After becoming the first team in Kansas to win four consecutive doubles state championships, seniors Bryson Langford and Greta Stechschulte reminisce on pivotal moments in their career and friendship
design by greyson imm cover design by francesca stamati
JULIA LANDY , EDITOR-IN-CHIEF OF THE EAGLE EYE AND SENIOR
VISIT THE MSD EAGLE EYE ONCE
Read a review of new coffee shop and a feature on Lara Kislal by visiting smeharbinger.net or scanning the QR code
DID announce the decision, a lot
very upset and actually left school that day, because it was very upsetting for them. A lot of people in the community are mourning, and there’s been especially a lot posted around on social media [too] — things about how the system has failed the community in a way.
THE MAJOR EFFECTS that we had here were school being shut down for two days — which set some teachers’ schedules off a little bit, and it defnitely delayed us as far as our print edition goes — and then family members and relatives who lived in other parts of Florida who came here after the storm happened because a lot of their areas were very destroyed not too far from us.
TOP Aerial view of MSD’s memorial to honor the shooting victims. photo by I travis newbery
BOTTOM An administrator speaks at the memorial’s unveiling. photo by I rayne welser
cartoon by gracie takacs
Motives
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IN THE PRE-NOVEMBER rush to rack up service hours for National Honors Society and resumes, students are desperate for volunteer opportunities. Thankfully, East is home to one of the largest student-run volunteering programs in the U.S., offering over 40 projects each year. Students are highly involved — but why? For the good of our hearts, or for shiny service awards to boast to colleges?
It doesn’t matter. Regardless of the initial motive, volunteering results in the same benefits either way. Colleges and organizations should emphasize its importance even more in applications and resumes, and honor societies like East’s NHS chapter should increase volunteer hour requirements past a mere 15.
Sure, it’d be great if every food kitchen server was a dutiful, compassionate citizen and not just a high schooler scrambling to meet their service hour requirement. But no matter who’s packaging products at can drives and sorting bins at clothing centers, the result is the same for the homeless: food in their bellies and clothes on their bodies.
While philanthropists benefit the community, criticism often surrounds volunteers instead of recognizing those needing aid, arguing about the morality
of volunteering when it’s performative or solely for service hours.
But when we debate why we volunteer from the comfort of Prairie Village and surrounding privileged communities, we miss the point. Selflessness is a result of philanthropy — it doesn’t need to be the motivator.
Even if resume-building is students’ initial motive, a boost in character will eventually develop along the way. It’s hard not to gain a little empathy after feeding three-legged dogs at Wayside Waifs or reading books to under-served elementary schoolers.
However, many students won’t drive 20 minutes to Harvester’s or Wayside Waifs on their own merit, especially in communities like East where it’s easy to stay snug between polished cars and trimmed lawns. Living in suburbia reduces encounters with desperation and suffering — and if adolescents don’t see the need for volunteers first-hand, they’re less likely to even consider signing up.
Students need a little push — like the fate of their future. Emphasizing service hours on college applications and increasing the requirement for admission to various organizations effectively motivates young
adults to pitch in to the community.
Plus, the pressure to volunteer provides long-lasting motivation. Researchers found that people with self-serving motives — like resume building — are more likely to volunteer longer for an organization than those who are focused on value-building, according to a study by the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. True compassion isn’t enough.
When people solely help others out of the goodness of their hearts, school, work and sports can easily become obstacles to volunteering, as they have less motivation to stay committed. But, when colleges, organizations and employers weigh volunteering the same as other activities, students will prioritize service, as their resume will also benefit.
Volunteering solely for service hours may be insincere, but it’s effective. Schools and potential employers should require more service hours to aid communities in need and promote character-building among young adults. East’s NHS requires only 15 — which needs to increase for students to reap the full benefits of altruism.
Eventually, students may discover that helping others is a substantial reason to continue volunteering even after reaching
The belief in or practice of disinterested and selfless concern for the well-being of others
their service requirement. But this is less likely to happen after only 15 volunteer hours — which students can knock off in a couple of weekends or by folding a few hundred plastic bags for Harvester’s.
A study by the National Center for Biotechnology Information found that longterm volunteers experienced higher levels of growth and engagement than short-term ones. If East’s NHS required 30 service hours per semester — averaging about 2 hours a week — students would be forced to engage in long-term, consistent volunteering that would actually build character.
Plus, organizations are unlikely to turn away free assistance. In the face of shelters overflowing with starving families or cancer patients needing transportation to chemotherapy, motives become irrelevant. They need all the help they can get.
Not everyone is a good Samaritan — but at least they’ll also serve the community while helping themselves.
behind volunteer work are unimportant as service benefits society either waydesign by avery anderson
O NE EAST STUDENT from each grade level will attend the third SMSD student advisory council meeting on Oct. 27 with several district administrators led by Superintendent Michelle Hubbard.
At their first of two meetings this year, the council of 20 students selected by the superintendent from all five SMSD high schools participated in teambuilding activities and shared their thoughts in a discussion with several district leaders.
Council Member sophomore Ellen Bowser believes this to be an important step to creating a direct line of communication between students and administrators.
“Sometimes there’s a disconnect between the people who are making the decisions for the school and the students who have to deal with [the decisions],” Bowser said. “This group just provides a space to figure out
what is best for everybody.”
The students will discuss a variety of topics, from school culture to academics, activities, athletics, facilities and furniture.
The student advisors are encouraged to discuss issues and share opinions with their peers at their individual high schools to be fully informed about the student body’s opinion.
This allows both students and administrators to hear new viewpoints on issues they may not have previously considered and ensure everyone has a voice.
“We will have these discussions and when someone has a different opinion, we will all listen to their side of the issue,” Bowser said. “This [council] opens up conversations that we would never have without the opportunity to speak up in this environment.”
K ANSAS CITY POLICE
Interim Chief Joseph Mabin announced an investigation by the Department of Justice of the police department on Sept. 19.
The investigation will specifically focus on the department’s employment practices and several allegations of racism and harassment toward Black officers. If allegations are proved valid, the department
would be showing a “pattern or practice of discrimination based on race” in violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, according to a DOJ letter announcing the focus of their investigation.
Mabin is open to any investigation into the department and believes the department will reinstill their values of equality.
“It is the policy and practice of the Board of Police Commissioners and the Kansas City Missouri Police Department to provide a work atmosphere free of actual or perceived discrimination and
harassment,” Mabin said. The investigation comes after a series of Kansas City Star articles about several Black officers who said they were called racial slurs and disproportionately disciplined by their white supervisors.
Today only 11.6% of KCPDofficers are Black, a statistic that’s been declining for the past ten years. At least 18 officers left the KCPD because of harassment or racism from within the department over 15 years, according to the Kansas City Star.
A LL OVER THE world, people are protesting for the rights of women in Iran. This outcry was sparked by the killing of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini last month after she was attained by the Iranian morality police for what they deemed improper attire.
Amini was detained because she had refused to abide by the country’s strict modesty laws which require women to wear hijabs in all public places, according to CNN. Amini’s death exemplifies a long battle over one of the country’s most significant political issues. The government has been facing pressure to change the policy since July after social media videos circulated showing a turning point for women refusing to follow the strict morality laws.
Sophomore Murad Mirza believes the protests aren’t only against wearing the hijab, but fighting the oppressive government that installed these policies.
“People who don’t have knowledge about Islam might not understand this, but Islam doesn’t require women to wear hjabs and not all the protesters are against wearing it,” Mirza said. “These women are fighting the strict government policies.”
These protests shed light on Iran’s cultural clash between the conservative government that wants to preserve tradition, blaming the US for protests with the younger and a more liberal generation, who blame the government for oppression of women, according to NPR. Women are cutting off their hair as an act of defiance against the oppression of the
Iranian government in protests around the world.
Despite intense use of force, performing mass arrests as demonstrations occur daily, the Iranian police are failing to quell the protests. According to Iran Human Rights Watch, an Oslo-based nonprofit, at least 201 protestors have been killed by Iranian security forces amid the protests following Amini’s death.
Women’s bravery in Iraian politics is much more important than many people realize, according to sophomore Mahad Mirza.
“These women are fighting an oppressive government and protesting just puts them in a situation where they could face even more oppression,” said Mirza.
Students from each grade will be chosen to attend the third SMSD student advisory council meeting
The death of an Iranian woman arrested by religious morality police has instigated global protests
The KCPD announced they are under investigation for racial inequality
SMSD COUNCIL MEMBER
THIS [COUNCIL] opens up conver sations that we would never have without the opportunity to speak up in this environment.
ELLEN BOWSER
FRESHMAN PAIGE BEAN is attempting to get electric car ports installed into the East parking lot. She had her plans approved by administration and is now awaiting district approval.
Bean proposed for the charging ports to be installed along the back row of the senior lot due to the accessibility of electricity from the transformers and power lines located there.
She has looked into using ChargePoint, a global electric vehicle charging station company, which would cost $6,000 to install each charging stall, but Bean estimates the district will profit in less than a year by charging students $2-3 an hour.
“It would only work as a benefit,” Bean said. “There’s really no downside to it except for the initial cost.”
At least 13 students drive to school in an electric car that can be plugged in, according to an Instagram poll. While Bean realizes that’s not a big number, a portion of the East community would still benefit from the addition of charging points.
Tesla driver and senior Peighton Ireland lives in the Meadowbrook apartments — which don’t have charging ports in their parking lot — so she has to charge at the hotel across the street.
“[If East had charging ports] it would be very convenient,” Ireland said. “There’s quite a few chargers around town at parks and random parking lots, but it’s inconvenient to just sit there. I spend most of my time at school, so I wouldn’t waste
my time [charging at school].”
While the majority of students and staff use gas-powered engines to get to school, the charging ports would contribute to making the school more environmentally conscious. Bean also hopes that the availability of chargers would encourage students and parents to consider buying electric cars.
At the dinner table, Bean and her dad often brainstorm how to improve their community, and while most ideas are hard to accomplish, Bean deemed electric car ports at East as the most plausible.
As a freshman class representative, Bean reached out to co-StuCo sponsor and math teacher Hannah Pence about her idea.
“She has been really impressive in all of the work that she’s done in trying to get facts and be organized about it, which is super nice,” Pence said.
support, StuCo and Bean await a response from the district to approve the plan.
“I think it’s a great idea, and I know they have them at the CAA, so it seems like something our district is interested and willing to do,” Pence said. “So hopefully we can make some progress with it.”
PEIGHTON IRELAND
Pence and Fishman sent the plan to Assistant Director of Facilities & Support Services Judd Remmers to look over. The district is working out the logistics of the most efficient way to collect power for the ports and how to finance the chargers. If the plans aren’t approved, Bean anticipates turning to the city of Prairie Village to see if they would be interested in installing them in the sophomore lot for students and visitors of the Prairie Village Pool.
Pence had Bean pitch the idea to StuCo to see the response she’d get, and no one was opposed. In a meeting with associate principals Kristopher Barikmo and Dr. Susan Leonard, Pence shared the idea and received support from both administrators.
“Anything that we can do to help students and families who have cars that are more efficient than a regular car is wonderful,” Barikmo said. “It’s a great way to bring awareness to an important tool we have in fighting climate change.”
With Barikmo and Leonard’s
Bean hopes that East will be a starting point to hopefully get charging ports installed across the district to encourage the use of electric cars.
“If you were going to buy a used car, and you could buy a plug-in hybrid or you’re going to buy a fullygas car, [the charging ports] would encourage you to get [the electric] car,” Bean said. “Also for every car that doesn’t use gas to get back and forth from school, that money goes to East and it’s less gas that East is at fault for.”
story by caroline wood A map of electric charging ports around Prairie Village CHANCES TO CHARGE Harmon Park Corinth Squaredesign by caroline gould copy by hassan sufi
THE STUDENT COUNCIL is hosting their annual can drive from Nov. 1 to 8. All proceeds and goods will go to the Johnson County Christmas Bureau — a holiday store that provides various items to around 10,000 people in need during the holiday season, such as toys, food and clothes. JCCB collects
donations throughout the year and the store opens on Dec 3. Because it’s a popup that isn’t around year long, the shop changes locations each year. In the past, the storefront has been held in vacant Sears and Toys-R-Us locations. StuCo donates cans to the JCCB as well as cash donations for JCCB to purchase goods
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by mia vogelSINCE THE OVERTURN of Roe v. Wade, East students with the capacity to menstruate have become increasingly cautious about their private health information, including how they keep track of their cycle.
Junior and former app user Eve Benditt deleted her tracking app after learning that many companies aren’t legally required to follow Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act regulations — instead, she’s opted to keep track in her notes app to assure her health information is kept private.
Period tracking app users like Benditt are expressing concerns about how secure these companies are keeping their data and how it might be used against them, especially in states with abortion bans.
The data can be sold to third parties like big tech or insurance companies, who could then use it to target marketing or advertising, or expose users’ health information if abortion becomes illegal at a federal level, according to Politico.
These tracking apps monitor when a user is ovulating, as well as when they are — or aren’t — on their period. According to Politico, this data could be used as evidence to prosecute people accused of having or seeking an abortion.
According to an Instagram poll of 232 East community members, 51% use periodtracking apps to plan ahead, track when they are ovulating and monitor other health effects. As a result, these apps have an abundance of data regarding their users’ health.
“You shouldn’t have to worry about an app that’s just supposed to help you keep track of your period giving your information away,” senior and tracking app user Livia Barbre said. “It’s not fair that it’s something [users] even have to think about.”
Privacy policies vary substantially among companies, according to information security expert Laura Shipp — specifically, whether the apps sell information, use the data for advertising, share it for research or keep it solely within the app.
Since many of these apps are free and companies own all data, they’re often not covered under HIPAA and therefore aren’t prohibited from sharing users’ anonymous information, according to Verify News.
However, for former app users like Benditt, cycle tracking is still crucial for monitoring overall health and is required when prescribed acne or other hormonealtering medications.
“My dermatologist recommended that I stop using [the apps] after Roe was
overturned,” Benditt said. “She taught me how to count out the days by hand to estimate — basically the same thing the apps do.”
Health app Flo settled a lawsuit with the Federal Trade Commission last year over allegations that the company — after marketing promises of privacy — shared health data of users using its fertilitytracking app with outside data analytics companies, including Facebook and Google.
Flo’s roughly 10,000-word privacy policy details how the company may share or sell users’ health data and uses tracking technologies for advertisements and analytics on the app’s free version. However, not all period-tracking apps will disclose private information. Health app Clue promises users in its privacy policy that it does not do any advertising or selling of data to third parties, deriving profit solely through subscriptions.
“I feel pretty safe using the Clue app since it’s supposedly the safest one,” Barbre said. “I find all their health information and resources really helpful, but sometimes I do worry about my privacy.”
Multiple bills have been introduced to keep users’ data secure within these apps. Last year, Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore) introduced the Fourth Amendment Is Not
For Sale Act, though this has yet to be voted on, it would prohibit data brokers from selling personal information to law enforcement or intelligence agencies without court oversight.
Without legal protection, this data may be subpoenaed in criminal prosecution in states — such as Missouri — where abortion is outlawed. However, some apps assure users that this is not a pressing concern.
“We completely understand this [privacy] anxiety, and we want to reassure you that your health data, particularly any data you track in Clue about pregnancies, pregnancy loss or abortion, is kept private and safe,” Clue co-CEO Carrie Walter said in an emailed press release.
Health app Ovia’s privacy policy says that without a federal law, the company may give data to law enforcement if required by law or subpoena. However, there is an option in Ovia’s account settings for users to delete account data “entirely and permanently.”
However, users like Barbre believe that it shouldn’t be the users job to protect their data within the app, but that it’s the company’s duty to protect their users.
“It’s like we’re being forced to choose one or the other,” Barbre said. “Privacy or convenience.”
“LIZ TRUSS IS the shortest-serving PM in UK history. She lasted just over a third of the time in offce as the runner-up, a man who died in 1827 of Tuberculosis named George Canning.”
@DegenerateThing
“SO YOU CAN no longer watch Netfix while traveling, at work, at a friend’s house? What is the point if you are locked to your home, might as well have cable. For the record I already canceled Netfix awhile ago, this surely won’t bring me back.”
@LadyArwenEvnStr
“PATRICK MAHOMES HAS proven that he doesn’t NEED Tyreek Hill to play at an extremely high level. But to say he doesn’t MISS the NFL leader in receiving yards at all is blasphemous.”
@RGIII
School should close the day after Halloween to reduce fatigue during school and resulting injuries
TO PARTY OR not to party? It’s a question that surrounds Halloween.
Leading up to Oct. 31, the decision to celebrate with friends — and risk skipping school — is a daunting issue shared by all high school students.
This problem, though small, shouldn’t be a concern in the first place.
Halloween is my favorite holiday — the fall weather, the scary movies and (obviously) the candy. No other holiday encapsulates both spirit and spookiness, better than Halloween. Unfortunately for students, this year there will be no midnight “scream” viewing, or any monster mashes, because we’ll be taking notes at 7:40 a.m. sharp the next morning.
The situation contradicts itself. Why don’t we get the day off for one of the only holidays that’s supposed to be celebrated late at night? I don’t understand why we aren’t able to spare a single day for this great holiday — or better yet, the day after.
Up until sixth grade, I didn’t have a problem with still going to school the next day. I went to a Catholic school that didn’t have classes on Nov. 1 due to All Saints Day — a holiday that celebrates the saints honored in the Church. Throughout elementary school, I was spoiled with being able to stay up past midnight, watching all the Stephen King movies and
eating all the Snickers I wanted, but now attending a public school, I wish I could go back.
Though it wouldn’t make sense for a public school to celebrate a Catholic holiday, we still have multiple days off throughout October. Though I appreciate any day off, me and 426 students would agree that we should just switch one of those days for Nov. 1, according to an instagram poll of 453 people.
My problem with the day after Halloween isn’t necessarily that we need to cancel that day — we just shouldn’t have school the next day. To solve this dilemma, the Halloween Costume Association proposed moving Halloween to the last Saturday of October according to Change.org.
The petition of this proposed idea has amassed over 159 thousand signatures since 2018, and it makes sense — moving Halloween to the last Saturday of the month wouldn’t require the district to give anymore days off, because students wouldn’t be attending class on a Sunday anyway.
Along with people not wanting to get up in the morning, it results in increased injuries when Halloween falls on a weeknight. There are 3800 Halloween-related injuries due to lack of reflective gear such as a flashlight or clip light, according to Britannica. Moving Halloween to a Saturday would not only reduce these injuries, but it would also increase
the safety and enjoyment of the holiday because parents would be able to easily accompany their trick-or-treaters — and teeenagers would be able to stay up later.
Unfortunately, changing a holiday that has been celebrated for thousands of years would be logistically impossible.
Since we aren’t able to change the holiday, and we don’t have the day off this year, the only option is to wake up and go to school... unless you’re conveniently “sick.”
Since playing hookie is the last resort, many parents have to call their students out, flooding the attendance lines and leaving classrooms empty anyway. As of now senior skip day is scheduled for Nov. 1, or as Associate Principal Kristoffer Barikmo calls it: senior “excused absence” day.
Whether or not kids have the day off, there will always be kids who stay up late on Halloween night, because quite frankly — it’s Halloween. That’s what we do as kids. We only have a few more years until we have to worry about adult responsibilities, so for now, we should be able to stay up late on Halloween and indulge in as much candy as possible.
As much as I wish we wouldn’t have school on Tuesday, the hard truth is that we will. Hopefully next year, we’ll be able to convince the district to give us the day off, but for now, being “sick” might be the best option. As the spooky season draws to a close and Mariah Carey blares in all commercial shopping centers, I wish all of the “sick” students a happy Halloween.
As Kansas City is a hub for human trafficking, students should be aware of the signs and know how to avoid being trafficked
TUESDAY NIGHT AT 9 p.m. I’m walking out of Target on Ward Parkway alone after getting yet another “emergency” Maybelline Sky High mascara and enough Cherry Slush Alani Nu to give someone a heart attack.
Walking through the parking lot, I’m turning my head every five seconds and scanning anyone walking behind me — even if they’re 50 feet away. As I get close to my car, I peek under it to make sure no one is hiding underneath. When everything seems clear, I jump into my car and lock my doors before heading home.
Sure, these precautions may seem like overkill to some. But according to professionals on the topic such as police, and nurses trained to detect and prevent human trafficking, it could be lifesaving for young people — especially women — to prevent them from possibly becoming victims of human trafficking. And, after having people attempt to follow me home or around stores, leave things on my car and even ask me out, I learned these precautions are just a small thing I need to do to prevent myself from becoming a target.
Kansas City is the 37th city in the country considered a hub for human trafficking, according to Synergy Services, which doesn’t exactly make the safest. With major surrounding highways like I-435 and I-70, traffickers have easy access to escape routes and can easily transport
victims.
And, after researching the subject due to my own fears and close-calls, I quickly found out 32 people were arrested in Kansas City in June as part of a child sex trafficking investigation, according to KSHB.
Even with these very real reports, it can be easy for teens to be unaware of the human trafficking scene around them.
Think about it this way: I’m walking out of that same Target, on alert. But I still miss the discreet tactics traffickers use to identify or grab victims.
A zip-tie on my car door handle. A tissue tucked under the windshield wipers or under or behind my car. Any small abnormality meant to distract me for just the right amount of time to be abducted.
With traffickers doing all of these things to target vulnerable people, there are ways young people can keep themselves safe to prevent being trafficked.
Before I left for Target, I shared my location with people I trust — close friends and parents — and told them I’d be back by 10 p.m. I also found a large group leaving at the same time and stayed close to them. A group-setting tends to deter traffickers from grabbing you.
In the store, I watched my body language, trying to appear as confident and self-aware as possible. According to EasyLlama, traffickers tend to grab girls who seem confused, sad or weak. So I made sure to stay off my phone and look up as I
shopped.
When I suspect I’m being followed out of the store, I always walk in a circle to see if they are really tracking me. I feel safer after asking an employee to escort me to my car or yelling abrupt sayings like “CALL THE POLICE’’ to discourage attackers.
I make sure to keep my music at a reasonable volume as I drive away, so I can watch cars who might be following me — both during the day and at night.
If I’m being tailed, I drive to the nearest police station and stay in my car with the doors locked. Then, I call the police station I’m at, notify them of the situation and ask for someone inside to escort me into the station to wait to get picked up.
I never take chances by driving in circles to “lose” followers, acknowledging that sometimes I need professional backup.
Most importantly, I swiftly inspect my car before getting in and head back into the store and alert a worker or security if I notice anything suspicious.
Trafficking is an exceedingly real and serious issue facing our community that must be taken seriously and properly treated to prevent even more victims than we already have.
If you or someone you know are a victim or survivor of human trafficking, or someone who knows a potential victim or has information about a possible trafficking case, call the human trafficking hotline at +1(888) 373-7888. If you or someone you know is in immediate danger, call 911.
SITTING AT THE whiteboard tables in my sixth grade classroom, D.A.R.E. Officer Wolf warned my classmates about cyberbullying, social media and all things phone-related.
As a 12-year-old with my mom’s old iPhone 6 who was only allowed to text my family and best friend, it was the first time I’d ever thought about the potential consequences of my online presence.
The advice that stuck with me most is that what you put online stays there forever. Now, I’m reminded of that with every rude comment or tabloid that I scroll past.
I was recently reminded of Wolf’s lesson when Kanye West tweeted an anti-Semetic comment that vastly spread around social media — leading to his ban from Twitter within minutes.
These recent events leave me wondering if people know the difference between sharing an opinion and spreading hate. Are they aware of the consequences?
West joins former president Donald Trump, actor Scout Willis and internet celebrity Andrew Tate who have all been locked out of their social media accounts for being blatantly hateful, violating these platform’s community guidelines. They justify their actions by claiming that their accounts are a free place to share their thoughts, but that’s not a good reason to spread harmful messages to a following of up to 20 million people.
Racism, anti-Semitism and sexism from celebrities affects real people, not just their own reputation. Their highly influential position inspires crude comments and can lead to hateful crimes.
A verified account can receive thousands — if not millions — of likes and comments within hours, each symbolizing a real person behind a screen. Online hate spreads like a virus.
With an out-of-line post like West’s — people who see it tend to repost or comment
on other social media platforms about it, making the post even more likely to be viewed online. Even if the post is deleted, videos commenting on them can’t be taken down due to the user’s right of free speech.
If you search West on TikTok, almost every recent video is remarking on his tweet. Those will be there forever.
Posts that go against the platform’s guidelines on “never condoning violence, threats of violence or verbal or emotional abuse” should be expected to be deleted with the account possibly being banned.
This goes for typical users with 50 to 500 followers, too. You don’t have to be verified to get your account banned for encouraging discrimination or violence. Although you might not have as many followers as a celebrity, if a post is obviously offensive, it will get taken down.
Accounts with hateful posts can all be accessed later when people are applying for jobs, colleges, scholarships and greek life.
It’s best to keep negative content off of the internet for everyone’s sake.
The beauty of the internet is that people are able to have access to information at the click of a button and be able to stay updated on current events almost instantly, but using the power of free speech that your phone gives you for cruelty defeats the purpose.
All social media users should understand that their content will always be accessible, even if it’s deleted. They should understand that comments can hurt even through a screen and that it’s important to be considerate of everything you post. You can delete a comment or take down a post but someone somewhere could easily have a screenshot of it on their phone.
Although it may sound childish, some of the best advice Officer Wolf told my sixth grade class was to “always be the kind and considerate person you are in real life on social media.”
Students in the new teacher education course visit local elementary schools to shadow teachers and gain experience in the classroom
RIGHT Shadowing a teacher at Corinth Elementary, senior Charlotte Emley goes to each third grader to help them fill out their daily planner. “I love building a connection with the kids,” Emley said. “They always have something interesting to say.”
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RIGHT Senior Zoe William works through a reading assessment with a first grader in the hallway. “My goal is to build enthusiasm for a possible career in teaching and to inform students what that looks like,” co-teacher of the course Samantha Feinberg said. “They’re getting a realistic sense of what it’s like to be on the job and getting to work directly with the kids.”
ABOVE Senior Charlotte Emley sits with her class in a circle, playing a name game exercise. According to teacher Samantha Feinberg, one of the most important aspects of teaching is working well with the kids. “Having the opportunity to engage with the kids, read with them and play on the playground is a part of the experience,” Feinberg said.
TOP LEFT Third grade students raise their hands to ask the teacher helpers questions as they shadowed classrooms for a day. Once weekly, teacher education students take skills they have learned from the class and apply them directly in elementary schools.
TOP RIGHT A first grader learns letter sounds and sight words through a board game with senior Ava Black.
Get to know the two building substitute teachers
THIS WEEK IN
A look at whats happening inside the halls of East
SUBSTITUTE TAUGHT FOR 7years
FAVORITE CLASSES: business english YEAR AT SME 4th
SUBSTITUTE TAUGHT FOR years 2
5 YEAR AT SME th FAVORITE CLASSES: business
BOTTOM Junior Eve Benditt writes the results from previous debate competitions on the door to the debate room. photo by I riley eck
BOTTOM RIGHT In fourth hour child development, Faid teacher Brianne Stockman puts a fake maternity belly on senior Isabelle Hlobik. photo by I riley scott
WHEN SENIOR ETHAN Jenkinson pulls into the parking lot off of 75th Street in his red 1976 Triumph TR6, heads flip to catch a glimpse of the car.
Nestled between countless rows of BMWs and Jeep Wranglers, the vintage sports car with a polished red exterior and convertible roof sticks out — that’s how Jenkinson likes it.
Since he was six, Jenkinson has helped
his dad repair old cars in the shop in their garage. Between replacing brakes and headlights for hours every week, the two have bonded over a shared love for mechanics.
In addition to restoring cars, Jenkinson and his father attend car shows together. In 2020, they entered in a show at Garnett Lake, Kansas, where they whipped his dad’s Triumph TR4 around the outdoor track, placing second overall.
how to put a hitch on a Volkswagon GTI in his sixth hour auto technology class. photo by I seri steinbrecher
IN THE EAST school bathroom stall with four of her closest friends, then 14 year-old Micheala Miller was overwhelmed. Tampons, panty liners and pads were being waved in her face as her friends kept talking over each other — it was her first period.
With the nearly non-existent period and sex education at East, she had to take her peer’s advice on the sensitive situation despite their lack of prior knowledge.
Now-East alumni Miller owns and runs Strawberry Week — a nonprofit organization aiming to end period poverty and break the stigma surrounding periods by normalizing periods and making products accessible to everyone. Strawberry Week works with businesses around Kansas City to collect and distribute period products to everyone in need. Miller aims to prevent today’s teens from experiencing period horror stories like her own.
Miller began curating programs after noticing that period products are only provided in the nurse’s office at most schools. She’s outraged that menstruators are forced to choose between wasting class time to visit the nurse and hiding tampons in their sleeves to discreetly take care of their period at school.
“Your period is an unavoidable anatomical event, just like using the bathroom,” Miller said. “Imagine if you had to go to the nurse’s office to get toilet paper.”
Strawberry Week stresses the importance of making period products
easily accessible — something Miller believes existing non-profits that solely provide food stamps and basic hygiene products regularly neglect.
According to Miller, the high taxation rates are what make period products much less affordable. In Kansas, period products are taxed as luxury items, meaning they’re considered non-essential, according to ksrevenue.gov.
Strawberry Week hosts two big collection drives a year — one in May for Period Poverty Awareness Week and another in November called “Flowvember.” Each drive provides Strawberry Week with enough products to last until the next one takes place — collecting nearly 19,000 products. During the drives, businesses will participate by collecting period products and donating them to Strawberry Week at the end of the month. Although some businesses collect items consistently throughout the year, the drives are the easiest way for Strawberry Week to expand their reach.
After they’re collected, the products get distributed to their partnering companies like Children’s Mercy, Jewish Family Services, Kansas City Public Library and the Kansas Department for Children and Families. These companies and nonprofits distribute products among their restrooms or hand out “period packs” — a reusable bag with seven tampons, seven pantie liners and seven pads — to anyone in need.
According to Miller, another major
obstacle to her non-profit is stigma around periods from men. Her intern Aiva Bucko agrees and has noticed how it affects menstruators’ self esteem.
“If this happened to men it would be so different,” Bucko said. “I think it wouldn’t be something people are ashamed of.”
When approaching businesses asking if they’d host a collection drive, Miller gets responses like, “We can’t have those products here because it’s too political” or “We can’t collect the boxes because they make our employees lose their appetites while on lunch break.”
Many of these organizations host food drives and other charity events for other reasons and will still turn down Miller due to the political factor associated with periods.
“I feel that a lot of [the political factor] has to do with the battle between our government and people with uteruses to begin with,” Miller said.
This stigma makes Strawberry Week’s mission more difficult. According to Miller, if half of the population refuses to address a subject and fix it, advancements won’t be made. This is why Strawberry Week focuses on normalizing conversations about periods in general.
“If our society wasn’t historically a boy’s club, then I think all this stuff would’ve long, long ago been made more accessible,” Director and Miller’s husband Ford Miller said. “Everyone would’ve recognized how necessary these products are.”
FOUR STATE CHAMPIONSHIP trophies sat heavy and lifeless on a side table while seniors Bryson Langford and Greta Stechshulte shared their final hug as official lancer teammates at their end-of-season banquet.
The only pair in Kansas history to win four state doubles titles sat in the very front row of the packed Meadowbrook banquet room, having earned their spot with an impressive 95-0 undefeated record against Kansas teams.
The dinner was their chance 110 out of 114 doubles matches and bask in their newfound, glory. Instead, Bryson and mesmerized by snapshots of eating Slim Jims and Andy’s past road trips to tournaments.
A photo slideshow recapping seasons played on-screen. They stifled laughs at images goofy poses in the team van. at their dorky grins in a throwback first doubles win as nine-year-olds. knowing smiles at pictures of
AFTER CLUTCHING
ALL five doubles matches of their season so far, Rock Bridge from Missouri showed Bryson and Greta their first loss.
Both felt they could’ve won. They should’ve won. Except their court positioning wasn’t in sync and their opponents outrallied them.
But their disappointment was when Bryson’s crush showed up their following match, motivating hit the ball twice as hard as normal, to Greta. Her “normal” speed was enough to make Bryson infamous season club for her whiplash balls. was hitting it f-a-s-t. Balls whizzed
COACH GIBBS ONLY worried about one team at state — East’s long-time rivals, the Blue Valley North Mustangs. A few minutes away from Topeka, Gibbs eased on the breaks of the team van as he passed an elegant, newly-built hotel with BVN’s van — decked out with navy blue window markers — parked in front. Bryson paused on her math homework to glance at Greta, who was squashed up next to her between coolers and tennis gear. Her wide eyes asked: Are we really staying at the same hotel as the Mustangs? But Gibbs kept driving, past the decked-out van, past the renovated hotel and straight to the next eyebrow-raising inn with a weed-infested, cracked parking lot
and paint-chipped exterior.
Bryson slept for only four hours between scratchy covers and mysterious odor in Greta’s room. The soon-to-be state awoke by rolling out of bed onto floor, startled by “Defying Gravity” from Greta’s alarm — a ruder awakening Bryson’s soothing instrumentals.
After only losing six games out of total of three matches, the duo made finals against BVN. The state title was close. Greta’s grandma was so excited hobbled onto center court as the match only for a red-faced Greta to shoo her teams’ coaches stopped watching their players to see the freshman wonders take at the state title, joining parents and teammates crowding the fence around the court.
“I like playing in front of people, could sense the tension,” Bryson said.
IT HAD BEEN an undefeated season so far for then-sophomores Greta and Bryson. Enter then-freshmen and East doubles team Abigail Long and Katie Schmidt. Bryson and Greta’s newest competition faced them in the finals of the state tournament while 30-mph winds sporadically whipped the ball around the court.
Wind — what some tennis coaches ultimate equalizer. For unfavored teams, a chance to overtake shaken opponents. Greta and Bryson had beaten their teammates the Sunflower League finals earlier that and weekly at practice, gusts had already upsets in the singles draw of the state tournament that day. Nothing felt guaranteed.
Greta and Bryson exchanged
A reflection on moments from seniors Bryson Langford and Greta Stechshulte’s historical high school tennis careers after becoming the first team in Kansas to win four doubles state championships
chance to celebrate matches won overall newfound, historical Greta were of themselves ice cream on tournaments. recapping their images of their van. “Awww”-ed throwback of their nine-year-olds. Shared of them post-
win over their rivals.
“It made me remember a lot of the things I’ve experienced with Bryson,” Greta said. “Tennis is really important to me, but I try not to cry in front of people.”
Only the players in the front row could notice Greta’s eyes, that she’d managed to keep dry all season, water as Bryson said she “meant so much” to her during her senior speech.
Behind the unbeatable state champs stands their full story of success and lesser-known — but equally important — moments.
was quelled up to watch motivating Bryson to normal, according was already infamous at her offballs. Now, she whizzed past the
SEPT. 11, 2019
other team before they could touch them and smacked the wind screens, some embedding into the fence.
“Bryson had never hit the ball that hard before,” Greta said.
Greta decided that Bryson’s love interests should come watch their matches more often.
THEN-JUNIORS GRETA and Bryson’s friends were shocked to hear that they’d lost a match that night.
Barstow’s dynamic sister doubles team kept the game close on serve at first. Greta and Bryson had played them in outside tournaments and knew the match would be a battle beforehand, but
SEPT. 15, 2021
the East team had home-field advantage at Harmon Park. Plus, Bryson and Greta were always dead set on winning. Nothing could sway their focus.
That is, until blood-curdling screams rang throughout the park. A car had just hit a brown dog on the street adjacent to the courts. Greta’s dad — a surgeon —
ran from the courts to help, but it was too late.
“After we started playing again, we couldn’t hit a ball the same while thinking about the screams and dog that had literally just gotten run over,” Bryson said.
They lost 10-6 in a tiebreaker.
DON’T TURN AWAY. Don’t back up. I can hit it back, senior Bryson thought. She knew her coaches would tell her to hold her ground against St. Joseph’s top doubles team. So, despite her instinct to retreat, she crouched in the middle of the service box and watched her opponent reel her racquet back for an overhead smash.
Spoiler: Bryson could, in fact, not hit
between the in her and champion the hard blasting awakening than of 42 in a it to the stirringly excited that she match began, off. Other their own take a shot teammates people, but we said. “It was
probably the biggest crowd we’ve ever played in front of.”
Game score: 2-1. Then 3-2. Then 5-4. On serve. They barely won the first set, 6-4. One of their opponents, a lefty, had a wicked cross-court forehand. Bryson and Greta struggled to knock her off balance or push her far enough off the baseline, barely stringing together enough games to earn a matchpoint. Jelly legs and shaking hands aside, Bryson hit a pounding return — forcing their opponents to miss. For the first time all season, she sprinted and nearly tackled Greta with a monster hug. Greta’s arms stayed glued to her sides, shocked by the affectionate display more than the win. With a 6-4, 6-4 victory and their only hug all season, Bryson and Greta secured their first state title to cheers that Greta would later call “electric.”
coaches call the teams, it can be opponents. Though teammates in that season already caused tournament knowing
2020
glances. It’d be an ugly match. In hindsight, they can’t recall a single clean point without at least one shanked ball shooting off in an unplanned direction. All four players suffered from the wind, but the match still wasn’t close.
A 6-0, 6-0 win for Greta and Bryson brought less cheers than last year — they weren’t the baby underdogs anymore.
it back.
Instead, the over 80 mph ball careened directly into Bryson’s chest, bowling her onto the ground where she laid with the wind knocked out of her for at least 30 seconds.
“I thought my doubles partner had died,” Greta said.
As Greta helped her partner up, Bryson’s mom whispered to Greta’s that the St. Joseph girls had “no idea what
AND SO THEY met again. Katie and Abigail versus Greta and Bryson, part three. An oddly calm wave passed through both seniors who felt a win coming. The hunch carried them confidently through the entire match, up until match point. Being up a set, five games and 40-0 meant one point away from being in history books — and everything they’d played for since freshman year.
40-15. That’s okay, just one more point. 40-30. We can’t keep letting this slip. Deuce. Uh oh.
The three-time state champs were just two points away from making history. Greta hits a volley smash winner.
INSTEAD OF A racquet, Greta’s hand grasped an imaginary microphone as she belted Taylor Swift and Carrie Underwood on the van ride back from state with her five fellow state champions.
It was impossible to be in a bad mood shoved between teammates, tennis bags and a state championship trophy for those three hours home. Even Gibbs cracked a smile from the driver’s seat at the off-pitch and sometimes made-up lyrics that the girls were “harmonizing.”
OCT. 15, 2022
Advantage for her and Bryson. Two hearts pounded — one point away. But Katie hit a whooping first serve in the wide corner of the box to make it deuce again.
Another point lost. Sighs of frustration for the seniors. Ad out. Bryson hits a passing shot. They were expected to win — they’d spent four years waiting for this moment. Don’t think about the stakes. Back to deuce.
Eight deuces later, Bryson and Greta win a two-point streak to close out the match and become the first doubles team in Kansas history to win four titles. Viewers politely clapped, but most had
Relief after spending two days under pressure to win made the normally-calm group of girls giddy in their seats. Relief after four years of stress for Bryson and Greta. They’d finally done it.
When “Long Live” by Taylor Swift came on, Bryson didn’t know the lyrics — so Greta carried that song.
“Long live all the mountains we moved!” she shouted and danced, pointing at Bryson. “I had the time of my lifeeeee fighting dragons with you!”
Bryson’s eyes watered at the thought
17, 2022
they’d just unleashed.” They’d seen Greta and Bryson get revenge before — a side quest on the way to winning.
Bryson pegged the girl who hit her with a punching volley and Greta got the other one with a fuzzy yellow bullet before winning the match 6-3, 6-0.
“If someone goes after my partner, I’m not going to necessarily avoid hitting them back,” Greta said.
seen the win coming for the veterans.
Striding off-court, Greta and Bryson hugged everyone in their path: their parents, teammates, coaches. The Kansas Athletic Association reporter ushered them away for an interview. They held up fours for photos and said countless thank yous.
After four years of three-hour practices seven times a week to train for the win, the pair got what they’d wanted most: a historical four-peat. Strangely, the memories along the way — whether silly, celebratory or bittersweet — seemed just as significant as their gleaming trophy.
of every practice, match, loss and win they’d had together. She was supposed to be happy, and she was. But she couldn’t stop wondering what playing D1 tennis at Davidson University next year would be like without her doubles partner, impromptu-karaoke-duet buddy and close friend since third grade.
Greta kept dancing. But Bryson knew her teammate well enough to understand that the distant look on Greta’s face meant she was thinking the same thing.
ROCK THE BOAT , don’t tip the boat over Rock the boat, don’t rock the boat baby Rock the boat, don’t tip the boat over Rock the boat, woo!”
Stationed inside the gymnasium entrance of East, filled with student volunteers holding inflatable lobsters, it was head organizer John Trewolla’s tradition to greet every customer of the International Club’s Lobster Sale with this tune sung by his mechanical lobster. Perched on a plastic rock, the lobster wiggled its 10 legs to the beat.
This was just one of the ways Trewolla made the annual sale special. He made the lobsterdesigned signs that lined Mission Rd., leading the customers right to the gymnasium entrance and made personal connections with his customers while handling their orders.
for the sale each year.
After over 15 years of organizing the lobster sale, Trewolla was diagnosed with stage 4 liver cancer this September. He passed away on Sept. 29 surrounded by his family. Without the passion and proactive nature of Trewolla and his singing lobster, this year’s lobster sale was canceled.
JOHN KEPT THE spreadsheet of all of our customers, the number of lobsters that they ordered and any extra things: lobster bibs, crackers, forks and other specialty items for the lobsters.
BRENDAFISHMAN
TEACHER
“We had no idea he was sick, so I didn’t realize that [the save the date emails] hadn’t gone out yet,” International Club sponsor and history teacher Brenda Fishman said. “We got to the point where we could throw this together concurrently, or we could just wait.”
they ordered and any extra things: lobster bibs, crackers, forks and other specialty items for the lobsters,” Fishman said. “Then he’d let Gus [another head organizer of the lobster sale] and I know how many lobsters [had] been ordered so we’d know ahead of time how many to prepare for and then contact the lobster company in [Massachusetts].”
During his retirement from his engineering job, John didn’t just help with the lobster sale, but found volunteer opportunities all around Kansas City, like The Micah Ministry and Mely’s Yogurt & Ice Cream’s holiday auction.
friend, Gus Meyer. He believed in something bigger than a legacy.
“He believed in the lobster sale,” Meyer said. “He believed in the students and faculty of Shawnee Mission East. And he believed the good that [the lobster sale] was doing, giving everybody involved in the lobster sale, international club and exchange student program some wonderful life opportunities.”
The lobster sale has been raising money for exchange students’ expenses, such as prom, yearbooks and other necessities, every year since the 60s — even COVID-19 didn’t shut the sale down. That’s how much drive and passion Trewolla put in
Trewolla sold his first lobster in the early 2000s after his wife and former East teacher Shelly Trewolla asked him to help with the lobster sale. They hosted many exchange students over the years — two from Germany, one from France and one from Ukraine — who helped set up the sale with Fishman. Soon after, he was running the operation.
“John kept the spreadsheet of all of our customers, the number of lobsters that
“I just think everybody needs to be aware of the fact that the community is always better when the citizens are involved in social and city opportunities,” Shelly Trewolla told the Shawnee Mission Post. “The city can’t afford to pay people to run VillageFest or Jazz Fest, it takes a lot of volunteers to do those things.”
HE BELIEVED IN the students and faculty of Shaw nee Mission East. And he believed the good that [the lobster sale] was doing, giving ev erybody involved in the lobster sale, international club and exchange student program some wonderful life opportunities.
GUS MEYER
TREWOLLA’S FRIEND
John didn’t just want recognition as the “lobster sale man,” according to his fellow head organizer of the sale and close
This is why, time after time, John came back to the sale. It didn’t matter that he wasn’t hosting any exchange students from East anymore or that he’d never eaten a lobster in his life, he did the lobster sale to help provide a future to the students.
“John was just a very caring person,” Meyer said. “He was more interested in doing something that was fun, and really helped the school and community. That was John. He was all about helping people and giving people opportunities.”
Grace Fields finds inspiration for “Reverie” through in these arts and sources
Incorporated Lorene’s fairy tales into the musical. These fairy tales have been passed down through her family.
SSHUFFLING THROUGH DUSTY boxes, senior Grace Fields became fascinated with the bookshelves full of preserved diaries and letters chronicling the life of her greatgrandma, Lorene Grant Piper — a concert pianist born in 1910 who coped with life through storytelling and music. It wasn’t until the end of her junior year when her independent study — a researched topic or idea, in this case “Reverie” — switched to an on-stage reality.
rev•er•ie
a state of being pleasantly lost in one’s thoughts, a daydream also known as a fantasy
The musical’s storyline shifts between Lorene’s reality and a realm of characters she creates throughout her life when she escapes to her worlds of fantasy, like Ruby City and the City of Mystical Mirrors. Through the hardships of Lorene’s past, Fields intends to spread the idea that our lives don’t need a happily ever after. According to Fields, life is about the moments along the way.
she can already sense the magical experience Fields is creating.
“I’ve heard about ‘Reverie’ ever since Grace first started working on it last year,” Whitefield said. “Having chamber choir together and hearing about the process from the beginning has made me so excited to be a part of this exciting experience.”
Along with writing and directing, Fields also plays the lead role of her great-grandma.
“I would say I most definitely relate to the character I’m playing, Lorene,” Fields said. “She is very adventurous, an aspiring concert pianist with a love for music. She is very imaginative, which I would like to say I am, and a storyteller as well.”
Created a routine for her original song “Ruby City”
Included references to other musicals in her original songs
As Fields continued to read about the life of her great-grandmother, she spent the vast majority of her junior year mapping out the preliminary details — creating 13 original songs and costumes based on mood boards to help envision the character’s personalities and the costumes themselves. Fields presented her project idea to teachers and students at the end of her junior year. She received positive feedback and advice on the show, pushing her to take it to the next level by bringing her great-grandma’s life story out of the diaries and onto the stage.
“Reverie” will be my first time ever directing a show,” Fields said. “It’s exciting, but I know it’ll present its own unique challenges. It’s been a very collaborative process already, and I’m excited to work with the people who have expressed as much interest in something I’m passionate about.”
Condensing an entire life into an hour-long show has been Fields’ main challenge. With diaries full of details down to the birth and death of Lorene’s world in the early 1900’s, finding a way of removing details and still ensuring the musical makes sense has been a struggle — but Fields has been finding solutions to her own challenges, like condensing six years of Lorene’s life into one song.
Through her planning process, Fields’ source of support was her family — who are equally fascinated with genealogy and their family’s past.
I BECAME fascinated with her life and came up with the idea of writing a musical, later applying for an independent study through East and using “Reverie” as my study.
GRACE FIELDS
SENIOR
In the current stages of her musical, Fields developed a list of over 40 East students either involved in the cast itself, the crew, choreography or music. She’s also met her goal of writing 13 original songs and a completed script, minus the song lyrics added in and has begun constructing some of the costumes for “Reverie”, in preparation for rehearsals beginning in late February.
The students in “Reverie” are already enjoying the process and atmosphere of Fields’ student-guided show. According to senior Kate Whitefield, Reverie’s Agnes, with only a few months spent on the show,
“I’m really proud of this big leap she’s taken with all the dedication and hours she spends on this project,” Fields’ mom Beth Fields said. “ I’m not a musician by any means, and I’m just fascinated by how the story comes to life through Grace’s music.”
Creating “Reverie” has also shifted Fields’ interest to writing scripts. Growing up with a passion for acting and singing from her first East musical, “Crazy for You”, to her most recent East musical, “The Wedding Singer”, Fields has ventured into the writing areas for musical theater by now writing her own show. She sees her future in show business as a writer.
“I think it will be interesting to see what happens with ‘Reverie’ in the future,” Fields said. “I want to do a professional version of it with adult actors and circus elements, but I need to do a lot of research on those areas, which is key to taking my musical to the next level along with figuring out how to eventually get there.”
As Fields makes East history as the first student to write and direct her own musical, she’ll continue working on “Reverie” in preparation for when it debuts on April 12 in 2023.
Some of InterUrban ArtHouse’s 2022 exhibitions. Scan the QR for more information.
EAST MOM NICOLE Emanuel stood in front of her newly purchased, rundown USPS building in 2017 and saw it: The old loading dock where the trucks used to back in would make a perfect stage, and the parking lot could be turned into seating for an audience. Those high ceilings — 23 feet, to be exact — would be perfect for rearranging the space for any event they want to host. Those 10,000 square feet could house 19 different studio spaces with room to spare for a café. But, of course, the fence with the “no trespassing” signs had to come down.
Although all she wanted was an art studio when she started InterUrban ArtHouse back in 2011, now she was the owner of an entire sorting facility after housing the organization in three previous locations.
InterUrban Arthouse is a USPSsorting-facility-turned-art-studio-space situated between downtown Overland Park and the business district. A thriving community of artists dedicated to bettering their surroundings and culture through the arts via their three pillars — accessibility, affordability and inclusion — has grown around it since its conception in 2011 and has provided opportunities for East student involvement.
InterUrban ArtHouse CEO Angi Hejduk frequently submits applications
for grants. When Lowe’s accepted their application of the Hometown grant, a $100,000 donation given to 100 different cities across the US to fund service projects, InterUrban jumped on the opportunity.
“Sometimes, when you’re an arts organization and you only search for arts-based projects, it’s limiting,” Hejduk said. “Whereas, [in] an arts organization, you really need to consider yourself as a community organization and what we were trying to do was community improvements.”
From the grant, InterUrban received supplies to renovate their outdoor space — a newly paved parking lot for all the festivals, new plants, water storage systems and the pièce de résistance: a community mural made through the collective efforts of 50 Lowe’s employees and East students. A guest appearance was made by Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce — the spokesperson of Kansas City’s Lowe’s Hometown project — during the volunteer day on Oct. 18.
The mural, designed by Emanuel, features designs representing the cultural diversity of the community in addition to a section dedicated to the music production studio titled The Lab painted by Chico Sierra.
“We really wanted to be a gateway between the historic neighborhood and the historic business district, and be a good neighbor,” Hejduk said. “I don’t
know that development often takes that into consideration and we literally have these adorable neighborhood cottages right across the street.”
The five programs provided at InterUrban range from assisting aspiring artists in their freelancing and commission efforts to providing arts education and access to materials to low-income, at-risk or even just curious children in SMSD through workshops run by the studio’s tenants and artists.
One of the programs offered by InterUrban called ArtSmart helps in this endeavor by introducing and teaching children about social justice through art.
son and senior Owen McGlynn said.
East art teacher Adam Finkelston started taking students on field trips to visit the studio ten years ago to open the door to them and encourage them to volunteer in a field that they are interested in. When volunteers were needed to contribute to the community mural, several East advance art students jumped at the chance.
AS IT’S EVOLVED, her focus has gone from creating art to creating a community and a place where people can come together and work on art.
OWEN MCGLYNN SENIOREmanuel first conceptualized the program years ago at a Briarwood Elementary PTA meeting, receiving a Green Schools federal grant — federal funding given to schools to inform students about environmental problems — in order to teach children about environmentalism and activism through the arts.
“As it’s evolved, her focus has gone from creating art to creating a community and a place where people can come together and work on art without having to worry about access to materials or anything like that,” Nicole’s
“I was already looking for some art-related volunteer activities and when [Finkelston] gave [this opportunity, it] was kind of just like, ‘Oh, let’s do this,’” junior Nora Herring said.
Almost all of the projects and exhibitions worked on by the ArtHouse call to attention societal issues that penetrate American culture — everything from environmental activism to racial justice to abortion rights.
It’s projects like these that have kept Emanuel coming back for ten years. She is retiring from the ArtHouse’s staff at the end of this year to go back to her art roots. Being founder and art director of InterUrban since its conception, it’s only right for her to go back to her original goal — making art in her own studio.
story by sophie linberg ELEFT Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce and artist Anthony Oropeza are introduced in Anthony’s studio. Oropeza’s art often depicts Chiefs players and football games.
LEFT Junior Oliver Novo pours white paint into a container on Oct. 16, prepping for the mural painting two days later.
“My art teacher introduced us to this volunteering opportunity as a way to be more connected with the art world” Novo said. photo by I rachel bingham
BELOW Molly Emanuel McGlynn, daughter of founder Nicole Emanuel, helps volunteers paint a section of the mural designed by Orlando Begay.
“[My mom and I] painted the outlines on the wall for volunteers to fill in, like a giant coloring book,” McGlynn said. photo
ABOVE With the help of a $100,000 grant, InterUrban helped supply graffiti artist Chinco Sierra, Lowes volunteers and East students with the supplies they needed to create the mural. photo by I charlotte emley
aw•um•buk the empthy feeling after many people just left your house
lach•es•ism the urge to be hit by a disaster that would change the course of your life in a story-like manner
the tranquil feeling of being inside during a thunder storm and listening to the patter of rain on the rough
design by
strik•he•do•ni•a the freeing feeling of being able to say “to hell with it”
Book recommendations from some of East’s die hard book readers
FROM THE FRESHMAN
I LIKE “WE Were Liars” [which you may have heard of from TikTok] and I think it’s worth the hype. It captures the [vibe] of summer and it keeps the reader on their toes.
[OBSIDIAN IS ABOUT] this group of aliens that landed on the planet when their’s got de stroyed so they cam to Earth. They have all these magical powers, but the DOD, these peo ple who monitor aliens, don’t know they have powers so it’s about hiding behind the scenes.
Local coffee shops that give back to the community in various ways
THOUGH STARBUCKS AND Dunkin’ drive-thrus are convenient, I can’t help but feel guilty dropping a daily six dollars going straight to the big corporations. Luckily, Kansas City is the hub of local coffee spots, and it’s nice to know your caffeine indulgence is
going towards a good cause, too.
As a caffeine addict constantly on the search for the latest coffee spot, I discovered these two, new-totown cafes with missions that go beyond building the next multi-million coffee corporation.
A coffee shop that provides a safe environment for local young
OF THE BOARDED-UP buildings and abandoned car lots that make up Strong Ave., Grounded Sole Coffeehouse is set apart by a vibrant mural of local historical figures and events. Brilliant yellows and oranges of the building are just the beginning of the bright light this new shop is to the Argentine neighborhood of Wyandotte County.
Since their grand opening on Oct. 5, owners Taylor and Jimmy Penrod are committed to fostering a business that welcomes everyone, knows customers by name, uses resources to serve their community and provides job opportunities for local young adults. This sense of welcoming and warmth only continues inside the cafe with its lava lamps, cozy basket chairs, colorful vintage couches and floral, plant-lined walls.
In a neighborhood ridden with violence and isolation, Grounded Sole isn’t the only effort working
towards building a stronger community. The Penrods, along with a board of eight others, make up Barefoot Mission — an organization promoting sustainable and holistic evolution of urban communities.
Posters around Grounded Sole explain that over the last five years, the Mission has established Argentine Wellness Center for healthcare screenings, church services and food for the community and Avenue Youth House to provide a safe space for homeless young women between 16 and 24.
I witnessed this community-building firsthand as I sipped on my Honey Crisp cold brew from the fall menu: families chatting with the baristas, a group of teenage girls eagerly asking how they could help today and the owner sat down while they stamped paper bags together, catching up on their weeks.
ACROSS FROM WYANDOTTE County’s juvenile detention center and tucked in the bottom floor of the historic Kansan newspaper building, the compassionate smiles and fresh-brewed coffee waiting inside Connect Café contrast its otherwise bleak surroundings.
Now open for over a month, the Social Enterprise Program — started by Foster Adopt Connect, an organization working with youth and families navigating the child welfare system — aims to make a difference in the lives of Kansas City youth aging out of foster care.
Not only do the cafe’s proceeds go to FAC’s work to break the cycle of generational abuse and neglect for Kansas City children and families, but they also employ youth in the foster system
to develop food and customer service job skills. Once graduated from the program, FAC connects the teens with job opportunities in the foodservice industry and local KC restaurant businesses to help them meet their goals and succeed through adulthood.
Open on weekdays from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m, Connect Café offers a complete breakfast, lunch and snack menu, along with local KC baked goods and espresso drinks from Scratch Bakery and Messenger Coffee. Knowing that the $10 I spent on a vanilla cappuccino and granola parfait was going right back to teens my age made it an even more fulfilling breakfast. Though simplistic, the cafe’s cozy environment and its company’s generous values make for a worthwhile stop for your next brunch outing.
A coffee shop that provides jobs for foster kids
Other staffers’ brief reviews of “Midnights” HADLEY CHAPMAN
AFTER A FIRST listen, I was disappointed by the lack of heartwrench created by the electronic beats and autotuned vocals of “Midnights.” But every time I clicked shuffle, Taylor’s expertise in storytelling amazed me, making me forget entirely about the sadgirl autumn vibes I anticipated.
Not many artists can give you a beat to dance to while hashing out their deepest insecurities in “AntiHero” or begin with child-like lyrics only to deliver an emotional punch to the gut in “You’re On Your Own Kid.” I’m convinced each song has a story behind it waiting to be uncovered, so as my list of analyses grows with each listen, so does my love for this album.
LISTENING TO THE first song of the album, “Lavender Haze,” I was taken aback. Where were the soothing instrumentals and indie storytelling of Folklore and Evermore? Instead, we got an electric pop album. I expected literal magic from the collaboration between Taylor and Lana Del Rey “Snow on the Beach,” as two of my very favorite lyricists — but turns out Lana was only humming in the background.
When I gave the album a second chance the next morning, I realized that this unpredictability is why fans love Taylor Swift. Preconceptions about her next album get in the way of fully enjoying it. Since I accepted that she changes like everyone else, the album has definitely grown on me — some of my favorites are “Maroon,” “You’re on Your Own Kid” and “Labyrinth.”
MIRRORING THE THEME of unattainable love in “Dress” from artist Taylor Swift’s earlier “Reputation” album, “Maroon” features her color theory about love. Colors are basically a given when it comes to Taylor Swift songs. From passionate reds to golden glows, most of her albums include an entire song dedicated to a single shade. The “Midnights” song “Maroon” is her latest — and represents Taylor’s masterful storytelling.
But while the contrasting colors of deep red and bright gold
represent the stages of love in “Red” and “Lover,” Swifties assume that “Maroon” was written between the two albums — exposing the final puzzle piece of Taylor’s broken relationship.
“Maroon” has the cleanest, and arguably the best, storytelling with the color maroon symbolizing falling out of love. I was left speechless with lyrics like “The rust that grew between telephones / The lips I used to call home / So scarlet it was maroon” — and thankful to have a new Taylor staple in my queue.
WITH STRIKING LYRICS and a confusing beat, “Anti-Hero” describes Taylor’s public life under the spotlight. Throughout “Midnights”, Swift emphasizes the gut-wrenching faults of her public persona, but “Anti-Hero” mocks this character she has become in the public eye.
In “Anti-Hero,” Taylor comments on the scrutiny of modern beauty standards: “I’ll stare directly at the sun but never in the mirror.” She expresses pain in an ironic, self-scrutinizing
Peyton’s overall rankings of the album
way that gives us insight into her mental struggles.
In contrast to the diary entry portrayed in “Maroon,” “Anti-Hero” feels like a 12 a.m. breakdown. I can’t decide if I should be grieving for the young Taylor broken by stardom or laughing along with the almost sinister chorus: “It’s me, hi / I’m the problem, it’s me.” Despite its complexity, “Anti-Hero” is enticing and makes us wonder if Swift is really OK.
THREE SECONDS INTO “Bejeweled,” I questioned if Taylor was pranking us by including this song. There is no story, no passion and no voice.
If this was a scrap of an early album, I’d be less confused.
Taylor, what happened? This song is childish, materialistically obsesses on jewels and features generic lyrics like “What’s a girl gotta do? / A diamond’s gotta shine.”
If there’s a larger metaphor to such a bland song, I — along with the rest of the fandom —
am not seeing it.
Swifties are saying that “Bejeweled” flashes us back to Taylor’s self-described “glitter gel pen” era. It seems like Taylor asked a second grader to listen to “Mirrorball,” recite it in their own words, recorded it and stuck it in “Midnights” as if her fandom was clueless. Well, we’re not.
Without an enticing beat, outer theme or the sleepless highs and lows that Taylor promised, “Bejeweled” shouldn’t have made it out of the recording studio.
IF THERE’S AN intended audience for this song, I’m not in it. The chorus started out cringeworthy already: “I don’t start sh-- but I can tell you how it ends... / I don’t dress for friends / Lately I’ve been dressing for revenge.”
I’m just glad she didn’t expose this vigilante sh-- petty attitude for long and decided to include it on “Midnights” and not “Reputation,” because it would’ve tanked the success of the 2017 album.
Some may say this song resembles “I Did Something Bad,”
which at least had a catchy chorus. Liars, thieves and cheaters will love this song — but before I go out on Saturday nights, I won’t be singing “I don’t dress for villains / or for innocence / I’m on the vigilante sh-- again.” Taylor, let’s rethink this “angry petty” girl persona.
Taylor didn’t hide any metaphors, Easter Eggs or feelings in “Vigilante Shit” which is not the Taylor we know and love. This song is too on the nose for any
interpretation.
Cafe Cà Phê hosted Wasteland Society’s 5 year anniversary event, ‘Every day is Sadderday’, featuring a diverse range of small businesses owners
WHAT MAKES A perfect Saturday? It’s simple: a day with beautiful
weather surrounded by family, friends and wonderful food — exactly the kind of day I had attending Wasteland Society’s five-year anniversary party in Columbus Park.
Wasteland Society — a clothing brand specializing in hand-printed graphics — is known for using unique, eclectic fonts and having specific design motifs like the midwest, politics and movie characters in their clothing. They have been popping up at events all over KC and even have their own store front in North Kansas City, MO.
The event was hosted by Cafe Cà Phê, located at 916 E 5th St, it is Kansas City’s first woman-owned, VietnameseAmerican coffee shop. The cafe brews up unique Vietnamese flavors like ube, cardamom, cayenne and sesame into what we know as traditional coffee shop items. It also prides itself on
SPICY, SWEET AND sour, chamoy gummies hit on all levels, bringing a taste of the trendy treat to Kansas City.
Made from pickled or fermented fruit — such as salted plums or apricots — chamoy can take the form of a powder, paste or sticky red sauce. It’s then spiced with dried chile powder, which gives it just enough of a fiery kick to balance the sweetness of candy, paletas, ice cream and different types of fruit it is served with.
Chamoy Boi offered a variety of different candies to choose from, including many fan favorites — like gummy bears, sour patch kids
being inclusive to all customers — with messages of kindness and acceptance hung on the walls — it’s hard not to crack a smile when you walk in.
I immediately took notice of the feel good music. It’s not only the type that gets your head bopping, but the type to also get your feet stomping. I immediately turned over to the DJ table, and although it was lacking a proper dance floor, DJ BOATSS and his vibes were so positive that as I squeezed my way through merging lines I immediately felt included.
The event featured small businesses from all over the Kansas City area in booths. Although there were choices for all types of business — like various foods, clothing, artwork and jewelry, here are the two that really caught my eye.
CELEBRATING THE COFFEES and cultures of Vietnam, a new shop from former Broadway actor Jackie Nguyen, Cafe Cà Phê, has taken center stage in Kansas City.
and gushers. They also had a limited number of Chamoy Pickle Kits for sale so you could make them yourself. In these kits you’d get a hot pickle, a variety of Mexican candies and different types of candied sauces.
I went for the $11, eight-ounce watermelon gummies, dried mangos and a pickle kit. The gummies are a bit wet and sticky to eat and will stain your fingers red if you aren’t careful, but I think that’s why people love them. If you aren’t the type to like a sweet and savory mix with hints of sour and bitterness then this might not be for you, but if you are open to new things, Chamoy Boi has endless flavors to try.
Warm colors and cultural symbols depicted in a combination of vintage and modern style come from all directions inside the 1,200-square-foot cafe. Inside and out, artwork by North-Carolinabased muralist Love Letter Creative brings to life Nguyen’s vision for a vivacious showcase for the flavors and spirit of Vietnam. It makes for a perfect place to host events and although they always have a line out the door, the wait for their thirst quenching coffee is more than worth it.
I ordered one of their most famous lattes, the “Hella Good” — priced at $7. It’s offered cold or hot but is absolutely recommended to be iced. Described as
sweet, creamy and purple, the drink really lives up to its “Purple Drank” nickname. The latte is a Vietnamese Espresso with ube syrup, oat milk, condensed milk drizzle and ice. It took one sip for my mouth to experience a world full of flavors. Although it was something I wanted to enjoy, the drink had been gulped in the span of five minutes, screaming at me to go back for more.
After hours of IB homework and work events, I was craving an experience just like this. The positive energy that I get from attending events with all these different businesses relieves me from the thought of the endless pile of things I need to get done. These types of events are extremely important to our community, but when they’re combined with inclusivity-driven missions, they become something to be excited about.
photo by lili vottero
After nine hours of packaging toothbrushes, shampoo, conditioner, food, clothing and other necessities for the Folds of Honor Foundation, senior and varsity lacrosse player Will Feagans eagerly made his way back from his packing station to the rest of his team.
As a way of bettering their players as people and also trying to gain back East’s respect and trust, the boys lacrosse team is participating in marathons, supporting local charities and volunteering at various drives around the city according to the players.
“This hopefully will help our reputation,” Feagans said. “We’ve had our rough years, you could say, but we’ve always been doing different things in the community to help out. But definitely to help build the lacrosse reputation for sure.”
Lancer Lacrosse first had the idea of getting the team involved in volunteer work last fall, starting with coat drives for the Starfish Foundation. They decided to officially require the athletes to do volunteer work as a part of their program before the spring season last year.
“We have asked [the boys] to complete five hours of work, and then we’re trying to get them as many as 10 hours of volunteer time this fall and next spring, so not a tremendous amount,” Lancer Lacrosse Co-President and East parent Chad Gooley said. “We’re going to
try to do something a little special for those guys that put in some extra time.”
The lacrosse team’s negative reputation comes after a game against Rockhurst High School last spring where both student sections shouted non-school approved chants.
“There was an incident at one of their games that no one wanted and the lacrosse team and our school received a lot of negative publicity,” Principal Jason Peres said. “We were contacted by multiple people who attended the game and multiple parties from the other schools that we played against. Essentially, we just agreed to disassociate our names, they can still call themselves the Lancers based on our agreement.”
Feagans and his teammates don’t agree with the decision — feeling like they have had to compensate for actions that were out of their control while they were on the field — but recognize that it was an executive decision to protect the school.
“It’s disappointing for sure considering that we’ve historically been such a successful program and made it to the state championship for the past two years,” Feagans said. “I can understand where [Peres] is coming from, but there was nothing that we could’ve really done. We can tell people to not say things, but students, especially as high schoolers, won’t listen to what we say.”
Gooley said that Lancer Lacrosse’s goal is getting their players involved in the community
and to better themselves as people.
“I think the big thing as a board, because we’re not a school sport, is we’re trying to instill some good values in the boys,” Gooley said. “Volunteering is a good way to get them out into the community a little bit and helping others who were maybe a little less fortunate or doing things that might help others in the community.”
One of the main foundations they volunteer for is the Folds of Honor Foundation, which provides scholarships to spouses and children of the fallen or disabled veterans. While at these events Feagans said they were happy to help other people with the benefit of bonding as a team.
“We are a family, and it’s always kind of been this really tight knit group and it’s nice when we get to spend time together on the weekends hanging out and doing different things as a team,” Feagans said. “It’s definitely brought everyone closer together, especially the new guys in the program.”
Not only has volunteering and dedicating time to others bonded the team closer together but the players have come to enjoy their service time.
“When the boys do the Folds of Honor Run, they seem to really enjoy it and the payoff for it was the camaraderie that the boys get from it,” Gooley said. “It’s good for them to have team building exercises and spend time together, not on the lacrosse field and for Folds of Honor, we are able to help them raise a bunch of money. But we want something the boys can look back at and really see the benefit from.”
LANCER LACROSSE CO-PRESIDENT
VOLUNTEERING IS a good way to get them out into the community a little bit and helping others who were maybe a little less fortunate or doing things that might help others in the community.
CHAD GOOLEYstory by emma krause Lancer Lacrosse players volunteer on weekends through their team
need some water? courtesy of Lancer Lacrosse
up
WE’RE SEEING THIS HUGE swing in women’s professional soccer. This season with our Angle City game, we broke our franchise attendance record and [our average attendance has] only continued to stay high. And then you’re also seeing an increase in merchandise because people want to be fans of women’s soccer.
I THINK [WOMEN BASKETBALL players are] at the forefront, and I think they really promote women’s sports. But when we played, we just wanted to play, because there was nowhere you could play in the U.S. after college.
SENIOR ERIN KAYE had been brainstorming service projects for an hour and 20 minutes with her friends during IB Theory of Knowledge. After tossing out plans to sell bracelets, pins and sweatshirts, senior Evyn Roberts asked a question that launched months of planning, advertising and Zoom calls with Nepalese students:
“What’s the national sport of Nepal?”
Volleyball — that was it. To raise money for the Zeke O’Connor School, the only STEM school in the sparsely populated Solukhumbu District of Nepal, they’d host an East-wide volleyball tournament.
Erin got the idea to host a fundraiser for the school from her mom, Mary Kaye, a board member of the Sir Edmund Hillary Foundation, a non-profit organization that funds the school and several environmental projects in Nepal.
Charging an entrance fee of $20 per team, Erin plans to raise $10,000 total for her senior Creativity, Activity and Service project that is required through the IB program. But the tournament is just the beginning.
Back in 2015, Erin’s connection with the school started when her brother, Brendan Kaye, researched Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay — the first people to climb Mount Everest — for a National History Day competition. Intrigued by the third world country’s history and culture, he learned
about its minimal schooling and resources.
Motivated to help, he contacted Zeke O’Connor, a friend of Sir Edmund Hillary, and discovered the Zeke O’Connor School.
From there, he and Erin’s mom Mary Kaye traveled to Nepal for three weeks in 2016 to meet the residents of Phaplu, the mountainous town where the school is located. They experienced frequent power outages and a lack of air conditioning, but formed personal connections with the students, teachers and parents in the village. Mary and the mothers in Phaplu share the desire for their children to get a good education and many of the mothers aspire for their children to one day go to school in the US or Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal.
Brendan, who was 14 at the time, went to school with the Nepalese high schoolers and bonded through singing and dancing at celebrations for the 50th anniversary of a local hospital.
Mary learned that it costs around $120,000 annually to run the high school and pay for staff salaries, security and learning materials — compared to East’s annual $189 million of expenses.
Because of the relatively low cost of school expenses, Erin realized that $10,000 could make a difference, so she and her friends Shawnee Mission Northwest senior Annaliese Nguyen and Blue Valley North senior Richard Oma-Savage scheduled a
Zoom call with three girls from the school. However, communicating long-distance was more complicated than they expected.
“They’ll have several hours of the day where there’s no electricity or the electricity will go out, or many times during the week the electricity goes out,” Mary said. “So that’s an issue — to make sure that they have electricity and internet. There’s also a 10-hour and 45-minute time difference between Nepal and Kansas City, so the biggest challenge is for them to find a time when they can meet.”
Erin and her friends met with the Nepalese students at 9 p.m. — 7:45 a.m. in Nepal — the girls from Nepal using their principal’s phone, the only device they had access to, to join the Zoom call. Erin and her friends discussed school, family and home life with the girls, but the conversation veered toward their interests and hobbies.
Erin found out that all of the girls played on their school volleyball team.
“I had so much fun learning about their culture, history and day-to-day life that I decided to make this my CAS project,” Erin said.
Erin gathered a group of IB students to help her plan and alert the East community.
So far, she has held two meetings to discuss the date of the tournament and the days and times of more Zoom meetings. IB student and senior Anohita Paul is one of the many students helping Erin plan her volleyball tournament. She wants to find ways to honor the culture of Nepal instead of commercializing it to raise funds.
WE SHARED VERY similar teenage struggles of go ing to school, then going to work and then taking care of my family and pets. Of course there are some major differences, but in a lot ways, we’re just very similar.
“It was just like talking to another person in the US which I didn’t think it would be like,” Erin said. “We shared very similar teenage struggles of going to school, then going to work and then taking care of family and pets. Of course there are some major differences, but in a lot of ways, we’re just very similar.”
ERIN KAYESENIOR
“At the meetings, we mainly just brainstorm, so we provide ideas and different ways to actually honor their culture instead of just commodifying it,” Anohita said.
The tournament will be on Jan. 20 in East’s main gym. Until then, Erin and her IB classmates will arrange Nepali food trucks for the event and continue Zoom calling with the girls in Nepal about school and their volleyball team.
The two groups bonded over sports —
Her husband is her high school sweetheart
Has worked in food service for ten years Favorite travel spot is Cancun, Mexico
Her and her kids are Shawnee Mission Northwest alums
If a genie granted you three wishes, what would they be besides asking for more wishes? All my grandchildren succeed, my child succeed (and they are so far, so that’s good) and my retirement [to be] nice.
If you could bring back one thing to the cafeteria, what would it be? We’ve had a lot of good things in the past. I think I’d go back to, if we had the people, like to our breads and cookies because they were so good.
If you had to give one piece of advice to teenagers, what would it be? When you get a job, get a job with the people you enjoy being around.
PAST ACTIONS: FOUNDED SYSTEMS OF CARE INITIATIVES, WORKED AS A CERNER EXECUTIVE FOR 15 YEARS
Decisions about abortion should be made in Kansas, not in Washington.
to volunteer with Laura Kelly’s campaign
Sign up to volunteer with Derek Schmidt’s campaign
Sign up to volunteer with Amanda Adkins’ campaign
volunteer with Sharice Davids’ campaign
and schmidtforkansas.com
MAIN FOCUSES: FUNDING POLICE, PREVENTING HUMAN TRAFFICKING
PAST ACTIONS: ARGUED THREE CASES BEFORE THE U.S. SUPREME COURT
Kansas needs a new governor who will make daily life more affordable during this time of record high gas prices, soaring gro cery bills and a lagging state economy.
MAIN FOCUSES: LOWERING COST OF LIVING, SUPPORTING SMALL BUSINESS
PAST ACTIONS: LOWERING COST OF LIVING, SMALL BUSINESS, LGBTQ+ RIGHTS
When I had a mom calling my offce to say she was spending so much on gas that she couldn’t contribute to her son’s college fund any more, I called on the president to take immediate action and suspend the federal gas tax.