The Harbinger Issue 9 - 2022

the harbinger.

S H AW N E E M I S S I O N E A S T

unpaid unREALISTIC. ?

7500 MISSION ROAD

PRAIRIE VILLAGE, KS 66208

The U.S. is one of the six countries in the world without a national paid maternity leave, leading to financial and emotional struggles for school district employees such as teachers

JANUARY 24, 2022 VOLUME LXIV ISSUE 9

02 INSIDE COVER

THE HARBINGER

design by peyton moore cover design by sydney newton cover photo by elise madden

staff list PRINT EDITORS Celia Condon Sydney Newton ONLINE EDITORS Sophie Henschel Campbell Wood ASST. PRINT EDITORS Peyton Moore Cesca Stamati ASST. ONLINE EDITORS Lyda Cosgrove Kate Heitmann HEAD COPY EDITOR Campbell Wood ASST. ONLINE EDITORS Caroline Wood Caroline Gould DESIGN EDITORS Nora Lynn Anna Mitchell PHOTO EDITORS Elise Madden Maggie Merckens ASST. PHOTO EDITORS Rachel Bingham Macy Crosser Hadley Chapman VIDEO EDITOR Maggie Klumpp PHOTO MENTORS Emily Pollock Grace Allen Lily Mantel Julia Fillmore Riley Eck Charlotte Emley MJ Wolf STAFF WRITERS Madeline Funkey Christian Gooley Mia Vogel Gibbs Morris Ben Bradley Katie Murphy Luke Beil Maggie Kissick Emma Krause Maggie Condon Hassan Sufi Addie Moore Tristan Chabanis Emmerson Winfrey

Lucy Wolf Blakely Faulkner David Allegri Avery Anderson Aanya Bansal Grace Allen COPY EDITORS Caroline Wood Caroline Gould Greyson Imm Katie Murphy Anna Mitchell Sophie Lindberg Paige Zadoo EDITORIAL BOARD Sydney Newton Celia Condon Campbell Wood Sophie Henschel Peyton Moore Cesca Stamati Kate Heitmann Lyda Cosgrove Caroline Wood Madeline Funkey Nora Lynn Sophie Lindberg Greyson Imm Caroline Gould SECTION EDITORS EDITORIAL PRINT Madeline Funkey NEWS PRINT Caroline Gould ONLINE Luke Beil OPINION PRINT Sophie Lindberg ONLINE Maggie Kissick FEATURE PRINT Katie Murphy ONLINE Paige Zadoo A&E PRINT Caroline Wood ONLINE Mia Vogel SPORTS PRINT Anna Mitchell ONLINE

Ben Bradley PAGE DESIGNERS Katie Murphy Madeline Funkey Christian Gooley Bridget Connelly Luke Beil Emma Krause Marissa Liberda Greyson Imm Sophie Lindberg Maggie Condon Addie Moore Grace Demetriou Lucy Wolf Blakely Faulkner Ava Cooper Sofia Blades Elle Gedman David Allegri Maggie Kissick Gibbs Morris Paige Zadoo ART EDITOR Natalie Scholz ASST. ART EDITOR Nora Lynn STAFF ARTISTS Sophie Lindberg Bridget Connelly Marissa Liberda Mason Sajna Grace Demetriou Sofia Blades STAFF PHOTOGRAPHERS Audrey Condon Elle Siegel Jill Rice Kate Beaulieu Maggie Klumpp Sabrina Dean Tristen Porter Lilli Vottero Molly Miller Mason Sajna Rachel Condon Riley Scott Lydia Coe Claire Goettsch Caroline Martucci Seri Steinbrecher Liv Madden Clara Peters VIDEO STAFF Abby Lee Jill Rice

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

political cartoon by natalie scholz

insta info

Instagram accounts to keep you up to date with everything happening at East

?

PEP assembly

@smepepclub

wedding singer

@smetheatre

2022 sweetheart @smestuco

click for pics JV/V WRESTLING MATCH S c a n t o v i e w t h e g a l l e r y f ro m t h e J V / V w re st l i n g m a t c h v s . B lu e Va l l ey o n D e c . 6

GIRLS VARSITY BASKETBALL S c a n t o v i e w t h e g a l l e r y f ro m t h e g i r l s va rs i t y b a s ket b a l l g a m e v s .

G a rd e n e r o n J a n . 1 1

BOYS VARSITY BASKETBALL S c a n t o v i e w t h e g a l l e r y f ro m t h e Va rs i t y b oy s b a s ket b a l l g a m e v s .

SMS on Jan. 14

photo by macy crosser

EDITORIAL 03

JANUARY 24, 2022 design by madeline funkey

cartoon by tallie scholtz

THE COURT OF SENSATIONALISM The media needs to stop using criminal justice cases to capitalize off of

T

EARS STREAMED DOWN Kyle Rittenhouse’s face as the verdict was read. He’d been tried for first-degree reckless homicide, first-degree intentional homicide and attempted firstdegree intentional homicide. The list of dropped charges was seemingly endless, but the camera kept rolling. The video would be released to the public within minutes and be viewed hundreds of thousands times — resulting in a widespread sympathy for him online that may have affected the results of the trial.

But with the public shoving their opinions about every word or action that comes out of the trial down the jurors’ throats through social media posts and protests, the trial’s outcome could possibly be attributed to bias — even if the result was a conviction. This bias doesn’t mean that the jurors had a personal agenda: it could have been caused by subtle influences and heuristics.

Media and the press have capitalized on the criminal justice system in recent years, creating an excessive amount of newscasts, articles and social media posts. This trial was a perfect explanation. It was spread around over the news, taking precedent as one of the most publicized news items in the country. In fact, according to the book “Tabloid Justice: Criminal Justice in an Age of Media Frenzy,” CBS spent 46% of its broadcast on a given tabloid crime, and NBC and ABC spent 45% and 31% while the trial was happening, respectively.

Public attention on a trial can infringe on the defendant’s right to due process. Trials must have an impartial jury to judge the trial, and there are no outside influences coming into the courtroom. Both of these aspects are quite vulnerable, and the case of Sheppard v. Maxwell shows that. In this case, a retrial was allowed because of the extreme behavior and sensationalism exuded by the press.

We shouldn’t completely stop reporting on trials. They’re a public form and the people have the right to information, but displaying every word the witnesses say and providing constant updates and footage can have major impacts on the outcome of trials, like in the case of O.J. Simpson, and how the public responds to the case, through talk and radio shows and social

F O R : 7 A GA I N ST : 4 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.

media nowadays.

The media’s sensationalism can be traced back to 1979 during Ted Bundy’s trial — which drew media involvement due to his eccentric actions like marrying his girlfriend while she was on the stand and being his own defense rather than using a lawyer.

The people started to see that the trials shown on TV were a new and interesting form of entertainment. This excessive use of media can result in publicity stunts from the people involved in the trial and create narratives that romanticize the involved parties or create martyrs.

Not only is this not beneficial for not only the people directly involved with the case, but it’s also not healthy for the people that take time to get sucked into it.

The use of trial footage in tabloids and news sources feeds a hungry public — one that jumps at any chance to take a side on something. Cases like these have clear and defined sides, making it a perfect storm for partisan views of the public to have no substantial gray area separating them.

An example is in the conviction of Bruno Hauptmann for the kidnapping of Charles Lindbergh’s baby, where a major result of the trial was the condemnation of television, camera and audio recordings in courtrooms, adopted by almost every state, for almost two decades. It was the response to news outlets creating biased articles and media against Hauptmann under trial in order to warp the truth of the case. Criminal justice had been exploited in a brand new way.

Part of the reason for over-publicizing court trials is the law allowing state superior courts to decide if television cameras are allowed in the courtroom during the trial on a case-by-case basis. This draws the public in more, since people are able to feel like they are really in the courtroom — that’s the root of the problem.

Television exposure creates a lot of material for the media to work with. When given the opportunity, the public can jump at the chance to misconstrue words through these cases, whether that be through documentaries, newscasts or cable networks.

When it comes to Rittenhouse, social media was the catalyst of the divide his trial accentuated.

The double murder case of Kitty and Jose Menendez in 1989 — a couple shot and killed by their sons, Eric, 23, and Lyle, 20 — is yet another example of public division by the media that leads to deep interpersonal barriers and creation of unnecessary arguments.

The public was divided between those who believed the brothers killed their parents to end a cycle of abuse, and the people who believed that the testimonies of the abuse were pure fiction. The divide has since sparked many documentaries and analyses, not to mention a whole movie — glorifying and capitalizing on the horrors of the situation.

Those defending the brothers raised them to an unrealistic pedestal — sympathizing with their alleged abusive home life.

If you look at clips from the day that Ted Bundy was executed, you’ll see people waiting outside of the Florida State Prison, tailgating and selling T-shirts like it was a sports game as they await the death of a man they never knew. They were only children at the time of Bundy’s trial.

This mass behavior of viewing reality more as plot points is prevalent in the case of O.J. Simpson. In a poll conducted during the trial, 74% of Americans could recognize O.J. ‘s houseguest and friend Kato Kaelin, but only 25% could recognize the vice president of the United States. It’s not that shocking, considering the courtroom drama surrounding it — from Mark Fuhrman’s racism to the gloves found on the scene — captivating 17 million people in the preliminary hearings alone.

O.J. was found not guilty, and the judge and jury has suffered the wrath of people that disagree. Though, the question has to be asked — was the public the reason he was acquitted?

A common trend of all of these cases of sensationalism is the televising of the entirety of the trial. To be fair, there are a lot of major trials that aren’t televised, but giving the people access to every bit of it while it’s occurring simply shouldn’t be happening, to uphold the justice in courtrooms and allow them to do their jobs.

And to keep people who did horrible things from either the onslaught or the reverence of the public.

EDITOR IAL POL ICY The Harbinger is a student run publication. Published editorials express the views of the Harbinger staff. Signed columns published in the Harbinger express the writer’s personal opinion. The content and opinions of the Harbinger do not represent the student body, faculty, administration or Shawnee Mission School District. The Harbinger will not share any unpublished content, but quotes material may be confirmed with the sources.

The Harbinger encourages letters to the editors, but reserves the right to reject them for reasons including but not limited to lack of space, multiple letters of the same topic and personal attacks contained in the letter. The Harbinger will not edit content thought letters may be edited for clarity, length or mechanics. Letters should be sent to room 413B or emailed to smeharbinger@gmail.com.

04 NEWS

THE HARBINGER

design by caroline gould

by a ve ry a n derso n

NEWS IN

BRIEF

M A R K YO U R C A L E N DA R JAN 31

SPIRIT WEEK FEB 16

FEB 28

FREELANCER SUBMISSIONS DUE

TRIVIA NIGHT

Catch up on school, local and national news

EAST

LOCAL

Theater plans to open its musical, Wedding Singer, with as few COVID restrictions as possible

AFTER A YEAR of activity restrictions due to COVID-19,

the Shawnee Mission East cast for the musical, The Wedding Singer, plans to open this year’s show on Jan. 26 with as few constraints as possible.

This year, the musical will generally follow the original plot of the movie. However, no East performance is complete without adding unique elements to the plot and design of the show according to English Teacher and musical director Brian Cappello.

“There are a couple of kissing scenes that we obviously can’t do,” Cappello said. “So we’ve come up with hopefully a clever way for the audience to laugh at how we get around that.”

While the cast hopes to perform without masks, they are fully prepared to take any COVID precautions necessary in order to protect the cast and audience, such as masks or a modified script.

However, the cast is currently required to wear masks in both on stage rehearsals and off-stage, according to junior Fritz Sullivan, who plays the main male role of Robbie Hart. They plan to keep masks on any time they’re offstage during the performances.

Cappello says that COVID didn’t have an effect on the musical chosen this year — instead, the skillset of the group was taken into consideration while choosing the musical.

Tickets will be available for purchase at the show and on the SME Theater Department website along with other information such as the cast list and script.

NATIONAL

Westwood View renovations continue, striving to make room for more students

Airlines are struggling to carry through with flights as COVID cases rise

WESTWOOD

WITH SPRING BREAK just around the corner, many members

VIEW ELEMENTARY School has continued its construction for its new building on 4935 Belinder Avenue since its groundbreaking on May 26, 2021. The construction is scheduled to be completed in 2023.

Construction on the new school resulted from the 2021 bond that approved the request to renovate Westwood View as well as Tomahawk Elementary. This project should finish in 2023 as well.

The district purchased the Entercom radio tower site in 2016, allowing students to continue learning uninterrupted at the current location at 2511 West 50th street while construction moves along just down the road.

Westwood View currently has approximately 300 students. The new, larger school will be able to accommodate 550 students. Along with being able to fit more students, the new building will also increase resale value for houses in the area according to local real estate agent, Erin Dreiling.

“I’ve heard it’s going to be bigger and it’s supposed to help with the traffic while picking up or dropping off,” said freshman and Westwood View alumni Kennedy Smith.

While most families and students are excited about the new space, some residents have voiced concern about increased traffic in their area. Officials have put these worries to rest with traffic studies resulting in no issues with the school’s placement.

T h e f ro nt of We st wo o d V i ew Ele m e ntar y S ch o o l, S M S D ’s n ewe st re m o de l to t he di st r i ct . PHOTOS BY HADLEY CHAPMAN

of the East community are wondering if airlines will be able to handle the high air traffic that many travelers have faced.

When COVID first hit in 2020, many airlines canceled flights due to health concerns, travel bans and lack of staff according to USA today.

Near the end of 2021, citizens started to resume travel, but airlines continued to suffer. In 2021, Southwest Airlines canceled 67.1% of its flights, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation. Now, after months of reinstated travel, travelers are finding themselves in the chaos of drastic and last minute flight changes.

Around New Years Eve and Christmas, the Omicron COVID variant broke out. By the afternoon of Dec. 31, about 2,300 flights were canceled on the East coast alone according to Market Watch. On the same day, Southwest Airlines canceled 13% of its flights.

Freshman Sophia Marien-Brovont found that finding a hotel last minute was difficult, but they ended up finding a room that was reimbursed by the airline. They arrived home the next day.

“The day before school came back we were told that one of the captains [on their flight] had gotten COVID,” MarienBrovont said. “We were on the plane until like 1 A.M. or 1:30 when they finally canceled our flight out of Denver.”

Many other East Students had similar experiences with their flights over break. An Instagram poll showed that 37% of East students experienced difficulties with flights over winter break. Airlines recommend that people hoping to travel soon might consider taking recommended precautions such as wearing masks, distancing as much as possible and getting vaccinated.

N AT I O N A L F L I G H T S C A N C E L E D Number of flights canceled over the holidays

DEC. 24 698 FLIGHTS

DEC. 26 DEC. 29 1318 FLIGHTS 1081 FLIGHTS

NEWS 05

JANUARY 24, 2022 design by nora lynn

FREAKIN’ OUT

IN THE

FRATS

by sydn ey n ewton *na mes ch an ged to p rote ct i d e nti ty HE UNIVERSITY OF Kansas resulting in their five-year suspension.

T

suspended two fraternities, Phi Gamma Delta and Phi Delta Theta, for five years on January 4, leading many East seniors planning on going to KU to adjust their rushing plans for the fall of 2022.

This decision came following an investigation of both fraternities resulting from hazing allegations toward their pledge classes. Both fraternities will become affiliated with the university again in spring of 2027 — after all current members have graduated.

Senior Tucker Martin*, who plans on attending KU, originally considered pledging Phi Delt due to his friends in the fraternity and family legacy there, but the suspension has caused Jones to widen his options of fraternities to rush.

Now, he’s talking to and touring other fraternity houses that he hadn’t looked into prior to the removal of the two fraternities from campus.

“It definitely makes me look broader at the different houses and look more seriously at them,” Martin said. “And really talk to friends that I have in the different houses. Just get to know more houses than I had.”

Both fraternities will be given the chance to appeal the suspension in the next 30 days, where it will await trial in front of a judicial board, as reported by the University Daily Kansan.

Martin thinks the main issue with the suspension is the uncertainty it holds for the future. While both fraternities are suspended, he doesn’t know the extent of how the suspension will affect the two fraternities or how the houses will change in the next year. Jones believes these next few months are crucial in determining how both him and other East seniors planning to go to KU will change their rushing plans for the fall of 2022.

The two fraternities were alerted of their suspension in a letter by Tammara Durham, the Vice Provost for Student Affairs at KU, which described how they’d exhibited patterns of hazing,

While the University of Kansas hasn’t officially released the reports of what the hazing consisted of, the investigation of the two fraternities for hazing found that each organization had specific types of hazing, which included both verbal and physical harm, according to the Kansas City Star. For senior John Owen*, the allegations were alarming enough to cause him to look away from both Phi Delt and Fiji and toward other houses.

I T D E F I N I T E LY M A K E S m e l o o k b ro a d e r a t t h e d i f fe re nt h o u s e s a n d l o o k m o re s e r i o u s ly a t t h e m . A n d re a l ly t a l k t o f r i e n d s t h a t I h a ve i n t h e d i f fe re n t h o u s e s . J u st g et t o k n o w m o re h o u s e s t h a n I had.

*TUCKER MARTIN SENIOR “The suspension is kind of weird,” Owen said. “Both Phi Delt and Fiji are really strong houses. It’s honestly scary that they were doing all that to their pledges.”

Owen heavily looked at KU’s Fiji house because of the family aspect of the house and the helpful conversations he had with alumni, touring it and meeting with older members of the house. He was set. However, after learning about the hazing allegations, Owen has learned to be more careful when looking at fraternity houses where he plans to rush in the fall.

“Moving forward, I’ll try to get to know the people in each house a little bit more and look at their history,” Owen said. “I’ll see if I can tell if they’ve been in trouble a lot recently because Fiji, for example, has been in trouble a lot over the past 12 years. That says something.”

Senior Eli Sumners*, who also plans to attend KU in the fall, believes that while the suspension will affect the rushing process next fall in terms of the amount of hazing present at KU. After other universities around the U.S. began

The University of Kansas suspended fraternities Phi Gamma Delta and Phi Delta Theta, changing how East seniors approach rushing

to question hazing in fraternities since it was reported by members, Sumners heard that the overall amount of hazing practices has decreased in the past few years from friends and family members at KU. But although hazing still exists in fraternities around the country, Sumners thinks the suspension will stop the majority of hazing at KU as it will serve as a warning to other fraternities. In fact, he’s thankful to get a less intense pledging process moving into his freshman year at KU. “I think that frats were definitely reforming their hazing techniques,” Sumners. “This is the nail that sealed the coffin. I think there will be zero hazing in the future. It’s a good thing in that way.”

However, Sumners does think that the removal of both fraternities will cause the rushing process to be more competitive moving forward. Phi Delt and Fiji were two top fraternities at KU, so now that they’re suspended, Sumners thinks there will be more people rushing for a lower number of overall spots.

With only 19 fraternities now on campus instead of 21, it will make the rushing process harder, according to Sumners, especially for East students.

“What I’ve seen so far is pledge classes trying to diversify their kids from schools,” Sumners said. “There’s only a certain number of East guys that they want. The picking pool is so much bigger now. [The suspension] makes rushing so much more competitive now.”

Owens agrees that suspension will add more uncertainty and competitiveness to the rushing process. However, he hopes that fraternities will revamp their approach to recruiting moving forward as he and other seniors now have to rethink their original plans of rushing.

“I think it will make a big difference in the Greek life system,” Owen said.

“There will be a big difference between the houses and what people think of them. It will force people to look a lot deeper into houses and decide what they want to do.”

TERMS OF THE SUSPENSION Important dates in the fraternities’ suspensions

both fraternities were informed of the decision after an investigation of hazing patterns

TUESDAY

JAN. 4 SPRING

2027

the fraternities will be allowed to affiliate with the school again *information from kansascity.com

FRAT STATS Basic information about the suspended fraternities

PHI GAMMA DELTA 196,000 members 144 active chapters in U.S. and Canada founded in Pennsylvania in 1848

PHI DELTA THETA 277,000 members 191 active chapters in US and Canada founded in Florida in 1848

06 FEATURE

THE HARBINGER

BREAKING&

ENTERING

Recently, throughout the Prairie Village and Kansas City area, car-break ins and robberies have become more frequent by anna mitch ell

THROUGH THE PAST few months, East

students and other members of the Kansas City community have experienced a spike in car break-ins and burglaries, according to School Resource Officer and Prairie Village Police Officer Seth Meyer.

Meyer believes that a large cause of this increase is a result of unlocked cars.

According to Meyer, many crimes happen when there’s an opportunity, making car break-ins or burglaries easy to commit. Many burglars will walk up and down a street or through a parking lot, pulling handles until they find an unlocked car, giving them an easy opportunity to steal everything inside.

Senior Charlotte Hawes experienced this when she slept over at a friend’s house in Mission on Jan. 8. When she woke up to take a few friends home, she came to find her car in a mess. The items from the center console were scattered on the seats and her glove box was open.

I WO U L D J U S T s a y eve n w h e n yo u a re i n a s a fe n e i g h b o r h o o d w h e re yo u t h i n k n o o n e ’s g o n n a g o i nt o yo u r c a r , l o c k yo u r car.

CHARLOTTE HAWES SENIOR Hawes left her car unlocked that night, making it an easy target. The only things taken were an Apple phone charger and a Bluetooth radio adapter. Since neither of these things are of high value — she decided not to file a report — but it still provoked an alarming feeling for Hawes.

“I would just say even when you are in a safe neighborhood where you think no one’s gonna go into your car, lock your car,” Hawes said. “I bet they were looking for an unlocked car and the dumb person who left theirs open

2 per 1000 P E O P L E I N L E AWO O D FACE MOTOR VEHICLE THEFT

*according to cityscout.com

and it was me.”

Junior Tommy Marx’s case was far more dramatic. On Jan. 9, his panicked father, Kenneth, shook him awake, asking where his car was — it wasn’t in the driveway but his keys were on the counter.

Tommy quickly realized he had left his dad’s Lincoln unlocked when he drove it the night before. The door handles that automatically tuck into the car when locked were still sticking out — so he knew. He started panicking.

Tommy’s spare car keys were inside Kenneth’s unlocked car, giving the burglar access to Tommy’s car to then steal it from in their own driveway. Kenneth’s car was left untouched besides Tommy’s spare car key being stolen from inside the vehicle.

According to Marx, the majority of his items in his car can be replaced except for a couple valuables including a jacket of his grandfather’s, who recently passed away.

Marx’s case is still unresolved, but they did file a report and collected Tommy’s DNA in hopes to find his car.

However, cars can still be broken into even when they’re locked. According to Meyer, this most likely happens when the car has something valuable in sight for the criminal.

Breaking a window and causing a scene could result in someone hearing or seeing the criminal, making it less worthwhile unless there’s something like a wallet or money sitting in plain sight inside the car.

Leaving her car locked overnight at a friend’s house off of Ward Parkway on Oct. 24, sophomore Lulu McKee found it in disarray the next morning.

McKee saw her green tinted glass at her feet and noticed the driver’s window had been completely punched out. Unfortunately, Mckee’s car had many valuables stolen — her purse, $200, her debit card, her parents’ card,

83%

design by paige zadoo

two pairs of Ray-bans, a Patagonia jacket and a Lululemon jacket.

The scariest realization for McKee was that they’d stolen her garage door opener and insurance booklet with all her information in it, meaning they knew where she lived and now had access to her house.

She filed a police report, asked her friend whose house the car was at and if he had seen anything or footage from a camera, but has yet to figure out who did it. Mckee’s dad quickly changed all their locks and the garage door code and openers to ensure safety.

“The lesson that my dad taught me was that since I don’t have an alarm and obviously [break-ins] can happen, I need to lock my center console and I now have my garage door opener on my keys,” McKee said. “Don’t leave any valuable things in the view of people and don’t leave your car somewhere that’s not at your house.”

Unfortunately, according to Meyer, the car break-in process on their end doesn’t always result in a solved case. It’s first dealt with by officers and then passed to the detectives to follow up with any details and try to find a lead.

“At the end of the day, we may not ever figure out who broke into your car,” Meyer said. “And then we have to inactivate the case so it just gets set aside, and if something pops up later we can go back and look at it. But a year later the chances are that the stolen [item] has exchanged ten [sets of] hands and that isn’t even the person who really did it.”

According to Meyer, doing day-to-day things can save you from having your car broken into or stolen. Simply locking the doors and hiding or taking out any valuables in the car brings the risk down and can avoid the situation as a whole.

INCREASE IN STOLEN CAR REPORTS IN OVERLAND PARK SINCE 2020

43

OUT OF 195 RESPONDED TO A P O L L T H AT T H E I R C A R WA S B R O K E N INTO

AVOID THE STRESS

Ways you can avoid getting your car getting broken into

1 2 3 4

LOCK YOUR

GLOVE BOXES PA R K

NEAR

OTHER

CARS

PARK IN

WELL LIT

AREAS MOVE

VALUABLES

OUT OF

SIGHT

*information from Nationwide insurance company

NEWS 07

JANUARY 24, 2022

design by ava cooper & sydney newton

WHAT DOES THE CDC RECCOMEND?

THOUGHTS FROM TEACHERS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

all people, regardless of vaccination status should wear a protective face covering in public indoor settings however, only about 70% percent of students say they wear a face mask while indoors most of the time

ARE EAST STUDENTS REGULARLY WEARING A MASK INDOORS? * I n st a g ra m p o l l of 37 9 vo t e s

YES

70%

NO

30%

“They will put work in the front office and the parents will come pick it up from the kids. The teachers don’t do any online teaching but the kids can access the curriculum through their ipad.”

MARY BERGSALE WESTWOOD VIEW NURSE

MIDDLE SCHOOL “the hard thing about COVID is [that] we are experiencing the stress like everybody else... if students can...try [to] follow the rules and not make their teachers’ lives harder, then that’s really helpful.”

IHMS ENGLISH TEACHER LAURA BALLARD

TOTAL COVID CASES IN SMSD

*out of 907 total cases

258 high school students

OMICRON ALL OVER

by kate heitmann

103

middle school students

546 elementary students

MORE THOUGHTS

An overview of how the new COVID-19 variant Omicron is affecting East students, staff and the community Thoughts on Omicron from the East nurse and a student

“ We l l , I ’ m h o p ef u l t h a t w e ’ ve h i t [ t h e p e a k ] o r w e ’ re g o i n g t o h i t s o o n . . . t h e c a s e s r i s e ra p i d ly a n d t h e n t h ey st a r t t o d ro p of f . I k n o w t h a t t h e re a re st a f f o u t b e c a u s e t h ey ’ re s i c k , b u t I t h i n k t h ey ’ re a l s o o u t b e c a u s e m a y b e t h ey h a ve s i c k kids at home...also [I] know that some local d a yc a re s h a ve s h u t d o w n . T h ey ’ ve b e e n s h u t d o w n by t h e h e a lt h d e p a r t m e nt , b e c a u s e t h ey d et e r m i n e d t h a t t h ey h a d , yo u k n o w , u n c o nt ro l l e d s p re a d t h e re . A n d s o t h a t puts teachers in a bind.”

NURSE PTACEK STAFF

“ W h e n I w a s f i rst q u a ra nt i n e d . . . I w a s n ’ t a g re a t st u d e nt w h e n I w a s a t h o m e i f I a m h o n e st . I h a d a h a rd t i m e w i t h [ C OV I D - 1 9 ] s o eve n i f I d i d e m a i l t h e m fo r s o m e of my w o r k , I p ro b a b ly w o u l d n ’ t h a ve b e e n a b l e t o d o a l ot of i t b u t t h ey ’ ve b e e n ve r y n i c e i n h e l p i n g m e o u t a l ot t o catch up.”

JULIE GRIGGS JUNIOR

A look at how COVID-19 has affected teachers among all schools

HIGH SCHOOL “all the teachers [are] willing to help each other out and do what’s necessary to... keep us rolling. i’m lucky for the people I work with, and the students who are doing.”

MATH TEACHER EMILY COLEBANK

08 OPINION

THE HARBINGER

design by sophie lindberg

OPINION

HIGHLIGHTS A look into student opinions and the opinion section

STUDENT TAK ES

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

N O

Y E S

DO YOU THINK THAT THE PARENTING STYLE YOU WERE RAISED WITH HAS HAD A LASTING IMPACT ON YOU AS A PERSON?

T H AT M I K E TO D D V I D E O H A S S O M A N Y L AY E R S O F T E R R I B L E N E S S W R A P P E D U P I N I T, I D O N ’ T K N OW E V E N W H E R E TO S TA RT. T H E AU DAC I T Y. T H E C U LT E N E R G Y. T H E S P I R I T UA L A N D T H E O L O G I C A L A B U S I V E N E S S . T H E HOCKING AND RUBBING AND SPITTING AND DEFLECTING. I C O U L D N ’ T B E L I E V E M Y E Y E S . A I N ’ T N O WAY.

DANTE STEWART (STEW)

1/16/22

I K N OW W E D O N ’ T C A R E A B O U T C E L E B R I T Y R E L AT I O N S H I P S B U T RYA N D E S T I N Y & K E I T H P OW E R S B E T T E R B E P L AY I N G . . .

KEE

1/18/22

A M I L I TA RY O F F I C E R E N S L AV E D PA R I S O ’ R E E I N S O U T H C A RO L I N A .

H E E S C A P E D A N D F O U N D F R E E D O M I N C A N A DA . H I S G R E AT- G R E AT

* I n st a g ra m p o l l of 3 9 1 vot e s

G R A N D S O N S TA R E D D OW N R AC I S M I N H O C K E Y R I N K S O N B OT H S I D E S O F T H E B O R D E R . N OW H I S N U M B E R W I L L H A N G F RO M T H E R AT E R S

97% 3%

THIS WEEK Opinionated tweets from this week IN TWEETS

N Y O E S

O N B O S TO N . H O N O R W I L L I E O ’ R E E .

DO YOU/HAVE YOU PLAYED ONLY ONE SPORT AT A TIME?

CANADIAN FORCES IN US

OPINION CROSSWORD PUZZLE

80%

20%

N Y O E S

ARE YOU SCARED OF GROWING UP? * I n st a g ra m p o l l of 37 8 vot e s

66%

KEY

34% 1

6 Higher education 7 Activities that

Mark of completion of studies

provide exercise, typically on a team

2 Parenting style

A LOOK ONLINE

that focuses on obedience, punishment over discipline

Ta ke a p e e k a t H a s s a n S u f i ’s latest opinion story, “Confidence i s Key ”

that provided little attention or guidance

lated stress, typically associated with sports

9

Secondary school

4 Parenting style

10 Ways of raising

5 Parenting style

11 The process of

that creates positive relationship, enforces rues

SCAN ME • OPINION

that doesn’t enforce rules

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

8 Parenting style

3 Chronic work-re-

SCAN ME • OPINION

Ta ke a p e e k a t B e n B ra d l ey ’s latest opinion s t o r y , “ R e b o ot o r Re u n i o n ”

1/18/22

* I n st a g ra m p o l l of 3 24 vot e s

a child, divided into four general categories childhood to adulthood

Follow us on social media to participate in the polls

@smeharbinger

@smeharbie

A crossword puzzle of key words from the opinions in this issue

OPINION 09

JANUARY 24, 2022 design by addie moore

SO OVER IT. STUDENT

TA K E S

Student’s who have focused on only one sport in highschool discuss how it has affected them

NORA HILL

“ I T ’ S A H U G E PA R T O F M Y I D E N T I T Y S O I C A N ’ T R E A L LY L E T T H AT G O . . . P R ACT I C E I S L E S S O F A HOBBY AND MORE LIKE A CHORE.”

12

3

YEARS

TEAMS

E VA N D E E DY

“I’VE BEEN DOING IT 20 HOURS A W E E K F O R T H E PA ST 2 Y E A R S . ”

11

YEARS

SME

DEEDY

2

TEAMS

Focusing on one sport for a long period of time can cause burnout, ruining the love for the a overtime

by m aggi e ki ssi ck

A

S I STOOD in my dance studio, panting after running

through our routine for the fourth time, my teacher pile on the corrections. She told us “if you all are perfect, this will be the last time we run the dance for the night.”

But we weren’t perfect. Our formations were sloppy, our movements weren’t crisp and someone messed up the ending pose that we’d just refined five minutes ago. I was barely given any positive notes, all that mattered were the mistakes. No matter how well I performed, I was never good enough.

I had rehearsed for the last two hours. The idea of doing the dance one more time brought tears to my eyes. We had been practicing for weeks, how were we still not perfect?

I never had a break. With dance, there was never an “off season.” After school, I only had an hour or two where I could lie down and rest before spending hours at the studio doing countless plies at the barre.

B U T W E W E R E N ’ T p e r fe c t . O u r fo r m a t i o n s w e re s l o p py , o u r m ove m e nt s w e re n ’ t c r i s p a n d s o m e o n e m e s s e d up the ending pose that we’d j u st ref i n e d f i ve m i n u t e s a g o .

I couldn’t put myself through it anymore. I danced three to four times a week for over half my life. Ballet on Mondays and Wednesdays, competition rehearsal on Tuesdays and random classes on Saturdays — playing other sports never interested me nor did I have the opportunity. Even after 11 years dedicated to the sport that had once brought me joy, I was ready to throw it all away.

The excessive amounts of overtraining and rehearsals led me to quit the sport in the beginning of eighth grade.

Now a few years later, I am much happier involving myself in multiple different activities like cheer and Harbinger than experiencing a state that many know as “burnout” with dance.

Burnout is described as consistent or unexplained fatigue, a negative mood state and poor performance in spite of normal training. Busy class, rehearsal and performing schedules can also result in fatigue and injury. Burnout is often seen in dancers where training, rehearsing and performing schedules don’t give them sufficient time to rest and recover, according to dancingopportunities.com.

And it’s not just with dancers. A study done by the New York Times found that 60% of athletes have overtrained at some point. Training for too long causes athletes to get into a state of fatigue that they can’t escape. A poll of 248 East

students found that 87% have experienced burnout after playing a sport for too long.

While I was dancing, I became bored and frustrated. I spent so many years in sparkly costumes and tap dancing across the stage — it was no longer special for me, it was now just a dull routine. I wanted to try other things, like cheer and swimming year round. So after dancing became like a chore rather than a hobby, I came to realize that playing one sport for too long is too damaging for it to be worth it.

Even football legends like Clemson University Head Coach Dabo Swinney encourage involving yourself in multiple sports. He believes the cross-training, the different types of coaching, the different environments that you practice in and the different challenges develops a much more competitive, well-rounded type of person that you wouldn’t get by committing to one sport.

When I looked at my friends who play seasonal sports, they always seemed so much happier. Their sport wasn’t something they had to do all year, and it made it more special when their season came around and they got to see their teammates and play in games.

The one activity I was consistent with, besides dance, was swim team. I always looked forward to summertime so I could swim laps, race and hang out with my teammates. I never swam year-round, so after quitting dance, I realized why swimming was so important to me.

The two months of swimming in the summer were the one time I was doing something different. I loved the freedom it gave me and the opportunity for me to do something new.

Swim helped me realize that when you play one sport, you close yourself off from finding new friendships and other

87%

O F E A S T S T U D E N T S H AV E E X P E R I E N C E D B U R N O U T A F T E R P L AY I N G A S P O R T F O R TOO LONG

activities you enjoy.

After not dancing for three years, I’ve realized how much I’ve learned through other activities. Harbinger has taught me responsibility and accountability. Cheer has taught me positivity and flexibility. All of these things I wouldn’t have had if I continued to trap myself in the commitment to dance.

My feelings of burnout have disappeared. I no longer have to deal with the feeling of dread while going to rehearsals, memorizing countless dance routines and having zero free time. I’m happy I quit because I’ve now realized the importance of involving yourself in multiple activities instead of trapping yourself in one sport.

10 OPINION

ful ct

au th

e siv s i

n e g le

pe rm

CON TROL

auth or ita

n

OVER

An explanation of the four different parenting styles and their effectiveness in building a positive relationship

tive a rit

ria

CONNECTION

o

THE HARBINGER

design by lyda cosgrove art by natalie scholz

by david alle g ri

O

UR TEENAGE YEARS — a time where everyone wants

to be free from their parents, going to every party, staying out until 3 a.m., drinking until you don’t remember your name.

But not everyone lives in a movie.

Of course, independence is important. Parents shouldn’t shelter their kids from what the real world is like, and to allow them to figure out what life without their parents will be like. However, teenagers tend to be reckless, rebellious and notoriously unable to make good decisions with this desired independence.

The level of independence a child is given comes down

AT T H E E N D of t h e d a y , i t t a ke s ef fo r t f ro m b o t h t h e k i d s a n d t h e p a re n t s t o b u i l d a l a s t i n g b o n d . to parenting style, which varies by level of involvement with their children. However, there’s one that allows parents to balance discipline with affection — the authoritative style.

Kids try to get away with anything, that’s why they need limits. According to MedlinePlus, limits allow the kid to grow in a safe manner, balancing responsibility and independence—so the kids can earn their independence.

According to psychologist, Diana Baumrind, parents can be classified into one of four types of parenting styles: authoritarian, permissive, neglectful and authoritative.

Authoritarian: the helicopter is a kids nightmare, overpowers their kids with their own thoughts and morals.

They generally focus on parenting through strict discipline and punishment. This kind of parent uses a structured lifestyle to teach their kid, making sure they are obedient and follow the rules. Authoritarian parents tend to be the nightmare parents you see in movies and usually end up causing more harm to their relationship with their child.

Next is the permissive parent, the lesser-involved, chill parent. This parent mainly focuses on the child learning by themself without much interference, often setting rules

THE

4

STYLES

PERMISSIVE child-driven leniant rules has little rules

without any punishment if they’re broken. A permissive parent is like Mrs. George from Mean Girls saying “If you’re going to drink, I’d rather you do it in the house.” They allow their kids to live how they want with little restriction, they think of the kids more as an equal, rather than a child.

Then there’s the least involved style — the neglectful parent. This parent is more or less non-existent in a child’s life, often giving the child little to no attention and barely meeting the child’s needs, rarely interacting with them, forgetting to pick them up from somewhere and other negligent things.

That leaves us with authoritative. An authoritative parent can still be demanding and have rules, but they try to build more of a relationship with their child by spending more time with them. In order to build a good relationship with their kids, they need to have family dinners, go on a family vacation and spend time with them. As a child of authoritative parents, I wouldn’t have it any other way.

They listen to and respect my opinions while still setting boundaries to guide me along the right path.

According to CNBC, the most independent and socially competent kids are raised by authoritative parents.

Authoritative parents are the most effective because they have deep and meaningful relationships while also providing structure. Most importantly, they’re able to listen to their kids and give them someone to talk to when they’re going through something they can’t go to their friends about. If a friend’s birthday party goes to 11 p.m. but your curfew is 10 p.m., they’d be open to negotiating with you. They have the skill of enforcing rules, but are also willing to compromise if you talk openly with them. It’s the best of both worlds — freedom with structure.

Ultimately, how a parent raises their children is their choice. However, different studies show how certain ways of parenting are more effective, and different styles can affect children differently. If a parent considered researching the styles when choosing how they want to bring their children into the world, it could be beneficial for them in the long

AUTHORITATIVE

problem solver big on communication has clear rules

NEGLECTFUL

run.

According to the National Institute of Health, the reasoning behind the results is, during the teenage years adolescents’ bodies produce additional hormones to aid in development of the brain and body — making it the hardest time to be a parent The additional hormones cause varying and volatile emotions, which can make teenagers become sensitive and lead to questionable decisions ranging from binge watching all nine seasons of “The Office” to stealing your parents car at midnight. With the possible consequences of poor decisions, it’s vital for parents to have an effective parenting style to deal with and de-escalate possible conflict.

Personally, I have found that spending time with your parents and engaging with deep conversations is helpful in building a strong bond. Barely a day goes by where my mom and I aren’t having a deep discussion about pretty much anything, from the funny dog videos we watched during our day to planning out what college I want to get into and making a plan to get accepted. It doesn’t need to be long — it just needs to be sincere.

Parents should be open with their child no matter how old, or no matter how severe the situation. Even as an adult it can still be fun to talk to your parents. It is imperative that parents talk to their kids in their teens, because they need to ensure they aren’t breaking the law or doing anything they’ll regret later.

But part of it’s also the kids — they’re half of the relationship. It’s important for kids to share things about their life with their parents, so that everyone is on the same page. Both parents and kids need to be understanding of the other, so they can help each other.

Parents have their own problems, and sometimes you need to be there to support them. At the end of the day, it takes effort from both the kids and the parents to build a lasting bond, keeping the authoritative style in mind.

absent provides little guidance sets few rules

AUTHORITARIAN

parent-driven strict rules & punishment one-way communication *information from cnbc.com

JANUARY 24, 2022

design by blakely faulkner photos by riley scott and mj wolf and from celia condon

S E N I O RT I M E

OPINION 11

sadness

While many people are aware that senior year is an exciting and stressful time full of new things, few people talk about mourning the loss of your childhood; completing adolescense isn’t spoken about and it can be hard to deal with

by celia condon ENIORITIS. DOES ANYONE know if this is a real diagnosable disease?

Because I would like to diagnose myself with it.

I’m sure my fellow seniors and high school graduates know the pain. Every single deadline, due date and study guide has become the bane of my existence.

It feels pointless. Back in September, I even made a countdown on my phone set to the second week of May, when I can finally let go of those AP tests and never think about them again.

S

I A M N E RVO U S fo r t h e p o i nt i n my l i fe w h e n eve r y n i g ht i s s p e nt i n a d o r m ro o m , a n d I c a n ’ t c o m p l a i n t o my p a re n t s a b o u t something that I w a s a n n oye d a b o u t at school that day.

Now obviously I’m being dramatic, and everyone knows how great it feels to be done meeting school standards.

However, a deathly sad and stunning realization has come to me in my twelfth year of public education — the groundbreaking shock of becoming an adult.

I mean that both literally and metaphorically. I turned 18 in December and it was the first birthday to actually make me feel older overnight. However, the “adult” activities really started in August.

The first day of senior year was emotional — as expected. I spent part of it with my friends looking through the photos we had taken on the first day of school every year since seventh grade.

It was at this moment I first had the realization that would continue to linger at the front of my mind basically every day for the rest of senior year: Man, I am old.

Looking through these photos allowed me to think about the person I was at the time each was taken. I was eager for middle school, then I was bored of it. I was nervous for high school, then I was obsessed with it. Yes,

as a senior, I am ready for the next thing, but that “next thing” feels like a way bigger deal than it ever has been. That’s because it really is. I don’t want to leave the place I’ve always waited to be in. My childhood is slowly slipping away — I never knew how hard hitting it would be until now. *** That pain became clear as day at my elementary school reunion photo.

This past August, I gathered with the rest of the Briarwood Graduating Class of 2016 to recreate our sixth grade graduation photo. I drove my car and my mom tagged along in the passenger seat — quite different from the way I had arrived at elementary school in the years I attended.

Although many of these people still go to the same school as me, it was a massive wave of emotions to be back on the same dirt that was my stomping grounds for seven years of my childhood. The same swing set where I met my best friends who I still hangout with every weekend.

After we took the photo, my mom and I got back into the car and exited through the same carpool lane she had dropped me off in for so many years so long ago. We talked about which college was top on my list, and how much everyone had changed since sixth grade.

I felt too old for it all once again. *** As I mentioned before, the appalling shock of being a senior comes at unexpected times. For Christmas this year, my mom got me rain boots and when I opened them she said, “I thought that next year in college if you have to walk to class on a rainy day you’ll want those.”

I ran to my room and cried.

How on Earth is college something I should be anticipating in less than a year? Where did the time go? *** I’ve always been a social person, and in middle school it would’ve been social suicide for me to stay home with my family on the weekends. Friends were always better. However, throughout my senior year, I found myself enjoying

my time with my family in the most bittersweet sense — binging Netflix originals with my mom, Iowa State sporting events with my dad, car rides with my little sister and phone calls with my older sister.

I’ll miss it all.

I am nervous for the point in my life when every night is spent in a dorm room, and I can’t complain to my parents about something that I was annoyed about at school that day. My parents are two of my best friends, and I wish 13-year-old Celia would have learned to appreciate the small moments before my last year of high school.

When people warn you that the college application process is overwhelming, don’t take it with a grain of salt. I’m constantly bombarded with questions about college from my parents, and my calendar was filled with application deadline reminders from August to November. But I found it all manageable — each week I thought of a new college I should apply to, a new reason to pick a certain major, which schools would be the best option for my future.

The part no one talks about is the paralyzing overthinking that comes with all of this.

I want to go to Mizzou, but do I want to live in Missouri for my whole life? I think Indiana sounds fun, but for how expensive it is, is it worth it? Maybe I should apply to Boston, I’ve always wanted to live there... but what if I don’t get in and what if I don’t get any scholarships?

Yes, I’m aware that I don’t have to stay in the town I go to college in, but that seems to be the trend. All these decisions that I’m making could have an impact on the rest of my life. And again, it’s just impossible to process the fact that you’re truly old enough to be thinking about this kinda stuff.

I can’t go without saying that I’m looking forward to college. I’m excited for this newest endeavor — to meet new people and learn new things. But, my childhood is almost over now, and sometimes, that’s bitter to sit with.

18 is young, but man does it feel old.

“ SE NIO RITIS”

symptoms

Many symptoms of “senioritis” are well known, while some are less talked about and harder to cope with — here are a few

1 3

NO MOTIVATION FOR SCHOOL WORK

FEELING LIKE SCHOOL ISN’T NECESSARY

2

MOURNING THE END OF CHILDHOOD

4

STRESSING OVER ALL THINGS COLLEGE

12 PHOTOSTORY

THE HARBINGER

design and photos by elise madden

RUN IT REC STYLE

Freshman who were cut from the East basketball team formed a recreational team, Fortnite Fanatics, to play for fun

LEFT Freshman Luke LaHue and Brooks Moore kneel and watch their team on offense while they wait to be subbed into the game.

ABOVE Freshman coach Michael Winter stands on the sidelines with the rest of team and yells out plays. “Before the game, we come up with whatever we want to do, usually just checkup shots,” Winter said.

“We have a lot of fun, but we also get really competitive.”

RIGHT Freshman Sophia Beedle records the game from the sideline. Marie Ptacek and Natalie Carreno livestream to the teams instagram. “We run the instagram and live stream the games,” Natalie Carreno said.

“After their first game we thought it would be funny because they play a lot of other teams from east.”

RIGHT Freshman Michael Winter, Walt Jones, Sam Rayfield, Brooks Moore, and Luke LaHue celebrate after freshman Landon Romero made a half court shot. “Everyone on the team tried out for the East basketball team and none of us made it,” Moore said.

“We are all really close friends and we just wanted to keep playing basketball, it’s not very competitive.”

SCAN ME • PHOTOS

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

F A R R I G H T F re s h m a n c o a c h M i c h a e l W i nte r ’s w h i te b o a rd s i t s o n t h e s i d e l i n e as W i nte r co ach e s t h e te am w h i le t h ey a re o n of fe n s e .

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

(SME Class of 1989)

(913) 825-2500

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We didn’t.

High-quality photos of all the latest meets, games, concerts and more are available at harbiephoto.com or scan the QR Code above.

14 FEATURE

THE HARBINGER

design by katie murphy

FEATURE HIGHLIGHTS A look at student life, acts of kindness and a featured unique talent

T H I S W E E K I N P H OTO S A look into different students’ classes at the start of this semester B E L O W I n t h e E nv i ro n m e nta l E d c la s s , j u n i o r B r y n n F i t zg e ra ld ex p la i n s h ow to h o ld N o o d le t h e fe r ret fo r a n e le m e nta r y s c h o o l i n st r u ct i o n a l v i d e o .

PHOTO BY MACY CROSSER

A CT S O F K I N D N E S S *in partnership with Homegrown Kitchen

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

THIS WEEKS WINNER: MARK NELSON BROUGHT EXTRA MASKS T O S C H O O L A N D G AV E T H E M T O M U LT I P L E FRIENDS WHOSE MASKS BROKE OR WHO FORGOT ONE

A B O V E L E F T J u n i o r C a rs o n D i l ks p la ys b a s ket b a l l w i t h a c la s s m a te i n h i s fo u r t h h o u r N u t r i t i o n a n d We l l n e s s c la s s . “ I l i ke t h a t we g et to le a r n a b o u t t h e h e a lt hy fo o d s we n e e d to p u t i nto o u r b o d y , a n d I l i ke t h a t we g et to d o p hys i c a l a cti vi tie s , to o , ” D i lks s ai d. PHOTO BY MJ WOLF B O T T O M L E F T J u n i o r S o p h i a M et zg e r h o ld s Ro s i e , t h e c la s s b u n ny i n h e r fo u r t h h o u r E nvi ron m e ntal E du cat i o n clas s . PHOTO BY MACY CROSSER

F E AT U R E D U N I Q U E TA L E N T CONNOR B U R R OW S

P A I N T S M I N I AT U R E DUNGEONS AND DRAGONS FIGURINES

HOW DID HOBBY?

YOU

GET

INTO

THIS

WHAT DO YOU LIKE ABOUT PAINTING MINIATURES?

I play D&D, and we got a bunch of little

It’s just really peaceful and calming. I paint

miniatures

more during the summer, but during the

that

were

unpainted

for

Christmas once, and I just figured,

school year, I get more busy. I

‘Why not?’ I’ve been doing it for

probably paint once every

two or three years now.

month or two.

RUNNER-UPS: FINN S U L L I VA N

CAME TO THE GIRLS’ BASKETBALL GAME AND C H E E R E D L I K E H E WA S IN A HUGE STUDENT SECTION DESPITE A SMALL CROWD

M AT T H E W HENDRICKSON COMPLIMENTED A FRIEND’S SHOES AND HELPED THEM WITH HOMEWORK

RHETT WA L L AC E SAID HI TO STUDENTS I N T H E H A L LWAY T O CHEER THEM UP

FEATURE 15

JANUARY 24, 2022 design by grace demetriou art by sophie henschel

TEACHER BY

DAY

Due to their comparatively low pay, teachers find a need to search for supplemental income sources

THE AVERAGE INCOMES BACHELORS DEGREE

$50,893

10TH YEAR

$52,663

$60,475

25TH YEAR

$59,203

$68,397

S

photoshoot

MASTERS DEGREE

$43,779

TOMACH GRUMBLING, CURRENT East social studies teacher Shannon Nolan hung up garlands and lights for her first ever classroom. It was August 2019 and she had just graduated from Kansas State University after receiving her masters degree in education. Decorating her classroom and making sure she had enough supplies for all new students was important to her as it set a good impression.

In fact, this impression was more important to her than having anything but rice to eat up until receiving her first paycheck — she had run out of food money.

As a first-year teacher, Nolan knew she wouldn’t be paid for the first month of teaching until September 20, when SMSD gives new teachers their first paycheck. This meant that she’d have no income to start off the year — and once she did get her first check, she’d be paid nearly the lowest on the SMSD pay scale for teachers. For Nolan, along with many other first-year teachers, this was when she realized she would need to find another way to make money as teaching wouldn’t be enough to support her.

“There was one point [when] I was in my classroom, and I was just hungry,” Nolan said. “I had run out of food, I was broke, I wasn’t getting paid for another week, so I was just eating rice for every meal before I got my first big girl paycheck. [It] was tough.

Almost two months of having to set up a whole classroom, having to spend money and realizing, ‘Oh, I don’t get paid.’ I always feel really bad for first-year teachers in that first month or two.”

When she finally did get her first “big girl paycheck,” she frowned at the check written out for just under $3,000 after taxes — which includes her pay for coaching and working at sporting games that month. She immediately knew it wouldn’t be enough. If

grade papers

**before taxes are applied

1ST YEAR

by sophie henschel

pick up kids

she wanted to utilize more than just her rice cooker in her kitchen, she would have to find more income sources.

And she found them. Now, three years later, Nolan has been a dog walker, a babysitter, a coach for girls volleyball and swim, a bartender, a retail worker, a sporting events manager, a Pep Club sponsor, a tutor, a house sitter, a summer weights teacher and just about any other odd job that worked with her schedule.

Nolan isn’t the only teacher receiving less than they can make do with. The SMSD pay scale used for all staff members is based on the number of years a teacher has been teaching, what degree they have and how

sup•ple•men•tal pay

a d d i t i o n a l p a y m e nt s m a d e t o a n e m p l oye e o u t s i d e of t h e i r re g u l a r w a g e s

many extra master-credit hours they have.

The more years they’ve been teaching and the higher their degree, the higher their pay is. If a teacher wants to move up on the pay scale, they either have to wait to gain years of experience as a teacher, or pay out-of-pocket for extra education hours, according to English teacher Ann Flurry.

Flurry has always had forms of supplemental pay. Though she realizes that she could pay for additional hours of teacher training in order to get a raise, she believes the extra cost to do so often isn’t worth it. This is frequently the logic that leads teachers to search for sources of income outside of the classroom.

Why is there a need for supplemental pay? To Nolan, it’s the difference between living and surviving. Being able to go out with friends here and there and order more than just an appetizer. Being able to treat herself to some shopping from time to time.

Being able to buy a house. Being able to live life the way it should be lived. And although

it would be nice to do these things on a teacher’s salary, it’s not realistic.

“I’m really thankful for those opportunities and I’m glad I’ve been able to take them,” Nolan said. “I’d just rather be paid for doing my job. I love coaching, don’t get me wrong, I love the girls and I love what I do, but it would be nice not to have to.”

Flurry agrees. She’s been teaching for 28 years and is yet to spend a year of it only teaching. She began her career at St. Teresa’s Academy, assuming private teachers are paid more than public and deeming it the best job offer for a brand-new teacher. She was wrong.

“I literally couldn’t afford it as [an unmarried] teacher to work there,’’ Flurry said. “It’s a crisis that people don’t talk about. Now, having said that, I wouldn’t do anything else. [Teachers] just love what they do. But we are not valued monetarily and unfortunately, in this country, monetary value equals respect in a lot of cases. We’re not money hungry, but it’s a crisis. And we’re gonna lose teachers.”

Flurry can’t remember a time where she didn’t have a second job. She’s tutored, taught summer school and been a cheer coach. She’s bartended, managed local pools, worked retail and even started a photography business to help support herself and her family.

In the fall, Flurry’s schedule consists of a full school day of teaching, helping her elementary-aged children after school, heading to photoshoots for her photography business, coming back home to her mom duties and her nights are spent grading papers and editing photos.

Her weekends? More photoshoots and little league soccer games.

“You don’t go [into teaching] for the money or the respect, you go in for the students and the love of being a teacher,”

Flurry said. “Us not getting paid what we’re worth shows a lack of value nationally. Until people with power recognize the value of education, it’s not gonna change. It’s really amazing how hard it is to find a teacher that doesn’t do a side gig of some kind, or has in their past.”

As for psychology teacher Brett Kramer, outside sources of income have always been a part of his career. Currently, it’s driving Uber on weeknights and weekends. Kramer finds that Uber is a perfect way to make supplemental income because he gets to choose his own hours and can stop once he

SCAN ME • WEBSITE S c a n t o v i e w F l u r r y ’s p h o t o g ra p hy b u s i n e s s w e b s i t e , Stunning Hooligans

meets his financial goals for the week.

He took up other sources of income when he started out as a part-time teacher — making only half of the lowest annual income on his pay scale. To Kramer, the low pay that teachers receive creates a dynamic that most students don’t know about.

Kramer, Flurry and Nolan agree that although the pay can be demoralizing, and the need for supplemental income can be exhausting, the happiness that comes from the job is worth the negatives of the profession.

“There’s no financial gain to going above and beyond,” Nolan said. “There’s no financial gain for working 60 hours a week vs 40 — why make an amazing lesson plan that takes two hours to plan [when you can] watch a video? [But] I can argue it’s one of the best, most rewarding jobs. I love my students and getting to watch some of them be freshmen and now they’re seniors — it’s just a great job, I would just like to be paid a little bit more for it.”

16 NEWS-FEATURE

by c es c a sta ma t i

E X H AU ST ED .

SMSD Teachers and other employees nationwide endure financial and emotional stress due to unpaid family and medical leaves

SWOLLEN, NAUSEOUS, EXHAUS Maggie Archer had no energy left a how to shoot a puck in floor hockey t class. Then again, she was nine mo walking 15,000 steps a day at work, f It was December 2 — six days b It wasn’t until third hour that Mag to herself while her students we assignment. Her husband, gym teach had a planning period, so she went d “I think I’m having contractions.”

The Archers drove straight to the hour. The contractions were real. that the baby was finally coming — dodgeball didn’t mix. But even if he five days early, Maggie would’ve cont her due date. She needed to get paid. “[It’s normal to do that] for most you have a great policy with your co saying you can have paid time pri Maggie said. “Most teachers are wo give birth.”

Teachers in SMSD and school nationwide endure relatively poor f leave policies compared to other monthly bills hard to pay and addin stressful postpartum experience. I don’t have the option of paid leave oth days or applying for short-term disa insurance plan. The district, along w and Olathe school districts, strictly Medical Leave Act, which allows emp 60 work days off after the birth, fos child. However, this leave is unpaid.

F•L•M•A

T h e F a m i ly a n d M e d i c a l L e a ve A c e m p l oye e s u p t o 1 2 w o r k w e e k s of a ye a r , a n d re q u i re s g ro u p h e a lt h m a i n t a i n e d d u r i n g t h e l e a ve i f e m t o w o r k i n s t e a d of t a k i n g l e a ve .

English teacher Brandi Krahulik, w maternity leave in November, believ workers’ benefits are shoved aside in the government would allocate more benefits — the way private compani the Center on Budget and Policy Prio employees — such as school district less compensation, including benefit private companies.

Maggie agrees that either the dis should pay teachers full wages during “There’s nothing cheap about hav said. “So if I’m going to grow a huma still receive my wages, 1,000%. It’s ha This standard of unpaid leaves i to par with the minimum 14 weeks leave women should be given, accord Labour Organization standards. Am other countries in leave standards countries in the world without an paid family or medical leave, and th according to The New York Times. D leaves are a national issue, not nece problem as the employer.

. Gym teacher e demonstrated r first hour gym pregnant, and days a week. e her due date. had a moment working on an Douglas Archer, to his office.

pital after third e was thankful llen ankles and by hadn’t come d working until

fessions, unless ny or insurance o giving birth,” g up until they

rict employees ly and medical ntries, making n to the already MSD, teachers han using “sick” y through their the Blue Valley ows the Family es to take up to r adoption of a

ov i d e s e l i g i b l e a i d l e a ve ef i t s t o b e e e s c o nt i n u e d

came back from hat government gets, and wishes ey for employee o. According to s, state and city rkers — receive han workers for

or government ves. child,” Maggie en yes, I should ork.” he U.S. isn’t up paid maternity to International ca lags behind ing one of six rm of national ly wealthy one, glas thinks paid ly the district’s

JANUARY 24, 2O22

“As far as our country goes, I don’t think it’s out of the norm, what the district does,” Douglas said. “It’s kind of the nature of the beast of being in the United States and not having [paid leave] as an option yet.”

Paid leave could help employees pay for the costs of having a child, according to Maggie. First, there are the medical costs — $5,000 to $11,000 is the average charge without insurance for a vaginal delivery in most states, according to FAIR Health. Then, there are the expenses of caring for a new baby — formula, diapers, daycare, food.

In a baby’s first year of life, the average middleincome U.S. family spends around $12,000 on childrelated expenses, according to a 2010 USDA report.

Paying the price of childbirth without earning wages for the duration of the leave forces employees to tightly budget. The Archers made a spreadsheet of their monthly income and expenses when she was pregnant, looking for areas to reduce spending to save for groceries and diapers.

And on top of financial planning, teachers must make arrangements for work. Krahulik had to apply for FMLA and write lesson plans for the substitute teacher — which can pile up when leaves are up to 60 work days.

And if there are complications with childbirth, a teacher must plan ahead to receive short-term disability, which can give employees partial pay as they are considered to be disabled after giving birth. This is one of the few options for many teachers to receive pay during their family leave.

Employees applying for short-term disability can get 70% of their check for about 6-8 weeks depending on whether the birth was vaginal or a cesarian section.

To receive this partial pay, a teacher has to have paid insurance up to $44 of their monthly paycheck, according to SMSD employee benefits facilitator Jennifer Lumley.

Science teacher Stephanie Valencia received shortterm disability when she worked for Fort Leavenworth School District before coming to SMSD. The district was similar to SMSD in that both asked teachers to use their accumulated days off for their leave and strictly followed FMLA. But FMLA doesn’t cover extra time, even for special cases. Her first son was born prematurely — nine weeks early. Due to complications, she was in the hospital for a couple of weeks before his birth, then returned to work and paused her leave while the hospital gave him medical attention for six weeks. She only spent six weeks with him after the hospital released him.

When the six weeks were up, she had to go back to work, and her duties at home were still waiting when she made it back from the 45 minute drive home. She had to wake up in the middle of the night and pump milk for her newborn. Her husband stayed at work late, so she had to take care of her son and get him to bed. Sometimes, she couldn’t start grading papers until 9 o’clock. She was exhausted.

And coming back from her second maternity leave, it grew even more difficult for Valencia to balance grading papers with raising kids.

“Having two young children... you don’t get a lot of sleep,” she said.

Luckily, she’d been teaching eighth grade science for several years and had pre-made lesson plans. A new

teacher would have to create new plans, so Valencia feels fortunate that she switched jobs after having both her children.

“The first year I worked here… I was staying up ‘till like 2 o’clock in the morning doing stuff,” Valencia said.

“So I can’t even imagine people that are switching jobs and also have children that are waking up in the middle of the night.”

But for new employees like FACS teacher Brianne Stockman, short-term disability and saved paid time-off aren’t an option. When Stockman had her last child, it was her first year in the district and she was pregnant coming in, so she couldn’t apply for FMLA or short-term disability. It was considered a “pre-existing condition.”

These cases typically aren’t covered by insurance, according to Lumley.

Stockman says the financial impact of the unpaid time on her family was tremendous. She wasn’t planning on having another kid when she accepted the job at SMSD, but thinks it might have made her and her husband reconsider a fourth child if they’d planned on one.

“We’re still dealing with some of those repercussions,” Stockman said. “Medical bills are very expensive for having a baby.”

Stockman has experienced different leave policies in two school districts. Park Hill School District gave her six weeks of paid maternity leave for her first child.

She worked in the same district for her second one, but they increased their leaves to eight weeks paid, and she could add more time through FMLA — almost 12 weeks of leave.

Her most recent leave in SMSD was six weeks. Unpaid.

Unlike SMSD, Park Hill also took only 20 days of her accumulated paid days off to go toward her leave.

Many school districts, including SMSD, require teachers to use all of their accumulated sick days on their leave — another factor that teachers wish was different about their maternity leave policy.

Each year, SMSD teachers get 10 days that accumulate in a bank of paid days off. But since teachers must use them all during their leave, they’re left without paid personal or sick days when they return to school. When babies are sick, have doctor’s appointments or need someone to watch them, teachers have no choice but to take even more unpaid time off.

“When I go back to school, I’ve exhausted all my leave,” Maggie said. “If Landon is sick and one of us has to stay home, I hope my husband still has [sick] days left to use, or else I’m taking a no-paid day or hoping my parents can take her. It’s a whole other headache to worry about.”

When Maggie’s baby was born, Douglas took seven out of his 10 personal days to stay home with his first child. It wasn’t enough time. He wishes he could be with his baby all day, but knows Maggie will run out of paid personal days after her leave. Someone has to be there if the baby has a fever or needs someone to watch her.

“Maggie said that she rolled over the other day,” Douglas said. “It’s just tough missing those milestones, being at work. But it’s just kind of the world we live in.”

Still, taking unpaid leave for a new child never occurred to Douglas or Maggie when they started working at SMSD — they knew they wanted to be teachers no matter what. But the lack of benefits leads

design by celia condon photo by maggie merckens some teachers to plan ahead on the most convenient time to have a baby, down to the ideal month, according to social studies teacher Emily Fossoh, who has been on three leaves while working for SMSD. “I’ve heard some teachers think about planning to have their kid in the spring so that they can just finish the year with the leave and then go into the summer,” Fossoh said. “A lot of teachers’ kids are in March or April, and then they take the rest of the year off and have summer to spend with them so they have more of that time.”

T H E F I R S T Y E A R I w o r ke d h e re … I w a s st a y i n g u p ‘ t i l l l i ke 2 o ’ c l o c k i n t h e m o r n i n g d o i n g st u f f . S o I c a n ’ t eve n i m a g i n e p e o p l e t h a t a re sw i t c h i n g j o b s a n d a l s o h a ve c h i l d re n t h a t a re w a k i n g u p i n t h e m i d d l e of t h e n i g ht .

STEPHANIE VALENCIA SCIENCE TEACHER For parents, more time off means more moments with their newborn — playing peek-a-boo, shaking rattles, singing lullabies. But for the country, extra weeks of paid leave mean greater national spending, which is the reason a potential four weeks of national paid family and medical leave was vetoed by the Senate after months of consideration. This provision regarding leaves was originally part of President Joe Biden’s Build Back Better Act — which has been rendered “dead” after a stall in debating. Even if the bill is salvaged, the paid family leave provision is likely to be cut from the plan, according to Reuters.

While the U.S. is unable to settle on a national paid leave policy, 12 weeks paid is the standard for many other countries, some less financially stable than the U.S. Leave policies in nations such as Canada are more generous in terms of duration, flexibility and paid benefits, according to Investopedia. The Canadian government mandates maternity benefits equal to 55% of a worker’s average weekly insurable wage for 15 weeks.

“There can always be a little jealousy ‘cause I have sorority sisters that live in Canada and Australia, and they get a whole year off no matter what,” Fossoh said.

“Having a little bit more paid leave is obviously ideal.”

Even if the U.S. had four weeks, it would still stand out among countries that have national paid leaves.

Only 26 out of 174 countries currently offer four weeks or fewer of paid medical leave, according to the World Policy Analysis Center, and the global average maternity leave is 29 weeks. Maggie hopes that America’s leave policies will eventually match other countries’ standards, even if it means starting with the four weeks that could resurface in future legislation.

“Any time we can get our full check, like paid leave, is amazing,” Maggie said. “I wish it was more than four weeks, but hopefully that’s a step in the right direction and hopefully that four weeks can be on top of things like short-term disability. Any paid leave we can get, bring it on.”

18 FEATURE

NOT H

THE HARBINGER

design by elle gedman photo from emmie brown

Sophomore Emmie Brown, who has ties to the East community, loses her Louisville, Colorado house in the Marshall Fire but gains a deeper appreciation for family

by katie murp hy

“FIRE.” Sophomore Emmie Brown laughed.

No kidding. Thanks so much for that great description!

The one-word caption accompanied a photo that Emmie’s younger brother had sent in their family iMessage group chat.

The photo, taken out of a car window, showed a dark gray plume of smoke in the distance on an otherwise clear day.

It’s been dry. Just another inevitable grass fire.

She and her dad were driving home to Louisville, Colorado from Breckenridge Ski Resort at noon after a perfect half-day on the slopes — the snow had been ideally powdery and light traffic had made their 5:30 a.m. drive up 30 minutes shorter than usual, making them first on the lift.

It was the last time they’d ever drive to their newlyrenovated home before it was reduced to its foundation in ashes.

Home — a three-story house on a cul-de-sac in Arapahoe Circle that Emmie left her Corinth Elementary School and Indian Hills Middle School friends in Prairie Village, Kansas to live in two years ago when her dad got a new job.

As her dad stopped at a red light, Emmie’s mind drifted to the math homework still sitting on her desk she’d have to finish when she got home. They were halfway there. Out of nowhere, a 115-mph gust of wind slammed into the car, swaying it back and forth on its wheels.

Jeez, talk about winter wind. We’ve gotten it pretty bad this week.

Branches s m a c k e d against the

MELESS

passenger window as Emmie looked out and saw smoke painting the horizon, which reminded her of her brother’s text she’d already forgotten about. She knew it had to be a big grass fire.

Makes sense because we haven’t had rain in weeks.

It didn’t cross her mind that the high-speed gust and smoke could be connected until much later. They kept driving home. Soon the smoke wasn’t in the distance anymore.

Emmie’s father squinted to see the cars in front of him in the thick smog. A line of traffic was directed north away from the smoke. The Browns continued south.

Why is everyone leaving? It’s not that big of a deal. They’re going to put it out.

Turning onto their cul-de-sac, they passed a few flaming patches of grass in their neighbors’ yards — Emmie figured that must be where all the smoke was coming from.

Firefighters had the spots under control, dousing them with water. Emmie felt safe because the fire station was right down her street. Pulling into the driveway, she put her face mask on — something she does during every grass fire.

She cracked open the car door, and the wind threw it open for her. It smelled like a summer bonfire. Less than five minutes after going into her house, the power went out.

“We should stay at a hotel until this clears up tomorrow,” Brown’s mom said.

Fair enough. It’s smoky and cold, plus no power.

Emmie grabbed a change of clothes, a bag of toiletries and jewelry from her bathroom and her school computer and charger — after all, her math homework was still due in two days. Her mom put her black shitzu poodle Berkeley on a leash and the family of four loaded into the car. At the time, there was no official evacuation order for the city of Louisville.

The Browns checked into a hotel 30 minutes north of their house and turned on the news. An aerial shot of a neighborhood glowing red panned across the screen.

This is serious.

High winds were pushing the fire further north. The Browns barely slept that night, watching updates on TV and refreshing their Twitter feeds. A reporter was visiting neighborhoods one by one. Clayton Circle — a fifteen minute drive from the Brown’s house — burned. Coal Creek Drive — ten minutes away — burned. Paragon Estates — seven minutes away — burned.

HOT FACTS

6,219

At 6 a.m. the next morning, the family watched as the news reporter finally made it to Arapahoe Circle — the Browns’ cul-de-sac that they’d pulled out of just 15 hours before.

Every house on the street was completely gone, reduced to ashy piles of burnt remains. ***** Over 600 homes burned down during the Marshall fire on December 30, 2021. The 150 houses in Brown’s neighborhood were torched, but it hasn’t diminished her spirits.

“We love Louisville and are going to rebuild on the same lot,” Emmie said. “The rest of my neighborhood will probably do the same, because that’s just the kind of close-knit neighborhood it was.”

Support has poured out from her local neighbors and classmates in Colorado as well as from old friends and family in the East community. Having grown up in the East district, her roots run back here. Her former lacrosse team, the Prairie Village Outlaws, which is connected to the East girls lacrosse team, promoted a GoFundMe fundraiser for the Brown family on social media. A group of East boys from her graduating class at Corinth Elementary sent her gift cards and a sweet note. Streams of thoughtful texts and FaceTime calls from her friends at East haven’t stopped since that day.

“Everybody wants to help, and I’m incredibly grateful for that,” Emmie said.

Out of everything she lost, the most important thing to her were her childhood photos — her first birthday, first day at preschool and first lacrosse game. It does make her sad, but she rarely thinks about it.

“Sure, it’s kind of an inconvenience, but life happens,” Emmie said. “It just matters how you take it. I don’t feel a hole in my stomach because I lost all my clothes. I feel more thankful that I’ve had my family and friends around me.”

She’s decided to live a more minimalistic life by giving away items and buying less clothes in the future because she’s realized that “you really don’t need that much.” The Browns are temporarily staying in a friend’s house that they call home for now where they eat family dinners almost every night.

“Stuff is stuff, family is family,” Emmie said. “Things can be replaced. But, people are going to be there for you. That’s one thing that’s not going anywhere.”

Home — not a three-story house on a cul-de-sac in Louisville, Colorado, but where your family is.

Statistics about the Marshall Fire in Colorado

62%

A C R E S B U R N E D C O N TA I N M E N T

L E F T A p a n ora mic view of Emmie’s neighborhood that was destroyed by the fire, with her h ou se circled in red .

$513M IN DAMAGE

SCAN ME • DONATE S c a n h e re t o v i s i t a Go-Fund me to help s u p p o r t E m m i e ’s fa m i ly during this tough time

FEATURE 19

JANUARY 24, 2022 design by mia vogel

UP THE S REAM

DOWN THE S OPE Junior Jay Hutchinson transfered to boarding school in Colorado so that he could dedicate more time to his passion for outdoor sports by tristan ch aban is HEN-FIRST GRADER Jay Hutchinson crawled through the mud and twigs with his hands cupped, ready to capture a tiny garden lizard he had spotted. He had just gotten home from spelling sight words and reading picture books with Ms. Claudia, his first-grade teacher.

It wasn’t unusual for Hutchinson, now a junior, to be found in the dirt after school — he was out in the sun almost any chance he could get.

Hutchinson’s love for nature began at his childhood home in Newnan, Georgia. just south of Atlanta where he lived until he moved to Prairie Village. His mother, Melissa Deas, barely saw him inside the house — he spent most of his time chasing reptiles and exploring the acres of forest nearby.

“As soon as Jay could walk, he was always out in the woods or doing something adventurous or adrenaline-inducing,” Deas said.

This attraction to nature led him to explore outdoor sports such as mountain biking and skiing. It was in North Carolina at Camp Mondamin where Hutchinson found the sport he is most passionate about — kayaking.

With over 10 years of practice under expert guidance from professional kayaker Wesley Shelmire and Olympian Lecky Haller, Hutchinson grew into a talented kayaker. At the age of 13, he kayaked the Ocoee River in Tennessee — a notoriously dangerous river where more than six people have died in the past 30 years.

“We were at the top of the river and I was really scared,” Hutchinson said. “I didn’t want to go down. [My instructor] told me, ‘you have to stop being scared and just go for it. And either it’ll work out or it won’t. And that’s life.’ Those words have stuck with me.”

Hutchinson believes that the experience made him more fearless, and his love for kayaking grew even stronger. Kayaking trips to Colorado have become a yearly occurrence for him, and even now, he doesn’t miss any opportunity to try to convince his mom to book plane tickets to Copper Mountain,

T

Colorado.

“When you’re kayaking all you think about is getting down the river, you don’t worry about anything else, and that really clears your mind,”Hutchinson said.

While visiting Colorado, Hutchinson picked up mountain biking and skiing in addition to kayaking. In the colder months, he spent his time in the mountains skiing down the snowy slopes. When the snow thawed, he’d kick his bike into gear on those same inclines and paddle through the torrents fed by melting snow.

He belonged in Colorado — a realization he made last summer while living in the suburbs of Prairie Village, Kansas. After being inspired by one of his camp counselors, he decided to consider transferring to a boarding school in Colorado to focus on outdoor sports.

“That’s kind of what started me on thinking about these [boarding] schools,” Hutchinson said. “I guess you could say [my counselor] planted the seeds that were bound to sprout eventually.”

This left him at a tough crossroads: remain at East with his family and friends or pursue his passion for nature. He chose the latter of the two.

“It wasn’t as much a decision about leaving East as it was finding a new opportunity,” he said. “I realized maybe I could be doing something else with my high school career.”

He thought about what his instructor had told him on the Ocoee River. Though it would be scary, he made his decision to transfer.

Through online research, he came across the Colorado Timberline Academy: an exclusive boarding school outside Durango, Colorado, built on the edge of a national forest where students practice kayaking, skiing, mountain biking and fly fishing.

Hutchinsons dream.

“When I came across this school, it looked perfect for me,” Hutchinson said. “The fact that I was going to be able to take challenging classes while enjoying the sports I love five times a week set the school apart.”

In order to be accepted to the CTA,

Hutchinson had to pass a three step interview process, the first two steps consisting of an interview with the Dean of Admissions and several essays detailing why he wanted to attend.

After the first two stages, Hutchinson was considered as a prime candidate for acceptance. The final step required a trip to the school itself in Durango, where he went on a short biking excursion with several students and staff.

Once he arrived, he and 12 other students were brought up to the top of a large hill by one of the school vans. As they reached the peak Hutchinson unloaded his rental bike — a columbia blue, Scott Genius. He and the others clipped on their helmets and locked their feet into the pedals.

“Right before we dropped in, I looked around and saw all these like-minded individuals that were here for the same reasons I was,” Hutchinson said. “These guys were all probably better than me because they go out and practice every day. It reminded me I have the opportunity here to get better at something I really love.”

After his biking excursion, Hutchison was the first-ever student to be accepted to the academy the day of his final interview.

Hutchinson’s physical abilities but also his friendliness with the other students set him apart from other applicants. He had hit it off with the other students from the moment he had met them. This was an attribute the academy greatly valued.

Hutchinson left for Colorado on January 8 and has already started a new semester at school. He will be remembered as an active part of the SME community. Someone who showed up to the majority of varsity sporting events, took part in lacrosse in addition to founding the board game club and taking part in Ultimate frisbee club.

“I’m really going to miss him, he’s one of my best friends,” Junior Wyatt Haughton, Hutchinson’s friend, said. “But, I know this is what’s best for him. He’s meant to be in Colorado.”

KAYAK KRAZE Jay Hutchinson kayaks on a river in North Carolina at Camp Mondamin PHOTO FROM JAY HUTCHINSON

WEEKLY SCHEDULE A typical week for Jay at boarding school

MONDAY-FRIDAY 7:45

breakfast

8:30

all school meeting

8:40

first hour

9:40

school maintenance

10:05

second hour

11:20

third hour

12:30

lunch

1:30

skiing

6:00

dinner

7:30

study hall

SATURDAY+SUNDAY 8:30

breakfast

9:00

skiing

2:30

lunch

6:30

dinner

20 FEATURE

Fathering THE COMMUNITY THE HARBINGER

design by bridget connelly

photos courtesy of joe keal

The Father’s Club helps dads be more involved in the East community and their children’s school lives by lucy wo lf TANDING IN THE 33-degree weather

S

A B O V E The Father’s C lu b p o s e o u t s i d e of SME with the Chick - Fi l - A they p rovi d e d .

A B O V E The Father’s C lu b p o s e o u t s i d e of SME with Principa l J a s o n P e re s .

SCAN ME • WEBSITE S c a n t h e Q R c o d e t o t a ke a p e a k a t t h e F a t h e r ’s Club website to see h o w t o j o i n , eve nt s a n d chapters.

outside East’s main office entrance grasping a bag of breakfast Chick-Fil-A sandwiches in one hand and a box of Krispy Kreme donuts in the other, a group of East dads wait for the arrival of East students back from winter break with numb fingers and warm smiles. Still, they didn’t complain.

Father’s Club is a group of Kansas City dads who strive to make an impact by being there for high school kids’ lives and improving the community around them.

Their ultimate goal is to send a message to their community that says dads care too and want to be a part of their school, according to Principal Jason Peres.

Co-chair member of the East chapter of Father’s Club, Joe Keal, sees the club as an opportunity to build a stronger presence in the East community.

“If we can help someone have a good day by being present, that’s a win for us,” Joe said.

Joe had originally heard about The Father’s Club from Ryan Kapple, co-chair of Olathe East’s chapter, who encouraged him to start a chapter at East. Joe still remembers the day when Kapple insisted he start a chapter at his daughter’s high school — on that day the Father’s Club at East began.

Officially beginning in the fall of 2021.

There are currently 25 members in the club. However, they’re all hoping and anticipating for more to join.

“My hope is to start this club out and for it to become a long standing legacy,”

THE FATHER’S CLUB CORE VALUES

others first

integrity

Joe said.

Another goal of the Father’s Club is to serve as a way for dads to further connect with their kids and the school.

For Joe, Father’s Club was a way to spend some extra time with his daughter, junior Mallory Keal, making him reminiscent of when he coached her basketball and softball team throughout grade school into middle school.

For Joe, coaching his daughter Mallory and her friends throughout their elementary school years ended too abruptly. Father’s Club is a way for Joe and other dads alike to bring back that involvement and connections with his daughter’s school.

M Y H O P E I S t o s t a r t t h i s c lu b o u t a n d fo r i t t o b e c o m e a l o n g standing legacy.

JOE KEAL FATHER’S CLUB PRESIDENT The Father’s Club is a way for dads to meet fellow fathers through the program, along with fostering bonds and connections between the dads and their kids.

“Another thing that was cool on the first day back when we were handing out food was seeing kids that I recognized,” Joe says. “Or when they would shout ‘Thanks, Mr. Keal’ and ‘Thanks, Coach Keal.’”

Moments like these are what the Father’s Club strives to make.

“The first day back at school I got to

see my dad having fun and handing out food,” Mallory said. “It was nice giving my dad a hug before going off to class.”

Peres is a big supporter of the Father’s Club — along with the rest of the East staff. He was involved in The Father’s Club at his previous school and has mostly the same role now. Peres is the liaison between the Father’s Club and East, providing the bridge to accomplish the goals of the club.

The Father’s Club’s first interaction between the staff and the club was at a faculty meeting at the start of the year where the club was showing an offer of support towards the school.

“The Father’s Club members brought an assortment of Kleenex — which are highly valued by teachers — to one of the faculty meetings,” Peres said. “It was a showing of support to the staff. From that moment forward, teachers [now believe] Father’s Club is here to support everything that goes on at our school”.

The Father’s Clubs’ plan for the future is to be able to hold more events, assuming — and hoping — COVID-19 cases lower.

The events would be as little as an appearance in the Marketing classroom with dads doing a lesson on how to tie a tie. Or bigger events like, being able to pass out food again, maybe during finals week or before the end of the quarter, according to Joe. “Above everything, the Father’s Club is a great opportunity for dads to be a part of something greater than themselves,” Peres said.

The core values of The Father’s Club

personal excellence

accountability

work together

lead courageously

camilla

JANUARY 24, 2022 design by sydney newton photo by elise madden

LOCAL LANCERS 21

WHAT IS YOUR NAME AND WHY IS THAT YOUR NAME? My full name is Camilla Simmons. I’m named after a flower I think, at least that’s what my mom told me.

WHAT DID YOUR QUARANTINE LOOK LIKE? Last March, my family was in Florida for spring break.

And we ended up staying there for all of quarantine. I went to the beach every day and biked around. I was outside for most of my quarantine. I was there from March to May. Then I came back to KC until July, but I back moved to Florida for the rest of 2021. My mom had to come back for work since she’s a doctor so we moved back to KC this year.

IF YOU COULD GO ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD FOR THREE MONTHS, WHERE WOULD YOU GO AND WHY? I would probably go to Bora Bora. I think it’s really pretty and it would be fun to snorkel outside and be in the sun. I would hike and see all the animals and visit the towns.

IF YOU HAD ONE DAY LEFT TO LIVE, HOW WOULD YOU SPEND IT? I think I would probably just hang out with my friends or my family and do something fun like ski or go to the lake.

I would just want to be around my really close friends. I would eat sushi, I love sushi.

WHAT’S ONE THING YOU WOULDN’T BE THE SAME WITHOUT? My friends. They really helped shape me into who I am and they make me a better person. I’m really close with my friends. They always push me to succeed and push me towards my goals. All of my friends are really goal oriented. They help me with my homework and join clubs and get involved. They make me me.

22 A&E

THE HARBINGER

design by caroline wood photos from spotify, imdb, and restaurant websites

A&E HIGHLIGHTS Catch up on what’s trending in the arts and entertainment world

potential places

recent releases

Some newly released music and movies

MUSIC

Dinner places students should go to for Sweetheart

MOVIES

bo lings

A L BUM | DAWN F M

M OV IE | S CR EA M

A R T I ST | T H E W E E K N D

GENRE | HORROR

R E L E A S E DAT E | J A N 6

RUN TIME | 1HR 54MIN

A b e l Te s fa ye ’s f i f t h a l b u m h a s a n ove ra rc h i n g t h e m e a ro u n d d e a t h exe c u t e d thorugh melodic and t h o u g ht f u l ly r i c s .

The iconic serial killer p e r s o n a re t u r n s t o t h e t o w n of Wo o d s b o ro 2 5 ye a r s a f t e r t h e o r i g i n a l m ov i e w a s re l e a s e d .

A LBUM | BRIGHTSIDE

M OV IE | A M E R I C A N U NDER DOG

A R T I ST | T H E LU M I N E E R S

GENRE | DRAMA/SPORT

R E L E A S E DAT E | J A N 1 4

RUN TIME | 1HR 52MIN

T h i s i n d i e fo l k b a n d ’s fo u r t h st u d i o a l b u m i s o pt i m i st i c w i t h m o m e nt s of ro m a n c e b e h i n d a n electric sound.

chinese restaurant

THERE’S A LOT of o pt i o n s

menu

4701 jefferson st, kansas city, mo 64112 (816) 753-1718

OCTAVIO GALICIA

blue sushi sake grill

Tr u e s t o r y of H a l l of F a m e q u a r t e r b a c k Ku r t Wa r n e r ove rc o m i n g c h a l l e n g e s t o m a ke h i s c a re e r .

how does season two hold up?

Student opinions on the second seasons of popular TV shows SHOW:

SHOW:

SHOW:

EMILY IN PARIS

EUPHORIA

CHEER

GENRE:

GENRE:

GENRE:

COMEDY-DRAMA

DRAMA

DRAMA

EPISODES:

EPISODES:

EPISODES:

10 (30 MIN)

8 (45 MIN)

9 (1 HR)

SUMMARY:

SUMMARY:

SUMMARY:

Marketing executive works with firm in Paris where she juggles friendship, work and romance.

THEY KEPT UP

w i t h eve r y t h i n g so well because I d i d n ’ t eve n n ot i c e I w a s o n s e a s o n two, the flow was just p e r fe c t .

YOLANDE VOTERRO SENIOR

High school students navigating love and friendships in a world of drugs, sex, trauma and social media.

Nationallyranked cheer team prepare to compete in National Cheerleading Championship.

T H E F I R ST S E A S O N w a s m o re h i g h s c h o o l d ra m a and the second season is m o re d a r k , d r u g s , violence, danger, a l o t m o re s e r i o u s st u f f .

I T H I N K T H E f i rst

LOLA SIDIE JUNIOR

EMMA AUBUCHON FRESHMAN

s e a s o n w a s a l ot b ett e r b e c a u s e t h e re w a s n ’ t a s m u c h d ra m a . I t w a s j u st watching cheer and watching them win.

t h e re , t h e m u s i c ’s g re a t , t h e w h o l e s c e n e r y ’s g re a t . E ve n t h e b a t h ro o m s I w a s k i n d of b l o w n away, it w a s re a l ly n i c e i n t h e re .

sushi restaurant

menu

4705 rainbow blvd, westwood, ks 66205 (913) 236-6100

I T WA S P R E T T Y e a sy t o g et a re s e r va t i o n .

T h e o n ly t h i n g i s yo u c o u l d n ’ t b o o k a re s e r va t i o n o n l i n e .

T h e re ’s a l ot of o pt i o n s , l i ke i f yo u d o n ’ t w a nt s u s h i t h e re i s b e nt o b oxe s s o yo u c a n g et h ot fo o d .

PHOENIX FISK

brio italian grille

italian restaurant

menu

SENIOR

JUNIOR

I T ’ S C AT E R E D F O R b i g g ro u p s s o i t ’s re a l ly e a sy t o g et i n t h e re and all be seated t o g et h e r . T h e fo o d ’s a l s o re a l ly g o o d , i t ’s j u st I t a l i a n — w h o d o e s n ’ t l ove I t a l i a n .

503 nichols dr country club plaza kansas city, mo 64112 (816) 561-5888

CAROLINE GORMAN

JUNIOR

JANUARY 24, 2022

W O H OH,

design by celia condon photos by kate beaulieu and from imdb

c i r o h p

HBO’s “Euphoria” has released two episodes so far from its recent season, which cover graphic but important topics aboout high school and substance abuse

by madeline funkey IGHT AS THE clock strikes 8 p.m., I frantically type ‘Euphoria’ into the HBO Max search bar as nine girls pack onto my five person couch, giddy with excitement. I fully prepare myself to laugh, cry, gasp and cringe at the new season’s highly anticipated first episode.

“Euphoria” follows Rue Bennet, played

by Zendaya, and a close group of teenagers as they navigate through high school dealing with subjects such as drugs, abuse, toxic relationships, trauma, social media and mental health.

Season one, released in 2019, had audiences raving about the heightened teen drama and its attention-grabbing plotline. After the roller coaster ride season one put me through, I — along with 2.4 million other viewers — couldn’t wait to see the bold comeback. But unfortunately I haven’t been able to binge watch the new season yet, as episodes are being released weekly.

Despite the intimidating graphic and sensitive content warning that flashes before each episode, the compelling plot and dramatic Labrinth soundtrack once again delivered the cinematic masterpiece that is “Euphoria”.

Known for its gritty and raw content, artistic lighting, glittery makeup and eccentric outfits, “Euphoria” lures you

R

M A D DY

THE GLAM IN SEASON 1 , M A D DY ’ S MAKEUP IS BOLD AND COLORFUL, PA R A L L E L I N G H E R FEARLESS OUTGOING AND SOMETIMES CHILDISH CHARACTER.

in, and makes you want to keep watching.

Each episode reveals a new layer about each character, specifically Rue — as she’s the narrator, we get to experience her thoughts in a way we don’t get to with any other cast member. Although Rue remains sober after an overdose for much of season one, it ended with Rue relapsing after her love interest, Jules, left for New York.

Last season, each episode focused on a different character’s backstory. This gave viewers a more personal, well-rounded opportunity to understand the mind of each character. This season’s first episode focuses on Fezco, Rue’s good friend and drug dealer. We quickly learn there are more layers to him than just his protective, hard shell.

The new episode presented an eerie darkness with a life-threatening drug deal, chaotic New Year’s party and a main character getting nearly beaten to death.

The new addition to the plot kept me engaged and craving more.

The director, Sam Levinson, spoke in a clip about how he wanted to create something that had the heart and soul of “Euphoria” but looked and felt different.

He explained it as if season one was to feel like it was a house party at 2 a.m., so season two should feel more like 5 a.m. — way past the point in which everyone

should have gone home.

With the unique soundtrack capturing the fast-pace party, the artistic filming created a fresh, futuristic feel. I could practically smell the sweat and booze radiating from the TV as the camera spun in and out of the dancing crowds. Levinson discussed how he wanted to show each of the characters in snapshots and portraits during this scene. To do this, they killed the lights and quickly flashed a giant 20k spotlight on the character, giving the shot a feeling of taking a photo. Which I completely agreed with: I felt like I was watching fleeting moments pass by.

The second episode somehow exceeded my expectations once again with it’s daunting symbolism and chilling night scenes. It contains a variety of plot twists, with the angry, troubled jock getting vulnerable, the shy friend getting candid about how social media is toxic and exhausting, and Rue finding herself with Jules, while secretly doing drugs with the school’s new guy, Elliott.

The first two episodes added more plot twists and turns than in the first season, leaving me with more suspense than I thought possible. The ending of episode two left me struck with a confusing emotion of wanting more but also being heartbroken for the characters that are going through

major life changes. However, it’s important to look past some of the disturbing content that’s intertwined throughout the series to truly appreciate the honest, raw and beautiful production “Euphoria” is.

Though the show covers relevant topics that high schoolers endure such as the negative effects of social media and how the serious effects anxiety and depression can have on teens’ lives, I wouldn’t say this is an accurate representation of what goes on inside the general walls of high school — at least to me. The show displays Rue very close up while no one else gets to see the side of her doing hard drugs — so I can’t say this isn’t accurate for some high schoolers. Though the double-agent drug dealer is a little far fetched.

Yes, there are parties with alcohol, but I have yet to see the use of hard drugs and such scandalous scenarios happen.

The show is dramatized and exaggerated to hook the audiences with it’s grim, fascinating plot. And it does just that.

As we watch the characters continue to battle demons and grow into their young adult selves, I can’t wait to see where the season leads each role. I’m restless for the next episodes to roll out and sink into the hypnotizing entertainment trance of “Euphoria.”

Since the first episode of season one of Euphoria, the makeup looks have been bold and meaningful, and this trend carried into season two — here are some of the most meaninful looks so far and what they mean IN EPISODE 1 OF SEASON 2 , M A D DY ’ S MAKEUP HAS ‘ M AT U R E D , ’ A LT H O U G H I T S S T I L L G L I T T E RY. THE DARK LINER IS MEANT TO CONTRAST CASSIE’S LOOK.

CASSIE

eu

!

A&E 23

IN SEASON 1, CASSIE’S MAKEUP IS OFTEN BOLD, I N T E N T I O N A L LY MAKING HER LOOK OLDER AS A REFLECTION OF HER DESIRE TO BE GROWN U P.

IN EPISODE 1 OF SEASON 2, CASSIE HAS GLITTER EYELINER, SERVING AS AN ‘INNOCENT S PA R K L E ’ I N CONTRAST TO M A D DY ’ S DA R K LOOK.

*information from nylon.comn

24 A&E

THE HARBINGER

design by campbell wood photos by caroline martucci & emily pollock

BRINGING IT

back.

Recreating retro trends to see if they could make a comeback

ski jacket

lette

rman

rugby shirt

jack

et

by m aggi e co ndo n

T

RENDS COME IN waves, and 2022 is a year of major fashion comebacks. 1990 letterman jackets, neon winter coats and striped shirts might not currently be at the top of your clothing wish list, but these looks are being styled by celebrities and influencers more and more everyday.

When performing my annual closet cleanout, I have a tendency to throw any item I’m even slightly not fond of and toss it into the “donate pile”. But, every time I’m on my way out the door to visit the Savers drop-off bin — multiple trash bags of clothing in hand — my dad stops me, selecting clothes that he insists will “come back in style.”

My dad grew up in a small town in Iowa, where he was the lead in the school musicals and captain of the basketball and football teams. He uses these activities to back up his “cool” reputation when he tells me about the clothes he wore.

So, I decided to test this theory that trends come back for myself. I dug through the storage bins in my basement, most of which seemed to have been closed since the 1980s, in order to find old photos of my parents. I looked through my moms and dad’s scrapbooks, and let the retro “yet hip” looks inspire me. There were a few favorites that stuck out to me, so I headed to a few local thrift stores to challenge myself to find similar outfits.

The first photo that especially moved me was one of my dad and his friends sledding at midnight — this looked like such a core memory, and my dad still talks about how fun it was. He and his friends were all bundled up in a variety of colorful puffer coats, but the one that especially caught my eye was a swirl of purple and green. It reminded me of “‘80s ski” after-party themes that I see posted all over social media. Ironic, isn’t it? A whole party theme based off of our parents’ teenage winter looks? Maybe my dad wasn’t wrong after all.

I went to City Thrift off of Wornall Road, featuring it’s own vintage section, on the hunt for a similar puffer coat to my dad’s.

After looking through all the neverending coat racks, I found one with similar shades of purple, green and pink.

Not only was the coat similar to the one my dad wore, but it was actually fashionable. The colors are fun, it keeps me warm and I really do imagine Urban Outfitters will be soon releasing one for $80 — it will definitely be making an appearance in my winter wardrobe.

After the jacket was secured, my next target was a classic: the iconic letterman

jacket. Displayed by the cute jock in every single rom-com from the ‘80s, we all know that when it’s pulled off the right way, it can create a look that is nothing short of really, “really” cool.

I didn’t need to go to a thrift store for this jacket, since the green St. Edmonds High School jacket is proudly displayed in the closet where my dad keeps mementos from growing up.

Although I don’t see many letterman jackets worn around East, I know many students still letter in a sport, even if they don’t display it on their arm like they did in the antique movies or during my dad’s childhood.

I do predict these funky, retro jackets will be making a comeback, and I may even wear my dad’s to school every once in a while.

E V E N T H O U G H M Y d a d w o re a l l t h e s e o u t f i t s ove r 2 5 ye a rs a g o , I w a s st i l l a b l e t o f i n d s i m i l a r o u t f i t s a t t h r i f t st o re s n e a r m e a n d fo u n d a l ot of o u t f i t s t h a t I re a l ly l i ke d .

The third and final outfit I was on the hunt for was a simplistic long-sleeve red, purple and orange color block shirt. The style is similar to that of a rugby shirt, and my dad wore it frequently around his college campus in the early ‘90s. In the scrapbook, he wore this shirt surrounded by friends that were all wearing similar style shirts.

My search took me to the second City Thrift off of Shawnee Mission Pkwy. There, I was able to find many complementary styled tops. I found a lot of shirts that I liked a lot, and would have bought for myself. But the closest match to the original rugby shirt, was a shirt with similar colors, that had an ‘80s pinstripe pattern.

I really liked the pinstriped shirt, and intend to continue wearing this shirt on a daily basis.

Even though my dad wore all these outfits over 25 years ago, I was still able to find similar outfits at thrift stores near me and found a lot of outfits that I really liked. I’d recommend looking through old photos of your parents for outfit inspiration as it’s a fun way to look for new clothes and connect to them — while staying on trend.

I am excited for the trends of now to come back when I have kids, some specifically would probably be high top shoes and claw clips. Next time I go to clean out my closet, I will be sure to save some clothes for future trends.

A&E 25

JANUARY 24, 2022 design by gibbs morris

A TOUR OF TASTES TASTES

A review of different local KC restaurants participating in Kansas City’s Restaurant Week

by em ma k ra u s e KANSAS CITY RESTAURANT Week — a classic Kansas City tradition.

Started 12 years ago with the goal to support local restaurants by creating publicity, restaurants pack in extra chairs and fill the reservation book on this one special week of the year. People attend for the discounts and fresh food — plus 10% of sales from each meal go towards benefiting an annual charity partner, Guadalupe Centers, and two founding beneficiaries: Visit KC Foundation and Greater Kansas City Restaurant Association Educational Foundation.

Nearly 200 restaurants participate in this 10-day-event starting Friday and

MISSION TACO JOINT

finishing on the following Sunday, each year. The restaurants participating offer the option of their KC Restaurant Week meal on a separate menu with a set price of $15 for lunch and $35 for dinner to customers. This year’s KCRW lasted from January 14 through the 23, but it differs by year.

This year, I decided to explore the event and see what food it had to offer. I thought it would be easy, but KCRW definitely proved me wrong. Out of the hundreds of restaurants to choose from on the KCRW website, I chose the three that looked the most appealing to me and were most convenient.

MY RESTAURANT TOUR began at Mission Taco Joint

located on 5060 Main St, Kansas City, MO 64112. I ordered their restaurant week food course which started off with chips, queso and salsa. The smooth green salsa surprised me at first since it wasn’t red.

I liked how it wasn’t too spicy or too sweet — the perfect balance of flavors.

The next part of the meal was three beef tinga tacos — shredded beef in chile morita sauce, smashed avocado, grilled onion and radish salsita on a flour tortilla. The combination of all the different ingredients and flavors were some of the best tacos I’ve ever had— they were gone within minutes. I

THIRD STREET SOCIAL

GRAND STREET CAFE

THE SECOND RESTAURANT I went to was Third

Street Social located across the street from the Mission Taco Joint on 5060 Main St, Kansas City, MO 64112. The first part of their dinner meal was the house salad — a classic they most certainly did justice to with fresh vegetables topped with crisp croutons and dressing.

The second course was house fried chicken with mashed Yukon gold potatoes and pickled vegetables.

A simple dish that tasted as good mixed together as it did on it’s own.

Not only was the food delicious, but the customer service was amazing. My waiter, Zane Moriarty, took service with a smile to a whole new level. His friendliness and love for his job made him the best waiter I’ve ever had.

THE THIRD AND final restaurant I went to on my

one-day food adventure was Grand Street Café. As soon as I walked in and saw the sophisticated leather booths and ornate gold chandeliers, I knew it was by far the most upscale restaurant of the three.

My first course for the KC Restaurant dinner was a tomato basil bisque paired with sourdough grilled cheese along with croutons and basil oil on top. It was overall pretty filling and the smoothness and flavor of the tomato topped it off, but nothing different tasting than another tomato soup from another restaurant’s menu.

For my second course, I was served the Mediterranean orzo salad over the short rib rigatoni

could’ve eaten three more. As I took my last bite, my server brought out two steaming churros with a tiny cup of thin chocolate sauce. As good as the churros were, they didn’t taste any they don’t taste any different than others I’ve had. That being said, they too were gone in seconds.

My server was friendly and noted that Restaurant Week helps with publicity during the slow month of January. I’d give it a four out of five stars. All of the food was good but comparable to what I’ve had at the countless other taco places in Kansas. This taco joint didn’t have anything in particular to set it apart from the rest.

“I think Restaurant Week is really good because we were really busy right before Christmas and then Christmas Eve, it really slowed down,” Moriarty said.

“Restaurant Week is awesome for getting people out to restaurants. Monday through Thursday I had maybe five tables a night all the way up until last night. I walked out with maybe $50, $60 [in tips].

And last night [the 16th] I walked with almost $300.”

The whole experience at Third Street Social was a five out of five, no questions asked. The food was amazing, the environment was welcoming and every waiter and waitress was friendly. Plus, there was a wide variety of seating options such as a bar with TVs surrounding you, booths by the windows or a more closed off space in the back.

off the KCRW menu. It came with grilled shrimp, julienned spinach, baby arugula, kalamata olives, marinated artichokes, shaved red onion and zucchini, roasted cherry tomatoes and red peppers, feta cheese and sherry thyme vinaigrette. A surprising grouping of different foods combined into a salad made for a unique combination. While not something I’d eat regularly, it was definitely worth going out of my comfort zone.

The final course of Crème Brûlée was a tasty way to wrap up the meal and end the day with it’s glazed top and creamy layers, leaving my rating a four out of five.

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SPORTS 27

JANUARY 24, 2022 design by anna mitchell

SPORTS HIGHLIGHTS

LVI PREDICTIONS S P O R T S I N ACT I O N Student’s takes on who they think will

A look at East’s winter sports since the beginning of the second semester

make it to the Super Bowl this year THE TEAMS I think

GIA TUSO FRESHMAN

that will go into the S u p e r B o w l a re t h e C h i ef s a n d G re e n B a y P a c ke r s b e c a u s e t h ey a re p l a y i n g their best while in the p l a yof f s .

ABOVE Sophomore Mitchell Blair swims the last lap of the 50 yard butterfly in the boys 200 yard med ley rela y .

Blair’s medley re la y p la c e d t h i rd .

PHOTO BY MACY CROSSER

I THINK IN the AFC,

JOEY HOFFMAN SOPHOMORE

t h e C h i ef s b e c a u s e Mahomes doesn’t l o s e i n t h e p l a yof f s .

In the NFC, I think t h e P a c ke r s b e c a u s e t h ey h a ve b e e n p l a y i n g re a l ly good this ye a r .

L E F T Junior Reese Birch passes the ball to a teammate while being heavily guarded by two Shawnee Mission Sou th d efen d ers.

PHOTO BY MACY CROSSER

I T H I N K T H E C h i ef s

NICK PARISI JUNIOR

b e c a u s e w e a re t h e best team in the NFL and Patrick Mahomes t h ro w s n o t h i n g b u t absolute dimes.

We ’ l l p l a y t h e P a c ke r s b u t KC w i l l w i n .

A B O V E S e n i o r D a r i u s M a l l g o e s u p fo r a la y u p i n t h e s e c o n d q u a r te r of t h e g a m e .

M all i s fo u le d an d s h o ot s t wo f re e t h rows .

PHOTO BY RILEY ECK

Upcoming home varsity games and

BA SKE TBA LL AGE NDA their theme PHOTOS BY MACY CROSSER

I T H I N K T H E C h i ef s

JAN. 28

ROCK 7:00 PM

* n o g i r ls g a m e

THEME:

W WH HIIT TE E--O OU UT T

FEB 4.

SMW

5:30 PM 7:00 PM

7:00 PM

B OY S

photos by lily mantel & elle siegel

FEB 8.

L AW R E N C E GIRLS

TYLER MOORE SENIOR

a re g o i n g t o p l a y t h e P a c ke r s i n t h e S u p e r B o w l . T h e C h i ef s h a ve Patrick Mahomes and A a ro n R o d g e r s i s g o i n g t o t a ke t h e P a c ke r s . . . i t ’s a l i tt l e b i t of a reve n g e s e a s o n fo r him.

THEME: BIKERS VS SURFERS

UPPER VS LOWER

* n o g i r ls g a m e

THEME:

GRADE CO LO RS

09 10 11 12

28 SPORTS

THE HARBINGER

design by caroline gould photo by charlotte emley

UNDERCLASSMEN

TAKE CHARGE The varsity girls basketball team’s dynamic and culture has shifted due to the majority of players being underclassmen

by luke beil HE VARSITY GIRLS basketball team smiled while

T

the final buzzer rang for the first time this season.

The past three rings of the bell had all signaled losses.

Tonight was finally different though, with a 10-8 win over Gardner-Edgerton. Maybe the newly-built team would be alright after all.

Coming off of a rough 0-3 start, the team was hungry for a win — even after being down 20 points in the third quarter. They credit the win to working in unity — something they have been trying to ingrain into one another since the beginning of the season. Especially after losing 8 strong seniors, it was extremely important for the team to be able to work together and not just rely on older players to carry them to victory.

This year, the team consists of almost all underclassmen. The younger team dynamic taught them to come together as a varsity team — made up of all four classes — and grow a closer bond.

P L AY I N G W I T H P E O P L E t h a t a re fo u r ye a rs o l d e r t h a n yo u i s a lw a y s ve r y i nt i m i d a t i n g . T h ey k n o w w h a t t o ex p e c t , b u t a s a f re s h m a n yo u d o n ’ t re a l ly k n o w w h a t ’s g o i n g t o h a p p e n . ”

ABIGAIL LONG

SOPHOMORE

Senior Tess Roman, who has been playing varsity since her freshmen year, feels like this is the first time she has felt close with every player on the team. When she was an underclassmen, Roman felt the seniors in leadership didn’t care about the true bond of the team.

“The upperclassmen thought of themselves as superior,” Roman said. “So I never got to create a good friendship or bond with them.”

Now that Roman is a senior and a captain of the team, she wants to make sure that the underclassmen feel welcome and have a better experience than she had.

Whether it be going to get food after practice or sending funny inside jokes to the basketball group chat, Roman wants the team to form a strong friendship on and off the court.

Roman believes that having a good relationship with her teammates will not only build chemistry on the basketball court but also lasting friendships that players

can have for seasons to come.

“The first two weeks of practice this year were spent figuring out the drills and learning the plays,” Roman said. “Whereas last year everyone knew the plays and drills, so if you were new you had to figure it out on your own.”

Roman isn’t the only one who had to step up and become a leader on the team this year. Sophomore and captain Abigail Long played varsity her freshman year and was the only person in her grade to make the varsity team.

The team last year consisted of almost all seniors, so Abigail has felt pressure to step up by learning the offense quickly, practicing her shot and encouraging her teammates.

“Playing with people that are four years older than you is always very intimidating,” Long said. “They know what to expect, but as a freshman you don’t really know what’s going to happen.”

Abigail hopes that in the seasons to come there will be more upperclassmen to help lead the team. However, she still hopes that this type of new team dynamic will carry on so that there are no underclassmen or new players that feel left out.

The head coach of the team, Douglas Archer, is in his second year as a head coach and has made it his main goal to make sure every player is involved in the process on the team and feels comfortable no matter their age.

Archer also reads quotes from a sports psychology book before every practice to help motivate the players and keep them mentally engaged in every practice.

“I told all the players at the beginning of the season, ‘I’m not expecting you to be perfect players,’’’ Archer said. “I think that helped put their minds at ease.”

Archer plans to keep building on the culture of this team that encourages contributions from everybody.

By doing this, he hopes he can grow them as not only basketball players, but also as people.

“We are trying to help them in the process of being leaders and also develop qualities of resilience and hard work,” Archer said. “Those are things that you’re going to need throughout your entire life.”

A B O V E Senior Tess Roman (right) and S o ph omore A b ig a il Lon g ( lef t) wh o a re vars i ty te a m c a pta i n s .

ABIGAIL AND TESS’S

TEAM BONDING STRATEGIES The captain’s favorite activities to create a more tight knit team

team dinners underclassmen inclusion in sideline conversations out of practice activities

SEASON SCOREBOARD The varsity girls team’s wins and losses with their new team dynamic and captains

HOME

AWAY

january 11

january 14

EAST

GARDNER

52 49 december 12

EAST

OLATHE EAST

46 55

EAST

SMSHS

38 45 january 4

EAST

OLATHE SOUTH

31 53

NOT 28 just any game: 7:00

rock east

The history of East rivalries and how those on the court and off feel about them

Emmett Hill WHAT IS IT ABOUT THOSE GAMES THAT MAKES IT HEATED? Just how many fans go and they’re an all boys school so they really get rowdy... there’s really no limits for them, so that really adds to the volume in the gym and the atmosphere pretty much so it just gets pretty loud and really energetic.

2016

The rock memorial in the SMS parking lot remembering a student who had passed in 2012 was driven over the night before South and East faced off in boys basketball.

201 7

The night before East and South faced off in boys basketball, South students vandalized the storage sheds along the football practice field with spray painted racial, political and sexual messages — including swastikas. Some of the cars in the parking lot had also been hit with paintballs.

NEGATIVES

201 7

POSITIVES

After the negative actions taken due to Raiders-Lancers heated rivalry, both schools’ pep execs met to brainstorm a way to channel their exciting rivalry into something positive. They decided to have the two schools compete in a drive for Giving the Basics of some of their most needed products — laundry detergent, shampoo, deodorant and toilet paper.

JAN.

VS

@EAST

John Spencer HOW DO YOU GUYS GET HYPED FOR YOUR RIVALRY GAMES? We usually do baño but keep it on the down low, we have our group chats for senior guys and we say “Get there, get hyped” and stuff and just play a bunch of music.

HOW IS A GAME AGAINST A RIVAL DIFFERENT FROM A REGULAR GAME? Bragging rights pretty much. If you go out of a year and you don’t have the best record, you can look back and say hey, we beat these teams

STUDENT STORE

game gear

WHICH RIVALRLY IS YOUR FAVORITE?

design by christian gooley art by celia condon

ROCK SMN SMS

SPORTS 29

JANUARY 24, 2022

37% 5% 58%

Shawn Hair HOW HAS THE GROWTH OF SOCIAL MEDIA AFFECTED THE RIVALRIES IN RECENT YEARS? I do think there’s definitely more bad than good, there’s probably more talking than really what should be, because it’s pretty easy to send a text message or put something on Instagram, put something on social media and be anonymous like barstool, there’s no barstool sports there’s no that, so that’s kinda a big, who runs the barstool account who’s doing those things and it’s not for the best.

East’s Student Store has created limited edition shirts over the year for some of the biggest rival games

2020 ROCK

2020

2022 BEAT R CK

SMNW

ROCK

30 SPORTS

THE HARBINGER

FOR THE LOVE OF

A look into how the wrestling season is going for the top two wrestlers, both seniors, at East and how they’ve progressed

by greyson imm

S

ENIOR JAHIR CONTRERAS is the type of wrestler to be in the wrestling room 15 minutes before practice, listening intently to the coaches and get straight to work with a serious attitude.

“If you [saw Contreras] and said ‘that guy there is a state champion,’ you wouldn’t believe that because he’s very humble,” Head Wrestling Coach Chip Ufford said.

“He doesn’t brag about it, doesn’t like talking about a whole lot. He just goes to work and does what he needs to do to improve his wrestling technique [through] his conditioning. Then that also helps push others around him. He’s not a huge vocal leader. But he leads by example, and that’s pretty powerful as well.”

Going in as fifth seed, Contreras became East’s fourth individual state champion in 2020. Now, he hopes to keep the momentum going and win state again. The taste of victory last year at the state meet after working his way to the final match from the sixth seed has given him motivation to excel — during both practices and meets.

“Last year kind of paves the path to this year,” Contreras said. “It’s made me want to work harder. I want this second state title more than ever, it’s made me hungrier. I’ve been practicing way harder.”

For Contreras, “practicing harder” looks like two-and-a-half-hour practices five days a week. It looks like his intense focus, rarely goofing off or talking during practice. It looks like training in the offseason by lifting weights and wrestling every chance he gets.

“Maybe last year, I was doing 10 to 15 reps [in a workout set],” Contreras said. “This

WRESTLING design by sydney newton photo by jill rice

year, I’m doing 20 to 25. I’ve just picked it up.

I’m making it up little by little, just trying to get better every day.”

But he doesn’t just get better alone.

His partner during practice, senior Brady Fankhauser, helps to point out his form and what he can do to improve. Always helping each other get better in any way they can, they share a strong bond of mutual hardworking attitudes — as well as a practice mat.

I T S M A D E M E w a nt t o w o r k h a rd e r . I w a nt t h i s s e c o n d st a t e t i t l e m o re t h a n eve r , i t ’s made me hungrier.

JAHIR CONTRERAS SENIOR “Brady gets better because of Jahir, and Jahir gets better because of Brady when I wrestle them and drill them with each other in practice,” Ufford said. “If they didn’t have each other, I don’t know if they’d be where they’re at right now.”

W

HEN ASKED HIS goal for this season, Fankhauser said only two

words: State Champion.

“He’s got the potential,” Ufford said.

“It’s a lofty goal, but we’ll see. He’s got the experience.”

Ufford believes that Fankhauser is a worthy candidate for state champion, especially considering the drive he possessed to get his 19-1 season record. This is where Contreras’s and Fankhouser’s progressions differ.

“He hasn’t had Jahir’s experience of success early on — Jahir placed third as a sophomore, and Brady was a state qualifier that did not place,” Ufford said.

“Junior year, Jahir was the state champion.

Brady was not a state placer as a junior.

Brady’s had to show some resilience, some mental toughness, to continue this and to grind and come back to get to where he is right now.”

Fankhauser aims to not o n l y

everyone who he’s around as well — he’s an athlete who Ufford regards as a “strong leader” with beginning wrestlers.

Sophomore and teammate Jack Kessler notes that Fankhauser’s seeing just how much effort Fankhauser puts in each practice has made it easier to learn from him.

“He’s always putting in work,” Kessler said. “He’s always doing extra sprints, extra workouts, stuff like that. And he’s been a great teacher too. When I was a freshman, I wrestled the entire year with just him and he helped to teach me a lot.”

Fankhauser is no stranger to hard work either. Since middle school his schedule has been full of after school practices, weightlifting sessions, summer wrestling camps, weekend meets and tournaments.

Each day, Fankhauser pushes himself further than the day before — and he does so with the mindset of always keeping his next goal in mind and not dwelling on mistakes or spending too much time celebrating.

“For Brady, he’s had to work very hard for everything that he has,” Ufford said.

“He’s just had to work that much harder to get there to be a qualifier.”

All of this hard work is finally paying off this year. With 19 wins under his belt, Fankhauser is ready for the rest of the season and hopeful for a state championship title.

“I feel like all the work I’ve put in throughout the years has accumulated and is starting to show this year,” Fankhauser said.

improve himself, but rather

weight class: 132 record: 16-1 rank: 3rd

weight class: 152 record: 19-1 rank: 4th

JAHIR BRADY

JANUARY 24, 2022

design by maggie merckens

PHOTOSTORY 31 Junior Ayla Özkan calls himself a “Jack of all Trades” when it comes to arts and crafts

A B O V E Özkan poses with his variety of craf t supplies. He leaved to sew when he was six and soon afte r taught himself how to crochet. “I’ve always been the ar t k id” said Özkan.

PHOTO BY MAGGIE MERCKENS

SCAN ME • VIDEO

Scan this QR code to p u rc h a s e photos on Harbie

A B O V E Ö z ka n u s e s h i s s ew i n g m a c h i n e to s ew t wo p i e c e s of fab r i c . “ I ’ m re a l ly i nto h i sto r i c a l s ew i n g . . . d o i n g t h i n g s t h e wa y i t wo u ld h a ve b e e n d o n e . . . [ i n ] a c e r ta i n t i m e pe r i o d” s ai d Ö zkan .

PHOTO BY MAGGIE MERCKENS R I G H T Öz ka n c roc het s a gran ny s qu are to a tta c h to h i s b la n ket . H e a ls o m a ke s a m i g u r u m i w h i c h a re c ro c h ete d st u f fe d a ni m a ls . PHOTO BY ELISE MADDEN

TOP RIGHT These are some of the beads in Özkan’s collection.

“I h a ve a b ea d buying problem [with a] tackle boxes of beads,” Ozkan said. He loves all the colors and designs that beads have.

PHOTO BY MAGGIE MERCKENS

A B O V E Özkan uses his jewelry supplies to craft a p a ir of ea rrin g s. PHOTO BY MAGGIE MERCKENS

32 ALT-COPY

Mood SET THE

A mood board to help allieviate stress and add positivity into your life after the holiday season

THE HARBINGER

design & copy by peyton moore photos by riley eck & liv madden photos courtesy of apple music and app store

WE ALL UNDERSTAND. The period that falls inbetween gingerbread houses and summer sun feels like years, but it doesn’t have to. Post-holiday syndrome is a real thing and has real symptoms: low-energy, irritability, difficulty concentrating and

one to many headaches. So, instead of letting yourself get into a lazy January funk, set intentions for yourself, and start 2022 off on the right foot. To give you a head start, here is a mood board with some healthy and motivating ideas.

START SAVING THE

TIC AUTOMA AIRE MILLION

STUDENT BEANS IS an app that finds student discounts based on your interests.

Offering coupons to Gymshark, Doordash, Showpo, Elf Cosmetics and even NFL games, there is really no reason to not give it a try and save some cash.

w ads revie

*goodre

*playlist

MONDAY

INSTEAD OF ADDING to your piles of clutter donate your items — Goodwill, Salvation Army and Habitat for Humanity will pickup donations from your doorstep.

TED MOTIVA

MIND

*speech

RISE

SELF CARE SURROUND YOURSELF WITH positive, warm hearted people. This is your sign to check on who you surround yourself with in the real world and on social media.

Here are a few of my favorites:

READ

UP

BURN AFTER WRITING

@MIRRORS REFLECT YOU

@THE HAPPY SNAPSHOT

*amazon review

@SME SOURCES OF STRENGTH

IE HIPP AGE OT SAB

STEP OUT OF your boundaries this year by trying something new. Whether that means trying a new restaurant a new music genre, a funky boba tea, a new musical in town: just try it all. Don’t let yourself be stagnant in 2022. Get on the move!

HAMPT ON

THE KID LAROI

ta

ke a b

GET OUT OF THE HOUSE

BROCK

2/04 4/02 2/15

ould sh

ak

THAT WILL CHANGE THE WAY YOU THINK

YES

YO UR LI FE

*podcast

101 ESSAYS

SAY

D E C LU T T E R

N MOTIVATIO

re

T ’VE G O

TREAT 2022 LIKE a restart. Reevaluate your intentions and find what you want to focus on this year. Start by making a goal to stay motivated.

Stay passionate. Prepare for spring with a bang.

Here are a couple of books, podcasts and playlists that are great intention setters:

you

YO U

TH

IS

GET MOTIVATED

AJR

6/01

MUS

IC

FOOD

BAMBOO PENNY’S TAIWANESE CUISINE

5270 W 116TH MAGIC NOODLE

CHINESE NOODLES

8013 W 159TH

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