See what’s happening at a different U.S. high school according to their newspaper Editor-in-Chiefs
EDITORS IN CHIEF OF THE LA SALLE FALCONER
What current events are students and staff talking about right now?
A LOT OF us here really engage in efforts to combat climate change. We have a lot of activities like Earth club centered around that and coverage by our newspaper is focused on that. Students attend climate protests, drives and clean-ups. We even had an Earth week where everyone dressed in green to raise awareness.
LEFT Charred trees still spread across the southern Oregon desert following the fires of 2020 caused by extreme weather. Drought led to more than 1.6 million dry acres burned across Oregon and Washington, resulting in more than $560 million in damage, according to Oregon’s Global Warming Commission.
photo by I andrew clair
VISIT THE LA SALLE FALCONER
design by katie murphy cover design by peyton moore
Read an opinion on the color pink during Breast Cancer Awareness month and a feature on auto teacher Brian Gay by visiting smeharbinger.net or scanning the QR code
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.
DON’T BOTHER STOPPING for the five newlyinstalled and obviously homemade bright red road signs while driving down Mission Road to East.
Our city’s newest “stop signs” are really “Stop Rezoning Prairie Village” signs — an over-the-top reaction from local families in response to the city council’s housing recommendations promoting inclusivity. Yes, mere recommendations were enough to cause a sign-printing spree from our city’s most traditional families.
Miscommunication between residents and officials has caused the city council’s actions to be overdramatized by some community members — effectively slowing progress on lowering inflated housing prices.
The city’s June recommendations include enabling more multi-unit building types and considering revising accessory living quarter standards, aimed to help “preserve access to attainable housing,” according to the committee.
Prairie Village has become less accessible for middle-income workers like teachers and police officers as home prices in the area accelerate faster than wages.
If enacted into policy in some neighborhoods,
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 con frmed 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.
the recommendations would mean allowing more multi-family homes that are cheaper per occupant and the construction of unattached “granny units” to house extra family members. It’s an imperfect — but wellintentioned — plan that should’ve received a sensible response and opened a reasonable discussion.
Instead, the reaction to the suggestions is confusing — yard signs reading “Stop Neighborhood Rezoning!” have been erected with no clear call to action for a law to veto or a politician to remove. Residents have yelled over Teen City Council members attending the city council meetings who were trying to explain that concrete policies haven’t even been made yet.
To be fair, the city council has some blame for miscommunication. They mention only once online that decisions about housing policy updates won’t be made until spring 2023 — deep on their website under a dropdown menu of FAQ’s.
Plus, opposing organizations, like the Stop PV Rezoning group, have a point: the recommendations aren’t perfect and could devalue properties in some districts. But the front page of their website reading “CITY COUNCIL WANTS TO REMOVE OUR RIGHTS AS SINGLE FAMILY HOMEOWNERS!!” in bold text is a vague and aggressive way to get their point across.
Or the point isn’t coming across at all.
Eighty-one percent of community members have seen the signs with only 40% knowing what issue they refer to, according to an Instagram poll of 166. Plus, 68% out of another poll of 152 students have no idea what housing issues are being discussed in city council, even though the conversation can directly affect their neighborhood.
Clearly the messages from both the city council and anti-rezoning organizations haven’t been conveyed effectively. City-issued notices appear daunting in
paragraphs of official legal language compared to the opposition’s overly-blunt and nonspecific, bulleted talking points online — two extremes that fail to educate residents.
Both sides should work to spread understandable information through concise posts tailored for the average viewer, or else recommendations will continue to be blown out of proportion.
Especially since rising housing costs aren’t slowing while the city argues. And medium-income families continue to become less likely to buy property here. If less community energy was put into organizing a 582-member Facebook group and instead given to revising the recommendations, Prairie Village could find a compromise.
Instead of complaining about the revised recommendations, concerned residents should list realistic and specific modifications to the document. Solutions can be pitched at city council meetings, like the upcoming one at 6 p.m. on Nov. 21.
The council already proved they are willing to listen when they revised housing recommendations after the initial backlash in October — deciding to exclude multi-family home options in some areas.
Shouting at city council meetings and making bold signs might draw more attention now, but Prairie Village needs productive conversations to solve its housing exclusivity in the long-term.
Despite flaws in the city council’s recommendations to update housing policies in Prairie Village, community backlash is over-the-top and unproductive
MIDTERM ELECTIONS ENDED on Nov. 8 after over 40 million pre-election ballots were casted in 47 states, according to CNN.
The parties of registered voters were almost evenly divided, though around 18% of voters were undecided. Major issues influencing votes were the economy, abortion,
crime, democracy and immigration.
Senior Avery Guck voted for the first time last Tuesday. She believes her participation in voting is part of her responsibility as a citizen, and her main incentive for voting was to elect candidates that prioritize reproductive rights.
“It’s important for me to vote because I
actively participate in discussions about the way our world works, and I feel like it’s my duty as a citizen to be able to participate because that’s my freedom,” Guck said.
The largest concern during the polls was inflation. Prices in the Midwest have risen 8.1% from last year, according to NBC News.
THE JOHNSON COUNTY Department of Health and Environment announced on Oct. 25 that the “Recycle Right” campaign staff will begin work in Prairie Village this month. The JCDHE assisted by Republic Services — Prairie Village’s trash and recycling service — will inspect each recycling bin, searching for waste that can’t be recycled and leaving a list of items that shouldn’t be in the bin.
The goal of the campaign is to improve recycling throughout Johnson County. Their work includes spreading information
concerning what and where to recycle and compost household waste.
Freshman Shubra Durgavathi began helping the community by reducing paper waste by limiting the amount of paper she used while attending Indian Hills, now she combats climate change as a member of the Environmental Club.
After hearing about the Recycle Right program, Durgavathi took interest hoping to expand on her work of helping the environment.
“The program is connected to what we’re already doing, which is all for the better of the community,” Durgavathi said.
The survey will designate what trash and non-recyclables should be kept out of recycling bins in Johnson County. The City of Prairie Village will fund the program so residents don’t have to pay.
Observations will take place for two weeks — after starting on Nov. 7 — and then staff will move to another area in the county.
STUDENT COUNCIL JUNIORS are hosting the Chili Cook Off on Nov. 16 from 6:30-8 pm in the cafeteria. The cook-off is part of StuCo’s Can Drive Fundraiser.
All proceeds will go to the Johnson County Christmas Bureau after cans are collected and funds are raised to donate food, clothes and holiday gifts for residents who can’t afford them.
A group of 4-6 people is needed to
register. Registration for each team will cost $25 or $5 for individuals who wish to taste test. Event registration is open until Nov. 16 through using the class of 2024 Instagram page.
The cook-off is open to all parents, staff and students. Junior class representatives Abi Limbird and Emma Kuhlman have made posters advertising for the event to hang throughout the school and post on social media.
“No matter what you’re interested in, there’s a fundraiser that you can enjoy and find ways to help out JCCB because every class has unique fundraising ideas,” Kuhlman said.
After learning online during her freshman year, Kuhlman wanted to find an alternative to the restaurant nights the junior class had held in previous years. She hopes a change in event will help bring more attention to the drive.
THE CONSUMER PRICE index for used cars and trucks increased by 40% from January of last year to this year, according to data from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics. Automotive experts state that car prices are unlikely to go back down to pre-pandemic prices anytime soon, if ever, affecting students and families purchasing cars.
Sophomore Grey Robinson has been struggling to find an affordable, used car for the past six months.
“Price is a big factor, just because if you want a good example of a car that’s not horrible, you’re going to have to pay for it,” Robinson said. “Especially as a lot of people are shopping for cars right now.”
A huge contributor to raised prices is a shortage of computer chips, which control technology in cars. According to Business Insider, the shortage increased due to
pandemic disruptions in the supply chain. With a decrease in new cars being made, less used cars have been listed.
According to a Louisburg Ford sales director Jimmy Baker, 10-15 thousand dollars is under budget for a “good” used car, compared to prepandemic prices where 10-15 thousand would buy a nicer used car.
“A good vehicle is not in that price range right now, it’s really hard to fix a good inexpensive car,’’ Baker said. ‘’They’re just not out there anymore.”
According to Baker, with the search for inexpensive cars, you have to be extra careful of sketchy sellers. Small, corner lot dealers can be risky since they don’t have to disclose what they don’t fix to the seller.
“Just a few weeks back, I went to go look
at a truck and it was a completely different truck that was listed,” Robinson said. “Sometimes you’ll go look at cars and they’ll just be in not as good a condition as you previously perceived to be.”
Since the current used car market is tight, it can be hard to complete the purchase of a car without facing competition for the close “There have been quite a few [that I’ve tried to purchase],” Robinson said. “I think there’s been three at this point where I have put money upfront and then someone offered a higher amount and bought before me.”
Certain features that buyers might expect with a used car may have to be compromised and low mileage and safety features can be difficult to find, according to Robinson.
“Luxury features like connectivity to
your devices, entertainment features [and] comfort features like heated seats, heated steering wheels, automatic features like auto-close windows,you start not being able to afford [it] because you still have to [buy just a car],” Auto technology teacher Brian Gay said.
Used cars can be difficult to sell due to the “previous owner factor,” according to Baker, Oftentimes, the more owners a car has had, the worse condition it’s in.
“[When buying a used car] Ask to see the reconditioning ticket form the service department, ask to see the history report and any other history.” Baker said, “The sales consultants can provide. If you feel the need ask if you can take it to a personal mechanic for a quick checkover.”
Texts the university sent to students and parents
7:47 166 79516
backpack.
UAlert Shooting at Harshbanger Cont. Cont to stay away from Harshbanger bldg/area. All remaining in-person classes main campus have been cancelled for today
UAlert Shooting at Harshbanger cont. Investigation continues. At this time, no need to reamin in place or lockdown. Remain clear from Harshbarger bldg.
UAlert Shooting at Harshbarger cont. Investigation continues. Request all non essential faculty/staff and students to leave campus or go to their res hall.
Wed, Oct 5, 5:28
UAlert Shooting at Harshbarger- ALL CLEAR
SHE’D JUST MISSED the swarm of police officers. College sophomore and East alum Libby Brouillette passed the John W. Harshbarger Building at the University of Arizona on her way to English less than 30 minutes before it was plastered in caution tape.
“I remember walking out and the whole area was taped off,” Brouillette said.
A professor of the University of Arizona was shot and killed on campus Wednesday Oct. 5, according to university police, which has affected several East families as 17 East graduates have attended the school in the past three years.
Parent and teacher Melinda DiGirolamo — whose son attends Arizona — heard from the Tucson News that the shooter was a graduate student who was restricted from campus.
“He had a history of violence,” DiGirolamo said. “I believe he had a [campus] restraining order and that’s what alerted everyone [because] they saw this guy who wasn’t supposed to be there.”
“A campus exclusionary order had been filled out to ban Dervish [the shooter], but it had not yet been served because police could not locate him,” according to The Washington Post.
Brouillette overheard her classmates talk briefly about a shooting that had just occurred in a building near-by — the John W. Harshbarger Building. Even with the UAlert system where the school sent out updates via email, students still couldn’t fully understand the full depth of the situation, according to Brouillette. Her professor hadn’t checked his computer either, and DiGirolamo said there was never a lockdown so few knew a shooting had just occurred. It wasn’t until after the shooting that remaining classes were canceled for the day.
“Once I found out the professor ended up dying, that got to me and made me realize it was a big problem,” Brouillette said.
It wasn’t until she returned to her sorority minutes later that she started to get texts from friends and messages in her sorority GroupMe telling her to stay inside. Her phone and thousands of others were flooded with multiple UAlerts with brief information following the shooting.
THE SHOOTING made me pay more attention to the differences of this enviornment compared to other colleges. To some extent it did make me rethink my college choice.
LIBBY BROUILLETTEEAST ALUM
One of the thousands was DiGirolamo’s husband, who received the UAlert email that told him nothing about the location of the shooting, worrying DiGirolamo for the safety of their son. Digirolamo said she didn’t receive the text from her husband until around 4:20 p.m., causing her to frantically text her son to make sure he was safe.
cancel any classes the following day, students and teachers were extremely upset and confused. They deserved at least a day to reflect on the traumatic experience, according to Brouillette.
“They didn’t cancel class the next day which is kind of ridiculous,” said Brouillette “So a lot of students and professors were upset about that. I think it opened up the doors to the kind of threats professors face.”
The tragedy is also affecting prospective students at UA from East. Senior Georgia McKee considered UA briefly and said that if she were still considering the college, the shooting would definitely make her reconsider her choice.
“The shooting really scared me because when considering colleges people want to know if they will be safe especially when they are so far from home,” McKee said. “Knowing that has happened makes it really nerve wracking for someone who may still be considering the school.”
Brouillette doesn’t blame McKee for her hesitance as she realizes the safety at the University of Arizona is different then at other schools.
“The shooting made me pay more attention to the differences of this environment compared to other colleges,” Brouillette said. “To some extent it did make me rethink my college choice.”
The police then received another call that there had been a shooting in the John W. Harshbarger Building, before they were told the suspect ran out of the building’s main entrance at 2:07 p.m.
Sitting in her classroom,
“Parents and students had no idea what was going on,” DiGirolamo said. “It was really scary because the situation seemed not secure with an active shooter and threat.”
When the university didn’t
In response to the shooting the university published a statement on the website allowing for reflection time on the loss of the teacher, Tom Meixer. They also offered support and counseling services for anyone in need, along with a number for people to reach out to.
The effect of recent shooting at the University of Arizona on the East communityQuizlet itself just pointless if you’re trying to study a lot and can’t.
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“DEMOCRATS ARE ONCE are once again trying to make past-minute changes in the election rules, but this time courts are holding the line. Wisconsin courts shoot down liberal groups’ to change rules for absentee ballots.”
@DineshDSouza
“
ELON MUSK’S OFFER to buy Twitter was so outlandishly high that a. Twitter’s old board couldn’t say no, b. Musk himself couldn’t afford it and c. it damned the entire company to signifcant debt and massive layoffs. Every part of this deal has been and continues to be stupid.”
@ScottNover
“63% OF AMERICANS live paycheck to paycheck because capitalism demands we continue to fatten the bank accounts of Billionaires, Stockholders and Corporations that don’t pay taxes.”
@melaniedavis
I’M SUPERSTITIOUS anyways but broken mirrors freak me out especially because it’s a broken object in front of you and it’s really scary looking.
MY FAMILY AND I were driving home from a fshing trip and a black cat crossed the road and then 30 minutes later my broth er threw up everywhere. Every since, I’ve been superstitious of black cats.
Plastic surgery has become too common in our society, and creates a beauty standard that is impossible to live up to
CAT-EYES, GLOWING skin and pouty lips — it’s hard to tell if these features belong to Bella Hadid, Emily Ratajkowski or any other social media influencer when scrolling through Instagram. It’s as if these bloggers and models are slowly morphing into the same face and body. I mean, how is it possible that everyone has Kim Kardashian’s cartoonishly round hips and tiny waist?
Two words — plastic surgery. It’s become too easy to completely tweak our faces and bodies with implants and surgeries — that is, if you have a big enough wallet. I’m looking at you, Kar-Jenners. Thanks to these toxic practices, today’s beauty standard is one made of plastic.
of dollars trying to look “natural” while being completely unnatural. With just enough botox to say, “It’s all about the moisturizer,” just enough lip filler to say, “It’s just a few simple makeup tricks,” tummy-tucks and butt implants that look perfect but just natural enough so they can market their latest workout video.
But it’s not just our favorite celebrities, it’s us too. It’s common to see local moms passing for college students. But it’s just nice skin-care and sunscreen, right?
Wrong. For hundreds of years, Humans have been obsessed with finding the “fountain of youth.” We’ve found it, but that fountain is also made of plastic.
I NOTICE MYSELF staring in the mirror for just a little too long.
My lips aren’t big enough, my waist isn’t tiny enough, my hips aren’t round enough. This is what our culture of plastic has done to not only grown women, but teenagers.
The average cost for butt and breast implants, rhinoplasty and a tummy tuck are all over $5,000, according to plasticsurgery.org. A facelift is easily over $8,000. Without thousands to spend at the Med Spa, attaining this look is physically impossible for most people. Yet we are still tricked into believing it’s attainable, and we fall down the rabbit hole of buying endless beauty products in hopes that one will finally fix our insecurities.
LILY SIMMONS
SENIOR
Low self esteem is what fuels the beauty industry. The unhappier we are, the more likely we are to spend money on products. So we buy what they sell — meal suppressant lollipops, makeup, collagen supplements, teeth whiteners, waist trainers and workout plans.
It never ends.
Influencers spend tens of thousands
It’s our mothers and grandmothers that we love who are struggling the most with the effects of plastic surgery. Are women allowed to age peacefully anymore? It’s becoming less common to see an older woman with gray hair or wrinkles on their face — earned signs of wisdom and experience, not imperfection.
How do I, a 17-year-old, have more wrinkles on my face than a 45-year-old? When the women I look up to in my life are so quick to change their natural appearance, it makes me question my own beauty. I notice myself staring in the mirror for just a little too long.
My lips aren’t big enough, my waist isn’t tiny enough, my hips aren’t round enough. This is what our culture of plastic has done to not only grown women, but teenagers.
What I wish for the little girl with a Roman nose, skinny lips or a flat chest, is
to have someone to look up to. Someone to prove that their features are worthy, and they don’t need to fill their lips with plastic, round their chest with implants and tighten the wrinkles from their forehead to be beautiful, valuable.
The cost of the three most popular surgical and non-sugical procedures
BOTOX
Avg cost is $19-$25 per
The truth is, chasing beauty standards will never satisfy, as they’re constantly changing: from slim, boyish figures in the 20s, to plump and curvy in the 30-50s, then back to tall and skinny in the 60s, then fit and curvy 80s, extremely thin 90s, and finally, our beloved Kardashian figure.
Perfection is always just out of reach – that’s why celebrities get addicted to plastic surgery. It will never be enough.
Trying to live up to the expectation strips us of our self esteem and money, but it takes something from society too. What would our world be like if we all looked the exact same? Extremely boring. There would be no diversity, no ethnic features, nothing to set us apart.
People with unique features will be convinced they’re ugly, and pressured to change themselves. When in reality, unconventional beauty is the most important thing we have.
We need to celebrate what makes us unique — not making us uniform — to show younger generations that their features are all beautiful, special and do not need to change.
Unconventional beauty is the most valuable form of art we have on earth.
BRAZILIAN BUTT LIFT Avg cost is $6500
RHINOPLASTY Avg cost is $3000$15000 PAST TRENDS
‘Ideal’ women’s body types throughout the 1900’s to present day
boy-ish, slim tall, military-like hourglass fgure twig-like, athletic tiny waist, big butt
story by lily simmons
BBLS HAVE RISEN BY 77.6% SINCE 2015 AND ARE ONE OF THE FASTEST GROWING COSMETIC SURGERIES
SO HAVE YOU start“Have you started thinking about where you want to go to college?”
My middle school self would’ve answered this question without a second thought: “Yale, Harvard... maybe Princeton.”
Even at this age I knew these were probably only a dream due to their single-digit acceptance rates and notoriety as academically rigorous schools whose graduates all went on to become presidents or Nobel prizewinners — don’t blame me for my unrealistic expectations, I was 13. What selfrespecting, over-eager academic like me enrolled in a whopping four “advanced” classes at Indian Hills Middle School wouldn’t want to attend the best and most exclusive universities?
GREYSONlimiting to their scope of their postgraduation worlds, but detrimental to the self-esteem and mental health of those who don’t aspire or have the opportunity to go to top universities.
In my experience, students may be influenced to aim for the Ivies because they’re put on a pedestal by their teachers and parents alike — especially high school students enrolled in higher level programs such as AP and IB.
into these colleges easier than their minority counterparts, according to The Washington Post. This limited worldview is far less prevalent in schools with high acceptance rates and gives the student body the diversity it lacks in the Ivies.
When going through the college decision-making process, it’s easy to fall into the mindset of idolizing Ivy League universities and viewing highly selective colleges as the peak of academia and equating low-acceptance rates to status and success.
This is a backwards, untrue way of thinking about post-secondary education and is entirely unfair to high school students navigating their future. Forcing high school students into this way of thinking that only “famous” colleges are acceptable isn’t only
From a young age, students are told to strive for academic success by emphasizing the importance of grades and test scores as far back as middle school, especially at East. But success doesn’t look the same for everyone. For most this idea of academic success conjures up images of grand lecture halls, studying at marble-topped library tables and taking walks through the quad during a New England autumn. However, many neglect the fact that academic success could also look like studying at larger, public colleges with higher acceptance rates, and such schools should be viewed as legitimate and respected options for high schoolers.
And this doesn’t even begin to account for the admission inequities that occur in Ivy League universities.
A vast majority of Ivy League students are high-income, generational white students with the privilege and access to resources allowing them to get
Smaller schools with larger acceptance rates tend to have lower professor-to-student ratios and professors are more willing to help students learn the material instead of only focusing on their research, according to retired New York Times education editor and longtime independent college counselor Loren Pope. Swapping out massive lecture halls holding thousands of students for small classrooms is a valid and understandable choice.
This rejection of such a deeprooted belief system was a foreign concept to my 13-year-old self, but one I understand more now as I evaluate what I value in my college education these next two years. College should be for the individual student’s educational wants and needs, not just a prestigious emblem to show off in an Instagram bio or brag about in a conversation. I shouldn’t put Yale on my college list just to impress my parents or teachers.
So the next time you’re asked what colleges you’re considering, don’t automatically go with the lowest acceptance rates. Think about what you want to get out of your college, and don’t reject lesser-known schools based on their low U.S. News rating or high acceptance rates.
Holding Ivy League institutions in a false high esteem is an unfair and backward mindset to high schoolersdesign by afa akwankaa
WOULD YOU RATHER celebrate Christmas or Diwali?
If someone asked fourthgrade me this question, I would’ve chosen Christmas in a heartbeat. It seemed like the obvious choice — I wanted to be like all the other kids in my grade who were opening presents from Santa instead of celebrating Diwali and honoring a mythological king’s victory over evil by lighting traditional firecrackers in my driveway.
But my parents had other ideas. During the months of October and November, they brought me to every Diwali party they were invited to — sometimes up to four a year — and introduced me to kids whose parents were from India, too.
My link to Indian culture was not limited to Diwali. Throughout the year, I also attended Holi and Ashtami gatherings and my friends’ four-hour Arangetrams — dance performances narrating stories with graceful hand movements and facial expressions. I despised my outfits for these events — scratchy and brightly colored clothing, long skirts and tight blouses that made me feel uncomfortable and out of place.
Only when prompted did I tell my closest friends that I celebrate Indian holidays. Unlike
other kids who openly discussed their Advent calendars and Christmas dinners, I never enjoyed gossiping about red and orange diyas and evening pujas. Even if I tried to explain Diwali traditions, how could my friends really understand without experiencing the traditions themselves?
These get-togethers gave me the opportunity to make friends with Indian kids my age. I felt more comfortable discussing Indian food, dances and languages with my new friends and was beginning to appreciate the uniqueness of Indian culture that I lacked in my predominately-Christian school. But the classroom was a completely different world where I was the only Indian student in my grade, and the “holiday party” was really just a Christmas party.
WE DON’T HAVE to pick between two cultures like fourth-grade me wanted to do.
people who relentlessly asked if I celebrated it. The pitiful looks I received made me defensive. Obviously I celebrate it. Why wouldn’t I? I got offended every time someone assumed I didn’t celebrate their holiday just because I’m Indian — I enjoyed decorating gingerbread houses using store-bought frosting just as much as the next person. I felt inclined to do exactly what my peers were doing and felt awkward if they knew I celebrated holidays that they didn’t.
do. You don’t have to choose between your roots and your peers — it’s OK to be a mix of both.
You don’t have to choose between your roots and your peers — it’s OK to be a mix of both.
And yes, I do celebrate Christmas too. I may not go to Christmas Day Mass, but I’ve taken photos with Santa at Crown Center, decorated the Christmas tree in my house and ran down the stairs to open presents on Christmas morning.
I thought I celebrated Christmas like the other kids in my grade. The only thing that made me feel out of place was the number of
And I haven’t been the only one who’s struggled to find a balance between two cultures. Over a quarter of children under 18 in the United States live with at least one foreign-born parent, according to census.gov. And though having a foreign-born parent doesn’t necessarily mean you’re struggling to balance two cultures, it does mean you’re still influenced by both that parent’s culture and the culture you’re raised in.
Now, after being exposed to other kids with multiple cultures in high school, I realize that it’s OK to celebrate both Indian holidays and American ones. We don’t have to pick between two cultures like fourth-grade me wanted to
You can celebrate your school friends’ holidays while still honoring your heritage and culture. Wishing my grandparents in India “Happy Diwali” helps us stay in touch. But that doesn’t mean I can’t enjoy homemade mashed potatoes at Friendsgiving dinners and exchange Secret Santa gifts with my friends here in the U.S. because I don’t have to pick between celebrating American holidays and Indian ones.
And biculturalism isn’t limited to celebrating holidays. Visiting family, eating my grandmother’s authentic Indian food, and playing cricket with my cousins in India are aspects of Indian culture that I’m able to experience from their perspective as a local. These experiences from India combined with growing up in the U.S. is the reason I can belong to both cultures.
Throughout elementary school, being different was my worst fear. But now I realize that by accepting two cultures, I get the best of both worlds. I’m able to enjoy a Krispy Kreme donut while also munching on a homemade samosa.
Being part of two cultures, your views are more diverse, you’re more accepting of different ideas and I think you honestly are more adventurous, just because you are trying new things all the time with both cultures.
ANOHITA PAUL
I grew up with two languages in my house, so I had people that I would speak Bengali with and then people that I would speak English with, and I think I got a lot more socially aware from a young age, just because you speak different languages with different people and different groups of people.
TRACY FAN
Surrounding food culture, I really like Chinese food. But when I came to the U.S., I hadn’t re ally tasted that much pizza, hamburgers and Thanksgiving turkeys and stuff like that. But I found I really actually enjoy eating that food. So I guess [with both cultures] I get to taste more of the delicious food in this world.
Embracing both the culture your parents were raised in and the culture you’re surrounded by is more beneficial than choosing oneJUNIOR AUTUMN SUN SENIOR JUNIOR
ABOVE After Junior Otto Lutes attempts to tackle senior Kate Cronenwett near the end zone, Cronenwett breaks through the tackle, scoring the Senior team their final point of the game 4-2 touchdowns. Cronenwett scored three of four touchdowns for the seniors within the 40 minutes they played.
RIGHT After the game concludes, the fans on the sidelines form a tunnel for the seniors to run through, celebrating their victory. Senior Macy Crosser smiles at one of her friends near the end.
TOP RIGHT Junior Joey Hoffman stretches to warm up for cheer and dance practice during seminar on Oct. 25. “I was pretty excited, I’ve always wanting to try [cheer], and I was the most excited to find out I was going to be flying, it was super fun to be up in the air but scary,“ Hoffman said.
“Kate and I expected [the football players] to pick it up pretty easily considering the fourth graders could, but it was a bit of a challenge for
LEFT
“[They] made sure no one got hurt but it was confusing, learning the steps,” Tuttle said.
hour
RIGHT Sophomore Jack Crane laughs at something on his phone while taking a study break in the library during sixth hour. photo by I riley eck
TOP Sophomores Liam Witte and Bobby Winn change the bit on the router table in their fourth hour woodshop class. photo by I caroline martucci
RIGHT Sabrina Thuenemann paints Mod Podge onto the wall in the south ramp in order to stick pages of the Harbinger onto the wall. photo by I julia fillmore
ME VIDEO Seniors Ike Sheets and Nick Parisi share their featured unique talent
WHILE MOST STUDENTS are swapping phones at dances to take their Instagram photos with the most innovative and updated camera, these four students share photos on Instagram with unconventional cameras — from driveway security cameras to seven-year-old Sony cameras that were formerly collecting dust in the basement.
DRIVING UP TO junior Bella Hakes’ house, junior Ella Howard punched the four-digit code into the keypad of the driveway gate. With the neon lights flashing in confirmation, the fence slid away and she continued up the driveway.
A week later, Howard spotted the photo of herself, on the Instagram @gates.cam — Hakes’ Instagram account — leaning halfway out of her car squinting as she typed the code in. Unknowingly to Howard, the keypad takes a photo each time the code is entered into the keypad.
Hakes posts photos of her friends at her gate every few weeks, using the CellGate Mobile Connect app to look through the photos the camera takes. When she finds her friend’s photos amidst the photos of her parents running errands, she’ll download and post them to the account.
Some friends stick their arms out of the car, reaching for the pin pad, not knowing that their photo will be posted for all to see. Others pose for the photos, pursing their lips into a kissing face, throwing up a peace sign or holding their chihuahua up to the camera.
Her friends look forward to each post, even when they forget the camera’s there — it’s easy to miss, as it’s only a pinprick on the pin pad.
“My family loves it too,” Hakes said. “They just think it’s funny.”
JUNIOR JORDAN PINDELL logJunior Jordan Pindell logged onto her mom’s MacBook and slid the SD card in. After AirDropping the footage from the computer to her phone, she filtered through the 27 minutes of shaky footage to create a minute-and-a-half video which she posted on her Instagram account @small.cam.
It took her three hours.
Three hours to edit a grainy, pixelated video when she could’ve made a high definition TikTok in 20 minutes.
Despite having an iPhone 12 Pro with a 12 megapixel camera, Pindell snaps photos and videos on her seven-yearold camera.
“Everybody likes those ‘vintage’ looking photos,” Pindell said.
While many students achieve their desired vintage look with disposable cameras or polaroids, Pindell didn’t want to spend $20 for the camera and another $15 to develop the film. Instead, she opted to revive the old Sony camera she used to take on family vacations to Utah.
Now, she keeps it tucked away in her purse to capture moments at any time. She takes it to her friend’s backyard pool, Lancer Day, Saturday hangouts with friends and even to her third hour Hauberk class. Last year’s Hauberk editors pestered her for weeks to edit the video she had filmed.
These casual snapshots, not significant enough to post on her main account, are all posted straight to @small.cam for her 169 followers to see.
“I was never in any of the photos, so I felt weird posting them on my social media because I didn’t just want to post these pictures that I’m not in,” Pindell said.
Though blurry and pixelated, her friends are always excited when small.cam pops up on their feed, commenting how much they love them, regardless of the camera quality.
A photo from each Instagram account with the number of posts and month of creation.
TAKING PHOTOS OF flowers in her backyard and the Californian landscapes, then fourth-grader Neva Hudson was set on becoming a photographer.
Her Canon Powershot Elph 360 was her essential tool for the photos. She beamed when her friend’s parents complimented her photos, and she believed her work was the peak of professionalism.
Now, seven years later, junior Neva Hudson brings her point-and-shoot to football games and trips to Maryland with her friends, taking photos of students she’s never talked to and posting them on her Instagram account @digitalcam. pics. She finds that everyone wants to have their photo taken — and she embraces it.
The photos aren’t of the mesmerizing flowers she had taken in fourth grade. Instead, they’re blurry and pixelated. And she could’ve easily taken the photos on her phone — her parents don’t understand why she chooses the old camera. But for Hudson, the vintage look and nostalgia can’t be found on Snapchat filters.
“My parents were like, ‘Why would you want your photos to look old? iPhone photos are so much better quality,’” Hudson said.
She named her account @digitalcam.pics. She considered basing the account name off of her name, but decided against it.
“I wanted it to feel like it was for all of my friends,” Hudson said. “It makes it more of a community thing even though it’s technically my account, it feels like everyone is a part of it.”
it’s technically my account, it feels like everyone is a part of it.”
Students create Instagram accounts to post photos from secondary camerasstory by kate heitmann
EAST PARENT LYNNETTE was on TDY — temporary duty.
A deceiving name for what was essentially an all-expenses-paid vacation to a destination of her choosing.
“They basically said, ‘You’re so great. We want to keep you, we want you to re-enlist, do four more years,” Siegel said. “And as an incentive, why don’t you go check out some other places you could go.’ So I thought, ‘Oh, go to Berlin.’”
She didn’t want to re-enlist — it was time for a new experience, but she wouldn’t turn down a free trip to Germany.
It was 1989, and Siegel had been working in the Air Force as a Cryptologic Linguistic Specialist for three of her four contracted years as an intelligence collection translator. After the Berlin Wall was removed, she thought it was time to visit Germany. She’d always been one for adventure.
The wall had gaps missing — pieces of it were being sold off — and she looked around at the scene, noticing a particularly large gap that some people in West Berlin were speaking through. Though she had studied some German in addition to the four other languages she had previously learned, she couldn’t make out what they were saying. As she peered through to East Berlin, she saw a soldier. No older than 19. They looked like
VETERAN JONATHAN SMITH* loved Winstead’s — especially their cheeseburgers and chocolate shakes. Of the three times a week that East parent and Navy veteran Todd Steinbrecher came from his office at Hospice Partners to visit his retirement home, they almost always sat together and ate those revered cheeseburgers.
They talked about Smith’s longunspoken war stories in Vietnam and discussed the where-abouts of each other’s kids. They would bond over their shared military experiences — they both agreed that it’s easier to talk about it with a fellow veteran. The two veterans had been visiting for three months when Steinbrecher got a call from Smith’s nurse.
Smith was quickly losing his battle with cancer, and had requested that Steinbrecher be there
for his last moments. There was no question, he would be there. And he was with him when he passed away.
“I’ve been in a room when a baby’s born and there’s this kind of energy that happens when a life comes in,” Steinbrecher said. “It feels the same when [a life] comes out. I think [it was] an honor.”
Since serving in the Navy from 1999 to 2008, Steinbrecher has dedicated his life to helping other veterans reach emotional stability, being there by their side in their last moments or simply bringing them a Winstead’s cheeseburger. In fact, he’s spent his life after serving as a hospice care coordinator in the Kansas City area.
Hospice wasn’t always a plan in his life path. At age eight Steinbrecher watched “Top Gun” with his dad and saw a rescue
swimmer jump out of a helicopter during Goose’s death scene — he turned to his dad and said, “I want to do that.”
So he did.
Growing up, he had heard stories from his dad and grandparents — most of them served in the military, so serving wasn’t necessarily “special” for his family.
Fresh out of high school, Steinbrecher trained in Pensacola for air crew and avionics school — known to civilians as “rescue swimmer school”. The stakes were high — trainees completed tasks like retrieving and putting on masks and snorkels from the bottom of a 14-foot-deep pool. If the young men failed after two attempts, they were booted from the program. That wasn’t an option for Steinbrecher — he had already failed the task once
they were telling to come to the “But it just Siegel said. “Did but he’s too though he’s staring This moment, most memorable to the small opportunity if she hadn’t experience from for her love rampant, and another language.
An 18-year-old hotel when she the head of his son’s Air and opportunity, recruiting office she could pay continue her in high school. decision, but And lucky learning another the Defense she was discovered learning Slovak of intense close-to-full-immersion
and wasn’t childhood dream So, he was just how bad matter if he it would. He scrambling on before the their mind. the air and He passed. But physical nothing compared tasks. The heavily on confidence making and box, like when and rocks and how to save He continued survive, evade, in California and extraction
THEIRFollowing Veterans Day on Nov. 11, veterans within the East community share their backgrounds in the military, from translating Russian to working in the legal departmenttelling the soldier to cross the wall, the East.
just really hit me deep in my core,” “Did [the soldier] want to do that, scared? He just stood there. Even staring through a hole in the wall.” moment, deemed by Siegel as the memorable of her military career due yet captivating moment, was an that never would have arisen hadn’t been serving. Siegel’s military from 1986 to 1990 allowed a place of learning and curiosity to run and gave her a chance to learn yet language.
18-year-old Siegel was working at a she struck up a conversation with security. When he told her about Force career, one of adventure opportunity, Siegel marched down to the office that same week, knowing that pay for college, travel the world and her love of languages that started school. It was a bit of an impulsive that’s normal for Siegel.
lucky for her, she spent a year another one: Russian. After taking Language Aptitude Battery test, discovered to have a proficiency in Slovak languages. Thus began a year close-to-full-immersion study —
where at work, they only spoke Russian — an environment that Siegel thrived in.
“I remember the first day going into the class, and all these people walk in this room and you sit down,” Siegel said. “Someone walks in [and] they’re speaking in Russian. And they say that they can tell that day just from the look on people’s faces who will be there in a month and who won’t.”
On that first day, she had to learn the entire Russian Cyrillic alphabet 20 vocab words and had a test the next morning. It was hard, but nothing she couldn’t handle. In fact, she couldn’t wait to start.
“I need this rush of super intense learning,” Siegel said. “When I learn it, I’m like, OK, I can do this job now.’ [Then] I think I get bored. And so I go for the next kind of learning challenge.”
Naturally, Siegel was the honors graduate of her training group with strong abilities in Russian linguistics. So being placed in Crete, Greece — a location with no real military issue — was a bit of a letdown. She felt she should be stationed somewhere with a more challenging mission to match her abilities, but she soon found that this was the least of her concerns.
“I get there, and I start getting oriented to do this kind of work that you don’t have to be a linguist to do,” Siegel said. “And I thought, ‘I just went through this whole year of intensive,
intensive training. I was the honor grad — I am good at this stuff. And you’re gonna put me in this position [where] I don’t even need it?’”
Knowing that she didn’t want to give up on her dream job, Siegel did some research. She found out that she could make a complaint to the inspector general. She brought the issue up to them — thousands of dollars had been spent on her training, and for what?
A week later, she was moved.
“If I hadn’t stood up for myself, I might never have used my language skills that they just spent a year training me on,” Siegel said. “So I guess that’s the fact: don’t be afraid to stand up for yourself.”
After that, her work was regimented. Four days working middays. Four days working nights. Four days working days. Four days off. Repeat. She would come home from her shifts to the upstairs space rented from a Greek family that babysat American children as their source of income. And, on her days off, she would leave that generational home to go Greek island hopping, exploring her home for the next four years.
A year after her service ended, Siegel was three credits away from a Soviet Studies degree that she had started while still serving and was paid for by the GI Bill. Then, the Soviet Union collapsed. Along with her next learning opportunity — most schools stopped
teaching Soviet courses.
While she eventually decided on a B.S. degree of Biology to replace her original undergrad choice, Siegel decided to continue her learning at law school. She had worked for a law firm part-time while getting her undergraduate degree, and was convinced by her employer to come back as a lawyer. And she did, for 17 years.
But of course, her itch to learn never ends. She decided to go back to school, and for the past five years has worked in nursing, currently with SMSD.
But it all goes back to the Berlin Wall. Siegel still has a piece that she bought from a merchant with a tiny bit of graffiti on it — though some of it has worn off with time. It’s the perfect memento — an item representing her celebration of knowledge.
When most people think “veteran,” they think of a foot soldier, someone in the trenches. But the reality is that there is a large array of what veterans look like. Four veterans within the East community all share different backgrounds in the military, from translating Russian to working in the legal department. To celebrate Veteran’s Day, we tell the vastly different stories of four people who all share one thing in common — their service.
willing to let go of that dream just yet. was forced to think about he wanted it. Would it failed again? Of course He dove 14 feet down, to get the rubber gear the instructors made up He shot his hands into waited for the verdict.
physical qualifications were compared to the mental instructors focused confidence in decisionthinking outside of the when he got a bag of sticks and was told to figure out a person with them. continued training in SERE — evade, resist and escape — and in Guam for search extraction while training to be a
plane captain.
He finished training a week before September 11, 2001.
Steinbrecher was immediately deployed on three back-to-back tours — the first in the Middle East. Six months in, he broke his neck in a helicopter crash, rehabbing as fast as he could to get back into the field. But Steinbrecher says it’s injuries like that that you never fully recover from, physically or emotionally. While getting his undergraduate in 2008, he spent 2-3 days a week in rehab for his neck. Seven years later. But it didn’t stop him. One of his many jobs was being a 50-caliber door gunner — a crewman that manually handles an automatic gun aboard a helicopter.
“Sometimes the scariest thing is not actually what happened,” Steinbrecher said. “[But] what could
have happened. The anticipation of, ‘Is this guy gonna shoot? Or am I gonna shoot him?’”
It’s the dark reality of hunting people that haunts Steinbrecher and stops him from openly discussing his military experience very often. Living through violence and suffering for months on end is a feeling that Steinbrecher notes very few people experience. There’s no way to understand that pain if you haven’t lived through it.
This mutual understanding between veterans is part of what guided Steinbrecher into hospice work today. He helps them to get what they didn’t before — medical equipment, health care, survivors’ benefits — and make a personal connection.
In 2013, Steinbrecher witnessed his father go into hospice with
terminal cancer. As his father also served, Steinbrecher helped him get his veterans benefits. It was when he was helping him that he discovered his frustration with how veterans in hospice were being treated — according to him, 90% of veterans don’t ever know what their benefits are, like a disability claim or career counseling.
“I don’t like the way the system has happened,” Steinbrecher said. “Because I feel like some people are doing this for marketing, for business, and I actually give a damn about these people. And I want to help them.”
These veterans in hospice have battlefields from helicopters over Vietnam burned into their memory. Steinbrecher understood. He voiced his frustrations with veteran support to a palliative care coordinator at
Leavenworth Veterans Affairs, and she gave him documents outlining the benefits that veterans are entitled to. In 2014, Steinbrecher began the Veterans Initiative Program to help veterans and their families receive their benefits of medical care and supplies, and survivors pension.
Through his former employer, Hospice Partners, Steinbrecher built VIP as a passion project.
Now that Steinbrecher works at Kansas City Hospice, he continues his aid on their veteran board for assisting veterans in hospice.
“I can’t speak for people that are no longer with us — they gave the ultimate sacrifice,” Steinbrecher said. “But there’s a lot of survivor’s guilt too. If you haven’t lived it, you don’t understand. And that’s OK.”
Under 1,000 feet of impenetrable limestone, senior Sean Holland triggered a one-megajoule blast that pressed against his back like a gust of wind — all with the click of a button. Ears ringing from the reverb, Ryan — his twin brother — grinned at Sean from across the cavern.
Can we do it again?
It wasn’t just dynamite the boys got to play with last summer at Explosives Camp in Rolla, Mo. For five days, the Hollands participated in hands-on labs at Missouri S&T college with commercial mining engineers and eight other students, analyzing parts of mechanical explosives — the primers, the fuse, the debt chord.
Since the summer, the boys can’t stop thinking about their future in mining engineering — especially after committing to Missouri S&T for college. Even in AP Calculus BC, when they’re opening their heavy duty TI-89 calculators — recommended by their camp professor — their thoughts go straight to the mines and the thrill of their future career.
“Explosives camp was the starting point for all of this,” Sean said. “The detonation.”
The camp’s focus? Blowing up as much stuff as possible.
Triggering 15-20 explosions a day — while wearing white hard hats and safety goggles, of course — the boys engaged in labs testing different types of explosives. They played with everything from dynamite sticks to TNT boxes,
pushing the detonator just like cartoon characters they watched as kids.
After a slew of labs and laughs with their professor — a mining engineer and former host of the Discovery Channel documentary series, “The Detonators” — the twins applied to Missouri S&T and were accepted in June. They loved the small-town community and shared their professor’s delight watching steel pipes burst into flames. It didn’t hurt that S&T is one of only three colleges in the country with a test mine for them to… experiment
They like that about science — the playfulness. They were always curious growing up, according to their mom Kelley James. She saw their grins widen after winning Mathletics competitions and while huddled under blankets binging “How It’s Made” and “Impossible Engineering” on Science Channel late at night.
She knew one day they’d pick a collaborative career like mining — after all, they’d always challenged each other. She remembers a project from one of their engineering courses for Project Lead The Way — the STEM-based curriculum they’ve been enrolled in since freshman year. Over the pandemic, the boys had to construct a maze for a ping pong ball to roll through using household items.
“They had to make sure they had the biggest and best and most complicated maze,” Kelley said. “It took over our entire kitchen. They used everything in our house from recyclables to things out of the
kitchen to tools from the garage. It was awesome.”
At engineering camp, they got to apply their creativity to the mines while previewing college labs they’ll do in college. During one test, they built their own explosive by filling an empty wine bottle with C-4 explosive putty. Holding the tiny granules that would produce a deafening boom and demolish steel beams, the boys were reminded of childhood playtime.
“C-4 feels like Kinetic Sand,” the Hollands said.
Despite the fun they have, the twins know the mines are no place to mess around — there’s zero tolerance for mistakes in engineering. In their future careers, either as mining planners or managers, they know their calculations and plans will have to be precise. Mining takes focus and respect for the craft — something they learned at camp and through their engineering courses.
Still, they can’t deny the adrenaline rush of embedding a bomb in limestone then gunning it for two miles on an ATV to outrun the blast.
“It felt like someone was grabbing all of your organs and shaking you back and forth,” Ryan said.
The thrill is a feeling both know they’ll never get tired of. Sick of hours of note-taking in high school, both Ryan and Sean wanted something more stimulating — like a day job working with milliondollar explosives, zooming up and down the mine’s elevator shaft and peering down dark caverns with their head lamps. After watching
them grow up wrestling each other and spending their energy on basketball and soccer, their mom knew mining engineering would combine their love of STEM with their itch to stay engaged.
“There’s no point in a mining career where you have to be sitting down,” Ryan said. “There’s always stuff you can do up on your feet.”
Ryan and Sean didn’t expect that they both would want to spend the rest of their lives cradling explosives in pitch black commercial mines. But no one is surprised. The twins take the same AP Computer Science Principles, AP Calculus BC and AP Chemistry 2 classes, and are in the same CAA engineering courses. Their schedules and interests are as similar as their faces.
“It’s been 18 years, and I can’t think of more than five things we’ve disagreed on,” Ryan said.
While the Hollands are eager to get back into the mines, they haven’t explored their future career much since the camp. Instead, they’re focused on learning math and physics to prepare for the five required math courses they’ll take at Missouri S&T. They’ll leave the detonator tests for college.
“You can’t really recreationally practice exploding stuff,” Sean said.
But when they get home from school, glancing at the collection of exploded blasting caps on a shelf in their bedroom, they remember the feeling of sound waves moving through them after a detonation. It blew them away — and into their dream career path.
Olivia Lawrence smirked as she lightly kicked her horse to make him go faster. She wanted to catch up to her older sister, Lily. Olivia didn’t care about the six other competitors in the academy class division — she just had to beat her sister. And if that meant moving her horse in front of Lily’s, making sure the judges saw her horse’s form instead of her sister’s, then so be it.
Olivia always wanted to beat her sister, but she’d still congratulate her even if she took second and Lily placed first — a fine balance between supporters and competitors. By competing with each other in every horse show they’ve ever entered, the sisters have used each other to improve at their shared passion for the craft.
Now-freshman Olivia and senior Lily no longer compete against each other, after moving from the “junior varsity” academy level to the higher show level. But their support and love for the sport stayed exactly the same — from asking each other what they needed to focus on the most during their competition to cheering the loudest in the stands during awards.
They both know what it’s like to lose at a competition or to have a bad ride, so they’re
able to sympathize with each other when this happens.
“ [My sister] knows how it feels to accomplish those goals and what it feels like to not quite accomplish them,” Lily said. “I know how hard she’s working for it. And I enjoy her supporting me on the side, it helps knowing someone is supporting me out there.”
The girls have been riding together for the last six years. Since they started riding at the same time, they’ve grown from not knowing how to canter to being able to maneuver the horse using their hands, legs and voice together. While they’ve racked up countless shiny blue ribbons and Missouri state champion trophies, it didn’t start out that way
losing, you just kind of learn to laugh it off.”
Together, they worked hard to improve their ranking, spending three days a week taking lessons at Summit Stables in Lee’s Summit, Missouri. Their mom Cara Lawrence grew up riding horses as well, so she takes videos of the girls at competitions to help correct their form and notice what they need to improve on.
they’re stashing up on junk food for their hotel room and eating ice cream at midnight because they missed dinner.
Traveling to places like Sedalia, Missouri and Lexington, Kentucky is their version of a “family vacation.” Competition days tend to be tiring, but each day usually ends in a funny story — like the time they accidentally dyed almost everything in their hotel room blue.
For the first few months of their riding careers, the sisters seemed to always be in last place.
“When you first start out, losing really sucks,” Olivia said. “I used to feel awful when I lost and then I just shut down for a whole day and I would tell myself I’m awful. But now after years and years of experiencing
“I see these other riders and they don’t really have that push at home and they’re not progressing quickly,” Cara said. “But I know enough to be hard on them. I know the difference between when you’re working hard and [when] you’re not, so I can be honest about it. Like, ‘Hey, I expect more. I have this high standard for you.’ In the end it pushes them along.”
But all of the hours spent training at the barn and the 6-8 competitions each month have never felt like a chore for the girls — their sport has strengthened their sisterly bond. When they’re not walking and trotting with their horses at competitions and making sure their equipment is ready,
“One time we bought the most horrible blue hair dye ever,” Olivia said. “But we only dyed under our hair because it couldn’t be blue to show. But everything was blue. The shower was blue, [our] faces were blue, it was a horrible idea. But we weren’t upset. It just became one of those memories.”
The girls have competed at every horse show together for the past six years. Next year Lily hopes to attend William Woods University in Fulton, Missouri to continue her horseback riding career. Not having each other to talk to before a competition will be an adjustment, but they’ll still be able to watch one another every once in a while.
“It wouldn’t be the same if [Lily] wasn’t there because every single show that we’ve ever [done] we’ve always been together,” Olivia said. “So not having her there wouldn’t feel the same.”
AFTER SIX HOURS of kayaking the Rouge River in Quebec, former East student Jay Hutchinson and his friends returned to their home for the week — a tiny wooden lodge with a rusted tin roof. Soaked by both sweat and river water, Hutchinson tore off his gear and kicked it under his bunk, ready to sink into his bed.
But a high-pitched squeaking sound made him hesitate. He lifts the sleeping bag and sheets of the musty mattress to find a squirrel inside it, building a nest. For the next half hour, chaos ensued as the six roommates scrambled around the cabin to catch the squirrel.
It’s moments like these that bond Hutchinson and his roommates together, yet without the World Class Kayak Academy, these friends never would have met in the first place.
The World Class Kayak Academy is a traveling high school that provides some of the best kayaking teachers and opportunities in the world. Each quarter the school travels to a different part of the world to paddle iconic rapids. It had been Hutchinson’s dream to attend since he was a sophomore.
Despite nearly every one of the 22 students coming from a different background — speaking languages from Spanish to French, they were able to come
together over their love for kayaking and desire a change from traditional learning.
“It’s remarkable to see students from so many different backgrounds connect over a shared passion,” principal Kalob Grady said. “Every year I get the chance to watch new students form a community based around their love for kayaking.”
The first quarter was spent in the Canadian regions of Ontario and Quebec, an area revered for its high-class white water rapids. Over 2 months, the group packed up into vans and moved to a different river every one to two weeks.
While exploring not far from their camp near the Mistassibi river, Hutchinson and his friends noticed a high ropes course — a sort of obstacle course in the middle of the forest, 50 feet up in the air that requires a harness to walk through.
“We wanted to go do [the course] but we didn’t have the harnesses,” Hutchinson said. “So we built makeshift harnesses out of our kayaking gear and went up and did the entire thing. Right when we finished one of the workers saw us and started yelling at us in French and we all just bolted.”
Hutchinson also found less perilous ways to appreciate Canadian culture such as going on hikes and even attending a hockey game with some other students.
One weekend, the students heard a semi-pro hockey team was playing in the
ice rink not far from their tents along the Rouge river. Hutchinson and a few of his friends jumped on the opportunity and spent the day at the rink watching the local team — The Rouge. During half the game Hutchinson and the others spent their time talking to locals about their families and professions.
“It was cool getting to know all those people and understanding their lifestyle,” said Hutchinson. “I wasn’t expecting to have any sort of cultural experience in Canada just because it is so near to the US. This opened my eyes and helped me appreciate that every town has its own culture, it’s not just something you attribute to a country.”
Though Hutchinson didn’t expect a culture shock in Canada, he did know that he was on his way to some incredible kayaking and cultural enrichment. What he didn’t expect was to make so many great friends to share those memories with.
“We’ve become such a tight knit group,” Hutchinson said. “We’re all very similar but we’re friends for more than just because we love the same sport. We have the same mindset and very similar personalities. We want to take advantage of every minute we have out here and we’re all adrenaline junkies. I’ve never been to a place where I’ve been surrounded by so many people just like me.”
What is your role in theatre?
“I am in the classes. Right now I’m taking rep theater and tech theater, even though I already took tech theater last year. I’m on our thespian executive board, so my role in that is to keep track of thespian points — which is how we keep track of people’s involvement. And I do crew for most of the shows.”
How and when did you frst get involved in theater?
“In seventh-grade I was in the Indian Hills musical, and I was going to do it again in eighth-grade but it got cut off due to COVID. My freshman year, they did Godspell, and I did the spotlights for that. Since then, I’ve been really interested in lights.”
What is your favorite part of being in charge of the lights?
“I’m someone who really likes to work with my hands. So being able to actually touch the lights and see my work on the stage is really fun.”
design by nora lynn
Our book recommedations for the month of November from “Book of the Month” website
by onyi nwabineli
GENRE: fction
An emotional and devastatingly frank account of grief in its many different forms
WE ARE THE LIGHT by matthew quick
GENRE: fction
A flm production brings a grieving town back together in a story of hope
SCAN ME WEBSITE
Find more book recommendations on the Book of the Month website, or sign up to learn more
WHITE HORSE by erika t. wurth
GENRE: horror
A no-nonsense Indigenous woman is determined to confront her family’s ghosts
SHIRT by sza
GENRE: pop
The runs in her voice refect the comfort in her lyrics
photos from spotify, amazon & IMDB
A closer look at some newly released music
PRETTY MONSTER by the blue stones
GENRE: alt-rock HIGHLIGHTS: Don’t Miss, Camera Roll, Cards are Down
GENRE: drama, mystery
A psychological thriller where two strangers are entangled in a story of love against evil featuring Florence Pugh and Will Byrne.
THE LAST PARTY by clare mackintosh
GENRE: thriller
A dead body is found in Mirror Lake that starts the unraveling of everyone’s secrets
HOPSCOTCH by the greeting committee
ICELAND by goth babe
GENRE: indie Nostalgic and up beat while about friends growing apart ROADKILL by fanclubwallet
GENRE: indie
The harsh lyrics perfectly contrast the softness in her voice
CHROME BULL by duckwrth
GENRE: hip hop HIGHLIGHTS: 11:30, Ce Soir, Beg
MILK TEETH by suki waterhouse
GENRE: indie HIGHLIGHTS: Neon Signs, Good Looking, Brutally
CRASHLANDED by madeline edwards
GENRE: country
GENRE: indie HIGHLIGHTS: Surfng in Iceland, I’m in Luv A
HIGHLIGHTS: Crashlanded, Spurs, “Mama, Dolly, Jesus”
GENRE: comedy Following adult Ralphie returning to his childhood home with his kids after the death of his father.
GENRE: drama Following New York Times reporters Megan Twohey and Jodi Kantor as they break a story that helped launch the #MeToo movement.
GENRE: drama, music
A biographical interpretation of the last days of a rising musician struggling with substance abuse, featuring Machine Gun Kelly.
Create Space KC offers many different classes that cater to many interests, including a beginner’s knitting class
Y GRANDMA IS known for the baby blankets she’s knit for all 33 grandchildren. I’ve always wondered how she crafted my blanket featuring bright blue, turquoise and green yarn.
After taking Create Space KC’s “Learn to Knit Series” class, I don’t have to wonder anymore.
The inviting studio filled with rainbow string lights is located off Main St. in Waldo. Other than knitting classes, it offers other classes like swing and salsa dancing, drama and painting.
My knitting teacher’s calm disposition made her initial explanation and overview of the class easy to understand. Our objectives were to learn how to cast using the E-wrap and the Long Tail methods for the first hour long class. We had a goal to start our own project in the next month, with the same schedule of Sunday 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. It was just the right amount of technical preview for someone with no previous experience to draw my interest.
to place (stitches) on a knitting needle in order to begin knitted work
The environment of the class was beyond welcoming, making me feel immediately connected with the people at my table of 4. The welcoming atmosphere naturally led to me hearing about my classmate’s days and their past knitting experiences.
As we began selecting needles out of the confusing number of options, the teacher thoroughly explained the importance of
the varying thicknesses. Beginners are recommended to use the largest wooden needles, which I selected — thankfully, because it gave me more space to wrap my bright red yarn the teacher provided instead of a thin needle that would be harder to slip in between the loops in the yarn. I enjoyed knitting with people of different ages, as the class consisted of myself, a 10-year-old girl and a grandma and her grandson. It was an unexpected-but-appreciated chance for me to meet new people.
Make, “M” shape with the yarn, under my thumb, under the pointer finger, through the hole to the end of the loop.
I repeated this in my head as I tried to emulate what the teacher was doing with her hands. Feeling confident in my mediocre skills, I was humbled by the 10-year-old next to me who got the hang of the harder casting method in minutes.
The teacher sat down next to me and slowly casted on her own needle after seeing I was having trouble. Her slow words and visual demonstration successfully got me out of my crafting rut.
Just after I had gotten comfortable with the E-wrap technique, the class moved on to the Long Tail method. Although the harder method seemed impossible at first but due to the repetitive pattern and the reinforcement from the teacher, I got the hang of it.
After the first class I had a good understanding of the two casting methods, which was worth the $13 price that covered both the class and materials of a selection of yarn and needles.
It left me scheduling my next class and calling my grandma to find a time to show off my newfound skills.
A schedule of different classes offered at Create Space KC
BELLY DANCING
5:00p.m. - 6:00p.m. $15 per class
ABSTRACT PAINTING
7:00p.m. - 8:30p.m. $15 per class
SWING & SALSA DANCE
BEGINNING UKULELE
6:30p.m. - 7:30p.m. $60 per 5 classes
WATERCOLOR PAINTING
11:00a.m. - 12:00p.m. $25 per class
BRUNCH DATE & PAINT
GIFT MAKING
5:00p.m. - 6:00p.m. $20 per class
FLAMENCO TECHNIQUE
8:00p.m. - 9:00p.m. $96 per 8 classes
LEARN TO KNIT
209 E Gregory Blvd Kansas City, MO 64114
7:00p.m. - 8:30p.m. $15 per class
5:00p.m. - 6:00p.m. $60 per couple
5:30p.m. - 12:00p.m. $13 per class CREATE SPACE KC
TACOS 4 LIF E has finally hit Kansas City with bright, Christmas-y lights welcoming in customers. Originally founded in Arkansas in 2014, the new location is situated at 12180 Blue Valley Parkway in Overland Park. On top of eye-catching decor, every entree purchased provides a meal to a child in need.
Though they offer a drivethru and curbside pickup option, the interior experience proved to be impressive — packed with bright teal and orange walls, custom light fixtures, colorful chairs and a large hanging menu.
The menu offers taco combos, Mexican salads, bowls, nachos and even quesadillas for non-taco lovers — as well as shareables like queso, salsa and guac. Two friends and I split three meals with all unique tacos consisting of chicken bacon ranch, chipotle steak, classic beef, chicken fajita, hawaiian shrimp and seared tofu.
The chicken bacon ranch taco was a bit bland for my liking. The chicken lacked flavor with a mere drop of ranch, and the pile of lettuce on top took over my tastebuds. I’m not a huge bacon lover and was hoping this taco would change that — but it didn’t.
The chipotle steak taco was my favorite by far. The steak had a spicy kick without
making my eyes water, and the onions, peppers, cheese and pico de gallo didn’t distract from the flavorful steak. My only complaint was that the steak strips took an entire mouthful rather than smaller pieces that would’ve been easier to chew.
straight from the sea, the tart of the pineapple Ono sauce and toasted coconut on the tortilla following the shrimp’s crunch threw me for a whirl I didn’t like. While it was a unique take on my classic taco order, I just prefer my shrimp paired with a more savory taste.
The seared tofu taco was disappointedly dull. Topped with salsa, roasted corn, pico de gallo and avocado, I was let down by the lack of flavor the tofu added to the taco. The lime wedge on the side, however, brought a nice touch.
steamed rice topped with homemade queso which added flavor and a hint of spice to the rice.
Next up was the classic beef taco — delicious but honestly boring. I’m always up for a classic beef taco, but among the other wild flavors on the Tacos 4 Life menu, I wasted a taco sampling with this basic munchie I can get anywhere else. And again, the much-too-large handful of shredded lettuce took over.
The chicken fajita taco exceeded my expectations. I don’t love fajitas themselves but the combination of the vegetables themselves and the flavorful chicken with a scoop of refreshing guac on top surprised me in a good way.
The crispy-and-unusuallysweet Hawaiian shrimp taco gave me mixed signals. While the fried shrimp tasted fresh
Our sides included refried black beans, cilantro pesto rice and queso rice. The beans were topped with chipotle sour cream and cotija cheese which gave a slightly sour after taste. The cilantro pesto rice included pumpkin seeds, garlic and olive oil. The cilantro seemed to take a bit too much of the flavor spotlight in my opinion, but the pesto was a new twist that brought a more Italian-feel to my tastebuds. The queso rice was my favorite, a self-explanatory
While the tacos easily satisfied my hunger, the environment and restaurant itself wowed me more than the food. Hung from the ceiling are self-made lanterns from a Haitian artisan named Claudy, who now can help provide for his wife and three children after receiving money for his beautiful work thanks to Tacos 4 Life. The napkin holders on each table tell the stories of people in third world countries and how Tacos 4 Life has helped them, their health and well-being.
Knowing that the food I was eating was going to help others around the world was the most fulfilling part of Tacos 4 Life. The servers also aided in creating a welcoming environment and simply looking around the restaurant to read the walls, pictures and frames made it clear that Tacos 4 Life is more than just another taco joint.
HEADING INTO THIS year’s Friendsgiving — a Thanksgiving celebration with loved ones who aren’t blood related — I know exactly what dishes I’ll beeline for when it’s time to make our plates. When this fun-filled event is hosted well, it can easily be the best holiday of the year. However, Friendsgiving isn’t only about cute sweaters, giving thanks for friends-turnedchosen families or taking pictures.
Throughout November, you’ll see the picture-perfect spreads with perfect hair and group photos with big smiles, but behind the Instagram posts lies the truth: the dishes people bring center the event. So what should you bring to rock your friends’ worlds?
First, make sure there’s a variety of dishes. To achieve this, create a Google Form or a SignUp Genius so each guest can sign up or volunteer to bring a dish. This way your Friendsgiving won’t end up with everyone bringing the basic bread
rolls and desserts. The key to a successful Friendsgiving is including everything from turkey to pies.
Next, be prepared to DJ. No one wants to eat in awkward silence — plus, good music always contributes to a good time. It will ensure you set the mood you want, and make a comfortable space for you and your guests. You could even create a collaborative Spotify playlist ahead of time for everyone to add their favorite songs. For background music, consider smooth jazz or instrumental tracks. When you aren’t busy chatting, try upbeat music, like your favorite 2000’s throwbacks.
Remember to be present with your guests. Pictures are certainly a fun way to capture memories, but the goal of Friendsgiving is to celebrate one another, not just pose for Instagram.
Another important host or hostess responsibility is to be aware of any allergies. The last thing you want in this time of thanks is a friend suffering a severe
allergic reaction. It’s best to know of any allergies when inviting your guests so if you aren’t sure, always double check — although it’s cliché, it’s better to be safe than sorry.
If you’re on the search for allergen free choices, you might consider salads, turkey, asparagus or mashed potatoes. While some try to avoid their greens, if you cook and season them just right, they’ll be undeniably scrumptious, and the thought just might make your friend’s day.
Finally, don’t be afraid to spice things up. Trying new foods such as funky fruits, or exploring exotic dishes is a fun way to learn more about what your loved ones enjoy. This could include simply trying a new type of pie or incorporating food from another culture.
With a thoughtfully planned menu and a killer playlist, your friends will find themselves more thankful than ever this coming holiday season.
It’s
DON’T FOCUS ONLY ON PICTURES! The goal is to celebrate one another, not pose for Instagram
This doesn’t mean pictures are bad! Just be present
DON’T STRESS!
This is supposed to be fun !
DON’ SPEND TOO MUCH MONEY
The thought is the important part. Your friends probably don’t expect filet mignon at Friendsgiving
WITH TESS GONE she’ll probably be our main post. This year she’ll probably work to get a lot of offensive rebounds. She’ll be a threat both rim and perimeter.
HE HAS MAJOR potential though in both butterfy and freestyle so he could honestly go anywhere and hopefully I’ll get to see him at state this year.
SENIOR
I’VE BEEN PLAYING with him since ffth grade. I think he’ll start this year. He’s always been a good shooter, but this summer he’s gotten really good at defense and ball handling.
I THINK MASON’S going to be ‘that guy’ this season. He’s gotten so good. The next Wally Workman.
THEN-FIFTH GRADER Hudson Henzlik walked into the basketball gym for MOKAN Basketball Club tryouts. Trying out against the best players in the midwest, he didn’t know what to expect. Was he going to get embarrassed? Would he meet any new people? Was he going to make the team?
All of these questions seemed to disappear once he looked across the room to find a kid with gelled up hair, knee pads and rec spec eyeglasses shooting on one of the open baskets. That kid would become now-senior Henzlik’s best friend — senior Spencer Blacketer.
Shooting on the same basket as Blacketer, Henzlik immediately noticed his quick and shifty play style throughout the tryout — leading him to go home and tell his parents about how he made his first friend on the team.
Henzlik moved into the East district last February, after going to Blue Valley Northwest for his first three years of high school. Despite being in the district, he wasn’t always dead set on going to East.
“I thought about [East] but I was also looking at private schools like Rockhurst, Miege and Aquinas for basketball.” Henzlik said.
After shadowing East last Spring with Blacketer, he noticed the inviting culture
of East —with kids greeting him in the hall during passing periods, and Blacketer introducing him to kids on the basketball team, he already felt at home.
Meeting head coach Shawn Hair was another big plus for Henzlik. By talking basketball with Hair for hours and Hair telling him he could use the East gym whenever he wanted, Henzlik seemed to be sold.
Henzlik decided that he would attend East.
“It started off as a joke back in sixth grade about him coming to East to play with me,” Blacketer said. “Now when I see him at school wearing lancer blue colors, it’s like a dream come true.”
concepts of how to become a great team,” MOKAN coach Anthony Perry said. “They know what it takes from a leader’s perspective to get the team to buy in on how to be competitive and understand positions.”
Perry started coaching the two when they first started playing MOKAN in middle school. However, the two got older and he wasn’t their coach anymore. But this past summer going into their senior seasons the two reunited with Perry after he decided to teach high school teams.
together, it would be like a three day event because we lived so far apart,” Blacketer said.
At first Hudson felt nervous inside the hallways of East, but he was immediately relieved when Spencer helped him feel more welcome.
“[Blacketer] would invite me to everything with the guys, like going to the pool or going to get food, he would never leave me hanging,” said Henzlik.
SPENCER BLACKETER
Playing MOKAN together strengthened the duo’s chemistry on the court at a young age, with Blacketer being someone who can attack the basket as a point guard, while Henzlik is the sharp shooter.
Over the years, while other players left because of coaching, found other club teams or got cut, Blacketer and Henzlik enjoyed the competitive nature of MOKAN and decided to stay, boosting their gameplay together.
“Both of them really understand the
“It was amazing seeing their growth,” said Perry. “It was one of the few groups that I’ve had at the high school level where you didn’t have to re-teach many things.”
Henzlik and Blacketer would also bond in other ways off the court. Despite living far away from each other their friendship never stopped growing. From going to eat at Slim Chickens after practices, celebrating birthday parties together and countless sleepovers, they’ve stayed best friends alongside teammates.
“Everytime I would go down there to his house, we would just spend days and days
For these two, the basketball season couldn’t come any sooner. They went from joking about playing together in high school to now living it. They already have a sevenyear head start playing together, so the chemistry between them will come naturally, according to Henzlik and Blacketer.
With it being their last high school basketball season, this duo expects nothing less but a shot at the State Championship. Since Henzlik has gone to State the past three years at Blue Valley Northwest, alongside Blacketer losing in the sub-state last year, both are hungry for another opportunity.
“I can’t wait to hear our names called, and step out on the same court together for the first time,” said Henzlik.
I made varsity as a sophomore. I wasn’t getting my hopes up because sophomores usually make JV, so I was really surprised and excited when I found out that I had
Clatest TikTok cooking trend and pre-football game adrenaline fills the Covell bathroom as three friends curl their hair every Friday night during football season.
Three sisters, that is.
The Covell sisters’ ritual of prepa ration for games and bonding on the cheer team is what they’ll miss most when the twins graduate this year.
Seniors and twins Ellie and Lucy Covell are the oldest of the family and have cheered at East since their freshmen year, with spots on varsity since junior year. Their younger sister and sophomore Annabelle Covell joined them on the team this year.
Though they were hopeful they’d all three get to cheer on the team together someday, it was always up in the air. It’s rare for a sophomore to make Varsity cheer — with only four making the team this year. When Annabelle’s name was right below Ellie and Lucy’s on the varsity roster announcement, the excitement was overwhelming smiles brighter than the sun on their faces.
“It meant a lot to me when she made it because Lucy and I are both going to be gone next year and so that means we get to spend our last
ing something that we all enjoy,” Ellie said.
Annabelle and the twins took dif ferent paths to get involved in cheer ing. Lucy and Ellie started to cheer in seventh grade at Diamond Cheer, learning all the cheerleading basics like tumbling, jumps and the proper technique to make your arm motions sharp and clean.
But Annabelle only joined cheer two years ago when she quit compet itive gymnastics after five years of the sport.
“Annabelle had the tumbling part down, but Ellie and Lucy were the main ones there to teach her how to work on moves and the certain ways to move her arms and fist,” the girls’ mom Shari Cov ell said.
From carpooling to school to family din ners, the Covell sisters have always been close, and cheering together on the sidelines has only strengthened this bond. Now, it’s the rides to practice and games where they bond. It’s stop ping to get Starbucks after begging their mom to buy it for them. Per fecting each others’ hair before ev ery football game. Even fighting over who gets the “best” curling iron.
“I have always gotten ready with
I’ve never gotten the chance to get ready with Annabelle and that is just really special for me,” Ellie said.
The time crunch aspect with the sisters going off to college is also forcing a close bond. When Ellie and Lucy go off to college next year, An nabelle will be all alone in the house and on the sidelines.
“I have never been as close to someone as I am to my sisters,” An nabelle said.
She tries to enjoy every last mo ment she gets with them before they leave — her favorite being getting to drive to the game with them before every friday night.
“They always drive me to the games, which normally means we get to get Starbucks if our mom lets us, which I just love getting to go do that with them and be a part of it with them,” Annabelle said.
Even though this is the twins’ only year cheering with their sister, they hope to leave a positive impact on her and leave her with the knowledge from lesson’s they’ve learned.
“I know I have spent my high school years stressing a lot and wor rying about unneeded things that I shouldn’t be worried about, and I want her to just live high school and enjoy all of the good and bad mo ments and not worry about all of the little things that happen,” Lucy said.
DURING MY FRESHMAN year, I was an alternate on the competition team and I found out 45 minutes before the team had to perform that I had to go in. We ended up hitting the whole stunt sequence perfectly!
MY
when we went to the lake for the weekend as a freshman team. It was the start of high school and we all didn’t really know each other, so it was a great experience to spend the weekend with people ended up spending my whole high school years with.
I HAVE NEVER been closer to someone as I am to my sisters.ANNABELLE COVELL
SENIOR AVERY GUCK sat in the auditorium during the seniors graduation meeting while Principal Jason Peres congratulated each fall club one at a time. Tennis. Football. Soccer. But when it got to band, she was hesitant to stand.
She knew she’d stand when he called Lancer Dancers— she was just as much a part of the dance team as the marching band.
But most students aren’t aware of how connected the two are.
According to her fellow dance team member and captain senior Kate Cronenwett, other school teams — like the Blue Valley District — have a separate color guard and dance team. The color guard would normally be the only ones dancing with the band, but East combines the two, having the Lancer Dancers perform in the flag halftime show.
This provides for a closer relationship between the band and dance team, according to Guck.
“We really don’t exist without each other,” Guck said, “The band plays the music that we dance to.”
While the band plays the music, the Lancer Dancers rehearse the flag routines. They choreograph a dance and perform with the marching band, adding a visual effect to the show.
The dancers and band practice for two hours every Thursday night at Shawnee Mission North during football season to rehearse the halftime show. Before a competition, they would meet at Shawnee Mission North to practice under the stadium lights, which East doesn’t have.
“[At the practices] we are always around the same people,” Cronenwett said. “Every practice I’m standing with the same people so that’s how we get to talk and make those friendships.”
While the band spends their time practicing marching and memorizing the music, the dancers learn 72 sets of flag work, a distinction in the music that signifies when to move and when to hold. They have to perfect the over seven-minute performance and come together as one team.
“[The dancers] add a visual aspect to the show,” drum major and senior Sam Fritz said. “It’s kind of like a movie scene where there is action music in the background and main characters in front.”
In past years, drum majors and dance captains only learned their separate pieces without collaboration — something that’s changed this year.
“This year we get to focus more on the fun parts and making relationships,” junior dancer Laynie Manning said. “Last year was hectic with us trying to learn how to flag, find our places and not bump into the band.”
This year, the dancers made it a priority to connect beyond a professional level and more at a personal one. This started with chatting during water breaks and in the stands at competitions, making it easier for them to communicate on the field.
“My leadership this year has been a lot more enthusiastic about everything that we do,” dance coach Alexis Close said. “The girls have started to enjoy it rather than viewing it as a chore.”
Now, the dancers are more than happy to participate in competitions and be in the stands with a smile, waiting for the results. They view it as one big team rather than an extension of their own, according to Manning.
“At the Shawnee Mission North marching festival we got fourth out of all the teams,” junior snare drum player Alex Huggins said. “We started celebrating in the parking lot, and all the dancers came in and started hyping us up.”
During the football season, Cronenwett tries to communicate with the drum majors as much as she can, focusing on upcoming events and practices.
“[During marching season] we sit in the stands with the dancers at competitions and talk about how we think we did and watch the other bands,” junior drum conductor Charlie Muehlberger said.
When the football season ends, so do the hours that the dance team and band spend together. They no longer march at halftime, and sit on separate parts of the stands. Some friendships, like the one between Manning and Muehlberger, last year round.
“East is such a big school that if we didn’t dance with the band we might not get to connect with them,” Manning said. “It’s been really nice to make friendships that I might not have had the opportunity to before.”
For the first time since 1967, the cross country team finishes the season with a first place championship win, concluding a record-breaking season
LEFT Cross country coach Tricia Beaham hugs senior Caden Peters after finishing his race in 10th place. Beaham is retiring after coaching the team for 26 years. “[Coach Tricia] knows us all so well in different ways,” Haughton said. “She has done so much for the running community.” photo by I mason sajna
LEFT The boys cross country team holds up a one to represent their first place state finish. “The team bond that we have is incredible,” Haughton said. “Our team connects so well with eachother and that helped us in state because we all can put our trust in eachother and know it will work out.” photo by I alex sajna
ABOVE During “carboload” the night before the meet, sophomore Jack Broghammer and junior Lida Padgett give sophomore Walt Jones a mullet to match Wyatt Haughton’s. photo by I mason sajna
TOP LEFT Near the one mile marker, senior Wyatt Haughton leads the race trailed by SM North’s reigning state champion Micah Blomker. Already holding the state record and running a time of 14:59.65, Haughton earns the title of individual state champion, sets an all time course record, and leads him team to a first place finish. photo by I mason sajna
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WHAT’S IN HER BAG?
WATERBOTTLE 4 NOTEBOOKS GOV BOOK
Students, clubs and classes nominated students with lessrecognized achievements through Instagram nominations and a staff-wide google form. Below is a collection of some of “East’s Records” as of November 2022. GOES TO COLUMBIA BREW ABOUT 4-6 TIMES A WEEK
MIDNIGHT.” JORDAN CONVERSE ADIDAS LOYAL CUSTOMER JV GIRLS SWIM PEP CLUB VOLLEYBALL YOUTH IN GOVERNMENT
YEEZY PLAYED SOCCER, SWIM TENNIS, FOOTBALL BOWLING, TRACK, GOLF, UNIFIED BOWLING TRIED OUT FOR BASKETBALL
