The Epic - Issue 1

the epic.

Photo by Nina Williams

Students get muddy for YoungLife’s annual Muckfest. pg. 28

8800 W. 85th St. Overland Park, KS September 18, 2014 Vol. 53- Issue 1

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Vol. 54, No. 1, 2015

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Students experience a new culture in the Middle East

The district’s new security system is raising barsand eyebrows

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New teachers fill the faces of West

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Cafe 29 opens its doors to the West community

the staff.

Editors-in-chief Brock Burnett Max Meyer

assistant editor

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Transgender students speak out

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Above: The student section cheers on Boys’ Soccer during their first game.

Photo by Maddy Shackelford

writers

Colette Balas Isabelle Frankel Caroline Fullerton Lexi Hart Christian Hooper Sami Jansen Spence Lassalle Adam Rellihan Eric Sedlacek Brevin Turner Nick Vance Caleb Walker Jared Walker

Merani Rivarola Nina Williams Rian Stallbaumer

managing editor Drake Mattis

news editor Sylvia Bryan

feature editor Kathleen Gartner

sports editor Drake Mattis

photographers

Grace Armenta Annissa Clark Kelsea Lilla Maddy Shackelford Kenna Swihart Jenna Wilson Kamryn Marshall

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Concussion risks are changing the game

a&e editor Logan Peterson

Kristin Wells

photo editors

Over 35 languages are spoken at West through ELL

cartoonists Alex Ralston Jack Warner

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Pandora, Spotify, Soundcloud- which one’s the best?

adviser

Amy Morgan

Photos by (counter-clockwise): Jack Gartner, Grace Armenta. Kelsea Lilla, Annissa Clark, Tammy Hamatto, Jenna Wilson, Merani Riverola, Maddy Shackelford

“The Epic” is the newsmagazine of Shawnee Mission West, 8000 W. 85th St., Overland Park, KS 66215. It is produced by a staff of high school journalists dedicated to the principles of journalism: to present facts and occurences truthfully and without bias. Articles of opinion or analysis are labeled and do necessarily reflect the views of the staff and/or the publication. In accordance with Kansas law, “The Epic” staff is entitiled 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.

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Editorial board An opinion of the staff

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smwest. com Stay up-to-date with West’s online publication, The Voyager.

Editorial cartoon by Jack Warner As a new school year has begun, we have received our MacBooks once again, but not the same ones that we used, took care of and returned last year. This is not only illogical, but unfair as many students kept their laptops in good shape, and many others did not.

Many responsible students received laptops that were dented or not completely working, or power cords that were gross and grimy.

These are not the only issues regarding the MacBooks this year, there are plenty of other reasons for complaint. For example, we did not get our extension cords back, a resource that many students used to help charge their laptops, especially when a power outlet is out of reach the standard three foot cord.

The district also felt that it would be a good idea to buy all students cases for their laptops, which might have been a good idea in theory, but that proposition was likely very expensive, and we as students should care about this. Money

like that could be used elsewhere. Some laptop screens fall backward because they are too heavy from the cases, which are supposedly required to be on our devices at all times.

On another point, Shawnee Mission South received their same laptops from last school year, so was this an internal organization issue for West? In the future, summer management of the laptops should become a lot more coordinated and organized, something than can be improved upon annually.

I think that it can be agreed that the MacBooks have proven to be a success, but the checkout process for this year could have been smoother and definitely more organized. It seems like it was only a hiccup that can be resolved and ready for next year, when it is time for distribution once again.

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calendar sept

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The homecoming pep assembly starts at 7:40 in the main gym. Nominess for Homecoming Court will walk.

The 2015 Homecoming Parade begins at 1:30. It starts in the circle drive and continues all the way to the Santa Fe Gazebo.

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At 7 pm, the West Orchestra will showcase their talents in their fall concert.

The West Choir will take the stage at 7 pm in their first concert of the year.

The fall play, Almost, Maine, opens at 7pm under the direction of the new theater teacher, Eric Magnus.

Writer’s Walk takes place all day in the Antioch side courtyard.

Bring money for hot chocolate and snacks.

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The Homecoming Football game starts at 7 at South Stadium. Royalty will be crowned at halftime.

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The Homecoming Dance begins at 8 pm in the West gym. Buy your tickets beforehand and bring your ID to the dance.

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Learning from Mistakes New drug and alcohol policy lets athletes turn mistakes into learning moments.

By Isabelle Frankel and Eric Sedlacek Shawnee Mission athletics have, in the past, upheld a strict and uncompromising drug and alcohol policy. This year, the school board and superintendent changed the policy with hopes to give athletes more opportunities to learn from their mistakes.

Under the previous contract, there were two different punishments depending on how many offences the student had committed. After an athlete was caught with drugs or alcohol for the first time, the student, their coach of the sport, a parent, and an administrator would all have a meeting. The athlete would then be suspended from participating in sports for the remainder of the season.

If the athlete was caught outside of their sport’s season, they would not be allowed to participate in any extracurricular activities and they would have to complete 20 hours of community service before they’d be able to join a sport again. After an athlete was caught with drugs or alcohol for a second time they would be prohibited from participating in sports for the next full calendar Photo by Merani Rivarola year.

Don Perkins, athletic director, sometimes felt this policy was too harsh.

“In my four years as AD, there were some times that I thought the penalties were too severe, but I still had to remove them from the team whether I thought it was best for the student or not,” Perkins said.

An athlete, who chose to remain anonymous, got an MIP last year. Their sport was not in season at the time of their MIP, but they still had to do community service before starting the season.

“I had to do 20 hours of community service before. The state only requires 10 hours to have the crime off your record,” they said. “I don’t believe the punishment fit the crime.”

It was for this reason the district decided to change the policy.

“Drugs, tobacco and alcohol are not good for you. We want to discourage that use,” Perkins said. “We realize that there are some offences that don’t warrant being removed from the team. It’s not best for the student. If we’ve got a student that’s drinking and we remove them from the team, we’re just giving them more time to drink!”

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The new policy uses different methods to achieve the same goal. After an athlete’s first violation of the policy, they have a meeting with Perkins, Steve Loe, principal, their coach, and a parent. They all decide what the next best step is to discipline the student. Enrollment in a drug and alcohol abuse course is mandatory. Aside from that, the punishment depends on the crime.

“It [the new policy] allows the person to stay on the team as long as they follow disciplinary action.” Perkins said. He knows that students are less likely to get in trouble if they’re participating in a sport.

“There are different levels of violation when it comes to drugs, tobacco and alcohol. Whether it’s selling or possession, those are all different levels of violation, and so therefore the district feels that we need to be able to have different levels of discipline,” Perkins said. He emphasizes the importance of making the first offence a “teachable moment” for the athlete.

If the student doesn’t learn, there would be more discipline. “The second offence you are removed from the team until you complete the course, so you have to enroll and complete,” Perkins explained.

If a student is caught in violation of the policy for a third time,t he student will be removed from all school activities for a whole calendar year.

“We’ve already gone through a couple teachable moments so obviously this person is not quite getting the message,” Perkins said, explaining why the student wouldn’t be given any more chances. “We have to keep in mind the reputation of West” he said.

The big difference between the old and new policy is the flexibility. “If someone was selling drugs after practice or something like that, that may result with removal from the team anyway. They want us in that first offence to work with that individual but there are still offences severe enough that you would be removed from the team,” Perkins said. He explains that different types of offences could warrant different punishments.

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Q&A With Mr. Loe Mr. Loe gives the low down on new security measures.

By Brevin Turner and Jared Walker JW: Why were the new security measures added? Is there a general concern?

JW: Did the attempted summer school shooting have anything to do with it?

SL: Yes, there was the superintendent in his first year here.

Went on an 87 day tour all over the area and got feedback.

The top concern results came back and security was top three I think. The parents and the community all voted and contributed to the data.

SL: No, this was all before. Sandy Hook probably played a part in it, just the society we live in; you know Virginia Tech and a combination of all those historical events.

JW: Do you think there will be a problem with the senior open lunch?

JW: How will the new door security work?

SL: Well, usually they could leave and come back through the ROTC doors, but now you can only leave through those doors and you have to come back in through the front doors. That might add about four to five minutes total to their walk.

SL: We don’t have all the details but I’ll give you the quick version. At 7:40 all eight doors will be alarmed, if you prop open the door the alarm will go off. I don’t think the exit is the issue, it’s the re-entry and the propping open of the doors.

JW: Are there any other security improvements?

SL: The camera system, that’s going to be slow going but they’re going to add cameras throughout the building to improve our video system. In the hallways, and even more outside by the parking lots.

JW: There has been a rumor that the new security precautions are more to keep us in than to keep others out is that true?

SL: I can see why they’re thinking that but no, 7:40 to 2:40 they’re trying to keep certain people out.

JW: Any other problems besides senior lunch?

JW: If you were to give the students a general statement about how you felt about the new security system what would it be?

SL: I think it’s a good step to keeping students safe. Is it 100 percent guaranteed? No, we can never have 100 percent guaranteed safety, but it’s a step in the right direction.

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SL: How about just first hour tardies, and second hour tardies? I see 40-50 people cruising through the ROTC door after 7:40. They may be only a minute or two late, but that will be locked. Students will have to walk all the way around to get in and have to stand in line to get buzzed in.

You have to be buzzed in by Officer Garlington anytime between 7:40-2:40.

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new

News

Faces in the

hall

The freshman class isn’t the only set of newcomers to the building.

By Lexi Hart

It’s a year of change for students and staff as many new teachers, not to mention two new administrators, join the staff.

Grant Dreiling is from Gardner, Kansas. He got his degree in secondary math education from Emporia State University. He worked at Shawnee Mission North for nine years and earned his administration degree in 2010.

“I had heard some really good things about West, and some really good things about Mr. Loe, and I wanted to truly figure out if West is the best. So far it’s looking pretty good,” Dreiling said.

A warm and welcoming staff and students helped to introduce him to the Viking family.

Dreiling wants to help make West a great learning environment for students and to make a difference.

“My expectation is to come this first year and help make a difference.

Make a difference in students lives and work on making West the best, better than what it is, or what it was last year. If I’m helping one student, I feel like I’m doing my job. Help students succeed and make this the best place for student learning,” Dreiling said.

The other new guy in the office is Dave Tappan, from San Diego, California. He received his undergraduate degree from Baker University and his master’s at the University of Kansas.

At Louisburg High School, Tappan was an administrator for 13 years.

“What excited me about West was the reputation of the school, the reputation of the staff, and the student body sold me. The first day I saw the FMP pep rally and I saw the school spirit from the staff, students, and FMP advisors, just reassured me that this was a great opportunity,” Tappan said.

“It has been very exciting to work with our two new administrators— Mr. Tappan and Mr. Dreiling. They have brought great energy, positive attitudes, and fresh perspectives to West. Both have outstanding work ethics, great flexibility, and a passion for helping students succeed,” principal Steve Loe said.

“I’m really focused on student independence, self-advocacy, of not just giving up when you run into roadblocks, but reaching out to the teacher and asking questions, seeing what you can do and being proactive about that.”

-Amy Eiler, SPED

“I think the biggest thing that I bring, and I’ve done this throughout my career, is that in my area I teach theatre and acting, but I’ve actually been doing it outside of my profession. I’m not just teaching it, I’m out there doing it.”

-Eric Magnus, Theater

“I have loved the welcoming staff from the science department and beyond. West seems to be a place with a lot of happy individuals who love coming to work every day. The kids are great too. I love all of my classes and students.”

-Matt Baker, Science

“Working with people and building positive relationships is the greatest part for any teacher.

It is an ongoing process but becomes the most rewarding.

Students have so many great strengths, areas of interests, and come from different backgrounds.”

-Austin Klumpe, Business

PHOTOS BY GRACE ARMENTA

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“I like the diversity, I like the staff and I feel like I’ve been welcomed in a lot. I’m a Viking, I mean just look at me, I’ve got the beard to go with it.”

-Tyler Euthon, Science

“I think I’m pretty good about getting the kids to care about what we are talking about. I think I’m younger, so I’m more relatable in that way.”

-Kurt Webster, Social Studies

“The sense of family has been wonderful. Everyone is very welcoming, and the students are very very friendly and excited to be back at school.”

-Anglea Holtgraves, SPED

“It’s been a long time since I’ve been in a high school building, and just all the energy and activity from the students and administrators has really been something.”

-Bryan Johnson, Animation

“I’m not as concerned about a grade as I am concerned about actually learning it.

My goal is for them to finally get that “aha” moment, of I finally understand it.”

-Kevin Mosher, Math

“A lot of my lessons the kids are often up and engaged with each other. There is a lot of collaboration going on in the room and it might seem a little chaotic, but there is kind of a method to the madness.”

-Taylor Smith, Social Studies

“In English class I would say I want the kids to realize that they can express themselves through their writing. Math I feel like I’m still learning, so letting the kids know if we work together as a team, we’re going to figure it out.”

-DeAnn Shelby, English/Math

“In APUSH I would hope that if they take the exam that they pass. I would hope that all of my students pass my class, as well as learn the content and enjoy learning.”

-April Bullman, Social Studies “I like to have everybody up and moving around and doing things. I don’t particularly need to hear the sound of my own voice that often. I like to try new things.”

-Amanda Sherraden, Social Studies

“I want to get as many students involved in French, whether it’s French classes or French club. I want to help build the program, world languages are really important for all students.”

-Kathrine Bogart, French

“I think I bring a real love of education and for working with high school students. I think it is an awesome experience being able to watch students grow from their freshman year into young adults ready for big things as seniors.”

-Brandon Claypool, P.E.

“I want every student to feel welcome and to give them information and abilities that will benefit them for life.”

-Ryan Lonergan, P.E.

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What happens next?

An Opinion By Logan Peterson Once upon a time, in a not-so-distant world, the entire scope of television was being transformed by the revival of cable (AMC) and premium (HBO) networks.

Shows like “Mad Men” and “Breaking Bad” brought together iconic characters and intelligent writing to craft some of the most remarkable television the world had ever seen. And then, something horrible happened: these shows reached their end and these brilliant characters took their final breaths on the small screen.

Even worse than these shows being over, is knowing that nothing can ever really take its place at the top of the mountain. Will there ever be TV programs that

can leave audiences on their edge of seats week after week? My guess is, probably not. Network television does not have the resources and the creativity to sustain greatness, especially with people’s need to binge watch.

Although, the “Golden Age of Television” isn’t firmly dead quite yet, just simply on it’s last lap around the track.

With “Game of Thrones’ coming to an end, and “The Walking Dead” dipping in quality with each season, it’s only a matter of a few years before the world of network television loses completely. It’s hard to believe that audiences with continue to watch one episode a night and then wait another seven days before getting to watch the next.

This is precisely why Netflix has become the next big thing. Netflix is ushering in a whole new brand of television, with automatic hits like “House of Cards,” “Orange is the New Black,” “Bloodline,” and “Daredevil.” The landscape of watching shows has forever been changed by both Netflix and Hulu, but it doesn’t stop there.

Miniseries and even big budget films are being filtered through. Expected Oscar nominee in 2016, “Beasts of No Nation” is being released on Netflix October 16th.

Also, Brad Pitt is connected to star in an Afghanistan War satire called “War Machine.”

I for one am thrilled that the Netflix experience is being extended to even more forms of media and pop culture. Binge watching is a huge part of my life, and frankly, most other people’s lives as well.

Shows like “Breaking Bad” and “The Walking Dead” have been arguably just as successful on Netflix, as they were when they were being broadcasted on AMC each week.

It’s only a matter of time before major networks like CBS or ABC continue to merge with other companies, until one by one, there are none left. Everything will be streamed at once so that audiences will be able to satisfy their binging addictions. If I had to guess, I’d give it about 15-20 years.

From Lobbies to Luxuries

An Opinion By Kristin Wells

3:45 pm: It’s a Saturday afternoon and the Wells family is rushing to leave home. After a morning of cross country, ACT tutoring, yard work and phone calls, we left a little later than we planned. I had high expectations for this trip. I’m going to experience Chicago (more than my nine-year-old self did the last time I was in Chicago) and visit three colleges.

My mind couldn’t stop focusing on the adventure I knew was awaiting me in the

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city. I was not to be disappointed.

8:15 pm: The first and only stop of the journey was at a Panera and then to fill up on gas. What was supposed to be a quick 15 minute stop turned into a 45 minute talk with this energetic 71-year-old. We began talking about running when she mentioned that I looked like a runner. We went from running to schools to physical therapy to medicine to nutrition to anything in between. Oddly enough, she reminded me very much of my grandma.

We hadn’t even made it to Chicago yet and already this trip shows promise.

12:15 am: We drove in and waited at the front desk to be checked into our downtown Chicago hotel. Our bodies slumped in tiredness and eyes battled to stay open. Then suddenly I latch onto what is being said, they’ve overbooked the hotel and sold our reservation. Wait,

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what? You can only imagine the frustration.

1:00 am: Things are beginning to get a little stressful. This is not the adventure I had in mind. I’m not at all anxious, of course not, why would I be? The only good side to being stuck in a hotel lobby is that they’re giving us free food.

1:30 am: While the manager was very apologetic, she was not a fairy godmother able to create rooms out of pumpkins. The closest hotel room they found was an hour and a half away. More frustration sets in.

2:00 am: The family is beginning to get a little crazed. The sound of laughter bounces off the walls. We began to make friends with the front desk people as time goes by. I was oddly not tired, I think I hit a second wind. Ah ha, this IS an adventure, let’s test the limits of how late we can stay up.

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2:15 am: I have found a new favorite pastime for the early morning hours: people watching. There must have been a wedding that night and then an entire contingent of Texas fans walks by defeatedly. I also gather that our hotel must sit right above a club, maybe it’s even connected.

3:00 am: Not wanting to sleep in the lobby, we asked for a conference room, which was secretly provided. After getting settled on the floor there, we catch wind that someone is checking out. Do we glimpse a light at the end of the tunnel?

Could this adventure have a happy ending?

3:15 am: Confirmed: a couple is checking out of a room because the beds aren’t comfortable enough. We quickly jump at the opportunity to even have a bed. My mind races at the thought of having a bed.

It’s so early in the morning that anything is exciting.

3:30 am: We settle into a long-awaited room, quickly reminiscing over our night, but eager to sleep. I can’t help but examine my thoughts before I hit the pillow. Is it really an adventure if you don’t face

roadblocks and challenges? We went from living in the lobby to the luxury of a room.

I will never again overlook the luxury of a room and bed. The city awaits for many more adventures, but for now I am content with the adventure of the missing hotel room. Adventure really can come in any form and when we find it in the little things, it makes life worth living. Our eyes are relieved as we finally give in to sleep, dreams of the next adventure dancing in our heads.

I hate Internet fads.

An Opinion By Nick Vance The internet is such a pleasant place, isn’t it? An abundance of information just waiting to be clicked on. What is the difference between oak wood and cherry wood?

Should I buy an iPhone or Android? How are the stocks doing today? You would think with the internet, the world would be a more knowledgeable place where everyone can live in peace.

Everyone should be required to take an internet safety class before they can access the World Wide Web. The web is an abused little animal that needs saving.

Some people have got it. They use the internet for good. But some people just want to watch the world burn. As I stare at

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my phone I shake my head about 10 times every time I look at twitter. I smh at so many vines and videos my neck gets tired.

Now I know what you’re going to ask me.

Nick, what’s wrong? What’s annoying you so much?

I hate internet fads. I hate hitting the quan, #nowimmad videos, whipping, hitting the nae nae, videos of cats, Harlem shakes, #dontjudge challenges, super long paragraphs people retweet with the hashtag relationship goals, and most recently #kanye202w0. Don’t get me wrong, some of these are funny at first. But when moms start hitting the quan I lose it. I wish I could declare internet bankruptcy. If one person hits the quan, then that means everyone else does too.

Shawnee Mission West, I have one thing I want to say to you: please think before you post. Is it necessary to post your ridiculous dance moves all over Twitter for everyone to see for the rest of eternity? Is it kind to the general public that you post a video of not judging yourself while the the Weeknd’s “Can’t Feel My Face” is playing

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in the background? Is it important to let everyone know how mad you are about something that only pertains to you? Yeah, thought so.

Creating an internet fad comes with great responsibility. At first it’s all fun and games, but it turns sour real quick. You’ll wake up one morning and check Twitter only to find someone’s grandma defaming your precious fad you created. It’ll make you sad.

I just want to be perfectly clear: fads are a part of life and they cannot be stopped no matter what. Internet fads are a whole different ball game. They spread faster than you can say “I’m sorry for what I’ve done.

I’ve created an internet fad.” Mullets and crocs are a fad that is a necessary evil in society. Put it on the internet and it’s dead weight. It numbs the mind. Once people figure this out, the world will be better off.

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Republican Ramshackle

An Opinion By Drake Mattis Back in April, the 2016 presidential campaign had just kicked off with Senator Ted Cruz’s announcement to run for office.

Since then, a lot has happened; there has already been one Republican debate, and 19 other candidates have announced that they’ll be running (14 Republicans, five Democrats.)

Polls are released almost weekly, and so far, they seem seem a bit surprising.

On the Republican side, billionaire real estate mogul and celebrity Donald Trump has been leading the way, and it seems as though he continues to lead his biggest challenger, Jeb Bush. Since the beginning, I have predicted that Bush would be the frontrunner, and he may take over that spot if Trump decides to make a third party run, which I will get to later.

If Trump decides to make that run, the Republicans would virtually be doomed, and it would be Hillary Clinton’s race to

win. Speaking of Clinton, she has been leading the way for not only the Democratic nomination, but for the Presidential race overall as well. However, it hasn’t been a breeze for her so far. Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, who calls himself a Socialist, has recently gained a lot of ground on Clinton. Sanders gets buch of his support from young voters who are fed up with Wall Street being run by a bunch of corporate bigwigs, one of Sanders’ biggest points of emphasis for his campaign.

Another one of Clinton’s possible challengers is Vice President Joe Biden, who has not announced his candidacy, and he may never announce his candidacy. Biden has recently said that he and his family are looking for the “emotional fuel” to put together and fund a run for the White House. Biden says this because it has only been a few months since his son Beau Biden lost his battle with brain cancer.

Biden has run for President before, though rather unsuccessfully. This time if he does decide to start a late run for the presidency, he would have a lot of ground to cover.

And it could end up being worth it, as a lot of hypothetical polls have Biden coming in just behind Clinton.

A current trend in the polls has shown that former neurosurgeon Ben Carson has been gaining the most support the quick-

est, and he is currently in third.

Now that all the facts have been laid out, here come my opinions. My personal admiration of Rand Paul has dwindled, especially after a poor performance at the first Republican debate when he was barraged by Chris Christie. I am also very confused on Donald Trump for a variety of reasons; his attack on Fox News correspondent Megyn Kelly and his critical comments on John McCain and POWs were both uncalled for and unjust. He has toyed with running a third party campaign, which would be a disaster not just for himself, but for the Republican party as a whole.

My new favorite candidate, who is extremely unpopular as he sits dead last in the polls, is the only pro-choice candidate on the Republican side: former New York Governor George Pataki. He is considered one of the most “liberal conservatives” for his views on abortion and his support of gay rights.

Overall, I have been disappointed in the Republicans for not being able to come up with anybody who stands out or has gotten people really excited. I mean come on, Donald Trump, the crazy haired host of the reality business show “The Apprentice” is leading, and if that doesn’t tell you something, you shouldn’t be allowed to vote.

Photo courtesy of (CC) Diego Cambiaso

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Feature

takin’ it easy Select seniors are only attending half the school day

By Caroline Fullerton and Christian Hooper

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enior year is considered the easiest year of high school by many. With maybe only three credits left, many seniors peddle through their last year at West, taking mostly electives and maybe having three or four core classes (such as math, English, government, and science). A few seniors take a different route, choosing to only take half a day of curriculum through West. They choose to leave the building after fourth block, so they’re only required to take four classes. Then they get to leave the building and continue their daily curriculum elsewhere through JCCC classes. This goes into a student’s schedule as “Quickstep”.

With this different approach to their senior year, these students are ineligible to play any sports because they do not meet the five class requirement. These students usually have four classes at school, but that does not mean they are easy. Most are taking all AP classes, while balancing college courses, some even in the field they intend to major in when they get to college.

Lexi Morse, Aubrey Mason and Savannah Doty all found out about the program in different ways. Morse found out about the program from her best friend who intended on taking the program herself, then she started to browse through the course catalog to see what courses were offered through it. Mason asked her counselor what it takes to have a half day schedule, and Doty found out through her brother.

Morse was interested in the prospect of only being in school for half a day, and began talks with her counselor about it. Morse is taking four AP classes and leaves after fourth block. Her high school transcript won’t be lacking and will still meet freshman entrance criteria for her desired college. Along with those four AP classes, she is taking a certified nurse aide class and plans on majoring in nursing and getting her CNA license. She hopes the clinical experience she gets before she even steps foot into college will put her a step ahead of everyone else.

Mason is planning on attending JCCC next year and then transferring to a four year school. Her dreams of being a teacher will be reached sooner than she expects because of this decision, and it will put her “a mile ahead of her other classmates.”

College courses are expensive, but JCCC offers free courses for high school students like Early Childhood EDU. All that is required is the purchase of the textbooks. Although these classes are hard, Mason and Morse agree this program puts them a step ahead.

Top to bottom: Lexi Morse, Aubrey Mason, and Savannah Doty are part time students at JCCC Photos by Kenna Swihart and Mikaela K-P

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News

cafe of dreams Customers place write on Jenga pieces and stick them on a board in the cafe. Photo by Kelsea Lilla.

Cafe 29 is a visible way to remember Andre Maloney.

By Colette Balas and Sami Jansen

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ootball player, Andre Maloney, collapsed on the sideline of the field after scoring a touchdown two years ago.

He passed away shortly after, but his memory still lives on through his family, friends and teammates.

Tim Callaghan, Andre’s coach of four years remembers Andre for many things but especially “His work ethic, smile he had on his face when he did work, and his sense of humor”.

“He inspired me to always play 100% and to never let a day go by without either getting better myself or helping a teammate get better. He also had a very high drive to win, which was one thing that stood out to me, and also he found a way to have fun with the game while still working hard,” Josh Compton, senior football player, said.

One of the many ways he is remembered in our community is by Cafe 29. Maloney’s mother, Rosaelida Montoya Cardenas, opened the cafe to honor her son. The Cafe tries to commemorate many aspects of Maloney’s life including his time at West, the Sunflower league, and his acceptance to KU. When a customer arrives, they look up and see 63 yards of a football field painted on the ceiling leading from the entrance to the register. The goal of this painting is to give the customer the feeling of scoring

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a touchdown when they make it to the register.

“When you enter the cafe, you start running the 63 yards, the last 63 yards that Andre ran before he made the last touchdown,” Cardenas said.

The cafe offers breakfast and lunch items, along with several bakery options, many of which are gluten free.

“All of the items on the menu are related to items that Andre used to like. It’s related to any moment that I had with my son,” Cardenas said.

According to Cardenas, Maloney used to eat many sandwiches since they were easy to eat in the car. Because he played many sports he was in the car often.

To the left of the register is a large mural depicting one of Maloney’s football plays.

“The mural is a way to say thank you to the community. This is a very strong community and always very supportive. All of the faces are real people who cheer for the boys. The football players in the mural are players from other schools in the Sunflower League,” Cardenas said.

To the right of the register are mementos of Maloney’s life. These mementos include his football helmet, West jersey, future KU jersey, collages made by fellow community members, and his last English paper.

Maloney’s jerseys were a very important

Dollars it takes to place a Jenga piece on the MiB board

part of his life. West and KU both planned on retiring Maloney’s jersey number, 29.

“One of the boys from Lawrence Free State who used to play against Andre asked me to continue wearing the number 29 at KU,”Cardenas said.

Since the boy talked to Cardenas, she gave permission to KU so the jersey could continue being worn.

One of the unique aspects of the restaurant is the ‘Make It Big’ board. Make It Big was something Maloney used to write down and strive for. He planned on becoming a professional football player, therefore, making it big. The board is covered in personalized Jenga blocks.

“We ask the customers to write a positive message on a Jenga piece and tape it to the Make It Big board,” Cardenas said.

Each Jenga piece is a dollar and at the end of the month, the money is donated to a different charity.

“Sometimes there are little kids that are unhappy when they come in, but when they write something on a Jenga piece, they are happy again,” Cardenas said.

In the back of the restaurant, there are several painted silhouettes of athletes.

“We try to represent all of the sports and all of the athletes here.Cardenas said.

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Number of boys in mural, representing teams in Sunflower League issue 1

The idea of opening a cafe came from Maloney himself. ”He wanted to open up a restaurant for her or a bakery if nothing else” Callaghan said.

Cardenes’ original dream was to open a bakery. Unfortunately she wasn’t able to do so. Cardenes found out that she was diagnosed with Celiacs disease and unable to work with flour. After she found out, according to Cardenas, she fell into a sort of depression.

“Andre noticed that I wasn’t happy so he started saying that he would open a cafe for me when he played professional football,” Cardenas said.

Although she didn’t exactly know where the idea came from, she guesses from a show they used to watch.

“I think he got the idea from a show we would see called ‘Como Dice El Dicho’ where everything happened in a cafe,” Cardenas said.

After Maloney’s passing, her family and close friends encouraged her to follow Maloney’s dream of opening a cafe.

Due to financial issues, Cardenes had a hard time opening the cafe.

“I didn’t have the money at all to start the cafe, but the community helped me,”Cardenes said.

“I liked that she was happy; I hadn’t seen her happy since Andre passed away,”Callaghan said.

She is very thankful to the community for all of their support. She hopes to stay open for a long time and the football team hopes to keep the dream alive by making the cafe their pregame meeting place.

“What makes Cafe 29 so special is that it is a community thing, bringing together many people from the West community to remember Andre and his impact on everyone, along with having great food and a wonderful experience,” Compton said.

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Yards representing Maloney’s last TD, visible on the ceiling

September 17

(Above) The mural depicts Andre in the state championship game against Hutchinson in 2012.

(Right) Andre’s framed jersey hangs on the walls of Cafe 29 next to his future KU jersey.

(Below) Mementos of Andre’s life sit on the counter in front of the menu.

PHOTOS BY KELSEA LILLA.

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The street on which Cafe 29 makes its home

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Taipei& Tractors Though she’s lived in Kansas for decades, Meishein Wang’s house reflects her Taiwanese roots. It’s decorated with wall hangings, sculptures and other forms of artistry revealing her connections to her old world.

Wang lives in Lenexa with her daughter, senior Meilene Robinette.

She emigrated from Taiwan to the United States as a young adult, and was the first Asian exchange nursing student at Pittsburg State University.

Wang started her life in a town outside of Taipei, Taiwan’s capital city.

“My father was a fairly prominent member of the community and he was one very educated guy. So I grew up with everyone knowing who my father was,” Wang said.

Wang’s parents came of age during World War II, when Taiwan was occupied by Japan.

“The Japanese took all of the guys into service regardless [of whether] you wanted it or not, they would put them in airplanes, tied them up and made them into suicide bombers. So it was a sad story,” Wang said.

Young women, such as Wang’s mother, faced a different risk. At the time, the Japanese army would search for young Taiwanese women, many of whom were forced into sex slavery. Protection was not widely available, which resulted in many of these women developing sexually transmitted infections. If one of these women was found to have an STI, she would be executed.

However, Wang’s mother was able to avoid this. The Japanese only took virgins, who were highly valued

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at the time, into the slavery trade.

Because of this, married women were safer. Married men were also less likely to be forced into the military.

Although Wang’s parents didn’t know each other at the time, family friends brought them together and they soon married.

Later, Wang’s parents would raise seven children together. Wang was the youngest.

After going through school in Taiwan, Wang decided she wanted to continue her education. Her father encouraged her to go into business, which is what he did.

At 15 years old, Wang decided she wanted to pursue a career in nursing.

“I could be a nurse. I’m passionate enough at what I’m doing; I have great knowledge in medicines. I believed I could be an excellent nurse,” Wang said.

Wang continued her education in Taiwan and earned the highest nursing license there was at the time.

While working in the coronary care unit, Wang witnessed the death of one of her schoolmate’s sisters.

The woman was involved in a motorcycle accident and died after undergoing a risky operation. The experience inspired Wang to go to the United States to further her knowledge of medicine.

Eventually, she convinced her father to let her come to the United States to further continue her education. Later, she would meet Robinette’s father.

Robinette’s father is a Kansas native. Bob Robinette grew up on a

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How two cultures have shaped one student’s life.

By Sylvia Bryan

farm in Ottawa, a town of about 12 thousand. He attended a small grade school with multi-age classrooms.

“The teacher taught three or four grades, one row was first grade, another row was second, and another was third,” Bob Robinette said.

Bob wants Meilene to live her own life.

“I can’t live her life. she has to live her own life. I screwed my own up, I don’t want to screw up anyone else’s,” Bob said.

Being raised within two very different cultures has had various effects on Meilene Robinette’s life.

“Growing up I always had two different kinds of food, that was a really big one. And just from that I was always aware of different cultures, and I was able to grow from that,” Robinette said.

Robinette also wasn’t raised within a single religion, instead growing up with a combination of Buddhist and Christian traditions.

“My dad, he’s from a farm, and we always went to church, and my mom is from an Asian country, and they’re Buddhist,” Robinette said.

“We’ve gone to Buddhist temples, that’s kind of their tradition to go on the holidays and we do that. We kind of started some of our own too. We do go to my uncle’s for Christmas and Thanksgiving. At school, a lot of kids are really really mean, so my mom made sure I had Christmas,” Robinette said.

“I had two worlds put together,” Robinette said.

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Building A

The district is making some radical changes for the 2015-16 school year.

By Caroline Fullerton and Christian Hooper.

Briarwood Elementary now takes the place of the Broadmoor Technical Center. Photo by Kamryn Marshall.

Shawnee Mission School district started construction on all of the schools, if it was the new safety feature, or other cosmetic changes. All schools got a makeover.

The district is beginning construction on Trailwood Elementary, the Center for Academic Achievement, Crestview Elementary and Briarwood Elementary. Due to the construction at Briarwood, all of the students and staff have been moved to Broadmoor for the school year.

The programs that previously called Broadmoor home have a new home at Shawnee Mission West. These programs include 2D animation, 3D animation and game design. The culinary program remains at Broadmoor. Though there were some minor problems with finding classroom space for these programs, Principal Steve Loe says that he “loves it and wants it to become a West program,” and welcomes all students to West. Fourteen students from West are involved in these programs.

Briarwood Elementary school is being completely rebuilt.

“The construction crew has literally knocked down and built new walls as they update the building to accommodate our needs,” according to the “Briarwood at Broadmoor Construction Update”.

Regarding other construction, every single school in the district is undergoing construction on its main doors. This new “secure

September 17

entrance” includes brand new doors that are software locked from the outside.

At West, if a student isn’t here by approximately 7:45 in the morning, (before Athletic Director Don Perkins makes his rounds to lock all eight entrances), they can expect to wait in the main foyer or even outside in a line waiting to be buzzed in by the S.R.O. officer in the small office to the left of the main doors. If a student is worried about running late and counting on a friend to prop the door open or let them in, every time a door is opened from the inside an alarm goes off in the security office where an officer can see them clearly from one of the nine monitors on the wall. Loe’s advice on the subject is “better get here by 7:30”.

There have been problems installing the new secure doors, considering they were supposed to be finished a week before school started in August.

“There was an issue with getting the glass installed properly, and the small desk in the security office was painted bright orange instead of gold,” said Loe. If a non-student wishes to get in the building, this person’s driver’s license is swiped by the S.R.O., and this person’s identity is ran through a database. If there is anything suspicious recovered on the database, that individual then has to be questioned by Loe.

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T R A N S A M E R I C A

Two transgender students share their experiences with Family, friends and society.

By sylvia Bryan and Logan Peterson.

Photo by Merani Rivarola.

F

or decades, the LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender) community has been vying for not only social acceptance, but a world where men and women of all sexual orientations and gender identities will not be scrutinized.

Originally the initialism was just LGB, but the “T” was adopted in the mid 1990’s. It stands for transgender, which means someone who identifies as a gender other than the one they were assigned at birth.

Although the two are grouped together, gender identity and sexual orientation are very different things and are independent of one another. Sexual orientation is who a person is attracted to, but gender identity is what they classify themselves as.

Over the past couple of decades, different sexual orientations have become more widely known and socially accepted. But alternative gender identities are still relatively new to the public eye, and social acceptance is in the early stages.

A transwoman is someone who has transition from male to female, whereas a transman has transitioned from female to male.

West has over 1,800 students, so it’s not surprising that a few are transgender. Claire Nation, sophomore, and Oliver Cochener, junior, are two examples. Nation was born male and identifies as female, while Cochener was born female and identifies as male.

Cochener feels social acceptance has been a noticeable challenge.

“Socially, that’s been an uphill battle from the moment I came out. Because there’s some people who just don’t catch on, and it’s hard to make sure you tell everybody,” Cochener said.

For Nation, it has been an internal struggle for her whole life. Not only was she trying to prove to everyone else that she was a boy, but she was trying to convince herself.

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“I would tell myself, ‘I’m supposed to be a boy,’” Nation said.

But she didn’t always believe herself, and she didn’t enjoy typical boy activities.

“I never really liked anything you associate with being a boy. I don’t like sports, I’ve never really been that into cars,” Nation said.

“I just never fit, but I never let myself believe that,” Nation said.

Nation felt that if she convinced everyone else, eventually she could convince herself, too.

“I just wanted to look like a boy, so I could go out and say ‘ Hey, world I am a boy.’ I just wanted everyone to think I was a boy, because I thought once they did then so could I,” Nation said.

In Cochener’s case, he didn’t always know he was trans, although he did feel different from his peers. After learning about the concept of transgenderism, he quickly realized what exactly it was that made him different.

“I started looking into it and I was like, ‘Maybe,’ and within a year or two I was like, ‘Yeah, I think so.’ And then I started going into therapy and seeing a doctor,” Cochener said.

The process of transitioning has changed how he has to live his everyday life, and it hasn’t been easy.

“You pretty much wake up, you get dressed, you get ready. You have to put on a binder, which I do occasionally. You have to make sure your clothes are loose enough, you’ve got to do all that, get that all correct. And you have to deal with the uphill battle of social issues. You deal with that every single day,” Cochener said.

Although there are age restrictions on more invasive procedures, using hormone therapy is common for trans teenagers like Cochener and Nation. Both have started the process of hormone treatment. Cochener has an estrogen blocker in his arm, while Nation has started injections of the drug Lupron, which effectively ends all male puberty by blocking testosterone. She has yet to undergo female hormone treatments, but it’s not out of the question.

“The biggest nightmare for trans people is puberty. As soon as you hit puberty, it’s literally hell,” Nation said.

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Negative feelings about puberty aren’t uncommon, but trans teens have more reasons for concern than usual. After going through puberty as their birth sex, certain features such as height and bone shape will become permanent. This will impact any treatments or physical transitions they may undergo in the future. Because of this, a person who realizes they’re trans early in life may decide to take puberty blockers. Those who realize during or post puberty might undergo hormone replacement therapy, and some choose to have gender reassignment surgery when they are old enough. Others opt out of physical transitions entirely, so there’s no universal path.

A few weeks after her 15th birthday, Nation told her mother, Tamara Nation, that she was transgender.

Notable Transgender

Celebrities Caitlyn Jenner

Retired Olympic Athlete

Photo Courtesy (CC) of Alberto Frank.

“I just never fit, but I never let myself believe that,” Claire Nation

Laverne Cox

Television Actress

“The first thing she said was, ‘Am I supposed to be surprised?’” Nation said.

“It wasn’t a complete surprise, but more of shock and denial,” Tamara Nation said.

After Nation came out to her mother she was able to begin hormone therapy. Her mother has tried to maintain a supportive relationship with her daughter.

“I think our relationship has strengthened. We’ve always been close, but I understand a bit more about her struggles. I ask, ‘Are you okay?’ a lot. It really annoys Claire,” Tamara Nation said.

Some parents aren’t as supportive of their transgender children, and abuse is not unheard of.

“I have a friend who, when she came out to her parents, her dad grabbed her and threw her across the room,” Nation said.

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Photo Courtesy (CC) of Dominick D.

Chaz Bono Writer & Actor

Photo Courtesy (CC) of Greg Hernandez.

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“As administrators, we just want all of our students to feel comfortable and welcome. Little issues, we address them and take them seriously,” Dreiling said.

Cochener feels that overall West has been accommodating.

“The teachers have been pretty good, except I have some of the same teachers from last year and it’s been a little bit harder for them. Overall it’s worked pretty good,” Cochener said.

”

Although acceptance from friends and family are important issues, legal recognition is another common hurdle for the trans population. The idea of alternate gender identities isn’t new, but legal recognition of them is. Laws concerning gender identity are still sparse in most states, and Kansas isn’t an exception.

The cities of Lawrence, Topeka and Roeland Park prohibit employer discrimination on the basis of gender identity or sexual orientation, but the state of Kansas itself does not. An executive order by former Gov. Kathleen Sebelius disallowed public employers from discriminating on the basis of gender identity. However, Gov. Sam Brownback rescinded the order in February 2015. Currently, the state also does not have non-discrimination laws covering LGBT students. This leaves transgender people vulnerable to discrimination. However, West has taken a few steps to accommodate transgender students.

“I know that the nurse’s restrooms, they were male and female and we changed both the bathrooms there to unisex so anyone could use them. And our counselors met with the transgender students and let them know about that,” associate principal Grant Dreiling said.

Another accommodation made by West has to do with Skyward, the district’s student management database.

“Working with Skyward, Skyward states their birth name and if a transgender student wants a name change the district and West has really worked with them to get it done,” Dreiling said.

As administrators, we just want all of our students to feel comfortable and welcome Grant Dreiling

”

Let’s Talk Statistics

0.3% 71% 54%

Of the United States adult Population identifies as Transgendered.

That’s about 700,000 citizens.

Of people with a Trans Identity hide their gender or gender transition in order to avoid discrimination.

Of people with a Trans Identity delayed their gender transition in order to avoid discrimination.

Statistics found on http://fivethirtyeight.com/features/why-we-dont-know-the-size-of-the-transgender-population/

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Follow us on Twitter and Instagram! @smwjournalism

www.smwest.com Your source for school news

September 17

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a whole new world A Q&A with students who traveled abroad to the Middle East.

By Lexi Hart and Caleb Walker Caleb Walker: If you had to say one thing about your trip to define it, what would it be?

Tammy Hamatto: The best experience of my life.

CW: Why is that?

TH: Because I got to experience, basically living in a new country with a new culture surrounding me. And it was just really influential and beneficial and I learned a lot.

CW: Where exactly did you go?

TH: Um well I went to UAE, the United Arab Emirates, and I stayed in Charza, which is where my family lives and we were also in Dubai everyday. I also have family that lives in Abu Dhabi so we also went there.

CW: So how much family do you actually have there?

TH: So it’s a lot. Every person we would meet, they were somehow related to me. I would meet someone and oh they’re my fourth cousin.

CW: What would you say was the most fun thing you did there?

TH: Well, in Dubai, the most fun we had was when we went out and seeing the different places cause they were a lot different, and the people; the people were my favorite thing. In Jordan, the most fun thing was by far going to the Dead Sea with my uncles. We stayed at a really nice resort there.

CW: So what is your opinion of traveling abroad, especially as a student, would you suggest it to someone else?

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TH: Oh yeah, especially Dubai because it is very modernized and it is also has English everywhere. It is very different than Jordan because Jordan is much more traditional. Everything in Dubai is either the biggest or the tallest in the world. They make sure if they are going to do it, they’re going to do it right.

I think traveling abroad or even to a different area of the country is extremely important and I don’t think Americans really do it enough.

CW: If you had to sum up your trip with one statement, what would you say?

TH: I loved it so much and I definitely plan on going back. Before going there, I never considered studying abroad or anything like that. Now, I am determined to study abroad.

Lexi Hart: Where did you travel?

John Ochsner: Jordan, which is right between Israel and Iraq.

LH: Who did you go with?

JO: Mostly kids from South since the Arabic Program at West was pretty small last year, Miss Hasan, the district Arabic Teacher sponsored the whole thing and went with us.

and went with the program to study abroad?

JO: It wasn’t so much to study abroad as it was a vacation to focus on the language, it was only for two weeks.

LH: What did you do there?

JO: We visited tons of ruins, which is definitely cool to see something that predates America by 2000 years. The ruins at Jerash were huge but the real highlight was Petra, which is for sure the most amazing place I’ve seen in my life. We also did things like eating in nice restaurants, shopping, we swam in the Dead Sea and went snorkeling in the Red Sea. LH: What is the Petra?

JO: It’s a really ancient city carved out of the walls of a canyon, there’s tons of incredible buildings. It’s hard to put into words how incredible it is without actually being there because it’s almost more of a feeling that you get, like being in a creepy house but instead of being scared you’re in awe.

LH: What is your opinion on traveling abroad?

JO: I think traveling abroad or even to a different area of the country is extremely important and I don’t think Americans really do it enough. It’s an extremely good way to see other cultures and really understand the world through a different perspective.

LH: So the reason you traveled there was because you are studying Arabic

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John ochsner

tammy hamatto

KC to Jordan 6,674 miles

September 17

KC to UAE 7,654 miles

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News

Merging cultures ELL is more than a program, it’s a survival skill.

By Kathleen Gartner and Kristin Wells

S

chool could prove a bit more challenging if it was all in a different language. Welcome to the daily life of an ELL

student.

ELL Teacher Sarah Louis is a passionate teacher with a difficult yet rewarding job. Louis works with students that come to America and speak little to no English in the ELL program.

“I teach the English language to students that have come here from other countries. There’s a wide variety of students. I’m teaching English like you would take a foreign language,” Louis said.

The ELL program, or English Language Learner program, is comprised of many students in three levels: beginners, intermediates and advanced. Everyday, kids speaking almost 30 different languages come into Louis’ and her colleague Karen Crosby’s classrooms and then out into general education classes, putting their English into practice.

“This program is a necessity. It gets them immersed in the English culture and language and helps set them up for success in their academic classes that they have to take outside of the center,” Louis said.

While Louis is the teacher,

often times Louis feels that she learns from her students instead.

“Truly, this job, when I’m around these kids, it makes me feel so lucky to not have faced some of the challenges that they have faced. But it also makes me feel so blessed that I get to interact with them each day and get to teach them everyday a skill of English that they literally have to have to survive in this country,” Louis said.

Louis began her teaching career in Costa Rica, teaching English to elementary students. She returned to the United States and taught in Kansas City, Kansas where she began to get certified to teach in an ELL program. After teaching

Students from

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adults and students from Colombia during her summers, she realized that she wanted to teach ELL in high school.

“When I applied for West, that was the only position, ELL opening, in the whole district. Nobody quits these jobs because they’re so fun and you really get to help people,” Louis said.

The students in the program not only gain an understanding on English and the culture, they gain a caring community.

“It’s one big family, so everyone from level 1 to level 3, they know each other. They spend so much time together that they get tired of each other, they fight, they bicker, but it’s like a huge family. Everyone has each other’s backs which is really, really cool. I sometimes feel like a mom and not a teacher,” Louis said.

With so many students at West that are from international backgrounds, programs like the ELL are necessary.

“I think the ELL program is a program that if it didn’t exist, I don’t know exactly how these kids would survive,” Louis said.

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different languages spoken at West

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Playing dirty Students throw mud, flour and shaving cream in YoungLife’s annual Muckfest.

By Colette Balas, Kathleen Gartner and Caleb Walker Once a year, over 100 students gather to fling mud, shaving cream/whipped cream and flour at each other. The way Muckfest works is very simple; show up, throw stuff, get dirty, go home.

Muckfest is one of the most highly anticipated fall events for students in the district, and the event is put on by YoungLife. YoungLife is a Christian fellowship group that meets once a week. Despite its Christian theme, Muckfest is mostly focused on pure enjoyment.

“It’s 100% for fun, it’s for kids to come represent their school, but also to be unified as a Shawnee Mission District. Kids get to have fun as they kick off the school year. I think a lot of times, at the beginning of the school year, we forget that this is about fun. With football and all of the other activities beginning in the fall, this is a reminder that you don’t have to work

as hard,” Hannah Kenton, West’s YoungLife sponsor, said.

Muckfest is an event used to promote the club and encourage exposure to YoungLife. Everyone is more than welcomed to attend. This idea of “open attendance” usually draws a large crowd.

“At Muckfest, you get more than the regular attenders of YoungLife, that would probably be around 100 with all the schools. A bit over that maybe. And then there are people that are like ‘I like to throw mud at people’ and they show up as well,” James Leighton, senior, said.

Although mud is the focus, there are always three stages to the night, including water balloons, flour, and shaving cream.

Students were asked to pay $2 each to help cover the cost of over 100 bags of flour,

200

pounds of mud thrown

500 cans of shaving cream, and trash cans full of water balloons.

“My favorite stage of Muckfest was the mud because when you threw mud on all your friends, they couldn’t wipe it off, it stuck. You could find mud everywhere and at that point everyone was dirty and it was exciting,” Josh Wells, sophomore, said.

“YoungLife is a great community of people. Everyone is just really awesome.

I’ve made a lot of really good friends there. I got to meet people from other schools as well,” Leighton said.

Muckfest not only gives students an opportunity to join in fellowship with each other, but also to have carefree fun.

Kenton described her favorite part about Muckfest to be “watching high schoolers get to be kids and get to be young again.”

{

Senior Erin Fast points at the mud covering her face.

Photo by Merani Rivarola

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Conserve Your

CRANIUM

W

ith concussions becoming more and more frequent, especially in younger athletes, the state of Kansas activities association changed the criteria for football practice.

The new rules allow for full contact 90 minutes per week, but previously there could be unlimited contact in a practice. Now, players can’t play in games in consecutive days. Previously, a player could play varsity on Friday night, then play junior varsity Saturday morning, but now a player cannot do that. The West football team tried to reduce the amount of full contact time last year, but there weren’t any Kansas State High School Activities Association (KSHAA) rules about it at practice. SM East had a more sophisticated practice style of these rules last year, and they didn’t have any recorded concussions at practice. Also KSHAA regulated new helmets this year and requires each school and their players to use them. With these new rules, everybody has a different perspective on what they think about them.

“It’s kind of upsetting because we can’t hit people and that’s why you play is to hit someone. We can only have hitting for 90 minutes per week. You can’t get the full game effect with only 90 minutes per week,“ DJ Turner, senior linebacker said.

Players were curious about how these rules would affect the tempo of practice, but they were open to the new ideas, and safety is always first. There are certain levels of contact the team abides by throughout practice each week. The certain levels regulate how much they can hit one another, and how hard.

Head football coach Tim Callaghan describes the levels of contact and what they are. “Air, bags, control, thud and full contact. We are allowed to do air to control all we want. Thud and full is in the 90 minutes we’re permitted weekly. We can go hard the whole time. Thud is a quick whistle where no one will go to the ground. It’s a mindset change because we’re a team that hits a lot and we’re still hitting a lot. The watermelon scrimmage was our 90 minutes of full contact that week.”

As these new rules were implemented, the coaches had to find creative ways to get the same things done in practice as they’ve done in the past. This also created a different pace to the practice.

“Practice itself is a little less contact, seems to affect the tempo of practice it moves faster, doesn’t affect the mood. I think in the long run it’ll help practice with less injuries,“ Callaghan said.

Turner and junior Jay Hawkins both agreed that it is hard to get the full game feel in only 90 minutes of full contact per week.

However, Hawkins also thought it was good to have a limited amount of time for the health of the players.

“I like them because we are getting protected a lot more and we will be healthier, but we won’t have the practice of taking ball carriers to the ground,” Hawkins said.

These new rules make it difficult for players to get the experience of a full game in their practices. However, the changes may be needed as concussions and other injuries are prevalent amongst athletes. Whether or not these changes will prove to be effective will be seen throughout the rest of the season.

September 17

Football has put a new rule in place that may reduce the amount of concussions throughout the season.

by Brevin Turner and Eric Sedlacek

Concussions

Sources: http://www.swata.org/statistics/ http://www.cnn.com/2013/08/30/us/nfl-concussions-fast-facts/

are caused by traumatic blows to the head. most concussions occur without the victim losing consciousness. Injuries associated with participation in sports and recreational activities account for 21% of all traumatic brain injuries among children in the United States.

Football players in the middle of practicing with the new rules set in place.

Photo by Merani Rivarola.

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Down with the System Every year each MLB team should play all 29 other teams.

An Opinion By Max Meyer For the first 128 years that Major League Baseball was played, interleague play did not exist.

Before 1997, fans never saw the Kansas City Royals and St. Louis Cardinals play during the regular season. They also wouldn’t have gotten to see the Royals play one of the best teams in the National League, the Pittsburgh Pirates, at Kauffman this year.

The Royals played the Chicago Cubs for the first time since 2001 this year. This is another example of how the current interleague play system is flawed. It makes no sense, even in the current system, that it would take 14 years for those two teams to play. With a 162 game schedule it should be no problem to play every team.

Another example is that when the MLB schedule for 2016 was released last week the San Diego Padres are lined up to play at the Toronto Blue Jays. This may seem like no big deal, but it is the first time this matchup has ever happened. In the 19 years of interleague play the Padres have never traveled to Toronto. That is a glaring flaw in the system.

This begs the question: why are there not more interleague play games?

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The most common answer is that baseball purists believe the MLB should not differ from the way the leagues were originally set up. They believe that teams should play the teams in their league and division much more often than national league teams. I, on the other hand, strongly disagree with this.

The casual Royals fan knows that they play a lot of games each year against American League Central teams. Most fans, including myself, get tired of watching the Royals play the Detroit Tigers and Minnesota Twins all the time. The play 19 games every year against each AL Central opponent. That means that 76 of their games are against only four opponents.

They play six or seven games against the other teams in the AL, but they play only 20 games against NL teams. Teams play only an eighth of their games against the other league. For someone who doesn’t follow baseball, that seems as if it doesn’t make any sense, and I would tend to agree.

I believe that MLB teams should play every other team for at least three games every year. My idea for how scheduling should be changed is as follows: teams will play three games against each of the 15 opposing league teams. That would total 45 games and leave a remaining 117 games to be played against their own league. Teams should play six games against the 14 other teams in their own league. That would bring the total to 84 games and leave 33 games remaining for scheduling. These 33 games would be divided up amongst their divisional foes. That would give the team eight additional games on top of the six they already have against teams in their division. That would be 14 in total, only five less than the current system. After all of that, there would be one free game and that could be used however the schedule makers see fit.

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The system could be changed even more drastically, so that each team plays each of the 29 teams five times. That would leave 17 games and four more could be played against division foes. This idea would also leave one extra game.

Though this would seem like the best option, it is not practical. Playing five games against a team each year would require that teams play a two and three game series. Logistically, this could not work for teams. They could potentially play in four different series in a single week. The amount of travel that players would have to endure would greatly hinder players’ performance. Players already suffer the effects of travel while enduring 10 game road trips. When a team plays 10 games on a road trip they have to go to three different cities. In the system I illustrated earlier in this paragraph teams would sometimes have to travel four times in seven days.

That would be just that much harder on the players.

I think I am not alone among baseball fans in wishing that there would be more interleague play. In addition to being more entertaining, it would not be that hard to plan out the season. Teams could just play the New York Mets and Yankees on a road trip to the east coast. When they go to Ohio, they could play the Cleveland Indians and the Cincinnati Reds. Trips to California could add the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Francisco Giants to a road trip against the Oakland Athletics and the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.

The MLB badly needs a boost in entertainment. Interest in the MLB is greatly lagging behind the interest in the other North American sports league. By having a wider range of opponents it would be more appealing to fans. This would be an easy change that would have great benefits.

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NFL to LA? Several NFL teams are considering a move to Los Angeles.

An Opinion By Adam Rellihan Does anybody really like change? That was precisely the topic of interest for three NFL organizations this past offseason.

The NFL wants a team to make a move to Los Angeles. The three teams seriously considering the move are the San Diego Chargers, the Oakland Raiders and the St. Louis Rams. Is this change for better or for worse, you might ask? Pros: It’ll create buzz around the league, create a lot of revenue, introduce a new fan base. Cons: It could change everything.

Sure, it sounds like a fun idea but lets think about this. Los Angeles is already home to eight professional sports organizations. There’s really no place in the immediate LA area that could house an NFL-scale stadium. There is also still the issue of winning over a new fan base.

There are plenty of “personal” reasons why each of these teams should not pursue a move to LA. The Rams, for instance, were originally the Los Angeles Rams from 1946-1994, but have since found a nice home in St. Louis. If they were to move, this would introduce a fourth team to the state of

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California. They would have to squeeze their way into three already existing fan bases. Not to mention, it would leave a big hole in the midwest. The Chiefs would be the lone team between Chicago and Dallas.

Also, St. Louis has just passed a plan to build a new $985 million stadium. This makes staying put an attractive option for the Rams.

The Raiders on the other hand… well, we all know the Raiders will be the Raiders. Lets be honest, Oakland isn’t the nicest of places and those Sunday afternoon games, may very well be a saving grace for the people of Oakland. They play one of the oldest stadiums in the NFL (which doubles as a baseball stadium), but it is full of crazy, decked out fans every week. The Raiders don’t have much going for them and a location change would not bode well for them.

The Chargers, in my opinion, are the most likely to make a successful transition to Los Angeles. They, like the Raiders, play in a very old stadium, which will not be renovated soon. With so much going on in San Diego (beach, lantern district, various entertainment shows, concerts, etc.), the Chargers have trouble filling the stands, even during good seasons. LA is a sports mecca and would have no trouble packing a stadium. San Diego, depending on California traffic, is roughly two hours from LA, which makes it the closest of the three teams considering the move. Fans could still go see their Chargers if they wish. It seems like the best option and, if it were my decision, I would ultimately let the Chargers take their organization to Los Angeles.

The NFL recently released a statement saying that there will be no team moving to LA for this 2015 season, but it is likely

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that there could be a move before the 2016 season. There is no official stadium site being built and the NFL is not interested in a temporary stadium. If a team is going to pack everything up and go, they want them to have a nice, permanent home.

Keeping that in mind, I honestly hope nothing comes of it and no team moves to LA. In 2010, when the University of Colorado announced that they would be leaving the Big 12 Conference for the former PAC 10, it caused a nationwide frenzy.

Teams began switching conferences left and right. What is really upsetting is that most decisions were made based on money and threw tradition out the window. Now I don’t even know who’s in what conference or how many teams are in that conference.

It’s annoying, quite frankly. I guess what I’m getting at is that I would hate to see the same thing happen to the NFL. In this world, all decisions are made based on money. Why not let tradition win for once.

If the Chiefs, for instance, left Kansas City and went to Oklahoma City because they thought they’d make more money there, I’d be devastated. I’m sure the rest of Kansas City would agree with me here.

Moving is not a solution. Uprooting teams and planting them somewhere else is risky business. You never know how people will react to it. Humans are creatures of habit. We’re going to root for the same teams no matter what and we’re going to enjoy doing it. Let’s turn off the power moves this time and and leave this issue in the capable hands of tradition.

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A&E

Photoillustrations by Rian Stallbaumer.

Writers Nick Vance, Spence Lassalle and Jared Walker take a look at how some of the most popular music streaming apps weigh in against each other.

Soundcloud

Spotify

Spotify is without a doubt one of the most popular music streaming apps to date. It lets customers choose between two different packages, free or premium. Free is obviously free, but you do have to listen ads between every other song or so. Premium is only $9.99 a month and gives you the opportunity to skip any song, play offline and is free of ads. Customers are also able to cancel anytime you want. You can sign up today for 30-day free trial.

SoundCloud is a Swedish-made Germany based music sharing service. It offers playlist creating capabilities, and a user can leave a comment directly on certain moments of the song for others to see.

SoundCloud also allows users to make groups with their friends, so they can all connect by sharing songs with the group. One downside of SoundCloud is the lack of selection. SoundCloud offers itself as more of a service for up-and-coming musical groups to get their band’s name out there. While a user still can find some of the more mainstream music on SoundCloud, it’s certainly more challenging than it would be with any of these other services.

Pandora Pandora One, the ad free version of Pandora is $3.99 a month. However, starting in May, new subscribers will have to pay $4.99 a month. Unlike Apple Music and Spotify, you can’t create your own playlists. There are only radio stations you can follow.

You don’t know what song is going to play next.

Junior Jack McMahon said “I like Pandora because it introduces me to some new tunes.”

One way to personalize your listening experience is by liking and disliking songs. Being the cheapest option, it also has the least amount of features.

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Apple Music Apple Music was released on June 30, 2015. The idea behind Apple Music was that users were leaving and using third party apps on a monthly fee because it was a cheaper alternative to buying the music but with Apple Music as a music streaming service Apple is offering the best of both worlds. The downside of using Apple Music is that the music isn’t available when you are offline. Apple music is $9.99 per month to compete with Spotify.

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BOYZ n tha hood A Film Review by Logan Peterson

The music industry may have been changed forever in the year 1987.

This was the year in which three young kids from Compton released the hit single, “Boyz-n-the-Hood” giving the rap genre a new face. Together, producer/DJ Dr. Dre, lyricist Ice Cube, and benefactor Eazy-E assembled N.W.A, the groundbreaking rap group of which the film, “Straight Outta Compton” is based.

This is by no means a love letter to the city of Compton, as we get a gritty and rather dismal look into the underbelly of the city’s gangs and take-no-prisoners police force. The desperate circumstances of the decaying city is what drives these three young men to escape and realize their potential. They are able to spread awareness of their adverse conditions by crafting lyrical poems of life in a violence and drug-addled city.

Virtually unknown actors step into the roles of the pop culture icons, including Ice Cube’s own son, O’Shea Jackson Jr. The other two being Jason Mitchell as Eazy-E and Corey Hawkins as Dr. Dre. Although they are all mirrors to these characters in terms of the look (Jackson Jr. is practically the doppleganger of a young Ice Cube), they also embody their swagger and their personality; specifically that they were merely teenagers that were beloved by their fans, and detested by most everyone else.

The connection that N.W.A made with their audiences over the years is prevalent here, and frankly beautiful to see. The result are concert scenes overflowing with

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electricity that almost makes you want to stand up and shout along with them. The execution of the scenes aesthetically are gorgeous as well, honestly verifying the directorial chops F. Gary Gray. Gray’s; his ability to craft an intricate and thoughtful story is thoroughly proven, in addition to making a scene look good.

It was obvious that N.W.A were not always lauded, and frankly were mostly the targets of hate groups, not to mention they were labeled pariahs by the media.

It’s hard to imagine that middle-america was totally unaware of the plight of the African Americans by gang wars, but it’s even harder to imagine that they chose to be ignorant. They chose to use a group of kids who looked like gang members as scapegoats, and they assumed that this group would be responsible for the eventual corruption of youth in America.

This is a truly poignant chunk of the film, watching the characters try to deal with the adversity on an emotional level, while still trying to create great music.

Without question, though, the most interesting and important relationship that N.W.A ever had, was with the police. One scene in particular, shows the group practically starting a riot at a concert in Detroit with the performance of their hit song, “F-- Tha Police.” This was such an amazing scene that is so brilliantly designed and filled with ambiance.

The film is a visual marvel, with a perfect blend of grit and glossiness. Even more impressive are the performances of the supporting cast (some even better

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than the leads). Paul Giamatti is devilishly witty and brash as the group’s shady manager, Jerry Heller. Although, the best and most scene-stealing performance comes from R. Marcos Taylor, who takes on the role of a lifetime: the tyrannical Suge Knight.

His performance is unflinching and fear inducing, as he was given the difficult task of portraying the infamous rap mogul. A particularly chilling scene shows Knight imposing his prowess and his fists on an unknowing bystander who just so happened to park his car in Suge’s parking space.

Unfortunately for the filmmakers, they did fail in their attempt to make the perfect music biopic, as many of the tedious flaws and tropes come about in the film’s waning moments. Rather than offering an apt conclusion that cements the legacy of N.W.A, the film teeters on much longer than it should, featuring some obvious and unnecessary cameos from rap staples Snoop Dogg and Tupac Shakur.

To be fair, Snoop and Tupac are two of the pioneers for modern hip-hop, but their appearances are frankly unwarranted and bring nothing to the story other than to appease some of the Generation X’ers sure to be in the audience.

Aside from an ending that is unsure of itself and an imbalance of fluidity among the main characters, “Straight Outta Compton” offers incredible musical scenes, as well as a redeeming story that will prove a must watch for general audiences and fans alike.

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New Name, Same Game A review by Spence Lassalle It’s out of the question that “The Walking Dead” is one of the most popular TV shows currently on the air.

You can’t talk to your friends about your favorite TV shows without someone bringing up “The Walking Dead”.

AMC, the network that airs “The Walking Dead,” took advantage of the shows massive popularity by ordering a new series that follows different characters.

Not being a die hard fan of “The Walking Dead,” and only seeing a handful of episodes, I realize that I might not like this show as much as someone who has seen every episode. That being said, I really didn’t know what to expect here.

This show is taking place in the very early stages of the zombie apocalypse, and we get to see events prior to “The Walking Dead.” I’m sure season two will take place during the same events of “The Walking Dead.” I’m guessing there will be a crossover in the near future if this show sells well, and so far with the reception of the show, believe me it will.

The show introduces us to our new characters, and it doesn’t take long for stuff to go down. There are a few jump scares, but it’s nothing too scary.

As opposed to “The Walking Dead” this show actually takes place in populated areas with life. There were some parts of this episode that were very thrilling with the camera work and great music that really does match every scene.

I’m not really familiar with any of the actors, but most of them do a great job acting like they really are in the scene. As far as I can tell, you don’t have to see all of the episodes of the previous show to understand this show, but I’d assume that most of the viewers of this show are big fans of “The Walking Dead.”

The show can stand on its own pretty well without seeing any episodes of The “Walking Dead.” I’m sure this show will cross streams with “The Walking Dead” later on, hopefully sooner rather than later. As far as the characters go, they’re tolerable. The show mainly centers around a dysfunctional family, and it’s kind of predictable at times what will happen to them next.

All in all, the show for the most part is pretty enjoyable and does a good job at keeping you entertained. I’m really interested to see how long this show will live on. This gives them so much of an opportunity to fill us in on stuff that wasn’t explained very well. They could also show us events that we’ve already seen before. Overall, I think this show will go far, and it honestly makes me want to binge watch “The Walking Dead.”

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West in pictures 2.

1.

5.

3.

4.

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the epic.

issue 1

8.

6.

9.

7.

1. Seniors Renny Ma and Meilene Robinette prepare for service from their opponent (Jenna Wilson).

2. Junior Rafael Ornelas running during Cross Country time trials (Maddy Shackelford).

3. JV Volleyball huddles up during a match (Emma Arnold).

4. Senior drum major Michael Wilson jokes with teacher John Rothaus (Maddy Shackelford).

5. Students watch on at the Watermelon Scrimmage (Merani Rivarola).

6. Senior Manny Martinez celebrates a win against Shawnee Mission East (Merani Rivarola).

7. Senior Gage Person volleys a soccer ball (Nina Willams).

8. Students shield each other from water balloons during Muckfest (Merani Rivarola).

9. Senior Adam Rellihan passes the football to junior Zach Witters (Grace Armenta).

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Football

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Sports Schedules Date

Opponent

Location

9/18

Shawnee Mission North

Shawnee Mission North

9/25

Shawnee Mission East

Shawnee Mission South

10/2

Olathe South

Shawnee Mission South

10/8

Olathe East

CBAC

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Boys’ Soccer Date

Opponent

Location

9/22

Lawrence

Lawrence

9/24

Olathe East

Shawnee Mission South

9/29

Olathe North

Shawnee Mission South

10/1

Lawrence Free State

Free State

VolleyBall Date 9/29 10/1 10/8

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Location

Olathe Northwest

Olathe Northwest

Olathe North, Shawnee Mission Northwest

Shawnee Mission Northwest

Shawnee Mission North

Shawnee Mission North

Lawrence Free State

Lawrence Free State

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9/24

Opponent

Issue 1

Games Can you find the last names of the epic staff members?

N l t w u t h j f f e l l a s s a l s t

p a s h v c l a f m r x h s e k a g u s

s j h j c e w n z h v z d l v u s r l f

k y a i k j y s x c v b l b o z n l l f

Balas Burnett Frankel Gartner Hart Hooper Jansen Lassalle Mattis Meyer

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g n i n l m c e t r a h a g j e e o s d

e q a e s l n n z p z z e i r w x d b l

l r y c i o e d f g d x n a d e i p l o

f w w n t s a r h q e j v b q p f o k o

g m l a t v t i a m n v q a n m e s n b

m e p d r m r k d o l s j k e m u q r v w c p e v g p g a c o y a m n l a x o e n n d g p n h r w e w g a q z n s n k c g r u a v i b s a h t b l w j r x q c n o s r e t e p x v y o e n d c e b w s h k m q n q j u y y l p w n s y o s t a i z c f v y a q w r u s m x a l p m z d z v v j a w o l m t u j f g v b u r n e t

r a l s t o n r n z e x y w o m e j b t

z c q x q z s u m w z r p b x p t w m z

c o y y s a l p k h w y d t p x a k d l

Sudoku

Morgan Peterson Ralston Rellihan Sedlacek Turner Vance Walker Wells

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BackPAge

By Alex Ralston

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