Titan Scroll www.lswestonline.com
Friday, Feb. 11, 2011
Volume VII, Edition 6
Single or taken? How will you celebrate Valentine’s Day?
“Wizard of Oz” premieres Lee’s Summit West High School 2600 SW Ward Road Lee’s Summit, MO 64082
Titan Scroll Staff 2010-2011 Editor in Chief Jenna Keeble
Graphics Design Manager Hayley Brower
Photography Editor Martin Steele
Copy Editor Sydnee Owens
A&E Editor Katey Stoetzel
Advertising Manager Brooke Admire
Web Manager Anna Hunter
Distribution Manager Jed Manaco
Writers
Titan Scroll
Intro Staff
Nikki Andriano Maddy Arsenault Meg Britton-Mehlisch Lindsey Bingham Merrilee Boughan Aaron Brower Kalie Emma Annie Greenwell Claudia Guthrie Kathryn Hilger Page Justin Hunley Designers Tiffany Jenkins Eric Dedovish Morgan Johnson Jesse Eiskina Judd Kirn Joey Franke Kylie Lanning Gabby Hayden Riley Manning Rachel Paddock Ryan Miller Ben Poeschl Nate Mitchell Tristan Owen Derec Owens Meg Peterson Anna Poudel Photographers Brooks Rast Nicole Conniff Steve Rhodes Sam Conrad Bailey Romi Nathan Foster Anna Schafer Jean Madison Meagan Shanahan Katie Maloney Connor Staponski Alex Palmer Michelle Stout Ariel Thompson
Friday Febuary 11,2011
Andy Evans Taylor Jensen Carlie Nash Haley Roach Katey Stoetzel
Volume VII, Issue 6
On the Cover
West Side Stage’s production of the “Wizard of OZ” premieres tonight at 7:30 with shows this weekend and next. Photos by Nicole Conniff.
News Ally Ross fundraiser Gutierrez goes pro
pg. 3 pg. 4
Opinion Staff Editorial pg. 8 Health Freak pg. 9
Feature
Staff Artist Alex Katzfey
Cultures of West pg. 10-11 Adviser
Valentine’s Day
pg. 14-15
Carol Ullery
Business Adviser
Karrie Smythia
The Titan Scroll is a student publication of Lee’s Summit West High School. It welcomes all letters to the editor, but reserves the right to edit for libel and for space. No unsigned letters will be printed. Letters may be dropped off in Room 2048 or mailed to 2600 SW Ward Road, Lee’s Summit, MO 64082. Volume 7 of the Scroll is published 10 times during the 2010-2011 school year. The opinions contained do not in any way represent the Lee’s Summit West faculty, administration or the R-7 school district administration or school board.
Arts&Entertainment Movie Match-Up British-US TV
pg. 16 pg. 17
Sports Boys Basketball Benefactor
2 •News•Opinion • Feature • Arts & Entertainment • Sports •
pg. 22 pg.27
Titan Scroll
Ally Ross’ memory raises awareness Taylor Jensen
going to have a dance floor upstairs for the freshmen class Wishing to keep Ally Ross’s and high school kids, along with memory alive, a fundraiser at cake and a chocolate fountain.” Paradise Park Feb. 26 will be “There’s going to be a DJ and dance held in honor of her birthday. area, and that’s free for anyone who The cherished young girl had the wants to come in,” said Brough. party of her life for her fourteenth At the door, new T-shirts birthday. That was just before she and bracelets will be passed in February of last year after available for purchase. her struggle with a brain tumor. “That party, we went all out; we had a limo and everything. She had said it was the best day of her life,” said family friend MelissaBrough. “Her mom, Jacque Ross, is one of my very best friends, so we thought in honor of Ally’s birthday, we’d have this fundraiser be a celebration of her life.” “I think that A. Ross overcame her first people really battle with brain cancer after embraced the being diagnosed at age four, but T-shirts and the cancer came back in 2009. bracelets that were Through chemotherapy, available when experiences most young girls Ally was fighting never have to go through, and her battle and I just being herself, she was think a big part of able to impact the community. her is still in their “The fundraiser will be hearts and minds,” supporting kids with childhood said J. Ross. cancer. It is a great way for “Jackie has kids in the community to get designed new involved in Ally’s fundraiser,” orange T-shirts said one of Ally’s good friends this year, keeping Freshman Abbi Richardson. up with the peace, love, Ally The fundraiser will include theme, but changed to peace, the many attractions Paradise hope, cure. We’re about helping Park always has, such as bumper cure this disease,” said Brough, cars, the arcade, foam pit, and “The kids love the bracelets. café, along with extra events. They want the connection.” “It’ll be open for anyone that Besides selling the bracelets wants to come in. It will be a half- and T-shirts, an informational price night, any one attraction is table about Camp Quality five dollars, and unlimited indoor is also part of the plans. attractions are ten dollars. If it’s “Her favorite place to go nice enough weather, the outdoor every summer was Camp Quality. activities will be available too,” She went there since age five; it said J. Ross. “In addition, we’re was a big part of her life. They
Feb. 11, 2011
certainly can use community support to keep that camp up and running. Everything is completely donated so no family has to pay for any part,” said J. Ross. Camp Quality is a camp for kids with cancer and serves as a place they can go to relax and have fun for a week. The closest location is in northwest Missouri near St.
Joseph, where Ally spent many weeks. “It was a place where she could go and be herself with kids her own age that understood; where she could be normal without feeling different. For her it was a family away from a family. It wasn’t a nagging mom reminding her; it just allowed her to be free of everything for a week,” said J. Ross. “One hundred percent of our proceeds go to Camp Quality, and Paradise Park is doing twenty percent of theirs,” said Brough. Raising awareness about brain cancer in young people was always important to Ally and is now shared by others, including her mom and friends. “Ally’s question to me was always, ‘Is there a way of getting the word out about kids with cancer?’ She
was a person who spoke openly about her cancer. She wanted the word to get out and this is a way for us to do that,” said her mom. “Ally impacted the community by never giving up. She inspired people to keep trying even when times get rough. Ally constantly had to have a positive attitude to keep going,” said Richardson. Ross and Brough are also using this fundraiser as a way to build up a team for Relay for Life this summer. “It’s going to be a kick off for Relay for Life. We didn’t really have a lot of time to plan it, but we did end up with a Rally for Ally team which we’re going to do every year,” said Brough. “We’re planning on making both the fundraiser and the Relay for Life team annual events.” Relay for Life is sponsored by the American Cancer Society; participants usually go around a trail or track at the designated location. This year it will be at West. The fundraiser will last about three hours, starting at 6 p.m. and the people close to Ally said they believe it will be an activity worthwhile. “The biggest honor is being able to share her story with others. She inspired everyone and tried her best to make everyone around her feel as happy as she was. I am honored to have known her. She is very special to me and many others; she definitely left a print in my heart and the hearts of others,” said Richardson. “It will be a family environment that will have many things to do,” said J. Ross. “I think people should come out because they want to show their support and love for Ally and remember her. They’ll be part of a cause that was important to her..
•News•Opinion • Feature • Arts&Entertainment • Sports • 3
Titan alumni makes it to the pros Sydnee Owens Dreams really do come true. West 2009 graduate Anthony Gutierrez is a professional Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fighter. He made a memorable professional debut knocking out his opponent in the first round at the Kansas City Titan Fighting Championships. The Titan Fighting Championships is a new promotion by television channel HD Net. HD Net just signed a contract with a promoter in Kansas City about doing televised events in Kansas City. “It’s actually a crazy coincidence. HD Net named their Kansas City events the Titan Fighting Championships and then asked me to fight for it. I guess I’m still a Titan at heart,” said Gutierrez. Gutierrez currently holds a 21-3 record. In order to graduate from being an amateur to a paid professional, he had to have an amateur record of 110. However, Gutierrez reached that record when he was 19 but waited to get his professional license until he was sure it was what he wanted. “I just always kind of held off on it because I was so young and all the pros are like 30 and so I didn’t know if I wanted to do this yet. But things started going really well at the end of my amateur career, so I thought I might as well. I’ve been working hard and it’s what I’m going to be doing, so I just figured better now than ever,” he said. The big difference in becoming a professional is the paycheck. “I mean I got paid as an amateur towards the end, but now it’s not goof around weekend money, it’s money that you can support yourself on, so I was really excited,” said Gutierrez. He said the deal he has with HD Net is “each fighter gets show money where they both collect a certain amount of money and then the winner takes a bonus. And it’s kind of like a ladder you have to work your way up. The more wins you get, the more marketable you are, and they’ll
pay you more.” To prepare for his professional debut, Gutierrez went to Sacramento to train with Ultimate Fighter Urijah Faber. “I went up to their gym, it’s called Teen Alpha Male. It’s basically a great place for me to go to get my butt whooped like over and over. It’s a really good experience, it makes me a lot better. I’m going out there again at the beginning of March,” said Gutierrez. He already has his second professional fight for the Titan Fighting Championships on the calendar for Friday Mar. 25 which will air on HD Net. “The next guy I’m fighting is 5-0 right now as a professional and he was 12-0 as an amateur. I want this fight because there is a lot of hype around this guy,” said Gutierrez. After March, Gutierrez plans to fight around the country for awhile until he is invited to fight Anthony Gutierrez’s (white shorts) pro debut ended in a first–round knockout with the 2009 in Japan, where HD Net does a West graduate on top. Photo courtesy of Anthony Gutierrez. lot of fights for lighter weight already considered in the area like was really, really upset about it, but fighters. “One of my main goals right now is a veteran in MMA,” said Gutierrez. I train everyday so I was just back in to fight in Japan by the end of 2011. “But I just feel so young and I feel the gym like normal as soon as I got I would still live in Lee’s Summit, just like I haven’t even started yet. I can some injuries healed up. So I just put fly to Japan to fight. As far as where support myself and make a living off it behind me. I only ended up losing my skill set is, and where the MMA of fighting so I’ll do that and if I ever two fights after that, which is good,” game is, Japan is definitely a really hit a point in my life where I don’t said Gutierrez. think I can fight anymore, school He said he is amazed with all the good fit for me,” said Gutierrez. Now that he fights professionally, would definitely be an option for support he is receiving from his friends and family. Gutierrez could at any time be asked sure.” Gutierrez’s friend and one of his “Everybody has nothing but nice to fight for a bigger organization. He training coaches, James Krause, things to say and it’s really fun when said he hopes thst after establishing himself in Japan, he can fight bigger said his future depends on his work people come out to the fights and ethic. support me and people that I wasn’t shows in the United States. “If he stays dedicated like he has even that close to support me,” he “I just have to keep winning, people only give you credit for your last fight been and keeps working hard, he can said. Gutierrez said as much hard work and you’re only as good as your last do whatever he wants,” said Krause. Gutierrez said the most difficult as he puts into fighting, it’s really just fight, so as long as I keep on winning, part of his fighting career was his a blast. I should be able to do what I want to first loss. “It hasn’t been easy but it’s been do,” he said. “I fought for the United States so enjoyable and so fun and I’ve just Gutierrez is currently not attending Amateur Title, and I lost. I literally been loving life,” he said. “It just kind college. “I don’t know how long I’ll be thought my whole world was going of shows that your hard work can pay fighting, I’m 20 years old and I’m to crumble. I was so depressed. I off.”
4 •News•Opinion • Feature • Arts & Entertainment • Sports •
Titan Scroll
Local Showcase hits Stage June 16th Auditions set for April 28 & 29 at LSW
Anna Schafer This summer, there’s an opportunity for all ages to show off their greatest talent. Following the format of the popular show “America’s Got Talent,” now Lee’s Summit can showcase some talent as well, in the approaching show “Lee’s Summit’s Got Talent.” The show hits the stage at Lee’s Summit High School’s Performing Art Center, on June 16. For those wanting to strut their stuff on stage, auditions are set for Apr. 28 and 29 at West. “The show is for Lee’s Summit CARES. We are a non-profit organization and we work to combat drug and alcohol for kids,” said Lee’s Summit CARES secretary Cheryl Nash. “Lee’s Summit’s Got Talent” is one of Lee’s Summit CARES’ many efforts to strengthen the organization. “The main goal is to raise money and have a fun environment,” said Nash. Organization members have been working with Executive Director Roby Little to get the show moving forward. “Lee’s Summit’s Got Talent” is something
Feb. 11, 2011
never done before in Lee’s Summit. Entry forms for “Lee’s Summit’s Got Talent” are available at www.lscares.org. “Lee’s Summit CARES is looking for a major fundraiser. Because we work with kids and families, we wanted to have something kid and family oriented, and something original,” said Little. Judging the events are celebrity judges including jazz singer Ida McBeth, Matt Lewis, and famous actor and comedian Chris Moss. “Matt Lewis is a premier Elvis impersonator, who has a show in Vegas, and he will perform a number, and Chris Moss might perform a number as well,” said Little. This event is an all-ages, and an all-talent event, so anyone can participate. Coordinating efforts to get sponsors for the event is Phyllis Balagna, who is shooting for the best. “Since this is a fundraiser for this very active and viable group in our community, we are hoping for a huge sponsorship. I believe we are shooting for around $15,000 in sponsorships,” said Balagna. “This is a very realistic goal in a business community such as ours. We currently already
have around $4, 000.” It takes a lot to get a show up and running, there are a lot of steps it takes to get there. “It is the goal of the committee to present this event in the most highly-polished and professional way. In order for that to happen, the right ingredients must be in place: advertising, marketing, facility rental, audition information and contracts, hiring of top judges, programs, T-shirts, post show party, etc. All of these cost money, and the sponsorships help cover the expenses,” said Balagna, owner and director of a local dance studio. “We expect this to be a huge event–hopefully a sell-out crowd. A lot of time and efforts have been given already by the committee,” Balagna said. West students who have heard of the show have been marking their calendars for the big day. Junior Jenna Klausing is one of those supporting the show. “I feel like it’s a good way for people to express their hidden talents,” said Klausing. “There are a lot of ambitious skilled people that can really surprise you in their abilities with talent.”
•News•Opinion • Feature • Arts&Entertainment • Sports • 5
Fryers out; ovens in Lindsey Bingham
Our lunchroom is about to see some changes that may affect students’ afternoon meal. Students have already seen one of these changes: bread that had normally been served with the entrée is now considered a side item. Freshman Ally Ralls is not very enthusiastic about this change. She says that “sixty more cents you have to pay is stupid.” Also, after spring break, the fryers will be taken out and replaced with baking ovens to cook the al a cart fries. The cost will remain the same at one dollar. There have been mixed reviews regarding this change. Freshman Margaret Kubayko’s said “changes are not that big because the fries still have a lot of calories. Maybe they should break
down the amount of fries instead.” In fact, the four ounce serving of oven baked fries has 173 calories and 400 milligrams of sodium, according to the Lee’s Summit School Nutrition Services Department website. It is possible that next year the option of side items will change from three choices of three ounces each to two side choices of four ounces each. This change has already taken place in North Kansas City schools. Ralls says that “the portion size is already big.” These changes approved by the Lee’s Summit School Board have been encouraged by federal government recommendations. “I know what kids here at West want and I’m gonna stand up for that,” said Kathy Ward, kitchen manager. She said high school students need to start making healthy
also plans for a questions and sugdecisions about what they eat. Her gestion box for students that should view is this: How can you make the be available soon. right decision if you don’t have the opportunity to make the wrong In addition, there are students on the Nutrition Council who sample one? products and give their input on the “I believe that the students should be given the choice,” said menu choices. Ward. The lunch staff encourages students to voice their opinion on the lunch menu by contacting Ward. Nutrition changes continue in the lunchroom. Photo by Judd Kirn. There are
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6 •News•Opinion • Feature • Arts & Entertainment • Sports •
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Titan Scroll
Electronics compete with the world of print Katey Stoetzel
Log on to Amazon.com and there’s a huge bulking ad that says “Kindle. The number one bestselling product on Amazon.” It’s not far from the truth either. When the Kindle was first introduced by Amazon in late 2007, the product sold out in five and a half hours. And since then, multiple products like the Kindle have become available. A Kindle is an electronic portable e-reader and can hold over 3,500 books. Though people seem to like the Kindle because of it’s super thin physique, there is much concern about the future of the physical books and of bookstores. “[Print publishing] is changing, but it won’t go away,” said Librarian Amy Taylor. However, contrary to
Feb. 11, 2011
what Taylor believes, founder and chairman of the One Laptop per Child Foundation, N i c h o l a s Negroponte, is certain that the physical books’ days are numbered. At a conference c a l l e d Techonomy held in Lake Tahoe, CA last August, Negroponte flat out said, “The physical book is dead,” according to techcrunch. com. He also went on to say that “... digital books are going to replace physical books as the dominant form.” This reasoning of Negroponte’s comes from his One Laptop per Child Foundation, saying that shipping thousands of physical books around the world for children is ridiculous, and frankly, impossible. Negroponte also said that the Kindle “has surpassed sales of hardcover books.” Because of these statistics, Negroponte finally made his prediction: “It’s happening. It’s not happening in 10 years. It’s happening in five years,” according to techcrunch.com. Students around West are using Kindles. Senior Nikki McClaran is one such student. McClaran received the Kindle for Christmas but was reluctant to use it because she prefers the physical form of the book.
“I’m going to keep it just because I’ll need too many books at college and there’s small dorm space,” she said. McClaran said that there are many positives and negatives of the Kindle. “Positives are that ebooks are cheaper, it requires less room and is easy to take everywhere, and you can store lots of books. A negative is that it’s just a virtual copy,” she said. Taylor is also a fan of the physical form of the book. “I like to be able to pick up the book and flip through the pages. I like to be able to gauge how far I’ve read also. Having the physical book is more important to me than the convenience of the Kindle,” she said. McClaran thinks that even though Kindles are so popular, the physical book is here to stay. “There will always be the physical form of the book. It’s the same with music. Even though you can buy music online, there’s still CDs around,” she said. Not only are bookstores in trouble, the Borders in Oak Park closed and there’s talk about the Borders in Lee’s Summit closing as well. Libraries may also be in trouble. But Taylor thinks if they
just find a way to “change with the times,” these organizations should be fine. “Libraries need to find a way to meet patrons’ needs differently. For example, they could provide electronics. Publishers could create databases and then the libraries could buy those databases,” she said, “But people will always need books.” Ever since the debut of the Kindle, other places have been creating their own kind of e-reader. Junior Ali Moore is the owner of a Barnes and Noble Nook and a Pandigital Novel. “I like that I can have my whole library of books in my back pack and that the most expensive books are only $20,” she said. Despite having two e-readers, Moore still enjoys reading paper back books. “I would definitely recommend e-readers to people who read all the time and spend too much money on books,” said Moore. Taylor believes that physical books will stick around based on past generations. “People have been doing the same things they’ve been doing over the generations, just differently,” she said.
With the rise of Kindles and other electronic, portable e-readers, some are concerned about the future of books and bookstores. Photos by Brooks Rast.
•News•Opinion • Feature • Arts&Entertainment • Sports • 7
Staff Editorial: Snow days create a slippery slope Sydnee Owens Considering we’ve barely even been in school this semester, it’s no surprise that students are finding it hard to get motivated to do school work. A few snow days here and there are always a nice little break, but now that we are expecting them at least once a week, it makes it hard to focus when we are in school. Just because we’ve gotten a ridiculous amount of snow in the past couple of weeks does not however mean the whole world has stopped or postponed deadlines. Due dates for scholarships, college applications, and enrollment forms are still quickly approaching. Not to mention, the six week grading period is already here. A combination of only having a few grades in the grade book since we haven’t been here very much and students slacking off due to lack of motivation may leave some students shocked when they get their grades. It is completely understandable to be distracted by the snow. What kid doesn’t hope for a snow day? But since we’ve had so many, they are not really as exciting anymore. They are actually getting kind of boring.
As much as it may kill us to say it, it would probably be better to just go to school now since we already have to be here until June. Even with the deal that we only have to make up one for every two we have now, we are still going to be here until June. And for seniors, this only means you won’t have as much time to pull your grades back up if you’ve been slacking off. So if you’re bored on yet another snow day, go ahead and do what you may have considered unthinkable, break out the homework. Also, stop planning for snow days. Don’t have the mindset of, oh well, we probably won’t have school too much this week so I don’t have to worry about that test or I don’t have to do that assignment. Because when we do have school and you consistently don’t do those assignments or study for those tests, your grades are going to suffer horribly. When we are in school, focus and get stuff done. Obviously we are not used to being here for full five day weeks, but as hard as it may be to get back into the routine of going to school, we just have to suck it up and concentrate while we are here.
Well if you ask me:
Uniformed students need to know what’s happening in the world Guest Commentary by Kennith Klinkenberg This year has already had plenty of events. Now, I’m not talking about celebrity romances or Snooki’s suntan lotion. I’m talking about the revolutions, the elections, and the negotiations. The world is a massive place, and many students aren’t getting the
news they need. They miss out on big events or only get a narrow view on what is actually going on. If they watch just one news source, they only get that news source’s bias on that issue. This problem isn’t a difficult one to solve. For example, by listening to NPR (National Public Radio) on my ride to school and taking a few minutes to check the top stories
8 • News • Opinion • Feature • Arts&Entertainment • Sports •
online, I can be better informed on what’s really going on around us. If you crack open a newspaper every once in a while, you’d be surprised at just how much we’re doing in the modern world, and how much we have to look forward to in the future. Remember, while ignorance is bliss, knowledge is both power and half the battle.
Titan Scroll
Health Freak:
Health Benefits of Coffee Alex Katzfey
For as long as I can remember my dad has al-
ways been a creature of habit. He grew up in a family that all cooked breakfast in the morning together. This included an all-American breakfast full of cheesy scrambled eggs, buttermilk pancakes, sausage links, and sizzling pieces of bacon. When it came time to sit down and dig in, the beverage of choice was either freshly squeezed orange juice or a glass of ice-cold milk; never coffee. Back then, and up until just a few years ago, the health benefits of coffee were seen as nonexistent. Kids were always urged away from drinking coffee due to the belief that coffee would stunt growth and keep them up at night; but there are some perks that can come from a cup of java. In addition to giving you an extra boost in the morning, coffee has also been linked to an increasing number of potential health benefits such as protection against liver and colon disease, type II diabetes, Parkinson’s disease, and it includes added antioxidants. I know that you non-believers are saying, “No way! All of this jam-packed into a cup of coffee?” But a study recently released from the University of Scranton has revealed that
Lauren
coffee is America’s No. 1 source of antioxidants and results were printed in the Journal of Neuroinflammation. Ranked second to coffee was black tea, and bananas were third. But of course this research is based on an the average American who does not consume as many fruits as they do coffee.
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This cup of joe a day can also improve cognitive functions by improving alertness, learning, and memory by up to 60%. A study from the University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Services found that a daily dose of caffeine may block the disruptive effects of high cholesterol that scientists have linked to Alzheimer’s disease. Not only can coffee be brain food but it can also be good for exercise and losing weight. In the morning it can give your metabolism an extra boost to help you burn more calories throughout the day. The caffeine in coffee can also give you some extra energy, which can allow you to workout longer and maybe even harder. Even though these benefits seem somewhat insignificant compared to other foods and beverages offered to us nowadays, I too was one of the creatures of habit who did not know any differently. Of course coffee can also add restlessness, anxiety, irritability, and sleeplessness in some individuals. However it feels good to know that when I drink my daily cup of coffee, there are some benefits, instead of just a complete waste of calories and fat!!
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• News •Opinion• Feature • Arts&Entertainment • Sports • 9
Who are we? A look at some Haley Roach As students go about their school day at West, it’s easy to forget that they’re walking the halls with peers who may have some different customs or traditions than the “average American.”
Indian Heritage
Junior Sharan Nagra is one student who experiences a different culture on a daily basis. Nagra is Punjabi, which is an Indian culture. Her full name is Sharanpreet, an Indian name, meaning “in God’s shelter;” but she goes by Sharan. Both of her parents were born in Punjab, a state in Northern India, but eventually moved here. Nagra’s father moved to the United States in 1978 in order to make more money so that he could send some back home to his family in India. Nagra’s dad returned home to India, to marry her mother, an arranged marriage, as is common in Punjab culture. “They met once before they were married,” said Nagra. Nagra’s parents’ marriage was arranged by her uncle knowing her mother’s family was looking for someone for her mother to marry. “There are a lot of different ways a marriage can be arranged,” said Nagra. A common way to find a spouse in India is by a newspaper ad; that is how her aunt’s husband was found. After the wedding, her parents came back to the States, and that is where Nagra and her older brother, Lovedeep were born. Nagra said every part of her life is affected by her Indian Culture. At home Punjabi, and Indian language, is spoken. Every Sunday, Nagra’s family goes to Gurdhwara, or church. Their church is called Midwest Sikh Association, where they practice their religion, Sikh. Sikh originated in Punjab, and
that is where most who practice the religion reside. “They aren’t liked in India, we’re persecuted,” said Nagra. Sikhs believe that all people and all religions are equal. They also believe strongly in serving the community and not being materialistic. Sikhs also believe in God. As a student, many aspects of Nagra’s life are affected by her roots. “Indians are thought to be really smart, so that’s a stereotype I have to live up to. My parents expect me to,” said Nagra. There are other stereotypes Nagra said she also to has to live with. “People always ask if we worship cows and wear red dots on our heads but once you get past that, it’s pretty cool,” she said. Nagra also has strict dating rules and strict guidelines of her curfew. Nagra said her dad even jokes about her having an arranged marriage, but he does not mean it. “My parents were raised in villages in Punjab so they have an old fashioned mindset in everything they do,” said Nagra. Being influenced by multiple cultures, means celebrating multiple holidays. “We have a lot of religious holidays and Indian holidays,” said Nagra. One important holiday Nagra’s family celebrates is Rakhi, an Indian holiday. It’s a holiday between brothers and sisters where the sister ties a band around her brother’s wrist, and the brother gives the sister money symbolizing that their brother will always protect her. Vaisakhi is a Sikh holiday celebrating the birth of a religion or prophet, celebrated by a parade. They also celebrate their independence day on Aug. 15. Nagra has been to India twice. The first time was in third grade and she said that she doesn’t remember a lot about the trip. Since it was her first time, the family did a lot of religious
Samoan/Hawaiian Heritage site seeing. Nagra went back to India for a Senior Alec Mulumulu is another second time last November for her West student who has grown up cousin’s wedding. “I have lots of fun knowing two cultures. in India,” said Nagra. “It’s really fun Mulumulu’s mother is from Hawaii and his father is from the Samoan Isand really different.” Nagra said the weddings in India lands. are a lot different than those in the Mulumulu’s family ended up in U.S. “They go on for weeks,” said Na- America because missionaries from gra. They have a lot of different tradi- The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter tions, for example on the nights lead- Day Saints came to the Samoan Ising up to your wedding, older women lands and his “grandpa saw truth in from the community come and sing that religion,” said Mulumulu. Mulumulu, whose family speaks to the future bride. “The entire wedding [service] lasts Samoan at big family events said, “It like two days,” said Nagra. She also gives me a look into different people, said all the different dresses are gor- different attitudes, and different langeous. guage barriers.” Sometimes, Nagra said, she thinks Samoans have strong beliefs in reabout wanting to live in India but specting their elders, “so I am very at the end of the day, “we have a lot respectful of most people older than more opportunities to make some- me,” said Mulumulu. thing of ourselves [in America].” Mulumulu is the youngest of five “It’s just the way I am,” said Nagra boys, so living in a culture where “hiabout her Indian culture. Nagra said erarchy’s” are important, he said has that being from a different culture sometimes been hard. Mulumulu can be helpful. “I can understand said his brothers were always punother people’s viewpoints,” said Na- ished for his actions, and therefore gra. they would punish him. Nagra’s future is also influenced Mulumulu said his family is taught by her parents and their background. to be very accepting of everyone. “We Nagra always grew up being told she are taught at a young age to accept was going to be a doctor. all walks of life, because things like “It’s what I wanted to be when I weight shouldn’t factor into that,” was small because my parents always said Mulumulu. said, ‘you’re going to be a great doc- Another common way Mulumulu tor when you’re older,’ so I thought that too,” Nagra said. Now that she is older, Nagra said that she knows there are more options out there but she still plans on becoming a doctor. Junior Sharan Nagra and Senior Alec Mulumulu partipate in cul tural traditions with thier family’s. Photo by Morgan Johnson
10 •News • Opinion • Feature • Arts&Entertainment • Sports •
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unique cultures that make West is reminded of his culture is at meal times, and Mulumulu said that is the best part of experiencing another culture. One of the different foods Mulumulu eats is Taro, or Samoan potato. Two others are Sa’i –raw, boiled banana, and pani popo, or a spice cake soaked in coconut milk. As far as holidays, there are not really specific holidays in Mulumulu’s culture but, “we’re a party culture,” said Mulumulu, so they often have luaus for no reason. When Mulumulu is around all his family, he gets a chance to hear Somoan. He also likes it because, “whenever you’re around people of the same culture you feel more included,” said Mulumulu. Mulumulu said he feels like his family is a lot closer because their
family events happen often.
An African–American/ Mexican Student
Along with having Titans from the Samoan Islands and from India, West is also home to a student whose heritage includes Mexico. Junior Alexus Salinus is half African-American and half Mexican. Salinus said she is very proud of her African-American side as well as her Mexican side. “People say like ‘oh, you’re just a Mexican,’ but I embrace both of them,” said Salinus, “people judge you before they know you.” “The best part is I get to learn about my cousins in Mexico, and on my black side I get to hear about how we all ended up in Kansas City,” said Salinus.
Being from different cultures has helped challenge Salinus. She said that the stereotype of minorities not doing as well in school has made her want to work harder. “By me doing good it helps the percentages go up,” she said. At home, Salinus said she might hear Hispanic music one day, and then the next they may be listening to R&B or Hip Hop. It’s the same with the food, “I love how one day we’ll have traditional Mexican food like carne asada and the next day we’ll be having chicken, macaroni, and shrimp or something,” said Salinus. Because she’s half Mexican, Salinus gets to participate in many Spanish traditions. When she turned 15 she got to have a Quinceañera, where in the Mexican culture a girl
becomes a woman. Salinus also got a necklace that symbolizes the daughter of Eve, and a ring that symbolizes getting older, which are Mexican traditions. Her family also has a big feast to celebrate Cinco de Mayo. Spanish is spoken a little at home, but not too much since her mom doesn’t understand, but it comes in handy for Salinus’ level four Spanish class. “Spanish comes easy to me,” she said. Salinus has visited her dad’s home in Mexico. “It feels like home even though you’re not from there,” said Salinus. Salinus said that the place in Mexico where her grandparents live is very beautiful. “I love being a mixed breed,” said Salinus.
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• News • Opinion •Feature• Arts&Entertainment • Sports • 11
IB Psychology picks at the brains of West students Meg Britton-Mehlisch
In the last few weeks, most
students have been diving into snow banks and enjoying their snow days, but the students of the IB Psychology program have been delving into matters of the mind. The IB Psychology students began their journey to join the ranks of famous psychologists such as Freud and Pavlov, looking at everything from memory and music, to cognitive memory and colors. Senior Hannah Bowman was one of the 55 students who began studying the brains of those at West. Bowman, who hopes to major in elementary education in college, was drawn to IB Psychology for its interesting educational look. “I thought it would benefit my college classes and it looked fun.” Bowman said the IB Psychology students aren’t always searching the subconscious of West students, but sometimes having lots of fun with their senses. “One day in class she (IB Psychology teacher Stacie Myers) was showing us how our brains are affected by our senses and she blindfolded us and had us smell something and then say what we thought it was. Some of the answers were pretty funny.” Though there is a fun side to the class, the students are still serious about their experiments. So, just what are they studying?
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Bowman said she is studying “memory and how you word questions and how it affects memory. It’s used a lot in court cases.” Bowman’s topic is just one of many that shadow professional studies done by psychologists around the world. Senior Christina Barron also chose a high level topic. “Since I was testing short term memory, I decided to test how many words or how much
classical music every year, in hopes of raising their children’s IQ. The Stroop effect is the study that since its debut in the world of psychology, has stumped many people on games like BrainAge. It tests the reaction time of a task, like how quickly a person is able to correctly identify a color when the word is written in black ink opposed to when it is written in the ink of a unrelated color. With IB Psychology students at West already studying psychology effects that continue to amaze the public, there is a strong possibility IB Psychology students perform engaging experiments. Photo by they can Justin Hunley. h a v e information could be retained in the success continuing their research. short term memory and how much “I have several former students of that’s affected when you introduce that are now in practice, that are a distractor like math,” she said. working in the state medical hospitals Barron said she chose her topic for and private practice and various its difference from her classmates’ things like that. I’ve got a number experiments, which are studying the of them that are kind of strung out Mozart and Stroop effects. throughout the Midwest now,” said The Mozart effect is the famous Myers. study that gets hundreds of new Though Myers is used to the parents to buy CD upon CD of routine of experimenting, there
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are still some lessons that current experimenters are learning. Though Barron was not surprised with the results of her experiment, she did learn a valuable piece of information. “When you’re testing high school students, anything can happen,” she said. Bowman originally thought she would use her knowledge from psychology in her career as an elementary school teacher, but doesn’t think it would be a big part of her future. “I think it [psychology] will be a good basis, though I don’t think I will sit there and say, ‘Oh the kids’ brains are functioning this way’, but I think it will definitely help me.” Even if the IB Psychology students don’t go on to a career purely psychologically based, their findings could be helping West students in the near future. When asked how her results could help or relate to the students of West, Barron said, “Maybe with focus skills and remembering things. Hopefully with different mnemonic devices that could help students study better, instead of cramming right before a test or walking in and forgetting everything like everybody seems to be doing.” Whether these students go on to be future teachers or unlock even more secrets of the human brain, the students are proving that genius doesn’t have to come with age.
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Hallis hopes dedication pays off
Senior Brain Hallis plans on majoring in piano performance and becoming a piano accompianist. Photo by Aaron Brower Anna Poudel Senior Brian Hallis is a dedicated pianist as well as an IB diploma candidate. Hallis calls piano playing his passion. “It’s just another way I can communicate with others and just express myself,” he said. On top of the three hours he practices every day, Hallis has to keep up with the rigorous work from his IB classes. IB Coordinator Blake Little said, “He seems to stay on top of things pretty well.” Though IB gives Hallis the background for what he considers fall-back careers, like medicine and international rela-
tions, music takes precedence. “The thing that really keeps me motivated is my love for music.” Hallis doesn’t play piano exclusively, he also plays violin for the orchestra at West. He accompanies friends on the piano at musical competitions. He’s a private teacher to Freshmen Scottie Smith and Hali Ring. Hallis’ mom was the first to teach him piano. He didn’t start taking it seriously until he got a private teacher when he was eleven. “I got to see the dedication he had for his art and for the piano; it just inspired me to go for it,” said Hallis of his instruc-
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tor. Hallis’ parents also played a role in his interest in music. “My mom got her Doctorate in vocal performance and my dad got his Doctorate in music history,” he said. “They really gave me the sense that if you’re going to do something, you need to do it to the best of your ability.” Hallis has recently auditioned for colleges admissions purposes all over the country at schools such as Juilliard, Curtis Institute of Music, Oberlin College Conservatory of Music, and the Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University. The last audition for Hallis is today in Iowa. Hallis said that he should hear back from the colleges by April and wherever he ends up, he plans to major in piano performance. After college, Hallis
plans on being a piano accompanist and moving to a big city. “I want to go to a big city because the big cities have lots of opportunities for an aspiring pianist like me,” he said. Although Hallis dedicates many hours each day to achieving his big dreams, he still said that, “I do actually have a social life. I do try to hang out with my friends, on occasion.” Joking aside, he said, “I just really appreciate how understanding they are about how dedicated I am to something I truly love.”
Happy Valentine’s Day
• News • Opinion •Feature• Arts&Entertainment • Sports • 13
Roses
are red, Violets are blue, s
“Valentine’s Day is either a happy day or a sad day. It makes people realize they don’t have someone. But it’s not the end of the world if you don’t. Especially if you’re going to college. You’ll find the right one.”
andrew argotsinger junior
a s
s y s i l
n
“I love Valentine’s Day. It makes me feel special. Plus, it’s just such a loving day. Just love everyone on that day!” naieemah
Cute
“Trust is the biggest factor in a relationship. You shouldn’t be Couples in one unless you really care about the other person.” -Shelby Summerville
“Cheesecake Factory and Sky’s are really good places to go. Maybe a romantic movie. You could get her flowers, jewelry, a box of heart chocolates or perfume as a gift too!” -Hayden Smith
bland
sophomore
“Valentine’s Day is a waste of money. It’s just another reagan carnes & hayden smith filler freshman couple, dating for over 16 months holiday. If you’re sin“I think highgle and unschool’s better happy, go when you’re not get some in a relationship. popcorn, You’re not tied a movie down.” and just hunker down.”
g
s e
drew padget
“You have to be happy before you get your boyfriend, like you need good friends too. Don’t let your boyfriend be the center of your life. Just have fun with it!” - Hannah Rosson
senior couple, dating for 3 and a half years
“Being in a relationship keeps me out of trouble and if I have a bad day, I always have that one person. You have to accept and understand the other person’s flaws and see what other people don’t see to be in a good, long relationship though.” -Ashton Pickard
jake admire & hannah rosson
senior couple, dating for 10 months
“Surprise each other with something for Valentine’s Day and hangout and do something fun! Always be yourself, don’t make things awkward. If you’re not yourself, things won’t last very long.” gasca -Danielle Gasca
danielle & brandon miller
Some singles are happy, and couples are too! delaney richardson
senior
ashton pickard & logan stark
junior couple, dating for a year and a half
freshman
14• News • Opinion •Feature• Arts&Entertainment • Sports •
shelby summerville & cole prstojevich
“You gotta keep the flame going. Don’t ever let it go out, and always mix it up.” - Jake Admire
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Feb. 11, 2011
sophomore couple, dating for over two years
• News • Opinion • Feature • Arts&Entertainment • Sports • 15
Romance Movie Match-Up P.S I Love You
The Notebook
Year: 2004
“It was so sad and cute how he left little notes for her to help her move on.” –Senior Natasha Shore “I love romance movies because they let you escape into a world of dreams and true love.” –Junior Nicole Emma
Year: 2004
“When I was watching the movie I felt like I was in a fairytale. And I’ve always dreamed of dying in my husband’s arms.” –Junior Abby Doane “I think it was really sweet and sad at the same time.” –Senior Kelsey Ralls
Actors:
Actors:
Gena Rowlands
Hillary Swank
James Garner
Gerard Butler
Rachel McAdams
Lisa Kudrow Gina Gershon
Titanic
Photo courtesy of Warnerbros.com
Year: 1997
Valentine’s Day
Year: 2010 “With a cast with that many big names the movie was sure to fail.” –Freshman Ally Ralls
Actors: Leonardo DiCaprio Kate Winslet Billy Zane Molly Brown “I love the movie and it furthers my desire to continue researching the topic.” –Freshman Hollie Long
Ryan Gosling
Photo courtesy of Warnerbros.com
Courtesy of 20thcenturyfox.com
Photo courtesy of Warnerbros.com
“I thought it was really boring because there were too many little stories.” --Sophomore Brittany James
Actors:
Jamie Foxx Patrick Dempsey Anne Hathaway Hector Elizondo “It’s a really good classic love story. And even Jessica Alba Jenifer Garner though you already know how it ends, you still Kathy Bates Topher Grace want to watch it over and over again.” Jessica Biel Carter Jenkins –Sophomore Sydney Hocksprung Bradley Cooper Ashton Kutcher Eric Dane Julia Roberts 16 • News • Opinion • Feature • Arts&Entertainment • Sports •
Queen Latifah Taylor Lautner George Lopez Emma Roberts Taylor Swift Titan Scroll
TV shows move from UK to US
Katey Stoetzel Like a freight train speeding along its track, Americans are transforming British television into their own entertainment as if there is no tomorrow. The most obvious one is “The Office,” first originating in England in 2001, starring Ricky Gervais. A short four years later, Executive Producer Greg Daniels, with the help of two other Executive Producers Gervais and Stephan Merchant, brought the show to America. “The Office,” however, was not the first show to originate in England and then be adapted in America. Reality competition shows such as “Pop Idol” renamed itself “American Idol” in 2002, while others kept the same name such as “Whose Line Is It Anyway,” “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire,” and “The Weakest Link.” In addition to these, there are many others that have made their way across the pond, some old, some mildly new. But the brand new ones are just now drawing the curtains and exposing themselves. In 2007, “Skins” premiered in the United Kingdom for the first time. On the 17th day of this New Year, “Skins” debuted in America on MTV. According to Entertainment Weekly in their Jan. 14 edition, “Skins” is described as “…a group of teens and their lives, which involve regular indulgence in sex, drugs, and drinking. Bottom line: ‘7th Heaven’ this is not!” Junior Elisa Cox is one West student who watches the American version of the show. “It’s pretty trashy, but not as trashy as other shows on MTV, like ‘Jersey Shore.’ It’s a bit more structured,” she said, adding that she enjoys
Feb. 11, 2011
the soundtrack to the show as well. Cox said that she knew about the British version before the American one. She came across the American version by accident. “I was sitting at home and there
wasn’t anything on and I came across this show. I started watching it because I thought it would just be a time-waster, but discovered it’s actually pretty good,” she said. “For a teen drama, it’s pretty mature. It covers some risqué topics. I know some people would be offended by it, but a lot of teenagers deal with what’s going on in the show.” Cox also added that the show is a bit “g l amor iz e d, but makes for good TV.” Another recent show that has found its way onto American airwaves is Syfy’s “Being Human.” Premiering in the U.K. in 2008, and then being adapted in the U.S. in 2011, the show follows a vampire and a werewolf (not the sparkly vampire and the shape shifting human) and a
ghost who all live in the same house. “There’s a lot of witty lines and the main three characters are very likable,” said Junior Marianna Aloisio. “I started watching the show because I had heard good things about the BBC version and it sounded interesting. Different from your usual vampire-werewolf stuff.” Another knockoff show is Showtime’s “Shameless.” Over in the U.K., this drama debuted in 2004, and here in the U.S. it debuted in January. The show follows the Gallagher family. There are six family members, the oldest sister, Fiona, being the one who runs the family. The show stars William H. Macy as Frank Gallagher, the dad. Sophomore Natalie Roe started watching the show because “it looked funny. The fact that a girl in her early 20’s has to take care of her brothers and sisters because her dad is always passed out on the floor drunk all the time,” she said. “I like how every episode there’s something original, like stealing
an old lady from a nursing home.” Roe said that she was not aware that the show first originated in the U.K., but now that she does, “I want to see what the differences are.”
“I recommend it to everyone who has Showtime. I also like it because it’s on Sunday nights so it’s the perfect way to end your weekend,” said Roe. The fact that these shows keep being remade has sparked many opinions. “It’s making me mad because I’ve known about these shows for awhile and now everyone’s like ‘Oh my! Skins!’ And I’m like ‘Cool your jets bro, it’s not a big deal. The British version is better.’ Well that’s what I’ve read online. The acting is light years better,” said Cox. Aloisio feels the same way. “With some shows, I don’t think they should be remade, like “Skins” and “Life on Mars” [premiered in the U.K. in 2006 lasting for two series, then redone by ABC in America in 2008, only lasting for one season]. But some of the shows are critically acclaimed, except for ‘Skins.’ I heard that wasn’t doing very well,” she said. With this many shows being remade in America in this short amount of time, it’s hard to fathom that there could possibly be others gearing up for their debut in America. Well, have no fear because there happens to be yet another. “Torchwood” is set to premiere sometime this spring or summer on Starz. There is a lot of back story that goes along with Torchwood, starting with the U.K. show “Doctor Who,” which was revived in 2005. “Torchwood” is a spinoff of “Doctor Who,” therefore making a lot of references to “Doctor Who” in the British version. Torchwood follows Captain Jack Harkness, an immortal alien hunter. He also has crew members on his team and they live at their base, Torchwood. So now the question is, why does America keep redoing British TV? “It’s probably because the U.S. is running out of good ideas,” said Cox.
• News • Opinion • Feature•Arts&Entertainment• Sports • 17
3 6 5 5 9 8 3 7 4 4 2 8 6 5 9 7 3 8 2 1
7 9 1 4 7 8 2 5 6 1 4 8 5 1 9 7
a a l r n s c
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t o s e i e o
f e v t t e c
r l d e a t o
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w u m w r e a
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d t h t e t s
r a y d r s e
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Word Bank chocolate red couple reservation date sweet flowers sweethearts heart mushy love
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WSS presents “The Wizard of Oz” Riley Manning Follow the yellow brick road to the PAC this weekend and next weekend for West Side Stage’s production of “The Wizard of Oz.” The musical, which features 68 high school students and 50 elementary and middle school students, is directed by Theater teacher Brad Rackers. “I wanted to do a big show that people know and we had the people for and to get the community involved,” said Rackers. The many snow days this year have caused preparations to be “really challenging,” said Senior Elizabeth Kouba, who is playing the role of Dorothy. “All the shows are falling slightly behind but we’re getting there.” Rackers said, “It’s just been a little more stressful.” “Rehearsals have been really busy in a good way,” said Junior Jon Gibson, who is playing the Scarecrow. He said that everyone
is focusing, feeling pressure, and putting forth more effort. “People are willing to do extra time and things are coming together.” Kouba and Gibson learned about their lead roles in interesting ways. “Honestly, I didn’t really believe it at first,” said Kouba. She said she didn’t want to go get a cast list to see the roles and instead checked on the computer. “I squealed a lot,” she added. Gibson, however, was initially cast more minor parts and was the understudy for the Scarecrow. However, when Junior Blake Piatczyc, the original Scarecrow, was selected to compete on the TV show “Live to Dance,” Gibson was chosen to replace him. The director and cast members all have different ideas of what makes the production challenging. For Gibson, “balancing the demands of the musical with other priorities in my life is a challenge. I’m in a lot of leadership positions and I’ve had to give up some of my other priorities.”
The musical includes 25 set pieces and 300 costumes. Photo by Nicole Conniff.
Feb. 11, 2011
“The Wizard of Oz” features 68 high school students and 50 elementary and middle schoolers. Photo by Nicole Conniff. Kouba said the biggest challenge was figuring out which dog would play Toto. “We’re using Ally Ross’s dog, and she’s the cutest little thing in the world,” she said. Rackers said the mose challenging aspect is the number of things used in the show. “We have 200 people with tech, 25 set pieces, and 300 costumes,” he said. However, those involved did not have a hard time choosing their favorite part
of putting on the production. For Rackers it’s “how much it’s brought everyone together. It’s brought the community together.” “Learning how to express myself and develop my understanding of the true meaning of theater,” said Gibson. “I’m understanding why people love it so much,” he added. For Kouba, it’s simple. “Singing,” she said. “I hope that everyone enjoys it and it reminds them of when they were younger,” said Rackers, “It’s a movie we can all relate to.” Kouba said, “It’s going to be really awesome and you should come see it for sure.” Gibson added, “Everybody that’s doing this was born for their part. You really should come and bring all your family and friends.” Tonight is the production’s opening night. The show begins at 7:30 p.m. and tickets can be purchased at the door for $8 per adult and $7 per student.
• News • Opinion • Feature•Arts&Entertainment• Sports • 21
Boys basketball prepares for Districts
Andy Evans The Boys Varsity Basketball team is maintaining hope and working hard as they begin to wrap up their season. “Hopefully we play our best at the end of the year so we have a chance to win our district and move on into State play,” said Varsity Coach Michael Schieber. Junior shooting guard Nathan Jackson agreed with him and said, “We have a good chance of winning
if we play together.” For the team this year, being able to execute has been an issue they are having to work through. “We just need to work on being more consistent in our play,” said Jackson. They are making strides to improve though and are moving forward. “We run through all of our plays and practice them against the JV team. We’re trying really hard to work on our offensive execution,” said Sophomore forward Trevor Gregory. “I try to stay focused on the future
and not dwell on the past,” said Schieber. Recently Schieber, Jackson, and Gregory have all noticed improvement and progress being made. “We’ve had an up and down season but recently we’ve been playing a lot better,” said Jackson. The team’s chemistry has also improved as the season has gone on. “We’re playing more as a team,” said Gregory. Schieber has been a large part of them trying to turn their season around. “He’s a nice guy and a good
coach. He just tries to get us to play hard every day,” said Jackson. “He always tries to keep us focused on winning.” Gregory said he feels the same way about his coach. “I like Schieber. He knows how to coach us and what to tell us,” he said. Tonight, the team takes on Park Hill and Districts begin on the 21st. Photos by Martin Steele
Senior Roderick Clark
Senior Darnay Session
Sophomore Trevor Gregory
Junior Austin Panko
Senior Garrett Sandbothe
22• News • Opinion • Feature • Arts&Entertainment • Sports •
Juinor Shaquille Harrison
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Freshmen make a nice additon as Districts approach
during the season, but we also work hard during the months that we are off,” said Niehaus. “To Districts and stay in shape and to State are quickly “This year, it isn’t very stressful, but in the past it has been very overwelhming. You have keep up with our skills approaching as to make weight and do homework and try at practice. You can’t only worry about yourself we wrestle MO West the wrestling team either. You have to worrk about the team and getting points for the team,” during the off-season.” begins to wrap “MO West is an offsaid Andrew Niehaus. up their season. season wrestling team On Saturday the where we practice team will be wrestling greco wrestling which their Districts meet is wrestling without at Lee’s Summit High using our legs,” said School. For wrestlers Lemanowicz. that place in the top Another factor four at Districts, they that leads the team to will continue on to success are the coaches. State. State will take “With the awesome place in Columbia, coaching staff and MO starting Thursday Feb. 17th. hopes for the end of the season. Lemanowicz. “There are a total of five hard working team we are hoping to “If we wrestle hard and wrestle “The top four in Districts qualify freshmen wrestling Varsity this year finish out strong,” said Lemanowicz. smart most people should make for State and there is no reason and are showing a lot of promise, with “The Grey Fox’, Coach Hauck, has it out of Districts to qualify for not to make it to Districts to go to seniors leaving they will help keep done a great job during the entire State,” said Junior Evan Boehm. State with the number of kids that the team strong,” said Lemanowicz. season on getting us to our highest Boehm along with Junior Matt came out this year,” said Niehaus. “Not only does the team work hard potential,” said Boehm. Meg Peterson
Lemanowicz and Senior Andrew Niehaus said they have very high
“The young freshmen are adding a lot to the Varsity team as well,” said
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Seven-time Conference champs head to State Tiffany Jenkins
The girls swim team is ready to hit the water with high hopes and expectations for State after winning Conference for the seventh time in a row on Saturday. The swimmers had much resting on their shoulders for Conference. Head Coach Colleen Gibler said, “We’ve never lost Conference since West opened.” And this year they followed their six year streak, by pulling through with yet another win. One of their biggest hurdles was Park Hill. “It’s not going to be easy to pull out a win, Park Hill has a strong team, but I know we’ll win if we all show up and give one hundred percent,” Gibler said the day before Conference. Gibler said she believed that the team had both the strength and speed to do well at Conference and then move on to State. “Right now we have three individual State qualifiers, as well as one State qualifying diver,” said Gibler. “I was hoping that they would give us the high point scores that we needed to win. We rely a lot on the State qualifiers for scoring high points for the team, and we try to space them out in events so that we can get first places and build up our points.” State Diving will start Saturday at St. Peters and State Swimming will continue on Feb. 18th and 19th.
The team’s four individual State qualifiers include Sophomore Nina Privitera, Juniors Lindsey Sherrow and Alyson Raymond, and Senior Jean Madison. Madison was recognized Wednesday as HyVee Athlete of the Week. “It was a close one this year,” said Madison talking about Conference, “but we pulled out with a win. I expected to score as many points as I could for my team, I have been doing doubles and training hard.” The 200 medley relay team made up of Sherrow, Madison, Raymond, and Sophomore Joslyn Ferguson as well as the 400 free relay team made up of Raymond, Sherrow, Madison, and Junior Katey Stoetzel have also qualified for State. Gibler set her expectations Senior Jean Madison received the Hyvee Athlete of the Week Award for swimming. high for the swimmers and Jean plans to go to college for swimming. Photo by Martin Steele. pushed them to reach the bar. Privitera said during practice get,” said Privitera. ting second place,” said Privitera. Gibler gave them tips on what she Madison ended up getting first Gibler said, “I didn’t know how thought they needed to improve on in both of her events, the 200 indi- Nina would do, Park Hill had strong and such. vidual medley and the breaststroke divers and they were hard to beat.” “I believe she set her standards at Conference. Onto the next challenge at State, rather high, because if the divers did “Individually I thought that I was Privitera said, “I hope I can place, but well and placed well then that meant going to have a pretty good meet, either way I’m just glad that I made it more points were contributed to but since this is my first year diving to State, considering this is my first the team and since we moved up a I didn’t know what to expect at Con- year diving. Overall our team did conference this year we were going ference. But I just did my best and great and we can’t wait for state!” to need as many points as we could ended up surprising myself by get-
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Green Bay ‘Steels’ the victory Andy Evans
Super Bowl XLV, between the Green Bay Packers and the Pittsburgh Steelers, landed the most views in television history, with over 169 million viewers worldwide, and for good reason. The game was not sealed until less than a minute remained in the fourth quarter, when Green Bay fittingly i n t e rc e p t e d Pittsburgh quar terback B e n
Roethlisberger’s throw and ran out the clock to secure a 31-25 victory in the forty-fifth edition of this timehonored game. Why was the Packers’ interception of Roethlisberger such a fitting finale? The Packer defense forced three turnovers throughout the game, and scored touchdowns off of two of them. If one were to look at the box score of the game, it would appear the Steelers had won. The Steelers were superior to the Packers in virtually every category, including total yards, passing yards, time of possession and first downs. However, the story of the game was the turnovers. The Packers won the coin toss and elected to defer. The two teams traded “three-and-outs” until the Packers
drove down the field and scored to get off to a 7-0 lead. On the Steelers’ possession immediately following, Rothisberger threw a “pick-six” to Green Bay DB Nick Collins to double the Packers’ lead to 14-0. In the second quarter, Pittsburgh struck first with a 33-yard field goal from kicker Shaun Suisham. The Packers struck back with a touchdown of their own with two and a half minutes left in the half. In that short amount of time, the Steelers were able to put together a touchdown scoring drive to go into the locker room at half trailing 2110. The Steelers came out angry in the
second half and scored on their first drive to close the gap to only four points. But, the Packers maintained that lead for the rest of the 3rd and scored first in the 4th to bring their lead to 11. The Steelers staged a valiant comeback, scoring with seven minutes remaining in the game, but fell short. A Green Bay field goal then interception locked in the Packers’ fourth Super Bowl victory in franchise history. In the postgame celebration, Green Bay quarterback Aaron Rodgers was presented the Super Bowl MVP Award.
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Lady Titan seniors hope to step up pace Claudia Guthrie
As the girls basketball season comes to an end, the players have a positive outlook on the past season and the future of the team. “We have six seniors this year,” said Head Coach Darin Hall.
“They’re experienced, things run more smoothly. They’re good leaders,” he added. Two of these seniors are Sam Belvin and Emma Bellman. Both girls have played basketball at West since their freshman year. “Our goal was to win a couple of
Conference games, which we ac- team,” said Bellmann. “There have tually have done, and we want to been a couple games where it’s make it far in Districts, which is been really close at the end, but coming up,” said Bellmann. Dis- I’ve definitely been satisfied with tricts begin Feb. 21. how the season’s going. We’re There have been a few setbacks good. Our record isn’t as good as throughout the season, as well. we wanted it to be, but we’re going There have been some close games, to get it together with districts, so where the Titans lost we’re looking forward to that,” she by only a few points. added. The team fell short “We definitely need to pull it toto Smithville by two gether and work as a team so we points on Jan. 21, and can be successful in Districts,” said then to North Kansas Belvin. City by five a few days With all of the recent snow later. days, the team practices have not “After Christmas we been affected. “What a lot of peostruggled a little,” said ple don’t know is that we actually Hall, “There’s always practice on snow days. Sometimes, one quarter where we just cannot score.” The Lady Titans’ record is 109. “There’s definitely room for improvement,” said Belvin. “There’s a lack of communication, we kind of lose each other on the floor.” “We’re known Senior JacQue’ Timberlake taking a deep as a fourth–quar- breath before an intense freethrow. Photo by ter team. During Alex Palmer the first and second quarter it takes if we have two snow days in a row, us a while to get the we’ll practice on the second day,” hang of things. We just said Hall. don’t get our head in Bellmann and Belvin agree that the game as quickly as one of the best parts about playing we should,” said Bell- on the team is the closeness they mann. feel with the other girls. Team members are “We’re all very close on the team, confident they will so it’s always fun,” said Belvin. be able to prove their “I like the closeness that everyfourth quarter team one feels. We have a really good reputation wrong. coaching staff and all the girls get “We’re definitely along really well inside and outgoing to change that, side of school,” said Bellmann. we’re going to be “The girls are really cool.” an all–four–quarter
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The Benefactor: What to do in the off-season?
Commentary by Ben Poeschl
Now that Superbowl XLV is all said and done, to what do we have to look forward? Now we have months without football where we are just waiting for that next kickoff. It’s a depressing, slow eight months for some of us. And to add to the pain, there’s a real possibility that the NFL will not begin in September. Maybe Brett Favre can offer
us some entertainment if he is “officially” retiring. The draft is coming up in April. Nick Fairley of Auburn is looking like the number one prospect. In the same list is Da’Quan Bowers (Clemson), A.J. Green (Georgia), Julio Jones (Alabama), along with Blaine Gabbert and Aldon Smith (Missouri). This year’s draft seems to be almost dominated by cornerbacks and defensive linemen. What surprised me is that Gabbert of Missouri has a draft grade of a 96 according to espn. com. His draft pick could be moved up depending on how well he performs at the NFL Combine (camp where
NFL scouts college players) at the end of February. Also, look for late draft picks in Mark Ingram, Cam Newton, Jake Locker, and Cameron Heyward. Fairley is a versatile defensive tackle who is great at stopping the run. Sounds like a solid pick for the Carolina Panthers who have struggled at stopping the run all last season. ACC Defensive Player of the Year, Bowers, is predicted to be a high pick in the mock draft. The Broncos get the second pick and I see the struggling team taking advantage of this promising prospect. Missouri’s Gabbert is predicted to be picked early in the draft. The failed “Vine Young” experiment in Tennessee could lead the
Titans to choosing a new franchise quarterback. Tennessee would very unlikely choose Cam Newton or Ryan Mallet over Gabbert because of character concerns. San Francisco is a struggling team with a quarterback question. I see them taking advantage of Ryan Mallet early in the draft. The Minnesota Vikings are the other team with a QB question. Unless they want to acquire a veteran, Newton is their best bet. Ryan Mallet is also in close consideration. The draft is exciting but doesn’t give us the thrill that football does. So through these long months of no football all we can do is wait. Wait. Wait.
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C O U R T W A R M I N G
Queen Chelsea Phoebus and King Sterling Daniels
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