The Patriot November 2016 by SMS Patriot

THE

november

Patriot

Bursting the Bubble Shawnee mission south 5800 W 107th St, Overland Park, KS 66207 (913) 993-7500

issue 3 VOL. 51

2016

On the Cover

Although Johnson County is seen as an affluent area, local students and families still face a number of problems related to being economically disadvantaged. Photos by savannah morgan Photo Editor

Contents News

Sports

News to Know

Canned Food Drive

A&E 25

Winter Play KC Calendar

Pie Recipe

Fall Wrap Up

State Politics

Staff Editorial

Girls Basketball Coach

Broadmoor Culinary Program

Memes

KMEA Music

The Debate: Welfare

Conditioning

Thanksgiving Crafts

Poverty in Johnson County

Black Friday

McLainâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Market Review

Q&A with Nya Smith

Who, What, Wear Twitter Contest

Wi-Fi

SHS Adoption

College Sports

Recruiting

Photo Essay

Staff

Amelia Holcomb Editor-In-Chief Features Editor Sophia Belshe Assistant Editor-In-Chief Opinion Editor Savannah Morgan Photo Editor Mark Holland News Editor

Opinion

Features

Tara Phillips A&E Editor

Avery Woods Copy Editor

Evan Howell Writer

Hannah Carter Photographer

Keeli Ward Sports Editor

Miah Clark Editorial Cartoonist Writer

Angela Machado Writer Jill Propst Writer Tess Conley Writer Hannah Underwood Writer Cassandra Awad Photographer

Maxie Crimm Photographer

Lily Wagner Web Editor Infographics Editor Madison Holloway Ads Editor

Mission

Mara Baine Writer Mitch Brock Writer Faith Danaher Writer

Kice Mansi Photographer Jillian McClellan Photographer Julie Fales Adviser

The Patriot is a news magazine that aims to objectively present topics affecting Shawnee Mission South High School, as well as connect with readers on issues concerning the student body. Staff members reserve the right to express their views in the Opinions section. These pieces are labeled and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the staff as a whole, except the Lead Editorial, which represents the views of the editors. Under the First Amendment and Kansas Law, The Patriot staff is entitled to freedom of the press and neither the school nor district is responsible for any content or coverage. The staff encourages letters to the editor, but they will only be published if signed. The editor-in-chief reserves the right to refuse or edit any letters for reasons of grammar, length and good taste.

Table of Contents

By Mark Holland News Editor

News to Know who are quite upset by the turnout. See more South student’s opinions at www.smsouthnews.

Invasion of the Oak Mites

This past fall, Overland Park citizens have been complaining about bites from creatures known as oak mites. Oak mites are microscopic bugs that fall out of trees and onto people, where they deliver bites. The bites are harmless, but it’s the itching that is most bothersome to people. This fall infestation has affected people all over Kansas, and there is not much that people can do to prevent bites. “They’re painful and they have no cure for them. We just need to wait it out,” sophomore Ellis Lapine said. The wait may be coming to an end soon, for oak mites are killed by freezing winter weather.

Election Results

Early in the morning Nov. 8, Republican candidate Donald J. Trump was elected as the 45th president of the United States of America. This was shocking news for much of America, as many believed that Democrat Hillary Clinton would win. Clinton did

com.

Iraqi refugees fleeing Isis

Citizens of Johnson County gathered at specific locations to vote for the next president.

Photo Courtesy of Caelan Lovell in fact win the popular vote with 59,938,290 votes against Trump’s 59,709,886. Ultimately though, Trump won the presidency with 279 electoral votes against Clinton’s 228. “I’m very happy that Trump was able to win,” junior Blake Atkinson said. “You know, he’s obviously much better than Clinton was and I feel like with his policies, they’re just gonna make America a lot better than it is now.” For many Republicans, this election is a major win, but there are also a lot of Democrats out there

Isis continues to push against the citizens of the Middle East. In Iraq, thousands of refugees are fleeing from harsh rule imposed by the well-known terrorist group. Organizations like the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees have been working to house the now homeless refugees. With events such as this flooding the Middle East, many may wonder what America will do in response. Many believe that U.S. citizens should be more aware of the situation. “I think that some people should take it more seriously,” sophomore Zeb Lyons said. “Some people might not think that it is a big deal and can’t serve the United States but it really is, because many people have died from it. But maybe if we all stand together and fight it can be stopped.”

Shout Out To Debate

On Nov. 5 Ben Smith and Sydney Burns took 10th place in the Novice Division, Kenny Chan and Cinthia Romo KSHSAA State Debate, and Eleanor Jones and Dayanara Zamora Mendoza qualified for Novice State Champs.

Mr. AmeriCAN Winners

Mr. AmeriCANZach Greer Mr. CANgenialitySam Schneck Mr. Talent- Kenny Chan Mr Spirit- Mitch Brock Mr. InterviewZach Greer

Ecomeet

At the State Ecomeet, the team of Mark Almloff, Madison Goerz, Megan Jenkins, and Steffen Seamon got second place. Goerz also received second place in the individual competition.

News

A CANtastic Month StuCO organizes an annual contest to help those in need.

By Jill propst Writer From wrestling matches to food fights, the annual canned food drive helps to raise awareness about those who cannot always afford proper foods, especially around the holidays. The drive raises cans for the Johnson County Christmas Bureau. The Johnson County Christmas Bureau serve between 12,000 and 14,000 low income families a year. The cans that South donates are used in the Holiday Shop. Their Holiday Shop during December consists of groceries, personal care items, holiday gifts, books and different clothing. Last year students at South raised 5,577 food items and $4,657 for the Johnson County Christmas Bureau. Student Council is in charge of planning the canned food drive, requiring input from all student council members. “Figuring out the logistics of the drive takes a bit of planning,” Student Council sponsor Cynthia Hartwell said, “Not only do we have to count and box up all the donated items, but we also have to manage the various incentives offered for each of the cancount benchmarks.” Cans are typically brought into fourth hours, with the class with the most

News

Students are encouraged to collect cans and bring them to their fourth hour classes for a chance to win prizes and help the Johnson County Christmas Bureau.

Photo By hannah Carter

Canned Food Drive Incentives

4,000 cans – Cookout with Principal Todd Dain 7,000 cans – Social studies teacher Brett McFall vs. science teacher Kurt Hodge basketball game at assembly 10,000 cans – Administrators dress up as the Wiggles 13,000 cans – TBD 16,000 cans – English teacher Joe Cline and science teacher Aaron Dean shave their heads at assembly accumulated cans winning a prize. Different rewards are given as an incentive for people to donate. Each week a representative from the class that brings in the most of that week’s themed items is chosen to throw those foods at the executive board during an assembly.

“The fourth hour that brings in the most cans in the month of November will win a StuCO sponsored party,” Hartwell said. Different events throughout November help raise cans. The talent show Nov. 22 will feature different talents from around the school with the

price of admission being $5 or ten cans. The Mr. AmeriCAN pageant is a popular tradition that helps get people to also donate for admission. “I am so excited. It’s the only thing I cared about this year. I was nominated for homecoming court and that does not compare, not even close, to Mr. AmeriCAN in my eyes,” Mr. AmeriCAN KSMS candidate Anton Caruso said. Mr. AmeriCAN took place Wednesday, Nov. 9. It featured nominees from different groups around the school. The boys performed in different events like a typical beauty pageant. “It gets different walks of life from the school. It’s not just kids who play sports or sing or anything. It’s everybody,” Caruso said. The canned drive began at the beginning of the month and will end Nov. 22 with the talent show.

Photo Illustration By Savannah Morgan

Sprint Launches New 1Million Project 1 million students will receive a free device and Wi-Fi By Hannah Underwood Writer

print Corporation recently announced that they will be launching a program to give free internet access to one million students in 2017. This program is called the 1Million Project: Connecting Students to a Better Future. According to the 1Million Project website, approximately 70 percent of teachers nationwide are assigning online homework. This makes having Internet access a necessity, not a luxury. So, not only is there a “wage gap” in the United States but now, also a “homework gap.” The 1Million Project is so far the largest corporate project to accept the challenge of closing the “homework gap” and making wireless Internet more accessible. The program will begin Jan. 1 with the pilot program launch; applications for pilot programs were due Oct. 28. Sprint will chose 7-10 locations for the pilot programs. High schools, nonprofit organizations, libraries and public housing authorities are eligible, so long as they provide the needs of their high school students. To apply, the schools/organizations

had to identify 250-500 students with low income household and no access to Internet, have the capacity to administer the program, and be able to communicate with Sprint to provide feedback. The pilot program will last until June 1, but applications for the full program are due March 1. The full program will launch in the fall. Students who qualify for the program will receive a free smartphone, tablet, laptop, or hotspot device with 3GB per month of high speed LTE Sprint data. Also, students will be provided with free hotspot capability and unlimited calls and texts for those who chose a phone as their device. The content on all devices will be monitored by the Free Children’s Internet Protection Act Filter. The 1 million students chosen for the program will be split up into 200,000 students per year for five years. Although many students in Johnson County are fortunate enough to have access to Wi-Fi at home, with the latest surge of the use of technology at home, it would be a disadvantage for students to not have Wi-Fi. “I would think that here at South, there aren’t that many students who don’t have Wi-Fi access at home,” librarian Debi O’Brien said. “Because even in apartment complexes, for students who don’t have Wi-Fi for themselves, the complexes provide a

Program Time Line Oct. 28- pilot program applications due January- pilot program begins March- full program applications begin June- pilot program ends Fall 2017- year 1 full program begins common place with Wi-Fi.” Since most students at South would not be affected by the 1Million Project, they would be capable of helping. Those who do have internet access can help the program by donating old phones, laptops, and tablets to Sprint for the 1Million Project.

News

Spanish Honor Society Adoption South students to aid Honduran immigrant family.

By Angela Machado Writer n spirit of the holidays, Spanish Honor Society students are reaching out to the Kansas City Hispanic community. They are involved in tutoring Hispanic students, teaching Hispanic adults English to help them obtain their GED and babysitting children at the Oak Park Library while their parents take English language learning classes. The newest members of the Spanish Honor Society were initiated Nov. 15. “Being in Spanish Honor Society is going to help me in my future career because I’ll be able to speak Spanish and help others,” senior and Spanish Honor Society officer Andrew Anderson said. One of the traditions that Spanish Honor Society does annually is adopt a family for the holidays by giving them things they need but cannot always afford because of the economic challenges they are facing on a daily basis. “They connect with local Hispanic communities and help out, and in exchange they get to practice their Spanish and learn the culture [to] expand their own awareness,” Spanish teacher and Spanish Honor Society sponsor Leigh Rykso said. This year the family that was chosen for the adoption is a Honduran family that Rykso met at an event. The family consists of a mother and her four kids. The father was assassinated for trying to preserve the land of the indigenous people and the family came to the United States to seek political asylum. Spanish Honor Society usually teams up with a local organization called “El Centro” for the adoption, but Rysko believed that choosing this family was more important because it was more urgent, considering they have less connections.

News

During seminar, student members of Spanish Honor Society have the opportunity to come to math teacher Amy Read's room to tutor others. Spanish Honor Society members earn service hours, while students receive help.

Photo By Maxie Crimm

Hispanic Tutoring

by hannah underwood writer One way that Spanish Honors Society members can earn their eight hours is by tutoring Hispanic students in math or English during seminar or after school. This opportunity was co-launched by math teacher Amy Read and Spanish Honor Society sponsor Leigh Rysko. Senior Andrew Anderson is one of the students who helps out during seminar, tutoring specifically in Geometry and Algebra. “It’s been nice for me to help them,” Anderson said. “They don’t really have anyone at home to help them with homework because their parents might only speak Spanish, so I feel good about that.” Although helping Hispanic students with their homework has been beneficial for both the students and Anderson, the process does come along with challenges. “[It is difficult], because sometimes I don’t know all the math terms in Spanish,” Anderson said. Despite its challenges, this opportunity has been successful due to the willingness of Hispanic students to work hard and cooperate with the tutors. “They had not even two days to pack up so they have a lot of different necessities,” Rysko said. The members from this club are also taking Spanish classes and study things such as land activism and indigenous rights. Adopting this family in particular helps students feel more connected to the family because they have studied these problems in class and it helps the students realize how good they have it here in the United States.

“I really like Spanish and Hispanic culture and I think getting to work with a family who has been through really difficult times and who speaks Spanish is going to positively affect my determination to learn Spanish,” senior and Spanish Honor Society president Caroline Cooper said. Students who are not a part of SHS are encouraged to participate so the family will be able to receive as many donations as possible.

Fall Festivities

3 4 1 1. This year the host of the second annual fall Poetry Festival was senior Anton Caruso. Caruso also performed some poems of his own for the festival. photo by hannah carter

2. South’s Repertory theater will perform the annual winter

show “Miracle on 34th Street” Nov. 30 - Dec. 3. Tickets are free with a student ID and $5 for anyone else. photo by maxie crimm

3. Staff members Clayton and Candy Bailey dress up their car

with the theme of “Candy Land” for Trunk or Treat, hosted by National Art Honor Society. Kids dressed up in their favorite costumes to come by and grab a sweet treat. photo by maxie crimm

4. The new National Honor Society initiates light their candles

to conclude their initiation. Each of the initiates has to perform 15 hours of community service each semester to be a member. Photo by kice mansi

News

Fall Sports Wrap-Up State competitors and team results

By Tess Conley writer ith fall coming to an end that means that fall sports finished up with their seasons and competed in final tournaments. South had all fall teams participating in Regional or State competitions, with some ups and downs. Cross country competed in their State competition at Rim Rock Farm as the final of seven South sports concluding their season.

How did your season go?

Football

Football ended the year with a 0-8 record. They concluded the season at their State playoff game against Blue Valley 0-54. The boys football season ended with six season ending injuries and nine quits/ kick offs.

Cross Country

Cross country ended in State with the boys team competing and senior Karynn Carroll as a girls individual. The boys team finished 11th out of 12th in the boys 5,000 meters race team score. “[State] was a really cool experience because we got to all keep running together for the last time,” senior Ben Stophel said

Pheobe Holmes Freshman Gymnastics “It was a good season. We could have practiced harder I guess, cause we kind of messed around during practice but we still had a good season since we made it to State.”

Gymnastics

Girls gymnastics competed and hosted State here at South with a team of five, and ended the competition in eighth place. They also got the news that girls gymnastics will be continued for two more years, despite the possibility getting rid of it because of lack of coaches and judges. “It’s exciting because we worked really hard to save it, so it’s exciting. So that’s fun,” freshman Pheobe Holmes said.

Girls Tennis The doubles tennis team of sophomore Kylie Hance and senior Natalie Prauser competed at the State competition in Topeka Oct. 14-15. “It was really fun. We definitely got farther than we expected to. On Friday you weren’t guaranteed to play on Saturday because you had to win a certain amount of matches. We ended up fulfilling that requirement and playing on Saturday, which going into the tournament we didn’t even think was going to happen,” Hance said.

Mitch Brock Senior Cross Country “It started off rough but it picked up during the middle of the season and peaked during Regionals. That was a great experience. It helped us qualify for State which is somehting I haven’t done in my whole time here at South and hasn’t happend since 2013.”

Boys Soccer Boys soccer had early success in their Regional tournament. The boys won their first game against Olathe South 2-0, but lost to Blue Valley West 3-1 in the second game. They finished their season with a 11-6 season.

Girls Golf Girls golf player and sophomore Katie Schultz qualified for State as an individual. The entire girls golf team also had success throughout the year. “I thought it was a good season. All 10 girls played in tournaments this year and from the start of the season until the end, they got better every practice,” Coach Shaun Henry said.

Girls Volleyball

Girls volleyball had a short Regionals tournament, but still had an impressive year after losing five seniors last year. The girls lost to Blue Valley West 2-0, and ended the season with a 11-27 record. “This year we got a really unlucky draw for sub-State. We played BVW who is ranked No. 2 in the nation and lost, so we didn’t get to go to State,” senior Megan Gunter said.

Sports

David Park Junior Soccer “It went pretty well, a lot better than last year because everyone bought into the coaches and what they were talking about.” Photos By Kice Mansi Quotes Gathered By Tess Conley and Kice Mansi

Girls Basketball Team Adds A New Member Bringing over 20 years of experience, the new girls basketball coach is expecting good things this season.

we haven’t done before so we’re going to be in the best shape we’ve ever been going into the season,” Holmes said. The new preseason workouts are enforced to focus less on conditioning during the season and focus more on playing basketball. “Winter training has been going great,” Coach Tinich said. “We’ve been getting about 15 - 20 strong every day. We’re going to start a thing called Bootcamp By Mitch Brock where we come in every day and Writer we run so we don’t have to do two a days so we can get all the he girls basketball program conditioning done before the has been gifted with season starts. So we can, right off someone new this year — the bat, get the basketball in our gifted teacher Terry Tinich, who hands and we can start getting certainly seems to know what things done with the basketball he’s doing. instead of worrying about “I’ve coached 20+ years for getting in shape.” boys and girls Due to the high school “I think we’re going to conditioning that basketball surprise a lot of people Coach Tinich is programs as before and I don’t think people enforcing well as at the the season, college level will be expecting what Holmes has high with Ottawa we’ll bring to the table.” hopes for the University,” season. Coach Terry Tinich Coach Tinich “There’s so said. many returners After having her old coach and seniors and I’m expecting a from freshman year to junior good season, better than the last year, Elizabeth Holmes explains three years we’ve had. I think the difference between the old with his experience and his new and the new coach. coaching styles, we’ll be able to “He’s more experienced and do well,” Holmes said. he’s coached a lot longer than Coach Tinich thinks the our old coach has. I loved our Lady Raiders will come out of old coach and I’m going to miss nowhere this season. her a lot but I’m excited for a “I think we’re going to change and for his new drills and surprise a lot of people. We’ve his new coaching,” Holmes said. kind of been the doormat of the Coach Tinich is, and has league for the past couple years been, preparing the girls for the and I don’t think people will be season during both the summer expecting what we’ll bring to the and fall. table,” Coach Tinich said. “He got us in the gym a lot The Raiders basketball team this summer which is a little and their new coach are having different than our old coach. positive thoughts towards the We started conditioning about season. Their first game is at two and a half months before home, at 7 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 1 the season which is something against Shawnee Mission East.

Photo By Jillian McCellan

Sports

Hitting The Weights Early

Athletes involved in spring sports hit the weight room to prepare for their season. By Faith Danaher Writer

alk into the weight room and hear the clanking of weights and the sound of workout music as athletes work to get stronger and faster. While winter sports are kicking into high gear, athletes involved in spring sports are also putting in work in the weight room to prepare for their season. Spring sports like baseball, softball, girls soccer and track and field begin conditioning in the offseason in order to be at their best for season. Head baseball coach Mitch Wiles tries to build up the strength of his athletes before the spring season begins. “The weight room has become so important in the development of athletes, no matter what sport it is. If you want to be successful, you need to be in the weight room and you need to develop your body and develop the strength,” Wiles said. Additionally, the girls soccer program will begin conditioning the week of Nov. 21 in order to build up their strength and endurance for the competition this spring. Girls head soccer coach Caroline Ewing expects to build up the girls’ strength before winter break and work on the speed and fitness component after the break. With the help of winter conditioning, Ewing is looking forward to a fun season. “It seems like we’ve got a good combination of talent and determination this year, and everyone seems to have high expectations for themselves, all the players do, even the fans have high expectations, which is always fun,” Ewing said. Some players miss out on their spring sport conditioning because

Sports

Coach Mitch Wiles and the boys 2017 baseball team are preparing for their spring season by lifting weights and conditioning after school. They will be conditioning throughout the winter.

Photos By Kice Mansi they are involved in a winter sport. Junior soccer player Robyn Macdonald has to miss out on soccer conditioning because she is involved in girls basketball. “I miss the team part of conditioning and I wish I was able to have all of that preseason bonding with everyone, but I don’t think I miss anything athletic-wise. I think I make up for it with the sports that I’m doing instead,” Macdonald said. Additionally, track and field begin conditioning in the winter to prepare for their season. The multitude of track and field athletes work in the weight room and go on runs to improve their strength and fitness. Senior Molly Wiskur attends conditioning to improve her fitness. “With conditioning, I’m already in shape so that I’m not trying to get in shape while it’s already season. That way I’m the fastest I can be before season even starts,” Wiskur said. With winter conditioning, spring athletes can choose to become stronger and more fit and give themselves a better chance of making

Sophomore Samuel Peck is doing hang cleans during conditioning. This was Peck’s second year playing baseball for South.

the team they are hoping to make. Winter conditioning also allows the athletes involved in the school teams and programs to get to know the other people involved before their season even starts. Overall, if you are interested in joining a spring sport and are not already involved in a winter sport, stop by conditioning to improve your fitness.

Colleges Paying for Student Athletes’ Academic Success By Evan Howell Writer

he amount of money professional sports bring into each franchise is in the billions, but what about at the collegiate level? Well, college sports also bring in up to millions of dollars, but colleges aren’t allowed to pay their players. This has been an extremely relevant disagreement between colleges, the NCAA and student athletes. Student athletes are nearly employees of the NCAA if you take into account their marketing and advertising potential for their own team/ school. Colleges aren’t allowed to influence a student’s commitment by offering them money, nor can they offer them money for say winning games, only in the way of scholarships. Nearly every position involved in any sport at the college level, is a paid employee, other than the players. The players put in the most work, and are realistically what brings attention to a school through successful sports programs. The average NCAA division I football player spends about 44.5 Photos By Jillian McClellan and Madelyn Mendez Quotes gathered BY Tess Conley

hours per week in practice, film room, or training facility, compare that to the slightly below 40 hours per week on academics, according to USAtoday.com. They put in more hours into football than a full-time job. That and their play helps influence where the college is in the public eye, and helps bring in money in the long run for the college. It’s easy to see why student athletes want to be paid for their hard work. Although the starting quarterback of any major college is more than likely there on a full scholarship, take into consideration that these players are the face of the team in some cases. Some of these players have an enormous amount of responsibility on their shoulders and deserve to be paid for their play. Starting in 2019-2020, the NCAA will begin to use 75 percent of the increase in their new contract deal with TBS for March Madness, which is signed till 2032 as of now, to pay student athletes for their academic achievements. The deal will bring

Photo By jillian mccellan in $1.1 billion per year, which is an increase of $330 million from their contract prior to its reconstruction. They will then split the extra money amongst schools that are involved in this program. This deal will change the way student athletes financially prepare for college and could have a huge benefit on the academic performance through schools who this revenue split is applied too.

Athlete Snapshots

Yor Anei Boys Basketball

What are you looking forward to the most this season?

“I’m just excited to see how the new team does, and how we improve on our record. I’m just curious.”

Lauren Anderson Girls Basketball

What is your favorite memory that you have made while playing basketball here at South?

Isaias Olson Wrestling

What is your number one goal for this season? “To win State.”

“Probably, the locker room hype up before games.”

Sports

The State's Squad by Lily Wagner infographics editor

Besides the presidential election, Kansas voters made decisions to fill seats, retain judges and amend the state Constitution. Here is the lowdown on the down-ballot winners and their positions in Johnson County:

Southâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Mock Election Results: Presidential Race Clinton - 47.3% Trump - 30.2% Johnson - 16.6% Stein - 6%

Senate Race photo by Pete Marovich

photo by DAVID EULITT

Senator Jerry Moran (R)

House of Representatives Member Kevin Yoder (R)

Taxes: Has voted to cut taxes over 200 times Health Care: Wants to repeal the Affordable Care Act Abortion: Pro-life, supports the defunding of Planned Parenthood 2nd Amendment: Has an A rating from the NRA

Health Care: Wants to repeal the Affordable Care Act and replace it Education: give more local power in education, create a better student loan program, against Common Core National Security: against closing Guantanamo Bay, stop refugee resettlement in Kansas, put more money into defense

11th District KS State Senator John Skuball (R)

Education: supports local control of schools, increase funding for higher education State Budget: fix the budget, raise income tax/lower sales tax, put money towards education, transportation, KPERS (Kansas public employees retirement system)

20th District KS House of Representatives Member Jan Kessinger (R)

Education: supports local control for school funding, is against education budget cuts Taxes: rebalance state budget with a priority to roads and public safety

Ballot Propositions 1. Amendment 1 was approved with 81 percent making hunting, fishing and trapping wildlife a constitutional right in the state. 2. Fifty-three percent of Johnson County voters approved raising sales tax by a quartercent for 10 years to pay for the new $182 million Johnson County courthouse and coroner's facility. 3. Voters across the state decided on whether to retain state Supreme Court judges or let Governor Sam Brownback replace them. All five judges were retained: Chief Justice Lawton Nuss, Justice Marla Luckert, Justice Carol Beier, Justice Daniel Biles and Justice Caleb Stegall.

Patrick Wiesner - 374 votes, 44.1% Jerry Moran - 349 votes, 41.1% Robert Garrard - 126 votes, 14.8%

House of Representatives

3rd district, 2 year term Kevin Yoder - 51.8% Steven Hohe - 17% Jay Sidie - 31.15%

Johnson County Presidential Results: Trump - 47.9% Clinton - 45.2% Johnson - 5.2% Stein - 1.7%

Kansas Presidential Results: Trump - 57.2% Clinton - 36.2% Johnson - 4.7% Stein - 2%

Features

Starting the Recruiting Process Playing sports after high school may seem difficult, but if you push through it, it’s worth it. By Avery Woods Copy Editor

lmost every day junior Margo Hunter emails college rowing coaches. She looks for the schools she likes in an ongoing search for scholarships and the right school for her. Though it sounds overwhelming, she is going through a recruitment process that every high school athlete who wants to play in college experiences, and many start as soon as their high school career begins; Hunter began the recruitment process her freshman year of high school. “I have a recruiting website called Be Recruited so when I just put my information on there, then coaches might search for athletes in a specific sport, and they can see my statistics, my height, my weight, my score,” Hunter said. The recruitment process usually begins with a barrage of emails to any sort of school that the athlete is interested in. “I probably emailed upwards of a hundred coaches about visits, about camps, about them coming to see me play,” senior Sam Schneck said. Schneck has already committed to William Jewell College to play soccer. Schneck began the process in his sophomore year. Athletic Director John Johnson recommends working with a high school coach to begin the process. “College coaches want to know how coachable kids are, how they do in a school environment, are they good teammates, how they are in the locker room,” Johnson said. According to Johnson, high school coaches are the only coaches who can provide this type of information, because they know how responsible students are in the classroom and how they function off the field. “One of the things that really

Sports

Varsity soccer player Sam Schenck has played soccer for South for four years. This year he committed to playing soccer at William Jewell college. Photo By Kice Mansi

helped me was having high grades and a good ACT score. It makes you stand out against players who may be as good as you are but aren’t as good in the classroom,” Schneck said. In addition to being good in the classroom, coaches are looking for athletes who get along well with the team. “I really can’t put enough emphasis on being a good person. They [coaches] really want to have great teammates on their squad. They can have a squad full of talent, and then after so long, if there a couple of bad eggs on the team, it can ruin their chances of success because people aren’t going to get along,” former University of North Carolina soccer player and college recruiter Kelly Jordan Diener said. According to Diener, once interested, college coaches will contact the player’s other coaches (club or high school), and others who know the player to see what kind of person they really are. Diener also recommends that the player should look into the coach the same way that the coach looks into the player. “The importance during the recruiting process is really getting to know your coach sometimes during the recruiting process, that’s when they want you, they love you. They’re

going to suck up to you, and once you get there, that’s not really how they are,” Diener said. Getting colleges interested is just the first part of the process; then comes the decision to commit. “When I committed, or when I got my offer, they gave me a two-month deadline that I had to decide by or my offer would be gone,” Schneck said. When Schneck did not have success with any other schools, he decided to commit to William Jewell. “I think it was a combination of being really close. I didn’t really want to go super far. It had the major I wanted, and they gave me a good offer and I really liked the coach,” Schneck said. Hunter has not committed yet. “I need to take college visits first and talk with the girls on the team, see how they like it and what aspects they don’t like… and also I’ll look at what they offer me as far as scholarships,” Hunter said. Diener says that being prepared for career-ending injuries is also important. “I think the best thing to ask yourself is, would I still go here if I wasn’t playing? Would I still go to this school if I was injured?” Diener said.

Cooking Up a Career

A student prepares the house salad, the Chia Mousse Cake receives its final garnish and the Airline Chicken Breast is ready to be served. The Broadmoor Bistro is hidden inside the Broadmoor Technical Center. Students prepare the food under the direction of Chefs Justin Hoffman and Bob Brassard.

Broadmoor Culinary Program gives students restaurant experience.

by mara baine writer tudents from around the district who see themselves entering a culinary career attend Broadmoor Culinary Center, which teaches about careers in culinary, baking or overall restaurant management. Around Thanksgiving, Broadmoor sells pies as a way to raise money for the school. The pies have to be preordered by today. To order, go to Broadmoor’s website. Broadmoor students are not only making pies to sell, but also side dishes such as stuffing, rolls and casseroles. “The pie sales are the student’s only way to practice their skills while raising funds for their student activity organization known as SkillsUSA,” head chef Robert Brassard said. “All revenue from our pie sale is for the state and National conferences, where our students have represented the state of Kansas in commercial baking, culinary arts and table service for the past 16 years, earning over $500,000 in scholarships for college. By purchasing a pie of baked item, you are providing an opportunity for our students to compete again this year.” There are two different classes offered at Broadmoor: culinary or bakery. Ater-school classes on Wednesday and

Features

photos by savannah morgan Thursday are offered for restaurant skills. These classes prepare students for jobs in the culinary field. “Each year we have a different group of students and it is truly satisfying to be a part of their growth in the hospitality industry,” Brassard said. “[My favorite part is] cooking labs with students on a daily basis and tasting their creations as they grow in knowledge in food production.” The students not only work in the kitchen every day, on certain nights The Broadmoor Bistro is open, and students cook for the public. The bistro is open Wednesday nights from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. Meals are $30 and include two appetizers, a main dish and dessert. Students have grown to feel as though South is their second school while Broadmoor is their home base. “I feel that Broadmoor is now my school. After about three months there last year, South become kind of not my home school...,” junior Brendan Murphy said. There are many other skills the teachers at Broadmoor want their students to learn besides just learning how to cook or bake. These include communication and human relations. Broadmoor tries to teach all aspects. “[The main things I want my students to learn is] how to work together as a team, and understand that not everyone is going to have the same work cooking skills as they are acquiring,” Brassard said. “My hope is that we prepare them for both the skill side of our industry, but also the human side where developing relationships and communication skills in a professional environment will enable them to cope and succeed in tomorrow’s industry.”

Sophomore Isabel Gusman practices in preparation for the audition for KMEA All-State Orchestra. Gusman was a violist in the Chamber Orchestra at South. photo by Cassandra Awad

Coming Together to Play Band, choir and orchestra students prepare for the tryouts that could take them to State.

By Mara Baine Writer fter long hours of preparation, junior Claire Nash and violin player will play in front of a panel of judges who determine if she will make it into KMEA, and later, state. KMEA is the Kansas for Music Educators Association where choir, band and orchestra students all come together in hopes of getting to high levels in different divisions. With new opportunities and challenges, band, orchestra and choir students are all looking forward to the event. “I’m excited to be able to collaborate with other schools and other choirs in Kansas. It will be nice to hear different voices,” sophomore Kimberly Dewitt said. While many are excited for the KMEA, orchestra, band and choir students all go through different ways to practice and get better so they can compete with others in their assigned district band. After KMEA tryouts students are assigned to a district band, orchestra or choir. Then they compete against their groups for first chair in their instrument, and the best have the opportunity to compete at State against other districts. “Definitely a lot of practice, because the judges are behind a wall of newspapers and they are also not facing you so they listen for every mistake and errors in bowing,”

Nash said. “You basically want to go in there and have a perfect audition if you want a chance of making it.” Although band, orchestra and choir go through different tryouts and processes to reach State, they all go to the AllState conference, which this year is being held Feb. 23-25. The main purpose of KMEA is to try to bring students with the same interests in music together across Kansas. Johnson County is in the North East district of Kansas. “...It is an organization that supports students in a variety of different ways,” orchestra conductor Jonathan Wiebe said. “It’s really a group of teachers that get together and make decisions and try to create meaningful experiences for students to have, such as District and State orchestra and some other events throughout the year that allow students those extra above and beyond experiences that you don’t get in the classroom.” With the idea of trying out for KMEA comes with goals for it as well. This can include perfecting the vocals, trying to eliminate as many bowing errors as possible, or just becoming an overall better musician. “[I want] to become a better singer and to improve my skills and reading music and keep up with certain tempos, and overall just get better in the process of auditions and not be nervous,” Dewitt said. Trying out for KMEA also helps students with college and their future. Doing well at KMEA gives the students the opportunity to earn a varsity letter in music. All KMEA tryouts are Dec. 3. Choir will be at Shawnee Mission Northwest, band at Blue Valley and orchestra at Olathe South.

Features

Bursting the Bubble

Photo illustration by savannah morgan

In a seemingly wealthy area, poverty affects students and their families.

By Sophia Belshe assistant editor-in-chief hen many people think of Johnson County, they think of an affluent area filled with privileged, mainly white people living in a suburban paradise. And while the estimated median household income for 2012 was $74,761, about $23,000 above the national median income, underneath this so called “bubble” exists a surprisingly prominent level of poverty. At South, approximately 26.65 percent of students are economically disadvantaged, meaning that they qualify for free or reduced lunch, according to the Kansas Department of Education. The free and reduced lunch program is just one way that SMSD seeks to help those living in economic hardship. “My parents don’t make that much money… All of our family has to chip in to even be able to stay in our house and stuff like that,” student body president and senior Cinthia Romo said. The program does have an application process, though, meaning that only some families apply. The qualifications for the program are based on income and number of people in the family, among other factors. “I have brothers, and then my mom. She’s my only guardian, so she takes care of everything, and she’s also paying her way through college… so we qualify for it because she’s paying for so much stuff,” senior Rakeya Martain said. “She’s just a great mom for doing all that for us.” The application for the free and reduced lunch

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program can be found online or in the office. While this program is seen as the benchmark for economic disadvantage, there are other factors when it comes to poverty. In recent years, the district has identified close to 400 homeless students each school year. “When I was younger, we moved around a lot, and then when I was about 13 we got evicted out of our house. And we ended up moving into my grandparents house, but they don’t live there. They just bought it for us because we couldn’t afford to get a new house,” a student, who wishes to remain anonymous, said. The McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act, enacted in 1987, is a federal law put in place to fund resources for homeless people. Part of the law specifically helps homeless students be as successful as possible by waiving school fees, providing free breakfast and lunch, and negotiating transportation as needed. In the Shawnee Mission District, students in this program also have access to counseling and regular meetings with McKinney-Vento social worker David Aramovich so that he can monitor their situation and ensure that they are getting the resources they need, as well as talk with them about academics. “If you come to school hungry, you come to school not knowing where you’re going to sleep the next night. You come to school with maybe the same pair of shoes and the same clothing because you can’t find a facility to wash your clothes in... that… will be at the forefront of somebody’s mind versus that they had to study for a test the previous night,” Aramovich said. “That being said, I have met some of the most resilient students and family members… They’ve always been able to prioritize their academics, so they’re not mutually exclusive.”

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McKinney-Vento program defines essness slightly differently than partment of Housing and Urban opment. McKinney-Vento includes es who are living with other es, which is considered a nonnent housing situation, according movich. These students are mainly fied by faculty, but they can be ht to Aramovich’s attention any er of ways. ink that there is a greater awareness dship that people experience, ur demographics here in Shawnee n School District have significantly ed,” Aramovich said. ddition to helping students battling essness, McKinney-Vento also helps homeless shelters across the nation. des McKinney-Vento, which helps nts at a district level, South features l unique programs to help people in mmunity. choir, orchestra and band tments host three separate concerts December, during which they pass a collect donations that benefit local es in the South community through ram called Raiders Helping Raiders. amazing because every single year s so much generosity that comes om these families in our community p support the families that do need f assistance, and so I think it’s erful that we’re able to help them way,” choir director Jon Duncan Especially considering these same es [who are donating] are already ing lots of money for their child to band or orchestra or choir.” e the money from these concerts ected, the counseling department fies items, such as gift cards, that es need, and the donations are used chase those items. Last year, all the rts raised a combined total of over 0. ink it’s really good that we’re things to help families that need phomore and Chanticleers choir er Kimberly DeWitt said. concerts typically feature music d to the holiday season. The band rt will be Dec. 7, orchestra Dec. 8 hoir Dec. 13. South Foundation is another am in place at South to help nts and their families who may be ling economically. pick out some families during the o help out, as need be,” associate

principal Ryan Flurry said. The annual canned food drive, put on by StuCo, benefits the Johnson County Christmas Bureau, a local organization that serves between 12,000 and 14,000 low income families in Johnson County a year by hosting a Christmas shop where families can shop for groceries, personal care items, holiday gifts, books and clothing. “They try their best so that people don’t feel inferior to anyone else,” Romo said. The canned food drive ends Nov. 22, with a final goal of 16,000 cans. If this goal is reached by the final deadline, English teacher Joseph Cline and science teacher Aaron Dean will shave their heads at an assembly. This is just one of the many incentives StuCo has organized throughout the food drive. “[Students] do it for the incentives and everything, but, overall, the biggest incentive that we have is giving toward the community and toward people who actually need this,” Romo said. In addition to organizing the canned food drive, StuCo will be volunteering at the Christmas Bureau. They will be going in early December to help set up the shop, and they may even have the opportunity to help some of the shoppers. Beyond going to help out the organization itself, Romo also said she hopes to raise awareness for poverty in Johnson County. “Some people live paycheck to paycheck, and that’s a really sad thing, but a lot of people that I know identify with that, similar to how I identify with that,” Romo said. “I wish that people understood that appearances aren’t everything. Poverty is actually a huge deal, and I’m glad that it’s something that we’re helping fight.” In 2015, 6.6 percent of Johnson County residents lived below the federal poverty line, according to data recently released by the U.S. Census Bureau. In 2011, 15.2 percent of U.S. citizens lived below the poverty line, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. As rich as Johnson County’s reputation is, people are not exempt from this nationwide issue. “I think that we have a lot of great people in our Shawnee Mission community that are very interested in compassion toward individuals and families who, for the multitude of reasons, have struggled,” Aramovich said. “I think that that’s what it’s truly about: for us to be thinking about us and we versus us and them.”

Locations in the Area to Volunteer or Receive Help Johnson County Christmas Bureau

9503 Johnson Dr, Merriam, KS 66203 (913) 341-4342 www.jccb.org

Stepping Stone 5100 Noland Road Kansas City, MO 64133 816-356-0187 www.steppingstonekc.org/ Salvation Army

Catholic Charities West Park Shopping Center, 9720 W 87th St, Overland Park, KS 66212 (913) 433-2100 www.catholiccharitiesks.org

Bedroll Roundup

7616 Tomahawk Road, Prairie Village, KS, 66208 816-797-3943 www.facebook.com/ BedrollRoundup

Kid’s TLC Street Outreach Services

480 South Rogers Road, Olathe, KS, 66061 913-324-3614 www.kidstlc.org/

Village Food and Clothing Pantry

9960 Mission Road, Leawood, KS, 66206 913-671-2315 www.villagepres.org/food-pantry--clothes-closet.html

Nya Smith and her family celebrate their heritage by wearing traditional dress “regalia” and going to pow-wows. Smith comes from a long line of Native Americans, and she has family living on a reservation in Arizona.

Photos courtesy of Nya Smith

A &

with sophomore

Nya Smith Many teenagers don’t really know their heritage, but sophomore Nya Smith does. Smith is a half Navajo and a fourth Osage Native American, who celebrates her heritage in many ways such as going to pow pows and making fry bread, a typical Native American dish. Smith shares hers thoughts on “Indian” Halloween costumes, Christopher Columbus and the Washington Redskins.

BY keeli ward sports editor PHOTO BY hannah carter

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What is your tribal affiliation?

I am Osage and Navajo. My mom, my grandma and my great-grandma were on a reservation and then my grandma left because she thought that my mom would have a better education off of the reservation because they don’t really focus on school...

What do you do to celebrate your heritage?

Well, there are pow wows and so normally I go to those, and I take pictures of my cousins dancing because my family is not really into photography. When I was little I didn’t have a bunch of pictures so I want to make sure that my cousins know that they are Native American and that they don’t need to be ashamed and hide it.

How do you celebrate Thanksgiving?

Normally I go to my grandma’s house because my grandpa is Osage but my grandma is like German, Irish and Scottish and so it’s just a traditional Thanksgiving. There is nothing different about it.

Are there any holidays that you celebrate that other cultures do not?

Yes. So, there is like a main Christmas in December so we get some presents then and then, I think it’s around February, there is a second Christmas so then we get more gifts then.

Where is the reservation that your tribe lives on?

It is in Arizona. If I am not mistaken, I think it is either the largest or the second largest Native American reservation in the United States.

Have you ever experienced racism or been stereotyped because of your culture?

Yes, especially during Halloween when I take my brothers, sisters and family to the Halloween store to find something to wear. There is always a section with “Native American Costumes.” In so many ways it is offensive. It a such a stereotype.

What is one thing that you want to say to those who stereotype Native American cultures?

take a lot of offense and a lot of people don’t realize that they are doing harm but I would like to show them that they are...You can’t just take something and make it yours.

What do you think about Christopher Columbus? I mean, I know that there is a Columbus Day but honestly I don’t feel anything toward him. Yeah, he came to America, but I don’t think people realize... Millions and millions of Native Americans were slaughtered. It was our land first and we wanted to protect it, and I don’t think people realize that we were here first and they came here and just took everything from us... They moved us off of our land...

How many generations of your family has celebrated your culture?

I would probably say all of them. When my dad was younger he knew he was Osage but my great grandpa, so my grandpa’s dad, died when my grandpa was really young so he didn’t really talk about their heritage very much and like my aunts and uncles they weren’t really interested but my dad was. My dad started to go to pow-wows and stuff and then her started making regalia and dancing. And then, he met my mom at one of the pow wows and that all happened. But I guess my dad is really the reason why I would be going to pow-wows now.

What is regalia?

It is what people think are costumes. But, it’s what we wear at pow-wows. People like to call it “clothes” or like “costumes.” We get a lot of comment like that at pow wows but we are like “it’s called regalia and stuff.”

How do you feel about sports teams having names that are affiliated with being Native American such as the Indians or Redskins?

Redskins is a racial slur, and it is not okay to say. I don’t get why people think that it’s okay to say. And like the Chiefs fans wear headdresses and those were meant for people who fought for our people and they earned a feather for every battle they were in. To put it in a simpler way it more like saying, let’s take this person and they put on like some stuff from the army and they call themselves a “veteran” but they have never fought in a war. The Indians, I guess it doesn’t really get to me because we are Native American, not Indians. Indians are from India and Native Americans are from America.

It is not a costume that you can put on. We are actual living people, we are not extinct, we didn’t disappear. We

Features

Staff Editorial

Editorial Cartoon by Miah Clark

his holiday season many of us will be enjoying the little luxuries in life that we often disregard — we eat too much, we unwrap multiple gifts and we enjoy the comfort of warm beds at the end of the day. Although Johnson County is one of the most affluent counties in the state, data from the U.S. Census Data says there are 37,000 Johnson Countians who live below the poverty line. The poverty line for a family of three was set at $19,790 in 2014. Still 1,109 Shawnee Mission School District children are homeless (the definition for homelessness includes those who “double up” and stay with a family member or friend at some point during the year because they do not have their own lodging). These numbers have continually risen for years. Poverty is not something that is always obvious to classmates and friends, but it drastically impacts the lives of those it affects. Children who regularly go to bed hungry— or may

Opinion

not even have a bed to call their own — are understandably more likely to have trouble concentrating and succeeding in school and have the odds stacked against them everyday, potentially creating a domino effect throughout their entire lives. Luckily, there are ways to help those in our own community. Student Council’s annual food drive is perhaps the easiest and one of the best ways to reach families who need it. StuCo hosts a variety of events which benefit the canned food drive, and fourth hour classes are participating in a competition to collect the most cans. All canned items and money donations go directly to the Johnson County Christmas Bureau, which provides food, toiletries and holiday gifts to the growing Johnson County population living under the poverty line. When donating, pay attention to the list of suggested food the Bureau provides, or consider donating money. Money allows agencies to purchase more nutritious, fresh foods rather than just relying on canned

goods to feed families. Aside from the canned food drive, there are multiple opportunities to help by volunteering at food banks and soup kitchens like Harvesters or Catholic Charities. Volunteering doesn’t cost anything is in itself a meaningful donation because it establishes a connection between the volunteer and those who they are helping. It isn’t bad to have money, but we need to appreciate what we have and recognize that there are too many in our own community struggling to enjoy this holiday season. Helping children deal with hunger or poverty makes it easier for them to work toward their dreams and succeed. Ultimately, helping out those surrounding us only strengthens our society as a whole to reach its full potential.

9/9 editors agree with the views expressed in this editorial

What They Really Meme Analyzing one of the strongest pieces of today’s humor: memes.

By Miah Clark Writer, editorial Cartoonist rom Pepe to Dat Boi to Harambe, these short-lived social media spread obsessions are what we collectively know as memes. Memes are a social exchange that have recently become unavoidable on the internet. Originally a concept created by English Ethologist Richard Dawkins to categorize the genetic spread of behavior and culture, memes have transformed into socially invented and accepted packets of humorous information. In forms including pictures, sounds, videos, or websites, memes have become an essential part of our current society. Memes are so popular because of how easy they are to understand or relate to. Widely spread through social media or user-generated content sites, memes were created to be understood by large audiences in the same situations. Thanks to the internet, decentralized people can enjoy the same jokes over the same experience. The most common meme consists of an image accompanied by text. The success and spread of the meme lies in the changing of one or more things other than the heart of the meme, usually just the text. Examples of this could include the different varieties of Pepe, or the different settings Caveman SpongeBob is put in. Through this, individuals who create memes give each a specific meaning or relate it to a specific situation. With current circumstances including the presidential election, the content of memes have shifted to worldly and national issues. Ken Bone, an undecided voter from the second presidential debate, was made a meme due to his distinguishable appearance and name. Mock campaigns were created for Bone, the widely-enjoyed joke that he would be a better candidate than Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton became increasingly popular. As well as adding humor to serious topics like the presidential election, memes lighten the discussion of heavy issues including mental illness. Memes that joke about depression and anxiety such as the ‘triggered’ meme, as dark as they may seem, make it easier for those struggling to embrace their disorders and have a positive and humorous outlook on them. Yet another fine example of the internet’s ability to turn anything into a joke was Harambe. Harambe was the gorilla shot at the Cincinnati Zoo after a child had fallen into his enclosure. His death was widely unappreciated by internet users, memes having been made that supported the gorilla rather than the zookeepers who oversaw his death. Harambe memes were the perfect example of how a large group of people can get their opinion across while still having fun. Memes are also the easiest ways to spread information to the youth. Reinvented by Generation X and Y, memes have the strongest appeal to younger generations, and through their frequent appearances in social media, are seen first by younger users. For some, memes are the only way of staying in the loop. Individual memes will always be short lived, but memes as a whole will never die. New issues and opportunities to make fun appear every day, and memes will always happily follow behind.

Photo by Kice Mansi Cartoons by Miah Clark

South’s Favorite Meme Is... Triggered

36%

Caveman SpongeBob

Harambe

20%

Pepe

81 votes on the Twitter poll via @SMSPatriot

Opinion

The

Debate Yes:

By Tess Conley Writer

obody actually wants to have to use welfare; it’s probably not the best feeling. Welfare is financial support, paid for by the government, given to people in need. Welfare provides money or food stamps to help support people struggling to pay for everyday life. The money goes to paying for a living situation, food stamps and support until one finds a job or is in need of extra support. In general, the average person, by themselves, only receives about $200 per month. Welfare barely pays for rent in an undesirable place to live; $200 is not a lot. Welfare can help people cover food, childcare, housing, healthcare, unemployment or cash assistance costs. Those who are unemployed, underpaid or need assistance may meet the qualifications for their state, as found of the United States Welfare website. Then, if a person gets a new job and doesn’t need welfare any longer they let the state government know and will no longer receive checks. Not surprisingly there are some common misconceptions about welfare. Many people believe that only minorities use welfare, but that’s not true. Data from the U.S. Department of Human Services says that 40 percent of people using government assistance are white. Another misconception is that people are “abusing” welfare. People can’t really use welfare when they don’t need it. The qualifications restrict people who don’t really need it from getting it, and even if someone doesn’t need it $200 a month is barely any money, so it isn’t even a big deal. Right now, in Kansas, the average cost for an apartment is $871. Then, one might have to pay rent, food, clothes and other everyday costs. Living on $6 a day would be the equivalent to living on just welfare. If you tried to do that, chances are you wouldn’t know how, without using items your parents gave you. The fact that some people want to get rid of welfare makes me sick. Basically some think that those in need shouldn’t get help. Should people who are underpaid continue to struggle through life sacrificing things for their family because they work a full time job and still can barely afford everyday necessities? Personally, I think welfare checks should be increased, and extended to citizens who are homeless, refugees and immigrants just to help people get on their feet, find a job and get life’s necessities paid for so they can focus on their future. As a country we should focus on helping everyone gain a greater degree of economic equality.

Poll Results: What party do you support in the 2016 election? Democrat Republican Third Party

61% 22

Opinion

15%

24%

Should the U.S. continue to fund welfare?

No:

by mark holland news editor

elfare programs have been working to clean up poverty for over a 100 years now, but the methods they are using may not be effective, for both the poor and the rich. While their goal is to get people out of poverty, the effects of their help are not long lasting. These programs try to fight poverty by giving out supplies, money and food, all things they are convinced that the poor cannot provide for themselves. But the fact of the matter is that a lot of the poor members of society can, in fact , get these things for themselves, if they would only choose to make the effort. The only way a poor and homeless person is going to truly get out of poverty is by getting a job and making money. And a majority of the poor are living in poverty because they are not working. The University of California reports that only 23 percent of the poor are “working poor.” The poor need to get jobs in order to stand any chance of getting out of their situation. And while many believe that the poor are incapable of getting jobs, there are plenty low paying and unskilled occupations that they can start out with. They need to learn that they can help themselves. And when all these welfare groups are walking around giving free food, these suffering people will never become selfreliant. Welfare de-incentivizes work and money. Why would these people work for food when they can just get it from nice people on the streets? They cannot think that way. It makes them feel like they are weak and incapable, which is entirely untrue. They can fix their situation they just need to know that they can. But how can they ever provide for themselves if all the rich people do is give them what they need? It’s not healthy. And then there’s the taxes that go towards welfare. In 2015, 10 percent of the federal taxes went towards safety net programs, that’s $362 million. There is nothing wrong with wanting to help these people, but when American citizens are being forced to pay for people who aren’t willing to help themselves, then there is a serious problem. Now if a rich person wants to help a poor person out of their own free will, that is different. They can choose what to do with their money. Poor people are in trouble, but the way to help them is not for the government to hand feed them whenever they need something. They need to build those survival skills themselves, otherwise, they have no hope. It has been said that if you give a man a fish he eats for a day, but if you teach a man to fish he’ll eat for a lifetime. Let’s teach people to fish.

Opinion

Photo Illustration by Hannah Carter

Gratitude to Greed

Thanksgiving is a time for gratefulness followed by Black Friday, a time for greed. by Tara Phillips A&E Editor

hanksgiving, the time of year when holiday spirit emerges through appreciation for everything we have. We spend hours preparing food and conversing about everything we are thankful for and how we feel that we have everything we could ever need right in the comfort of our homes. That’s until the clock strikes midnight and lines of people crowd stores for Black Friday sales. Crowds line the brick walls of Target, Walmart and Oak Park Mall as anxious people await their shopping fate. So do we really have everything we need? How is that

we can go from talking about how we’re content with the lives and the possessions we own and only a few hours later prepare to blow our savings on unneeded supplies. We spend hundreds of dollars on new televisions when we already have three in our homes. How is that we can contradict the entire idea behind the holiday of Thanksgiving? Are we that oblivious to the privilege that we are taking for granted? We justify our constant greed for materialistic items by celebrating a holiday surrounded by the exact contradiction of that. We tell ourselves that we appreciate everything we have before proceeding to go buy an excess of non-essential accessories that enhance our social status and reputation. Recognition of this is being brought to light this year with many stores deciding to stay closed on Thanksgiving. Normal stores such as Oak Park Mall, Nordstrom, GameStop, and Marshall’s are all locking their doors on Thanksgiving to the public.

How To: Avoid Black Friday

If the idea of not lining up outside in below freezing weather distresses you, then you can follow these easy steps to a night full of fun, without losing hundreds of dollars. #1: Eat more of the delicious feast that #4: Spend all your money #3: Spend time telling embarrassing your family worked all day preparing. before Black Friday so you stories about other family members Now you don’t have to worry about can’t go shopping even if you to entertain your mind and lighten trying to button those cute jeans you wanted to. Treating yourself to a your mood from the grief of not were going to wear to the mall. shopping spree the week before going shopping. Your family will also Thanksgiving gives you more time #2: Take a nap directly after stuffing enjoy your story telling so much that to spend admiring everything you your face full of unhealthy food. By they physically won’t let you leave bought. When you’re going around sleeping, you’ll avoid the temptation sharing what you are grateful for, the house. to go shopping. The more you eat, the you’ll have more items to say. longer you’ll sleep.

Opinion

Miracle on 107th Street Repetory Theatre brings Santa to town with their annual play from Nov. 30 - Dec. 3.

by jill propst writer anta and his elves will be visiting Shawnee Mission South and bringing the holiday spirit with them. The Shawnee Mission South theatre will be performing “Miracle on 34th Street” the play based on the classic Christmas film for the fifth year. The play is set around Kris Kringle, a Santa at Macy’s, who is believed to be the real Santa. Senior Tucker Barry plays Kris Kringle for the second year. Barry has participated all four years and is sentimental that it will be his last performance. “It’s a little bittersweet knowing that this will be my last performance, but I’m excited about it,” Barry said. The cast of “Miracle on 34th Street” is made up of students in Repertory Theatre, which includes sophomores through seniors who have auditioned. The students in Repertory Theatre work in and out of class year round on the sets and other aspects for the shows. Crew for “Miracle on 34th Street” is made up of freshmen through seniors who apply. “Working on a crew is a lot of fun but I love performing more,” sophomore Alexandra Werth said.

The annually-read script for “Miracle on 34th Street” sits backstage with the “Believe” sign that is also used in the show. Rehearsals take place during Repetory Theater hours and after school. photo by maxie crimm

“Crew is very important and involved but I feel like when I am performing I connect to the show a lot more and I can see the audience’s reactions.” The continuation of the show throughout the years allows students to play different roles. They get to see how the show works from different perspectives. “Last year I was a caroler, a parent and ensemble. I am Mara this year. I go against Santa Claus and it’s going to be really fun,” senior Christine Pascoe said. “Miracle” has a clearer message than the other shows. It portrays a common and relatable theme, with the holiday spirit drawing in people of all ages.

“All the shows have really good positive messages and meanings behind them but they’re usually hidden between dark fronts,” Barry said. “This one has a very happy, colorful front and a very happy, colorful meaning that I think people of all ages can relate to.” For the week during the show, the auditorium hall is decorated with holiday decor. On the nights of the show, Santa is there to take pictures with the children who come to see the show. The show will be running from Nov. 30- Dec. 3 with the doors opening at 6:30 p.m.. Admission is free with a student ID and $5 for everyone else.

KANSAS CITY CALENDAR KC Symphony: Beethoven and Brahms

KCP&L Plaza Lighting Ceremony

First Friday Film Festival

Nov. 18-20 at 8p.m. Kauffman Performing Arts Center

Nov. 24 at 5 p.m. Country Club Plaza

Dec. 2 at 9 p.m. West Bottoms Business District

The Kansas City cityscape is accompanied by the Missouri river and skyscrapers. photo by jenna fackrell

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A Twist on Thanksgiving Pie Pumpkin Pie Revamped for Food Enthusiasts

by hannah underwood writer am someone who proudly dares to tell people that I do not like pumpkin pie for Thanksgiving. My mother’s delicious Dixie Pecan pie has always been my favorite. After years and years of receiving seemingly endless backlash about my dislike of pumpkin pie, I decided I wanted to try a different recipe other than my grandma’s traditional pumpkin pie. So, I went for Food Network chef

Bobby Flay’s winning pie: pumpkin pie with cinnamon crunch and bourbon maple whipped cream. I made the pie on Halloween, craving a tasty fall treat. I will not deny that making this pie took FOREVER as I am not a patient person when it comes to eating. But boy, was it worth the wait. The graham cracker crust, with a warm cinnamon flavor, was delightful compared to a traditional pie crust. I loved the depth of flavor that the molasses added to the pumpkin custard filling. And, most significantly, the “cinnamon crunch” that topped the pie was absolutely addictive. I found myself eating some of it straight off the baking

photos by hannah underwood

sheet before I even put it on the pie. However, being under the legal drinking age, I opted not to make the bourbon maple whipped cream and settled for my trusty, not-so-rusty can of Reddi Whip to top it off. If you are someone like me who just cannot stand taking more than two bites of traditional pumpkin pie, this recipe is for you. A more interesting flavor palette in the pumpkin custard and the addition of whipped cream and the homemade cinnamon crunch made a usually boring pie an intricate Thanksgiving treat.

Ingredients for Bobby Flay’s Pumpkin Pie:

Cinnamon Crunch 1/2 cup all-purpose flour 1/2 cup quick-cooking rolled oats 1/2 cup light muscovado sugar 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 7 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small cubes, cold Crust 2 cups graham cracker crumbs 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1 large egg, lightly beaten Filling 3 large eggs 3 large egg yolks 3/4 cup dark muscovado sugar 1/4 cup granulated sugar 2 tablespoons molasses 11/2 cups canned pumpkin puree 11/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon, plus more for the top 1 teaspoon ground ginger 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves 1/2 teaspoon fine salt 1 cup heavy cream 1/2 cup whole milk 1/2 vanilla bean, split lengthwise, seeds scraped out and reserved, or 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted Bourbon-Maple Whipped Cream for serving Bourbon-Maple Whipped Cream 1 1/4 cups heavy cream, very cold 1/2 vanilla bean, split lengthwise, seeds scraped out and reserved 2 tablespoons Grade B maple syrup 1 to 2 tablespoons bourbon Read more at: http://www.foodnetwork. com/recipes/bobby-flay

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Craftsgiving: Get Into the Spirit Build your own turkey hat

Thanksgiving is a time of food, family and fun crafts.

by Faith danaher writer f youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re like me and enjoy crafting creativity read on. I decided to attempt crafts as seen on Pinterest. I began by making a light out of a mason jar, fake leaves and a candle. Then, I made a turkey hat. Both crafts were fun; however, one might argue that they did not turn out like the Pinterest picture. I am sure that many have experienced the frustration of trying to recreate a Pinterest craft exactly, but from this project I have learned that sometimes you have to quit comparing your craft to the craft on Pinterest and simply accept it in all of its beautiful and unique glory.

uild your very own turkey hat to spice up the Thanksgiving party. Grab a bottle of glue, some construction paper, scissors, feathers, googly eyes and some string and you are ready. At least, that is what it looks like on Pinterest. Whilst trying to recreate the picture perfect turkey hats seen on Pinterest, I had a lot of fun and was not disappointed. I was proud of the turkey hat I created based off of the one on Pinterest. Mine looked similar to the picture and only took about 20 minutes to create. Overall, I think it would be a fun craft for people of any age to try this Thanksgiving.

Do it yourself Leaf Jar Lights.

he leaf jar lights appeared like a fun, easy craft on Pinterest. However, after one hour, three burns and a pint of spilled glue and mod podge, I can confirm that it is a fun but difficult craft. My leaf jar light turned out cute, although not as picture perfect as the one on Pinterest. While crafting my leaf jar, I had to improvise and problem solve. First of all, the leaves were not sticking to the slick glass jar with only mod podge, so I created my own paste out of Elmerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s School Glue and water; however, this paste also did not stick. Finally, I decided to hot glue the leaves

onto the jar, which proved effective. Unfortunately, the use of hot glue also resulted in a multitude of burns. Even though this craft proved difficult, I was up to the challenge and I still had a great time and am happy the end result.

photos by maxie crimm

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McLain’s Market is open for business at Roe and 107th Street. The Market is a branch off of McLain’s Bakery located in KCMO.

photoS by maxie crimm

Meet the Market Owners of McLain’s Bakery open a new sister store in Overland Park called McLain’s Market.

Menu: Items range from $5 - $9 and include flatbreads, sandwiches, salads, juices, coffee and tea.

A Rich History: McLain’s Bakery

Open for business: Their new

sister store called “McLain’s Market” is now open and features an expanded menu, a soon to be open drive thru, a patio and a section selling local goods. While they will continue to sell favorites like the famous chocolate chip cookies, there will also be new items like homemade juice and lunch items.

The Experience: My first

impression when I walked in was that McLain’s has a fun kind of hipster vibe. It is housed in a repurposed

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Located: 10695 Roe Ave, Overland Park. Hours: Tues-Thurs: 7a.m. - 8p.m. Friday- Saturday 7 a.m.- 9 p.m. Sunday 8 a.m.- 2p.m.

by madison holloway writer, ads editor opened their doors for the first time in 1945 serving up fresh breakfast, baked goods and pastries to the residents of Waldo, Missouri. By the 1950’s they were having lines out the door; McLain’s had made a special place in the hearts of KC families. In 2014 a local Waldo family took ownership of the bakery with their focus on preserving the legacy McLain’s had built. Still a Kansas City classic today, the new owners are ready to share their love for breakfast and baked goods with South KC.

Taste it yourself:

McLain’s Market sells a multitude of sweet treats and drinks. These include cookies, coffee, tea and cupcakes.

building on the corner of Roe and I435. The inside has industrial elements like the concrete floors and metal chairs but it feels cozy, a great gathering place for the community to eat, study or just hang out. One of my favorite parts is the display table at the front of the store showing off KC goods and McLain’s merch. I ordered the Market Bowl for $6.50. It included scrambled eggs, sausage, Monterey jack cheese, avocado, potatoes and veggies. My food was brought out very quickly and it was a reasonable amount of food for the price and it was so, so good. They also serve a few appetizers like flat breads and dips. Overall, the atmosphere was really fun. The food is delicious, healthy and a fair price. McLain’s is a great meeting place to enjoy some good food or simply hang out and study.

Q&A with Claire Kelley: Q: Can you describe your first impression? A: When I first walked into McLain’s I thought it was super cute and homey. But they mix their rustic style with industrious accents, like metal chairs and their open back kitchen. Q: How was your overall experience? A: It’s a really great place to hang out with friends while getting some fresh, yummy food.

Who,What, Wear: Sibling Edition

By Tara Phillips A&E Editor photos by cassandra awad

Manal Boullaouz

Samah Boullaouz

“We can’t wear the same color on the same day because everyone gets confused...our styles are different but kind of merging. We share a closet, but we wear different clothes.” junior Samah Boullaouz

“My style is more block colors...more put together.” sophomore Manal Boullaouz

“I kind of grunge it out... right now I’m really digging black and white monocrome and then boho.” junior Samah Boullaouz

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Students tweeted @SMSPatriot what they’re thankful for @Manton92 is thankful for this photo taken of him.

@IbEdkut is thankful for her little brother

1st

2nd

Tw i t t e r C o n t e s t 3rd

4th

@abigaillhindle is thankful for @matthewpeck17 is thankful the planet and beings on it. for his parents who can cook. First Place in the Twitter Contest wins a $10 giftcard. Next month’s contest is “What will you not miss about 2016?” 30

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2017 Senior Year Heritage Yearbook smsouthnews.com

Attention: Clubs, Sports, Seniors Final deadline is Dec. 9

Get your ad in by 3 p.m. Make a lasting memory. For more information, contact smsyearbookads@gmail.com or 913-993-7664

EDUCATION INSPIRES DREAMS. WE PROTECT THEM.

Kathy Wegner Agency 4591 Indian Creek Pkwy Overland Park, KS 66207 (913) 649-7200 kathywegner.com

We AmeriCAN Make a Difference.

1. During Mr. AmeriCAN, senior Kenny Chan is lifted into the air by his fellow

contestants. Chan managed to do a full split while he continued dancing. photo by jillian mcclellan

2. The eight seniors, Isaias Olson, Sam Schneck, Anton Caruso, Kenny Chan, Zach Greer, Mitch Brock, Josh Buss, Ben Stophel and Michael Carter, all strike a pose for the crowd before the judges revealed who had won. photo by jillian mcclellan

3. With a smiling face, senior Mitch

Brock attempts to block senior Michael Carter during a Hoops for Hope game. Brock and the rest of the King Porkers made their way to the Championships. photo by Savannah Morgan

4. Looking to make a pass, senior Dorian

Wooton-January is guarded by senior Josh Buss. Wooton-Januaryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s team, the Porkers, won the match against the Jazzercise team. photo by savannah morgan