directed by Nneka Onuorah, Lizzo calls for more performers to join the Big Grrrls, her top-tier squad of touring dancers, primarily for a headlining performance at the major Tennessee festival, Bonnaroo. It’s Lizzo’s first live show since the pandemic, so the stakes are high, pressure on — you get it.

“I’ve asked dance agencies for big girl dancers, and they gave me nothing,” Lizzo says in Episode 1. “Girls that look like me simply don’t get representation. So, time to pull up my sleeves and find ‘em myself.”

In the show, Lizzo explains how discrimination extends to the stage and her dancers, regardless of how much energy, talent and expertise goes into the performance.

“Watch Out for the Big Grrrls” immulates “Queer Eye” and “RuPaul’s Drag Race,” in which positivity, support and development of someone’s inner strength and potential is paramount. Tossing aside both societal abuse and your inner critic is the goal of the show.

Lizzo narrowed the thousands down to a group of finalists and declared early in the show that she’s looking for dancers with precise moves, star quality, stamina, ability to perform under pressure and full-out commitment, but most importantly wants dancers to bring their story to the stage.

Asia Banks — former captain of the Alabama State HoneyBeez, the first exclusively plus-size

dance team at a Historically Black College or University — shares her grief over losing her father who was killed by police, and next-level freestyler Jayla Sullivan from Portland, Oregon shares her experience of being a trans dancer.

“Watch Out for the Big Grrrls” intentionally makes you fall for every dancer vying for the stage — Lizzo, her team and the dancers themselves genuinely want everyone to win.

Each dancer has been through personal turmoil to get here — unsolicited comments, fatphobic abuse, experiences with overt sexualization and desexualization, alongside their own personal obstacles — that they unwaveringly support each other through.

“I’ve had a lot of love, I’ve had some hate, because of the way that I look,” Lizzo says in Episode 1. “As an artist, that’s happened a lot.

They don’t want big girls to be sexy. They don’t want us to be happy. And that’s why this show is so important to me because…It’s hard to love yourself in a world that doesn’t love you back.

And I’ve been trying to do it so boldly. I put myself out there. When you put yourself out there, you get attacked.”

While there’s much at stake to join Lizzo’s troupe, at its heart, the show is a joyful, strong montage of women honoring their bodies and destroying dancefloors, and it’s an absolute joy to watch. Primarily, finalists reflect on their own progress rather than complaining about other performers’ success since Lizzo makes it clear early on that there’s no room for toxicity in their house or on tour.

Lizzo is an absolute natural at hosting — her empowering and hilarious talking heads deserve their own TikTok account. She’s personally invested but balances her authoritative superstar energy and high standards with genuine love and encouragement. She understands the intimidation and urges each performer to get out of their own heads and

leave everything they’ve got on the floor.

Imagine turning out your best moves while Lizzo is calling out “Fu*k it up!” and on one occasion, throwing cushions around the room in a fit of joy. Pure magic.

The most heartwarming aspect of the show is the journey Lizzo goes on with the finalists.

In Episode 3 Lizzo plays her newly-released track, “Rumors,” for the group and the room descends into glorious rhythm while she belts it out. Afterward, she digs into the hateful comments she received upon its release, which is one of the most profound moments in the series.

Performers compete in challenges for the camera, as well as for Lizzo and each other.

Each challenge demonstrates incredible choreography, personal expression and timing.

It’s an absolute throwdown of pure talent from the very first battle.

Aside from the main prize of joining Lizzo’s dance crew, the artist hands out two regular awards to keep everyone motivated. There’s the Juice Award — a cute juicebox-shaped trophy named after Lizzo’s single and given to the person who has heart, and has overcome an obstacle. And there’s the 100% That B*tch Award, of course, a trophy named for Lizzo’s iconic line from “Truth Hurts,” and given to someone who has nailed the choreography, teamwork and just crushed it overall. Yes, I’m personally going to strive to award these to myself on the regular, and no one can stop me except perhaps Warner Music’s copyright department.

Lizzo’s “Watch Out for the Big Grrrls” is one of the most uplifting, joyous reality TV shows you’re likely to watch, with eight episodes of sheer triumph over society’s bulls*** tracked to the artist’s greatest hits. We know Lizzo’s her own soulmate, but after this series, you’ll be vowing your eternal love.

MEET THE

dancers An overview of three of the dancers auditioning on the show

SYDNEY BELL from: houston, tx dancing since: three years old

ASHLEY WILLIAMS from: inkster, mi dancing since: five years old

MOESHA PEREZ from: bronx, ny dancing since: two years old

A&E 24

APRIL 11, 2022

design by kate heitmann

ex plo ri n g th e

L AN D S

by gibbs morris

I

F YOU’VE EVER been a fan of the “Lord of the Rings”

or “The Hobbit” and crave challenging gameplay, then it’s time to scrape your pockets because the “Elden Ring” game, in all of its shining glory, has come to the shelves of Gamestop.

After being in development for 25 years according to IGN and selling 12 million copies in just the first three weeks of its Feb. 25 release date, Elden Ring has blasted through the barrier of mediocrity that has haunted the gaming industry since 2018’s “Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.”

The game starts you off as a “Tarnished Individual” — a realm outcast — in the callous world called “The Lands Between” after the Elden Ring was shattered.

The Elden Ring isn’t an actual ring, rather it’s a way to describe the natural order of things within the game’s universe. It’s a way to make concepts like the cycle of life and death a tangible thing. For example, one ending you may choose to pursue through your actions is to reintroduce the concept of death back into the realm by mending the ring in a specific way.

To restore your own idea of natural order, a luminous energy called Lost Grace beckons your character back to The Lands Between. Your objective is to traverse the massive land collecting gear, locate Lost Grace and kill demigods to recover the fragments of the ring.

Once all the fragments are acquired, your endgame will be to fix the ring in order to restore your form of balance within The Lands Between and claim the title of Elden Lord.

Sounds like a tall order, but the objectives give players a unique worldbuilding experience while unveiling the secrets behind the Elden Ring universe. Interactions with personable characters and an investigation of a 79-kilometer map that you freely roam with minimal

B E T W EEN New and popular open world action role play game is astonishing for players of all levels

direction from the game has made the title a standout in the gaming community.

You have to pay close attention and make your own inferences on your surroundings to eventually piece together the information you need to have in order to better understand your goal and environment. With its murky caves riddled with secrets of the past and vast regions littered with decrepit ruins shadowed by a unique lore waiting to be unearthed, Elden Ring has surpassed all expectations when it comes to storytelling.

It’s this form of unguided gameplay along with the various monster-shaped obstacles that force you to strategize in order to progress along your journey of ash and blood that has generated a meteoric rise in popularity for this game.

S O M E H OW, E M OT I O N S L I K E fe a r o r a tt r i b u t e s l i ke b a tt l e ex p e r i e n c e a re c l e a r ly a p p l i e d t o t h e d e s i g n of t h e l a n d , a t m o s p h e re a n d t e r r i f y i n g ly e p i c e n e m i e s .

GIBBS MORRIS

SENIOR

While Elden Ring has a multiplayer option, it is best played alone, as there are unexpected consequences in multiplayer mode. But, that only made me love the game more — you travel faster alone, hit damage is higher and the bosses aren’t ridiculously overpowered.

The creativity and detail in the graphics amaze me and bring this game above any type I’ve played. The various enemies you see within the game range from dragons, trolls and giant soulless cephalopods called Land Octopi that keep me up at night, basically all your nightmares poured into the screen — in the best way possible. Somehow, emotions like fear or attributes like battle experience are clearly applied to the design of the

GA M E P L AY R AT I N G

R ECEP TI O N

5/ 5

5/5

STO RY L I NE 4.75/5

land, atmosphere and terrifyingly epic enemies.

The control system is manageable and very similar to that of the “Dark Souls” series — 10 minutes spent coordinating which button causes what action will help you adjust to the many capabilities of the character, like doging and shield use to block an attack — an essential skill to master.

As for player customization and classes, you get access to a character personalization screen that allows for you to make your character look as horrifyingly confusing as possible. You have 11 different customization options — making anything from a permanently drunk looking wizard to literally Kanye West (yes, it’s been done).

With 10 unique character bases you can choose from before starting the game such as samurai or wizard, each class leans toward a specific playstyle that hinges on your base’s given skills. For example, depending on what character base you pick you may be better off tailoring your inventory and playstyle towards long range combat because your character has a low starting strength or vice versa. Essentially, the character class you choose to play as will make sure you focus on what items and tactics you will use to progress your journey effectively.

On top of a wide character selection, traversing across a seemingly endless land of clashing steel and magic spells with more than a few monsters that look like if Ellen Degeneres decided to take a bunch of Oxycontin and give Ann Coulter a piggy back ride, the gameplay is so compelling that it kept me glued to my Xbox controller until 2 a.m. on a school night. While your mom might be less enthusiastic about the game, you’re sure to find it more than amusing when you’re casting spells as a jacked Seth Rogen that has a metal fishbowl for a helmet.

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joe and henry lawncare 913-205-2127 joeandhenrylawncare@gmail.com

26 LOCAL LANCER

HATTIE

WHAT IS YOUR NAME? AND WHY IS THAT YOUR NAME? My name is Hattie because my mom’s name was Amy and growing up, she hated knowing like a bunch of other people with the same name. So she wanted me to be different.

IF YOU COULD SEE ANYONE, DEAD OR ALIVE, IN CONCERT, WHO WOULD ITBE? Maybe like Queen. I feel like that’d be fun. I actually like the band. I like their songs a lot.

WHO WAS YOUR FIRST CONCERT? I think it was Taylor Swift.

WHAT SONG DO YOUR FRIENDS ASSOCIATE WITH YOU? “17” by the Greeting Committee.

WHAT WAS THE FIRST SONG YOU LEARNED TO PLAY ON THE DRUMS? DO YOU STILL KNOW HOW TO PLAY? Yeah, it was “Two Ghosts” by Harry Styles.

WHY DO YOU PLAY THE DRUMS AND HOW DID YOU GET INTO IT? I just really liked playing it and I got into it because my dad’s a huge music geek and he taught me how to play like one song and I just started playing it.

WHAT CONCERT WAS THE WORST CONCERT YOU’VE BEEN TO AND WHY? Probably Waterparks just because I didn’t know the band. I just went with my friend.

THE HARBINGER

design by bridget connelly photo by rachel bingham & photos courtesy of hattie

SPORTS 27

APRIL 11, 2022

design by anna mitchell

SPORTS HIGHLIGHTS A look at spring sports, a featured athlete and the upcoming sports events

S PO R TS I N ACTIO N

F E AT U R E D AT H L E T E Freshman and varsity softball pitcher and her thoughts on her first high school season

BRIANNA BOLIEAU

Q A

H OW LO N G H AV E YO U B E E N P L AY I N G S O F T B A L L A N D W H Y ?

A B O V E Soph o m o re Caroline Reiser b e g i n s the final lap of t h e 1 0 0 backstroke. Reiser p la c e d in the top three i n h e r eve nt .

PHOTO BY JULIA FILLMORE

I ’ ve b e e n p l a y i n g s i n c e s e c o n d g ra d e b u t b efo re t h a t I p l a ye d t - b a l l . I st a r t e d j u st b e c a u s e my p a re nt s g ot m e i nt o i t . I c o nt i n u e d p l a y i n g i t b e c a u s e i t ’s f u n t o w i n st u f f w i t h yo u r t e a m a n d t h e ex p e r i e n c e .

R I G H T Senio r H o c h Saylor cradles th e b a l l as he runs toward s t h e goal around his opp o n e nt .

The Lancers won a g a i n st Nor th lan d 1 0 - 3.

PHOTO BY RILEY ECK

ABOVE Opening pitcher and sophomore Wes Lyerly throws a pitch in the first inning of the game against Olathe West. The Lancers lost 10-3.

PHOTO BY MACY CROSSER

MARK YOUR CALENDER

APRIL 11-15

*according to www.sunflowerleague.org

12

A calender laying out this week’s varsity games with their time and location

BASEBALL 4:30pm @3 & 2

BOYS GOLF 3pm @TRAILS W

BOYS GOLF 1pm @MHK CC

BOYS GOLF 12pm @BLUE HILLS

BOYS TENNIS 3:30pm @SMN

BOYS TENNIS 3:30pm @CBAC

BASEBALL 4:30pm @3 & 2

SOFTBALL 4pm @SMS

SOFTBALL 4pm @ODAC

GIRLS SOCCER 7pm @SMS

GIRLS SOCCER - 7pm @ODAC

11

13

14

BOYS TENNIS 3:30pm @OE

BASEBALL 9am @HOGLUND

15

TRACK & FIELD - 11AM @SMN

Q A Q A

W H AT D O E S I T F E E L L I K E B E I N G A F R E S H M A N P I TC H I N G F O R VA R S I T Y AGA I N ST D 1 COMMITS? I t c a n b e d i f f i c u lt a t t i m e s b e c a u s e t h ey a re ve r y a d va n c e d . S o I h a ve t o p i t c h t h e c o r re c t p i t c h .

W H E R E D O YO U T H I N K T H I S S E A S O N W I L L G O F O R YO U GUYS? I fe e l l i ke t o w a rd s t h e e n d t h e re c o u l d b e s o m e p ot e nt i a l . A l re a d y , I h a ve s e e n g i r l s i m p rove a l ot e s p e c i a l ly o n J V s o I t h i n k t h e re i s s o m e g o o d p ot e nt i a l fo r t h e e n d a n d m i d d l e of t h e season.

28 PHOTOSTORY

R I G H T Senior and founder of the team, Noah Gould celebrates with his team after blocking the opponents hit. “I just love every part of the sport from the satisfaction of getting a good pass to slamming the hell out of a ball” Gould said.

PHOTO BY RILEY ECK

THE

SPIKE

THE HARBINGER

design by elise madden

BOYS

R I G H T Senior Noah Gould explains to junior Roberto Galicia how to pass in serve receive in the first drill of their Wednesday practice, serve and pass. “The team has alot of natural talent and a lot of drive.So when you put those two together, we’ve got a team that’s developing really fast every practice” Gould said.

PHOTO BY RAC H EL BIN GHAM

A B O V E Junior Tyler Kirchhoff high fives his coach senior Kale Swanson and teamates senior Kenny McCullough and junior Roberto Galicia as he subs out of the game. “The best part is the team aspect and being on a team with my f rien d s” Kirchhoff said.

PHOTO BY RILEY E CK

A B O V E S e n i o r Tr i sta n E d d y reaches up to hit around s e n i o r Ke n ny M c C u l lo u g h , t h e middle blocker, in a s cr i m m age at pract i ce .

P H OTO BY R AC H EL BI N G H A M

SCAN ME • PHOTO Use this QR code to p u rc h a s e p h ot o s f ro m t h i s eve nt o n H a r b i e P h ot o

SPORTS 29

APRIL 11, 2022

design by marissa liberda JUNIOR ALEX SCHWARZENBERGER holds the volleyball up in the air, tosses it up and smacks it over the net — the St. James players dive for it but it’s already hit the ground.

“YEAAAAHHHH!” Senior Noah Gould grabs Alex’s shoulders and shakes him with excitement, the rest of the volleyball team rallies around him giving Alex high fives and pats on the back. They’ve now increased their lead to 12-6 against St. James, the No. 1 team in the league, who has won the state championship nine times.

While they lost the set 25-19, they felt they improved in their communication and teamwork, a big success considering a majority of the team learned the sport two weeks prior.

A mix of Noah’s love for the sport and collecting Creativity, Activity and Service hours for IB inspired him to start the team.

After hosting tryouts in February, with eight people showing up, the final roster included seniors John Berkshire-Lewis, Tristan Eddy, Kenny McCullough and Noah, and juniors Sam Fatino, Roberto Galicia, Finnian Higgins, Tyler Kirchhoff and Alex. With only three experienced club players on the team and no school recognition, their success is supported by knee pads and their own initiative to improve.

Like lacrosse, boys volleyball is not an official sport of the Kansas State High School Activities Association. Noah reached out to KSHSAA to try and get it approved as a sport, but KSHSAA rules wouldn’t allow it because there needs to be an equal number of girls and boys sports. So he formed his own team.

To actually start a team, Noah had to find a league to join. While they’re an East-exclusive team and unofficially represent the school,

they don’t receive school funding as it’s not a KSHSAA sport, leaving them on their own to fund team expenses.

Each of the nine players pitched in $200 to help with league fees, jerseys, practices, equipment and other expenses. Initially at $7,000, Noah worked to cut the cost to about $2,000 by finding cheaper places to practice, better deals on jerseys and having everyone bring their own volleyballs to practice.

To lower costs, the team now practices at the New Century Fieldhouse 30 minutes away from 8-10 p.m. By the time they leave, the rest of the volleyball courts are dark and quiet and their cars are the few remaining in the parking lot.

“We have to keep focused a lot in practice,” Alex said. “A lot of times we get off track and then are not able to work as much. We’re working on getting more and more serious at practice and not messing around and trying on every point in the game.”

As one of the three experienced players on the team, Noah spends practice shouting reminders for players to hold their arms parallel to the ground and bend their knees.

But he needed someone else to coach so he could focus on his own game. At 9:30 p.m. on the night the team registration form was due, Noah called senior Kale Swanson asking if he wanted to coach.

Other than recreational beach volleyball pastimes over the summer, Kale has limited volleyball experience. So, what made him the right person for head coach?

“Everyone loves Kale,” Noah said. “He’s a super amazing guy and his charisma and lightheartedness balances out my somewhat overbearingness. I am an intense player and I want this team to be good, but a lot of the

SET TER THE SETTER IS CONSIDERED TO BE THE MOST IMPORTANT POSITION IN VOLLEYBALL. THE SETTER ON THE TEAM IS THE LEADER:

SAM FATINO

people are new. So having Kale there balances out my aggressive, competitive intensity with this super amazing, happy, nice person as a coach.”

Kale manages the organizational aspects of coaching — emailing parents, creating informational flyers and wearing a suit to every game, a requirement Noah added to his unofficial contract. He also provides occasional pointers on hitting and boosts overall team confidence, especially during their first game against rival and No. 2 in the league: Rockhurst.

“Keeping morale up is really important because I can see the faces of all my players and I can see them all tensed up and they get freaked out because it’s a bunch of really big Rock guys,” Kale said. “People get nervous. It’s so important to just breathe, and [I’m] making jokes for the team, talking to them, reassuring them the best I can, whatever happens, have fun.”

Even when their legs felt like one massive bruise from diving on the court and their arms turned strawberry pink from bumping the ball, the team all felt the same way about the game: “It went better than I thought.”

They didn’t expect a victory but were encouraged by their improvements. While they lost all three sets, they scored more points with each game.

“Honestly, it’s pretty inspiring, because we already have a lot of potential seeing that we’re all just playing against one of the best teams in the league, and we did pretty well without knowing the rotations,” John said.

After their first match, they determined passing and communication to be their areas in need of improvement. At their next practice, they got to work.

LIBEROS DEFENSIVE SPECIALISTS JOHN BERKSHIRE-LEWIS ALEX SCHWARZENBERGER ROBERTO GALICIA

“You need to call top because I’m going to do a top spin,” Noah shouts, instructing them to identify the type of serve he does.

He then jumps four feet in the air, the ball flying up another 20, and spikes the ball to the other side of the net as it comes down.

By the end of practice, they’d split into groups of three to practice passing and Kenny and Finnian successfully block Noah’s spike, celebrating with high-fives and bicep flexes.

“We’re getting a feel [for] how strategy works, how rotations work instead of literally just rotating a circle,” Finnian said. “It’s more competitive.”

Finnian’s favorite part so far is just being able to hit the ball. He plays on a recreational team as well, but the main goal then was to get the ball over the net at all costs. He loves the strategy and communication he’s learned on this team.

They all want to grow as stronger athletes, and look forward to taking on Rockhurst later this season.

In terms of the program’s future, they all hope, including the seniors, that the team continues next year and eventually is recognized as a KSHSAA sport. But until then, they’ll continue to represent East the best they can.

“I’ve got everything set up and essentially created guidelines on how to do it,” Noah said. “At the end of the year, I want to coach someone, ‘OK, this is how you’re going to do it next year,’ because I really, really want this program to continue and I want us to sort of be like this beacon that maybe even some of the other SMSD schools could start it.”

HIT TERS NOAH GOULD FINNIAN HIGGINS KENNY MCCULLOUGH TRISTAN EDDY TYLER KIRCHHOFF

30 SPORTS

THE HARBINGER

design by emma krause and anna mitchell

LATE TO THE GAME Jack Muller, Matt Martucci and Morgan Turpin tryout for East sports for the first time later in their high school experience

by ben bradley

S

INCE EIGHTH GRADE, junior Morgan

Turpin has wanted to be a cheerleader.

Long hours spent stretching and flipping in weekly tumbling classes for most of her life had her feeling pretty confident in her abilities. Going into freshman year, she was thrilled to show off her backflip in high school cheer — until she realized that tryouts had been in the spring. She’d missed them.

That’s OK, she thought, she’d just wait until sophomore year. But with the beginning of COVID as the next tryouts rolled around, she decided against taking on a new sport in the midst of a pandemic. Now, going into the spring of her senior year, Turpin knew it was now or never.

“This year was my last chance,” Turpin said. “Whatever happened, I just knew that I would have looked back and regretted not trying out if I never did.”

Tumbling isn’t Turpin’s only trade — she doubles as the varsity lacrosse captain.

With daily practices, Friday night games and little league on Sundays, Turpin’s life has come to revolve around lacrosse. The week of cheer tryouts was her first time ever putting something before lacrosse — even missing a practice.

“Even when I did competitive dance, I would dance, then go to practice, then come back for awards, but I just couldn’t make it work that week,”’ Turpin said.

Trying out with more experienced girls strained Turpin. Some of the other girls had already spent three years on the team — their kicks were higher and their smiles stretched wide and unwavering across their faces. While they already knew the drill, she had just two weeks to learn the fight song, perfect her jumps and stick her back tucks.

In the end, cramming an entire year’s worth of training into two weeks didn’t pay off, as Turpin found out the morning after that she didn’t make the team.

“Even though I didn’t make it, the best part was the exhilaration that I get doing a backflip for the first time in two years,” Turpin said. “I missed the adrenaline rush that I used to get from tumbling.”

Just like Turpin, Matt Martucci knew he wasn’t going to continue his career in basketball when going into his junior year.

Martucci still wanted to do a sport at East, and was looking for the right fit.

Knowing that it was going to be harder to make the basketball team his junior year and that there would be even more competition

STUCO, DECA, NHS AND LINK CREW

muscle memory,” track coach Emily Fossoh said.

Every week, Muller will have two days of practice dedicated to javelin throwing and two days to disc, with meets on Fridays — a routine far less jam-packed than his baseball schedule.

Muller used his pitching skills to apply to throwing, qualifying for state in javelin throwing during his first year on the team.

“For some athletes, they can walk in freshman year and make it to state, and for others it takes all four years,” Fossoh said.

“For Jack, he had high enough skills to score that kept progressing.”

While Muller said his first season was good, he hopes to continue that stigma and keep going for his last season. At their first meet this year, Muller had a length of 159 feet, while his first score last year was 132 feet.

“I had a really good season last year, and this year I just hope to keep doing better and get at least a higher score of 20 yards,” Muller said.

Turpin, Martucci and Muller are reminders that it’s never too late to try a new sport at East.

The activities and extracurriculars each featured athlete is involved with outside of their sports at East

TURPIN

MULLER

MARTUCCI

BEHIND THE ATHLETE

for a spot on varsity, he chose to pursue lacrosse instead.

Martucci first came up with the idea to try out when he was talking to his friends who were already on the team.

“I started throwing a ball around with people over the summer,” Martucci said. “I realized that I did really like it.”

Martucci knew that with a team full of kids who had played since they were little, he wasn’t going to be the best by any means.

His aim for the season was to have at least one goal in a game.

“I think lacrosse is perfect because there isn’t any pressure on me,” Martucci said.

“I just go out there and have fun. I’ve even already made four goals this season.”

Switching to lacrosse made Martucci wish he’d started playing at a much younger age.

Similar to his classmates, senior Jack Muller shifted to a new sport. Muller had been on the baseball team as a freshman and sophomore. But his junior year, he decided to partake in the disc and javelin throwing section of track.

“The techniques behind baseball and javelin throwing are very similar, so when a player transfers they already have the

NHS, SHARE AND LINK CREW

DECA, NHS AND LINK CREW

SPORTS 31

APRIL 11, 2022

D E G R A CH

design & photos by celia condon

COLE

GUILTY AS

FRESHMAN

BASEBALL

The Lancers involved in spring sports share their “Guilty Pleasure Song:” one that they could jam out to, despite it being a little bit embarassing to admit

JAIDYN SENIOR

LACROSSE “HEY JESSIE”

D E B B Y RYA N

FRESHMAN

CLAIRE

SOFTBALL “LET IT GO”

LACROSSE “NON-STOP”

JUNIOR

TRACK & FIELD

“READY FOR IT” TAY LO R SW I F T

“I WANNA PARTY”

WILL.I.AM.

GAVIN

LESLIE ODOM JR.

IKE

SWIM

“BEFORE HE CHEATS” C A R R I E U N D E R WO O D

SOPHOMORE

IDINA MENZEL

JUNIOR

GOLF

LIZZO

BRIANNA

PIPER

SENIOR

“TRUTH HURTS”

CATE JUNIOR

SOCCER

“YOU’LL BE BACK” J O N AT H A N G R O F F

SCAN ME • VIDEO S c a n h e re to watch m a ny m o re spring sport a t h l et e s s h a re t h e i r p e rs o n a l “ G u i lt y P l e a s u re Song,” and visit the S M E a st H a r b i n g e r Yo u t u b e C h a n n e l

RILEY SOPHOMORE

DIVE

“WHEN WILL MY LIFE BEGIN” M A N DY M O O R E

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THE HARBINGER

design by katie murphy copy by paige zadoo

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It can be too easy to let summer days slip away at the pool — here are a few activities to keep you productive and engaged this summer

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SCAN ME WEBSITE - R e g i s t ra t i o n s t a r t s April 15 - M a y 3 1 s t - J u ly 2 9 t h - S u m m e r P ro g ra m of Service

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YOUTH YOUTH VOLUNTEER VOLUNTEER CORPS CORPS

SCAN ME WEBSITE -Music Theater Heritage -June 6 -17 - re g i st e r n o w

...GIVING BACK I

giving back to your community in a hands-on way, the Summer Program of Service through the Youth Volunteer Corps will be a great way to spend your summer. Hosted from May 31 to July 29, the Summer Program of Service has four different project options to choose from each week.

You’ll be able

to work with organizations from Deanna Rose Children’s Farmstead to Habitat for Humanity. Volunteers can choose to volunteer for one week in the summer or multiple weeks. With flexible hours and a variety of options, the Summer Program of Service is a great way to put your time toward a good cause.

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F YOU ENJOY

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SCAN ME WEBSITE -camp counselor p o s i t i o n s , $7 5 - 9 0 per day, 5-6 days a week - a p p ly n o w

...DANCE AND MUSIC

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EMEMBER YOUR CAMP Wildwood

field trip in sixth grade? Revamp that experience, and become a high school Wildwood camp counselor. Starting June 6, you’ll be able to work with kids from grades third through eighth by leading camp activities, maintaining safety of campers and working on the camp property. The base salary ranges from $75 - $90 per day. You will enjoy the days of a classic summer camp while also

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WILDWOOD WILDWOOD EDUCATION EDUCATION CENTER CENTER

gaining money and a unique work experience. Applications are out now on their website. Some qualifications include: being able to work with youth in a positive manner and excellent communication skills, according to their website.

HiS TWO-WEEK summer intensive

camp through Music Theater Heritage will be a great experience if you’re a theater, dance or music lover.

The Broadway Bound Audition Camp will be hosted from June 6-17 at 9 a.m. to noon. This camp will focus on the ins and outs of mastering the perfect theater audition

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SCAN ME WEBSITE - J u ly 2 5 - 2 9 o r A u g .

1-5 - f re e p ro g ra m -no prior c y b e rs e c u r i t y knowledge needed

...BEING OUTSIDE R

BROADWAY BROADWAY BOUND AUDIAUDIBOUND TION CAMP TION CAMP

including acting, singing, dancing and public speaking skills. Camps are priced at $380 per two weeks. Participants will even build an audition book and create a professional resume. The camp will be held in Downtown KC at the MTH Theater. Registration is open now on the Musical Theater Heritage website.

UMKC UMKC GENCYBER GENCYBER CAMP CAMP

...TECHNOLOGY I

F YOU”RE INTERESTED in the STEM

field, the UMKC GenCyber Camp is an experience you should look into. You can attend the first camp session from July 25 - July 29 or the second session from Aug. 1 - Aug. 5. You’ll have the opportunity to learn about key

ACT JODEE MERRIM T N O C jodeemerriman@smsd.org AN

for more summer internship opportunities

cybersecurity concepts through lab activities and instruction from UMKC’s technology professors. The application is an easy process through a Google Form provided on the website. The camp promises that learning about cybersecurity will keep students safer from hackers and cybercriminals.