The Harbinger Issue 15 2023-2024

Four freshmen made varsity boys tennis this season

“Quiet on Set” exposes the true horrors of working at Nickelodeon 21

Associate Principal Dr. Susan Leonard reflects on her impact at East

Creating the KC Current has brought the Long family together while allowing them to leave their mark on women’s soccer history as they promote and support the team

A current event happening at Dana Hall School according to Hallmanac staffer, Hadley Brown Runway 4 Recovery, a non-proft benefting families impacted by breast cancer, partnered with Dana Hall for fundraisers

The school hosted a Playing 4 Pink fundraiser during sports games in October and a 5K in February

The money raised supported families by paying for groceries, gas, education and more

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See more stories by the Hallmanac

PRINT EDITORS

Katie Murphy

Greyson Imm

ONLINE EDITORS

Aanya Bansal

Maggie Kissick

HEAD COPY EDITORS

Greyson Imm

Aanya Bansal

ASST. PRINT EDITORS

Addie Moore

Avery Anderson

ASST. ONLINE EDITORS

Connor Vogel

Larkin Brundige

ASST. HEAD COPY EDITOR

Ada Lillie Worthington

HEAD PHOTO EDITORS

Riley Scott

Liv Madden

Kenna Harrington

VIDEO EDITORS

Abby Lee Ryder Hendon

ASST. PHOTO EDITORS

Caroline Martucci

Clara Peters

Amelie Wong

ASST. VIDEO EDITORS

Mason Sajna

Alex Sajna

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THE HALLMANAC DANA HALL SCHOOL WELLESLEY, MA

DESIGN EDITORS

Veronica Mangine

Bridget Connelly

ASST. DESIGN EDITOR

Kai McPhail

SOCIAL MEDIA EDITORS

Maggie Kissick

Bridget Connelly

ASST. SOCIAL MEDIA

EDITORS

Isabel Balsassaro

Lyla Weeks

ART EDITOR

Bridget Connelly

ASST. ART EDITOR

Kai McPhail

PODCAST EDITOR

Emma Krause

PHOTO MENTORS

Molly Miller

Paige Bean

Will Griffith

Mason Sajna

VIDEO MENTOR

Preston Hooker

PRINT SECTION EDITORS

EDITORIAL | Kai McPhail

NEWS | Sydney Eck

FEATURE | Sophia Brockmeier

A&E | Lucy Stephens

ONLINE POST MANAGER

Luciana Mendy

COPY EDITORS

Katie Murphy

Greyson Imm

Maggie Kissick

Aanya Bansal

Ada Lillie Worthington

Addie Moore

Emmerson Winfrey

Libby Marsh

David Allegri

Sophia Brockmeier

Larkin Brundige

Lucy Wolf

Connor Vogel

Avery Anderson

Luke Beil

Neva Hudson

Luciana Mendy

STAFF WRITERS

Mary Gagen

Isabel Baldassaro

Maggie Condon

Christian Gooley

Preston Hooker

Lucy Stephens

Emma Krause

Michael Yi

Reese Dunham

Mya Smith

Neil Williams

Carl Sutton

Read a feature on where students will be during the next solar eclipse, an A&E on the sale at Sephora and view a gallery over a recent girls swim and dive meet cartoon

STAFF ARTISTS

Larkin Brundige

Zane Laing

Julia Campbell

Hallie O’Bryan

Bella Broce

Francesca Lorusso

PAGE DESIGNERS

Emmerson Winfrey

Zane Laing

Lyla Weeks

Clara Burdick

Lorelei Galles

Julia Campbell

Bella Broce

Francesca Lorusso

Hallie O’Bryan

MULTIMEDIA STAFF

Mary Gagen

Luke Beil

Paige Bean

Ryan Dehan

Mason Sajna

Alex Sajna

Emma Krause

Preston Hooker

Christian Gooley

STAFF PHOTOGRAPHERS

Alex Sajna

Maggie Condon

Lyla Weeks

Molly Scott

Francesca Lorusso

Addie Clark

Katie Cook

Caroline Hoffman

The Federal Government needs to be spending more money on student loan forgiveness.

FORGIVENESS

IN EVERY PRESIDENTIAL election, there are campaign promises that are made, but then are immediately forgotten as soon as the candidate is elected. In the case of President Joe Biden and student loans, it’s pitiful.

The idea of forgiving student loan debt is a great idea, it would help many struggling Americans, but when you don’t follow through with an idea, that’s all it is — an idea.

In both his 2020 and 2024 campaigns to increase student loan forgiveness, spending millions on radio ads on black and Latinoowned radio stations, advertising the money to the lower class who need it. He is taking advantage of their financial situation in order to gain votes in crucial swing states, but then leaving them out to dry by failing to enact any sort of successful legislation to help them.

So where’s the money, Joe?

THE IDEA OF forgiving student loan debt is a great idea, it would help many struggling Americans, but when you don’t follow through with an idea, that’s all it is — an idea.

Biden’s first attempt to provide debt relief was an utter failure. In Aug 2022, he announced his gilded, multi-billion dollar plan which would’ve fully canceled debt for over 20 million borrowers, per his announcement speech.

But it was just too good to be true.

His initial plan circumvented Congressional approval, by using funds from the HEROES Act — an Act to pause student loan repayment requirements created by Trump’s Administration in response to COVID-19 — but the Supreme Court ruled in

June 2023 that the scale of Biden’s debt-relief plan was greater than the HEROES’ intended use, and struck down his plan.

Instead of working with Congress to get approval for his plan, it seemed he took an “ask for forgiveness, not permission” as he just mentioned the new plan via X, but forgot to ask if the government budget could take the $430 billion hit.

Circumventing Congress was an illadvised method of addressing the issue, but it was still progressive action that led to increasing awareness to the issue, and it was a step in the right direction for the borrowers and future students in need of the support.

Student debt is not just a financial burden, but a barrier to achieving their dreams — financial stress can prevent many students from attending their dream schools or requiring them to have to work more hours in order to afford college. Student loans are an unnecessary stressor, and the Federal Government should provide greater support in offering loan forgiveness now, and in continuing to do so in the future.

Attempting to fix his impromptu legislation mishaps, Biden has announced his Plan B for student loan forgiveness.

To make Congress happy, Plan B will be much smaller in scope and will require a less severe financial hit to the congressional budget. As for borrowers, it will offer more financial support and lesser burdensome loan payments than that of the current student loan legislation.

The Plan B proposal is the bare minimum the Federal Government should be doing to provide relief to the students that need it — we need to invest more into the education of our country’s future.

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.

And whether or not you support student loan forgiveness, it’s an irrefutable fact that the cost of college has increased which requires those who can’t afford college to take out greater loans, causing a greater financial burden after their education.

43.2

In 1980, a four-year — including tuition, fees, room and board, and adjusted for inflation — college degree cost students $10,231 annually (adjusted for inflation) according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By 2019-20, the total price increased to $28,775.

That’s an 180% increase.

The systemic path of higher education makes it extremely difficult for someone to afford college and will discourage pursuing a higher education. Forgiving student loans doesn’t just affect the graduates who are still paying off the loans, but it encourages those

seeking higher education.

Forgiving students is beneficial for the economy — it’s a form of economic stimulus, meaning it would boost GDP, increase homeownership rates, and stimulate consumption — but it also gives me, a student looking at colleges, the confidence to apply to my dream schools. Allowing me to focus on my future and my dreams, instead of worrying about the debt I will be paying off later in my life.

Though Biden’s method of providing debt relief is questionable, it’s imperative that the Government better addresses the student loan debt crisis and should invest more money in the higher education of its citizens.

Briefs .

LANCER PICKLEBALL SPRING SMASH IS BEING HELD ON APRIL 27

HOMESTEAD COUNTRY CLUB is hosting its fourth annual Lancer Pickleball Spring Smash on April 27.

The proceeds from the event will benefit the SME All Sports Booster Club which has planned the event for the past four years. Students — entered in either the doubles or singles bracket — are required to pay a $50 entry fee. This fee will also cover the cost of two T-shirts designed for the event.

However, adults competing in the event must pay a $200 entry fee per team for the T-shirts as well as two drink tickets for each player.

Senior Gregor Wiedeman has competed in the tournament the past two years and is hoping to

be the champion this year, having made it to the finals both times with his partner George Kahl.

“There’s not too much of a difference between the best and the worst in terms of the players,” Wiedman said. “So you know it’s going to be competitive no matter who you’re playing.”

According to Wiedeman, players start by playing in pool play with four other teams facing each one of them. Then based on how many times teams win and how many points they score, the remaining competitors are seeded into a knockout tournament of four rounds.

The event will begin at 9 a.m. and the winning team will win a $100 coupon to Chicken N’ Pickle.

ABOVE Homestead Country Club, where the Lancer Pickleball Spring Smash tournament is being held at on April 27. Located at 4100 Homestead Ct, Prairie Village, KS 66208.

Student Tournament - 9:00am-11:00am

NOT TOO

LATE

Requirements and perks for students and adult entry for the pickleball tournament

STUDENT ENTRY:

• TEAMS OF TWO

• $50 PER TEAM

• FREE T- SHIRT ADULT ENTRY:

• TEAMS OF TWO

• $200 PER TEAM

• FREE T- SHIRT

• TWO DRINK TICKETS EACH TIMES:

Mixed-Co-Ed Adult - 10:30am-12:00pm

Men's & Women's Adult - 12:00pm-3:00pm

GIRLS VARSITY SOCCER TAILGATE IS BEING HELD DURING THE GAME AGAINST SHAWNEE MISSION SOUTH ON MAY 2

STUCO IS USING leftover district allocated funds to host a school-wide tailgate on May 2 during the girls soccer senior night game against SM South at Westridge Middle School.

In order to get a big turnout for the game, StuCo plans to use these funds to rent a Kona Ice truck to come and serve shaved ice to students 30 minutes before girls soccer kicks off.

According to senior class president Ryder Hendon, the plan is to have as many students

as possible show up for the big game earlier than usual to tailgate with fellow peers and draw a big crowd for the girls.

“The idea originated as a senior cookout,” Hendon said. “But we wanted to think of a way that we could [plan it] somewhere where people would already be, so the idea of the South game was perfect.”

In the past tailgates like this have proven to be successful as last year at the soccer game the first 100 students got free ice cream sandwiches provided by StuCo which

intrigued hundreds of kids to come to the game.

“We think by having the truck and it being senior night it will help to bring in a lot more students and fans,” Hendon said. “It’s also towards the end of the year so it’s just a fun thing to do as we finish up the semester.”

THE ANNUAL SENIOR SUNRISE WILL OCCUR ON APRIL 26

THE EAST ANNUAL senior sunrise event is happening on April 26 at 6:00 a.m.

Senior sunrise is an annual event planned by seniors on the Student Council as a way to bring the class together one last time before graduation.

The event will be held on the football

field and last for about an hour and a half before school starts at 7:40 a.m.

StuCo special events committee chair and senior Abi Limbird is currently planning the event and is taking inspiration from last year.

“By looking at the record of how many

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Sign-up for SME

Pickleball Spring Smash to raise money for the SME All Sports Booster Club.

ARE YOU ATTENDING THE GIRLS VARSITY SOCCER TAILGATE?

*Instagram poll of 73 votes 84% 16%

people signed up last year and how much food was catered it’s really helped us to plan ahead,” Limbird said.

The event is open to all seniors free-ofcharge and Chick-Fil-A will be provided for attendees. Students are encouraged to wear clothing representing their college or future

plans and bring their own blankets to sit on.

“It’s one of those traditions that puts into perspective how soon our high school career will be over,” Limbird said. “I believe that the communal understanding that we don’t have that much of high school left helps everyone become closer.”

photo by addie clark

SHE WILL

LANCER EVER BE

Dr. Susan Leonard reflects on her resignation as Associate Principal at East

an immediate connection through the fact they both taught social studies before taking on an

“She’s a very welcoming person,” Kristoffer said. “I think that’s one of her best strengths is that she is excited to get to know people, bring them on to the team and tell them about what it means to be a Lancer and what that means to

Throughout Kristoffer’s time at East, he has used Susan’s “wealth of experience” to guide him through his administrative responsibilities.

Kristoffer first came to East as an instructional coach, but he eventually worked his way to being an associate principal alongside Susan. As a new administrator, Kristoffer approached Leonard with questions like “What are the parts that I’m missing?” or “What’s been your experience in

“She offers collegial feedback, and I keep growing every time we have these

Advice between coworkers is not the only way that Susan has impacted people — senior Ella Howard has been influenced by her words

Since making friends with Susan’s daughter, senior Maggie Leonard, around 10 years ago, Ella has always been able to confide in Susan. Whether it’s a hang out at the Leonard’s household or watching Susan give a speech during the monthly Women in Leadership meeting — a club created to help empower female students by providing leadership opportunities — Ella has always felt safe at school with Susan’s positive presence. “Anytime I see her in the hallway, I always talk to her,” Ella said. “There was one time I was having a bad day at school and I [went] to the bathroom and I saw Dr. Leonard in the hallway. She [talked] to me and gave me a hug. She’s always been someone that checks up on

According to Ella, Susan co-founding the Women in Leadership club this year has given Susan a chance to reach even more students. As a female mentor, she helps lead each meeting and gives encouraging speeches about the

“She kind of taught me to dream big, and she

used to talk during Women in Leadership Club and say really cool pieces of advice,” Ella said.

“She’s always been really good at giving advice, and I think she just taught me to dream big with goals and how to be there for other people.”

Maggie has noticed this attentiveness with her friends and fellow peers. Although she finds it hard to talk about school at the dining room table and runs the risk of running into her mom when she’s late for school, she understands the influence her mom makes on students every day. “There are countless amounts of kids that she has spent so much time with and cares so much about that she constantly [works with], not just at work, but at home,” Maggie said. “There have been literally dozens of dozens of kids that she’s made huge impacts [on] and it’s really incredible to see how many lives she’s changed.”

Kristoffer, Ella and Maggie all believe Susan’s absence is going to be a “hard set of shoes to fill.” Kristoffer is hoping to find a way to preserve Susan’s positivity and sense of leadership in new ways — potentially through leadership councils and meetings — in order to accommodate for the “growing pains” the administration will face next year.

“I think one of her biggest impacts is the importance of connecting kids inside of our community — focusing on how we can build the student experience at ease,” Kristoffer said.

“That’s a legacy that I’m going to hold on to as we go forward in our community because that focus on what that student experience is in high school is really formative for every person that walks through our building in any high school.” sense of leadership in new ways — potentially through leadership councils and meetings — in order to accommodate for the “growing pains” the administration will face next year.

“I think one of her biggest impacts is the importance of connecting kids inside of our community — focusing on how we can build the student experience at ease,” Kristoffer said.

“That’s a legacy that I’m going to hold on to as we go forward in our community because that focus on what that student experience is in high school is really formative for every person that walks through our building in any high school.”

design by michael yi

photos by caroline martucci

FOR THE FIRST time in 10 years, East will have an all-female Student Council Executive Board for the 2024-25 school year.

The board consists of future senior and president Ingrid Blacketer, future junior and vice president Paige Bean, future junior and secretary Claire Polanco and future junior and treasurer Fina Kessler.

“We see each other once a week every week,” Blacketer said. “We set up together, we volunteer together and we volunteered at the can drive together. So we’ve always been in the same room [and] we’ve known each other for over a year now.”

The exec board each year works in tandem with the StuCo members of the individual grades. They cooperate to plan events like dances and charity drives.

“As far as other girls in my grade, we’re all pretty much in the same friend group, actually, which is a lot of fun, and makes it a lot easier to plan,” Blacketer said. “So we’re communicating regularly and everything.”

The current exec board along with Paige and Ingrid have been in the StuCo leadership class together for the past year, and have seen each other’s personalities and strengths. For example, Blacketer is known for being organized and on top of work. They are able to work together seamlessly when planning events like can drives, dances and pep assemblies, according to Blacketer.

“I think it’ll be really cool,” Bean said. “Claire and I are best friends and I’m close with Ingrid. Claire and Fina are best friends, so I think it’d

be good to see all of us work together because I think we’ll be a good team.”

Junior StuCo representative Anna Ravis hopes that an all-female exec board will encourage more underclassmen girls to run for positions on StuCo. This school year East has a good split between boys and girls for the class representatives, but the exec board tends to consist of all or mostly boys, according to StuCo sponsor and US history teacher Brenda Fishman.

SOMETIMES THE

girls are a little easier to settle in and get to work right away whereas the boys have to kind of let off steam for a few minutes before, and then they get to work.

BRENDA FISHMAN

STUCO SPONSOR

This school year, the members of the exec board were all male except for secretary and senior Nora Hill.

“Sometimes the girls are a little easier to settle in and get to work right away whereas the boys have to kind of let off steam for a few minutes, and then they get to work,” Fishman said. “A couple of them have been in the leadership class so they know the routine, and I think they do a great job.”

Next year, the girls plan to run StuCo a little more seriously than this year while still having plenty of fun, according to Blacketer. Blacketer

This upcoming school year the Student Council Executive Board will be all girls after a long time of having male-dominated groups

hopes to carry on the legacy of current senior president Jack Kessler by delivering student of the week goodie bags with a peppy and fun attitude. They are hoping to increase student engagement and will base events and themes on student input through listening to student ideas at meetings.

“The number-one thing recently and past couple years is student involvement because student involvement has been going down a little bit,” Blacketer said.

Blacketer has started brainstorming ideas that she hopes will be brought into next year’s schedule and hopes the new team will be able to see her vision. She also wants to incorporate traditions next year as president, like sending cheesy thumbs-up selfies to the StuCo GroupMe after their weekly Wednesday morning meetings, to increase the excitement within StuCo.

“I just [want to] have confidence in myself,” Blacketer said. “I’m a very shy person until you get to know me. And so [I want to] get out of my shell and not be scared and, speak up, talk out or talk to people and everything. That’ll be one of my struggles, but I think hopefully I’ll be able to live up to [Kessler’s] standards.”

StuCo members with experience like Blacketer and Ravis expect the increase in student engagement to lead to more students participating in school events.

“I think that maybe we’ll get some more attendees to the dances,” Ravis said. “There’ll be a little bit more advertising for them and encouraging more people to go as well as just more decorations and more events to hype people up for the dances and encourage them to go.”

Fishman is retiring after this school year

A list of the past executive boards

2021

REID NICHOLSON

VICE PRESIDENT

TONGTONG YI

PRESIDENT SECRETARY

CAMPBELL WOOD

2022

TREASURER

IRA FINKELSTON

PRESIDENT

JACK KESSLER

VICE PRESIDENT

EMMA KRAUSE

2023

VICE PRESIDENT

SAM STREILER

JACK KESSLER

SECRETARY

NORA HILL

PRESIDENT TREASURER

IRA FINKELSTON

design by clara burdick

photos by maggie condon

story by reese dunham

Opinion

smeharbinger.net/opinion

trending topics

Polls and information about current trending topics in media

COMIC STRIP

“Ugh, fourth quarter can be so stressful!”

Recently, child actor, musician, and star on the infamous tv show “Dance Moms” has completely changed her look and persona causing different opinions across the internet.

DO YOU LIKE WHEN CHILD ACTORS COMPLETELY CHANGE THEMSELVES

WHEN THEY TURN 18 YEARS OLD?

*Instagram poll of 88 votes

YES

NO

sweet meets spice

hot take

HAVE YOU TRIED THE NEW SPICY DRINKS AT STARBUCKS?

*Instagram poll of 219 votes

5% YES

NO

story by michael yi

Gomoku is a superior game to chess

AFTER THE BIG chess-plosion a few years back, the once-revived game has now fallen back into obscurity. The inherent problems of chess were both its greatest appeal and its downfall — it’s easy to play, hard to master.

Sure, when it was cool and big and everybody played it, it was fun because nobody knew what they were doing. But when a game that complex became popular, too many people learned the openings, theories and fundamentals and it became a studying competition — the magic was gone.

Enter Gomoku. Like chess, it’s easy to play, but you’d have to be out of your mind or criminally bored to look up strategies for what is essentially glorified tic-tac-toe.

The rules? Connect five circles in a row on a grid. No en passant rule, no castling, no obscure stalemating conditions. Finally, a game you can play without having to give your friends a 30-minute lecture beforehand.

Like chess, gomoku has its own online version

The light:

“Don’t worry, there’s always light at the end of the tunnel!”

this or

that?

Recent Instagram polls related to stories in this issue’s opinion section

HAVE YOU BEEN A PART OF A THEATRE ACTIVITY?

where friends can play against each other, but instead of relying on a website that requires making an account like chess.com, the GamePigeon version of gomoku is more accessible, and is probably already downloaded to your phone right now.

Because gomoku is so casual, there’s no rating system to worry about, so you don’t have to lose sleep over mistakes. Similarly, there’s no incentive for cheaters to use AI or bots to game matches like in chess.

Sure, on a technical and strategic level, chess may be better, but I’m not really interested in “technically-sound” fun. Gomoku is simple and casual, and there’s no theory or openings or cheating to worry about.

It’s already on your phones. Go play it.

*Instagram poll of 137 votes

70%

DO

*Instagram

MUSIC IS

Starbucks has just released their new line of spicy drinks that add a firey taste to their popular refreshers.

design by isabel baldassaro

art by francesca lorusso

jojo drama

art by zane laing and francesca lorusso

LOSING THE MELODY

Music has become so commercialized it’s hard to find a piece that can really be identified as true “art”

F I HAD a wish I would’ve never effed around /“If I had a wish I would’ve never effed around / When I saw the pics of you and her / I felt the knife twist / Karma’s a b*tch / and she’s with you right now.”

These lyrics are from former “Dance Moms” star Jojo Siwa’s newest single, “Karma.” I mean come on . Jojo, why would you go into a career rooted in judgment and consider “effed around” to be an appropriate lyric for your 8-to-12-year-old fanbase?

Music in the 21st Century is, sadly, unfortunate . I always wonder why artists that either want to gain or maintain popularity create music that shows no creativity.

Lazy beats that sound identical to each other, cringy lyrics that mean nothing and tacky aesthetics that don’t tell you anything about the content of the song — songs like “Karma” become something other than art, just a scheme to make money off of how horrible the

This process done by countless “artists” completely defeats the purpose of expression and art’s role in music. Again, art can be anything, but music like “Karma” falls short of earning that label.

A common debate topic is what the qualifications for art are . I think anything has the potential to become art, everything from a single red streak of paint on a canvas to something more

complicated done by Van Gogh.

It’s the intention and work taken by the artist that’s able to curate some sort of reaction or emotion. Art, specifically in the world of music, should be unique in its concept and what emotions it gives listeners. By listening you can tell whether the musician is effective at their job by noting how it makes you feel. A song by Arianna Grande or an artist in a similar genre makes you want to get up and dance, Lana Del Rey might make you cry your heart out.

An audience should be gained because the music sounds both good and contains something totally unique to the artist. This is becoming even more crucial because mainstream music creators are increasingly lacking artistry. Maybe an artist could take powerful vocals and transform that into an emotional ballad describing their struggles with love, that’s art.

It’s easy to create something like “Karma” because it stems from something overdone and doesn’t require any musical talent. Music that has true impact should take skill developed by the musician and their team.

True appreciation for a song or rhythm by the listener takes music to another level.

And I’m not here to hate on a simple, fun song, I think everyone needs a song to listen to when they get ready in the morning or dance in the shower, but fun songs also have the potential to carry meaning. It might not just be the

DIFFERENT STYLES

lyrics anymore, but how everything is structured and how it makes a person feel.

For example the insanely popular “ABCDEFU” by GAYLE makes me feel queasy due to the horrible lyrics and cringy alphabet concept, not something that I want to feel like in the shower. On the other hand, “SOS” by Rihanna makes me want to take the shampoo bottle and start belting the chorus. It’s upbeat and doesn’t use cheesy lyrics. It’s the intention and how the songwriter executes a concept.

It’s also become increasingly popular to listen to less popular artists, which supports someone’s unique music taste. For example the rise in the indie genre with artists like Lana Del Rey and Vampire Weekend. A window into a unique artist’s life or creativity is special, and becomes rewarding to both sides of the equation.

Some other excellent examples of artists that find popularity in their expression are Tyler the Creator, Lana Del Rey, Tinashe, Laufey and Japanese Breakfast. All of these artists make something different and gain followings because their music sounds good, and has an artistic foundation.

I’d encourage anyone reading this to check the artists named previously along with others that are more niche. See how different the rhythm and flow are and how they use music to express something that they’ve experienced.

Albums that Kai thinks are and aren’t artistic

concept is clear and connected lyrics clarify the message it’s clear that hard work went into the song

lyricism is lazy and uncreative visuals aren’t connected to the lyrics no tie to her background as a performer

design by sophia brockmeier

photos by katie cook & imdb.com

ISSUE

The theatre department deserves more recognition

MASKED

SETTING UP FOR the winter musical took months.

Students spent hours in after school rehearsals, weekends setting up equipment and entire days preparing and working with crew technology, yet during the musical, looking out over the crowd, I noticed something: Where were all the students?

Putting on a production takes a lot of time, energy and manpower. It takes careful planning and execution to pull off, and if even the smallest piece of equipment isn’t set up right, the entire production could fall apart. To prevent such incidents, everyone participating has to dedicate hours of their time after school and at home to rehearse and memorize lines.

But this dedication doesn’t seem to be appreciated among the student body. Compared to football games with a sold out student section, theatre events struggle to find a handful of students who aren’t close friends of someone in the production to come to the show. Theatre is a valuable program that teaches real

world skills, inspires creativity and builds a community. If students ignore these forms of creativity, it’ll be more difficult to find ways to express themselves.

CLOSING THE

CURTAIN

A list of a few of the issues East theatre is currently facing

• sound equipment needs replacement

• lack of support from everyone at East

• theatre students help with assemblies and sports events, but go unnoticed

Football players train throughout the season in order to play well and win in front of a cheering crowd. Actors and crew work just as hard to get better at their roles, but the difference is that there’s almost no one there to see their accomplishments.

Throughout the winter musical season alone, I saw many of the actors improve in their performances, hitting notes, acting more naturally, and getting quicker with cues. With the coaching of teachers Brian Capello and Tom Defeo, everyone involved was able to grow and put on a truly fantastic “Once Upon a Mattress” production, from the acting and singing to the lighting.

Even outside of shows, when going through the average day at East, you will inevitably encounter some aspects of theatre. Whether you’re taking a class in theatre, sitting in a pep assembly where Defeo is running the sound tech or going to a concert. But no matter how much the theatre department impacts your everyday life, you’ll likely never notice.

However for those who are running these events from behind the scenes, they do notice. Underappreciation is sadly a common thing among East’s non-sport related extracurricular activities, and this trend should stop. Students should engage with all different kinds of events, by viewing performances, or learning about tech.

In a generation that has few creative outlets other than their screens, theater and the arts can be a much needed form of expression. Due to the level of impact that theater has on our lives, we should all take the time to appreciate it, if not engage with it directly.

The issue is larger than just students though. Most students aren’t going to have any sort of exposure to theater with the way our school district devalues the arts by weighing classes that teach concrete skills more heavily, which is out of the administration’s control. However, there are some ways that the administration could encourage east students to appreciate the theater department, all of which would be easy to do.

The administration needs to do more to support the theatre department directly. For instance, by helping find a place to store the broken equipment instead of the sound booth or under the stage, instead of just letting it sit and collect dust.

If we take the time to engage with the arts we can find a way to express ourselves, and to connect with traditions that have been going on for decades. The arts can teach us about ourselves, the people around us and the people who have gone before.

At the end of the day, we could all benefit from a deeper appreciation of the arts. An easy way to gain this appreciation is to engage with theatre on a meaningful level. Attend a show, research the subject or even take Defeos intro to theatre class next semester. But at the very least, respect the work that the people in the department put into their craft in the same way you would for athletes.

THEATRE IN NUMBERS

Statistics about the theatre program’s achievements

18 Crew chiefs this year

Blue Star awards

30 Alumni continued theatre in college or as a career

Theatre has put on musicals

design by bella broce

photos by amelie wong

story by neil williams

photos by katie cook

photos THIS ISSUE IN A look inside student life at East in the past two weeks of school

SENIOR?

Guess who these seniors are based off their clubs and activities WHO’S THAT

FRENCH CADET TEACHER

PLAYS THE TRUMPET

DIPLOMA IB

I AM INVOLVED with several things I’m passionate about, but what is the greatest is the people I get to share my passions with.

GIRL’S GOLF CAPTAIN

TWO YEARS AS THE VARSITY DECA INVOLVED IN A. B.

JUMPS DOES FOR TRACK

B. Maggie Leonard MY FAVORITE THING about what I’m involved in is that I get to meet all sorts of people. I would consider myself a people person. “

*Answers: A. Anson Tippie

RECAP THIS

Students share their favorite memories from this school year

“

I WOULD DEFINITELY say Will Beck’s dunk

the East

South basketball game. It was electric. I was going crazy, jumping up and down and spinning on the bench.

I LIKED LANCER Day. I got to throw a lot of candy to kids in bags and I dressed up as the guy from Monopoly. All the dances and sports events were also fun.

THE GIRLS TENNIS team winning state again this year was the best moment because [they] have won state the last fve years and it makes me so proud of my teammates and of the program.

at

vs.

TOP RIGHT Juniors Maggie Wells and Helen Jones, and sophomore Stella Beaver, wear their solar eclipse glasses at the start of the eclipse.

photo by clara peters

HOFFMAN SENIOR

ABOVE Juniors Breanna Quigley and Brigid Cronin attempt to stretch a balloon over a cut-open plastic bottle as junior Mackenzie Loeb holds the bottle.

photo by caroline martucci

photo by maggie condon

ABOVE Freshman Brooks Dillon works on a biology lab to learn about the role of opposable thumbs with different tasks.

EXPERINCES

Foreign exchange student Vici Beers’ experiences in the U.S and the impact they’ve made on her

AUG. 16, 2023.

Beer took a deep breath before her first day at a new school. Her lock screen was set to her schedule and she had a map of East ready to direct her during the day. Junior Emma Culp, her host sister, turned into the crowded parking lot where Vici made her way to her first hour, Spanish.

“I was sitting outside at the tables that I was like, ‘Oh my God, this is so much to take in right now,’” Beer said. “I immediately texted my German parents and I was like ‘There’s so many new people over here and I walked out in the hallway, there’s like 5,000 new faces.’”

I WAS SITTING outside at the tables that I was like, ‘Oh my God, this is so much to take in right now, I immediately texted my German parents and I was like ‘There’s so many new people over here and I walked out in the hallway, ther’s like 5,000 new faces.

VICI BEER SENIOR

Then-sophomore Vici Beer decided to live in Kansas as an exchange student for her third year of high school — a drastic change from her hometown Munich, Germany.

Between the school system, food and Midwestern traditions, now-junior Beer has experienced being a teen in the U.S. allowing her to be more spontaneous and improve her English.

“Germans like to hold onto traditions and try to stay in their comfort zone,” Beer said. “That’s the main difference I realized so far from the people [and] surroundings.”

In the past year, Beer has explored not only East but other places in America like Arkansas, Utah and California.

Entering a foreign culture, Beer wasn’t completely unfamiliar with Kansas — her dad had completed an exchange year in Wichita when he was her age, but compared to her dad, her experience has been full of new experiences like skiing in Colorado where the slopes are superior to those in Germany according

to Beer.

“I’m glad that I got Kansas City because my dad did an exchange year when he was 16 or 17,” Beer said. “And he was like, ‘Be prepared. It’s pretty boring out there.’”

But boredom hasn’t been an issue for Beer. She loves to travel and researched before her trips. She searched for attractions and tours like Kansas City barbeque or the Nelson Atkins Museum before heading to a new spot. Beer has possessed a wanderlust ever since she would travel around Europe as a young kid.

Her parents wanted to introduce her to traveling as a family before Beer would start traveling by herself — especially because her grandma has two more countries to visit until she has traveled the world.

Beer knew the Culp family before she decided to take part in the exchange program. Emma’s dad lived in Germany during college where he became friends with the Beer family.

The Culps planned a trip to Colorado and then traveled to the Southwest where one of Beer’s favorite memories was formed — a trip to Disneyland. Beer had grown up loving Disney, especially her favorite movie “Beauty and the Beast”.

“We wanted to let her see as much of the states as possible,” Culp said. “We lied to her up until we pulled into the parking lot that we were going to some museum. She was super excited about it.”

Beer was beyond surprised and overjoyed to be able to go to Disneyland, one of her dream destinations in the U.S.

“We went to Disneyland and I was crying like a baby because [it was] a dream come true,” Beer said. “I never would have thought in a million years we were gonna go to Disneyland because that was my number one wish during the exchange.”

Culp and Beer have been practically inseparable since Beer came to live with the family, according to Emma. They drive everywhere together including Beer’s soccer practices. Beer’s been able to participate in tennis and soccer during her time at East and has enjoyed every second of it.

Along with sports, Beer has fallen in love with Lancer traditions including Lancer Day — a memory she’ll always cherish.

“Participating in a sport is a good memory,” Beer said. “It was tennis in the fall and it’s soccer now. Lancer Day will always be in my heart. Probably my new favorite holiday I would like to establish in Germany.”

AMERICAN FAVORITES

Some of Vici’s favorite things about America

“

“ TARGET I LEARNED TO LOVE a good target run and getting everything at once.

IN GERMANY

we don’t have school sports so the school spirit isn’t really established over there.

“ TACO TUESDAY

I LOVE THE AUTHENTIC

Mexican food you guys have and the “tradition” of Taco Tuesday every Tuesday.

design by bridget connelly

caroline martucci

story by larkin brundrige

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A-LONG THE

CURRENT

This is a subhead you have no period on it and its quasimoda 9 pt italice light and avery is sending something that will fill box

HER TEAL SHOES dug into the grass — positioning her to run a lap around the field. Her hair and red jersey waved behind her as her jog turned into a run.

Senior Mary Long couldn’t hold herself back from a victory lap around the field. It was the first time she’d seen the fully completed CPKC Stadium and she was bursting with excitement.

Though Mary had been on countless soccer fields in her lifetime, this one felt completely different to her. This one was theirs. And this one was perfect.

“Standing on the grass, I don’t even know how to describe it,” Mary said. “It’s such a cool feeling.”

Her victory lap ended as she closed in on her family and prepared to take pictures in front of their accomplishment — the world’s first stadium dedicated solely to a women’s sport.

The symbolism of the stadium and its spotlight on women’s sports echoed through the empty seats. She felt even closer to her family at this moment than she had throughout the entire process.

Ever since the Angie and Chris Long family founded the KC Current, their family has been a vital part of the team — from

The idea all started after then-12-yearold Mary Long returned from a month in Paris playing soccer in a superclub event against French teams during the 2019 Women’s World Cup. The combination of watching World Cup games and attending Mary’s games in between ended up being an experience her parents just couldn’t shake.

“The real catalyst was Mary,” Chris said. “Through that experience, both by seeing [soccer] through her eyes and the inspiration that gave us, but also just seeing the power of the global game and seeing what was going on with investment in the European clubs and investment in the Australian clubs, we just left that event and said ‘We’ve gotta bring a team to

“

LOGO BREAKDOWN

What each element of the KC Current logo represents, according to Chris Long

NO OUTLINE incomplete outline show that the team continue to make

Kansas City.’”

But establishing a successful women’s soccer team in Kansas City would take more than just approval from their four kids. For the next year, Chris and Angie worked side-by-side through countless emails, meetings and presentations convince the National Men’s Soccer League anoint them an expansion franchise which would give them the legal ability to form a team brand.

FOR US IT’S BEEN

an incredible bonding thing but I think that moment [of walking onto the feld for the rst time] was sort of a cool thing especially as a mom and a dad

CHRIS LONG

KC CURRENT CO - OWNER AND EAST PARENT

All soccer expansion franchises — including women’s teams — must go through the National Men’s Soccer League, according to Chris. This guarantees people can’t just start their own team and assures a sense of harmony order in the league.

Late East alum and soccer journalist who helped bring soccer into the mainstream in the United States, Grant Wahl, was one of the first people the Longs contacted and guided them through the process of funding a team and obtaining an expansion right.

“It took a lot of networking and a lot of demonstrating that Kansas City was a good market and that we deserved a team,” Chris said.

To this day, they still attribute much of their early success to him and his help. Through this work and their roots in Kansas City, they were ultimately able to persuade the National Men’s

Soccer League that their hometown was in fact a strong market. And their claims about Kansas City’s sports market rang true as they’ve been able to accumulate a large and steady fanbase with consistently high attendance.

“Of course the other part of it is Kansas City is the best sports market in the world in our view so we knew that having these amazing women professional role models right in our backyard would be incredibly well-received and the community would support it,” Chris said.

But their increased busy schedules from the new stadium that year didn’t pull the family apart. They still found time for their weekend trips to the gym and family dinners — a trend that continues despite constantly-shifting schedules and an endless stream of practices and games for their four kids.

After first hearing about the idea to fund a women’s soccer team over their family dinner, senior Abigail Long began brainstorming logos for their soon-to-be team. And in what her family claims to be classic Abigail fashion, she incorporated her favorite color: teal.

“One of the first drawings she had [created] had a shade of [teal],” Chris said. “The reason we have teal is because of Abigail, and teal has become a calling card for the team. Teal Town, the Teal Mobile, that dates back to her.”

The Longs spent a year on branding by doing studies on color, merchandise and logos. Yet the teal color stuck, making its way onto the iconic Teal Mobile — a bus selling KC Current merchandise.

Their trademark color now appears on merchandise, the stadium and countless articles of clothing around their home — the color is a symbol of their family that’s stuck with the team since the beginning. Their matching teal tennis shoes and wardrobes filled with homeland red, teal and navy are a testament of their devotion to the team.

But Abigail and Mary weren’t the only Long

kids with influence on the new team. Chris believes that freshman Christopher and seventhgrader Teddy have expanded the KC Current’s fanbase to teenage boys around Kansas City. They encourage their friends from school and sports teams to attend the games and root for the team.

With their help, the family can now count on kids across Kansas City of all ages and genders to show up to the games and cheer the team on.

“[The expanded audience] is a cool thing that [Christopher and Teddy] brought but really more emblematic of the fact that women’s sports are for everyone,” Chris said. “It’s a really powerful thing to watch the skill and power of these elite women.”

Despite the gradual success the team witnessed at first, 10 months into owning it, the Longs realized they needed to start looking for a place to house a stadium for the team.

But the “search” took only a few visits to sites around the city. Though Chris and Angie visited multiple potential build sites together, they immediately fell in love with their current location at Berkley Riverfront Park in Downtown Kansas City and couldn’t see the team located anywhere else.

“You can’t miss it,” Angie said. “You feel it. There’s something really special about being there on the river. I grew up in Kansas City and it’s one of those areas that you always kind of wonder ‘Why isn’t anything down here?’ It’s amazing down by the river.”

brea•king ground

preparatory digging or other work prior to building or planting something

The Longs feel the location embodies everything they represent as a team, a family and a city. They saw untapped potential in an area of their city they felt held immense symbolism and displayed the rich culture of Kansas City and

chose to act on it.

When it was time to break ground, the family appeared together decked out in KC Current hard hats, navy construction vests and a shovel, ready to start the building of a historic stadium.

“It was a big moment,” Angie said. “We threw a huge party for the city when we broke ground and obviously our family was there.”

The Longs had spent months before and after this moment with contractors and designers laying out the stadium and planning everything from how security would be set up to what restaurants and businesses would be included in the stadium. And while everything was changing, their kids were with them every step of the way — if not through direct impact on the stadium, through the support they showed their parents.

“My parents being the drivers of this, it’s definitely a topic of conversation at our house very often,” Mary said. “Sometimes they’ll ask us for our opinions or what we think about this so it’s been really cool to be involved from this side. I got to help my mom design parts of the stadium like the Pitch Club area interior.”

Since then, Chris and Angie have brought their family together through this shared experience and even their community together through hosting parties and events to celebrate the success of the team and the history being made. Before and after games the family can be found celebrating with close family and friends sometimes at home and sometimes in the stadium — a space that’s become somewhat of a second home to them.

Now, the Long family attends every game together and continues to invite friends and extended family to support the team with them.

Mary plans to play on the practice team this summer and even hopes to continue her soccer career after college by hopefully playing for the team. The stadium, practice facility, coaches, teammates and her ties to the team all draw her into the KC Current as a potential career path.

THREE LINES

STORM BLUE LINES

represents the missouri river, along with midwestern weather currents

outline on the crest is meant to team doesn’t stop and will make a difference in women’s sports

TEAL

daughter Abigail’s favorite color

represents the three westward-expansion trails that passed through kansas city — oregon, california and santa fe

STARS

one star representing kansas, and the other missouri

HEARTLAND RED

kansas city is the heartland of the united states and red is seen in other kansas city sports

AFTER FILMING A “curl my hair with me” video for her TikTok account on Jan. 29, freshman Audrey Squires went viral, reaching over 4.2 million views and almost 450 thousand likes on her video.

It wasn’t until Audrey woke up the next morning after posting the video on her account, @EverydaywithAudrey, that she noticed the video’s success.

“I just remember being really surprised,” Audrey said. “I woke up and the video had around 100,000 views and throughout the day it kept getting more and more views. And then once every three weeks [the video] will get another 500,000 views, it’s just really crazy.”

Since the overnight success of her video, Audrey has gained 23,000 followers and a love for creating, editing and posting videos to her account.

As the video began gaining attention from users on TikTok, her friends and family were all shocked by Audrey’s success including her mom Katie Squires.

“When she told me, ‘Oh my gosh one of

my videos is going viral!’ I was like ‘Oh really? That’s interesting!’ But I was honestly just excited for her,” Katie said. “She has always wanted to be an influencer from the time she was young, so I was surprised [when she told me] and just laughed it off.”

Since posting her initial video, Audrey has gained knowledge about the logistical aspects of TikTok. She’s learned how the time of day she posts videos her audience enjoys affects how many views she may get. Through the account analytics available on the app, three in the afternoon is her ideal posting time for the maximum number of views. When looking through her account you will notice that the majority are posted from 3-6 p.m.

With her larger following, Audrey’s videos have begun receiving more views and interactions from her audience. Videos like skincare routines or helping her pick an Easter outfit have also gone viral, getting up to 400,000 views on her account.

When it comes to filming, Audrey enjoys creating videos she herself likes to watch — such as unboxing videos and daily vlogs. Her

GOING VIRAL

vlogs vary from clips throughout her day with her friend, sophomore Lila Elwood, or even heading to the post office to pick up a public relation package she’s received from brands ranging from athletic wear to sunglasses.

“

IF YOU WANT to post something on social media you should do it because there nothing embarrassing about it

out. According to Katie, she has helped Audrey set up a post office box as a safety precaution for the packages so random companies didn’t have the Squire’s home address.

“It’s interesting because the companies really do listen,” Audrey said. “I have really bad migraines and I have had three companies reach out to me since I posted a video about my migraines, wanting to send me products that help them.”

Learning to balance the workload of her schoolwork and TikTok account, Audrey is excited for the summer so she can focus more on her account and watch it grow.

“When I hang out with Audrey, I sometimes help her film for her videos,” Lila said. “I was taking little bits and clips of our day the other day and then I texted them to her.”

As Audrey’s account has grown, small businesses like Javy, Firmoo and Isopia have reached out and offered to send her packages and items from their companies for her to test

Getting the opportunity to have a platform on social media and a community of viewers has been eye opening for Audrey because she has realized how much she enjoys social media in general.

“I was just at a conference over the weekend and I had girls messaging me saying that they saw me and were too nervous to say hi,” Audrey said. “So if you want to post on social media you should do it because there is nothing embarrassing around it.”

Freshman Audrey Squires has gone viral on TikTok after posting a hair curling video and has gained a following and a love for video creating

story by libby marsh

design by aanya bansal photos courtesy of brady haughton, cole chinnock & maggie condon

ROOTED

PEP IN

Maggie & Celia Condon

JUNIOR MAGGIE CONDON anxiously awaited the announcement for the 2024-25 Pep Club Executives. She had a gut feeling that if it was going to be any day it would be on March 21. Maggie looked through her bedroom window and saw the current pep exec’s car outside. She excitedly waited for them to burst into the room playing loud music, announcing her new position.

Then she heard the beep of her alarm. It was just a dream.

Maggie pressed snooze for 10 more minutes of sleep and rolled back over, convinced she didn’t get the position.

Suddenly rave music blasted throughout the room as 10 people filed in — the current pep execs and the rest of her class’s execs for next year.

“I was just so excited because I totally thought I wasn’t gonna get it at that point,”

J UNIOR BRADY HAUGHTON spent his freshman year showing up early to East events. Tagging along with his older brother Kyler to football and basketball games that year, he learned what it means to be a pep exec over Chick-fil-a sandwiches provided to football players before games in the East cafeteria.

Those games, seeing the behind the scenes of being a pep exec and watching his brother in front of the crowd leading school chants inspired Brady to apply as well.

“I can always remember [Kyler] was super loud and a little bit obnoxious but it was a good

Cole & Audrey Chinnock

Maggie said. “So it’s the biggest feeling of relief and excitement.”

School spirit has always been a necessity for the Condon family as Maggie’s older sister Celia was as a pep exec two years ago and her cousin Audrey was one last year. Since then, Maggie has dreamed of a future filled with blue-andwhite-striped overalls.

Since seeing Celia hold the whiteboard at games freshman year, reading, “Bananas at 4:25” or “Do it at 6:45” and organizing school events like Lancer Day and assemblies, Maggie has wanted to continue the Condon family tradition by becoming a pep exec herself.

“It’s just been a family legacy where for a couple of years there’s always been a Condon in that role,” Maggie said. “And I just felt that it could be so cool to be that person for our grade.”

Celia believes that Maggie will fit the position as she’s outgoing and has a bubbly

obnoxious,” Brady said.

Much like his brother Brady can be loud at games but similar to the other execs, is able to tone it down when necessary.

Throughout the application process Brady called on his brother for input, asking about how he responded to questions. Brady emphasized the importance of hyping up a crowd and also talking with the administration if issues arise.

But all that hard work paid off when the current and new pep execs woke him up one morning to let him know he got the position. After being woken up by the current pep execs

WHEN HE DECIDED to apply for the pep exec position, junior Cole Chinnock didn’t even know that he was a legacy. His mom Audrey held the position of pep exec her sophomore year in 1987 when there were execs representing each grade.

“I just thought that it was really cool that my mom [and I] both separately [chose to be execs],” Cole said. “She didn’t have any influence on me applying but we both chose to do it just by the nature of our personalities.”

Playing for both varsity baseball and basketball, Cole has a firsthand understanding of the importance of a supportive student section at games. Even before being named pep exec, he tried his best to support the team and get the crowd excited at all games he attended.

“[I have] the ability to get hype and be excited

Three pep club executive legacies prepare for their position next year after seeing family members in the role

personality to encourage crowds, but is also mature and able to handle difficult situations.

“I think the world of Maggie, I think she should run for president, she’s the best ever,” Celia said. “I think she is so level-headed, but so good at standing up for herself when she needs to, which is really, really important as a pep exec.”

Next year, Maggie’s personal goal is to make sure everyone at East feels included and to continue the family tradition of intense school spirit through Columbia Blue gear and screaming chants.

“It’s just been a thing, my whole life, my family to rally for the teams that you support,” Maggie said. “I know that I would be good to rally for East and I love to watch all the different stuff whether it’s sports or musicals. I love to go to everything and to be in that as an official role and to help instill that idea in others.”

Brady & Kyler Haughton

and junior Porter Stein and getting breakfast at Einstein’s bagels, Brady began to prepare to rally the Lancers during game and pep rallies.

He’s especially looking forward to Lancer Day and the Rockhurst basketball game. He’s ready to give a speech at the bell tower in the Village after the parade on Lancer day and lead the student section during the biggest basketball game of the year — just like Kyler.

“I’d say I’m pretty vocal,” Brady said. “I can be loud and I love being a Lancer and I play football so I know what it’s like to have a big student section there.”

but also tone it down and be able to deal with the other students in the section that may need to be dealt with and the administration who might be on you,” Cole said. “And then also the ability to plan because there’s a lot of behind the scenes that goes into the pep assemblies and Lancer Day and the themes.”

He doesn’t just want to be remembered as the guy on the bench screaming the banana chant at the top of his lungs. Cole wants to be the person that hypes up the crowd for every sporting event. He wants to be the person that inspires the freshman, possibly to apply for exec their senior year.

Audrey is happy to see her son following in her footsteps and believes his personality at the games, much like hers, will be great for the

student section.

She remembers going out with her friends who were also execs before events and taking pictures in their exec rugby shirts. She was never afraid to stand up in front of a crowd or encourage classmates to attend games.

Audrey believes that Cole’s involvement in sports and drive to support athletes in sports that he’s not involved in will make him a good exec.

“He really liked so many different sports and I think as a player [and] as somebody who plays basketball and baseball, it really does mean a lot when you have people come to your games,” Audrey said. “He has even said that he plays better when it’s loud and rowdy and kind of crazy.”

Cil Hoch

WHAT IS YOUR NOVEL “CYCLE OF DAWN” ABOUT?

The main character’s name is Levant, and he’s the heir to the entire world who is about to take the creator’s throne. Then he discovers that he’s been cursed and that his connection to the light, one of the magic sources, is being siphoned away, so he has to fgure out what to do.

HOW DID YOU COME UP WITH THAT CONCEPT?

The story started my freshman year in Writer’s Workshop when I frst got into writing. Originally Levant was the antagonist actually, an awful person. But then I wondered how someone could be so horrible, so I was inspired to write about how his origins.

WHAT IS YOUR WRITING PROCESS LIKE?

I can crank out over 8000 words in a day during my [cadet teaching] hour. I have an entire folder flled with just snippets of either fnished or unfnished work that has at least 20 different short stories in it. The hardest thing about writing a novel is not writing another one. I have to try to keep myself focused on one project at a time.

WELCOME TO NIGHT VALE

JEFFREY CRANOR

ROBIN

Books and authors that Cil takes inspiration from

Senior Cil Hoch spends at least two hours writing every day as a cadet teacher for Writer’s Workshop and is currently working on a horror-fantasy

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Look out for these new movie releases

MOVIE PREMIERE

THE FALL GUY

Genre: Action, Comedy Release Date: May 3

Running Time: 2 hrs 6 mins

Starring: Ryan Gosling, Emily Blunt

I’M OBSESSED WITH Blunt and Gosling’s previous works, and I can’t wait to see their chemistry on screen in [The Fall Guy].

CHLOE HARMON

SOPH OMORE

MOVIE PREMIERE

CHALLENGERS

Genre: Drama, Romance Release Date: April 26

Running Time: 2 hrs 11 mins

Starring: Josh O’Connor, Mike Faist, Zendaya

Mark your calenders for these local and school events UPCOMING @ AUX GYM

APRIL 23

DURING SEMINAR

Multicultural Fair

Youth and Government Panel @ LITTLE THEATER

CINCO

APRIL 24

EAST AREA

BAND CONCERT

A concert showcasing all band students in the East area

7 P.M. @ MAIN GYM

MAY 8

CHOIR CONCERT

Choir concert performing songs from different movies

7 P.M. @

SME Auditorium

A guide to celebrating Cinco De Mayo on May 5

SPANISH CLASSES will be doing a little Fiesta where they can bring Mexican food a learn about the history with a reading assignment

LAURA BUCKMAN

SPANISH TEACHER

NO LONGER

QUIET ON SET

AS A KID , classic Nickelodeon shows like “iCarly” and “Zoey 101” were a staple in my day-to-day life. So, when I recently watched “Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV” — a new docu-series on Hulu and HBO Max highlighting the toxic culture on the sets of Nickelodeon shows from the early 2000s — I questioned the working conditions of shows that were the foundation of my tween upbringing.

“Quiet on Set” delivers a shockingly heartbreaking truth about the TV shows every Nickelodeon kid grew up bingewatching.

Dan Schneider — the producer of seven popular Nickelodeon shows including “The Amanda Show” and “Victorious” — is the main focus of the series.

While the series focuses on Schneider’s economic influence on the company with the immensely popular shows, it also highlights his disgusting treatment of women and child actors. After watching this show, I was shocked that Nickelodeon let his behavior continue over two decades, and makes me question the morals of a company I grew up idolizing.

Even though Schneider started working with Nickelodeon on “All That,” his fame — and shame — began with “The Amanda Show.”

During his time on “The Amanda Show” he made then-13-year-old and star of his

-Played Drake on “Drake and Josh”

-Victim of dialogue coach, Bryan Peck’s, sexual abuse at age 15.

breakout show, Amanda Bynes, work late into the night rather than allowing her to do her schoolwork with her other teenage castmates.

It’s no wonder that Bynes stopped acting in 2010 after Schneider followed her around to all of her post-Nickelodeon jobs by getting jobs on the set as well.

Castmates and people who spoke on the docu-series mentioned Schneider’s obsessive and borderline creepy behavior with Bynes including making her get in a hot tub with him for a scene — ew.

Knowing there was a requirement for all child stars being accompanied by a parent at all times, I continuously wondered how no one spoke up about his behavior patterns while on set.

Although the show doesn’t go in detail about Schneider and Bynes’ relationship, his lasting impact can be seen by her inpatient psychiatric holds and ultimately falling under a conservatorship with her parents.

Also on “The Amanda Show,” Schneider hired two female writers to work under a dual salary. The women spoke about sexual comments he made towards them and his unwillingness to pay them separately.

The first hand accounts from the women and photos of them filled in a room with all male writers added to the storyline of sexual discrimination among the writing staff.

Schneider’s sexism resulted in a lawsuit involving one of the female writers, and yet

The Dark Side of Kids TV highlights the abusive treatment of child actors at Nickelodeon and delivers the truth behind shows everyone grew up watching

he still didn’t face any repercussions.

In fact, the closest thing to a punishment Schneider received before being let go from Nickelodeon was after “Sam & Cat” actress Jeanette McCurdy’s mom died in 2013, he was no longer allowed to interact with the cast members.

Finally. McCurdy was required to come back to filming less than a week after her mom’s passing, which was one of the first times Schneider’s abusive and strict role was talked about publically among other cast members.

After 19 years of repetitive abuse, it’s shocking Schnieder had only been reprimanded once.

HE SHOULD’VE been punished for his actions long before his exit from Nickelodeon, but better late than never?

Ultimately, after 24 years at Nickelodeon — and a Lifetime Achievement Nick Choice Award in 2014 — Schneider was let go due to inappropriate and unprofessional behaviors on set.

He should’ve been punished for his actions long before his exit from Nickelodeon, but better late than never?

While Schneider wasn’t on the docuseries, he denied most of the accusations the former stars mentioned.

Victims of Nickelodeon employee’s abuse featured in “Quiet on Set”

-Played herself on “The Amanda Show”

-Endured inappropriate behaviors from Dan Schneider and rumored to have been sexually abused

But Schenider wasn’t the only issue.

Mother of then-11-year-old Brandi — an extra on “The Amanda Show” — spoke out about production assistant Jason Handy sending her daughter sexually explicit photos over email.

Also, dialogue coach Bryan Peck was convicted of sexually assaulting then-15year-old Drake Bell during season one of “Drake & Josh.” An entire episode of the five-episode series was dedicated to Bell’s experience with Peck, where Bell and his dad reflected on the events as well as the lawsuit.

I’m not sure how two very obvious acts of sexual assault didn’t provoke an investigation on Nickelodeon, let alone barely being mentioned in the media. The first-hand accounts from families and children forced to work with criminals made the show much more impactful.

It surprises me that issues as serious as pedophilia from over 20 years ago are just now being brought to light. It’s heartbreaking knowing people like Brandi and Bell had experienced such trauma and kept quiet while their abusers faced no backlash from the media.

It is shocking that Nickelodeon allowed this inappropriate behavior on set with children, but “Quiet on Set” gives insight to the issue and will hopefully contribute to helping prevent future problems in the workplace for child actors.

-Played Sam on “iCarly” and “Sam and Cat”

- Verbally abused by Schneider and other Nickelodeon employees

design by hallie obryan photos by lyla weeks

story by addie moore

MISGUIDED

GENERIC ACTION MOVIES are usually bloody and bland, so I didn’t expect much from Jonathan Hensleigh’s 2004 film “Punisher” — which celebrated its 20th anniver -

To my surprise, I was enthralled to see such a unique and well-written stand-alone Marvel movie that was made before the Marvel Cinematic Universe, which I much prefer over it — with “Blade” and “Spider-Man” being just as good.

But unlike “Blade” and “Spider-Man,” “Punisher” has gained many political affiliations from the usage of the skull-symbol created for the character from the police during BLM protests as well as among military personnel.

“Punisher” utilizes the character qualities of an “anti-hero” — a protagonist that ultimately works towards the “right thing” — but uses morally questionable means to get there. It also utilized very stylized action sequences with quick cuts in fight scenes and hard-hitting punches that make the viewer feel the afflictee’s pain.

I loved this movie and I’ll never understand why it received a poor reception upon its release, with a Rotten Tomatoes score of 29% from critics.

Unlike the majority of the cliche action movies of the early 2000s, “Punisher” is much heavier in tone and plot, which became clear within the first fifteen minutes of the movie when main character Frank Castle’s entire family is murdered in front

Frank had killed the son of crime lord Howard Saint — played by John Travolta — while thwarting their crime organization. As a result of the gruesome death, Saint had Frank’s whole family

This cold open had me hooked right away, setting up the rest of the movie to feel adequately paced and watchable.

Frank then left his job with the F.B.I. and was presumed dead along with his family, then quickly plotted to take down everyone involved with his family’s murder no matter the cost.

Throughout the film he was opposing authority to get there, both from the government and organized crime, which only further infuriates me that police and mili -

PRAISE

tary personnel have adopted the iconic skull as a symbol of force in recent years.

Even the character’s original creator, Gerry Conway, came out to speak on the matter, saying that the character was never meant to symbolize oppression (via police and armed forces), and he now hopes to reshape

The Punisher for this moment in history, which is warranted considering how the character is written.

In this movie, the logo originated from Frank’s son, who gifted him a shirt with the skull as a symbol of luck and hope. This has so much more meaning not just to the characters but to the viewers too rather than the misinterpreted skull of power and force that is so commonly attributed to the symbol unlike the other comic books, television shows and movies featuring Punisher.

The fact that law enforcement is donning the logo is steeped in irony — it’s exactly the opposite of what the character would want. Punisher does things that law enforcement can’t, and Conway knows this.

Punisher’s capabilities are seen throughout the film, as he doesn’t wait for a trial or the government to take down the organized crime in his city — he is the judge, jury and executioner.

Despite the controversy, this movie holds up incredibly well over time, as Frank has a positive effect on those he doesn’t wish to harm, such as his neighbors. Frank stands up against his neighbor’s abusive boyfriend, and in return is given dinner and protection. When people come looking for him later his neighbors don’t budge — even after being tortured.

It’s a sweet moment of characterization for both Frank and the neighbors, and makes the character seem a lot more human rather than a mindless killing machine.

The neighbors were the first people he had talked to since the killing of his family, and they soon became his new family. I was relieved when the female character of this new “family” never became Frank’s new love interest, as I think that’s more realistic to the character’s writing.

The ending was incredible, and while I’ll leave out the major details, there are many Shakespearian undertones and minor subplots that build up to a big payout in the end which shows the incredible structure of the script.

This is without a doubt one of my favorite Marvel movies ever, and tops nearly every single MCU installment for me. I hope they start making movies like this again. I felt emotionally connected to the characters and so invested in the plot, while with modern superhero projects the characters feel so distant and disconnected from their viewers.

I went into “Punisher” expecting the dreaded generic action movie that I despise, but came out with a new appreciation for the character, symbol and what the character was intended to stand for — hope, not power.

A review of the 2004 “Punisher” movie on its 20th anniversary and the political associations that have appeared

TWISTED MEANING

How the symbolism behind the skull has morphed since the movie’s release

2014

Iraqi army

Iraqi soldiers donned the skull and used it as a symbol of power and force to strike fear in their enemies

When the movie was initially released the skull was received as a gift, being a symbol of hope and justice

2020

2004 original movie protests

Police offcers began wearing patches to show allegiance to one another, increasing in number during the BLM protests

design by veronica mangine

photos by molly miller

mochi

MADNESS

A review on the only mochi donuts in Kansas City from Black Hole Bakery

APRIL 22, 2024

INTRO CHILE MANGO

5531 Troost Ave, Kansas City, MO 64110

AFTER SEEING COLORFUL mochi donuts flood my TikTok page, I was intrigued and decided to find a local shop — Black Hole Bakery — to finally try them. Mochi donuts differ from normal donuts in one way, they are made from sweet rice flour, giving them a chewy texture that melts in your mouth.

At Black Hole Bakery the donuts cycle through new creative flavors every week such as chile mango, birthday cake, guava and other unique flavors, keeping one classic chocolate donut on the menu throughout the year.

Having previously tasted the famous mochi donuts from Mochinut in Chicago — which were

CHOCOLATE ICED

IN MY MIND can’t mess up a chocolate donut and this proved to be true. This donut had a chocolate base and was iced with chocolate frosting which appealed to me because I normally love everything chocolate so this could not really go wrong.

When I took a bite of it the taste was

perfect in every aspect such as the flavor, texture and presentation — my expectations were high walking into Black Hole Bakery.

THE CHILE MANGO mochi donut was a bright orange frosted donut hole sprinkled with a generous amount of Tajín seasoning on the top. I was eager to try this one because I love mango and Tajín together, but as I took the first bite, the donut flavor was a rollercoaster. It was a salty and sour flavor mixed with

PINK LEMONADE

THE IDEA OF a pink lemonade mochi donut seemed strange, but also appetizing. The base was a plain donut with crumbly pink sugar coating the sides. I was curious to what this would taste like but my expectations were killed when I took a bite and the acidic sugar overwhelmed my taste buds.

Even worse, the sugar ended up all over

OUTRO

OVERALL, BLACK HOLE Bakery has potential. The rest of the store was filled with decadent pastries that looked amazing. But the mochi donuts were a flop. The base of the donuts were solid, but the flavors just needed to be tweaked in order to tie it all together.

my hands and mouth. While the overall taste was decent, the stickiness and overuse of the sugar ruined the donut. But similar to the last one, the base was still the delicious and chewy mochi donuts that I knew — the excess sugar just threw the taste off.

the artificial mango taste, ultimately not mixing well together.

This was my favorite at first because the mango frosting was pleasant and the texture of the donuts was chewy similar to the texture of a mochi ice cream.But then as I kept chewing,the Tajín overpowered my mouth and ruined the whole taste of the donut. As much as I love plain mango and Tajín, it does not belong on a donut. tajin was not on it.

I would definitely go back and try some different flavors to see if any of the others are better. As these are the only mochi donuts in the Kansas City area, they aren’t too bad but certainly can be improved.

ATHLETES: DO YOU PLAN ON PLAYING YOUR SPORT COMPETITIVELY AFTER HIGH SCHOOL?

*Instagram poll of 128 votes

SCAN ME WEB

Look at SME’s athletic calendar for a list of all upcoming sports events

THE PEOPLE AROUND me [in track] are really supportive and that helps when I don’t do well. The coaches this year are very good and they’re very helpful. And so I think that me being able to do track as something that is not something that I get super down on myself about when I do bad but something that’s just a fun extracurricular as well.

TOP Seniors Laynie Manning and Patrick Flint perform the Mancer Dancer routine after the intermission of their spring show. The routine is choreographed by the Lancer Dancers and performed with a boy of their choice.

photo by paige bean

FAR LEFT Sophomores Jane Rasmussen and Macy Fore perform a handstand during the Varsity HipHop routine.

photo by paige bean

LEFT Sophomore Macy Fore chants during the Varsity Game Day routine. She also held up a sign during the routine to encourage the crowd.

photo by paige bean

IN JUST TWO YEARS, the East softball team has gone from struggling to get a win in the record book to sitting above the 500 mark - winning at least 50% of games.

The team’s turnaround shows that the team has put in hard work and dedication, which is paying off according to Head Coach Mallory Dittemore.

“I think that the biggest change was the mindset,” Dittemore said. “Have the mindset that we want to go into every game and be competitive.”

In 2020, the team ended the season without a single win. The following year the team got a win but struggled to play a full seven innings as well as having no junior varsity team due to the lack of players.

“The coaching has made all the difference,” varsity player and senior Emma Thomas said. “Ever since Mrs. Dittemore took over we have competed a lot more at practice leading to success in games.”

Dittemore accepted the role in Dec. of 2022 after being approached by former athletic director Debbie Katzfey.

She immediately made changes to

in the

the practice schedule, asking more from every girl on the team. She made practice longer and integrated Saturday practices so that the team had more time to prepare for games. Using her knowledge of the game, Dittemore implemented situation drills like practicing certain baserunning situations for the team.

“She brings the energy every time we play, never a dull moment,” sophomore Paige Stanfield said. “Also being a cross country coach as well gives her a lot of insight on conditioning and work ethic so that has helped us a ton.”

Last year, Dittermore and the team won five out of 25 games giving them confidence coming into this season that they could set even bigger goals like making a far playoff run or winning state.

“We just want to focus on being better than we were the day before,” Dittermore said. “For example, last year our goal was to play a full seven innings but now we aren’t just satisfied with playing seven innings, we want to be competitive for all seven.”

The team surpassed their goal of just playing for seven innings to competing for seven innings not even halfway into

the season. They defeated Olathe East 8-4 and Blue Valley North 3-2 — two schools they haven’t beaten in over a decade. The confidence of the team continues to grow as the wins begin to stack up.

“It’s been a lot of fun for them to get to experience that winning feeling,” Dittermore said. “I also think it gives them that hunger to want to win more which has been a large part of it.”

Knowing that no matter the sport there will always be setbacks and challenges, leaders Thomas and Stanfield have done their best to get their team through the hard time. Dealing with things such as girls who have never played before just trying to learn the game. This helps Thomas and Stanfield become the best leader they can be for the team.

“I just try to be a team leader on and off the field as well as just helping out as much as I can for them to understand, putting it in more simple terms,” Stanfield said.

The team’s next game is on April 23 against Olathe West at 3&2 baseball fields.

MAKING STRIDES

RECORD: 1-5

LOSSES: WIN: Washington 13-2

Shawnee Mission North 19-0

Olathe North 26-1

RECORD: 5-16

WINS:

Shawnee Mission Northwest 5-1

Shawnee Mission South 9-8

Blue Valley North 4-3

Blue Valley North 9-5 Noticeable

Washington High School 15-0

Lawrence High School 8-5

CURRENT RECORD: 6-4

WINS:

Shawnee Mission South 15-7

Shawnee Mission South 4-3

Shawnee Mission West 10-4

Shawnee Mission West 11-7

Olathe East 8-4

Blue Valley North 3-2

The varsity softball team is beginning to see success after the addition of there new coach and new approach

design by sydney eck photos by molly miller

The softball teams past seasons records compared to their current season

ABOVE Varsity softball players Campbell Norris, Paige Stanfield, Anna Holland, Brianna Boileau, Gwen Grummert, Nora Herring and Emma Thomas, from left to right

KINGS OF THE

C URT

AS UNPREDICTABLE 20 mile-per-hour winds blew through the Harmon Park tennis courts, freshmen

Aiden Bush, Christian Clough, Brody Feldman and Christopher Long — the only freshman to make varsity tennis — continued hitting even after the designated two-hour practice.

The four of them have been playing against each other since age 12 as members of Kansas City United Tennis at Overland Park Racquet Club. They decided to join East tennis to learn how to compete as a team, according to Feldman.

“We’re all pretty intense and we want to win,” Feldman said. “So we’ll do whatever it takes. That’s what happens when you’re playing with your close buddies every single day outside of high school and we’re playing matches and drilling together. You even get sick of each other and you want to beat them so badly.”

Practicing upwards of six hours a day, five days a week during the summer offseason and participating in two hours daily clinics during the school year, the KCUT program has prepared the freshmen by having them play against collegiatelevel players, teaching them to compete in high school tournaments without losing their cool.

“I always tried to be confident when I played and believe I could win,” Clough said. “I always try to keep that kind of mentality and just have little goals and then if I reach it, I go for the next thing over and over again. These matches are just this big hill you have to climb, and you just have to take little steps trying to get your confidence.”

The quartet of players didn’t participate in traditional tryouts for East’s tennis team earlier this year, playing their final tournament in Arkansas before the East season began. This was because KSHSAA rules state that the players could not participate in KCUT practices or USTA tournaments during the high school tennis season.

Four freshmen have made East’s varsity tennis team and their competitive training has prepared them to succeed in high school tournaments

The boys were immediately plugged into varsity practices after their OPRC Coach Elliot McDermed emailed East Tennis Coach Andrew Gibbs, boasting about their skills. Gibbs knew about the program’s success since his 5-timestate-winning girls team had players that trained in KCUT, according to Bush.

Transitioning from the individual realm of the KCUT program and United States Tennis Association tournaments against nationally ranked players this year, varsity tennis has been a new experience for the freshmen who are now playing in a more casual and relaxed team environment.

“When you’re playing [USTA] tournaments, you’re only focusing on your results,” Clough said. “You try to win your matches so you can get a higher [ranking] than everyone else’s, while for high school, it’s like trying to win your matches, but for the whole team.”

Watching seniors on the team play for the first time when practices started in March showed the freshmen the importance of experience and seniority. The seniors know exactly what the other is thinking and move in sync throughout the whole match, according to Clough.

“They just know how to play as a team with someone else better [than us] because they’ve played multiple years together,” Clough said.

Due to their lack of doubles chemistry compared to the seniors who have been playing together for longer, Long, Clough and Feldman find themselves primarily competing in singles matches. This has resulted in some healthy competition as they compete against each other in practice.

“We all know exactly how the others play, which is very annoying,” Feldman said. “So what we’ll do to each other is we’ll completely torture each other’s weakness until they can figure it out.”

Despite playing together for the thousandth time, they still enjoy these rivalries because of their competitiveness and ambition to improve. The matches

have helped them fix each other’s mistakes and develop their individual playing styles.

“When we practice together, it’s fun because we like each other,” Bush said. “But once we start playing [matches] against each other, it’s kind of a love-hate relationship.”

Varsity captain and senior Gregor Wiedeman is impressed with this year’s team and believes the freshmen will help the team compete at state in May.

“You just get a betterqualified guy,” Wiedeman said. “The [high school] competition has kind of declined, [with kids] just going out and playing for your high school team every season, or going to country club tennis [to practice] in the offseason. It’s completely different from [the freshmen] going to an academy and drilling and making sure you get physio and getting the right coaching.”

Immediately seeing the difference from past players in the freshmen’s mentality, Wiedeman believes their mental fortitude will benefit the team in big games against better schools.

This level of competition has prepared the team to be competitive for the next four years, and Feldman believes all the freshmen on varsity have the potential to improve even more as they push each other to their limits in some overly competence practice matches.

“We know what’s going on in each other’s heads pretty much so it kind of sucks at the same time, because they know everything we’re about to do and they can exploit your weakness in a second but you can also exploit theirs,” Feldman said. “It’s a big battle and with guys knowing that stuff, you can always improve your own game.”

A tennis program, which teaches all ages, coaches four freshman who made boys varsity tennis

Freshmen who have worked through the program for years:

The 16-yearold tennis academy, KCUT, divides players by skill, ability, and not age. Some aim to be the best on their school team, while others aim to be professionals.

design

BELOW Freshmen Christopher Long and Christian Clough high-five during a boys varsity tennis doubles match at Harmon Park.

photo by maggie condon

RIGHT

Sophomore Ruby Wasserman poses for a photo with sophomores Ava Fredrickson and Josie Mangine wearing their eclipse glasses.

“I liked that we actually got out of school to see it,” Wasserman said. I expected everything to get dark but it never really did.”

SME

CLIPSE

Students gathered on April 8 on the football field to watch the first solar eclipse in Kansas since 2017

ABOVE Students get excused from seventh hour to gather on the football field. The schedule was adjusted, shortening each class by five minutes so that students could watch the eclipse for 30 minutes.

SCAN ME PHOTO

Scan this QR code to view more photos from this event.

BELOW Senior Vivian Strack looks through a telescope during the eclipse. “[The telescope] was pretty much the same thing you saw through the glasses, but instead of being orange through the actual filter of the telescope, it was black and white,” Strack said. “It was like a clear picture instead of having the fuzz on the outside.”

BOTTOM

RIGHT

Seniors Cooper Blair and Syl Brundige laugh while watching the eclipse. “I was severely disappointed with the eclipse because I wanted it to get darker and it was much different from the one I saw in sixth grade,” Blair said.

design by kenna harrington

LEFT Art teacher Adam Finkelston wears his handmade hat as he looks at the eclipse. “The eclipse makes interesting shadows,” Finkelston said. “I was just kind of playing around with a colander the last time we had an eclipse and I decided to make a helmet out of it.”

photo by clara peters

photo by alex sajna

photo by ryan dehan

photo by alex sajna

photo by francesca lorusso

11 stickers

I LIKE THAT I CAN see people at stoplights reading people reading them, or when people walk behind my car and ask about [my stickers]. I just like that it’s funny.

L4NC3RS AUTO BIOGRAPHIES

favorite sticker: Löded Diper sticker from “Diary of a Wimpy Kid”

MY GOAL FOR MY bumper stickers was for it to be disorienting for the people behind me. I got in trouble because I share this car with my dad, but I really stood my ground — I think it’s an important form of self-expression.

MY SISTER AND I did this program called School of Rock, so my mom bought the bumper sticker. Now people call my car “Rocker Mom.” A lot of my friends have like actual names for their cars and I think it’s funny that mine’s “Rocker Mom.”

favorite sticker: “Rocker mom”

MY FRIEND GAVE ME one that said “world’s most best tacos.” I also have one from an ice cream place called The Corner Store and I just have so many good memories from that, like my grandma taking us there to get ice cream for breakfast.

favorite sticker: World’s Most Best Taco

favorite sticker: Among Us impostor

HOLLAND THOM senior

Stories behind the most unique bumper stickers in the parking lot

CECILIA SWOPE senior 3 stickers

HELEN JONES junior 3 stickers

ELLE SIEGEL senior 1 sticker

WORLD’S MOST BEST TACO