The Harbinger Issue 15 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 25, 2022

SPOT THE DIFFERENCE

VOLUME LXIV ISSUE 15

(YOUR LIFE DEPENDS ON IT) Rising overdoses due to fentanyl-laced drugs impacts the East community, causing students to reconsider taking illegal drugs that could potentially be laced with a lethal dose

* THERE’S NO DIFFERENCE. DON’T MAKE THE MISTAKE.

02 INSIDE COVER

click for pics GIRLS JV SOCCER

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 g i r l s J V s o c c e r g a m e a g a i n st O l a t h e N o r t h on April 14.

art by mason sajna

THE HARBINGER

design by cesca stamati cover design by cesca stamati cover photo by elise madden

online preview

GIRLS VARSITY LACROSSE

Scan to view the gallery f ro m t h e g i r l s va rs i t y l a c ro s s e g a m e a g a i n st S t . T h o m a s A q u i n a s o n A p r i l 5 .

TRACK AND FIELD

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 t ra c k a n d f i e l d m e et a t S M N o r t h o n A p r i l 1 5 .

FOLLOW THEHARBINGER SMEHARBINGER SMEHARBINGER

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 mason sajna

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 25, 2022

design by madeline funkey cartoon by celia condon

PERMITTED FREEDOM Teachers shouldn’t be allowed to restrict students from using the restroom during class, whether that be through bribery or bathroom passes

F O R : 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.

E D I TO R I AL P O 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.

RESTROOM RIOT Why it’s important to give students a deserved bathroom break from class

1

Provides brain break from sitting for hours

2

Taking care of necessary hygiene needs

3

Establishes trust with teacher & student

extra credit pass

W h e n yo u g et t o s c h o o l l a t e a n d n e e d t o g o t o t h e b a t h ro o m , h a l l o r t h e d r i n k i n g fo u n t a i n , t h e t e a c h e r w i l l a s k fo r a p a s s t o s i g n , w h i c h t a ke s a w a y a n a m o u n t of ex t ra c re d i t

Y

OU’RE STUCK SITTING in your sixth period English class, knee bouncing up and down at the speed of light because of the elephant-sized weight on your bladder — you need to pee, bad. Trying to meet the recommended gallon of water per day, you’ve stayed hydrated off your third water bottle, and Mother Nature is calling.

Across the aisle, your classmate’s face blushes as red as the blood trickling through her shorts. The seering cramps in her abdomen howl for an Aspirin from the nurse’s office — but she’ll have to give up one of her extra credit bathroom passes to leave, so she toughs it out.

In the back corner of the classroom, a student asks to get a drink of water and your teacher scribbles their signature onto the cardstock “extra credit bathroom passes” — it’s their last pass, and while their teacher will begrudgingly let them go, they won’t have another chance to receive extra credit until next semester.

The use of bathroom passes in high school screams a message of “I don’t trust you” from teachers to a group of students who, in the words of East’s educators, are practically adults. At this point in our lives, we know how and when to tend to ourselves, so let us.

The thought process behind bathroom passes contradicts itself. They’re meant to ease disruptions in class by keeping the amount of students coming in and out to a minimum while making sure students stay focused on the lecture. Though, when an emergency rises, physical discomfort will always take over the absorption of curriculum.

T H E U S E O F b a t h ro o m p a s s e s i n a h i g h s c h o o l s ett i n g s c re a m s a m e s s a g e of “ I d o n ’ t t r u st yo u ” f ro m t e a c h e rs t o a g ro u p of st u d e nt s w h o , l i ke i n t h e w o rd s of E a s t ’s e d u c a t o rs , a re p ra c t i c a l ly a d u lt s .

It shouldn’t always have to be an “emergency.” Taking a break shouldn’t be scrutinized, especially upon those who are more inclined to experience hyperactivity or restlessness.

Imagine that the kid next to the girl whose period came early fidgets uncontrollably, counting down every millisecond until they can catch a break during the passing period from constant focus demanded by their teacher. Even a five minute break could clear

their headspace and settle their anxieties — but they’ll have to decide if those few extra credit points are worth letting go.

The CDC says that 11 percent of American students between 4 and 17 years experience attention deficit disorder, which can cause restlessness and fidgeting. Even students without ADD or an anxiety disorder can experience distracting tics in class or simply just periods of mind fog.

It’s much more sensible to take a threeminute break in the bathroom to refocus than to spend an hour-long class period in pain or discomfort for whatever reason.

Strict bathroom policies make it clear that “my class is more important than your other classes.” This is apparent when they’ll ask us to use the restroom in another hour, or during passing period when we have five minutes to go from the basement to the English wing — a trek that seems as long as crossing the Atlantic.

Obviously, teachers are going to be biased toward the content they teach. However, the importance of a class is relative to a student’s interest, and this sentiment is also blatantly selfish to other teachers who teach subjects that are equally as important. We’re not going to prioritize our presence in a class that we’re

aceing over a class that we’re failing. It’s not fair for a teacher to choose our needs for us.

If a teacher can’t pick and choose when a teenager needs to take care of their menstrual needs or when a person with stomach issues can’t focus past the pains inside them, then they can’t prohibit them from leaving class.

Though it’s understandable that a few students are notorious for abusing their independence of choosing their breaks, it isn’t fair to the students with periods, health conditions, concentration issues, anxiety or just about anyone who justifiably needs a break from a seventh-period day to be grouped with the pot-stirrers.

When a teacher prohibits us from using the restroom or interrogates us on whether or not it’s an “emergency,” it can come across as nosy and accusatory, leading to a deescalated amount of trust in the authority figure, which loosens student-teacher bonds.

We’re not asking to light up cocaine in the fifth floor bathroom. We’re not asking for a fifteen minute break on our phones. We’re asking for an ounce of trust that we’ve earned past the middle school level and a moment to breathe.

04 NEWS

THE HARBINGER

design by caroline gould

NEWS IN BRIEF

Catch up on school, local and national news

English teach e r S a m a nt h a F e i n b e rg te a ch e s h e r s i x t h h o u r c la s s and assists in i m p le m e nt i n g a Te a c h e r E d u c a t i o n c la s s i nto n ex t year ’s sch edule. PHOTO BY SERI STEINBRECHER

EAST

A Teacher Education class is set to be added to next school year’s schedule by anna mitc h el l ENGLISH TEACHER

SAMANTHA Feinberg and Associate Principal Dr. Susan Leonard has been attempting to create and finalize a new Teacher Education class — a class to educate students on how to be a teacher.

The class is not 100% confirmed for next year with the master schedule for classes not being set nor student schedules. However both Feinberg and Leonard are confident that the class will be implemented in the 20222023 school year after high enrollment numbers came in during early March.

Several discussions took place about if the class would either be a one-semester double block class or a full year one-period class instead, according to Feinberg. However, it was recently decided it will be a year-long class, with the first semester being focused more on the lessons and ideas, but the second semester being more hands-on and getting students into actual classrooms to observe the environment at the very least, even if they aren’t able to instruct.

Both Feinberg and Leonard hope the class will help students who are interested in education get an educational opportunity at East — the only SMSD high school left without a teacher education class.

“My hope is that by the time the class is over people will find out what their ‘why’ of teaching,” Feinberg said.

“It’s like a lot of jobs. You need to know what lights your fire because the most important part, other than you have to support yourself, is you need to enjoy and love it.”

Feinberg hopes with the help from Real World Counselor Dr. Jodee Merriman, they will be able to sort students into their certain interest areas and ensure they get the experience and education.

Unlike regular classes, this class isn’t something you can teach with worksheets, according to Feinberg, and students can be expected to branch out beyond their normal classrooms.

LOCAL

NATIONAL

The annual Brookside art show will be April 30 to May 1

Airlines experience underemployment and exhaustion

BROOKSIDE WILL BE hosting their 36th annual art

EVER SINCE THE COVID-19 pandemic began, airlines have been suffering from underemployment — partly due to retirement but also due to the exhaustion and overworking of current employees.

According to CNN, pilots at Southwest Airlines and Delta Air Lines have been reporting a rise in exhaustion, putting flights at risk if not canceled. A pilot can only be scheduled for a maximum of eight hours per day, according to flightschool.com. Pilots are legally not allowed to keep flying after eight hours, but with too few employees, passengers are left with no one to get them to their destination.

Due to cancellation chaos, severe weather and the demand for travel, pilots are being overworked which can lead to canceled flights across the board.

Junior Lily Simmons spent this Easter in Seaside, Florida. Returning home Sun. April 17, her Delta Air Lines flight from Florida to Atlanta, Georgia was delayed twice for weather — and then delayed again in Georgia due to no pilot to fly the plane. With no pilot to fly her and her family home, the Simmons family’s frustration and sleepiness only grew on a late Sunday night.

“I don’t think [the airline] was organized or the pilot had a personal problem,” Simmons said. “But they let us know that we didn’t have a pilot as we were supposed to board. We were supposed to get in at ten and got in at 2:30 a.m.”

While Simmons ultimately got home safe, the struggles airlines are going through was apparent.

According to Bureau of Transportation Statistics data, major US passenger airlines are around 3,000 employees short from their previous amount in 2019.

With far fewer employees, the airlines and pilots are being put to work, not only affecting them and their health, but the passengers, the airlines’ reputation and everyone’s safety.

show from April 29 to May 1 located at 63rd St. and Brookside Boulevard.

Show hours are April 29 from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m., April 30 from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. and May 1 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. The art show brings artists from around the country to show off their skills ranging from photography to painting to wood sculptures.

Over 180 artists applied to show their work, according to the event coordinators. SMSD mom and past Brookside Art Annual participant Jenny Meyer-McCall is one of many that applied for this year’s show.

Although she is waitlisted, she explained three jurors view five images of each applicant’s work, and what would be displayed and on sale at their booth for a short 90 seconds then move on. The three jurors — who vary each year — then pick the top 90 artists to display their work at the art show.

Every applicant pays to apply regardless if they get to participate and exhibit their art. Once accepted, artists also pay a booth fee.

“Artists bring their own tents, walls and art,” MeyerMcCall says. “The only thing provided by the show is the street itself.”

According to Meyer-McCall most of these artists travel and make a living off of shows all around the country. If interested in attending and want to check out the artists, go online to brooksideartannual.com to get a look at the just selected artists beforehand.

Scan the QR code to a c c e s s B ro o k s i d e ’s 36th Art Annual w e b s i t e fo r m o re i n fo r m a t i o n

NEWS 05

APRIL 25, 2022

design by grace demetriou photo by lily mantel

SECURED STUDY HA LL With varying schoolwide opinions on East’s new WIN time protocols, Principal Jason Peres and students voice their hopes for WIN time in the future

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Statistics in

STATS

THE

reconsidering the continuation of WIN time — previously known as seminar — for the next upcoming school year. At the beginning of the school year, students would often leave the designated academic time to go home or out to eat with friends due to the lenient rules surrounding the 90-minute block on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Now with the pressure from the district and things going back to how they were pre-pandemic, administration is changing it up.

Administration and Student Resource Officers are having to stand at doors in order to make sure that kids aren’t leaving the building. This new policy has caused some students to become aggravated about the new WIN protocols, but building Principal Jason Peres believes leaving Seminar is just a missed opportunity to catch up on assignments and meet with teachers for extra help.

“As a school, East believes WIN time is very valuable,” Peres says. “It’s two and a half hours during the week that students could use to catch up on academic work, participate in a club or get support and help from teachers around the school.”

Peres believes the habit of students leaving is a result of the growing “COVID culture” — a time where kids were encouraged to leave campus during

relation to students leaving seminar based on Harbinger’s Instagram polls

seminar. This culture has been built due to the rules surrounding seminar last year, to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 by avoiding extensive student contact.

According to Associate Principal Susan Leonard, with a recent survey going out, having students vote on their preferred school schedule for next year, she is hoping for the schedule to be more innovative and to use the school time differently.

If WIN time continues next year, the plan is to do a better job of student progress tracking. This means East faculty would intervene with students who need extra support and then mandating that they go to certain places to get that help and support.

But with students leaving campus and showing WIN time may not be needed, the idea of WIN time not continuing next year is a real possibility, according to Peres.

“A schedule committee is convening to look at what schedule we’re going to adopt next year,” Peres says. “They’re going to make a decision, and are going to use staff, students and community input to make that decision.”

If the district and committee decides against having the twice-a-week hour and a shorter WIN time on Tuesdays and Thursday, the revised schedule would leave room for more instructional minutes in

the day, which would result in longer class periods overall.

“It’s a very difficult question,” Peres says. “We have just as many students that depend on WIN time as we do that don’t care about it. We’ve discovered there is no middle ground for students.”

Sophomore Maddie Doyle tends to leave during WIN time for personal reasons, and these new protocols make it hard for her to do what needs to be done.

“Currently, I am not the biggest fan of these WIN time protocols,” Doyle says.

“I occasionally have to leave for family reasons or to actually be able to study.”

Doyle often finds herself needing to study in a calm, quiet environment away from the chaos of kids talking obnoxiously or playing their TikToks in class — her loud Biology classroom makes the whole idea of “peace and quiet ‘’ impossible.

“I do really like learning, I just wished that this was a kind of school where we could just leave and then come back responsibly,” Doyle said. “I actually learn a lot better when I’m at home, in my own environment where I can study and have time to myself. I don’t need the social aspect of school sometimes, which can be overbearing, when I’m trying to learn and study for an upcoming test.”

52% 94% 22%

REGULARLY LEAVE THINK STUDENTS HAVE BEEN CAUGHT SCHOOL DURING SHOULD BE ABLE TO LEAVING SEMINAR SEMINAR UNEXCUSED LEAVE DURING SEMINAR UNEXCUSED

THE COMBAT

by lucy wolf S OF RIGHT now, East’s admin is

Senior Toby Rodriguez finds that WIN time is a great way to use the time as the student desires, and how they end up needing to use it.

“After a while, with more teachers standing in front of exits, it was certainly deterring,” Rodriguez said. “I definitely wanted to leave less because I was afraid they would ask to see a pass while I was leaving.”

Rodriguez is a supporter of WIN time, yet still believes students should be able to head to class, leave and take care of what needs to be done at home, and then come back responsibly. A way for students to learn time management skills necessary for success after high school, according to Rodriguez.

Through the varying opinions from East students, teachers and staff, the current status of next year’s WIN time outcomes remain unknown and undecided from East.

For Peres there is no “best answer” as to whether he’s pushing to keep WIN time, or pushing to get rid of it. It’s best that the decision is being made as a district according to Peres. According to Peres, It’s hard for him to lean one way or the other on it because no matter what direction he leans, Peres isn’t giving his support to a group of students.

Things that admin are doing to stop this issue

GUARDING THE EXITS

GIVING DETENTIONS

ANNOUNCING NOT TO LEAVE

06 NEWS

THE HARBINGER design by mia vogel

SHELTERS

SHUT DOWN Kansas City shelters are closing after their winter season, forcing homeless people to find another place to stay

by aver y anderso n

A

A B O V E O u t s i d e of the temporarily closed Project 1 0 - 2 0 s h e lte r located at 9400 Pflumm Rd, Lenexa, KS. PHOTO BY LILI VOTTERO

LESS THAN 70

EMERGENCY SHELTER BEDS AVAILABLE AT ANY GIVEN TIME IN JOHNSON COUNTY

438

1360

OUT OF 1,798 PEOPLE HOMELESS ON ANY GIVEN NIGHT IN KCMO, 438 ARE UNSHELTERED

300

157

2021

189

2019

LAST DECADE

*information from HUD Exchange

BY THE NUMBERS

Houseless numbers in KCMO

JOCO HOUSELESS

ALTERNATIVES JOHNSON COUNTY MENTAL HEALTH DEPARTMENT JOHNSON COUNTY INTERFAITH HOSPITALITY NETWORK

S SUMMER WEATHER rolls in and it appears safer

for homeless people to sleep outside, local homeless shelters are scaling back their operations.

Although most of them still provide relief programs, many closures leave homeless individuals with few other options for shelter. The high prices for houses also make it difficult for low-wage employees to afford a place to stay.

The homeless population in and around Kansas City has grown about 27% due to the COVID-19 pandemic, according to KCUR.org. A number of people haven’t recovered from the effects the pandemic had on them and their finances, and they continue to seek shelter at places that only allow this protection during the winter.

However, this need for protection doesn’t subside with warmer weather.

“Mainly I just see an increased need for things [after the shelters close] but without shelter it’s harder to live and get a job and maintain your belongings,” senior and Uplift, a local homelesness community service group, volunteer James Schipfer said.

With the homeless population in Johnson County reaching over 2,000 individuals, a 16% increase since 2007, over an eighth of those people are left without a place to stay when shelters are closed in the summer.

Another challenge is that some homeless shelters who partner with local churches force the people seeking refuge with them to participate in activities or groups that might go against the person’s religion according to the Kansas City Star. They’re also faced with antiLGBTQ+ shelters rejecting their stay because of their gender or sexuality.

Project 10-20 — the only shelter available for single adults experiencing homelessness in Johnson County — only offers shelter services during the winter and late fall.

The shelter is located at 9400 Pflumm in Lenexa, Kansas, in a building that can accommodate up to 30 individuals each night.

Project 10-20 shelter provides food, item storage and a safe place to sleep during the winter according to the owner and co-founder Barb McEver. They arrange a case worker and help their guests get back on their feet yearround. But without a place to stay in the summer, it’s hard for these individuals to find a safe and consistent shelter and they’re more likely to lose their job.

“I can’t imagine sleeping behind a QuikTrip and then getting up the next day to go to work,” said McEver. “You can’t get yourself ready to where you feel comfortable

and confident and presentable.”

During the pandemic, people with COVID-19-related hardships such as job loss and illness were once protected by the National Eviction Moratorium. Lifted on June 29, 2021, the Moratorium has left people unable to pay taxes or rent without a safety net that they depended on in the past year.

The price of homes also went up dramatically during the pandemic as people moved in from larger cities.

People looking to buy a home in the Johnson County area are met with high-priced homes and competitive bids that become impossible to compete with according to Realestate US News. Even with a decent amount of money saved up and a steady job, people can’t be guaranteed a place to live that’s both safe and affordable.

“We are navigating a very strong seller’s market currently,” local real estate agent Erin Dreiling said.

“With a depleted inventory of homes and high buyer demand, buyers are having to be more competitive than ever before. The intensity of the market and demands on buyers are squeezing some buyers out of the market completely.”

With little chance of purchasing a house, there are only a few options left.

I C A N ’ T I M AG I N E s l e e p i n g b e h i n d a Q u i kTr i p a n d t h e n g ett i n g u p t h e n ex t d a y t o g o t o w o r k

BARB MCEVER OWNER AND CO-FOUNDER OF PROJECT 10-20 “Some people we are able to get into housing, a lot of them are couch-surfing, and a lot of people are in tents or just roaming the streets [in the summer],” McEver said.

The Kansas City Star recently highlighted the immediate need for a year-round homeless shelter.

Although outreach programs and volunteers do all they can to help the homeless population, a more permanent and accessible option needs to be available to the public.

The new Homeless Prevention Coordinator for Kansas City Josh Henges plans to turn two former hotels into a permanent transitional and emergency housing area for homeless citizens according to the kcmo.gov.

Although it’s impossible to fully eliminate homelessness, donations to Project 10-20, the Salvation Army and reStart Inc. to help grow their facilities can assist local people getting back on their feet.

NEWS 07

APRIL 25, 2022

design by campbell wood photos by caroline martucci

FOR

COLOR CHANGE Student Council is hosting an outdoor walk and dance with colored powder called Powder for Peace on May 7 to raise money for Ukraine

by cesca stamati

S

TUCO IS HOSTING a fundraiser called Powder for Peace similar to the formerly annual Love Fund Color Run to raise money for the Heart to Heart International charity on May 7.

Powder for Peace will be an event where students walk, dance and have colored powder thrown on their clothes like previous color runs, but with a fundraising twist for Ukraine, according to senior and StuCo Vice President TongTong Yi. “We wanted to have [an] event postprom, pre-graduation, just one more thing for the student body to do,” Yi said. “We thought, ‘Hey if we’re throwing this event, why not put the money that we get to a good cause like Ukraine?’”

Starting at 9:45 a.m., students will walk four laps — totaling a mile — around the East track before going to the junior parking lot, where there will be a DJ playing music and StuCo members throwing blue and yellow powder on students to symbolize Ukraine’s flag. Students will pay an entry fee of $10 at the door, and all profits will go to Heart to Heart International, an Olathebased charity that sends relief packages to Ukraine among other humanitarian work, according to StuCo sponsor Brenda Fishman.

Unlike previous color runs, StuCo will ask students to wear their own white T-shirts instead of printing shirts to give out. To further raise funds to support Ukraine, vendors — both high schoolers and local businesses — will sell items such as blue-and-yellow bracelets, T-shirts and Ukrainian baked goods in the junior lot, according to Fishman.

While the annual Color Run ended in 2019 due to the pandemic, StuCo discontinued the event due to the cost and planning required, Fishman said. Planning

for the Color Run began four months prior to sort out a date and route, find driveways to set water stations in and spray paint lines three feet from the street gutter. Even after selling tickets, StuCo made no profit due to expenses like a DJ, colored powder, printing T-shirts and blocking off streets, according to Yi. “[The Color Run] was always a big money sink,” Yi said. “Every single instance when we hosted the Color Run, we always ended up losing a bunch of money, which obviously is not the goal for something that’s trying to raise money for Ukraine.”

SCAN ME • DONATE A l l p ro c e e d s f ro m P o w d e r fo r P e a c e will go to Heart to Heart International, w h i c h p rov i d e s humanitarian aid during this time.

StuCo will use leftover powder from previous years and have students walk around the school track instead of Prairie Village streets, according to Yi. Since they don’t need to buy color, the estimated cost of the event — including the snacks and water — is $200-300, according to Fishman. StuCo is currently looking for a student volunteer to DJ the event rather than hiring a professional to further save money.

Fishman hopes to see at least 300400 people in attendance and make a difference in the lives of Ukrainian families with entry fees and donations from the East community, while also spreading awareness to East students.

“We want the kids to have a fun time, but we also want [them] to think that we are doing this for a purpose,” Fishman

said. “Unfortunately, while we’re having a good time at the end of the school year, there are other students [in Ukraine] who are probably not able to go to school, and they maybe have lost a parent or a loved one or a home.”

While StuCo had been considering doing a fundraiser for Ukraine, Fishman said that junior Michael Newbold inspired the council to plan the event when he emailed them four ideas for East to support Ukraine. His ideas consisted of a school fundraiser, collecting letters and art to send to Prairie Village’s sister city in Ukraine, establishing a sister school relationship or organizing a student diplomatic mission to Ukraine.

Fishman, along with other StuCo executives, believed a school fundraiser was the most realistic option.

Newbold emailed StuCo his proposals three weeks ago and attended the council meeting on April 13, where he suggested partnering with Dolyna, Ukraine for Powder for Peace. StuCo is currently attempting to contact the sister city through Prairie Village City Hall, according to Fishman, but hasn’t been able to reach them yet.

While Newbold has no personal connection to Ukraine, he believes supporting Ukraine is the right thing to do and will also help East students become more involved in global matters.

“As of now, most high schools, what they can do is pretty much limited to fundraising or donations of more non-fiat materials, like blankets, canned foods,” Newbold said. “I believe that if local high schools or students could just contribute what they’re willing to contribute, every bit helps.”

FUNDRAISER

FOUNDATIONS Specifics on Powder for Peace

MAY 7 9:45 a.m.

PRAIRIE VILLAGE’S SISTER CITY sis•ter ci•ty a long-term partnership between two towns, cities, provinces or in some cases, countries all across the globe.

DOLYNA UKRAINE *definition from trueeducationpartnerships.com

AGENDA s ig n in

wa l k fo u r la p s a ro u n d the tra c k h e a d to j u n i o r lot fo r m us ic a nd p owd e r

WHAT TO BRING m o ney

The entry fee is $10, but students are encouraged to bring extra cash to purchase goods from local vendors.

white c lothe s

The colored powder shows up best on white clothes, but wear clothes you don’t mind getting dirty.

08 OPINION

THE HARBINGER

design by sophie lindberg

OPINION HIGHLIGHTS A look into student opinions about the lip dub and the opinion section

B A C K T H E N , E S P E C I A L LY b e c a u s e o u r ye a r

S E E N [ o n Tw i tt e r ] s o m e fa m o u s b a s ke t -

S E T

T A

K @smeharbie

* I n s t a g ra m p o l l of 3 9 9 vo t e s

YES

83%

NO

17%

DO YOU FEEL MORE FREE AT HOME WITH YOUR SIBLING(S) AWAY AT COLLEGE?

N

YES

51%

NO

49%

U Follow us on social media to participate in the polls

@smeharbinger

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

* I n s t a g ra m p o l l of 1 7 1 vo t e s

D

NORA HILL SOPHOMORE

TA K E O U R P O L L S

LIBBY MCSHANE EAST ALUM

E

v i d e o a n d l o o k fo r a l l my f r i e n d s , b u t a l s o j u s t s e e w h a t s o n g s t h ey p i c k a n d s e e t h e p e o p l e t h a t w i l l b e s i n g i n g t h e m , a n d j u st t o b e a p a r t of s o m e t h i n g s o c o o l t h a t t h e e nt i re s c h o o l c a n b e i nvo lve d i n .

22

I T H I N K I T w i l l b e f u n t o s e e my fa c e i n t h e

Reflecting on and looking forward to the SME lip dubs

IS IT POSSIBLE TO BE TOO COMPETITIVE?

20

SYDNEY BECK SENIOR

17

t h e re w a s t h i s p a r t w h e re c h o i r j u st st a r t e d singing B o h e m i a n R h a p s o d y , l i ke f u l ly s a n g a s o l o . I also knew a fe w p e o p l e i n t h e [ 2 0 1 7 ] o n e , s o i t w a s re a l ly w e i rd t o w a t c h t h e m a n d b e l i ke , ‘ Wo w , t h ey ’ re a l l g ro w n u p n o w . ’

PASSING ON THE MIC

I T H I N K T H AT t h e l i p d u b i s g o i n g t o b e re a l ly g o o d , w i t h t i m e t e c h n o l o g y h a s re a l ly evo lve d , a s eve r yo n e k n o w s , s o I t h i n k i t ’s j u s t g o i n g t o b e a h i g h e r q u a l i t y v i d e o t h a n t h e p a s t o n e s . We ’ ve a l s o b e e n a b l e t o l e a r n f ro m t h e p a s t l i p d u b s fo r t h e ro u t e s , t h e m u s i c a n d w h a t w o r k s b e s t . We u s e d t h e p a s t l i p d u b s n o t j u st a s i n s p i ra t i o n b u t t o a l s o evo lve i t a n d m a ke i t b e tt e r .

@smeharbinger

I T H I N K [ I l ove d t h e l i p d u b s ] b e c a u s e

20

JULIA STOPPERAN EAST ALUM

KATIE TETRICK EAST ALUM

ball team or s o m e o n e w h o h a d d o n e i t , b u t w e t h o u g ht i t w a s s o c o o l . We w e re l i ke , “ O h my G o d , l et ’s d o t h i s w i t h t h e s c h o o l a n d eve r yo n e c a n g e t i nvo lve d . ” We d i d i t d u r i n g a b l o c k d a y s o w e h a d a l o n g s e m i n a r , a n d i t l i t e ra l ly t o o k t w o h o u rs .

MADELINE PETERS EAST ALUM

s o t o m e i t ’s o n e of t h e c o re m e m o r i e s I re m e m b e r f ro m h i g h s c h o o l . I c a n l o o k b a c k a n d s h o w p e o p l e , a n d h a ve t h a t c o n n e c t i o n st i l l w i t h E a st , l i ke , ‘ I w a s a p a r t of t h i s l i p d u b . I w a s a p a r t of t h e s e o rg a n i za t i o n s . ’ T h i s i s a l i tt l e b i t of a s n a p s h ot of w h a t h i g h s c h o o l w a s l i ke fo r m e .

HOW MUCH OF AN INFLUENCE ARE YOUR PARENTS IN THE COLLEGE SEARCH PROCESS? * I n s t a g ra m p o l l of 2 8 5 vo t e s

T

WE HAD

T H E L I P D U B h a p p e n e d my s e n i o r ye a r ,

S

13 20

w a s t h e f i r s t ye a r , i t w a s s u p e r c o o l a s a s e n i o r t o s e e eve r yo n e g et t o g et h e r o n e l a st t i m e . T h e re w a s a w a y w h e re , i f yo u w e re n ’ t i nvo lve d i n a c l u b o r s p o r t , t h a t a l l t h e s e n i o r s c o u l d j u s t b e t o g et h e r . A n d w e ’ re re m i n d e d a l l t h e t i m e t h a t o u r l i tt l e c l i p g ot i n t h a t C h ev y c o m m e rc i a l .

no influence

heavy influence

OPINION 09

APRIL 25, 2022

design by christian gooley photos by macy crosser and rachel bingham

Competitive sports are fun to watch, but too much emotion can ruin the experience for everyone

L A NCE RS’ OP INION S

How a few students view the importance of sports games

HADLEY SEIBERT SOPHOMORE

W h e n t h e C h i ef s o r R oya l s l o s e , I n eve r re a l ly c a re , I j u st m ove o n a n d n ot t h i n k about it.

SCOTTY FEGEN SOPHOMORE W h e n my fa vo r i t e s p o r t t e a m l o s e s , i t re a l ly g et s m e d o w n a n d i n a w a y r u i n s my d a y .

BRADY HAUGHTON FRESHMAN I fe e l p rett y u p s et a b o u t i t . I g et p rett y a n g r y a n d m a d , b u t a f t e r a b o u t f i ve m i n u t e s I fo rg et a l l a b o u t i t .

by dav i d al legr i YES GLUED TO the TV, you’re

E

watching your favorite sports team compete in the championship. As the time running on the clock slips away, they have one last chance to win it. The anticipation, the competition, the thrill slowly fades away as your team fumbles the ball. They lose their last chance to score as the clock hits 0. The mood of the room completely changes — from people jumping with excitement, to complete and utter disappointment; maybe the loss results in a fit of rage or a week of sulking.

Sporting events can bring fans together — the food, the spirit, the family brings everyone together. If they’re winning that is. If a team loses, fits will be thrown and it can ruin the experience for everyone.

The Chiefs lost to the Chargers on Sept. 26. It resulted in rightfully unhappy fans and led to a brawl in which punches were thrown, beer cans were hurled and many people were escorted out of Arrowhead Stadium.

The case of the Chargers win isn’t the only time violence has been incited after a football game: it’s the whole NFL. These post-loss brawls have become a trend. It’s not surprising that a crowd of angry fans would attack opposing fans after they start boasting about their win.

At my job at Bike America, I watched my manager have a full blown pity party after the Chiefs lost to the Bengals, refusing to help customers and sulking in the bathroom — all because of a sports game.

According to the studies conducted by the National Library of Medicine,

when a team that’s predicted to win loses, negativity swells — the rates of domestic abuse by men towards wives and girlfriends increase, generally up to 10% when the team they support loses.

And it’s not just football — all sports fans tend to get especially rowdy on game day. According to studies done by Lancaster University, when the England Soccer Club lost a game, domestic violence went up 38%.

In response to the absurd pattern, the UK’s National Center for Domestic Violence even released a picture of someone’s bloody face labeled “If England gets beaten, so will she.”

SPORTS ARE SUPPOSED S p o r t s a re s u p p o s e d t o b e f u n a n d e nt e r t a i n i n g t o w a t c h , a n d eve n i f yo u r t e a m l o s e s , l i fe w i l l g o o n a n d eve r y t h i n g w i l l b e a l r i g ht .

For many, watching sports is just an activity to do for fun. Though game days for many women and children who live in abusive households can be dreadful.

As a fan, it’s easy to get too involved in watching a team, and emotions can run high when you watch them lose.

But, the fact is that at the end of the day you have no control over the game, and it has no long-term effect on you or your life.

In an Instagram poll of 400 East community members, 83% believe that people can get too emotional when watching sports. I’ve experienced

people go crazy while watching sports, with their mood and behavior based on the performance of their team — they would curse, start punching walls and even going as far as sending death threats to people who interfere with their team’s victory.

An example of such behavior was displayed after the 2003 World Series against the Chicago Cubs vs. Florida Marlins, where there was a foul ball hit to the outfield pursued by Cubs outfielder Moisés Alou and when Alou was about to catch the ball, Steve Bartmen, an unsuspecting Cubs fan beat him to it and took the ball into the stands.

The catch by Bartmen ruled the ball out of play, causing the Cubs to lose the game, and then lose the series.

Some Cubs fans were enraged to the point of harassing him, forcing him to be escorted out the stadium. After the game he was berated with beer cans and received countless death threats. The abuse from the fans was so severe, then-Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich even suggested Bartmen go into witness protection.

It’s important to be competitive and support a team because you can be a part of a family, but when you go as far as attempting to hurt other people, and even other fans, it becomes ridiculous.

Letting a game control your life is irresponsible.

Sports are supposed to be fun and entertaining to watch, and even if your team loses, life will go on and everything will be alright.

It’s just a game.

10 OPINION

THE HARBINGER

design by blakely faulkner photos by rachel condon

ON MY OWN

Being alone in the house allows for space to grow and become independent

HOME ALONE Students with older siblings share their expirience being the youngest I D E F I E N I T E LY F E E L I ’ m a n o n ly c h i l d m o st of t h e t i m e , b e s i d e s fa m i ly va c a t i o n s a n d h o l i d a y s w h e n my s i b l i n g s a re h o m e .

MILLIE NORDEN SOPHOMORE

by maggie k is s ick

M

Y OLDER BROTHER’S room was always messy beyond belief. Clean and dirty laundry, cleats and lacrosse bags covered his scratchy carpet that hadn’t been vacuumed in who knows how long. He always forgot to bring towels back to our shared bathroom — my 14-yearold self had to go collect them from his bedroom floor myself.

Aug. 22, 2019 was the first day I remember seeing his room perfectly clean. He’d packed away the laundry and taken it off to college, leaving me with a squeaky clean — and empty — bathroom. And while I thought his move to college and this new clean lifestyle would have me thrilled, I was left feeling lost.

As for my older sister, I’ve idolized her responsibility and determination for as long as I can remember. When she quit dancing to start cheering, I followed in her footsteps years later. I admired how she always tried to include me, whether it was playing Barbies or taking me out to get our nails done with her friends. She left for college when I was in fifth grade. Sure, I enjoyed stealing clothes from her closet after she left, but her leaving was harder on me that I’d like to admit.

My siblings shaped who I was as a person. I adapted my personality to theirs, becoming outgoing like my sister and cracking the same jokes as my brother. Who would I be without them?

As I grew up, I learned to appreciate being alone and leaned into the newfound time by myself. Instead of having a sibling to help me with my chemistry homework, I’d set firm deadlines and figure it out myself. I didn’t need my siblings to tell me which classes I should take in high school or which extracurriculars to stay involved in. I ventured into areas they never did.

Being alone in the house has given me the time and space needed to figure out who I am. I don’t have my siblings here to constantly make fun of me for watching “The Office” for the 15th time or laugh at my horrible parking job on display in the driveway. I’m not constantly trying to follow my brother and his friends around or try to impress my sister’s friends with how good my singing is.

I no longer seek their approval.

If my siblings were still in the house, I probably would’ve taken that AP Physics class and not quit lacrosse.

Without them in the house, I realized that I don’t need to emulate Katie or Bobby. I pushed myself in new directions,

pursuing journalism and becoming cheer captain.

Children without siblings are self-entertainers and often tend to be the most creative, according to parents. com. They’re confident, well-spoken, pay attention to detail and tend to do well in school. Even though I’m technically not an only child, I’ve taken on these strengths that come from being the only one in the house.

I DONT FEEL LIKE a n o n ly c h i l d b e c a u s e a lt h o u g h my o l d e r s i st e rs h a ve g ra d u a t e d , I st i l l h a ve a t w i n .

A S I G R E W u p , I l e a r n e d t o a p p re ciate being alone and leaned i nt o t h e n e w fo u n d a l o n e t i m e by my s e lf .

I have the social skills to interact with new people, but I also have no issue spending a night alone watching Netflix or organizing my room. I have the confidence to ask about my difficult math homework or call out cheers in front of a large student section. With all the attention in the house on me, I make sure to double-check my tests to make sure my grade is the best it can be. I may not have been able to discover these skills if it weren’t for my siblings being off at college.

Throughout my newfound alone time, I’ve become more independent. I don’t have my siblings to remind me about important events or help me with my chores — I hold myself accountable. Without distractions in my house, I can focus on my goals. I can raise my chemistry grade to beat my sister’s, try to master InDesign or make my toe touch higher.

The social interaction I lack in my house has made me more outgoing when I’m meeting new people. I’m always alone in my house, so I’ve become more open-minded when meeting people and I’m happier to surround myself with unfamiliar faces.

I don’t have my siblings to entertain me anymore, so I entertain myself.

As they went off to college, not only did my personality develop but our relationship grew stronger. We bickered a lot as children, but now that they’re gone, it makes it more rewarding when I see them on holidays. I love dishing out the latest gossip to my sister and having a full conversation with my brother without arguing. I don’t feel the need to impress them everytime I see them and I’ve developed my own interests. None of this would’ve been possible if I wouldn’t have been an honorary “only child.”

MAX KUHLMAN SOPHOMORE

I WISH MY SIBLINGS w e re c l o s e r t o my a g e .

We ’ re a l l 4 ye a rs a p a r t s o w e ’ re a l l d o i n g d i f fe re nt things.

MARIN MCHEHINY SOPHOMORE I S T I L L G E T TO S E E [ my s i b l i n g s ] e n o u g h t h a t w e c a n st i l l ke e p a re a l ly st ro n g b o n d and I communicate w i t h t h e m ove r t h e p h o n e a l ot .

EMMA KUHLMAN SOPHOMORE DO YOU HAVE COLLEGE-AGED SIBLINGS? * I n s t a g ra m p o l l of 1 7 1 vot e s

YES NO

53% 47%

APRIL 25, 2022

design by greyson imm photos by rachel bingham and macy crosser

INHERITED INFLUENCES

OPINION 11

The environment you grow up in has a significant influence on where you decide to go to college, and that’s OK

by madelin e fu n key

N APRIL 2, 2012, every eye in a crowded Johnny’s Tavern was glued to the TV. My attention, my family’s and even the waiters’ was focused on the University of Kansas Jayhawks as they played against Kentucky in the 2012 Final Four Championship. I could feel the energy radiating through every table packed with blue face paint and red pom poms — something my 8-year-old self took after naturally.

Being constantly surrounded with crimson and blue and screaming the classic “Rock Chalk Jayhawk” chant until my throat hurts has been part of life for as long as I can remember. As the daughter of two KU alumni, I’ve grown up with more Jayhawk swag than my closet could hold and spend every autumn Saturday tailgating football games. When the conversation about where I was going to spend my next four years after graduation arose, KU was the obvious choice for my safety school.

When you grow up with parents who both attended the same college, it’s natural to want to follow in their footsteps — it’s likely the only school spirit you’ve been exposed to by the time you apply. It’s OK to attend the same college as your parents — as long as it’s because you want to, not just because they want you to.

It wasn’t until my junior year that I started considering other schools like Oklahoma University, Indiana University and University of Arkansas. Each college on my list was absolutely worth the conversation, but none compared to the ties that bound me to KU. So when my parents said it was truly my choice in the end, it felt impossible not to choose the only school I knew and grew up loving — I was practically raised to go there.

Despite my choice to go in-state due to a personal connection, choosing this path can have a negative connotation tied to it.

I always hear people say KU is just like

INFLUENCED B Y CULTURE

UNDER PRESSURE

high school or that it’s the “easy way out.” In our community, people think that it’s where you go when you don’t want to try to get into another school. The pressure of making a decision that will pave the road for your future endeavors is daunting enough, but only made more stressful when absorbing other people’s opinions on “the right choice” for college.

Don’t get me wrong, I gave other colleges a chance by visiting, learning and talking to people that went to the schools I was curious about. Even though I was looking at and researching other, more desirable destinations than Kansas, nothing ever topped the energy and pride that has surrounded me all my life as a KU kid.

Some people do rely on in-state schools as a safety net or “backups,” but one of those colleges could be another person’s dream school. Planting roots in the culture and family traditions of Jayhawks at a young age has led me to develop a burning love for

T H E R E A S O N I a p p l i e d t o s o m a ny o u t of st a t e s c h o o l s i s [ p a r t i a l ly b e c a u s e ] my m o m i m m i g ra t e d h e re d u r i n g c o l l e g e f ro m Ta i w a n . A n d s o , o n e of h e r g o a l s h a s b e e n t o ex p o s e m e t o d i f fe re nt p l a c e s a n d a l l o w m e a d i f fe re n t p e rs p e c t i ve .

EMMA BROWN

the school. Attending the annual KU kickoff each fall, watching parties and basketball games at the Allen Fieldhouse, I couldn’t see myself making any other college my home.

Financially, going in-state makes a lot of sense for people and they shouldn’t be taunted for wanting to make a smart, longterm decision. The distance and appealing college town also gave me that extra assurance that KU is the best decision for me. I finally stopped listening to everyone else’s opinion and listened to what my gut has been saying my whole life.

I can’t imagine one day taking my kids to anywhere but Allen Fieldhouse because I want to share my love for KU with them, just as my parents did. It isn’t a bad thing to truly embrace your roots and hold onto the pride you grew up with. However, if you are, make sure it’s your decision and no one else’s.

Students share what factors influenced their college decisions and why

SENIOR

INFLUENCED B Y PARENTS

O

M Y DA D W E N T t o K U , a n d my m o m w e nt t o K U , s o p e o p l e a s s u m e t h a t ’s w h e re I ’ m g o i n g [ t o c o l l e g e ] .

K U ’s f u n , b u t s o m e p e o p l e d o h a ve d re a m s t h a t m i g ht n ot i n vo lve K U .

ROBERT MARX

JUNIOR

12 PHOTOSTORY

THE HARBINGER

design by maggie merckens

Junior Adya Burdick expresses her creativity through graphic design and screen printing apparel L E F T In her mom’s art classroom, junior Adya B u rd i ck lays out the screen stencil for her n ew design to print on a sweatshirt. Burdick c re a ted her small business Adya B. + Co as a c re ative outlet to design. “I thought it was re a l ly fun to do and I wanted to do something I c o u ld make a business out of,” Burdick said.

PHOTO BY RACHEL BINGHAM L E F T The small business Adya B. + Co started on Instagram in January has developed into a website to sell her designs.

Burdick shares uplifting graphics, design ideas and inspiration on her account.

PHOTO BY CHARLOTTE EMLEY B O T T O M L E F T Th e materials used to screenprint an Adya B. + Co sweatshirt include red and white speedball ink, a stencil, a knife, a squeegee and the desired apparel.

Burdick creates all of her designs using Procreate.

PHOTO BY RACHEL BINGHAM

SCAN ME • PHOTO

R I G H T After pressing pink ink over the stencil, Burdick lifts up the screen to reveal the finished design on her completed sweatshirt. The design “Be Kind to You” is Burdick’s first screen printed design. PHOTO BY CHARLOTTE EMLEY

SCAN ME • INSTA Scan this QR code to visit A d ya ’s b u s i n e s s I n s t a g ra m

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 a n d ot h e r o n H a r b i e P h ot o .

A B O V E Using a knife, Burdick makes an ink well lining the top of the stencil to prepare for swiping the ink across the design stencil.

“I usually swiped down like two to four times just to make sure that the stencil is completely covered,” Burdick said.

PHOTO BY CHARLOTTE EMLEY

S T E P H A N I E WA R D E N , D . D . S

(SME Class of 1989)

(913) 825-2500

wardendds.com

2200 West 75th Street, Suite 101 Prairie Village, Kansas 66208

14 FEATURE

THE HARBINGER

design by katie murphy photos by riley scott, jill rice and audrey condon

FEATURE HIGHLIGHTS T H I S W E E K I N P H OTO S A look into student life at East

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

THIS WEEK’S WINNER: BRENAE BARNES FRESHMAN

TOP RIGHT F o r h e r i nfo r m a t i ve g ro u p p re s e nta t i o n , j u n i o r S o p h i e L i n d b e rg p o u rs a c eto n e o n a st y rofo a m c i t y , m o d e l i n g t h e f i re b o m b i n g of Dre sd e n, G e r m a ny . PHOTO BY AUDREY CONDON

LEFT ENCOURAGING NOTES ON THE LOCKERS IN THE GIRLS’ LOCKER ROOM

RUNNERS UP:

BOTTOM RIGHT S e n i o rs N o a h C rew a n d M a s o n S c h u tt fo l low a lo n g a s t h e i r te ache r re ads an exc e r pt f ro m H a r r i s o n B e rg e ro n . PHOTO BY CAROLINE MARTUCCI

LU C Y M I N O R

BOTTOM RIGHT For he r i nfor m a t i ve gro u p pre s e ntat i o n , j u n i o r S o p h i e L i n d b e rg p o u rs a c eto n e o n a st y rofo a m c i t y , m o d e l i n g t h e f i re b o m b i n g of Dre sd e n, G e r m a ny . PHOTO BY MACY CROSSER

S A N G M O T I VAT I O N A L SONGS TO HER FRIENDS DURING THEIR STRESSFUL TEST WEEK

F E AT U R E D U N I Q U E TA L E N T AU T U M N S U N P R A CT I C E S C H I N E S E YO - YO W I T H H E R S I B L I N G S WHERE DID YOU LEARN HOW TO CHINESE YO-YO? I learned at the Chinese School of Greater Kansas City where I used to go every

SENIOR

J O S I E G OW E N JUNIOR B R O U G H T A C L A S S M AT E S TA R B U C K S A N D P A I D F O R IT “JUST BECAUSE”

Sunday to learn Chinese for a few hours. We would perform at the Nelson every year for Chinese New Year. I stopped practicing as much, but picked it up over quarantine.

WHAT’S YOUR FUNNIEST YO-YO FAIL? The yo-yo’s are spinning so fast that if you get hit, it will genuinely hurt you. I’d perform in a group with my sisters and some family friends. One time, we were performing at the

VIVIAN RIEHL JUNIOR D R OV E A F R I E N D W H O D I D N ’ T H AV E A R I D E H O M E FROM SCHOOL

Nelson and were gonna throw the yo-yo really high in the air. But we missed catching it, and it landed and hit someone in the face. Like someone who was watching in the crowd. It was really bad. I didn’t see, but they probably cried.

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

FEATURE 15

APRIL 25, 2022

design by sophie henschel photo by audrey condon by sydn ey n ewton

Delaney believes this acting program will help advance her acting career, which she first got into at 4 years old when she saw “High School Musical 3” in theaters.

She was intrigued by Troy dribbling the basketball while belting out “Get’cha get’cha head in the game.” Could I be one of them up there? Her dad, who had done a few minor roles while growing up in Los Angeles, told her that she could — she just had to wait a few years.

“I remember thinking, ‘This is the coolest thing I’ve ever seen,’” Delaney said. “It was awesome. That’s when I knew.”

Delaney first performed at Stage Right Performing Arts, a youth theater program located in Overland Park. She played a role in “Annie Jr.” and “The Sound of Music” — where she realized that she preferred acting over singing because it came more naturally to her. Now in high school, Delaney has stuck with acting, performing in five of East’s main stage productions and six Frequent Fridays, where she’s learned how to perfect her character voices and stage presence. The conservatory will teach her film acting as opposed stage acting which she has exclusively learned.

“It will help expose me to real-world acting,” Delaney said. “Once I go to college, everyone’s gonna be better than me, and I have to be ready for that. I have to be constantly improving now and never be OK with where I’m at, because there’s always room to go up.”

While at the conservatory, Delaney’s “exposure” will come in the form of intensives —

OFF

TO T H E BIG PPLE

Junior Delaney McDermed is attending the The New York Conservatory for Dramatic Art in New York City this summer for four weeks, where she hopes to learn more about her dream career of being a screen actor

classes every weekday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. She’ll study topics like microphone techniques, scene study and working with the camera — all topics Delaney has never learned about before. Delaney’s mom, Angie McDermed, will fly up with her to help Delaney move into her dorm.

But with the experience of the program also comes challenges, according to Angie.

For starters, Delaney will be living in a dorm room in Brooklyn and commuting via bus every day to the Conservatory. Meals don’t come with the program, so Delaney will have to plan them out herself, whether that’s grocery shopping or eating out. She’ll face a level of independence she’s never felt before, Angie says.

“It’s kind of like a test run for college,” Angie said. “She’ll have to manage without her parents. Doing her laundry, finding food, getting toothpaste when she runs out. All of those day-to-day things that usually are done for her won’t be. She’ll have to figure them out herself.”

For Angie, Delaney’s summer program means two months without her acting filling every corner of the house. She sees Delaney running lines on the beach during spring break. Delaney goes to the Johnson County Public library once a week to pick up movies she orders, and watches double features throughout the week, studying the way they move their body while acting and their

acting styles. She often has scripts out at the dinner table.

Delaney’s forensics partner, junior Gretchen Garbe, isn’t surprised that Delaney got accepted into the acting conservatory, considering that she constantly sees her working on her acting skills all the time.

During breaks at forensics tournaments, when most people scroll through Instagram or grab a snack, Delaney re-reads her lines or perfects her acting voice.

“She’s always working on something,” Gretchen said. “She always has a script in her hand, or is talking about ways to improve or asking for people’s opinions on different things. She’s just a go-getter. Her dedication will shine at her summer program.”

Delaney isn’t naive about her acting future. She knows the acting field can be tough to get into with its intense competition and understands there will be 10 or more “No’s” before even one “Yes.” However, she believes this conservatory will get her one step closer. One step closer to attending a real acting school. One step closer to being among the actors that she admires in the library-rented films she studies on her basement TV nightly or the same “High School Musical”-like actor she’d idolized when she was four.

“Delaney is fearless,” Amanda said.

“She’s very focused and perfectionistic. But most importantly, she’s incredibly eager to learn and improve. She just wants to soak it all in. She’s come such a long way, and this program is going to help her even more. I couldn’t be prouder of her.”

T H E N E W YO R K BREAKDOWN Delaney’s plans for this summer

13 - 08 J U LY

LANK BACK-DROP behind her. A video camera five feet in front of her. Junior Delaney McDermed felt like a professional as she portrayed a girl struggling with anxiety, stroking her hands down her face and tightening her shoulders to both the lens and her acting coach Amanda Clark standing right behind it.

But Amanda could tell Delaney was overthinking in typical perfectionistDelaney-fashion. Delaney’s eyes wandered the camera and she could see her getting distracted by her own thoughts. After all, she was auditioning for a scholarship at The New York Conservatory for Dramatic Art — an acting program in Manhattan, New York — which both Delaney and Amanda believed was the next step in Delaney’s acting career.

Delaney knew Amanda was right — she could feel a quivering undertone in her voice and her legs shaking, but she took a deep breath. One. Two. Delaney replayed the lines, checked that her posture was straight and ensured she knew every word, then began again. She really wanted to get in. The video had to be flawless.

Knowing she’s self-critical, Delaney didn’t want to watch the video herself but trusted Amanda to choose which of the takes to submit.

Just two weeks later, Delaney received news that she was offered a spot at the school where she’ll attend from June 13 to July 8 and received the highest scholarship, covering 35% of her tuition. She accepted it without a second thought.

JUNE

B

LIVING IN A DORM

B R O O K LY N ,

CLASSES NY

10a.m. - 6p.m.

M O N D AY - F R I D AY DELANEY WILL USE PUBLIC T R A N S P O R TAT I O N T O G E T T O C L A S S E A C H D AY

D

16 NEWS

I

by kate h e itma n n

S

ENIOR MADISON PUTT* didn’t ever think about fentanyl until she had to.

She had to think about it when her childhood best friend overdosed due to fentanyl. She didn’t want to think about how her friend went a little too far only once and paid with her life.

Putt’s friend passed away from fentanyl last year and since then, Putt has become more nervous for students who take hard drugs. She doesn’t want another friend to feel the helplessness she did.

While no known East students have

overdosed on fentanyl, many have felt the i m p a c t s nearby in the c o m m u n i t y.

Some have lost friends and family from an overdose, while others have developed a caution for fentanyl. Putt feels there should be more awareness of the presence of fentanyl within the community.

50-300X

F E N TA N Y L I S M O R E POTENT THAN MORPHINE While SMSD has not yet had to arrest any students for possession of fentanyl, according to Student Resource Officer Tony Woolen, Woolen still believes it’s a topic to discuss.

In March, a brick of fentanyl that would’ve been made into 10,000 counterfeit

oxycodone tablets was seized by the Kansas City Police Department. Fentanyl has reached the Kansas City markets and its impact is reflected in the number of overdose deaths. Between 2019 and 2020, there was a 149% increase in fentanyl-related overdose deaths in the KC metro area, according to the KCPD. Now that fentanyl has reached the East community, students are hearing more stories of a friend of a friend overdosing on what they think could have been fentanyl.

The high they got was a lot stronger than they were used to. They’d never felt that intensity of a high before. However, most students won’t ever fully know if they were on it until it is too late.

Junior Max Garfield*, who’s avoided attending certain parties out of fear of fentanyl being present there, thinks that students are aware of fentanyl, but can’t imagine encountering fentanyl themselves.

“I think [students] are definitely worried about it as a community thing,” Garfield said. “[To] a lot of people it seems like, ‘Oh, I can never be addicted to fentanyl; it can never happen to me.’ They’re not really concerned about having it happen to themselves. It’s hard to see yourself as the person who’s actually having a negative experience.”

To address t h e increasing cases of fentanyl, Principal J a s o n Peres spoke about his concerns of students taking substances not knowing they contained fentanyl at a PTSA meeting on March 29.

“We discussed how fentanyl is a real problem in every school, in every community across America,” Peres said. “And it is a real problem here in the metro area as well. It’s not just something that we talk about and we never have to deal with.”

4/10

P I L L S C O N TA I N I N G F E N TA N Y L A R E L E T H A L Peres spoke to the PTSA about the need to spread awareness about how little it takes to overdose — just 2 mg according to the National Center for Drug Abuse. Peres mentioned how he would like, if they’re comfortable, the parent who lost their child to fentanyl and recently gave a talk for the Blue Valley School District to speak to East

students n The on to preven and raisin measures of naloxon corrects reactive, happened administe Fentan compared a small am that keeps — a benef of this, ac “The exactly s between b your clien Communi DCCCA In With o to a near difference In compar 100 mg an a miniscu fentanyl-r “You c Mayer sai an overdo

THE

BOTTOM LINE FENTANYL IS:

*according to bannerhealth.com

CHEAP & EASILY TRANSPORTED

SO

STAY CLEAR OF

ILLICIT DRUGS

&

DEATH

IN

With the rising cases of fentanyl overdoses, students syould be aware of the dangers of the fentanyl-laced drugs

DISGUISE HIDDEN TRUTHS

next fall about their child’s story. only thing East can do as of now nt fentanyl overdoses is education sing awareness, Peres said. Other s such as increasing the availability one — a medicine that specifically these overdoses — are solely as the overdose has already d by the time naloxone has been ered. anyl is cheap and easy to produce d to cocaine or meth. It only takes mount to produce an addictive high ps customers coming back for more efit for the drug dealers profiting off ccording to the DCCCA Inc. thing is, drug traffickers aren’t scientists, so there’s a fine line building your clientele and killing entele,” Chrissy Mayer, the Chief nity-Based Services Officer at Inc. said. only 2 mg of fentanyl that can lead ar-certain death, even the smallest ce of it can determine if one survives. arison, the lethal dosage for heroin is and cocaine is 250 mg. Because such ule amount can cause an overdose, -related deaths are far more likely. can compare it to a grain of salt,” aid. “That could be enough to cause ose.”

&

APRIL 25, 2022

design and photo by peyton moore

When someone overdoses from fentanyl, the drug slows their heartbeat and their veins collapse. They turn clammy, frigid and pale. The oxygen leaves their body slowly.

This occurrence is becoming more common as the frequency of fentanyl-laced drugs is rising.

“When you think of someone overdosing [it’s] like, ‘Oh, they were a drug addict and they had been doing drugs and stuff like that,’” Putt said. “But with her, it’s not like she had a moment where people kind of found out that she was doing drugs and offered her help. It was the one time that she did a little too much, she just died.”

Now that Putt’s experienced the loss of a friend to fentanyl, she warns her friends that “it’s not OK” to take non-prescribed pills offered at parties, or any time. She won’t ever take the risk that her friend did.

Currently, the only treatment for an opioid overdose is naloxone. In a survey conducted in 2018 by the National Public Radio, 41% of participants were unaware an antidote for fentanyl existed. Naloxone is available free upon request to any Kansan through the DCCCA Inc. through an online form.

“It definitely made me not even consider doing types of drugs that would [potentially] have fentanyl in it,” Putt said. “Just because the tiniest bit would kill you.”

ASSUME ANY PRESCRIPTION

BOUGHT OUT OF STANDARD CHANNELS IS:

Shocking facts about the power of fentanyl

*according to dea.org and richmondtime.com

1

GRAM

WEIGHT EQUIVELENT TO

A PINCH OF SALT OR

A DOLLAR BILL

CAN KILL

500 PEOPLE

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0.2 GRAMS

CAN

KILL YOU

18 FEATURE

THE HARBINGER

SEAR-IOUSLY

HIGH STEAKS Freshman Amelie Wong uses barbeque as an outlet in a sports-oriented family

AMELIE’S RANKINGS

design by addie moore photos by riley eck

YEAR 1:

38th YEAR 2:

36th YEAR 3:

10th

by katie murphy

K

C STRIP STEAK with a homemade garlic barbecue rub, roasted potatoes, skillet-fried mushroom and caramelized onions with freshly crushed peppercorns — another Tuesday night dinner at the Wong’s.

The chef of the house was still wearing school clothes. Freshman Amelie Wong’s apron covered her East sweatpants, with heavy-duty tongs and a meat thermometer poking out of her back pocket.

It was the same meal that Amelie has been submitting to judges at the American Royal Kids’ Barbeque competition for the past four years.

She cooked without being asked, and the dishes would disappear from the sink later without saying. She was used to her mom bringing her siblings home from lacrosse and hockey practice just in time for dinner.

Amelie might grill “the #1 perfectlycooked steak” in her sister Izzy and brother Travers’ eyes, but she takes them to serious competitions for the official verdict.

Every 11 to 15-year-old who competes is required to have a sponsor who’s a registered, competing adult. For Amelie, that was professional pitmaster and Chopped champion Megan Day — one of her mom’s good friends.

“We’ve sponsored all kinds of kids who have competed because it was something

fun to do,” Day said. “We’ve gotten a couple of kiddos over the years that’ve been very serious. But Amelie stands out 100% as the most serious competitor we’ve had.”

For all the time Amelie spends barbequing, it’s frequently assumed that she wants to be a professional chef.

She doesn’t really — putting full-effort into the task at hand is just part of her personality, as a straight-A student who can play three instruments and runs her own photography business.

“Amelie’s very motivated when it comes to something she wants to do,” Izzy said.

“She only took like three guitar lessons before teaching herself how to play the rest of the way off YouTube. I think that’s why she’s so good at barbequing.”

Amelie grew up baking and cooking, much to her family’s delight. Apple pies for holidays. Chocolate chip cookies that stayed crispy-but-soft for days, according to Izzy — she’s yet to taste better. Chicken orzo soup. Homemade fettuccine alfredo so delicious that Travers once bribed her with $7 to make.

Izzy raves about how Amelie can make anything with a recipe and the right ingredients — she and Travers would never have the patience.

When the Wongs were little and Izzy and Travers left for practice, Amelie preferred to stay in and bake

cookies. Izzy’s knee-length boy shorts and unevenly slashed bob clashed with Amelie’s pink dresses and long “girly” hair hiding her face. Amelie always liked to be different from her siblings, spending her summers splashing in the Milburn pool while Izzy and Travers played video games in the clubhouse.

Amelie played lacrosse for three years too but didn’t love it — she hadn’t found “her sport.” When her mom signed her up for the Kid’s Barbeque competition, she agreed because it was at least something different. Fourth-grade Amelie thought, I’ll go down and grill some steak and just have fun.

“Fun” ended up being crowned 38th out of 39 chefs — almost dead last.

She vowed to improve, spending

L E T ’ S J U S T S AY, i t w a s n ot my g re a t e s t ye a r .

AMELIE WONG FRESHMAN spare weekends behind the grill and sometimes barbequing multiple times per school week. Day tracks Amelie’s progress through her Instagram posts which show her trying new techniques,

kitchen gadgets or flavor combinations, noting Amelie’s most admirable trait in her opinion — enthusiasm to practice.

Maybe Amelie’s “sport” had more to do with aprons than shin guards.

“Just like when her siblings lose a sports game, she was a little disappointed in herself,” Amelie’s mom Heather said.

“But when we got home and I asked if she wanted to do it again next year, Amelie was like, ‘Absolutely.’ You could tell she had made up her mind to get good.”

At family friend get-togethers when Izzy, Travers and the other kids played frisbee and tag, Amelie stood quietly by the Weber with the adults, mesmerized by the steaming steaks. Her parents’ friends began requesting her New York strip steak when they came over. Steak rubs were kept in regular stock in the Wong pantry.

Competition year two: 36th out of 50.

Year three: 10th.

Ask Amelie what she wants to do when she grows up, and she’ll smile and shrug.

Day hopes Amelie will go into cooking, but her family can see her succeeding in any field. Whatever she decides, she’ll always be able to grill a mean steak.

“When I come home and the whole house smells good, that’s when I know Amelie’s cooking,” Izzy said.

FEATURE 19

APRIL 25, 2022

design by anna mitchell photo by hadley chapman

NEW HOBBY,

A love of fashion inspired sophomore Maggie Leonard to travel to New York City for The School of New York Times fashion camp

NEW YORK by maggie condon WHERE’S MAGGIE?” Associate Principal and East parent Dr. Susan Leonard stepped down into her basement and peered over the staircase — her daughter was in focus mode, hunched over the yellowing basement ping pong table. A sewing machine, pillows of pins and design blueprint ideas had turned the old table into sophomore Maggie Leonard’s fashion design space.

Whether it was her mom, dad or brother asking the question, “Where’s Maggie?” was almost more common than the chime of the doorbell in their household. Maggie has always been an explorer, constantly moving from golf to track or engulfed in her sewing.

To take her hobby to the next level, this summer from July 17-29, Maggie will attend The School of The New York Times, NYC Summer Academy, specializing in Streetwear and the Hype Fashion Market.

Susan first heard about the camp years ago while riding the New York subway as a chaperone for a DECA trip.

While getting on and off the subway throughout the trip, there was one student who seemed to always know where to go who never stared at the subway maps in confusion.

Curious, Susan asked the student how she was able to get around so well. The girl explained that she spends two weeks in New York for fashion camp each year, so she’s learned her way around the city — the kind of independence Susan wants for her daughter.

Maggie has been sewing shirts and other pieces since late elementary school. When Maggie was four, her grandmother Becky Anderson presented her with an ivory ball gown detailed with lace, long enough to barely brush the floor. Running her small hands along the handcrafted details, Maggie began to wonder how beautiful clothing was made.

“I went to her house, and I saw how she was doing it,” Maggie said. “I thought it was the coolest thing in the world.”

Maggie’s spark of interest didn’t go unnoticed by her grandma. “[Becky] tried to get us to like [sewing] and it was passed along, and [our family] all sort of liked it for a little bit, and then gave it up,” Susan said. “But Maggie got her own sewing machine later in elementary school. Just last night she was with my mom working on a project.”

A few more years passed, and an ad for the same camp popped up on Susan’s Instagram page. She immediately thought of Maggie — who agreed to go without hesitation.

Since getting her machine about 5 years ago, Maggie has advanced her style career by recreating clothes she sees in stores with fabric she finds at JoAnn’s. Now, she’s recreating a shirt she saw at Pacsun. As soon as she saw it in the store, she knew she could make it on her own. She bought the blue fabric and pink and yellow beads needed to make it, then went to work on the halter neck top. Now

“

at her summer camp, Maggie hopes to keep improving her fashion style and sewing techniques even further.

On top of , KS Y projects to grow AR DA her own personal M .

D D N N 25 wardrobe, Maggie AN HIO 3 LA , plans to create G L M FA S N FI $5 TI personalized H I D G IS clothing pieces AN OU :V Y R S H AL as gifts for E TH TI D AP U N T R friends.

She L G C AR DE b el i e v e s IN TO SI G E O N I R t h e r e ’ s PH W 5 O something H 2 S 9 sp ecial 5, $ a b o u t se receiving a ur or o f shirt made rc d just for he plie t o you. e ap h F o r d T r a the camp, on e M a g g i e L applied in December for two courses that caught her attention: Streetwear and the Hype Fashion Market and Fashion/Photography/Film. When the first round of acceptances came out this February, Maggie found out she had been accepted into Streetwear and the Hype Fashion Market course.

In these courses, she’ll learn about brands and how influencers have promoted them, according to the School of The New York Times website.

At the camp Maggie will stay with an unknown roommate in either a Fordham University dorm room or a hotel, depending on what the camp chooses.

Beyond classes, Maggie is also excited to go window shopping in the city — something that has always been a source of inspiration for her. She loves thinking through the process of what she sees. She’s most excited to discover new looks and styles and spend time in a city she loves, between the people there and the hustle and bustle of the city.

“I’m just really excited to see if this is a path that I want to do for the rest of my life,” Maggie said.

FA

NG E I LY TH LE P AP R PP

FOIG A B

I SH

O

N/

P

TO O H

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OR

20 FEATURE

THE HARBINGER J u n i o rs I ke S h e et s , N i c k P a r i s i a n d C J L e o n a rd a tte n d W PA w i t h t h e i r f r i e n d s fo m t h e S o c i a l S k i l ls c la s s .

design by nora lynn photo courtesy of nick parisi

GROWING FRIENDSHIPS

Juniors Ike Sheets, Nick Parisi and CJ Leonard are the only boys involved in social skills this year and have continued the friendships they’ve made by tristan outside of class chabanis

O

N THE FIRST day

back from summer break, juniors Ike Sheets, Nick Parisi and CJ Leonard walked into room 416 — the social skills classroom — together. They found a circle of chairs facing them and CeeCee offering them to take a seat. A few minutes after the bell rang, Special Education teacher Trent Ditto asked the question of the day: “If you could give a gift to a celebrity, what would it be and who would you give it to?”

Nick said he’d give Tom Holland some “silly string web-shooters” — an answer that caused a few laughs. Ike and CJ don’t remember their answers, but they do recall what came next.

Many of the other students couldn’t come up with such a quick answer — something the boys didn’t expect. However, a few needed help finding their words from teachers or some of the more experienced leadership students.

The main reason the three boys joined Social Skills was because it would develop their leadership, Ike said. They had no idea that they’d also become role models and befriend the social skills students.

After the question of the day, the teachers introduced their first topic of the year: friendship paths. This topic became part of the three boys’ daily routines in the class as they often reviewed how to act expectedly in social situations with the social skills students, making role plays to act out. In order to prepare for prom, CJ would act as their date’s parents and they would practice how to hold a conversation or how to be

polite.

It was a challenge at first to get close with the social skills classmates, Ike said. They didn’t know exactly how to reach out to them or start conversations the way the girls who had been in the class for a year did. They didn’t know how to make those connections.

But over time, the students opened up — more time spent with the boys led them to be more comfortable.

“You definitely can see the growth,” CJ said. “We came to class day after day and you see the kids talking more and opening up. It feels really good to make them feel more comfortable and just be able to hold a conversation with them.”

YO U D E F I N I T E LY C A N s e e t h e g ro w t h . We c a m e t o c l a s s d a y a f t e r d a y a n d yo u s e e t h e k i d s t a l k i n g m o re a n d o p e n i n g up.

CJ LEONARD

JUNIOR

Over time, Nick, Ike and CJ developed strong friendships with many of the students in social skills, bringing them from school pals to friends. Whether it be dance parties with CeeCee, puzzles with Brenton or going for walks with Grace, their relationships became more than just answering questions of the day. Instead, they were able to connect personally, sharing stories about their lives

and w o r k i n g through emotions together, identifying healthy ways to handle life’s struggles.

For Ike, connecting means talking to students about video games like Rocket League and Fortnite. CJ invented a game — a spin-off of wall ball — that they could all play together in the gym. Nick was even convinced to watch three seasons of The Flash because one of the students had enjoyed it so much.

Through these friendships, the Social Skills students began to look up to the three boys. Students would ask the trio for advice on how to handle friendships and relationships. They even picked up a few of the boys’ mannerisms.

“Whenever I’d shoot hoops with Patrick and he’d make one, I’d yell ‘awesome’ and give him a high five,” Nick said. “Now whenever [Patrick] makes a basket or does something he’s proud of he does the same thing and yells ‘awesome’ and then goes looking for a high five. It just shows how much influence you have on these kids.”

The boys enjoyed their in-class connections so much that they wanted to spend more time with their newfound friends outside of Room 416.

When the Sweetheart Dance was postponed due to COVID, many groups already had plans to go out the night it was originally scheduled, including the three

Social Skills boys.

They decided together to stick with their original-date plans and then go to the actual dance with their Social Skills friends.

Nick and Ike got a hold of each students’ parents and figured out where everyone wanted to eat. The night of the dance, they picked everyone up along with some of their leadership classmates, ate dinner at Culver’s, and drove to the East gym.

“The dance was a blast because Ceecee and Grace love to boogie and it was so fun just watching them dance with everybody, really being a part of something,” Nick said. “They were in the middle of the dance circle for the longest and they never stopped dancing no matter what song was playing.

Looking back it’s something I know they will remember for the rest of their lives.”

The boys continue to hang out with their Social Skills friends whenever they have the chance — whether it’s going out for ice cream or organizing a rec soccer game through Unified Teams.

Nick, CJ and Ike recognize that they have a special opportunity to teach the Social Skills students — but also learn from them.

“I’ve learned how to adapt to a lot of problems that I never would’ve learned to face otherwise,” Ike said. “If I can’t understand one of them, I’ll try to rephrase what they’re trying to say. And they’ll either say, ‘yeah, that’s close’ or no, ‘that’s not what I’m trying to say.’ It’s learning to adapt to different people’s needs right away, which I think is super valuable.”

A&E 21

APRIL 25, 2022 design by caroline wood photos from Spotify and YouTube

A&E HIGHLIGHTS Staffer reviews and the new Michelangelo exhibit on the Plaza

POV...

A point of view playlist doesn’t always make you feel like “the main character”

LIVE

The Monterey Bay provides a safe space on the Internet for calming animal music

ur the main character

Monterey Bay Aquarium

by ava coope r

by kate heit mann

T

HIS ISN’T THE first “main character” playlist

I’ve ever listened to, so I had high hopes. The playlist starts off with the basic main character songs like “Tongue Tied” by Grouplove and “Electric Love” by BØRNS. The further I got into this playlist though, the more I became disappointed.

Artists like Ed Sheeran and Coldplay started to show up, which didn’t completely fit the vibe of what a main character playlist should feel like. I had super high expectations assuming it would make me want to turn up my radio and roll my windows down. Even though this was the first playlist that came up on Spotify when I typed in “main character,” and has over 75,000 likes, I feel like it kept getting worse as I got further into it. Don’t get me wrong there were definitely some good songs sprinkled in towards the end like “Paper Rings” by Taylor Swift and “OK” by Wallows, but as a whole it made me laugh more than feel like I was the lead in a movie.

Overall, I don’t think I would recommend this playlist, as I have found or created much better ones that fit what I think a main character would listen to or feel in the climax of a movie.

SW E AT E R WEATHER

THE NEIGHBOURHOOD

TONGUE TIED GROUPLOVE

RIBS

LORDE

CAN I CALL YOU TONIGHT? DAYGLOW

ELECTRIC LOVE BORNS

SOMEONE TO YOU BANNERS

E

SCAPE FROM THE YouTube gaming streamers and

into a world of calm spider crabs and peaceful African penguins on The Monterey Bay Aquarium YouTube channel.

The Aquarium’s channel features several livestreams of their enclosures and tanks with music set over them. The music ranges from binaural, or the typical spa music, to lofi beats and a variety of animals float across the screen, whether it’s sharks, sea otters or aviaries.

These streams are ideal for study music use. The slowpaced movement of the fish as they glide across the tank and onto your screen provides some background motion yet not as fast as a Snapchat notification can get your attention.

The channel has footage streaming constantly. However, even the jellyfish have to take a break from the stream. In the evening, around 11 p.m., a screen closes over the jellyfish, giving them a rest and time away from their adoring fans.

The music continues however, but when the screen closes, it might just be your reminder to take some time for yourself and get some much needed sleep after a long day of rigorous academics or rough sports practice.

S c a n t o g o t o S p ot i f y t o l i s t e n t o t h e re s t of t h e p l a y l i s t

LIVE CAM OPTIONS JELLY

SPIDER CRAB SEA OTTER

SHARK

MOON JELLY MONTEREY BAY

S c a n t o g o t o Yo uTu b e c h a n n e l

MICHELANGELO’S

SISTINE CHAPEL

The traveling exhibit of life-sized replicas of the Sistine Chapel

$

19.20 PER ADULT COUNTRY CLUB PLAZA, 211 NICHOLS RD, KANSAS CITY, MO AROUND 60-90 MINUTES

*photo from sistinechapelexhibit.com

THE EXHIBITION SCAN ME • TICKETS Scan to go to t h e ex h i b i t ’s website w h e re t i c ke t s can be p u rc h a s e d

22 A&E

THE HARBINGER

design by caroline gould photos by grace allen

IT’S BUCKIN’

Buck Tui BBQ is a BBQ & Thai restaurant owned by an East family that puts an Asian twist on the classic KC craving

by celia c ondon

T

HE KANSAS CITIANS are crazy for barbecue,

isn’t that the stereotype? Buck Tui BBQ puts an Asian twist on the classic KC craving. The Thai BBQ restaurant, owned by East parent Ted Liberda, is any and everything you could want in comfort food.

The restaurant is located off Metcalf Avenue at 6737 W. 75th St. It opened for dine-in seating in early March, but had been offering takeout a few weeks prior. Its hours are unusual, open Wednesday through Saturday from 5-9 p.m. and on Sundays from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Find some time during the week to stop by for a comforting dinner, or let Buck Tui be the initiator of your Sunday morning reset.

Side note: you’re not the only one whose mouth is watering at the thought of Thai KC BBQ. Make a reservation to dine in, because they fill up fast.

I chose to dine in on a Sunday making the “Buck Brunch” menu my oyster. While this menu includes many of the Buck Tui classic ribeye and pork options, a wider selection of more classic breakfast items features more typical options like biscuits and gravy — drawing my attention enough to order.

behind the tui

t h e n a m e “ B u c k Tu i ” o r i g i n a t e d t h e n a m e f ro m L i b e rd a ’s n i c k n a m e g ro w i n g u p . I t st u c k w i t h h i s s i b l i n g s w h o a re a l l f ro m T h a i l a n d .

The Thai Sausage Biscuits & Gravy were ohso memorable. In my opinion, biscuits and gravy are kind of the same in color and taste just about wherever you go. No matter the price or the location, it’s all just bread and sausage. But not Buck Tui’s.

The scallion white pepper biscuits were the key to the flavor in each bite. The gravy was the perfect consistency to pair with the soft-yet-crunchy biscuit, and the Thai flavors were surprising, yet delicious. Each bite left me wanting more, which — lucky for me — there was. In general, Buck Tui’s servings were perfectly sized, leaving me satisfied but not uncomfortably stuffed.

Does anyone make a shirt that says “I’m a sucker for a hash bowl?” Sounds like I need

to make one. The Pork Belly Burnt End Hash almost physically spoke to me from its place on the menu. Its description of arugula, potatoes, onion, a fried egg, mushrooms and — of course — Thai-flavored burnt ends was promising.

Because I already knew how burnt ends are cooked, I knew I would like them — my mouth was watering at the idea of the unique dish.

However, if you tend to shy away from unusual textures, I’d steer clear of this meal for now.

Burnt ends are meant to be cooked into a chewy, tender consistency, different from that of a normal piece of pork, which is not always in line with everyone’s taste. But wow-oh-wow did the chef cook these to perfection.

CELIA’S PICKS Ratings and descriptions of the Thai BBQ meals that Celia put to the test

THAI-FLAVORED BURNT ENDS

D O E S A N YO N E M A K E a s h i r t t h a t s a y s “ I ’ m a s u c ke r fo r a h a s h b o w l ? ” S o u n d s l i ke I n e e d t o m a ke o n e .

If I could order a bucket full of burnt ends from Buck Tui, I would. The deep, salty flavor was similar to that of a dream, all bundled up in a perfect chewy little bite with a crunchy shell. A bite consisting of half a burnt end, half a mushroom and a potato slathered with egg and onion flavors was what I found to be the ideal way to enjoy this hash.

As the dinner menu seems to be a little bit longer, I know I’ll be spending my next Saturday around a Buck Tui table with some friends.

Currently under construction, Buck Tui will soon offer outdoor seating, just another reason for me to come back during the warmer months.

Buck Tui’s atmosphere was calm with cool toned walls and decor. It’s a balanced in between restaurant in regard to formality. You don’t need to show up in a dressy outfit, but it’s a great place to sit down for a nice meal. Maybe it could be your next first date spot....

I had so many friends eager to hear my thoughts on the twist to KC BBQ, making it clear the new concept has grabbed the attention of the locals. If I were qualified enough to be handing out Michelin Stars, I think I’d be ready to give Buck Tui one after trying a few more menu items and about 10 more hash bowl orders.

PORK BELLY BURNT END HASH

flavors of arugula, mushroom, fried egg, onion and potatoes

SCALLION WHITE PEPPER BISCUITS

THAI SAUSAGE BISCUITS & GRAVY

punchy and unexpected Thai flavors

RIB VS. RIB Celia’s comparison of Kansas City’s classic burnt ends and Buck Tui’s pork belly

THAI

KANSAS CITY

a perfectly deep, salty flavor

chewy, tender consistency different for a plain piece of pork

a chewy bite with a crunchy shell

often eaten with a dollop of BBQ sauce

A&E 23

APRIL 25, 2022

design by celia condon

E X P E C TAT I O N S The City Market is an eventful weekend activity that can be interesting in regard to culture, but also subconsciously causes shoppers to spend more money than intended

by pey to n m o o re T WASN’T UNTIL a few months ago my friends and I

I

T O P An assortment of spices that can be sampled and purchased outside of the Tikka House, an Indian spice shop and cafe.

M I D D L E A variety of bracelets and stones are displayed in the outdoor portion of the market.

B O T T O M Seasonal fresh fruits and vegetables are available for sale in the produce area.

PHOTOS BY JULIA FILMORE

DOLLAR DOWN

The City Market’s produce prices beat the competition by a landslide

T

O

M

A T

O

E

S

M A R K E T

FOR

FOR

$1 6 $2 1

HEN HOUSE

realized we’d never made it past the Plaza — I know, shocking — for a weekend outing and into the unknown territory of Downtown Kansas City to my flower-obsessed mother’s favorite farmers market. The City Market, located in the historic River Market neighborhood, features a constant cycle of vendors providing flowers, sweets and sunshine to the city.

My eighth-grade self envied the girls who went to the market at the peak of summer and filled their Instagram pages with the iconic farmers market with its Pinterestperfect flowers. I finally decided to see what the hype was all about.

Me and my friends left our picture-perfect expectations of the beautiful sunny day, vibrant flowers and the cutest jean shorts, and headed out to the market in sweatpants and a sweatshirt under the clouds, hoping that these vendors would add some serotonin to our cloudy, 40-degree April skies.

As we walked up to the first line of vendors, all I saw was temptation.

There was something that caught my eye everywhere I looked — rows of honeysuckle sticks lined my left side and carts of glistening amber and olive green crystals drew me in to the right. I chose the left — where the vendor persuaded me to buy lavender, ginger and vanilla sticks. Seconds later, I couldn’t help but turn around and practically throw myself at the mini pumpkin loaves at the stand across the aisle.

It felt like I was moving too fast — everything was so inexpensive that the ‘why not?’ mindset quickly set in.

The vendors know just how to price things for their easilyintrigued customers, making it almost impossible to walk out of the historic City Market with less than a bag full of things that will most likely end up in the miscellaneous drawer in my kitchen island.

At first, I thought I’d just discovered a few new weaknesses — pumpkin-flavored pastries, multi-colored honey sticks and mini pastries. But looking at the hands of other customers made me feel better: my pile of assorted mini breads and produce was miniscule compared to others.

I walked out of the first of three lines of vendors $20 down and no recollection of what I just bought.

Once we made it past the first gauntlet of honey, candles, spices and bread, we went to the produce section. Now this is where rhetorically throwing your wallet at the vendor is actually a smart financial decision. With veggies, fruits and spices priced almost a whole dollar down from the local Hen House, I called my dad and picked up our week’s produce for

only $12 compared to the usual $20.

Past the vibrant fruits and veggies was the row of physical storefronts separate from the pop-up vendors. These were less tempting as each required at least a 10-minute wait in line to get Dragonfly Tea Zone boba or any of Burrito Bros’ signature wraps.

The one shop in the storefront strip that we did head into was KC Soda Co. We stood in line, following their COVID-19 precautions and only entered when there were 15 people in the building. It took just one glance at the shelves of overpriced sodas ranging from $5-6 a bottle to regret our five-minute wait in line. We immediately walked out of the store, rolling our eyes at the suckers who were headed to the cashier.

This seemed to be a common problem throughout the market. Some vendors were overwhelmed with customers as their pricing seemed like they were doing us a favor. But then some were sitting back in their lawn chairs waiting to oversell an item that you could get on Amazon for half the price.

Sadly, I didn’t have this realization soon enough. Walking out of the soda company we spotted a table of beaded, leather and braided bracelets and anklets. The $5 price tag had me a little skeptical as the bracelets resembled one I made in second grade. But I changed my mind once I spotted the table of “surprise pouches,” colorful little bags with random jewelry for $1 each.

Seeming as a good deal compared to the bracelets on the table, this vendor’s clever surprise game somehow made me forfeit my card and buy three pouches. When I left the booth with a piece of leather string, a jingle bell and a bracelet my 4-year-old cousin could make — I seriously felt like a fool.

But, the vendor did their job. I was ashamed that I spent the equivalent of a Chipotle meal on bits of string, but I loved every second of the surprise before the reveal. I sadly had to walk away with a leather string, jingle bell and anklet with knots tied randomly on the string knowing I was rightfully scammed.

The market’s variety in vendors and products would’ve made anyone drop their tip money at the delectable breads, bright and fresh produce, handmade rings and even scammed pieces of string. The experience taught me my frugal habits go out the window at the farmers market when I see, smell or taste any sort of the goods. With up to 170 vendors during peak season we certainly didn’t get to visit them all, but will be back for more on a sunny day.

Maybe I’m a sucker, but I think I will be back, even if it’s for another surprise pouch of useless string.

24 A&E

THE HARBINGER

NBC

design by sydney newton photo by tristen porter

THE TRUTH ON

PAM HUPP “The Thing About Pam” is a six-episode documentary-series on NBC telling the story of how Pam Hupp killed Betsy Faria that has good acting, but inconsistent storytelling styles, varying from serious to comedic

by sophie lindberg

M

Y DAD TYPED in the channel number for NBC’s nightly news, only to reveal a bloody and gruesome scene of a woman stabbing her neck with a ballpoint pen — not exactly the informative piece I was looking for.

It turns out that we were watching the season finale of “The Thing About Pam” produced by NBC — and not brought to you

by KSHB — and to say I was intrigued is an understatement.

The show follows self-proclaimed businesswoman and mother of two Pam Hupp who has murderous tendencies and is wrapped up in a coverup scheme to preserve her monetary value. And get this — it’s based on a true story.

But as I started actually watching the show, the dramatic tone that I witnessed on my introduction was not a testament to the rest of the other five episodes.

The overarching tone is comedic and lighthearted, with a witty narrator and exaggerated scenes that are pulled straight from the sensational mind of Pam. I did enjoy the unique narrative twist, different from any other crime show I’d seen, but at times it feels almost mocking of the situation that happened in real life. There could be an extremely emotional scene, and the narrator pops in to make a joke and then transition to the next scene.

This issue sort of resolved itself as the show went on. The tone became a bit more serious and the writers definitely learned

WHAT HAPPENED?

when and were to use the comedic timing of the narrator in certain outlandish scenes.

Though the tone was never truly consistent throughout the show, the outlandish story itself is what kept me around to see the ending.

I T A L M O S T F E LT l i ke I w a s s i tt i n g i n t h e i r of f i c e with them trying to p i e c e t o g et h e r st ro n g ev i d e n c e a g a i n st P a m .

The execution of the show overall is pretty average, with no real hook that keeps the watcher around and nothing unique with the visuals or the writing. But after the first two-ish episodes, the intrigue sets in and the story keeps you emotionally invested and hoping for justice to prevail.

Speaking of justice, the character Joel Schwartz — a defense attorney portrayed

by Josh Duhamel — is by far the best thing about this show. I have to say that his background in soap operas made his performance convincing and extremely entertaining. Everything from the way he carries himself to the annunciation of his dialogue to simply the writing of his character is perfect.

Not to mention that the scenes with him and his assistant attorney Nate Swanson were some of my favorites. Their onscreen chemistry and back-and-forth was absolutely captivating and really brought

A breakdown of the murder of Betsy at the hands of Pam

2011

me into the story. It almost felt like I was sitting with them in their office trying to piece together evidence strong enough to prove Pam guilty.

Besides Joel Schwartz, another character portrayed well is Pam, played by Renée Zellweger. She had a combination of a Southern drawl and an emphasis on physicality and facial expression. She did a great job at making the character truly hateable, so, again, hats off to the writers.

The only thing that kept me from being completely in love with the character design was my automatic attribution of Zellweger to Vanessa from the “Bee Movie.”

There are a lot of things that I do like about Pam and how the writers made her, like the “I Love Dogs” sticker on the bumper of her car. The sticker is used ironically a handful of times throughout the show, as she displays aggression towards dogs in general.

This sort of indirect characterization only happened twice that I picked up, but is actually something I wish I could’ve seen more in the show. It would’ve been a nice key to tie all of the episodes together and continually reinforce her hidden, grotesque character.

Though, the show does emphasize several other things that never really pan out, leaving me confused as to where I missed a piece. In the first episode, Pam buys her signature drink — a large soda with a pump of cherry flavoring — from the gas station store she frequents. The narrator

THE YEAR THE MURDER OCCURED

emphasized the receipt she used to purchase the drink in a very particular fashion.

It led me to believe that her receipt would be used as evidence against her somehow, but really the statement was referring to receipts in general, as the timestamp on one would be used to convict someone else of murder.

In general, clarity issues are present throughout the show but are often resolved or can be figured out by the viewer at some point.

One of my biggest grievances was simply the conclusion of the show. In order to sum up the events that followed the eventual conviction of Pam for murder, clips of the characters doing next to nothing — like walking down stairs or taking a phone call — and then looking up at the camera ran across the screen with short sentences of text explaining their situations.

I’ve seen this lazy-looking ending too many times. I just wish that there was more creativity in the final summary of the aftermath of the conviction, as the show likely won’t receive a second season to undo the mistakes of the first one, as it’s been promoted as a limited series.

Still, the show was overall worth its six-hour watchtime. Being exposed to the crazy story of Pam Hupp is something I likely would have never been exposed to if it weren’t for good old NBC.

BETSY TRANSFERRED HER LIFE INSURANCE TO PAM BEFORE HER MURDER

$$

BETSY’S LIFE INSURANCE WAS WORTH $150,00

design by paige zadoo photo by macy crosser

PARKER

APRIL 25, 2022

LOCAL LANCER 25

WHAT IS YOUR NAME AND WHY IS THAT YOUR NAME? My name is Parker Paben and I don’t really know why I’m named it. I think my parents just liked the sound of it.

WHAT MADE YOU DECIDE TO TRY OUT FOR BASKETBALL IN HIGHSCHOOL, HAVING BEEN A DANCER ALL YOUR LIFE? I’ve always wanted to just try it for one year in high school. I’ve played basketball since I was little and always had so much fun with it. I wanted to see what it looked like in high school.

IF YOU COULD TRAVEL TO ANY TIME PERIOD, WHAT WOULD IT BE AND WHY?

I would travel to the future, maybe to the year 2060, or sometime near then. Just to see where my life is at. Hopefully I’d see that I’m a billionaire or something.

WHAT TECHINCAL DANCE MOVE WOULD YOU BE AND WHY? I would be a pirouette, which is a turn. It’s my favorite dance move to do and it’s very graceful and elegant.

ARE YOU A DOORS OR WHEELS PERSON? Okay, I originally was team doors because not many people really seemed to be, but the logical answer has kinda appeared to be wheels I feel like.

I don’t really know what to tell you, so I guess I’m on team wheels.

WHAT WOULD YOUR WALKOUT SONG BE? I wanna say Fergalicious. It’s my hype song for sure, 100%. It gets me really in the zone.

WHAT SUPERSTITIONS DO YOU BELIEVE IN? My one superstition is eyelashes. If I find one on my cheek I have to make a wish on it always.

TEEN CLASSES Our teen classes are extremely beneficial for those who are in sports to increase their flexibility and core strength!

CLUB PILATES 4059 W 83RD ST. PRAIRIEVILLAGE@CLUBPILATES.COM

SPORTS 27

APRIL 25, 2022

design by anna mitchell

SPORTS HIGHLIGHTS A look at spring sports, Lancer Dancer tryouts and a featured athlete

S PO R TS I N ACTIO N

T RYO U T TIME L E F T Senior George Stallard cradles the ball and dogdes a Blue Valley Eastside defen d er. Th e boys varsity lacrosse team defeated Blue Valley Eastside 19-8.

PHOTO

BY MACY CROSSER

Information on the Lancer Dancer tryout coming up

when?

APRIL 25

TRYOUT VIDEO COMES OUT

MAY 2 & 4

MANDATORY CLINICS FOR THE DANCERS

MAY 5

TRYOUT DAY

where? who?

EAST

FROM INCOMING EIGHTH GRADERS TO CURRENT JUNIORS

how?

ABOVE Senior Will Roberts, the first runner in the 4x100 meter relay, begins the race.

PHOTO BY LYDIA COE R I G H T Senior F i n ley C o n d o n i s d i p p e d by senior Breck McGu i re w h i le t h ey re h e a rs e t h e Ma nc er D an cer rou ti ne b efore the s p r i ng s how .

PHOTO BY CHARLOTTE EMLEY

LEARN CHOREOGRAPHY WITH A PARTNER OF CHOICE

F E ATURED A T H L E T E MAX

KUHL MAN

Sophomore Max Kuhlman shares his experience on the varsity boys tennis team

Q A

Q A

Q A

Q A

H OW LO N G H AV E YO U B E E N P L AY I N G T E N N I S AND WHY?

W H AT ’ S YO U R P E R S O N A L G OA L FOR THIS SEASON?

W H AT I S YO U R ST R E N GT H AND WEAKNESS IN THE SPORT?

W H AT ’ S YO U R FAVO R I T E PA R T O F B E I N G O N T H E TENNIS TEAM?

I ’ ve b e e n p l a y i n g s i n c e I w a s f i ve b e c a u s e my m o m a n d d a d l ove t e n n i s a n d i nt ro d u c e d m e t o i t . I ’ ve st u c k w i t h i t b e c a u s e i t ’s t h e s p o r t I ’ m b e st a t a n d e n j oy t h e m o s t .

M y p e rs o n a l g o a l i s t o b e i n t h e of f i c i a l t o p t e n p l a ye rs a t E a st a n d I h a ve high hopes.

M y st re n g t h i s my f i rst s e r ve a n d my fo re h a n d a n d my m a i n w e a k n e s s I w o u l d s a y w o u l d b e my backhand.

P l a y i n g w i t h my f r i e n d s eve r yd a y a n d g ett i n g t o p l a y t e n n i s s o f re q u e nt ly .

28 PHOTOSTORY

THE HARBINGER

design by elise madden

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

PARTNER PERFECTION

The varsity Lancer Dancers choreograph and perform a dance with the “Mancer Dancers” for the annual Spring show

A B O V E Sen iors A nd rew Fr i c k and Audrey Ga i l la rd p e r fo r m the partner sect i o n to “ C r u i s i n ’ for a Bruisin.’” “M y fa vo r i te p a r t was watching how exc i te d t h ey would get when they g ot i t r i g ht , ” Gaillard said. “If they d i d n ’ t fo rg et parts, they would b e s o h a p py and would jump up a n d h i g h f i ve e a ch oth er .” PHOTO BY MJ WOLF R I G H T Senior And rew F r i c k a n d juniors Wilson Mo o re a n d G ra nt Lucas perform to “ C a l i fo r n i a Girls.” “My favo r i te p a r t wa s getting some insight i nto w h a t t h e girls do every day d a n c i n g , ” F r i c k said. “I didn’t realize h ow i n d e pt h they go and how i nte n s e i t i s . ” PHOTO BY MJ WOLF

L E F T After the Ma n cer Da n cer p erforma n ce, va rs i ty la n c e r dancers pose alongside their partners. Seniors Sydney Beck, F in ley C on d on and Kaykay Winn taught and ch oreog ra p h ed th e d a n ce.

PHOTO BY MJ WOLF

A B O V E Seniors Breck McGuire and Rhett Wallace jump up in the air and h old h a n d s b efore sq u a ttin g d u rin g th e p erforma n ce. PHOTO BY MJ WOLF A B O V E L E F T Seniors Sydney Beck and Rhett Wallace pose during the seminar practice. “A lot of them went home and practiced and you could definitely tell the further we went along in the process, the more they would k n ow a n d th e more th ey cou ld h a ve f u n with it,” Beck sa id . “Seein g th e b oys care so much about something that is n ot rea l ly th em is ju st a rea l ly f u n ex p e r i e n c e . ” PHOTO BY CLARA PETERS

APRIL 25, 2021

design by lyda cosgrove photos by sabrina dean

THE SENATE IS IN SESSION Group of IB Juniors formed a rec soccer team for CAS hours and as an active outlet on weekends

T he team sn aps th e i r we e k ly s hot i n front of the “ D o m e i s H o m e ” mural at The Soccer Dome where all of their games are held.

PHOTO FROM THE SENATE

WHAT’S IN A NAME?

The stories behind a few of the nicknames on the Senate team’s custom jerseys

CAROLINE GORMAN: given in IB SL1 Math because teacher Jennifer Horn kept getting her mixed up with the other Caroline G. in class

JILL RICE:

given by IB Chem teacher Jerrod Bardwell as a play on her last name — “sticky rice”

EVYN ROBERTS:

given by IB Math SL1 teacher Jennifer Horn after Roberts got her wisdom teeth out as a play on the Spanish word for ‘toothless’ — “Chimuela”

by em m a krause DOME IS HOME ! Dome is home!” chanted

“

the group of roughly 13 IB juniors at the KC Soccer Dome before their last Friday night game of the season. The SME Soccer Senate Team ended their final game with a 10-2 win.

Throughout eight games of 40-minute drives every week for two months, the Senate finished their season with a 2-6 record and a handful of unique memories — all preserved on team member junior Sabrina Dean’s pink digital camera and junior Roberto Galicia’s Video Club hype videos.

After the first season came to an end, the team had found an outlet to momentarily forget about their looming IB grades by cheering for each other at games and grabbing ice cream at midnight afterward.

The Senate was started by juniors Caroline Gould, Kate Heitmann and Marin Bryant. Bryant had wanted to start a recreational soccer team at East since her freshman year as an athletic outlet without the stress of actual high school soccer that could still allow for a fun and competitive environment. When Gould and Heitmann proposed the idea of starting a team with their IB friends, Bryant couldn’t have been more excited.

Once the three juniors were set on the idea, they recruited as many people — some with soccer experience and some none at all — as they could to join their team. They found the Soccer Dome’s Friday Night Coed League and signed up. They were ready to go.

The only problem? The team of 16 and 17-year-olds accidently signed up to play in a league full of 30 and 40-year-olds who take the soccer games way more seriously than them.

With only two actual soccer players on the team, the Senate has made attempts to work on the sport outside of gameplay, but with everyone’s busy schedules, the idea of hosting practices were unrealistic.

“At least nine out of ten teams we played against took it way too seriously and they would be yelling at us, and one of our players got flipped off after blocking a shot,” Louis Prosser-Gebardt said. “Our team is always getting hit against the walls. We play aggressive people and it seems a lot of people are just getting drunk at the dome and taking their aggression out on 17-year-olds.”

But the age difference — and constantly being bashed by adults twice their age and skill level — doesn’t stop the Senate from using their 40-minute carpool drive to the Soccer Dome to hype the team up by blasting Chiquitita by ABBA or any Britney Spears song from their “SOCCER” playlist all the way there.

Their lack of soccer skills and clashing schedules wasn’t the biggest problem the team founders expected — they needed a name.

So after a 15-minute FaceTime call listing off potential name ideas, Heitmann blurted out the idea “The Senate,” and they all burst out laughing.

SPORTS 29 “There’s this website where you can see all the teams you’re playing each week and we wanted to be intimidating, so we thought if people said ‘Oh, we’re playing ‘The Senate’ this week,’ it would be really intimidating,” Cosgrove said.

The Senate has impacted its players in more ways than Gould, Heitmann and Bryant could have predicted when they first turned in the registration money and printed official jerseys.

The team was originally a few IB kids who wanted to create a soccer team but with the help of the @smesenate instagram and advertising from members, they’ve gathered an even bigger group of subs and tag-a-longs who aren’t a part of the IB junior group. Prosser-Gebhardt, a nonIB player, said one of his favorite things about the Senate is being able to interact with his friends and make new ones too.

SCAN ME • PLAYLIST Check out the playlist the t e a m l i s t e n s t o w h i l e g e tt i n g hy p e d u p i n t h e c a r p o o l t o each Friday night game

“Normally my IB friends are off doing their own things and I feel like [playing on the Senate] is the time I can hangout with all of them and just kind of mix up friend groups or hangout with different people,” Prosser-Gebardt said.

Playing on the Senate had a big social impact on junior Michael Newbold. Newbold, who, just two months ago, couldn’t keep track of any of his current friends’ names. Now, he feels closer than ever with them — knowing practically everything from their food intolerances to their class schedules for senior year.

“I don’t socialize with people a lot, partially due to the immense workload [of school] and a combination of other numerous factors,” Newbold said. “Senate is one of the first teams or frenzies that I’ve actually shown up to and I’ve brought myself into a communal participant and I personally feel that it’s good for socializing, for those that are more unfamiliar to the world outside.”

Newbold pointed out that while playing on this team he’s been able to see his school friends in a different perspective than he does while they’re at school. According to Newbold, most people didn’t interact with classmates outside of school in Shenzhen, China, where he grew up. Now, he likes that he gets to do that with his friends during the games and other team activities.

“When I see people having fun and putting on a different face or personality outside of school, it makes me feel happy,” Newbold said.

Though their soccer season is complete, this isn’t an end to the Senate’s athletic endeavors.

Their next sport? They’re thinking volleyball, kickball or even four square. No matter what field or court they end up on, they will remain a team.

30 SPORTS

THE HARBINGER

A BROTHERHOOD THROUGH by luke beil 9 :00 A.M. MONDAY morning. Sweat is

already pouring from Seniors Tate Moody and Paddy and Gus Bergkamp as they unpack their basement hats and bats from their equipment bags. The trio prepares to throw and field countless balls, knowing their three hour practice is far from over.

This is the type of dedication, strenuous effort and valuable time these three invested over the last few summers on the Building Champions baseball team.

Just like many other sports, baseball requires players to participate in a club team if they want to get recruited or continue the sport in college. That’s where the team comes in for the three boys.

They chose Building Champions because of its reputation as a prestigious baseball academy — with former MLB coaches and a track record of helping players play in college and in the MLB. Tate’s relationship with Building Champions began in eighth grade after his previous team, the KC Giants, split up.

Tate already knew he wanted to play at the college level even at age 13, and had been advised by other coaches and teammates to give Building Champions a try.

“Building Champions was more of a showcase team, we would get to travel and get college coaches to come to our games,” Tate said. “It was just an upgrade honestly.”

Tate immediately fell in line at Building Champions, appreciating

the high-quality coaching staff. The coaches emphasized the simple aspects of baseball to improve their game such as mechanics, ground balls and hitting.

“Some days we would have film sessions and just learn baseball,” Tate said. “Other days we would take thousands of ground balls and fly balls.”

Because the Building Champions roster consists of players from all over Kansas City, Tate has faced many of his teammates in normal East season games. It turned out to be one of his favorite aspects of the team, partially because of the playful trash talk that occurs in the dugout.

“Almost every game this year I’ve known someone on the opposing team,’’ Tate said.

“It’s fun to compete with them especially when they’re a pitcher and you can talk trash.”

Paddy’s decision to play for Building Champions was driven with the same motive as Tate — a college offer. He knew about Building Champions for many years but didn’t consider joining until high school when he started taking baseball more seriously.

“Our high school coach Will Gorden was the one who suggested Building Champions in my sophomore year,” Paddy said. “He really believed in me and helped me

design by elle gedman

The friendship between Patty Bergkamp, Gus Bergkamp and Tate Moody stems from the baseball team they’ve played on together since they were little

accomplish my goal of playing in college.”

Paddy’s main takeaway from Building Champions was the repetition of hitting, fielding and film . The consecutive practices, tournaments and private lessons led him to slowly improve his game skill.

“Practices were five days a week in the summer at least and two days in the fall even with other sports I had going on,” Paddy said. “Day in and day out. It made me play better by getting these reps.”

Another big draw of the team for Paddy was the team dynamic — he still remembers when they all went to Indiana or when the head coach of Johnson County Community College watched him play. Playing building Champions in the summer provided another benefit as well, giving him a bond with people that he also plays with in the off season on the East team.

“I got to know a few guys through Building Champions before they started going to school here,” Paddy said. “Jack Jones and Wes Lyerly were two [underclassmen] players I built a relationship with before the season started. It really helped with team chemistry.”

Gus was a newer addition to the team — he played with the team for the first time last summer.

His main motivation in joining the club team was to improve

as a player, but it also proved as a double to spend time with his brother.

Growing up playing an array of sports, every aspect of Gus and Paddy’s lives has been competitive. Despite this sibling competition, the boys’ chemistry on the field is shown through years of playing catch in the back yard and hitting together at the batting cages.

“It’s the little things that we just know that other players might not,” Gus said.” If there’s a runner on first and I need to pick him off, or throw to Paddy who’s at second, we have that connection.”

Gus planned to use his time with Building Champions to improve and be ready for the spring season at East. Since it was his first time playing baseball in the summer, it took some getting used to.

“It’s a lot different,” Gus said. “In the summer it’s more about player development and getting yourself looked at, whereas in the spring it’s all about winning. It doesn’t matter if you go three for three with home runs and lose in the spring, it’s all about winning.”

The team paid off for Tate and Paddy — with Tate commiting to Wichita State to play baseball and Paddy Committing to Johnson County Community College. Both boys attribute it to their time with Building Champions — where their college journeys first started.

photos by emily pollock & sabrina dean

BUDDING CHAMPS A look through the boys’ time as a team and the development in their baseball career

2017

THE KC GIANTS SPLIT UP

2018

MOODY JOINS BUILDING CHAMPIONS

2020

PATTY JOINS BUILDING CHAMPIONS

2021

GUS JOINS BUILDING CHAMPIONS

SPORTS 31

APRIL 25, 2022 design by ava cooper

LAX NO LONGER SME The boys lacrosse team has been asked to take the Shawnee Mission East name off their team after innapropriate behavior from the student section at the Rockhurst game by ca ro l i ne wo o d

PASSING IT

ALONG

Changes that will happen due to lacrosse no longer associating with East instagram handle g oe s from @smelacrosse to @ll_lan cerla c rosse advertisement and promotion from East are no longer allowed twitte r han dle mu st be cha ng e d fro m @smelancerlax

STICKING

TO THE

STANDARDS What will stay the same after lacrosse no longer associates with East a ll je rseys an d po rtholes will continue to sa y “La n cers” all players and coaches will still p a rticiapte in games a nd p ractices columbia blue, black and white will still be worn

E

AST ADMINISTRATION ASKED the boys lacrosse team to remove the Shawnee Mission East name from their title — since they aren’t technically affiliated with the school — following the use of offensive remarks at the boys lacrosse game on March 31 against Rockhurst.

The reason for the comments is most likely due to the lack of administration at the game, the rowdiness of the student section during a game against their biggest rival, and the student section being placed directly behind the players, according to team captain and senior Grayson Kerwin.

This was brought to the attention of Principal Jason Peres by the Rockhurst administration when community members reached out to him, asking for him to take action.

While games against Rockhurst typically result in disrespectful chants coming from both sides according to Kerwin, videos and photos captured the words of East students taking things too far.

“It was just really annoying because it was completely blown out of proportion,” Kerwin said. “We were being called the same stuff by their fans, we just didn’t video them. It’s just annoying that we’re being tied to our student section getting in trouble.

The players didn’t even get in trouble, it’s the student section.”

However, Peres said he didn’t actually see any of these videos or photos for himself, he just received written testimonies of what was witnessed at the game.

Since the game wasn’t an official school event, the administration couldn’t punish the students that incited rude remarks by giving a detention or ISS. But regardless of the team not actually being affiliated with East, the actions were still tied to the school, prompting the East administration to request that the team remove the tie.

The administration is being strict about the removal of the name because it’s a liability for the school, according to Peres.

East isn’t responsible for the boys lacrosse team, which is why they are asking for the name to not be associated with it, according to Peres. When incidents happen at games,

the blame falls on East, although they don’t actually have control over the team and student section.

According to Peres, the removal entails not using the name “Shawnee Mission East,” as the district owns the rights to it, and they’ll no longer have their games promoted through the school. However, there’s nothing stopping them from continuing to use Lancers as their mascot and Columbia Blue as their team color or even the general word “East,” as the district doesn’t own the rights to those.

“It would just be Shawnee Mission East,” Peres said. “Nobody should use Shawnee Mission East who’s not a part of Shawnee Mission East. So while their kids go to Shawnee Mission East, it’s not a sanctioned club for us so they shouldn’t be using that, nor should anyone else not affiliated with the school.”

As a result, the team had to change their Instagram account so it no longer includes the “SME” handle. Additionally, Pep Exec, lacrosse player and senior Spencer Newton reached out to the team to tell them Pep Club will no longer be able to promote the lacrosse games in their group chats and social media platforms. Being on both Pep Club and lacrosse, Newton is torn on his feelings about it as he sees the situation from both sides.

“On one hand, as a lacrosse player, it’s easy to look at it and be like, ‘That doesn’t make sense, it wasn’t us, why are we being punished?,’” Newton said. “I definitely understand, and I think that it’s kind of a tough decision. But then again, on the other hand, I can completely see where administration is coming from on how it looks poorly on them and they’re not necessarily able to do anything about it.”

Despite no longer being an Eastsponsored activity for the past few years, they kept the Shawnee Mission East name until now as the team is composed of all East students and they wanted to promote their tie to the East community.

“We’re trying to keep [a hold of anything we can] to associate us with the school,” team captain and senior Max Holzbeierlein

said. “It’s weird because we’re all East students and we don’t want to be any other team.”

In prior years, the team was considered an East club and permitted to use the school name as they were being coached by former economics teacher David Muhammad.

To technically become an East club and use funding from the school, they need a district employee to attend all their games, practices, activities and other functions.

Once Muhammad left after the 2018-19 school year, the team didn’t find another staff member to sponsor them, so they could no longer be associated with East.

T H E L AC R O S S E T E A M t h e m s e lve s d i d n ’ t d o a ny t h i n g w ro n g . . . w e h a d s n o c o nt ro l ove r w h a t t h e st u d e nt s e c tion was saying.

MAX HOLZBERLEIN SENIOR Their options are either to remove the East name or become a club by finding a staff member to attend their events. But they still haven’t found anyone willing to make that commitment to the team. Even without the administrative help, they’ve been able to fully fund themselves through their annual mulch-selling fundraiser at the beginning of the year.

So rather than trying to find a sponsor, the team is complying in removing the Shawnee Mission East name.

While administration cannot let them associate in any way as it’s too much of a liability without there being a district sponsor, the boys are searching for other ways to uphold their East recognition, whether through keeping the mascot and colors or fighting to receive promotion.

They want to still feel that connection to East and keep the program strong.

“I think lacrosse is such a big and growing sport,” Holzbeierlein said. “It’s important to have some recognition for it just so the younger kids coming to East in the next couple of years continue to play.”

head falling naked

32 ALT-COPY

IN YOUR

THE HARBINGER

design by bridget connelly

by m ar i ssa l i berda

D

A dive into the most common dream interpretations and what they are said to mean

REAMS HAVE PROVEN to be a topic that

humans love to interpret and marvel over.

From ancient wives’ tales to complex theories to getting MRI’s, the ways people analyze dreams continue to evolve.

Assigning certain meanings to dreams has gained traction in pop culture as both a source of entertainment and self-reflection. But what do they really mean Some people believe dreams are a way for your brain to process thoughts and

being

ONE OF THE most commonly

dreamt storylines correlates to many people’s greatest fear — falling from great heights.

According to the “Hall and Van de Caste” study and verwellmind.com, falling dreams are a sign that something in your life isn’t going well and most likely suggests that you need to rethink a choice or consider a new direction in some area of your life.

Dreaming of falling can symbolize a fear in real life.

Perhaps it’s failing at work or in your love life. Falling often expresses a need to unwind and enjoy life more — so relax. You’re standing on solid ground.

IF YOU’VE EVER had

a dream in which you showed up to school, work or anywhere else public in your birthday suit, you’re not alone. It’s normal to fear societal embarrassment, which is what these dreams typically symbolize.

Dreams about being naked in public can also

feelings,and though there’s no way to know what they truly mean, there are some well-received theories as to what some of the most common dreams mean. Here’s some information on the five most common themes that take place during people’s sleep and the so-called meaning behind them.

pregnant

GIVING BIRTH. One of the

mean that you’re worried about your appearance or that you’re trying to hide something from others, according to verywellmind.com.

As long as you remember to throw on pants tomorrow morning, it doesn’t seem like this dream is becoming a reality

ABOUT

BODY

parts can be disturbing and utterly uncomfortable. The most common body part that’s dreamed about is teeth — either that they’re falling out or, that they’re loose or that they’re not there at all.

This is likely your brain’s way of coping with a situation in which you feel powerless, embarrassed or unable to communicate, according to Harper’s Bazaar. These types

of dreams could also indicate that you’re worried about your personal appearance or that you’ve recently said something embarrassing.

The real essence of teeth is their ability to bite through, cut, tear or grind. If your teeth fall out, you lose personal power and your ability to be assertive, decisive, and selfprotective. For now, smile big — your teeth are there, and they look great.

mean your life has a new beginning and that this dream is the first sentence in this new chapter, according to mindbodygreen.com.

It might be time to stop anticipating a child and get excited for your new adventure.

most happy and horrifying milestones in a woman’s life. It also happens to be something that commonly inhabits the dreams of many.

Dreams about pregnancy or preparing to give birth can signify that you’re experiencing a new beginning. Of course, this could be a child, but it could also be something you’re about to take on.

Maybe you’re thinking about switching jobs or schools, starting a new relationship or moving to a new city. It might even

chased being

ANOTHER COMMON THEME in dreams is a scene

DREAMS

being

teeth

falling out

straight from a horror movie — being chased. These dreams have a variety of different storylines. You may not know who’s chasing you, or you may be getting chased by your favorite actor. You may feel like you can’t run fast enough or that trying to run faster will slow you down.

These dreams can be terrifying.

Dream interpreters often suggest that such dreams

imply that you’re trying to avoid something in your daily life. Tony Crisp, the author of “Dream Dictionary,” believes that being chased in a dream may indicate an inclination to escape from your own fears or desires.

If you’re able to identify who or what is chasing you, that can further explain your dream. For example, a dream about being chased by a potential love interest could mean that you’re afraid of romance or a new relationship. Let the love in and face your fears head on.