THE
harbinger...
SHAWNEE MISSION EAST 7500 MISSION ROAD PRAIRIE VILLAGE, KS 66208 JANUARY 2 2, 2024 VOLUME LXVI ISSUE 9
A
GROWING
S o c i a l m e d i a h a s i n c re a s e d s te roid use a m o n g y o u n g p e o p l e b y s h i ft i n g lifting
c u l t u re a w a y f ro m h e a l t h y f i t n e ss and tow a rds ac h i e vi n g mu sc ul ar p h y sique s
A LOOK INSIDE:
page 7... Students with diverse backgrounds start a new Multicultural Club
PROBLEM
16...
25...
SMSD DARE officer Brian Wolf published a new children’s book
Junior Will Beck goes from sophomore team to Varsity basketball in one year
02 | JANUARY 22, 2024
THE HARBINGER
de sig n b y addi e mo o re
c o v e r d e s ig n b y ve ro n i c a ma n gi n e
c o v e r p h o to b y l i v m a d d e n
ĢÁőĆĩĢūĆàä Ģäūʼn
ĩĢěĆĢä łŅäŪĆäū
A curre n t e v e n t h a p p e n i n g i n F l o w e r Mo u n d , Texas,
V i si t sm ehar b i nger. net to vi ew ad ditiona l storie s, ga lle rie s, podc a st s a nd v ide os
ac cord ing to ne ws p a p e r e d i to r K e ato n S h a f f e r
The Lewisville Independent School District banned the use of Wikipedia on school devices. It was found that the site did not meet its content filtering requirement, with access subsequently removed
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EDITORIAL POLICY The Harbinger is a student run publication. Published editorials express the views of the Harbinger staff. Signed columns published in the Harbinger express the writer’s personal opinion. The content and opinions of the Harbinger do not represent the student body, faculty, administration or Shawnee Mission School District. The Harbinger will not share any unpublished content, but quotes material may be confirmed with the sources. The Harbinger encourages letters to the editors, but reserves the right to reject them for reasons including but not limited to lack of space, multiple letters of the same topic and personal attacks contained in the letter. The Harbinger will not edit content though letters may be edited for clarity, length or mechanics. Letters should be sent to Room 400 or emailed to smeharbinger@gmail.com.
CRIMSON REMINDER
A
HEATED
JANUARY 22, 2024 | 03
THE HARBINGER
de s ig n b y k a i m c p h a i l
The highly-publicized and dramatic re signation of Harvard pre sident Claudine G ay is a reminder that politic s can serve to discredit academia and schools m ust rem a i n n eut ra l
CONGRESSIONAL
humiliated on political whims, tabloid-style.
gone viral. Politicians blowing up
As politics affect schools, students lose
social media. A flood of articles
trust and question if administrations have
in the New York Times and Wall
their best interest in mind. Students, not politicians, should be holding
Street Journal.
;g ͢ ̩̫ < Ha ͢ ̨ The members of the editorial board who agree with the viewpoint of the editorial are represented by for, and those who disagree with the viewpoint are represented by against.
administration’s statement about the Israel
symbolic
Palestine conflict.
must evolve into a deeper institutional fight.”
fight
over
Harvard’s
presidency
It’s not like politics have no place in the
Representative Elise Stefanik posted “TWO
classroom. Informed and respectful discourse
DOWN” on X in response to Gay and the
between students over political beliefs is
president of UPenn’s removals.
No, this isn’t the recipe for a B-tier crime
administrations accountable. Students should
drama or soap opera. It’s simply recent events
bring issues directly to administration, then
But there’s a difference between a healthy
surrounding one of the most prestigious
to politicians and the media if change isn’t
debate about income tax and the economy
administrations
universities in the world.
made.
during AP Government and political candidates
pressure to take sides. Academia isn’t a
on C-SPAN claiming that higher education is
political pawn to be ridiculed — it’s the
indoctrinating the next generation.
foundation of an informed and successful
The
highly-publicized
resignation
“
of
former Harvard president Claudine Gay serves
as an urgent reminder for all of education: schools must withstand political schemes to discredit academia and remain neutral to preserve student respect.
Conservative congresswoman Elise Stefanik
aggressively questioned Gay alongside MIT
and University of Pennsylvania’s presidents about
freedom
of
speech
in
December
SO IT’S UP
to students to tune out political nonsense surrounding education, and to administrations to withstand political pressure to take sides.
something to be valued.
So it’s up to students to tune out political
Ideally, politicians would keep out of the
nonsense
surrounding to
education,
and
withstand
political
society.
classroom themselves and leave students
For the sake of younger generations, and
to explore politics on their own terms. But
with all politics aside, let’s keep respecting
there’s no sign of that happening anytime
education.
soon. Politicians
like
political
activist
Christopher Rufo have already said that “the
following student protests about Palestine on their campuses. After Gay continued to serve
Yet politics from both sides continue
despite calls for her removal, political activist
to bleed into academia, with or without
Christopher Rufo began investigating Gay’s
student input. Donations from political
history, digging up accounts of plagiarism in
supporters have effects on universities,
her 2001 and 2017 academic papers.
like increasing or decreasing programs in
Yes, Gay deserved to be removed for
diversity, equity and inclusion. Lawmakers
academic dishonesty. But the way she was
clashed with universities on their policies
removed — a calculated political investigation,
during the pandemic. Some professors face
sparked by opponents of her own political
outside backlash for their political beliefs.
beliefs — sets a dangerous precedent creating
Public statements from schools can also cross the political line. Harvard and
a whole new level of concern. Seeing the president of a top university
other Ivy League schools have released
become a political target shows that elected
arguably-liberal statements about current
officials aren’t afraid to attack anyone in the
events like the war in Ukraine.
educational system that they disagree with.
It
becomes
a
slippery
slope
when
For education to remain credible, we can’t
schools take a political stance through
simply target educators that don’t fit political
statements about current events. Once an
trends.
administration comments about one war, away
there is a precedent set for statements on
from the true purpose of school — to teach
all wars. We begin to wonder where the
students — and dramatize the education
line of support is drawn, and students are
system
bound to be upset.
Issues
in
like
this
general.
draw
We
attention
want
to
respect
our top universities, administrations and teachers instead of watching them be publicly
Like have
at
Harvard,
already
where
complained
students
about
the
CATCH UP NOW A c o l l e c t i o n o f Q R c o d e s to re s ource s about the recent e ven t s w h e re ac a dem ia a n d pol i t i c s h a ve m i xed
to
SCAN ME Learn about Jewish students suing Harvard
SCAN ME VIDEO Video published by PBS outlining the events of Gay ’s resignation
SCAN ME Learn about more about the events leading up to Gay ’s resignation
Briefs...
storie s b y mya smith
04 | JANUARY 22, 2024
smeharbinger.net/category/news
GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS CHANGE FOR CLASS OF 2028 THE KANSAS STATE Board of Education confirmed several changes to the high school graduation requirements starting for the class of 2028 on Nov. 10.This included two career readiness activities — determined by their Individual Plan of Study on Xello. Students will need to complete two post-secondary assets from a list of career or real-world activities aligned with their IPS, such as apprenticeships, SAT scores and even 90% attendance at school The changes to the Kansas high school graduation requirements that have been the same for the past 20 years have been in the making since 2021. Students will still need to have a minimum of 21 credits to graduate, changing the English requirement to 3.5 credits and 0.5 credits of communications, one STEM credit, and a half credit of P.E. According to Kansas school board member Melanie Haas, the
main goal of the new requirements is to utilize students’ Plan of Study to experiment with what they want to do after high school. “The goal of their graduation change was to create more flexibility so that students would have an opportunity to really explore and figure out what fits them,” Haas said. Indian Hills Middle School has not told the current eighth graders about the changes yet. Eighth grader Chase Reeves feels that they need to notify incoming freshmen as soon as possible.Chase Reeves believes that these new requirements may not have an impact on some students with a good idea of what their IPS is. But for students that don’t know what they want to do after highschool, it could be more difficult. “We’re getting kind of close to enrollment, I think Indian Hills needs to tell us about it,” Reeves said. “I think for some students it will be a bit more challenging but for me, I think it’ll be easier.”
LOCAL SHOP, THE LEARNING TREE, IS UNDER NEW MANAGEMENT EAST ALUMNI BRETT Goodwin and his husband Alan Tipton bought The Learning Tree — a toy store in Corinth Square—on Nov. 10 and are currently revamping the store while connecting with older customers. “Our number one goal is not to screw up anything and make sure we keep the magic that [the store] has,” Brett said. “We’re really proud of the book section. Books and literature [are] a really great way to keep connected with people.” Previous owners Jonny and Jane Girson sold the store to retire after founding it in 1996. Learning Tree employee and senior Nora Herring has already noticed changes at work. “[The new owners] are bringing
store,”
Nora
Herring
said.
“I’m
really excited because I think that it’s really good to have a small, local business being run by a gay couple.” The Goodwins were inspired to an advertisement in the Shawnee Mission Post. “We read about the opportunity and I just knew right away that we had to call them,” Brett said. When Brett was a high schooler at East, he worked at Village Toy — a former store in the Prairie Village shops.
T O P The Learning tree is located at 4004 W 83rd St, Prairie Village, KS 66208 in Corinth Square. photo by caroline martucci
“I knew from that age that I’d someday have a place of my own,” Brett said.
some new, young energy to the
DEBATE PREPARES FOR THE STATE CHAMPIONSHIP QUARTERFINALS tournament on Feb. 17. All four East teams — consisting of two people each — moved on from the preliminary rounds into the top 32 teams, but only two teams made it to the top 16. Juniors Sophie Leonard and Lucy Pace made it to the quarterfinals with the highest finish and a final record of 6-3. “I definitely learned that everyone is beatable because not only did a lot of good teams get out in early rounds,” Pace said. “It kind
CREDITS
Old graduation requirement s compared to the new gra du a tion re qu ire me nt s
ENGLISH
4
3.5
0
0.5
0
1
credits COMMUNICATIONS credits STEM
EDUCATION
at the Learning Tree this summer,
DEBATE MADE IT to the quarterfinals of the 6A two Speaker
NEW
credits PHYSICAL
purchase the toy store after seeing
State Championship on Jan. 13 and are preparing for their next virtual
d e s ig n b y sydney eck
of humbled us a little bit which definitely needs to happen in the future.” The teams prepared for the championship with speed drills, and researching their opponents tournament records and arguments, according to sophomore Ishaan Home. “We have to look at our opponents’ arguments on the Wiki Online where we see and disclose our arguments to each other,” Home said. Junior Jaxson Terreros and senior Maddie Doyle will join Pace and Leonard at the virtual Spartan Green and Gold Tournament on Feb. 17.
1
0.5
7.5
7
credits ELECTIVES credits
SCAN ME WEBSITE Scan to find the specifics about the new graduation requirements
2021
2022 2023 T h e g row t h o f t h e ca n n a b i s marke t i n M i s s o u r i ove r t h e p a s t t h re e ye a rs
R
JANURARY 22, 2024| 05
THE HARBINGER
stor y by ave ry an de rs o n
de s i g n by zan e l ai n g
GREEN SURGE Missouri is expected to surpass their marijuana sale s this year after their first full year o f l egal recreat i o nal cannab i s sal e s
* nam e s c h a n ged to p rote ct i de n ti t y
ECREATIONAL CANNABIS PROFITS have reached over $1.3 billion since its legalization in Missouri last February, partly due
to Kansans crossing the border to purchase, while retailers hope for more profit this year. While there had been a pre-existing market for medical-use marijuana, over $72 million of the state’s gross profit came from adult recreational sales due to the recent legalization, according to KCUR. Senior Ayden Beveridge-Calvin has observed increased marijuana use through family members. “[Marijuana sales] were able to grow like wildfire because people tried it and then convinced other people to try it,” Beveridge-Calvin said. “Then the people who were already smoking it before it was legal are now doing it even more.” Junior Benjamin Andrews* has noticed a large portion of Kansas residents going into Missouri to purchase marijuana on a regular basis. He feels this is a main contributor in sales in Missouri. Local dispensaries such as Fresh Karma, located in Kansas City, are aiming to surpass last year’s sales, according to Fresh Karma’s retail director, Geordie Pollock. With the combination of an expanding market, fair pricing, a good geographic location and a
wide product range, Pollock says they’re on track to achieve this goal. “[Lawmakers] did a good job as far as
“I think a lot of folks have found [cannabis products] are a good alternative or method for them to relax at the end of the
Missouri will set the stage for economic growth in recreational marijuana sales. “I know that the department of health [in
what’s available and the pricing is pretty
day,” Pollock said. “It’s a good alternative to
Missouri] has done an excellent job of craft-
good here by comparison,” Pollock said. “But
pharmaceuticals [or] alcohol and it’s helped
ing and rolling out their regulations,” Rayl
being in the center of the country is huge.”
people to get off of pharmaceuticals and
said. “Some would say they’re being a little
other dangerous things.”
too heavy-handed with their enforcements
With seven of its eight bordering states banning recreational cannabis sales, those living in bordering states have resorted to purchasing marijuana products in cities along Missouri’s border. “As far as IDs go we see them from a lot
ca•nna•to•ur•i•sm
t ra v e l re l a t e d t o c a n n a b i s o r i n c o r p o ra t i n g c a n n a b i s u s e , t y p i c a l l y w h e re a n i n d i v i d u a l t ra v e l s f ro m a s t r i c t e r s t a t e t o a m o re l e n i e n t j u r i s d i c t i o n
of different places,” said Pollock.
“
and interpretations of some of the regulations on the sale of cannabis, takes and products but my experience in other states is that that is exactly what leads to a more successful model [for selling cannabis]. It tends to squash out the dominance of the
Sales are forecasted to increase each year.
illicit market.”
This would make Missouri a top 10 contribu-
The demand for marijuana has grown
tor to cannabis sales in the United States out
immensely with Kansas City’s second most
Missouri and all throughout the city there are ads for this random CBD place or this random dispensary
of the 25 states that currently allow the sale
googled “near me” search in 2023 being
of recreational marijuana.
“Dispensary near me,” according to KC
AYD E N BEV ERI DG E- CALV I N SENIOR
I WORK IN
The growing popularity and demand of
cannabis products is also playing a large role
Of the four states that legalized recre-
Today.
ational marijuana in 2023, Missouri had the
The American Trade Association for Can-
highest sales, according to MJBizDaily. An-
nabis and HEMP argues the sales are benefi-
drew Rayl works at a company that sells legal
cial for Missouri saying cannabis businesses
and recreational marijuana across the US and
pay hundreds of millions of dollars in taxes
believes that Missouri could be a contender
each year to improve the state. Retailers like
for the top sales spot in the United States if
Pollock see this as a reason to keep recre-
the level of demand continues to grow.
ational cannabis products legal and a way to
The extraordinary numbers can’t be
further promote their businesses.
in the continued increase of sales. Pollock
fully attributed to in-state buyers, however.
believes this is partially due to people finding
“Canna-tourism” has been a key factor in
ket] to grow exponentially,” Rayl said. “It’s
the less-addictive nature of some cannabis
the influx of sales and will continue to cush-
been a boom year for them.”
products appealing compared to other harsh-
ion the market, according to KCUR.
er drugs.
WHERE’S IT LEGAL?
A m a p o f th e Un i te d S tate s s h o w-
c a s i n g d i f f e re n t l e v e l s of leg a lit y a s s o c i ate d w i th m ar i j u a n a
Rayl says the law enforcement level in
“I’d expect [the Missouri cannabis mar-
06 | JANUARY 22, 2024
182
HOMICIDES IN KANSAS CITY
*according to kcpd
RECORDED
T h e c o m m uni t y i s unset t l ed after t he num b er o f gun vi o l ence inc ide nt s in K a nsa s Cit y pe a ke d la st ye a r
K
ANSAS CITY EXPERIENCED record
places where the police force is understaffed.
of the possibility of a pre-planned attack.
gun
According to Newman, criminals know the low
Like freshman Maddie Torkelson, who was in
number of officers and take advantage.
fourth grade when a shooting occurred at her
violence
incidents
in
2023,
according to Kansas City Star data, causing apprehension in the East
A young man had fired several shots at the
Freshman Audrey Squires is concerned by
school from across the street, but no one in her
people die at the hands of gun violence,” co-
the rise of gun violence, especially since she
class was harmed. According to Torkelson, the
president of East Against Gun Violence club
experienced a school shooting at her old school
teachers did everything they could to keep the
in Colorado a few years ago.
students from knowing what was happening.
HOMICIDE
Emma Kuhlman said.
*according to KC Star
SCHOOL
SHOOTINGS
IN KANSAS
2022 TO
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE
highest
through the night.”
homicide
Kuhlman
plans
to
continue
advocating
More recently at East on Nov. 30, there was
against gun violence this year by organizing
90s within the last
a gun-scare incident with a rumored threat
protests, speaking on panels and promoting
year, almost all of
near the lunchroom that was later debunked.
these killings were
Still, rumors of the threat left more than half of
committed
students to leave school early.
with
“
anti-gun violence organizations.
“I was generally very scared because I didn’t police
know what I could believe,” Co-President of
officer
Kaile
East Against Gun Violence and senior Kuhlman
Newman
says
said. According
to
Newman,
the
approach
to
can
solving gun violence is complicated, since it
be brought into the
is affected by factors such as accessibility to
area by drugs and
weapons and citizens’ education on firearms.
crimes
criminal
activity,
sometimes
167
*according to kcpd
“But we really knew what was actually going on,” Torkelson said.
rate since the early
these
FROM
ARGUMENTS
consistently,” Squires said. “I couldn’t sleep
that guns used in
INCREASED
2023 HOMICIDES:
has experienced the
Local
HOMICIDE RATES
MAIN CAUSES OF
“I had really bad nightmares for three years
KCMO
guns.
*according to wisevoter.com
2023
area
The
THAN ANY OTHER YEAR
into
“[Adults need to be] more responsible and better about locking [their] guns,” Newman said. She
says
areas
experiencing the
OF THE
HOMICIDES
INVOLVED FIREARMS
*according to KC Star
NEARLY HALF OF
VICTIMS ROBBERY HOMICIDE WERE MALES AGES *according to kcpd
elementary school, Highlands.
“Nobody wants to sit idly by and watch more
MORE DEATHS BY
17
“Everybody’s short staffed,” Newman said. “Everywhere.”
community.
KANSAS CITY
d e s ig n b y l u c y s t e p h e n s
A DEADLY YEAR
IN 2023:
ON RECORD
story b y n e i l wi l l i ams
THE HARBINGER
18 34 TO
*according to KC Star
most
WE HAD AROUND 200
people show up [to our last anti-gun violence walkout] , which was awesome, and I think that speaks a lot about how people feel about this topic. EMMA KUHLMAN SENIOR
“We had around 200 people show up [to
gun
our last anti-gun violence walkout], which was
related
crimes
awesome, and I think that speaks a lot about
are
mainly
how people feel about this topic,” Kuhlman said.
crimes
of
She encourages other students to take action
opportunity
as well. According to CNN, there were 82 school
where
shootings in the US alone in 2023 and there have
the
criminal does not
plan
“Don’t be afraid to speak up about issues
act,
that you are passionate about”, Kuhlman said.
takes
“Because that is the only way to make change.”
criminal but
advantage
of
a situation to commit one. S
o
m
e
students, however,
already been two in 2024.
a
are
concerned
s tor y by pre st on hooker
JANUARY 22, 2024 | 07
THE HARBINGER
d e si g n by sydney ec k
MULTICULTURAL
T
HE MULTICULTURAL CLUB started at the beginning of January and is holding their first meeting on Jan. 28 after students decided that East needs a safe space for minority students
following the racial attack in November. All interested students are encouraged to join. Though still in the developmental stages, a group of upperclassmen including senior Taylor King were inspired to create the new club by other similar existing clubs at other nearby high schools. East is the last Shawnee Mission school to have a club focused around spreading ideas from different cultures. “I’m excited to find ways to reach out to our district from our school”, King said. “[We] try to get policy changes and
“
create inclusion or events to show inclusion in the school.”
I’M EXCITED TO to find
junior representative Dayana Camila giving advice on the subject, as West have struggled with similar recruiting issues as well. “For advice on the club, be patient, because you won’t get a good club in the first meeting,” Camila said. “It will take a couple of meetings to build everything up and to be really taken seriously, but by telling friends and posting on social media, it’ll be easy to get the word out.” West has had success with their club, with students of all ethnicities joining and participating in the club’s meetings. At special meetings or “Scholarship Nights,” students are given the ability to access various resources through the website KC Scholars related to the collegiate and educational offerings in the KC-metro area. Senior John Mendy has been attending group meetings with administration, Shawnee Mission’s diversity equity and inclusion coordinator and teachers to set up the club.
ways to reach out to our district from our school. [We] try to get policy changes and create inclusion or events to show inclusion in the school.
However, he’s noticed an issue before the club has begun.
SENIOR
promotion through various other East-based organizations.
TAYLO R K ING
participate, not just minorities,” King said. “We’d like it to
In late December, King and others attended a cultural
be open to everybody, even if other students at East don’t
“A lot of those people are seniors, so we’re also trying to work on recruiting underclassmen as well as juniors,” Mendy said. “Those who want to be in a position of leadership and help out with problems in this area would be perfect.” With the issue of recruitment at hand spreading the word is important, according to King, the club plans to have various posters around the school with plans for social media “It’ll be cool if we could have all types of people
leadership workshop at K-State University where they met representatives from other multicultural clubs at Shawnee Mission South, West, Northwest and North this month at the Center for Academic Achievement. At the meeting, East students gathered more information and strategies such as networking and giving voices to students in order to run the East club efficiently, according to King. The Latinos of Tomorrow club at Shawnee Mission West has been a model for the Multicultural Club, with West’s
DIVERSITY STATS %
86.1 % 5.5
OF JOHNSON COUNTY P O P U L AT I O N I S W H I T E
feel comfortable joining because they’re not minorities. We want them to feel welcome to help make more of an impact.” English teacher Samantha Feinberg and social studies teacher Stephen Laird are helping make plans for the club. New information around the school and on social media is the easiest way to keep up with the club, according to King. She hopes the first meeting will be a way to connect with other students.
Johnson Count y diversit y statistic s according to the U nited S tate s C ensus Bureau
5.3 % 3.3
OF JOHNSON COUNTY P O P U L AT I O N I S A S I A N
%
OF JOHNSON COUNTY P O P U L AT I O N I S B L AC K
ho l ding the first me e ting on Ja n. 2 8 in the libra ry
MEET THE MEMBERS
S ome of the student s and teachers who are he lping with the de v e lopme nt of the c lu b
STUDENTS
STUDENT UNION
S tu dent s are developing a Multicultural Club and
TAYLOR KING XAVIER MANN JOHN MENDY KATIE MURPHY JAX TAYLOR
TEACHERS MS. FEINBERG MR. LAIRD
JOIN NOW
Members share reasons why student s should join the Mu ltic u ltu ra l Clu b
“ “
THOSE WHO WANT
to be in a position of leadership and kind of help out with problems in this area would be perfect.” JOHN MENDY SENIOR
WE WOULD LIKE it to
be open to everybody, even if other students at East don’t feel comfortable joining because they’re not minorities. We want them to feel welcome to help make more of an impact.” TAYLOR KING SENIOR
OF JOHNSON COUNTY P O P U L AT I O N I D E N T I F Y W I T H OTHER RACE
LOOKING FOR
Something Unique? L O
O K
I
N G
F O R
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5618 Johnson Drive Mission, KS 66202
Opinion
JANUARY 22, 2024 | 09
de s ign by is abe l balda s s aro
ar t b y zan e l ai n g
smeharbinger.net/opinion
COMIC STRIP a r t b y kai mcph a i l Ti p p i ng cu lt u re ha s g o tte n to a n o th e r l e v e l
hot take
stor y b y ave r y a n d e rs o n
B i o l o gy C l ub co -fo und er revi ew s re v iv e d c lu b a nd a dmire s it s su c c e ss so fa r THOUGH EAST HAS witnessed the downfall of
the various MCQ and LEQ styles and techniques.
countless after-school activities during COVID,
Inversely, weeks filled with labs and activities
Biology Club has recently been resurrected by
in biology classes will push the club to be more
three passionate students and is on track to be
game and career-research based. Biology club has also extended their reach to
the best club East has to offer. And no, for those who know that I’m one of
kids outside of biology classes at East. Striving
the founding presidents, I’m not being conceited
to make biology fun for everyone, the club will
when I say Biology Club could truly become the
always accept new members from students in all
most beloved club at East.
science classes, from zoology to chemistry.
Between the countless hours spent preparing
This inclusive nature of the club paired with
colorful games and activities and the lengthy
the student-personalized activities puts the club
consideration put into every meeting, Biology
on track to be the most popular after-school
Club is easily the most thought-out club.
activity at East, in my completely unbiased
In-club
this or that?
R ece n t I n s ta g ra m p o l l s re l a te d to s to r i e s in this is s u e’s opi n i o n s e c ti o n
activities
will
always
be
based
opinion.
around the wants and needs of the students who
So stop by Biology Club every other Wednesday
participate. When AP and IB testing are coming
after school to be a founding member of this up-
up, the club will be more focused on studying
and-coming club.
trending topics
Polls and information about current tre nd ing to p ic s in me dia
DO YOU CONSIDER CHEER A SPORT? * I n s t a g ra m p o l l o f 3 3 2 v o t e s
YES NO
70%
30%
HAVE YOU EVER BEEN HARASSED BY A TEN-YEAR-OLD IN SEPHORA?
DID YOU ENJOY THE MOVIE SALTBURN?
saltburn
T h e n e w t h r i l l e r/c o m e d y t h a t t o o k t h e w o r l d b y s t o r m i n re s u l t o f i t s m a n y c h i l l i n g s c e n e s a n d a t t ra c t i v e a c t o r s .
* I n s t a g ra m p o l l o f 2 3 6 v o t e s
YES NO
41%
* I n s t a g ra m p o l l o f 2 2 5 v o t e s
YES NO
48%
52%
59% DID YOU GET THE NEW VALENTINES STANLEY CUP?
TAKE OUR POLLS Follow the Harbinger on social media to participate in our polls @smeharbinger
@smeharbinger
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* I n s t a g ra m p o l l o f 2 5 2 v o t e s
starbucks x target stanley
The iconic Stanley Cup that had fans lined up a t Ta r g e t h o u r s b e f o re i t o p e n e d t o re c e i v e o n e o f t h e f e w t h e y w e re s e l l i n g .
YES 5% NO
95%
10 | JANUARY 22, 2024
story b y ma g gi e ki ssi c k
THE HARBINGER
E R O M N POM-POMS A H T
WHO SAYS?
Diffe re n t a t h l e t i c o rg a n i za t i o n s a n d t h e i r s tan ce on cheerle ad i n g as a re al s p o r t
S
C heer l ead i ng sho ul d b e rec ognize d a s a le gitima te spor t
TANDING IN THE
center of
the mat inside of the stage gym, I take a deep breath and prepare myself to do my competition cheer
routine for the third time this morning. The music starts. I flash a smile, do a toe touch and then fling myself backwards into a back handspring. For
the
next
two
minutes
and
30
seconds, I tumble, execute stunts and use every free breath to yell “You’ve got this!” to my teammates. I use all of my strength
YES, IT’S A SPORT: THE OLYMPIC COMMITTEE
T h e O l y m p i c Committee c l a s s i f i e d c h eerle ading a s an o ffic i a l s p or t a s of 201 6
to lift my flier in the air, and I throw my arms up as high as I can to give her enough time to do a twisting dismount. Seconds later, I do my roundoff back handspring. As the routine ends, my arms are so exhausted from fighting to keep my shaky stunt in the air that I’m barely able to complete my third backhand spring of the routine. I hit my final pose and breathe a sigh of relief, happy that I survived another run through of our fast-paced routine. This is how I spend almost every single
THE AMERICAN MEDICAL ASSOCIATION
morning — before school at 6:15 a.m.
I n 2 0 1 4 t h e AMA declared c h e e r l e a d i n g a re al spor t with h o p e s o f i n c re a sing s afet y protocol s
when they crack jokes about how all I do is
NOT A SPORT: KSHSAA KS H SA A d o e s not recognize c h e e r l e a d i n g a s a re al spor t a n d d e f i n e s i t a s a “spirit ac t iv i t y ”
NCAA N CA A d o e s not recognize c h e e r l e a d i n g a s a re a l s por t
d e s ig n b y ave ry a n d e rs o n p h o to b y c l a ra p e t e rs
or during first hour — as a cheerleader. And yet when I tell people that being a cheerleader is difficult, I feel disrespected stand on the sidelines and shake my pom poms. When people refuse to acknowledge the athleticism that cheerleading requires, it’s as if the concussions I’ve received from stunts falling onto my head or the times I’ve thrown up after doing our full competition routine don’t even matter. I often find myself questioning why I put myself through this much physical strain when cheer is so under-recognized. It’s time for East to recognize that cheer deserves the same respect as any other sport. Being a cheerleader fits the definition of a sport — an activity involving physical exertion and skill in which an individual or team competes against another or others for entertainment. And yet, according to the Kansas State High School Activities Association handbook, we’re classified as a “spirit group” — not a sport. If lifting girls up in the air and throwing back
handsprings
doesn’t
count
as
physical
exertion, I don’t know what does.
But there’s more to cheer than yelling
“Go big blue” on the sidelines. You don’t
Cheer originated in the mid 1800s as a
see us practicing at 6 a.m. to make sure
way to encourage athletes and crowds at
our pyramids look perfect or do our routine
games and events. In the last 40 years,
so we will have zero deductions on the
cheer has expanded beyond the sidelines
nationals mat. You don’t suffer through
and
four days in a row of cheering 12 hours a
has
become
more
competitive,
according to USA Cheer. But this.
By
day at cheer camp in the summer just to
KSHSAA
hasn’t
acknowledged
their
definition,
we
win a plastic Spirit Stick. And you aren’t
simply
part of a sport that has caused 66% of
strive to “boost school spirit, promote
catastrophic injuries in female high school
sportsmanship and develop positive crowd
athletes over the last 25 years, according
involvement.” There is only one vague
to USA Cheer.
sentence talking about competing that
So the next time you debate whether or
states the amount of competitions we’re
not cheer is a sport, just remember that
allowed to compete in each year.
you don’t see all of the hard work that
Calling us a “spirit group” is furthering
being a cheerleader requires. East, KSHSAA
the outdated stereotype that all cheerleaders
and students need to recognize that we
do is provide spirit and observe other
are hardworking athletes who deserve the
sports, which isn’t the case. Gymnastics is
same amount of respect and recognition as
regarded as a sport according to KSHSAA,
any other sport.
so why isn’t cheer? We tumble and jump similar to gymnasts, so we deserve the same level of recognition. Not only are we overlooked by KSHSAA, we’re overlooked by the school too. I put in so much time every single week for cheer, from 6 a.m. practices to cheering at least one game a week. And yet the school hasn’t given the cheer team our own dedicated practice space. I’m grateful that the wrestling team shares the stage gym with us. But if the wrestlers or the baseball team ever need the space, cheer is always pushed out and forced to find somewhere else to practice. I’ve warmed up in hallways, basement turf
rooms
and
gym
corners.
It’s
disappointing to see the school spending money on building the Commons and state championship sports banners before considering creating a permanent place for cheer to practice. Every single negative comment I’ve heard about cheer has come from outdated stereotypes. I’ve heard it all — we’re dumb blondes or that cheering doesn’t take any skill. I can recognize where these stereotypes come from: a majority of the student body only sees us cheering at games or school events.
s tor y by ada li l l i e wo r thi ng t o n
d e si g n by mi ch ael yi p h o to by al ex s a jn a
JANUARY 22, 2024 | 11
THE HARBINGER
SEPHORA kid s
T h e c ra ze a round the TikTok “S ephora kids” shows the misuse of social media among the new generation an d th e i r b l i nd co m p l i ance to t rend s
O
VER WINTER BREAK, I did what
saw a girl obnoxiously grabbing a product,
teenage girls are expected to do
turning to her friends and saying “Oh, I saw
Nine-year-olds don’t even have wrinkles to
with their bits of free time — I
a girl on TikTok review this. I have to try it.”
get rid of.
This 10-year-old was purchasing the $68
went shopping.
purchasing
popular
by a Drunk-Elephant-wielding, four-foot
Oil. Yes, you heard that right — a $68 facial
collecting popularity points. They purchase
tall army, I would’ve shopped online. But I
oil.
the product for the aesthetic packaging, not
To say that the Sephora kids situation has
what’s inside.
My first stop was Sephora. Did I have
gotten out of hand is an understatement.
the money to splurge on a $40 lip oil from
These kids are a clear sign of the misuse
that
of social media and the root of the problem
tendencies.
stems from blindly following trends and the
with their kids and helping them pick out
lack of parental supervision.
skincare or makeup products that aren’t
Before this shopping spree, I’d heard
of
“Sephora
kids’’
on
TikTok — kids aged 9 to 12 known for
their
rude
tendencies
and
trashing of makeup and skincare displays. Influencers have been complaining about them since December. According to various TikToks, these kids completely trash the various makeup and skincare
displays,
leaving
Summer Fridays lip balm tubes covered in sticky residue and crushed ColorPop eyeshadow everywhere. But are
just
those
influencers
exaggerating
their
“
And it’s the lack of parental supervision is
causing
their
Parents
trend-following
should
be
coming
harsh for their skin. If the parents don’t do
I WAS STRUCK
this, the kids will just revert back to what
with fear once I spotted them — a group of unsupervised 10-year-olds stalking the trendy Glow Recipe and Drunk Elephant displays like lions on the prowl.
their favorite influencer — who is 20 years older than them with a fully developed skin barrier — recommended. Keeping a watchful eye on your 9-yearold child will also reduce the damage that the Sephoras are seeing. Teaching your children that pumping all of the Drunk Elephant moisturizer and mixing it with all the serums isn’t respectful can eliminate the
Kids are finding an interest in skincare
and makeup earlier than most generations
stereotype of messiness that comes with the Sephora kids.
before them because of how quickly trends
Don’t get me wrong, it’s completely safe
spread on TikTok and other social media
to introduce good hygiene and skincare
platforms.
habits into kids starting around 10 years old,
In an attempt to stay “on trend,” these
but they should only start with the basics —
kids are actually causing more harm for
cleanser, moisturizer and SPF. That’s it. All
Wrong.
their
future
skin.
According
Arizona
the sumptuous toners and serums can come
I was struck with fear
dermatologist
Dr.
Brooke
in
when they reach their teenage years.
experiences
to
get
more
views... Right?
to
Jeffy
an
once I spotted them — a
interview with the Daily Beast, kids using
group
products
of
unsupervised
that
like
are
produced
wrinkles,
to
So if you think you might have a Sephora
address
kid close to you, try to implement safe
10-year-olds stalking the
issues
hyperpigmentation
skincare practices with them. Oh, and make
trendy Glow Recipe and
and dullness can damage the skin barrier.
sure they stop destroying Sephora displays
Drunk Elephant displays
This can lead to rashes, infections and even
while you’re at it, so the rest of the world
like lions on the prowl. I
breakouts.
can shop in peace.
For example, the Glossier retinols are
BREAKDOWN 7 0 % Un i v e rs i t y
are
skincare and makeup products like they’re
around?
in c h i l d re n’s m a ke u p f ro m C o l u m b i a
kids
Drunk Elephant Virgin Marula Luxury Facial
Dior? Absolutely not. But why not take a look
S tatis t i c s f ro m a 2 0 2 3 s t u d y o n tox i c i t y
These
If I’d known that my day would be ruined
didn’t, so I headed to Town Center.
COSMETIC
designed to reduce fine lines and wrinkles.
1 of 3
OF CHILDREN 12 AND UNDER h a v e u s e d c h i l d re n’s m a ke u p a n d b o dy pro du c t s i n th e i r l i f e ti m e o f c h i l d re n s u r v e y e d re p o r te d
UNINTENTIONALLY SWALLOWING BEAUTY PRODUCT S i n th e pa s t y e a r
TOXIC CHEMICALS LIKE
LE A D A SBES TOS FORMALDEHYDE
have been found in children’s makeup product s, which are linked to cancer and neurodevelopment al issue s
12 | JANUARY 22, 2024
THE HARBINGER
d e s ig n b y ke n n a h a rri n g t o n
Alum A driane G ray works as a receptionist alongside a
Beauty guru
SCAN ME PHOTO
doctor practicing botox at S opra S alon and Med Spa in C o r i nt h S quare to pre pa re for e sthe tic ia n sc hool
Scan this QR code to view a gallery of Gray ’s work
TOP LEFT Gray prepares for Botox treatment in the medical spa by putting on gloves. In the spa, Gray assists a doctor and hands her any tools they need or wipe up any blood that may be present on the patient.
TOP RIGHT Gray fills a glass bottle with neurotoxin, better known as Botox. “ The neurotoxin will paralyze the muscle,” Gray said, “I normally fill 35 units, but it depends on how many wrinkles they have and where.” photo by kenna harrington
photo by kenna harrington
BOTTOM L E F T Gray answers the phone while working the front desk. She believes her job has forced her out of her comfort zone. “I used to be so shy before working at Sopra but having clients come in and being kind of forced to talk to them has really helped me,” Gray said. photo by kenna harrington
B O T T O M R I G H T Gray takes off her gloves after filling bottles of neurotoxin. Working in the medical spa has given Gray the opportunity to explore different parts of cosmetology and narrow her studies down to esthetician school. “I think it really has had an impact on me, and I just ended up being more interested in esthetician school,” Gray said. photo by kenna harrington
de s ign by sophia broc km ei er photos by clara pet ers & carolin e mar tucci
smeharbinger.net/category/feature
Feature
THIS ISSUE I N
photos
JANUARY 22, 2024 | 13
HOME
SAFARI
S tudent s who own unique hou se hold pe t s
ISABELLA MURGUIA | SENIOR
A look inside student life at East in the past two weeks of school
“
I HAVE FOUR chickens, and we’ve been getting them since I was around 10. They’re like any other pets, as long as you treat them with respect and care they can be your best friend and will love you.
BEN GILMAN | SENIOR
T O P Seniors Maddy Angell and Riley Moore smile at each other in Mr. Foley ’s sixth hour choir class. photo by clara peters
AFTER
THE
DANCE Students share their Sweetheart Dance after party themes
T O P Sophomore Charlotte Gibbs plays with the band during 6th hour. photo by caroline martucci
B O T T O M Junior Brennen Barnes watches his teacher go over the notes before playing the rhythm again in class. The band was dressed up for picture day on Jan. 11. photo by caroline martucci
“
I GOT TWO baby Hermann tortoises named Casey and April over this winter break. I love turtles which started because I was a big Teenage Ninja Turtles fan. They are supposed to live for 75 or 90 years so they might outlive me.
BURT SH EET S
W I L LOW AUS TIN
POPPY ROOT
FR ES HM A N
S O PHO M ORE
JUNIOR
“
THE THEME IS old money/
country club, and I think it’s kind of funny to see all my friends who would never wear something like that to be in like the old money-type apparel.
“
OUR THEME IS Dynamic Duos
and I’m excited because of the costume possibilities. I don’t know why, but I feel like my grade always seems to plan super far ahead for every dance.
“
WE’RE DOING 80s Aspen [this year].
We have everything out of the way already, which is really nice. So it just kind of prevents more stress than there would be in the end, trying to figure something out.
THE HARBINGER
s to r y by g reyson i mm d e si g n by br i dge t co nnelly p h o to by l i v madden
S teroid use gains popularit y in younger generations of due to social media changing
und erstand t he r i sk s asso ci ated w i t h i t
SCAN ME WEBSITE Learn more about steroid use from the National Federation of State High School Associations
S
*name s chan ged to p ro tec t id ent it y
OPHOMORE CHARLIE
CHASING
STRENGT
weightlifting culture, yet users often don’t
couldn’t
However, use of steroids and steroid-like drugs pose
not intended for consumption, websites like chemyo.
six months researchin
watch more than three videos on Instagram
a threat to young people who may not understand
com and researchem.store only require users enter their
method of SARM use.
without seeing another fitness influencer with
the health consequences associated with them, like
“age” with no real verification. A recent study by the
for exactly how long
a perfect, toned physique, huge biceps and six-
aggression, artery damage, hormone suppression and
University of Lincoln found that e-commerce has driven
be and on Reddit for
even strokes or heart attacks.
the unauthorized sale of steroids, so it’s even easier to
monitor.
%
get them now than in the past. In an Instagram poll
“A decision I had
of 176 East community members, 11 reported using
going to have to be
steroids.
essentially the rest of
Cooper*
pack abs flexing in the mirror. But he knew that getting a physique like that wasn’t possible for him naturally. It was obvious that a majority of these influencers were on steroids. Despite working out for two hours a day, seven days a week for a few years, he wasn’t seeing much progress. And he definitely wasn’t anywhere near any of
77.4
SAY PED USE IN THE PROS PUT PRESSURE O N YO U N G AT H L E T E S ACCORDING TO THE NFHS
Social media also exploits body image issues that
the fitness influencers he’d see on Instagram or TikTok.
Cooper also says social media has shifted gym culture
His regimen of protein powder and supplements weren’t
further away from healthy fitness and more towards
working as he’d hoped, so he began researching Selective
rampant muscle growth and being able to lift the most
Androgen Receptor Modulators, or the steroid-like drug
weight — especially for young people.
was a decision I was w
are usually at the root of teen steroid use, according to
Cooper says he’s m
Cooper. He says that a lot of this social media pressure
effects associated wit
forces young men to take extreme measures to build the
meticulously altering
“dream physique” presented by online influencers.
increasing dosage by m
“You’re looking at people that are taking steroids
However, he ackno
and you’re like, ‘Well, how can I compete with that?’”
those who take SLDs much as him.
better known as SARMs. He was fascinated by the near-
“I’m under no impression that it was a smart, safe
Cooper said. “Or you’re looking at people bigger and
instant gains that fitness influencers promised from
decision, but with my research that I’ve done, I know
stronger than you think ‘Well, I want to be better. I
Marien-McManus
them.
the risks and I’m willing to take those risks,” Cooper
want to reach my potential and speed this process up.’”
substances, as many
A few months later, he went on a research chemical website and bought enough pills for his first cycle. “All over the internet, pretty much everybody that’s posting [fitness] content is on steroids” Cooper said.
said. “I’m willing to take the damage.”
Senior Finan Marien-McManus said that a lot of
wake of the death of po
far
the pressure that Cooper describes originates from
in 2023. Lindner, a p
more students in recent years using steroids and for
fitness influencers claiming to be “natural” while
known on TikTok and
weightlifting rather than sports.
taking steroids — creating an unrealistic expectation
at age 30 from an ane
Athletic
trainer
Dakota
Orlando
has
seen
“So when that becomes the standard, to have a physique
“The bad part of social media and gym culture is the
for teen boys to be more muscular than they should be.
similarity between Lin
that’s only achievable by taking steroids, that’s the
‘Look at me! Look at me!’ comparing part of it, where
As someone who frequently goes to the gym, Marien-
Sergeyevich Shavershi
draw of them.”
you’ll watch these videos and think, ‘I don’t look like
McManus is often surrounded by discussions of steroids
age 22 after using ster
that’ and it starts a negative thought spiral,” Orlando
with friends and on social media despite not taking
said.
them himself.
I’D WANT SOMEONE
[considering using steroids] to definitely come and talk to a physician and at least make sure they understand what they’re getting into before they do anything like that on their own. JAY RO BE R SO N DOCTOR & ALUM Social media has begun influencing steroid use for
The Center to Stop Digital Hate reports that TikTok
“[Steroids] have become a very hot topic with a lot of
videos with hashtags promoting SLDs were viewed by
fitness influencers [getting] exposed that they actually
U.S. users up to 587 million times in the last three
were taking performance enhancing drugs and so that’s
years, including up to 420 million views from U.S. users
one of the biggest issues with it,” Marien-McManus
aged under 24. Creators such as the Tren Twins, Sam
said. “It’s definitely prevalent on social media, and
Sulek and ShizzyLifts center much of their content
there’s been some creators who have gotten a really
around steroids, something Cooper notes leads to
large following based around this use.”
external pressure and normalizes steroid use in the lifting community. Many
popular
Despite how they’re portrayed on social media as an instant muscle growth solution, sports medicine doctor
videos
tagged
#teenbodybuilding
and East alum Dr. Jay Roberson makes it clear that these
downplay the risks of SLDs to teens and actively
substances are harmful to the normal development of
encourage teens to start taking steroids. However very
teens and production of hormones.
few — if any — of the posts mentioned the life-altering
impr smar with my research know the risks an those risks. I’m w damage.
CHARLIE COOP STUDENT
“The most importa
Steroid and SLD use most commonly result in
away from reading thi
testosterone suppression, something Cooper monitors
Marien-McManus said
fuels body image concerns among youth, steroid use has
Despite steroids being classified as illicit substances
closely by noting any symptoms of lethargy, lack of
especially because the
shifted from athletes to bodybuilders and weightlifters.
and SARMs only being legally sold as research chemicals
libido and sleeplessness. In his preparation, he spent
go online and buy the
teens like Cooper in the past few years. As social media
negative effects.
I’M
JANUARY 22, 2024 | 15
NEWS -FEATURE
THE
RUNDOWN
G
S tatistic s on steroid use in high schools, according to
TH
get sm ar tab o utd r ugs.gov
%
OF HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS KNOW A FRIEND WHO USES STEROIDS
%
OF MALES SURVEYED SAID THAT STEROID USE IN SPORTS “PUTS PRESSURE ON YOUNG ATHLETES TO USE DRUGS TO GET AHEAD”
ng every possible side effect and
%
. He looked on scientific journals his cycles of taking them should
know
anecdotal effects that he should
what’s in them so it’s just really, really dangerous.”
d to make early on was that I’m
Orlando
encourages
students
to
on testosterone replacement for
reach out for help if they’re taking steroids for
f my life,” Cooper said. “And that
any reason. She has helped several students
willing to make.”
who have come to her in the past make safer
managed to limit the negative side
decisions. Especially since high school sports
th SARMs as much as possible by
don’t test for steroid usage, according to Orlando,
cycle lengths and decreasing and
having the initiative to go to her or a doctor is necessary
mere milligrams.
in staying safe.
owledges that the vast majority of
Staying informed on safe use, risks and reliable
s and steroids do not research as
supply can save lives, she says. If she knows everything that an athlete is taking, she can make sure that
such
emergency services are aware to administer proper
are unregulated, especially in the
warns
against
taking
treatment and medication in the event of a medical
opular fitness influencer Jo Lindner
emergency.
prominent fitness content creator
d Instagram as @joesthetics, died
eurysm. Marien-McManus draws a
ndner and popular YouTuber Aziz
ian — a.k.a. Zyzz — who died at
roids.
UNDER NO
ression that it was a rt, safe decision, but h that I’ve done, I nd I’m willing to take willing to take the
20
%
OF U.S. HIGH SCHOOLS D R U G T E S T T H E I R AT H L E T E S ACCORDING TO THE NFHS
into your body that could cause more harm,” Orlando said. Both Roberson and Cooper urge anyone taking steroids or SLD to be careful. Roberson encourages current or potential users to consult a doctor and examine their lifestyle habits if they’re truly searching for performance enhancement. using
[steroids]
for
performance
enhancement, then I think they really do need to
P E R*
COMMON
VOCAB ab o ut ster i o d s
you want to make sure that you’re not putting anything
they’re
%
OF HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS ADMIT TO USING ANABOLIC STEROIDS
Vocabulary used when talking
“Really pay attention to what you’re using, because
“If
OF YOUNG PEOPLE HAVE NEVER HAD A PARENT, COACH OR TEACHER TALK WITH THEM ABOUT THE DANGERS OF PERFORMANCE-ENHANCING DRUGS
ask themselves ‘Have I done those other things like nutrition, hydration, sleep and training?’ because that’s going to be more important and effective than any
ant thing that anybody could take
steroid use for actual performance gains,” Roberson
is article is that it’s not worth it,”
said. “If you’re not sleeping well and eating right, it
d. “There are risks involved with it,
doesn’t matter how many steroids you do, you’re not
ey’re banned substances. So, if you
going to improve how you feel and how you work
se kinds of drugs, you don’t really
without doing those other things first.”
CYC L E
To t a ke m u l t i p l e d o s e s o f s t e ro i d s o v e r a p e r i o d o f t i m e , stop for a period, then start up again
SELECTIVE ANDROGEN R E C E P T O R M O D U L AT O R S A g e n t s t h a t s t i m u l a t e a n a b o l i s m ( i .e . , i n c re a s e m u s c l e m a s s a n d s t re n g t h ) a n d f a c i l i t a t e re c o v e r y f ro m exe rc i s e .
ANABOLIC STEROIDS
S y n t h e t i c h o r m o n e s t h a t h e l p w i t h t h e g ro w t h a n d re p a i r o f m u s c l e t i s s u e t h a t i m i t a t e t h e m a l e s ex h o r m o n e , t e s t o s t e ro n e .
ARNOLDS
A c o m m o n s t re e t n a m e f o r a n a b o l i c s t e ro i d s
16 | JANUARY 22, 2024
story b y addi e mo o re
THE HARBINGER
d e s ig n b y h a l l i e o’b rya n p h o to s b y wi l l gri f f i t h
THIS WOLF WROTE A BOOK
Off i c e r B r i a n Wo l f w ro te t h e b o o k " T h e re ' s a Wolf in my S chool" to humanize police officers and educate children about their role in societ y
D
O YOU SLEEP at the police station?”
Wolf presented the finished book to a focus group
“Have you ever shot anybody?”
including city administrators, local elementary principals
“All police officers are bald, so why aren’t
and parents and grandparents of elementary school
you?”
the things mentioned in the book — added small details
questions for former Drug Abuse Resistance Education
and interactions between Wolf and the kids, to further
teacher and Officer Brian Wolf anytime he was presenting
humanize him.
about avoiding peer pressure and alcoholism. Some were more related to the lesson than others.
as the two worked together for five years. Lash witnessed
kids' curiosity and urging from family members to write
kids huddled around Wolf at recess and lined up to receive
about his DARE experiences — Wolf wrote the children’s
a high-five from him in the mornings — almost like he
book “There’s a Wolf in My School,” which was published
was a celebrity.
“When I’m with friends and family I think of something funny that happened with the kids,” Wolf said. “So I tell the story, and they kept saying, "Oh, you need to write a book about all the stuff that happened.” Unlike most children's books, his 26-page picture book doesn't feature an overarching lesson about sharing
1
2 3 4
Five months of writing and self edits Got feedback from publishers Collaborated with illustrator Ali Hombs
While spending lunchtime in elementary cafeterias, the boys were typically cautious around Wolf, but the girls were happy to give him all the gossip as he opened their chip bags and wiped down tables. “You’d always feel super safe and comfortable when you were around him,” Briarwood alum and junior
police officers instead of being scared of them.
Morgan Anderson said. “You didn’t see him as a scary police officer.” Fourth graders from Briarwood would fight over who
While teaching DARE, Wolf would stray away from
got to be on Wolf’s home screen — changing it every week
the stereotypical PowerPoints and instead opt for stories
after girls from another elementary school changed it to a
of personal experiences as a patrol officer and showing
picture of themselves.
students handcuffs and e-cigarettes. He believes his more hands-on approach to the program resonates with the students more than just being talked at.
“He was awesome,” Sophomore Sloan Meyer said. “I looked forward to [him coming] every week.” Through DARE and working at elementary schools,
“When you look at a screen and it’s just words on
Wolf has formed relationships with families in the Prairie
there, it doesn’t sink in,” Wolf said. “Whereas if you tell a
Village area and changed kids' views on police officers —
story and you can explain something that goes along with
even to the point where 9/10 of the calls he receives now
the lesson you’re teaching, it’s more impactful.”
as a patrol officer are from families he knows.
When Wolf finally began writing his book around two
“When someone calls a policeman there’s some kind of
years ago, it took him four or five months to complete the
crisis,” Wolf said. “If they have a familiar face that they
first step of compiling his favorite memories, from being a
know and trust, it puts everyone at ease, things deescalate
lunchroom celebrity to visiting students’ lemonade stands
and we go from there.”
in the summer. After the story was finished, Wolf teamed
Anderson and Meyer are excited to read his book,
up with local graphic designer and artist Ali Hombs to
and other local police officers in Wolf's law enforcement
bring his vision onto the page.
Facebook groups have also picked it up.
Hombs has illustrated multiple children’s books like
“The [police officers] that have seen it, bought the
“Sassie’s New Home” by children’s book author Erin
book and then got back in touch with me say ‘this is
Albright. When asked to illustrate Wolf's book, she was
fantastic,’” Wolf said. “I think DARE officers should buy
eager to spread the humanization of police officers to
this book and learn what they need to do.”
kids.
Held a “focus group” with city administration, local principals, parents and grandparents of students
gives really good insight into that.”
police force to help kids have a sense of familiarity with
mom and dad,” Wolf said.
book
“I don’t think everyone knows all of the different roles a DARE officer can play,” Lash said. “I think [the book]
or kindness. Instead, Wolf told stories that humanize the
“[Kids] couldn’t fathom that we’re people like [their]
The s te p s O f f i c e r Wo l f to o k i n o rd e r to p u b lish the
Briarwood Principal and focus group member Chris Lash believes the book reflects how students idolize Wolf,
After seven years in the program — inspired by the
in November 2023.
THE PROCESS
students. The members — who’d seen him do some of
Elementary students had a seemingly endless flow of
“One of the reasons I collaborated with [Wolf] on this book was because I felt the importance of [our] children feeling comfortable coming up to police officers when they need help or guidance,” Hombs said. After brainstorming character design and re-draws,
SCAN ME LINK Scan this code to buy Officer Brian Wolf's book
s tor y b y li bby marsh
MGPASSION
EVA
THEN-FOURTH-GRADER Eva
on
students
—
didn’t want to play on the playground
of
color
a
during recess. All she wanted to do was
different
walk and talk with her class’s student
and desk arrangements. For the
teacher, asking questions about her day-
second part of the project, the artifacts
to-day life.
— where students find creative ways to
in
types
the
use
classroom, of
lighting
In elementary school, every time there
present the information they researched
was a classroom job available, Lowry
— Lowry plans to create a vision board
volunteered, especially for the role of
showing different classroom setups and
teacher’s assistant.
design the floor plan of a classroom she
“I just always wanted to be with [my teachers], and I looked up to them so
would set up. While some teachers complain about the difficulties of setting up a classroom,
much,” Lowry said. Now-sophomore Lowry hopes to teach
Lowry feels prepared to hang up LED
either upper elementary school or high
lights and minimalist decor when the time
school students. She decided to focus her
comes.
Multigenre Project — a research project
“Throughout my high school classes
every sophomore completes on a topic
I’ve been looking at all of [the classrooms]
they are passionate about — on education:
and seeing that our school isn’t great
how
classroom
setup
about our [wall color] or our school isn’t great about providing seating options for
affects students. exploring,
kids,” Lowry said. “So being able to see
if [teaching is] something I want, so
that and then looking at other [teacher’s]
I’m in the teachers [education] class
classrooms
and I go to elementary schools every
understand why this looks
Wednesday and Friday and work with
like this or why they did
“This
year
I’ve
been
kids,” Lowry said. Lowry’s essay centered around three
and
being
Thre e sophomore s sha re the ir English mu ltigenre project s and their connections to the topic they ’re re sea rching
GABRIELLE
Lowry
specifically
JANUARY 22, 2024 | 17
THE HARBINGER
d e si g n by clara burd i ck
able
to
this in their classroom is super cool.”
main classroom aspects and their impact
PARTS OF AN MGP B elow a re ke y pa r t s th a t m ake u p a n M G P a nd a d e scr i p t i o n o f each
RESEARCH
SOPHOMORE GABRIELLE HIGGINS
parents feel when giving
gained
the
their child up for adoption
adoption process when her family adopted
can be equivalent to the
her brother, and now-freshman Quinn
pain felt by a mother grieving
from South Korea when he was 10 months
the death of her child. She also
old and she was almost 2.
discovered that an adopted child’s brain
first-hand
experience
in
So, Gabrielle chose to research adoption
“When you’re ripped away from your
how international adoptions affect the
parents when you’re really young, most
child being adopted, the birth mother and
people are like, ‘Oh it can’t affect you,
the adoptive family.
you don’t remember it,’ but your brain
Gabrielle’s mom, Stacy Higgins, has seen the impacts of adoption on both her
to illustrate the contrast between the good
we’re gonna get him and he’s gonna be
and bad of international adoptions for her
so young and it won’t really impact our
artifacts.
family much because we will be a cohesive
“I was going to do maybe a painting
family from the get go,’” Stacy said. “But
[to] represent that [adoption] can be a
the more research that’s been done, the
blessing, but also kind of a curse,”
more it says that even though they may be
Gabrielle said. “It could be a really
a baby, when you get them it still has an
great opportunity or it could be a
impact on relationships and how families
terrible situation.” get
develop.” Gabrielle found that the grief birth
to th e re a d e r, t h e t h re e a r t i f a c t s , a d e s c r i p tion of e ach and more t ying e a c h piec e o f wo r k to get h er.
in
the
of the issue. His essay discusses
diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at age 2.
the lengths people go to afford
He remembers hearing a story from an
insulin, the cost of insulin and
attendee at a Juvenile Diabetes Research
what can be done to reduce
Foundation
those costs.
fundraiser
gala
about
someone they knew who had to ration
“I also talk about some of the measures
their insulin because of the high cost of
that people can take to circumnavigate
pharmaceuticals in the United States.
the high costs,” Garrett said. “So maybe
After some research, he found
there’s some pharmaceutical programs
effects of the high price of insulin.
The p ro j e c t i s p u t to ge t h e r a t t h e e n d o f t h ird quar ter with a letter
involved
SOPHOMORE GARRETT BROWN was
w rite a n e s s a y.
OVERALL
more
topic.”
GARRETT
more
in th e f o rm o f th re e a r t i f a c t s .
is a lot higher,” Gabrielle said.
“In my head I was like, ‘Oh Quinn,
g a the r a n d o rg a n i ze t h e i r re s e a rc h . T h e n , t hey use their re se arch to
S tude n t s t h e n p re s e n t t h e i n f o r m a t i o n f ro m their e ss ay and re se arch
develops differently so your fight or flight Gabrielle plans on creating an art piece
son Quinn and her family.
The s t u d e n t s i n t h e c l a s s e s u s e a p ro g ra m c alled NoodleTools to
ARTIFACTS
develops differently.
for her MGP. In her essay, she focused on
instances
“[Insulin
is]
of
the
harmful
expensive
and
with people’s insurance that they can enlist to cut back costs.” From
this
project,
Garrett
hopes
unfortunately, there are a lot of
to spread awareness for this issue —
people out there who have to make
especially through presenting his research
decisions as to whether they’re gonna pay
to the class.
for insulin or pay for food or other basic needs,” Garrett’s mom, Jessica Brown said. Garrett chose to do his MGP on the
“If
anything,
[this
project
has]
hardened my view that something needs to be done about it, and what’s being done
right
now
isn’t
enough,”
effects of the high cost of pharmaceuticals
Garrett said. “I’d love to see
for people with diabetes to raise awareness
politicians get more involved in the topic.”
18 | JANUARY 22, 2024
MORE
P
CULTURE
story b y kai mc ph ai l
THE HARBINGER
d e s ig n b y s oph ia brockmeier p h o to s c o u r te s y o f m a ri a m sufi
Ju nio r Ma ria m S u f i atte n d s UWC I n te r n a t i o nal and exp er i ence s new cul t ure s EERING OUT THE car window
both dumpster-diving in Trader Joe’s and
can travel in the state of New Mexico and
grand canyon, we both had an absolutely
towards a sea of endless tree-
teaching experiences in Africa.”
Arizona. A recent trip Mariam went on was
lovely time,” said Xu.
UWC
an
to visit local native reservations and see
At UWC students also have Wednesdays
junior Mariam Sufi looked out at
immersive international environment for
what they can do to learn about natives
off to go and work out in the community,
what she would call home for the next two
students with mandatory meetings every-
and their culture. UWC’s program strives
Mariam spends her day at a local farm
years — the United World Colleges United
so-often during the school year, where
to make leaders for their generation, and
getting to learn about agriculture and build
States campus in New Mexico.
they discuss global issues and how one
these opportunities can help students gain
relationships with farmers native to the
The campus standing atop a mountain
can improve the world, anything from
a perspective of the world around them.
area. The chance to escape for a day makes
looked as if it came out of a movie. Its red
waste management to global politics. With
brick walls and silver turrets made Mariam
around 200 teens on campus, the program
do a double-take to make sure what she was
pulls students from over 90 countries for
seeing was real. After meeting a student
the New Mexico campus.
covered mountains this August,
specializes
in
creating
“
MY TEACHERS
are all from different backgrounds, and if not, have taught
who applied to go to the UWC campus in
Although she felt a connection to the
Italy and heard of her amazing experience,
campus almost immediately, but the price
she began researching the school in New
of tuition was holding her back. Once she
abroad.
Mexico
MARI AM SUFI
expressed
visited the campus, she applied to every
that she longed for something bigger to
aid program possible. Mariam says that she
happen in her life than the limits of Kansas,
received about $36,000 in merit-based aid.
so this international program would be
With that in mind, there was no hesitation
perfect.
in
immediately.
Mariam
productivity
saying
having
in
more
independence while focusing on academics has
paid
off.
successful
in
She’s
always
school,
been
taking
very
Honors
Precalculus freshman year. Her brother, Hassan Sufi, shows admiration for the strides that she took in setting her future up for the best it can be. “I’m super glad that she found a place
harvesting corn with her friends to visiting
where she feels like she fits in great and will
in New Mexico and says the decision to
Mariam’s mom Tammy Sufi is so excited
native markets. This specific experience
help her reach her goals and aspirations,”
apply was the best choice she ever made.
about the opportunity for her, and will
entailed studying for around a week in the
said Hassan.
The
continue to show her support miles away.
reservation learning about sustainability
UWC has changed Mariam’s life and has
“I’m really proud of her for going after
and what Gen Z can do as a generation to
given her opportunities she never imagined were possible.
and
memories
made
in the UWC building have been extremely
become
a
application
and
work,
UWC.
officially
final
well-being
completing
from campus are on these trips, from
Mariam is now a semester into her stay
her
Some of Mariam’s favorite memories
Mariam credits the school for improving her
to
opportunities
submitting
JUNIOR
Mariam’s stress melt away.
student
at
something she was interested in,” Tammy
help natives and their lifestyle. Mariam had
“There’s exposure to language, food and
said. “Everything was her idea. She took
so much fun and learned a lot, another one
“There’s a different part of the world
what my friends’ [diverse] lives back home
the initiative to apply to the school and
of her best friends that she met from UWC,
sitting in a room to my left and right,”
look like,” Mariam said. “My teachers are
secure a scholarship.”
Alice Xu went on a similar trip in the Grand
Mariam said.
moving and will never leave her memory.
all from different backgrounds, and if not,
One opportunity the school offers is
have taught abroad. I’ve heard stories of
“southwest studies” trips — where students
HOPI RESERVATION
GRAND CANYON
ARIZONA
Canyon. “Both trips got to spend time in the
UWC-USA CAMPUS SANTA FE
NEW MEXICO “AT THE RESERVATION THEY HAVE A REALLY BIG ISSUE WITH TRASH CLEANUP. SO WE WENT THERE AND WE HELPED THEM DIG THE TRASH OUT OF THEIR PLATEAUS. I LIKED LEARNING ABOUT HOW ENVIRONMENTALLY TECHNOLOGY CHANGES HAVE LED TO GREATER WASTE.”
“There’s a different part of the world sitting in a room to my left and right,” Sufi
“I WENT TO SANTA FE WITH A BUNCH OF MY FRIENDS. WE ALL WENT TO OLIVE GARDEN AND THE WAITRESS THERE WAS LIKE, ‘OH MY GOSH, MY DAUGHTER WANTS TO GO TO UWC.’ IT WAS JUST REALLY NICE TO CONNECT WITH PEOPLE WHO ARE OUTSIDE OF OUR SCHOOL.”
“AT THE GRAND CANYON WE DID SOME SMALLER HIKES AND IT WAS JUST REALLY BEAUTIFUL TO SEE THE COLORS AND LEARN ABOUT THE FORMATION [OF THE CANYON]. WE HAD TO GET UP AT 4:30 A.M. AND GO OVER TO THIS SPECIFIC VIEWING SPOT ON THE RIM TO WATCH THE SUNRISE.”
copy by david al l egri
p h o to by pai ge be an
S e n i o r a n d f re e l a n ce p h o to g ra p h er E l l e S i e g e l s h a re s h e r t h o u g h t s a b o ut
“ “ “ “
ELLE SIEGEL THE HARBINGER
d e si g n by greyson imm
i nd e p e nde n t ly le a r n in g p h o to g ra phy
JANUARY 22, 2024 | 19
WHEN DID YOU GET INTO PHOTOGRAPHY?
When I was 9, I went to summer camp in northern Minnesota. There wasn’t much to shoot except the wildlife. I started with still images of flowers and other photos in nature, but it was a little too calm for me — I like the action.
WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE SUBJECT TO SHOOT?
I try to shoot concerts in particular, and I like to incorporate the audience into it. Some of my favorite photos that I’ve taken are when the lead singer of a band is interacting. Everyone is just having a fun time and it’s awesome.
WHAT DO YOU LIKE ABOUT PHOTOGRAPHY?
I love being able to experience things and capture a really special moment from an event or just being able to give people memories from events.
WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO SOMEBODY STARTING? It’s a little intimidating to get out there and do it, but there are many opportunities in high school. East games and live music are great starters. Also, get out there and don’t be afraid to take advice from other people.
FREEZE FRAME
S ome of Elle’s favorite photos from past event s on her Instagram, @photobyelle siegel
SCAN ME INSTAGRAM
KC Royals practice
QUITE FRANKLY concert
East Football game
Check out Elle’s photography Instagram by scanning the link or seaching @photobyellesiegel on Instagram
A & E...
20 | JANUARY 22, 2024
de s ig n by l u c y st e ph e n s pho to s co ur te s y o f imdb.com, MTC campus, clara pet ers an d ame l i e wo n g
smeharbinger.net/category/a&e
GRAMMYPREDICTIONS
RECENT RELEASES MOVIE PREMIERE
30
'PSWI
SCAN ME LIST
East students share their predictions for the Grammys on Feb 4.
Scan to view the full nominees list for the 2024 Grammys
$UJ\OOH
BES T NEW ARTI S T
SJ
ARGYLLE
“ “
Release Date:
artist] of 2023 has to be Ice Spice. She has amazing verses across many of her songs and I really enjoyed her new song “Boys A Liar pt. 2”
Feb. 2
Genre:
Action, Thriller
BURT S HEET S FRESHMAN
ICE S P ICE
Running Time: 2 hrs 19 mins
RE CORD OF THE YEAR
Starring:
Bryce Dallas Howard, Dua Lipa and Henry Cavill KWWSV ZZZ LPGE FRP WLWOH WW PHGLDYLHZHU UP
[THE BEST NEW
ANTI HERO WAS
[Taylor Swift’s] number one song on Midnights so I think it could definitely win [record of the year].
BURT S HEET S FRESHMAN
ANTI H ERO BY TAY LOR S WIFT
SEASON 28 PREMIERE 30
7KH %DFKHORU
SJ
'PSWI
ARE YOU GOING TO WATCH THE GRAMMYS?
THE BACHELOR
*Instagram poll of 193 votes
Release Date:
YES
Where to Watch:
NO
Jan. 22
Hulu or ABC Network
34% 66%
NEW OPENINGS
Starring:
Joey Graziadei
Take a look at some new additions to the KC area
UNUSUAL HOLIDAYS Mark your calenders for these unusual holidays coming up
JAN 23 NATIONAL PIE DAY NATIONAL PUZZLE DAY JAN 29 JAN 30
NATIONAL CROISSANT DAY
GROUNDHOG DAY
FEB 02
KC Wheel
New Ferris wheel attraction located in downtown KC 2485 Jefferson St, Kansas City, MO
Fowling Warehouse
Mission Hills
New event space located in Watts Mill Plaza 1020 W 103rd St, Kansas City, MO
Billie’s Grocery
New restaurant located in Ranchmart Shopping Center 3614 W 95th St, Leawood, KS
Prairie Village
State Line Rd.
KWWSV ZZZ LPGE FRP WLWOH WW PHGLDYLHZHU UP "UHIB WWBRYBL
Leawood
p h o to s by liv madden & m o l l y scot t s tor y by l ucy wolf
d e si g n by l yl a week s ar t by h al l i e obryan
F et C h
superlatives
A ran k i n g o f t h e n e w a c to rs exe c u t i o n in del i v e r i n g i c o n i c l i n e s f ro m t h e 2 0 0 4
1. WE WEAR PINK. ON WEDNESDAYS,
IN MY OPINION,
this is the most iconic Mean Girls quote and my favorite for sure.
2. GO HERE
SHE DOESN’T EVEN
ANOTHER LINE THAT,
I love and it’s funny how Damian says it then hides in the movie.
3. GROOL
IN MY OPINION,
and more iconic lines from the movie, so this one isn’t my favorite
JANUARY 22, 2024 | 21
THE HARBINGER
MEAN GIRLS The new Mean Girls Musical movie is a downgrade of t he o rgi ni al 2004 o ne
T
...THE MUSICAL?
HE ORIGINAL 2004, “Mean Girls” movie was
— something I didn’t pay to see. Regina was shown multiple
iconic, from the burn book to the color pink. So my
times using ELF, a popular drugstore makeup brand, while more
expectations were high for the remake — I was ready
high-end brands like Charlotte Tilbury or Dior would have fit
to be blown out of my seat by the same pink sequins
her character better. All characters also used the new foldable
and sassy one-liners the original movie was known for.
Samsung Galaxy phones when it would’ve been more realistic for
But the new movie did not top the original. Released on Jan. 12,
at least a few to have iPhones.
“Mean Girls” was entertaining — but not entertaining enough to
They redeemed themselves by using current social media
overshadow the abundance of cringe-worthy moments where I
platforms like TikTok and Instagram and including influencers
wished everyone would stop singing.
Chris Olsen and the Merrell twins throughout the movie made it
Screenwriter Tina Fey, who plays the math teacher Ms.
feel more relatable.
Norbury in both movies, shocked everyone by turning this film
Casting in this movie was mostly spot on. Rapp and co-star
into a musical without advertising the movie as a musical. The
Bebe Wood — Gretchen Wieners — couldn’t have been picked
trailer of the movie had zero hints that the movie would be jam-
more perfectly to play their sassy roles, which they executed
packed with flash-mobs and musical numbers, aside from the
almost as well as the original actors, Rachel McAdams and Lacey
single music note in the title, which wasn’t a big enough hint for
Chabert. And I even found myself enjoying some of the songs in
me to realize it was a musical.
the movie. Rapp’s voice in “Meet the Plastics” and “World Burn”
Scene one was set in Kenya, Africa — where the main character, Cady Heron, lived before moving to North Shore High in Evanston, Illinois — included singing. The music added a new twist, making the widely-known movie less predictable with unexpected outbursts of singing. I enjoyed the flash mobs and characters randomly breaking out into song, but
occasionally found myself
sinking into my seat when Cady sang about her love for math and meeting a boy she liked. The
movie
was
also
more
modern
and
reflected current trends — I often found myself taking note of trends or brands I saw. Characters like Regina George and Karen Smith wear popular corset tops that mimic the
styles
of
Urban
Outfitters
or
Garage. The style felt more up-todate with recent clothing trends —
was mesmerizing.
“
THE AMOUNT OF
obvious product placement in the movie made it feel like a twohour ad campaign — something I didn’t pay to see.
But actresses Angourie Rice and Avantika Vandanapu —
Cady and Karen — didn’t live up to Lindsey Lohan and Amanda Seyfried’s acting in the original. The remake actresses were too over the top, it felt like they were trying too hard to be better than the original characters.
despite the obvious fact that most people
While many well-known quotes and scenes like “On Wednesdays
wouldn’t choose to wear those clothes to
we wear pink” and “You can’t sit with us” scenes were included
school in real life.
in the movie, a few iconic lines and moments were left out or
I didn’t like how some of these more
changed.
modern outfits felt inauthentic to the
The famous three-way call scene was missing from the new
characters I fell in love with in the original
Mean Girls when Karen lies to Regina and says, “I can’t go out
movie. Even Regina — played by actress
*cough cough* I’m sick.” Along with the revised Jingle Bell
Reneé Rapp — wore black multiple
Rock dance the Plastics performed at the talent show, which had
times throughout the movie. The
different choreography and left out the famous lines “I’m always
original Regina would never wear
on your left” and “Right now you’re getting on my last nerve,
black, considering the Plastics’
switch,” between Gretchen and Regina.
most iconic color is pink. The amount of obvious product placement in the movie made it feel like a two-hour ad campaign
Still, if you’re craving “Mean Girls” nostalgia and don’t cringe at songs about math and meeting a cute boy, then this movie is for you.
h i s m m ... Su M
22 | JANUARY 22, 2024
story b y e mme rso n wi n frey
THE HARBINGER
d e s ig n b y b e l l a b ro ce p h o to s b y m o l l y mi l l e r
K u ra R e v o l v i n g S u s h i B a r recently opened on the P laza and is
I
k n o w n f o r s e r v i n g s u s h i o n a revolver ’VE BEEN TO Kura Sushi — a new revolving
There’s one major downfall to this chain:
conveyor belt sushi restaurant on the Plaza
excessive wait times and no reservations. You have
However, when you finally get seated, the mouth
As both a shrimp and avocado lover, I expected to
— not once, not twice, but three times now.
to put your name on a waitlist either through the
watering array of food and intimate atmosphere
adore it but instead I couldn’t even force a third
Yet somehow, I’ve only managed to get in
Kura app or at the restaurant and simply hope to
from the serverless concept and separated booths
bite down my throat. It had a shrimp mayo and
get a table.
allows you to spend true quality time with your
was topped with avocado and yuzu cream sauce.
group, almost make up for the dreadful time spent
But there wasn’t any shrimp flavor in a single bite
waiting.
of the roll, which ended up tasting like a ball of
two of those three times.
a table and can easily drive away business.
the Shrimp Avocado Roll was just an utter letdown.
Kura Sushi opened on Dec. 22 on the corner of
On my first trip I put my name in at 5 p.m. on
Wyandotte and W 47th St. in the Plaza. The chain
a Friday hoping to beat the dinner rush. Yet, after
originated in Sakai City, Japan in 1977 and has
waiting three hours in the bitter cold and even
It’s similar to a buffet style with you grabbing
awkwardly standing in Made in KC for warmth,
plates off the conveyor belt for $3.20 each. You put
my group found out there were over 100 people in
empty plates in a slot on the table where they’re
After that disappointment, the Crab Crispy Rice
front of us, forcing us to eat elsewhere.
counted by a machine. You can pay for all your
was able to bring Kura’s reputation back up. The
plates at the end of your meal — either contactless
rice was a light golden brown and had an ASMR-
through the screen at your table or with a server.
worthy crunch while the crab mayo on top gave it
grown to over 550 locations globally, with 64 in the United States. They’re known for their conveyor belt style serving — a unique twist on your average sushi place. The restaurant is server-less with staff only manning the desk or helping confused customers with how to work the conveyor belt. It’s an introvert’s dream if you ask me. The conveyor belt carries all sorts of sushi from traditional California Rolls to more unfamiliar things like Conch Nigiri. And if you don’t see something that piques your interest, you can order Ramen or Udon on a screen above you which gets delivered on a seperate belt. The diversity of food options creates the perfect restaurant for both adventurous and picky eaters. I picked up a few rolls and sides off the
“
On my second trip I joined the waitlist during
THERE IS ONE
downfall to this chain though: excessive wait times and no reservations. You have to put your name on a waitlist either through the app or at the restaurants and simply hope to get a table.
avocado and mayo. This should be an automatic skip for any customer.
I started with the Golden Crunchy Roll which
a nice layer of softness to balance out the crunch
was filled with avocado and shrimp mayo and
below. There weren’t any stand out flavors besides
was topped with spicy mayo, sweet soy sauce and
crab, yet it had me waiting for it to come around
panko. It came with four pieces, the standard for
on the belt again.
almost every roll. It had a quintessential mix of
I ended my meal with the edamame which was
textures in the roll with the creaminess of the
just cold edamame with some sea salt. While I have
avocado and crispiness of the panko on top. No
no complaints about the dish, it’s not something
specific flavor stood out but you can easily taste
I’d spend my money on again.
every aspect of the roll — something many sushis lack. This roll is easily the best on the belt.
Kura
Sushi
is
a
fun,
once-in-a-while
experience for a night out to enjoy good food but
After the bursting flavor of the Golden Crunchy
isn’t a reliable choice or new go-to — especially
Roll, the California Roll seemed dull. It’s your
when hungry — due to the unreasonable wait
conveyor belt including a Golden Crunchy Roll, a
the afternoon and was able to get a table at 7. On
classic California Roll filled with real crab mayo
times and outdated waitlist system that is in dire
California roll, a Shrimp Avocado Roll, Crab Crispy
my latest trip I arrived at 11:00 a.m. in a desperate
and avocado. It’s better than the average roll that
need of an update.
Rice and edamame.
attempt to avoid wait times and was able to get a
you pick up at a grocery store but didn’t stand out
table in five minutes. This waitlist-style seating
compared to others.
Sounds like the perfect place for a hassle-free dinner right? Wrong.
caused me to feel overly anxious whilst waiting for
UNDER THE LID Shrimp Avocado Roll
While the California Roll may have been lacking,
E m m erso n’s rat i ng o f t he sushi ro l l s she t r i ed
Golden Cruncy Roll
California Roll SCAN ME MENU View Kura Revolving Sushi Bar’s menu online
FRESH JUICES & SMOOTHIES
JUICES AND SMOOTHIES
10% OFF WITH YOUR STUDENT ID
SCAN FOR MENU 4984 Roe Blvd, Roleand Park, KS 66205
Sports
...
d
24 | JANUARY 22, 2024
smeharbinger.net/category/sports
25
3:30 p.m.
JANUARY
26
7 p.m.
JANUARY
Va r s i t y B a s k e t b a l l @ S M E
Va r s i t y S w i m @ S M A q u a t i c C e n t e r
d e s ig n b y l i b by ma rs h
a y le f t
2
east vs. rock game
countdown
Ma r k y o ur calendars for the se
30
JANUARY
3 p.m.
Va r s i t y B a s k e t b a l l @ G E H S
UPCOMING EVENTS
2
FEBRUARY
Sweetheart Games @ SME
nationals prep A cheer captain’s t h o u g h t s o n t h e te a m c o m p e t i n g a t Na t i o n a l s f or t he first t ime
E M M A AU B U C H O N VA R S I T Y C H E E R C O -C A P TA I N
“
WE’VE BEEN DOING 6:15 a.m. practices for the past two weeks
in the mornings. We’ve just been doing early morning practices and stuff to help prepare. Even on our late start days, we’re here at 6:15. We want to do well, and we’re going to be in Dallas soon.
competition recap A r u ndow n of the Miss K a nsa s da nce co mp e titio n
TOP LEFT Senior Blake Hanson dives toward the court as he tries to keep possession of the ball during the second quarter of the game. photo by mason sajna
LEAVING FROM East at 6:45 a.m., the varsity
of the competition where the judge’s favorite
and JV dance teams made their way to Olathe
dances are asked to perform their piece. The
South for the Miss Kansas dance competition.
varsity jazz dance and JV gameday dance were
Each team performed three of their dances:
both performed in the showcase. Both teams
T O P R I G H T Junior Carter Brock reaches for the ball while pressing the SM Northwest Cougars in the fourth quarter.
gameday, jazz and hip hop. Recent Kansas state
received a “Best in Show Award” award, one
photo by caroline hoffman
rules say that judges are not supposed to rank
of the highest scoring awards possible in the
teams by place so a showcase is held at the end
contest and a Division I ranking.
HAVE THE SNOW DAYS AND WEATHER AFFECTED YOUR ABILITY TO PRACTICE YOUR SPORT? * I n s t a g ra m p o l l o f 2 8 4 v o t e s
YES NO
RIGHT Junior Will Beck jumps to make a dunk during the third quarter of the game as the crowd watches. Beck’s dunk was successful, upping the score to 41-28 in favor of the Cougars. photo by mason sajna
61% 39%
5:30 & 7 p.m.
go to page 25 to read more about junior Will Beck’s basketball journey
s tor y by christi an goo l ey
JANUARY 22, 2024 | 25
THE HARBINGER
d e si g n by ree se dun h am p h o to by w i l l g r i ffi th
A
A
VARSITY JUMP
QUICK TURNOVER and a timeout
better and better. Toward the end of the season,
during the Jan. 5 varsity game against
he was close to averaging a double-double. He
Shawnee Mission North set junior Will
just worked hard, you could see the confidence
Beck up for a play he’d only run once at
start to build.”
team to being a varsit y star ter in le ss than a ye a r a fte r off se a son pra c tic e
The sophomore team went 19-1 with their
practice.
Standing on the right side of the court, Will catches and quickly passes the basketball. He takes
only loss coming in the final game of the season, so Will was confident going into the offseason.
off, jumping off one foot, catches the basketball
Realizing that his goal of making JV/Varsity
mid-air and throws it into the hoop. Parents,
was within reach, Beck dedicated himself to
not just the student section, were on their feet
basketball. He started putting the hours of work
screaming as the Pep Execs started a “Will Beck”
alone, taking hundreds of shots at Sylvester
chant.
Powell Jr. Community Center daily and two hour
to
Junior Will Beck moved up from sophomore
practice,
Beck
surged
practices with a private coach. All work that
varsity-scorer
after
playing
would finally pay off in the few tournaments East
Thanks
to
offseason
become
a
top
sophomore team last year. “I could not have been more excited with how
is involved in the summers. “Just playing a lot, working on shooting
I played and that our team won,” Will said. “I felt
details
as if my hard work was paying off and that I can
“Sometimes having to miss going to the lake or
continue to play at a high level.”
hanging out with my friends to go practice was
“
IF YOU DON’T
know Will very well, he’s very quiet and humble,” Shannon said. “I think he believed in himself the last few years but never showed it, so to see him have success on the court and believe in himself is what I’m most proud of. SHAN N O N BE C K WILL’S M O M
and
dribbling
details,”
Beck
said.
hard, but to me, it was worth it.” Going
into
the
annual
summer
Kamo
basketball tournament through East, Will was just another guy on the team hoping to just get playing time. The outcome was shocking for most and foreshadowed the impact he’d make for the Varsity team. “We saw a bunch of him this summer, we saw him really blossom into a great player,” Varsity Head Coach Shawn Hair said. “He played very well [in the Kamo tournament this summer] and that was a huge part of his success this season.” Continuing to work hard and spend time in the gym practicing throughout the rest of the
He was MVP of the North game, scoring a career-
offseason, Will’s confidence continued to grow up
high of 27 points. Watching her son celebrate with
to the team’s tryouts in November. After a week
teammates after each basket, his mom Shannon
of brutal full court sprints and hours of competition
Beck couldn’t have been prouder of her son.
with scrimmages and drills, Will accomplished his
“If you don’t know Will very well, he’s very quiet
goal of seeing his name on the JV/Varsity roster.
and humble,” Shannon said. “I think he believed in
“It’s a very rare instance to go from a starter
himself the last few years but never showed it, so
on the sophomore team to a starter on the varsity
to see him have success on the court and believe in
team, big props to Will Beck for that,” Hair said.
himself is what I’m most proud of.”
Will, now the second-leading scorer during
Will hasn’t always had it easy playing basketball.
the team’s 7-1 start to the season, has become
He made the B team his freshman year and unlike
comfortable finding his role on the team and
most of his teammates — some of which he’d
creating bonds spending hours with his teammates
played with for years — Will wasn’t moved up to
like senior Teddy Saylor.
JV last year due to a lack of confidence in his game.
“He worked really hard, he cares a lot about
Still, he worked to improve his shooting, dribbling
basketball and his hard work paid off,” Teddy
and his finish around the rim despite not making
said. “Someone who truly loves the game is super
the more advanced team.
competitive and a great teammate.”
“At the start of sophomore year, he was a little bit timid or didn’t have a whole lot of selfconfidence,” Sophomore Head Coach Kevin Wiesner said. “Throughout the season, he just got better and
T O P Junior Will Beck drives into the lane past a SM North defender, after pump faking a shot. Beck later makes the layup in the first half.
SEASON STATS Beck ’s stat i st ic s fro m this bas ketball s eas o n s o far
1.2
12
assists per game on average
points per game on average
61.3%
5.6
field goal percentage
rebounds per game on average
26 | JANUARY 22, 2024
THE HARBINGER
story b y con n or vogel
d e s ig n b y a a nya b a n s a l p h o to s b y ri l ey s cot t im a ge c o u r te s y o f a d o b e
“FRIENDLY” T
COMPETITION
Tw o re c re a t i o n a l b a s ket b al l team s o f seni o r b o y s take t hei r r i val r y to t he next level using social media
HE FIRST THING senior The first thing senior Syl Brundige did after signing himself and seven of his friends up for a recreational basketball league was creating an Instagram account for their team — DaMillers. A few weeks before the season started on Jan. 8, they were challenged by their friends and fellow seniors Mason Hedrick and Alex Tiedt to go up against the Fireballz, another team in their rec league to a friendly scrimmage at their rec center. Since then, the “friendly” rivalry between the senior boys who have known each other since elementary school has only intensified. Fueled through not-so-serious social media posts in crowning the least valuable player of each game and trash talking on and off the court, the teams use their rivalries as motivation to win these games. “You have fun in the games, but you take more joy from some of these rivalries,” Hedrick said. “[Trolling] is way more fun. We take these people’s Instagram posts and hold it over their heads.” DaMillers, who had only played a few pick-up games at the local rec center, Sylvester Powell community center, to prepare for their season, joined the league simply to have fun. The team never intended to put in a ton of practice time, planning to simply enjoy the season with their
friends. During practices or other games, the teams don’t even take the game as seriously, like senior and team namesake Chase Miller according to teammate senior Charlie Muehlberger. “A lot of the time during scrimmages [Chase] will throw up half-court shots or just dribble for a while when we’re just trying to play,” Muehlberger said. But DaMillers get more serious when they face off against their rivals, the Fireballz, who have been dissing the team through posts on their Instagram story or comments on their posts. “It’s funny to see the reactions on what we post [on Instagram], especially on wins if you post something dogging the team we played,” Hedrick said. “It’s fun to see them at school after so we can brag about it.” The Fireballz, who claim to be one of the first recreational teams from East to use social media to promote themselves after starting the team last year, have fun with rivalries like this. The account, run by Tiedt and Hedrick, takes their Instagram one step further than most, not just using the account to elevate their team, but to instigate discord with other teams. When the two teams faced off in the preseason, the Fireballz shared the entire game on their Instagram story to boast after their victory. But
to be fair, according to Brundige, the posts only showed one side of the story. “I wasn’t there and most of our players also weren’t there,” Brundige said. “People will say they scored more points than us, but we would’ve won. It shouldn’t have counted in the first place.” For the Fireballz this was just part of the fun, with these rivalries making the season more exciting. However, senior Hudson O’Neill doesn’t take direct action when controlling the posts on their team account, as he can see the effect on and off the court. “[Instagram] is kind of our main thing,” O’Neill said. “We like messing with other teams, posting funny stuff and making a joke out of it to help build rivalries.” Brundige, who runs the account for DaMillers, tries to make the posts after their games slightly more positive. These posts include edited photos of his friends’ faces plastered over Jordan dunking or Tony Snell’s infamous stat line. He also shows clips of the team’s best plays — currently consisting of Brundige’s rare three-pointer in their previous game. After originally only starting the team for fun, DaMillers have been training at the rec center to beat the Fireballz, even winning their first game of the year on Jan. 7 at Indian Hills Middle School. But Muehlberger
watched from the bench as his teammates won their first official basketball game of the season. He had to ride the bench after getting into foul trouble for his Dennis Rodmanesque “defense” earlier in the game. “I’m a little guy, so I feel like I can push a little more than I probably should,” Muehlberger said. “But yeah, I get away with more than most.” Muehlberger says his team has decided to “take the high road” and not retaliate online despite what they’ve seen from their rival account. The DaMillers plan to best the Fireballz in person Feb. 25 during their final showdown of the season. “They’ll talk their talk, but really when it comes down to it, we’ll see who’s able to pull up,” Muehlberger said. “They’re an unprofessional team of unprofessional players.” The Fireballz are also looking forward to the big game and finally setting the record straight. “We’re not nervous to beat them, we’ll do it again,” Hedrick said. “That scrimmage showed us all we needed to know. We don’t really see any scary people on their team.” Both teams encourage fans to come cheer them on, regardless of the outcome. “It’ll be a big game and we’re hoping to get a large crowd,” Brundige said. “The first 10 are getting free giveaways, it’s going to be a 200 plus spectacular.”
d e sig n b y riley s cot t
T H E H A RB I NGER
STAGE
BOUND
JANUARY 22, 2024 | 27
The Lanc e r D a n c e rs p a r t i c i p a te d i n t h e “Miss K an s a s” c o m p e t i t i o n o n J a n . 1 3 to p rep are f or N DA Na ti on a l s on Ma rc h 8 -1 0 T O P L E F T Senior captain Laynie Manning goes up to accept the Best of Show award. “ We got a lot out of this competition,” Manning said. “Being able to perform all of our dances in front of judges was a great first trial run for nationals. It’s really important to be able to see what worked and what didn’t to figure out what needs to change.” photo by addie clark T O P R I G H T Junior Lili Vottero holds a sign during JV’s gameday performance. photo by addie clark
BOTTOM LEFT Junior Lili Vottero finishes getting ready before JV begins their performance. “I usually put my hair in a slick back pony and have someone else do my bun,” Vottero said. “ Then, I start on my makeup and spray my hair.” photo by lyla weeks
SCAN ME GALLERY Scan this QR code to view more from this event
B O T T O M R I G H T The Lancer Dancers perform their Jazz routine for the second time this year. The first time they performed this routine was at the varsity basketball game against SM Northwest the night before. photo by molly scott
28 | JANUARY 22, 2024
2024
THE HARBINGER
story b y l o re l e i g al l e s
d e s ig n b y addi e moore a r t b y b e l l a b ro ce
A LOOK INTO S t u d e n t s s h a re f a s h i o n , p o p cul t ure and East re l a te d p re d i c t i o n s for the upcoming year
im a ge c o u r t s e y o f a d o b e
JUNIOR BLAKELY FAULKNER predicts a shake-up with famous actors. She foresees a boom in the Barry Keoghan fan base, with him potentially starring as Joker in the next “Batman” movie. She also believes that Sydney Sweeney will be cancelled in the wake of her fame from the hit rom-com “Anyone But You.” “There was drama with [Sweeney] and Glen Powell,”
WILL
LOVEBIRDS
TAYLOR
Faulkner said. “I actually really like her, but I get the
Swift and Travis Kelce get engaged
vibe that something’s gonna happen with her. She does
in 2024? Freshman Mira McInnes
a lot of PR stunts.”
predicts they will. Since being spotted at ten of Kelce’s games, Swift seems to be
SENIOR MARGOT BEAVER believes
moving faster than ever with her
the “clean girl” look of 2023 is a thing
romance. According to McInnes,
of the past. Instead of slicked back
Kelce seems like a family man, so
and tight hairstyles, she predicts much
things could be picking up for this
looser styles with face-framing pieces in
Kansas City couple. for six or seven years that she never talked about,” McInnes said. “This one’s way more public, and they seem happy.”
the “rich messy girl” aesthetic. love st ory
“[Swift] was in a relationship
“Not ‘messy girl’ as in Alix Earle with puke on her dress, but like the girl wearing furs instead of leather,” Beaver said. “[Slick backs] kind of hurt and they’re not great for your hair. I feel like people are just gonna get sick of it.”
FRESHMAN ARLO MAI predicts that varsity baseball will win state. The team lost their first game in
SENIOR AND STYLIST Trey Hyde predicts the
state
this
rise of “quiet luxury” in fashion. Hyde expects
upcoming season has great promise
more neutral tones, and tall boots while straying
for senior catchers Anthony Mazza
away from cropped clothing, crazy prints and
and Jake Miller, who were on the
colors — especially within luxury brands. He’s
team last year.
already noticing this trend change at his job at
last
year.
Mai
thinks
“I think they’re going to have a
Daisy Lee Vintage.
good season with all the seniors that
“Quiet luxury in the sense that a designer
have been on varsity for multiple
item, at first glance, [might not] look designer,”
seasons,” Mai said. “Getting close
Hyde said. “Pretty much expensive basics that
last year and not winning is the
don’t necessarily look totally high brand.”
motivation we need.”