The Epic - Issue Two

8800 W. 85th St. Overland Park, KS September 18, 2014 Vol. 53- Issue 2

the epic.

Go behind the scenes at the Louisburg Cider Mill PHOTO BY MADDY SHACKELFORD

Table of Contents Learn the chants for the student section and see the schedules for upcoming games pg. 25 Go behind the scenes at some of the haunted houses in KC pg. 27 What are the scariest movies of all time? Find out on pg. 29

PHOTO BY KELSEA LILLA

A photo essay of the new Indian Exhibit at the Nelson-Atkins Museum pg. 7 See how Nebraska Furniture Mart matches up with the newly opened IKEA pg. 9 Taste foods from around the world without ever leaving the area pg. 18

Staff

“The Epic” is the newspaper of Shawnee Mission West, 8800 W. 85th St., Overland Park, KS 66212. It is produced by a staff of high school journalists dedicated to the principles of journalism: to present facts and occurrences truthfully and without bias. Articles of opinion or analysis are labeled and do not necessarily reflect the views of the staff and/or the publication.

In accordance with Kansas law, “The Epic” staff is entitled to freedom of the press. Neither the West administration nor the SMSD are responsible for any article, advertisement, photograph, illustration or opinion piece in “The Epic”.

“The Epic” encourages letters to the editor, but they must be signed and submitted to room 11. “The Epic” is published monthly. It is printed by the Sedalia Democrat and is distributed free of charge to students. For advertising information call (913) 993-7911.

EDITORS-IN-CHIEF

CARTOONIST

ADVISER

Max Meyer and Brock Burnett

Alex Ralston

Amy Morgan

ASSISTANT EDITOR

WRITERS

PHOTOGRAPHERS

Isaiah McKay Spence Lassalle Isabelle Frankel Jude Kennedy Colette Balas Karen Barkema

Gabi Chavez Merani Rivarola Maddy Shackelford Kamryn Marshall Grace Armenta

Kristin Wells

MANAGING EDITOR Drake Mattis

PHOTO EDITOR

Megan Bartlett Sylvia Bryan Kathleen Gartner Lexi Hart Samantha Jansen Logan Peterson

Rian Stallbaumer Nina Williams Maddie Loe Kelsea Lilla

Rachel Harvey

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Issue 2

Tough Crowd

The student section this year may have taken a turn for the worst An opinion of the staff A football team is only as good as their student section, and here at school, our student section, the Nordic Nasties, has a reputation to uphold.

We here at “The Epic” speak for everyone when we say that without a good student section, no sports team can thrive. We don’t just mean football, either.

We as a student body need to leave our mark for any and all sporting events throughout the year. Our student body, for example, had one of the best student sections in the Sunflower League a mere two years ago. In 2012 the football team finished the season with a 12-1 record and went on to win the state championship. Our football team that year was incredibly talented, and the student section, was equally as impressive, with their loud and proud attitude.

The term Nordic Nasties was first used by the class of 2013. The term nordic, refers to the vikings that lived in the northern region of Europe. Vikings looted towns, stole treasure, and they even discovered North America. They were loud, wild, and barbaric. They were kings.

That’s what the Nordic Nasties are.

That’s what we are. We are wild, barbaric, vikings, striking fear into the eye of our enemy at first glance. We do not fear, we are feared.

We are the Vikings of Shawnee Mission West, but the future of our good name may be in grave danger.

At the beginning of each year, a new crop of freshman storm the flood gates that are the doors to this school. It can be a huge adjustment and it comes with a few responsibilities.

One of those responsibilities is to always be loud and proud at any sporting event. You’re not in middle school anymore, and games aren’t for chatting it up with a group of friends. We want our enemy to stop in their tracks when they hear our emphatic battle cry.

With that being said, the freshman class isn’t the only offender so far this year. The sophomores need to step up their game as well. You all have been here a year and non-participation shouldn’t be acceptable.

But, the only way that the noise level and

October 16, 2014

participation can truly improve is that the upperclassmen leadership must be more forthcoming.

We’re talking to you, seniors.

You shouldn’t be afraid to let some of the underclassmen know that they aren’t being as loud as they should be. It’s also important not to lose interest when our teams begin to lose. The moment we stop cheering for our school, is the exact moment that we fail our team.

We know that it can be hard to root for your team when they’re losing, but losing hope is not a way to boost morale, especially to the underclassmen.

The freshmen look to the seniors for guidance, and lack of interest reflects poorly on the freshmen and their willingness to participate.

If the freshmen are taught to be lackluster at games, then once they become the leaders of the school, the student section will become lifeless.

The only way to prevent this epidemic is to give the underclassmen the impression that you want to be there. Once the vibes begin to flow through each individual student and you can feel the electricity in the air at sporting events, you know that we have something special.

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Issue 2

BRIEFS

News

Local radio station 96.5 the Buzz’s radio hosts returned to the air on Sept. 29 after a lawsuit over falsely naming Ashley Patton as a “local porn star”. Patton won the lawsuit and a settlement of $1 million.

The first case of Ebola in the United States was found in Dallas, TX, on Sept. 26. The first patient with Ebola could have exposed up to 21 other people in the Dallas area.

Venn Diagram

Floyd Mayweather

Johnny Depp

“When you go to Mecca, you should be able to slide wherever you want. ” Andy Reid, head coach of the Kansas City Chiefs, concerning Muslim Chiefs player Husain Abdullah’s penalty after praying on the field after scoring a touchdown against the New England Patriots.

Okay to be Gay.

On October 8, a Johnson County judge allowed marriage licenses to be issued to same-sex couples without the fear of prosecution. This was following the Supreme Court’s decision made on Oct. 6 that let a lower court’s ruling stand. This lower court’s ruling stated that banning same-sex marriage was unconstitutional.

Disappearing Act

Successful boxer and one of the highest paid athletes.

Actor in such movies as “Alice in Wonderland” and “Pirates of the Caribbean.”

Both dropped out of high school.

October 16, 2014

97% of tigers have died in the last century. Some estimates say only 3,200 tigers are left in the wild.

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A+ Changes

Th e new teach ers are jum ping rig ht in to West

By Karen Barkema

T

here are exactly 14 new faculty members this school year. The administrative team in the district office was off with their projections on the enrollment numbers so lots of new teachers were needed. All of the new staff began the new school year at West, with the exception of one teacher. Andrew Pledge is a new addition to the social studies department. He teaches two classes in the afternoon. “It was very difficult to come in two weeks late because it’s hard to get in the swing of things when you’re the new teacher with next students and at a new school,” Pledge said. Pledge taught 8th grade social studies at Harrisonville Middle School in Missouri before he came here. He also teaches at Indian Woods Middle School and helps with the middle school cross country team. “It’s strange to teach at two different schools because I feel halfway involved at both. I’ve been really working hard on getting used to high school kids because I’ve taught most middle schoolers, but the change is really refreshing,” Pledge said.

The freshman and sophomore classes are quite larger than the upper class,

which caused many underclassmen to have schedule changes. About 26 to 27 students were moved into each of the new classes and all students were chosen at random. The main goal was to reduce

j “West is the most welcoming and warm-hearted school I’ve been to,” Higley said.

class sizes so the teacher to student ratio was more effective for learning. “Being moved into the new class was really hard and difficult to adjust because I had just figured out how my schedule worked and then two weeks into the semester, my schedule was changed. I really hope that that situation never happens again, however Mr. Pledge is really organized so he

was a good teacher to have that happen to,” freshman Katie Johnson said.

Erin Meyer, former Spanish 5 and 6 AP teacher from SM North, said “It’s hard being a new teacher because of new procedures, new co workers, and a new school year.” She currently teaches Spanish 4 and 5 alongside Sara Hundertmark and Janet Carter. She was hired last spring to replace Karen Tritt. “I like the work environment here and everyone is positive and helpful,” Meyer said.

Gayle Higley, from Lee’s Summit and Lee’s Summit North, teaches entrepreneurship, business law, computer apps, and keyboard. “West is the most welcoming and warm-hearted school I’ve been to,” Higley said. She has always enjoyed teaching in the business department and hopes to inspire students to learn to appreciate the business world. Higley will be celebrating her 20th anniversary of being an ovarian cancer survivor and will be at Relay For Life on October 9th.

Each and every new teacher brings energy and enthusiasm to our school. If you see them around, give them a West welcome.

PHOTOS BY RACHEL HARVEY

A ndrew Pledg e Social Studies

Erin Meyer

Gayle Higley Business

Spanish

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Issue 2

News

Artists of the Earth and Sky A visual timeline

By Sami Jansen and Megan Bartlett

“Throughout the last century and well beyond the boundaries of North America, there has been a growing recognition that objects of visual beauty, expressive power, and spiritual resonance have always been a pervasive force in Native North American cultures.” Gaylord Torrence, Senior Curator of American Indian Art, said.

The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art opened up an exhibition called The Plains Indians: Artists of the Earth and Sky. It includes Native American works, such as art, tools, and clothing. The exhibit showcases the accomplishments of the artists, from 100 B.C. all the way up to beading demonstrations done in the museum by Native American women. It’s one big visual timeline. “[The exhibit] is totally opposite from what we have upstairs in our original Indian exhibit. It’s a whole different experience.” Desjuan Woods, museum curator, said. “The artwork the Indians made about the buffalos and the different animals that they connect with is pretty unique. The whole entwinement of animals and nature in their work is very interesting.”

The exhibit opened the weekend of September 20. Hundreds of people showed up for the opening events. There were dance performances, storytellers, flute players, and artist demonstrations. Members of the Kansas City Indian Center and other companies also held discussions about American Indian culture.

“This is more than what I expected. More people came to this exhibition than some of the last exhibitions. There’s a lot of people here; a lot of people who are willing to know more about Native Americans, to educate themselves, to learn more about their history and current lives. ” Woods said.

This exhibit is exclusive to the Nelson, the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, and the muse du quai Branly in Paris, France.

The exhibition will be at the Nelson until January 11th. It costs $6 for students, $12 for adults, and $10 for seniors over the age of 55.

Exhibition Tours

Sept 19 - Jan 11 1 p.m. Wednesday–Friday 6–8:15 p.m., Thursday and Friday 1–4 p.m., Saturday and Sunday

Friday Night Films

October 17 Reel Injun 6:30 p.m. | Free

October 24 We Were Children 6:30 p.m. | Free

Panel Discussion

Everything We Know About the Art of Plains Indians Sunday, October 19 1–3 p.m. | Atkins Auditorium | $5

Native American dancers perform at the NelsonAtkins Museum. Photos

by Gabi Chavez October 16, 2014

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   

7420 Quivira Rd, Shawnee, KS 66216 (913) 538-6100

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Issue 2

IKEA

Nebraska

VS.

News

Furniture Mart

By: Spence Lassalle

IKEA is one of the most popular stores in America. Now that we finally have one in Kansas, we might see a rivalry between Ikea and Nebraska Furniture Mart. This means war.

IKEA opened its doors on September 10th at 9:30 a.m. Customers were allowed to wait outside forty-eight hours ahead of time.

Nebraska Furniture Mart, on the other hand, has been open for over 10 years.

Thoughts

Thoughts

I’m not sure what I was expecting from this place, but let’s just say I was a little bit let down. It’s not that it was a terrible store it was just kinda “meh”.

Let me explain myself, I thought it would be more like Nebraska Furniture Mart.

IKEA was more of a maze. If you want one item and that item happens to be at the end of the store, well you have to walk through the whole store just to get that one item. That may not sound terrible but this store is usually packed with people, so you may have to wait even longer to get the item. The merchandise the store had to offer was pretty good.

I found some of the prices to be much cheaper than Nebraska Furniture Mart (That’s probably because you have to build it) but nevertheless the quality of the furniture was pretty good, like you could get a lot for less than you would pay at Nebraska Furniture Mart. IKEA is also popular for their meatballs, so I had to try some. You can order them in the marketplace. You can sit down and eat; it’s basically a restaurant. There wasn’t much variety of food, but it all looked appetizing to me. Then when you leave, there is another restaurant with much cheaper food. It almost reminds me of a Costco or Sam’s Club.

Pros: • • • •

Cons:

I can’t really say anything bad about this place because it’s one of those stores you don’t go there unless you need something.

The better thing about this store when comparing it to IKEA is that they have a huge electronics section. IKEA doesn’t even have one.

Even though IKEA’s furniture is all build-it-yourself, I still think they should have an electronics section. The prices are higher because everything is already built for the most part. The store is a lot bigger, but maybe just because it’s an open floor and not a maze like IKEA. I think Nebraska Furniture Mart would be my first choice to buy furniture, but there are a lot of factors to keep in mind.

• • •

Pros:

You can walk to the item you • want without walking through the whole store.

They have an electronics • section.

The parking lot is a lot simpler than Ikea’s.

•

Cons:

They only have one place to eat, and it’s a little bit too expensive.

They do not have a children’s center to drop off your kids.

The prices tend to be higher because the furniture is already built.

Usually everything you buy is • You have to walk through the typically cheaper price than whole store if you want one NFM. item.

They have more than one place • This place will be packed at to eat. least for the rest of the year.

They have a children’s daycare • They do not have a section for center, so you can drop off your electronics. kids then go shopping.

They have a parking garage unlike NFM. It’s not that I don’t like IKEA, it’s that I don’t think it met my expectations. I really wanted to like it, but I just couldn’t really get into it. I just prefer Nebraska Furniture Mart over IKEA. I did enjoy the merchandise IKEA had, and I also really liked their food. The setup was just a major disappointment compared to NFM, and from what I heard walking around the store other people didn’t like it either. If you are looking for a better deal, I’d go to IKEA. If you don’t wish to build your furniture, go to Nebraska Furniture Mart. I think it’s nice that we do finally have an IKEA, and I do think it will bring in lots of business. Overall, I didn’t think IKEA was terrible, I just like NFM a lot more.

October 16, 2014

Conclusion

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Opinion Tuned In

It’s sad that I could go on and on about kinematics (thanks Mr. Taylor!), but not have a clue about what is going on in my own country, a country in which so many have fought and died for our freedom to speak, and to ask questions, and to receive answers.

An opinion by Kathleen Gartner After coming to this realization, I spent the next half hour watching the news.

I am now proud to say that I know much more than I did before. I am When I sat down to write this column, I began to think about what I really also sad to say that I now know much more about the suffering going on in cared about. What was going on in the world right now? And then it hit me. the world every day.

I really didn’t know. Now, I don’t mean to say that I am completely igAlthough the world isn’t always sunshine and rainbows, it is our responnorant- I could give you the headlines of the week, but not much more than sibility to stay informed. In a nation where we have so much freedom, it is that. And, after talking with people, I’ve learned I’m not alone. our duty to know and to act on our knowledge.

Earlier this month, on 9/11, I was walking through the hallways and Author and Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel said, “The opposite of love overheard a conversation. One friend was asking another why the flags were at half-staff. Yikes. But what makes this even worse was that the other is not hate, it’s indifference.” To me, this feels like a sucker punch. Our friend also had no idea. While this might be an extreme example, it proves ignorance and thus indifference to the outside world is just as bad as hating others. By not paying attention and reacting to global suffering, we allow it a point. Often many of us are not in tune with the world around us. to persist.

As a busy highschooler, it’s so easy to forget about the outside world.

I’m not saying that you need to watch the news 24/7. I’m just saying The endless cycle of school, sports, activities, and homework leads us to it’s important to look up from our busy lives every once in a while. And who live in our own bubble. It’s sad that I could go on and on about kinematics (thanks Mr. Taylor!), but not have a clue about what is going on in my own knows what you’ll find. In order to change the world, you must first change country, a country in which so many have fought and died for our freedom to yourself. speak, and to ask questions, and to receive answers.

This Is Not An Honor

An opinion by Sylvia Bryan It’s not hard to see the appeal of taking honors classes.

They’re typically more difficult than their regular counterparts, and often mean more homework. But A and B students get an extra grade point, and certain classes provide AP credit, an advantage that carries over to college. There’s always the saying, “It’s better to have a B in an honors class than an A in a regular class.”

Maybe not everyone has heard that, but it’s something I’ve been told time and time again. First, it was my sixth grade teacher when I was enrolling for classes at Westridge. A year later, when I was choosing my eighth grade classes, I was unsure about taking advanced science. Sure enough, I asked one of my teachers for advice, and she trotted out the same line. I’m not sure why she used this reasoning, since Westridge didn’t have weighted grades, but I heard it yet again from a variety of people when I was torn between taking regular or honors precalculus this year. Originally, I was committed to continuing my streak of taking absolutely every honors class I could, but after a few too many failed tests in my Algebra 2 class, I finally gave in and decided I would take a regular class. It’s become more and more clear that this was the best decision for me, but I was criticized for it in the beginning. I was pushed into taking honors classes I wasn’t prepared for, and I know I’m not the only one.

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Every honors or advanced class I’ve been in seems to have at least a few people who shouldn’t have been there. They’re in it because they want to make their parents happy, to be in the same classes as their friends, or some other reason. I understand it, because I’ve been one of those people. In fact, I might still be one of those people. I can think of a class or two where not taking honors may have been a better option, but it’s not always easy to predict which classes will be problematic and which ones are easier to handle.

I absolutely shouldn’t have been in honors math for two years, but I took those classes because I didn’t want to admit to myself that I wasn’t ready. I didn’t want to admit it to my parents, my friends, or my teachers.

So I understand why people end up taking classes they’re not ready for, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t a problem.

When people take honors classes they can’t handle, they’re not just putting themselves at a disadvantage. They’re affecting their teachers, who sometimes have to adjust the curriculum to accommodate underachieving students. When that happens, other students are affected.

I don’t know what the solution to this issue is. I think before enrollment, counselors should stress to students the difficulty of honors classes and ensure that they’re ready for the challenge. Of course, that doesn’t guarantee that unprepared students won’t take difficult classes.

It also wouldn’t offset the pressure to take honors classes that many students receive. So I’m not sure if this is a “solvable” problem, but it is a problem, and I doubt I’m the only one to notice it.

All I’m trying to say is, stop repeating the mistakes so many of us tend to make. Before you enroll, really consider your options. Think it through, and make the decision for yourself. Not your parents or friends, but you alone. It could save you a lot of time and stress.

Issue 2

Opinion Senior Year or Nap Time?

An opinion by Isaiah McKay

Definition of senior year: essays on top of essays.

If you’re not writing an essay on how the required summer reading assignment foil characters expanded your knowledge of the book (which you read, right?), then you’re writing an essay that could potentially get you accepted into the college of your dreams (or rejected). I hate to be the one to break it to you, but essays will rule your world - you have no choice but to embrace them.

There are many steps for you to survive an essay: 1. Breathe. I realize that it’s nerve wracking having to write about something you may not be passionate about. Ex: How did the author demonstrate the core values of society through the static characters?

Don’t fret, just take a breath and focus.

2. Think! You can never go wrong with thinking the prompt over before vomiting your unorganized thoughts onto the college ruled paper

A Virtual Pastime An opinion by Logan Peterson

To most people, fantasy football is described as a hobby for “people who aren’t good at actual football.” This is completely false.

Fantasy football tends to turn people off just by the sound of it.

Fantasy football. It sounds like some low quality computer game you’d play during class.

It really isn’t hard to understand at all, though. You have your own team and your friends have their teams and together it all consists of one league.

Then, either online, or in person, you draft real NFL players, and receive points based on how they perform from week to week.

Then, after each week you win or lose, and at the end of each season, depending on how your team’s record is, you can contend for your league championship in the playoffs When I explain it like that, you begin to realize that it’s not that difficult to understand. In fact, it’s quite simple. There is still an issue though. People believe that the only people that play fantasy football, are people who have never played a real down of football in their lives.

They get the idea that people that play fantasy spend every waking minute hunched over on their laptops in a dark room, when really, plenty of athletes play fantasy football.

October 16, 2014

3. Organize. Take the least amount of time to process your ideas. In order, list out your thoughts and then write the best essay ever.

After securing the patience, motivation and time that it takes to deal with all of the aspects of school (including essays), you are most likely exhausted and/or irritated.

I wish the MythBusters team could prove that senioritis is not real, and that what I’m actually feeling is just the relief of this being my last year… that is not true. I feel a force taking over my mind, body and soul telling me to procrastinate on everything I’m assigned. This is nothing like you what you see on tv, where you have the good angel on one shoulder and the bad angel on the other. In this case you can’t just flick the bad angel off and make it disappear, it simply won’t. Of course I’ve tried to fight the feeling but this evil demon immediately puts me too sleep. Literally.

Remember when the counselors in Y-Care would unfold the mats and yell “Naptime!” I feel like lately I’ve been dealing with the downside of the liberties given to me at the age of five. Each day I try and conquer the battle between homework and sleep (sleeps wins). It’s not like I purposely don’t want to finish doing my homework, it’s because my body won’t let me stay awake and focus.

As senior year continues, I truly hope to find a cure to this sickness.

If anything, it only strengthens their passion for the game of football.

At least, for me, professional football becomes much more fun when I know there’s an incentive for me.

I am in a league with 11 other people, all of them family members. One of the best days of the year is getting together to do the league draft. All the weeks of preparation, watching SportsCenter and researching players all comes down to one day that can make or break your season.

My league drafts live, which means that we gather in one room and take turns picking our players. They range from quarterbacks, running backs, all the way to a team defense. It can be a long and stressful process, but in the end, it’s totally worth it.

It’s also very important to mentally attack the opposing teams during your draft. By degrading their draft picks, your opponents will leave the draft with a bad taste in their mouths.

It’s very essential for me to do some light taunting as well. Not too ruthless, but enough to get them to regret their draft picks immediately.

Once the season begins, you’ll set your lineup with all the players you think will perform the best and just sit back and enjoy the beauty of football every Sunday.

With that being said, the old phrase “never judge a book by it’s cover,” really applies here. I find it impossible to look at fantasy football with such disdain, without ever trying it.

In this day and age, technology has a grasp on everyday life. This makes fantasy football only a few clicks away.

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Issue 2

Falling into Success How the Schiermans turned apples into liquid gold By: Kristin Wells and Kathleen Gartner

PHOTO BY MERANI RIVAROLA October 16, 2014

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Feature A true mom and pop success story, the Louisburg Cider Mill was a business that never should have made it.

Tom and Shelly Schierman started out with a barn, a house, a small cider press, and an idea. Today, it has grown into a hotspot for fall entertainment, complete with a pumpkin patch, corn maze, petting zoo, and country store.

The Schiermans, newlyweds at ages 22 and 24, were at Reese’s Apple Farm when they stumbled upon their first cider press.

“We found a little 24 inch press in pieces, we didn’t know what it was. We ended up buying it for just nothing and had this idea that maybe we’d put it in the barn,” Shelly Schierman, co-founder and president, said.

This, coupled with a donut maker, was a new beginning. Shelly and Tom opened a cider mill in their barn, and slowly began to sell their products. It wasn’t easy, and the Schiermans made many mistakes along the way.

“Nobody could do what we did now, and I don’t mean because we’re talented, but because in today’s world you just can’t.

Everyone thought we were crazy. We went around to banks and everyone just laughed us out of there- you don’t have any apples, this is ridiculous. And it probably was,” Schierman said.

After about two years of working the cider mill, the Schiermans were about to embark on their next adventure: parenting. In the fall

of 1978, Tom and Shelly left for Kansas City to have their baby.

They left Shelly’s parents in charge of the mill for a couple of days, and drove downtown. After their baby was born, the Schiermans headed back to Louisburg, but their trip was anything but usual.

“We were trying to come off of Metcalf, and the traffic stopped.

We thought there was an accident, but we realized after we started creeping, creeping, creeping that it was our cider mill! There was no place for people to park, and they had run out of cider hours ago,” Schierman said.

The Kansas City Star had run an article about the mill that brought people in from far and wide. That article sparked the continued growth of the mill and helped to make it what it is today.

This backdoor style of business continued until the oil crisis of 1973. The nation was experiencing an oil embargo put in place by the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) in retaliation for U.S. involvement in the Arab-Israeli War. Gas stations were packed, and prices were high.

“At that time, there wasn’t a highway, so not many people were going to drive 45 minutes out of town to buy cider,” Schierman said.

PHOTO BY MERANI RIVAROLA

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Issue 2

Feature This reasoning led the Schiermans to invest in wholesale business. This way, they could get into local grocery stores and bring the cider to the people.

Just like when they started their company, they were laughed out of many grocery stores before they found their first retailer. But their problems still weren’t over.

Natural apple cider produces a sediment on the bottom of the jug that is not appealing to customers.

To combat this issue, the Schiermans took the costly risk of doing in-store demonstrations. However, their gamble paid off, and now you can find their cider in most local grocery stores.

If you’re willing to drive for about 40 minutes, you can visit the Schiermans’ headquarters in Louisburg.

For two weekends each year, they host a Cider Fest that includes live music, fall activities, and everything apple.

All season long, the country store is open and stocked with varieties of their cider and soda, plus one of their best-selling items: apple donuts. Since the birth of the cider mill, over 10 million donuts have been sold. Each donut is made by hand, and customers can watch them being made through a window. These cider-infused sweets are dipped in cinnamon sugar and cost 75 cents each. You can also purchase apple cider slushies, apple pancake mix, apple butter, apple pie syrup, and the list goes on.

The Louisburg Cider Mill is a great place to tour and explore. You can get lost in the corn maze, watch donuts be pressed out, or even pick out a pumpkin.

But the best thing to do may just be sipping cider on the porch and watching the leaves change colors.

This backdoor style of business continued until the oil crisis of 1973. The nation was experiencing an oil embargo put in place by the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) in retaliation for U.S. involvement in the Arab-Israeli War. Gas stations were packed, and prices were high.

“At that time, there wasn’t a highway, so not many people were going to drive 45 minutes out of town to buy cider,” Schierman said.

October 16, 2014

15

Feature

How is it Made?

The cider mill, which now sits in the Schiermans’ original barn, is where the apples are cleaned, chopped and pressed into cider and other apple products.

All their apples are locally sourced, usually coming from farms no further than 75 miles away. A typical load of apples weighs 50,000 pounds, and will produce about 30,000 gallons of apple juice.

The apples are first loaded into an apple cage, then sent through a wash machine to be cleaned. After this, they are loaded into the hammer mill which uses blades to chop the apples. Next, the apple bits are pressed and the juice is separated from the pulp. This pulp is called ‘pumice.’

“Pumice then gets shipped out to local farmers for feed

and fertilizer so that we don’t waste any part of the apple,” Laura Johansen, cider mill employee, said about their ‘waste not, want not’ philosophy.

The actual apple juice is stored in tanks overnight, and is then sent to the bottling building. The cider is heated to 180 degrees to pasteurize and kill bacteria. It is then packaged in jugs and shipped to 15 states and is also sold in their country store.

The Louisburg Cider Mill also produces Lost Trails sodas. They use a special root beer recipe from Shelly’s great-grandfather, Joe Marshall. The soda, bottled on site, can be found in local restaurants and select stores across the nation.

What Goes in to the Cider?

50,000 pounds of apples

produces 80% Jonathan Apples

30,000 pounds of cider

16

20% Golden Delicious Apples

17

Feature

Pass the Skip out on the boring old burgers and fries tonight. Put a little passport on your plate and have some Middle Eastern pita with hummus, or even a pupusa from El Salvador.

Believe it or not, you can experience flavors from around the world less than 3 miles from West.

By: Kathleen Gartner and Colette Balas

Holy Land Cafe Ethnicity: Middle Eastern and Mediterranean

Rating: Price:

$

Location: 12275 W 87th St Pkwy (2.5 miles from West) Entree we sampled: Sampler platter- fresh baked pita bread with hummus, beef and chicken shawarma (meat that has been slow roasted on a spit), tzatziki sauce (crisp cucumber yogurt sauce to spread on the meat), and a greek salad.

What we thought: The Holy Land Cafe is nestled in a small stretch of Middle Eastern stores right off of 87th. The cafe itself is cozily decorated with various Arabic symbols and had Persian rugs hanging on the walls. Everyone in the restaurant, such as the wait staff and customers, were of Middle Eastern descent. This place is about as authentic as you can get without traveling across the ocean! The food was fantastic, and is characterized by strong spices such as turmeric, cumin, and nutmeg. Other items on the menu are falafel sandwiches (fried chickpeas in a pita wrapping) and gyros (shawarma meat in a pita wrapping with tzatziki sauce).

18

Issue 2

Feature Thai Place Ethnicity: Thai

Rating: Price:

$$

Location: 9359 W 87th St (0.6 miles from West) Entree we sampled: Phad Thai- Creamy stir fried noodles with different protein options including tofu, chicken, and shrimp. Choice of spicy or not spicy.

What we thought: The Thai Place is slightly fancier than the other restaurants we reviewed, so it would be perfect for a night out. Also, all the employees were Thai, which added to its authenticity. The Thai Place was our personal favorite in terms of cuisine. The portions were very generous, and we found ourselves licking the bowl! Even if you are not wild about Asian food, the Thai Place is still a great place to try because of its unique menu item such as curry and various noodle dishes.

Elsa’s Ethiopian Restaurant Ethnicity: Ethiopian

Rating: Price:

$$

Location: 8016 Santa Fe Dr (1.3 miles from West) Entree we sampled: Meat combo- Key Wat (spicy beef stew), Alicha Wat (beef stew simmered in barbeque), Doro Wat (Chicken drumstick stew simmered in barbeque sauce) 2 vegetarian sides, ayb (traditional cottage cheese), served on injera bread.

What we thought: We enjoyed the Ethiopian place the most in terms of customer service. Our waitress was Elsa, the owner of the restaurant. She was very kind and eager to teach us how to eat Ethiopian food. Instead of using utensils, Ethiopians use their hands. We were packing up our food to head to the next restaurant when the other waiter brought out a sample vegetarian platter, free of charge. He told us that we needed to try his favorites before we left. We were very pleased with the unique experience and great customer service.

El Salvadoreño Ethnicity: Salvadoran

Rating: Price:

$$

Location: 7926 Santa Fe Dr (1.4 miles from West) Entree we sampled: Sampler platter- Pupusa (handmade corn tortilla filled with meat and cheese), enchilada, yuca frita (fried root of the cassava plantlike a french fry), and a tamale (meat and cheese wrapped in a steamed masa corn wrapping).

What we thought: The Salvadoran place is a larger restaurant with a lot of character. Flags and artwork cover the restaurant. Like the other restaurants, the wait staff’s ethnicity added to their credibility. We enjoyed the friendly atmosphere and the delicious food. Almost all Salvadoran food is fried and many dishes are spicy. El Salvadoreno is a great place to try and experience the great food from El Salvador.

October 16, 2014

19

Feature

Old School

Scott Dory Graduated from West in 1968.

“In high school, we had clubs and I was actually in a model airplane club and a chess club.”

Hunter Henry Graduated from West in 2004

“I choked on a marshmallow in front of the whole school at a pep assembly.”

“My freshman year I was trying to run for student council and you get up and give speeches, and I got up on stage in the auditorium to give my speech and before I even said a word, I got booed. I still gave my speech though and I didn’t win.”

Sarah Gonzalez 20

Issue 2

Chosen

Sports

Q&A with Elijah Boyer about his training for baseball

By Max Meyer Max Meyer: When did you first start playing sports?

Elijah Boyer: I started playing sports ever since I can remember really. I played T-ball as a kid when I was three, so I guess you could say since I was three or four years old.

MM: When did you first start doing TFit with Trevor Cochran?

EB: It was before basketball season of my sophomore year.

MM: Why’d you decide to start working out with Trevor?

EB: I always knew that I just wanted to become better at sports in general, and that I wanted to make it to play a high level in college. I hadn’t found that thing that pushed me to my limit. I felt like things were easy to accomplish. Once I met Trevor, he had something every single day that was a challenge every second that I did it. I knew that would push me and make me better, so that’s why I wanted to do it.

MM: What’s the hardest workout you’ve ever done?

EB: (laughs) Oh man, I say it was the summer of my sophomore year. He (Cochran) came to Shawnee Mission West and he worked out with the whole football team. After it everybody was just dead tired already after the football workout at West. Then, after that we went to Shawnee Mission Park and ran up this huge hill. We ran up that hill 20 times, did drills up it and after that we went to Blue Valley North. Worked out there for about an hour and a half, got a break, went and had a mango smoothie from Panera, and went to a kid named Mason’s house. We ran on the treadmill at a 35 inch incline about 30 plus times. We had another break, got to eat and then we did squats. We tested a theory Trevor had: doing 100 squats, then hopping in a hot tub for a minute and come out and do the same

September 18, 2014

thing. After that, we finished up by doing yoga for an hour and a half. That was probably my worst day because that was from 9 AM to 9 o’clock at night.

MM: In a typical week, how many hours do you spend working out?

EB: Every day I wake up and go hit in my basement. If I have time I’ll come run at the school, practice my 60 yard dash. Every morning I workout from about six to seven because I wake up at 5 to get something good to eat and plan out my day. Then, get ready to do what I have to do. Directly after school, pretty much every single day except Friday (I get ready to leave on the weekend for a tournament), it’s until about eight o’clock. That’s hitting or working out. You can say it’s 24/7 because there’s really no time I would want to stop or should stop.

MM: When did you first become passionate about sports?

EB: I also knew I always loved sports. I just had a passion for working hard and just wanted to be the best, really. Once I met Trevor and I

started chasing my dreams with actions rather than with thoughts. I realized that they really could come true and that I had the capability to go where I wanted. I’d say that was about halfway through my sophomore year that I realized this is what I was made to do.

MM: What are your goals for baseball?

EB: Right now, my biggest goal is to get in front of these colleges and get some Division 1 looks.

That’s right now, my very biggest goal. Obviously, when it comes to high school it’d be to win state and come together as a team.

MM: Where do you see baseball taking you?

EB: I see it taking me all the way. I’m not going to stop until I make it.

MM: What’s your advice to other athletes?

EB: You need to educate yourself in whatever kind of sport or whatever your passion is. If you don’t work on it day in and day out chances are it’s not going to happen. If you just really have that burning passion, you know who you are if you do, you need to go and chase it every single day. There’s no substitution for hard work. If everybody else is doing it, and you see everybody getting the same results. I don’t know why you would keep doing it. You have to somehow be different. I’m not saying crazy different, but I’m saying that you have to find a way to separate yourself. The way that I found to do that

was to outwork everyone.

PHOTO BY KAMRYN MARSHALL

21

Sports

More Than a Game Discover the true worth of sports

By Max Meyer Often sports are looked at as an activity performed by men and women with exceptional physical abilities, but that lack intellectual abilities. To the people that view sports that way, the billions of dollars produced by the sports industry seems outrageous. There is nothing that sports add to our society. It is a waste of time and money. For them, sports are just a hobby for kids and entertainment for adults.

However, this could not be further from the truth. Sports add more to our society than almost anything else.

For instance, the Olympics bring together our entire country. People who aren’t normally sports fans start watching basketball, swimming and many other sports. What causes this? What makes people suddenly more interested in sports?

It is because of the unity and common ground that sports cause. There’s nothing better than sitting on the couch with your friends and watching the U.S. beat the other countries of the world. The Olympics are more than just a game, they are a sense of national pride. These games held every four years bring together the people

of this vastly diverse country.

Sports don’t just have an effect on the national level, they also affect states, cities and communities. The success of a sports team can bring together a community unlike anything else.

For me one major example of this stands out.

When I was a freshman, the football team won the State Championship. There haven’t been many other occasions in my time at West that I’ve felt prouder or happier to go here. Winning that championship brought together our school.

Not only do sports provide a unifying aspect, but they also give people a way to alleviate stress and escape their problems. For many athletes, their mind is in a different place while practicing or playing their sport. They use their sport to release anger and stress, like others use writing or music. Sports provide a way for people to put their problems in the back of their minds for a little while.

Sports not only have a social, but an economic effect on our culture. Many people disagree with professional athletes being paid millions of dollars, stadiums being built that cost billions of dollars and fans that pay hundreds

of dollars to watch these athletes. As is stands the economy in the U.S. is shaky, but imagine it if thousands of jobs disappeared. The sports industry creates jobs in media, entertainment, management, health and the list goes on.

Not only are sports a way for people to spend their free time, but for some, sports are their livelihood.

Perhaps the biggest benefit of sports is that they keep people healthy. For many people sports offer a way to exercise that is more fun.

Many people would rather play basketball with their friends than use an elliptical machine for 45 minutes. I think this component of sports helps kids the most. The majority of kids would never consider working out on their own. Sports give kids the exercise they need when most kids wouldn’t get exercise without sports.

So I challenge you to rethink sports. See them for what they are really worth and give one a try yourself. Whether its watching a sport, joining a team or just playing for fun you will gain something from it. A sport might give you a new friend, a way to stay healthy or, if nothing else, a way to have fun.

@SMWjournalism 22

Issue 2

30

Student Section Chants

By Drake Mattis

We’ve Got Spirit We’ve got spirit yes we do. We’ve got spirit how ‘bout you? *Waits for comeback from opposing student section* We’ve got the most! (repeats)

Alma Mater

20

Alma Mater, hail to thee! Sing we now so joyfully!

Honor, praise and loyalty! Ever shall our promise be!

Onward, we are always striving!For thy colors brave undying!

Hail to thee, Shawnee Mission West! Hail to thee, Shawnee Mission West!

We Love Ya We love ya, we love ya, we love ya And where you go we’ll follow, we’ll follow, we’ll follow ‘Cause we support the Vikings, the Vikings, the Vikings And that’s the way we like it, we like it, we like it. Oh Oh Oh

Date

Oct. 16 Oct. 21

Opponent Olathe North Olathe East

Football Schedule Opponent SM Northwest SM South

Blue Valley North

Venue ODAC CBAC

Venue

SM South SM South TBD

Volleyball Schedule Date

Oct. 16 Oct. 20 Oct. 21 October 16, 2014

Opponent

Lansing, Blue Valley, SM Northwest BV Northwest BV North/SM South

Venues

SMW SMW BV North

10

Date

Oct. 17 Oct. 24 Oct. 31

Boys’ Soccer Schedule

23

Sports

Unfortunate Setbacks Athletes Mallory Martin and Tanner Adams share their injury stories

By Lexi Hart

F

rom tears to broken bones, students are battling injuries constantly. Two athletes share their stories about their injuries.

Senior Mallory Martin, tore her ACL and both of her meniscuses after the starting whistle of a soccer game.

“I was playing wide mid and I remember running forward to play defense on the girl I was guarding, and when I changed direction to cut to the left, the inside of my knee just snapped and it was like slow motion after that,” Martin said.

When athletes have an ACL tear it is usually described as a loud snap in the knee. ACL stands for Anterior Cruciate Ligament.

The ACL attaches the front of the tibia with the back of the femur to prevent hyperextension of the knee. ACL tears are common among athletes in sports that involves a lot of cutting and changing direction, such as soccer or basketball.

“I can still hear the snapping sound it made when I tore it. I remember just being in shock and I couldn’t move it at all. Nobody really saw me go down because

24

the ball wasn’t near me. I had no idea what to do because it was literally the most painful thing I’ve ever experienced” Martin said.

Once an athlete is able to start easing back into physical activity, they usually go to physical therapy. Physical therapy rehabil-

it. It was like less intense weight training,” Martin said.

After an injury it’s common to be timid or cautious to go back full force. Martin was out for 11 months after her injury.

“I’d say the two biggest things have probably been just like

itates an athlete’s injury using different methods like exercises to strengthen muscles around the injured spot, or the spot itself.

“I went Monday, Wednesday, Friday to SERC Therapy down on Shawnee Mission Parkway. I’d go on those days and would start off on the bike, and that was mostly for getting my movement back and seeing how far I could push

fitness and also confidence. Like I had no idea the nerves I would have with like my first game back. I was afraid to like go up for challenges and do harsh cutting because that’s how I tore it,” Martin said.

Fitness was a challenge because being immobilized for so long decreased her ability to move around.

“I guess I didn’t really realize how long I was out, I was out for almost a year, and I would do the weight training stuff but I’m still nowhere near where I was, so that’s probably my goal now just getting back in shape for season,” Martin said.

Martin had surgery on October 1st so it’s been a year since her surgery. During spring break this last year she re-tore her meniscus, causing another surgery and a couple steps back from where she was in the healing process.

“The first surgery they replaced my ACL with my hamstring and they fixed one of my meniscuses, like stitched it up, and then the other one they just removed.

So when I hurt it again, I hurt the one that they fixed, so the second surgery they just took that one out too, so I have no meniscus in me now,” Martin said.

Martin is fully healed now and back into her everyday activities.

“I’m back, I’m playing in games and like I said I’m still working on the fitness and stuff,” Martin said.

PHOTO COURTESY OF MALLORY MARTIN Issue 2

Sports Senior Tanner Adams had an injury that has affected his life and the ability to play sports.

“I blew out my knee. I fully tore my ACL and MCL, and partially tore my PCL. The only ligament I didn’t tear was my LCL,” Adams said.

The injury happened in a football game where Adams suffered an unforgettable tackle.

“It was in the first football game against Lawrence Free State. I got cracked by a wide receiver up top while being blocked by the fullback who hit me low at the knees,” Adams said.

Since the injury is still pretty recent, Adams hasn’t had surgery or participated in any rehab yet.

“Well I injured it on September 4th, from that date we had to wait six weeks for the swelling to go down. Then, after six weeks, I am to have surgery. I think I have roughly four more weeks to go. After surgery, I am in immediate PT. I would have PT three days a week for four months and then one day a week for 2. After six months of rehab, then I can begin slowly easing my way back into physical activity,” Adams said.

This injury has affected not only the ability for Adams to play sports, but little everyday activities we all take for granted.

“Everyday activities suck. The

Adams knew something was wrong.

“I knew immediately that I tore my ACL. I didn’t know that I tore the two others. I remember being carried off the field and my foot was just dragging on the ground,” Adams said.

After this, Adams was devastated because he knew his baseball hopes were set back.

“I remember crying into my mom’s arms because I knew I couldn’t play baseball. I remember that my girlfriend showed up at the hospital for me, that made me really happy,” Adams said.

Injuries can affect many different people in many different ways. Staying active and healthy can prevent injuries.

Also stretching can help prevent muscle tears, along with exercises helping to strengthen muscles. These athletes have been strong through their unfortunate setbacks, and will work hard to get better than they were before their injuries.

easiest things like walking, going to the bathroom, carrying things, showering, and etc. have become extremely challenging tasks,” Adams said.

Adams likes football, but baseball is his life.

Most common sports for ACL injuries:

“I had high hopes of playing baseball my freshman year on a scholarship. Now I won’t be able to play football ever again, and I will not get to play my senior year baseball season,” Adams said.

When the injury happened,

70% of ACL injuries happen in sports

October 16, 2014

Senior Hanna LaLonde pushes senior Tanner Adams’ wheelchair at a football game.

PHOTO BY MADDIE LOE

Number of ACL injuries every year:

200000 25

A&E

A Tale As Old As Time The theater department puts a modern twist on a timeless story

By Isabelle Frankel

The theater program takes Shakespeare’s classic A Midsummer Night’s Dream and brings it to 21st century New Jersey in their fall play A Midsummer/Jersey.

“I thought this might be fun. A way to use a classic Shakespeare story but have a new twist on it,” Michael Reiff, the director, said. The plot of A Midsummer/Jersey has a fairly complicated plot.

“There’s a group of actors that are putting on a play for the governor of New Jersey and they’re doing Romeo and Juliet. You have Titania and Oberon, the king of the fairies, and they’re feuding so their actions are impacting other people so there’s a lot of intertwining characters,” Ethan Evans, who plays the role of Oberon, said.

There are many differences from Shakespeare’s original play.

“There’s no king so it’s the governor of New Jersey instead who’s getting married. In our version they’re all employees at a beauty salon and the fairies are more like partiers at a rave than what we would think of as fairies,” Reiff said.

Another difference is the “play within the play” that they perform for the governor. In the original they do a play called Pyramus and Thisbe, and in the modern version they do Romeo and Juliet.

The show follows the stories of different New Jersey citizens whose love lives are made very complicated by Oberon’s love potion. There are many different storylines in the show and they all intertwine with each other.

“My role is Lyle ‘the understatement’ Fagioli,” Lucas Lowry, junior, said. Lyle is one of the four

Oct. 30. This gives the cast of about 30 students and the crew two months to prepare for the performance.

“We rehearse every day until 4:30 or 5:00 and at home you have to run your lines and work on your New Jersey accent. All of my lines are really long poetic monologues so I have to memorize really long passages,” Evans said.

“We start off with blocking rehearsals. The actors learn where they need to be, we start thinking about characters and working our way through. Then we move onto running rehearsals

where we run through the full show. Then hopefully we move onto a cleaning process and try to make the show as good as we can,” Reiff said.

The cast aren’t the only ones who put in their time to make this show possible. There are also a lot of people working backstage with Mr. Adams making sure the lights and mics work, and there are people who focus on set design and hair and makeup.

To Lowry, the hardest part of his performance getting comfortable with on stage kisses.

“Honestly it just takes a lot of rehearsal to prepare for it. You have to take it seriously and even though its only a stage kiss, make it seem like the real thing,” he said.

“The most difficult part of the show is probably the last week right before the show opens.

When you’ve got all these things you’d like to do and you hope you’ll be able to do them and sometimes its a hard choice of ‘well we want them to be really good and that might not get done so we might have to cut it out.’” Reiff said.

Despite the difficulty of putting on a production, there is a great benefit.

“The most rewarding part for me is working with the students and watching them develop a character, create a character, see how they grow as an actor. From when we first get the script to when they’re practicing their lines to when the scripts leaves their hands and the character develops. To see a student no longer be a student from Shawnee Mission West but to transform themselves into a character on the stage,” Reiff said.

The cast and crew look forward to showcasing all of their hard work on Oct 30.

Shakepeare’s A Midsummer’s Night Dream written

42

Jersey Shore first aired in

years ago

thespians

2009

430

Issue 2

young lovers. Two of them are trying to run away to Canada and the other two follow them.

“You’ve also got the beauty salon girls who are trying to practice their play, and then you’ve got the fairies who have a big argument between the king and queen, and all these stories mix together,” Reiff said.

The theater department had auditions at the beginning of September and the show debuts on

“The most rewarding part for me is working with the students and watching them develop a character, create a character, see how they grow as an actor.” Reiff said.

26

Four “Epic” staff members toured local haunted houses to find the scariest ones around.

By: Isabelle Frankel, Spence Lassalle, Drake Mattis and Colette Balas

The Beast

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Contrary to the arrangement of most haunted houses, the Beast is self-guided. Most haunted houses have an arranged path or someone to guide you through it, but in the Beast, you have to find your own way through. The uncertainty of where to go creates an eerie and frightening feeling.The Beast was founded in 1991 and is the largest haunted house in America. It takes roughly 45 minutes to an hour to get through.

There are many different doors and paths that lead to various places, such as a werewolf-infested forest and a pitch-black maze. Hidden actors lurk throughout the house waiting for the perfect moment to pop out and scare you. Unlike most haunted houses, the actors are allowed to touch and interact with you. They get very close to your face and even follow you for long periods of time causing you to look over your shoulder every five seconds.

The vast animatronics located all through the house are triggered by lasers which ‘break’ as you step through them. The animatronics are programmed to go off a certain time after the laser breaks so they pop out just in time for the perfect scare.

You know you have reached the end when you arrive at the four-story slide. The slide leads to what they call and ocean or a room with lots of water, with people there to help guide you through the treatorous waves. As you exit the ocean, you can breath a sigh of relief as the hour of terror is over.

The Edge of Hell The Edge of Hell was opened in 1975, making it the oldest commercial haunted house in the United States. The theme of the house has been the same as when it first opened.

When designing this house, Full Moon Productions aimed to incorporate common phobias and fears to make it as scary as it can be.

It’s designed to show people what hell would be like. They try to touch all of your senses by cranking up the heaters and creating a pungent odor, so it feels like hell. It also is very claustrophobic which adds another element of fear.

When you’re in the house your mind plays lots of tricks on you. For example you’re walking along and you walk past Medusa, the 25 foot long anaconda, slithering behind a class wall. Just as the fear of the snake sets in, animatronic snakes fall from the ceiling so you think they’re real, causing your fight or flight senses to kick in. The result is a wonderful scare.

There are also a lot of jump scares in this house by creepy actors in extreme makeup.

Once you make it to the end of your journey, you get to see a glimpse of heaven before sliding down a slide into hell.

October 16, 2014

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Halloween Haunt

If you want to be scared and ride rides, then this is the place for you. With over ten Haunt attractions, this place is really busy at night. During the day, the park does HowlO-Fest, which are Halloween events and activities for kids in the Planet Snoopy area, but when night falls things get spooky. At night, the whole park, except Planet Snoopy, turns into a huge haunted house with all sorts of creepy people trying to jump out and spook you, for example clowns, zombies, and cowboy zombies on rollerskates. However, since I went so late at night, the lines for the haunted houses were very long. I’d recommend going right when Haunt starts or just before it gets dark. Because of the long lines, I decided to delve into two of the haunted houses.

First I chose The Boneyard, at the start of The Boneyard there is a bunch of fog which makes it really complicated to get through and that could make it a little scary. While walking through, there are people trying to scare you by jumping out from behind boxes, banging on empty oil drums and jumping out from the smoke. The time you spend in the attraction really depends on how scared you are. If you just wanna get through to get to the other side you’re probably going to get through it pretty fast. I didn’t think it was too scary, to be honest. I was kind of surprised that I really wasn’t scared, but it was thrilling.

Secondly I chose the CarnEvil. If you’re afraid of clowns, I wouldn’t recommend walking through this one. It’s in the carnival area, but they put a couple hallways up that you can walk through if you’re brave enough. The clowns will jump out from either the front or behind you. Sometimes the clowns try to stand against the wall to look fake then jump up in front of you. If there were less people around it would have been scarier, but since there were a lot of people around me it wasn’t really scary.

Overall I really enjoyed Halloween Haunt this year. I’ve been three times before and I think this is the best year overall. The park has even added new things to Haunt year including Ed Alonzo’s Psycho Circus of Magic & Mayhem starring Ed Alonzo from the hit TV show Saved by the Bell. I’d recommend gathering a group of friends and going because it’s definitely one of those things you want to do with other people. If you go at Haunt, tickets are cheaper than full day passes. Haunt is going on right now and is only open Friday through Sunday until November 2nd.

Along with the more popular haunted houses located in KC’s West Bottoms, such as the Edge of Hell and the Beast, there lies a less popular house, the Macabre Cinema.

This house is not an actual cinema where you sit down and watch a horror film, but a real walk-through haunted house. It takes about an hour to make it through the house of horror, with actors popping up right and left.

The Macabre Cinema is designed to make you feel like part of different real horror movies. You walk through rooms plucked straight from the scenes of movies like Friday the 13th and Nightmare on Elm Street. Watch out for Freddy Krueger, Jason Voorhees, Michael Myers and many others as they will try to pop out and give you a real scare.

As you make your way through the house, you might just wind up running face first into walls because it becomes pitch black in certain areas. It seems to become a maze in particular areas as you twist and turn to avoid the creepy actors decked out in dark makeup.

Once you reach the end of the haunted house, there is a four story “bat pole” which is really just a lame fireman pole which they harness you to before you slowly descend back to the ground.

I personally would recommend the Macabre Cinema to anyone who is willing to pay $30 or may be short on time because there was no line and I walked right in. I’ve been to the Edge of Hell and the Beast previously, and I did understand why the Macabre Cinema had no line. If you want to spend your money wisely, I would advise you to try one of the other houses.

Don’t get me wrong, the Macabre Cinema was scary enough, but it just didn’t seem Ma cab to have quite as high a budget as the more popular haunted houses, if you know what I re mean.

Honestly, you could say I was fairly disappointed.

If you’re looking for a real thrill, try the Edge of Hell or the Beast located all along the same block, but be sure to go with a group of friends because you won’t want to be alone for any of the haunts this district has to offer.

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Issue 2

A&E

Scariest Films of All Time A ranking of great scary movies

By Logan Peterson 1) The Exorcist (1973)- “The Exorcist” is the definition of what a good horror movie should be, because it’s more than just a standard horror film. It’s a film about religion, faith and the fear losing your loved ones. But, in retrospect, you will not remember this film for it’s underlying messages, but for the chilling performance of Linda Blair as the young girl possessed by the demon Pazuzu. Every moment, from the eery twisting of her head to the spider crawl, is truly iconic and it is a film that is a necessity for everyone to watch, if you have the stomach for it.

2) The Strangers (2008)- “The Strangers” is about a young couple who is terrorized at a remote cabin by three masked assailants in the middle of the night. This film will haunt you. The three masked killers, in particular, are truly terrifying. They begin by merely knocking on the couple’s door, asking for people who aren’t there, and shortly thereafter, the real terror begins. They begin attacking them and striking fear into them like nothing you’ve ever seen before. What makes the film so terrifying is that it is something that could truly happen. “Strangers” will have you peeking through your hands through the whole movie, because you’ll be too frightened to look.

3) House of 1,000 Corpses (2003)- Chances are, you’ve never heard of this gory, Rob Zombie directed flick. It’s set in the backwoods of the deep south and centers around a group of teenagers looking for the fabled Doctor Satan, a legendary horror figurehead. What ensues is truly horrific as these teenagers cross paths with the Firefly family, led by the creepy clown Captain Spaulding. The family gruesomely torture their house guests and the film totally exemplifies the fear of being lost in the middle of nowhere, with nowhere to hide.

4) The Conjuring (2013)- Still fresh in our minds is last summer’s “The Conjuring.” It tells the story of paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren, and their attempt to help a family being terrorized by a dark presence in their new farmhouse. Instead of going for the scares from the get go, it takes it’s time to develop the characters, while keeping the audience on the edge of their seats. With the introduction of the creepy doll Annabelle and the addition of possession, “Conjuring” reinvigorates the horror genre and has become a classic that should be watched every Halloween night for years to come.

5) A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)- Although it may seem a bit cheesy today, it broke barriers when it was originally released, and it still packs in a few scares nowadays. “Nightmare” tells the story of child murderer Freddy Krueger taking revenge on the people who burned him alive years earlier, by attacking their teenage children in their dreams. Krueger has become a horror icon, and Robert Englund’s performance as him sends chills down people’s spines. “Nightmare” will make you feel very hesitant to fall asleep, I can tell you that.

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October 16, 2014

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A&E

Laura Hillenbrand’s “Unbroken”

A book review by Kristin Wells

It’s hard to believe that the story of Louis Zamperini is not a work of fiction.

I mean, what man punches a shark while stranded in the middle of the ocean on a makeshift raft? That’s Louie Zamperini for you.

Growing up, Louie was an incorrigible trouble-maker, but running became his saving grace. As it turns out, Louie had a little talent for running and it took him to the Olympic Games. Instead of continuing his running career, he became an airman in World War II. He was sent to Hawaii, but when his bomber crashed in the Pacific, he was presumed to be dead.

In an amazing feat of strength, resilience and pure will, Louie managed to survive (this is the part where the shark-fighting

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comes in). But just when he thought the struggle was over, he was greeted with a trial even greater; to challenge his endurance, his hope and his resilience.

From the very first pages, Laura Hillenbrand captures the attention of the reader with beautiful yet not overly elegant imagery of Louie and his first, but certainly not last encounter with an airplane. And as the author of Seabiscuit, Laura Hillenbrand had high expectations to live up to. She spent 7 years doing research and crafting this book and it shows in the story.

Although this book is a work of nonfiction, it feels like a novel. It’s easy to connect to the characters and Hillenbrand’s writing creates pictures in

the head of the reader. While it may not be the most relatable topic, it certainly is inspiring.

Honestly, I fell in love with this book.

It’s incredible to me that it’s a true story.

Her word choice has a big impact on the story. She writes with descriptive words, but it’s not over the top. The story is told as it happened, but it stills feels like a story.

The movie adaptation, directed by Angelina Jolie, premieres on Christmas Day of this year.

This book is high on my recommendation list. It crafts an incredible true story and creates an inspiring book with tragedy and sorrow, but most of all, hope.

Issue 2

A&E “Eleanor and Park” by Rainbow Rowell

STOP

When Red lights flash.

a book review by Isaiah Mckay “Eleanor and Park” written by Rainbow Rowell is easily not your typical YA romance novel. I’ve never really been into high school love stories but this one is vastly different than any other I’ve read through. I started the book initially thinking that it was going to be a cheesy love story, which it is but features a wide variety of relationships and connections including a terrible stepdad, continuous fear of society’s conceptions, bullying, and love through music.

The main character is Eleanor who is described as a ginger “big girl,” When she rides the bus, peers refer to her as Big Red. Her life is sort of messy with her

October 16, 2014

having to overcome an overly aggressive alcoholic stepfather, sharing one room with her many siblings, and dealing with the negative aspects of being poor.

Park is a half-Korean teen who is among the popular students at school.

He is soon forced to sit by Eleanor on the bus. Park is very into comic books and reads them on his way home while Eleanor attempts to subtly over-the-shoulder read along with him. She is obsessed with music and when the time presents itself they bond over their newfound love for each others’ interests.

Throughout the novel, the main hurdle that the characters are trying to overcome

is society. It seems like during the book the only thing keeping them apart is everyone else. This leaves a hard barrier between what is capable in their relationship and what continuously seems impossible.

In my opinion, this book is a great read and the character backgrounds can be compared to “Romeo and Juliet” because of how polar opposite each family is. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a hopeful, touchy, and inspiring book.

DreamWorks bought the film rights to the book in April. Hopefully this will spawn a great movie adaptation of the novel.

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BACKPAGE

By Alex Ralston