Harbinger the
ISSUE 5 / SHAWNEE MISSION EAST / PRAIRIE VILLAGE, KS
OCT. 27, 2008
Recent instability in the economy has some students worried about a...
COLLEGE FUND SHOCK // ELIZABETHMCGRANAHAN
Stocks are plunging. Banks are failing. Companies cannot meet payrolls. The housing market is experiencing a credit crisis. 600,000 Americans have lost their jobs in the last 10 months. The economy of one of the strongest nations in the world is taking a serious hit. The economic collapse has been building for quite some time. The official national debt is $9.8 trillion. The U.S. stock market dropped 2,500 points in just nine days. Trillions of dollars have disappeared and the Dow has lost six years worth of growth. The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation is now billions of dollars short of the reserves needed to cover the bank losses. All of this is due to the risky financial decisions made by banks and investors.
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// PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY STEPHEN NICHOLS
SPECIAL SECTION: Election preview >PAGES 11-18 A&E: “Body of Lies” review >PAGE 25 SPORTS: Lack of fans at girls games >PAGE 27
PAGE 2 NEWS / OCT. 27, 2008
Balancing the //
Books
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Due to recent financial troubles, banks have begun suspending college loans //CONTINUED FROM PAGE ONE
In this day and age the economy isn’t just the concern of high profile stock market gurus. The collapse is trickling down to the very pockets of the average American. The effects of the economic collapse will surely affect college financial plans for many college students. Recent College Board estimates show tuition alone for a public four-year college is approximately $6,185, which is a 6.6 percent increase from the year before. After adding fees along with room and board to the tuition, the grand total for a public four-year college averages $13,589 a year. The Commonfund, a non-profit organization, claims that the increase in tuition is due to increased costs involved in running a university. Whatever the reason, the point remains that tuition for college is at an all time high when the state of our economy is at an all time low. Student body president Tommy Gray is in the top six percent of his class by managing to keep nearly straight A’s every semester. According to Gray, he has received information from about 350 colleges and universities all across
the country. With all the costs involved in starting college, Gray can’t afford to be spending hundreds of dollars on applications alone. “If I were to apply to just my top ten schools it will probably cost me at least 400 dollars,” Gray said. With the state of the economy, Gray’s parents are feeling the financial strain that many families across the nation are feeling as well. Gray is one of three siblings and college finances for him alone will set his family back thousands of dollars. “I’m being very careful about college visits and college applications,” Gray said. “I don’t want my parents to have to pay extra money that could be used for other things.” Not only are college tuitions rising, but student loans are also becoming harder to find. Wachovia, one of the largest student loan lenders, has decided to discontinue private undergraduate student loans due to the economic problems the country is currently facing. According to the College Board, total federal grant funding to undergraduates is lower than ever before due to inflation. The average full-time student at a public four-year school receives about $3,600 in grants and tax benefits. Due to the de-
crease in grants, students are going to find it much more difficult to come up with the needed money for college. Senior Kelsey Henry is among the many seniors who will be relying on student loans in order to attend college. With a single mom and four younger siblings, Henry will need the loans to pay for her college expenses. “Because it’s going to be harder to get student loans, I’m limited to the schools with cheaper tuitions,” Henry said. Henry’s main fear is that she’ll end up in debt before she even graduates college. Annually, nearly two-thirds of all four-year college graduates leave school in debt. This percent is projected to rise in the next few years due to the decrease of loans in increase of tuition. “I feel like the whole college process isn’t about finding what you like most and what college fits you best,” Henry said. “It’s about what I can afford, and that’s not fair.”
How the financial crisis has been affecting the lending agencies • 46 percent reported that one of more of their lenders of private, nonfederal loans were tightening their requirements. • 43 percent reported that at least one of its lenders were no longer offering the loans. • 20 percent say that one or more lenders were boosting their interest rates on such loans. • 33 percent of loan agencies reported that they would be offering a reduced amount of student loans for the fall 2009 semester // Source: National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities
Banks cutting back on student loan programs Wachovia- will only continue to offer financial aid based student loans for the Fall 2008 semester
Bank of America- the third largest student lender will no longer offer private loans to new applicants Chase- is going to cut rates and fees on loan programs in order to increase competitiveness in the industry
Citigroup- is scaling back its student loan program; cutting nearly 75 percent of all loans offered.
// Source: Companies Websites’
PAGE 3 NEWS / ISSUE FIVE
theother side ofthe
coin
BPA, a new business program similar to DECA, focuses on the electronic side of business
STUDENTS work during a Digital Business class taught by Jennifer Zerrer. Zerrer is the sponsor of the new business club, Business Professionals of America.
// KATHLEENIRELAND Last Thursday the new BPA team went to the University of Kansas campus for their first conference experience. Students were able to go to classrooms that focused on specific aspects of business. Teamwork, Marketing, and interviewing are some of the options that were available to whoever wanted to learn more about the subjects. This is the first year for East’s new Business Professionals of America program. Creating it at the beginning of the year, East was the last of the Shawnee Mission schools to form it. BPA is a co-curricular course that builds leadership and academic skills for students enrolled in Digital Business and Advance Digital Business classes. Jennifer Zerrer is head of the program. She compares BPA to a technical DECA. Unlike DECA, BPA focuses on the electronic aspect of business. Members get to work with much modern software like Photoshop and Movie Maker but also cover the basics like Word and Excel. Junior Kristina Grandon enjoys the interaction with new people. “I guess I’m just a people person,” Grandon said, “and [conferences] sort of force you to meet new people.” Grandon is a part of the new BPA program. Digital business is the only business class she has taken other
BusinessClass
Breakdown
than Computer Applications, but she looks forward to the experience. She plans on going to at least one BPA competition during the year after getting a feel for what they’ll be like while in Lawrence. At the competitions, students get more experience in the field and employ real business tactics as opposed to less-authentic, in class scenarios. In February the team will be heading to Wichita for a State Conference. They also get to go to Dallas for the National Leadership Conference later in the year. Members can compete individually or in a group with other kids around the state. They get to work on their public speaking, marketing, and leadership skills. Its main purpose is to train students in skills needed for the workplace and future. With a mission statement including, “[contributing] to the preparation of a world-class workforce through the advancement of leadership, academic, citizenship, and technological skills,” it is clear the course provides essential skills students can use in the real world. Senior Laura Brown has taken many of the business courses offered at East. She’s taken Computer Applications, Marketing I and II, Digital and Advanced Digital Business, and Accounting, even though she would like to be a fitness administrator when
Financial Management- Learn about the development and use of financial information. Students prepare a financial plan that includes budgeting, saving, and investing.
she’s done with school. “I really like the experience you get with most business classes,” Brown said. The classes are small, about 20 students, because the program is still new. Since the classes are so small it is easier to learn from others in the class if someone is having difficulty. And with more than 51,000 members in 23 states, the program continues to grow in interest. With small, laid back classes, students are able to collaborate with one another. They are more motivated to get straight to assignments they have been given. BPA takes pieces from all business classes so students know a little about a lot to help, “get [them] that promotion,” Zerrer said. Grandon thinks BPA (Digital Business) is a great class to take for anyone planning on a career in business or to learn skills to succeed in a profession. Anyone who has passed Computer Applications and is currently enrolled in a Digital Business class is eligible to be a member of BPA. It requires little commitment outside of school but creates many opportunities. “It does a lot of good without a lot of time,” Zerrer said.
Q&A
with Kristina Grandon
Why did you join BPA?
“Mostly because my teacher told me to. And I’m planning on going into business in college. When I was little I had always wanted to start a business, too.”
What do you do during BPA conference ?
“A lot of business leaders had activities set up for you to learn the skill needed to be successful in business. One area was teamwork and we had to tie all of our hands together and then unwrap something. Others stations were job interviews, marketing, and other business-oriented things.”
Why do you think it’s important to do a program like BPA in high school?
“It gives you a lot of skills to succeed in the read world. It’s important to know and have these skills even if your not leading a business because everyone will eventually be an employee.”
Why would you encourage others to get involved in BPA? “It gives you business skills and helps you get to know a lot of people.”
Marketing 1- Class includes advertising, selling, promotion, product design, research, communications, and human relations skills. Provides a background in marketing.
Descriptions of several popular Intro to Business- Introduces students to the Accounting- Students are introduced to world of business. Study free enterprises, busi- accounting, the language of business used as business classes at East adults and employee. Financial transactions will Business Law- Course is designed to expose the student to our legal system, civil and criminal law. Topics will include law as it relates to business.
Source: SMSD High School Program Planning Guide
ness organization, and world trade.
Digital Business- This course provides skill development in digital business software.
be recorded and analyzed. Desktop Publishing- Students learn principles of page layout and design techniques using popular publishing software.
DURING Digital Business class, the students finish their work. Both the class and BPA club focus on the digital side of business. All photos by // CHLOEFISHGRUND
n g i Stac k
PAGE 4 NEWS / OCT. 27, 2008
the
B L OK C S
// KATIE E
AST
Students, teachers//and administrators reflect on the first quarter of block scheduling DUNCANMCHENRY
It was the second week of school, and junior Molly Tidrick glanced down at her planner in disgust. At least three hours of homework, along with tennis practice and baby-sitting. Anticipating being up until at least midnight, she remembered that she only had even block hours the next day. Her homework load instantly became half of what she thought it was. Tidrick said that block scheduling has had a positive effect on students, because it allows for more free time. She also said that although it can be convenient to do only the homework that is due, she tries to work ahead. “With block I usually like to spread out my
work and do some for the next two days along with the next day,” Tidrick said. “Overall on tests I think I’ve also done better because I’ve had more time to study and prepare.” Junior Scott Cantril hasn’t liked block scheduling, because he thinks that it is too hard to stay focused all the way through an hour of block. “With College Prep Math in block we do two lessons in a day, and it makes the day go a lot slower,” Cantril said. “I think if we did more activities in groups and did things with other people it would help.” Tidrick agrees that staying focused in an hour and a half class can be difficult, but she also
Teaching tactics
that starting block scheduling along with this year’s construction is horrible timing. “The music department is 100 percent against block schedule,” Lane said. “To me, to have block and renovations going at the same time, I sure wish we would have waited a year. The variable of block schedule and not having an auditorium is pretty hard to figure out.” Pearson thinks that the main weakness of the new schedule is that seminar time has been inconsistent. “The business of changing seminars I think is really bad for students,” Pearson said. “They’re not happy sometimes when we have to go out to
At the end of a typical school day last year, French and German teacher Karen Pearson felt hassled and stressed. However, since the change to block scheduling, Pearson said she not only feels more relaxed, she hasn’t had to change her curriculum. “I still do a lot of the same activities like board races, DVD programs, and conversation mixers” Pearson said. “I just notice that I feel much more energetic during the day, and then on these manic Mondays I feel about ready to keel over.” Orchestra teacher Jonathan Lane said the opposite, and thinks that the negatives of block scheduling outweigh the positives. Also, he said
Administrative response According to Dr. Krawitz, the new block schedule has potential to be a gift and a curse. Krawitz said that the feedback he has gotten from students and teachers has been mostly positive, but stresses that the extra day between classes must be used wisely. “A con of the schedule for this particular building can be how students manage their time,” Krawitz said. “My question for that is will it produce procrastination, but the pro side is that it reduces stress.” Krawitz also said that the longer class time presents a challenge that teachers are still adjusting to: how to keep students engaged for a full block period.
“Obviously 90 minutes of sitting and lecturing just can’t go on,” Krawitz said. “Likewise, you can’t lecture for half and then say everyone can do their homework. Some things need to be improved, and other things are going okay.” Associate Principal Steve Loe says that there is still quite a bit of adjusting for the administration to do, particularly regarding seminar period. “Seminar is going well, but not as well as it should,” Loe said. “We came into the year and it was supposed to be one academic and one activity based seminar. Assemblies have eaten away seminar more than we thought, so that’s something to revisit.”
coming to East over time who have worked in block schedule before. According to Loe, with one quarter of the first year of block scheduling now completed, there has been a lot of mixed feedback from teachers, students and administrators.
thinks that seminar periods could be improved. “I haven’t liked seminar being taken away by late starts or pep assemblies,” Tidrick said. “I count on that time a lot and they just use it for other stuff. That’s the one thing I don’t like.” Senior Nic Hasselwander said he sees no major issues with block scheduling, and has no problems with seminar. “I actually like everything about block, it makes the weeks go by a lot faster,” Hasselwander said. “I don’t have any problems with assemblies during seminar, because I usually go to other classes like art where I need to get things done anyway.”
an assembly or whatever. If the administration could make that more regular, that would be an improvement.” Geometry teacher Jenny Yemm said that as a whole, the math department has liked block scheduling because it gives students more time to understand concepts. Yemm said that if she could make any changes, she would do away with the traditional Monday schedule. “To improve the block that we have now, having fewer traditional days would make us happier at this point,” Yemm said. “I would almost rather have a rolling block schedule, where you just do odds evens, odds evens.”
According to Krawitz, when he was an administrator at West they used a similar block system only their seminar was the last hour of the day. Krawitz said that there is a possibility this could work at East as well, and it may be among proposed modifications to the schedule in the future. “Because it’s the last period of the day, that helped in reducing the number of students that had to lose academic time to go to athletics and everything else,” Krawitz said. “It makes for a better situation for running a pep assembly rather than doing it during the middle of the day.”
ng i c n a bal your with junior Kiley Lawrence
-Kiley’s scheduleodd days
Student standpoint
chose not to. During the following 10 years, it was never considered again. However, last year when the idea was brought to a vote again at East, 2/3 of teachers voted in favor of block. Loe said this could have been due to new teachers
1. Chemistry AP 3. Spanish 4 5. Choraliers 7. Precalculus H
“Block scheduling is kind of difficult. My odd classes are so stressful. We always have tests and quizzes in precalc. I have to focus all day.”
even days
It started as a choice. According to Associate Principal Steve Loe, when block scheduling was first proposed in the Shawnee Mission School district 11 years ago, Shawnee Mission West and North both went to block; East and South
2. English AP Seminar 4. U.S. History 6. Commercial Art
“My even days are so relaxing. In English we have debates about politics, and last week we had a bagel day. In Commercial art it’s really laid back and independent.”
TXT TALK
PAGE 5 NEWS / ISSUE FIVE
briefs
The mini-play Frequent Fridays for this quarter will be in the Little Theater. The remaining Frequent Fridays for the second quarter are as follows: Ansley Rowe... Oct. 31 Hillary Surface... Nov. 14 Alexa Fessler... Nov. 22 The Coin Drop is going on for the next two weeks. Drop off boxes for coins will be near the entrance on the fourth floor, across from the office. Donate coins into you classes box to add toward your classes total and bills in other classes to subtract from their total. Seminar Update: There will be a Pep Assembly this Friday during seminar periods. Students will only be able to travel in 15 minute intervals Bring your new/gently used children’s books to your seminar classes Wednesday and Friday for donation to the Johnson County Christmas Burueau. Student Council will be collecting these books for area needy children. The two seminar classes donating the largest amount of books will receive a donut party. The Village Food Pantry is 400 in need of donations. Please bring nonperishable food items (cans, pasta, etc.) to drop-off barrels near350the fourth floor main entrance and the SHARE and Student Council rooms. 300
According to a new study by Nielsen Mobile, wireless subscribers communicate more by text messages than by phone calls //NICKLUCAS
The first text message was sent in 1992 via the Vodafone GSM network in the United Kingdom. Upside down bits of numbers were sent from a beeper that could be read as words and sounds. Since then, text messaging has evolved into a phenomenon that has swept the globe and become the preferred form of communication between many teens and adults. According to a study released in September by Nielson Mobile, Americans are texting more than ever. The number of text messages sent and received has increased 450 percent over the past two years. As quick and easy as texting is, it has developed into one of the most popular forms of communication around the world. In the first quarter of 2006, mobile subscribers sent and received an average of 65 text messages per month. Nielson’s most recent survey says that subscribers send and receive 357 texts a month while teens between the ages of 13 and 17 send and receive on average about 1,742 texts per month. However, some students who use text messaging feel it is making them socially awkward around those who they text. Despite the social problems that come along with text messaging, its popularity has steadily increased. As a product marketing manager of Sprint’s Product Development and Technology department, Kelly Hancox works to oversee the Mobile Internet strategy. According to Hancox, the popularity of texting has greatly increased since 1999 when she started working for Sprint. Hancox said that the popularity of texting
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The Homecoming Queen and King and their courts are as follows: 250
// nielsenmobile.com
King: Jonathan Stepp First Attendant: Marcus Webb Second Attendant: Tommy Gray200 Third Attendant: Brian Simpson Fourth Attendant: Mitchell Jennings 150 Queen: Allie Marquis First Attendant: Katie Bartow Second Attendant: Johanna Cook Third Attendant: Jane Mahoney100 Fourth Attendant: Amy Esselman
Average contacts per subscriber per month
East Night at Culvers will be Oct. 29 from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Come to Culver’s at 79th and State Line to be served food by your favorite teacher. Tell them you are from East and a percentage of the night’s proceeds will be donated to East.
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has increased because of the development of better handsets and keyboards for phones, older age groups buying texting plans and unlimited plans that make it easier for customers to communicate without the worry of overage bills. “It is so frustrating to be in a meeting when you have to make an important call or when you’re in a really loud or crowded place and in these situations texting allows you to talk without even speaking,” Hancox said. Students such as sophomore Krey Bradley have taken advantage of this simple form of communication Hancox describes. Bradley believes there are many benefits of texting. “I text all the time. It’s way easier to text people than call them and you can avoid getting into awkward conversations. And when you’re in class or something and can’t talk or at a really loud party and you can’t hear, it’s nice to be able to text,” Bradley said. Also, many parents have adopted text messaging in order to communicate with their children. Hancox, a mother of three teenage boys with cell phones describes the advantages of texting her children. “I can reach my kids without interrupting them or being uncool,” Hancox said. “It’s not ‘cool’ to talk to your mom so we worked out a compromise and they text me where they’re going and when they’ll be home. Texting is definitely keeping me in touch with my kids.” However, it isn’t always beneficial to students or adults when they are confronted by those who they text but don’t normally
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// DANSTEWART
The Coin Drop will be administered50during sophomore English classes throughout this week. Schedules for testing can Number of Monthly Messages per Wireless Subscriber Average be picked up in the office if not received in 0 the teacher’s mailbox. 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 1st Quarter 2006
Calls Calls Texts Texts
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see. “When I see someone that I text a lot for like homework and stuff but I don’t talk to them, it’s really weird because it’s like I know them but we have don’t a real relationship,” senior Winn Clark said. “I don’t know them at all in person.” Psychoanalyst Ryan Allison talks about why texting can lead to people becoming uncomfortable around each other. Allison said that texting someone without seeing them in person can lead to transference. Transference is based on the residue of previous relationships and happens when no visual cues are present and when not verbally communicating. Transference can lead people to create the person how they would like them to be through texting. That’s why people fall in love over chat rooms or the internet. It’s that they create an image of the other person through transference. That also applies to texting. “When meeting with that person, there is a confrontation with reality,” said Allison. The image of this person created with texting can conflict with the actual person’s personality making for an unbalanced and awkward relationship. Students such as Bradley who text everyday, are ultimately worried about being stuck in an awkward generation. With the whole world texting, interaction could change completely. “Texting could make us an awkward generation of shy, weird kids that sit in the corner of classes and don’t talk,” Bradley said.
PAGE 6 EDITORIAL / OCT. 27, 2008 Since many negative ads have been distorting the facts this election, students should do their own research to . . .
VERIFY THEIR VOTES
Senator Barack Obama is a terrorist. Senator John McCain doesn’t care about rape victims. The information presented about the candidates in the election in speeches, commercials, and the media is always accurate. The above are lies. The election is Nov. 4, and name calling, false sources and accusations are prevalent. While everything may seem accurate on the surface, it’s important for voters to realize that it is their duty to do their own research on the candidates and issues. This is especially true for teens, as the youth vote surged more than 25 percent in some states in the primary elections and is expected to make a bigger impact on the election’s outcome than in any past election, according to the New Voters Project. A web ad released Oct. 9 claimed that “[William] Ayers and Obama ran a radical education foundation together,” referring to the Chicago Annenburg Challenge, a charity that funded public school programs in Chicago from 19952001. Sen. Obama’s association with 1960s radical Ayers has been the subject of media stories and advertisements. Ayers was the founding member of the Weathermen, a
militant anti-Vietnam War group. He was investigated for a series of bombings, however, the charges were dropped. Ayers is now active in civic life in Chicago. However, Ayers was never on the board, and never made a decision for the organization, and the organization was “radical” in the sense of it deviating from tradition, but it wasn’t radical in the way that Ayers was, according to politifact.com. Sen. McCain hasn’t been left unscathed by lies either. Sen. McCain’s record for voting against the Violence Against Women Act, according to politifact.com, was distorted by Planned Parenthood. In 1994, McCain voted against the act, which contained a provision to require states to provide forensic exams for rape victims for free. But he didn’t vote against the bill because of the provision, but because it allowed extra spending for what McCain considered unrelated to crime and had a provision that would have banned so-called assault weapons. The ads gave examples and references of where the information came from. But both accusations were false, so false that they merited a “pants on fire” rating on politifact. com, a website by the St. Petersburg Times that checks the validity of the accusations of candidates. Both scenarios show why it’s important to find out the facts on one’s own. The two sides, as well as key politicians and special-interest groups are all being ruthless in their accusations, and nothing
can be taken as pure fact. If no one does their research, it becomes more a question of “who seems to be the least-bad candidate” than who is more qualified for the job. Viewing each candidate’s plans for individual issues is a more effective approach than to rely on the accusations of one against the other. Viewing both allows a person to make their own conclusion. So take one hour to view each candidate’s plans, and figure out where you stand on issues such as health care of foreign policy. Go to nonpartisan websites such as politifact.com or factcheck.org to see what is truthful, like where each candidate stands on an important issue, and what isn’t such as the scenarios above. Even though Kansas has the reputation as a “red state,” it is still beneficial to vote, as the duty to fully research the presidential candidates goes hand-in-hand with the duty to find out about the local issues as well. Know who the men running for Attorney General of Johnson County are? What about the background on Question 1? Take the initiative to know. The issues could be just as important as who the next president will be, and by understanding local issues, it can help to understand government as a whole. And if there’s a thought that “my vote doesn’t count,” or “I’ll just vote for who my parents say I should vote for,” know that making the educated decisions will carry over to other situations. Few people rely solely what their parents tell them to do when it comes to choosing a job or where to go to college. Voting should be no different.
0 10 0 ote FOR AGAINST ABSENT
The majority opinion of the Harbinger Editorial Board
Want to have your opinion heard? write a letter to the Harbinger Editorial Board
Harbinger
smeharbinger@gmail.com // NICKLUCAS
the
a publication of shawnee mission east highschool 7500 Mission Road, Prairie Village, KS 66208
oct.27, 2008 issue 5, vol. 50
The Harbinger is a student-run publication. The contents and views are produced solely by the staff and do not represent the Shawnee Mission East or SMSD faculty, or administration.
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF/ STEPHENNICHOLS
ASSISTANT EDITORS/
NEWS PAGE EDITORS/ SARAHMCKITTRICK MADDYBAILEY
BERNADETTEMYERS PAIGECORNWELL
OPINION SECTION EDITOR/
ART AND DESIGN EDITOR/
OPINION PAGE EDITOR/
MEGSHACKELFORD
HEAD COPY EDITOR/ TIMSHEDOR
NEWS SECTION EDITOR/ MICHAELSTOLLE
MACTAMBLYN JOESERNETT
EDITORIAL EDITOR/ ANNIESGROI
FEATURES SECTION EDITOR/ MELISSAMCKITTRICK
FEATURES PAGE EDITORS/ CONORTWIBELL DAVIDHENDERSON
FREELANCE PAGE EDITOR/
SPREAD SECTION EDITOR/
MACKENZIEWYLIE SARAHLUBY
ASSISTANT SPREAD EDITOR/
TAYLORHAVILAND
PHOEBEUNTERMAN
DUNCANMCHENRY
A&E EDITOR/
JEFFRUTHERFORD
A&E PAGE EDITOR/ RACHELBIRKENMEIER
MIXED PAGE EDITOR/ AUBREYLEITER
SPORTS SECTION EDITOR/ SAMLOGAN
SPORTS PAGE EDITORS/ CAMSMITH ANDREWGOBLE
ONLINE EDITOR/ ASSISTANT ONLINE EDITOR/ ELIZABETHMCGRANAHAN
ONLINE SECTION EDITOR/ CAMILLEKARRO
PHOTO EDITOR/ TYLERROSTE
ASSISTANT PHOTO EDITOR/ MACKENZIEWYLIE
PHOTOGRAPHERS/ CHLOEFISCHGRUND MAXSTITT
KATIEEAST PATRICKMAYFIELD DANIELSTEWART CCCREIDENBERG ANDYALLEN
COPY EDITORS/ SAMKOVZAN KEVINSIMPSON ANNIESGROI
EDITORIAL BOARD/ STEPHENNICHOLS BERNADETTEMYERS PAIGECORNWELL MACTAMBLYN ANNIESGROI SAMLOGAN GRIFFINBUR MICHAELSTOLLE MELISSAMCKITTRICK TIMSHEDOR
STAFF WRITERS/ LOGANHELEY KATHLEENIRELAND LANDONMCDONALD GRIFFINBUR BOBMARTIN JORDANPFEIFFER
STAFF ARTISTS/ DANIELSTEWART TAYLORHAVILAND NICKLUCAS
ADS/BUSINESS MANAGER/ ANNABERNARD
ASSISTANT ADS/BUSINESS MANAGER/ KATHLEENIRELAND
CIRCULATION MANAGER/ SARAHMCKITTRICK
ADVISER/ DOWTATE
PAGE 7 OPINION / ISSUE FIVE
After winning a national championship and losing many key players KU basketball is beginning the...
REBUILDING PROCESS an opinion of
Dear KU Fans,
It’s been nearly 198 days since “Mario’s Miracle” and KU’s eventual title. But it seems as though for the past five years since coach Bill Self was hired, the Jayhawks have been handling that type of adversity all along. Last year’s team was full of seniors, experience, leadership and playing together as a team. The team was unafraid to fail, and it was what made the season so great. This year’s team is a going to be a totally different story. As everyone knows, this team is going to be very young and very inexperienced, and the first part of the season will be the toughest. The pre-season is where the team will pick up confidence. The teams that KU plays are usually Division II teams and can barely keep up with the Jayhawks no matter how young they are. But the Jayhawks’ confidence will slowly deteriorate due to the rigors of the non-conference schedule games during the CBE Classic. Florida and Syracuse, two teams that have won titles in the past five years, are going to be very prepared to play this young team. A home game against an experienced Tennessee team and an away game at Michigan State, will give this team time to get their feet wet, and will also make these young players grow up fast. This isn’t unusual territory however, being that the 05-06 team was just as young and inexperienced, but because the sophomore class is so small, these freshman will be needed to take up stronger roles as the season dives into Big 12 play. Tradition is what KU has been built around. The Jayhawks have won titles in basketball and the Orange Bowl in football, and as far as support from fans for these two teams, the past two years have definitely not been lacking. But this season will be tough on most KU fans, and I believe some loyalty issues could come into play for some fans. I know
/ JORDANPFEIFFER
plenty of people that are bandwagon jumpers, even non believers, who “jumped” on last season, breaking out their old KU shirts, digging them out from beneath their pile of 8Wia[jXWbb North Carolina t-shirts and Duke shorts. Having seen this new team play together and as much as I feel they will struggle, as the season moves deeper and deeper into Big 12 title contention, the team will be there right at the top, fighting for the conference championship. Oklahoma is already pre-season ranked at number six in the country and Texas right there in the top 25 as well, so KU won’t be the favorite like it has been the last couple years. But, the AK team still has one advantage: just like last year’s KU AWdiWi @Wo^Wmai team, this KU team plays together. Coach NICKLUCAS Self could // be the best National Championship. If those aren’t enough credentials recruiter in America, bringing in toughness from the east for the fan’s to put their trust in him, then I don’t know what coast and mixing that with the skill and strength of the west are anymore. coast. Going to Late Night in the Phog, and watching the Big Junior guard Sherron Collins and sophomore center Cole 12 championship, Final Four and finally the Championship Aldrich are the only two players remaining from the chambanners rise up into the rafters in Allen Fieldhouse truly pionship team just seven months ago and will be looked at sent chills through my body. Both the men and women’s to be the leaders of this team. Although they are the most teams scrimmaged soon after, and the way they played toexperienced players returning, Self has recruited two of the gether made me think of last year’s team. top three junior college players, as well as five freshmen KU is built on tradition and traditionally, the team has that are considered some of the top recruits in their class. the loudest Fieldhouse, the best fans, and loyalty. So please, We all know what a wonderful job Self did with his let’s keep the tradition going. teams in thepast. In just four short years, he has led KU to four NCAA appearances, three elite eights, a final four and a
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Blind students Tyler Kavanaugh and J.T. Laurie find positive moments in life through their shared relationship, knowing that...
PAGE 9 FEATURES / ISSUE FIVE
halffull a (shared) glass is
// TYLE R
// PHOEBEUNTERMAN
ROST E
At lunch, they sit side by side at a table of their own. Sopho m o r e Tyler Kavanaugh feels senior J.T. Laurie’s blue sweater with his hand. Over her left shoulder, across her back. His hand moves slowly, cautiously. He rests his head on her shoulder. It’s the perfect position: she can hear better out of her left side, and he can hear better out of his right. She finds his hair with her hand and strokes it, and he strokes hers. After taking a drink of his chocolate milk, he sticks out his lips and inches toward where he thinks her cheek is until he hits it. Holding each other is Kavanaugh and Laurie’s way of gazing into each other’s eyes. Laurie tells Kavanaugh a story about something that happened in Computer Programming class. “She was this close to losing her files,” Laurie says. “How close?” he asks. This and that, here and there—these places don’t exist in Kavanaugh and Laurie’s world. She takes his hand and moves his thumb and forefinger about a centimeter apart. “That close.” Laurie says in his ear. Kavanaugh and Laurie are in a relationship. Sometimes, i t ’s just like a typic a l hig h school relationship, but then again it’s not at all. They tell each other everything,
sit together at lunch and meet up in the halls before school. But Laurie doesn’t look for Kavanaugh in the morning—she listens for his cane tapping on the floor. And Kavanaugh has to reach out and touch her face so he knows where it is before he kisses her. Neither Laurie nor Kavanaugh can see, and both have hearing impairments. That isn’t the only thing they have in common, though. According to Laurie, they’re both geeks. Kavanaugh agrees: “Por supuesto!” ‘Of course’ in Spanish. That’s another thing. They both speak Spanish—Kavanaugh speaks it when he wants to tell Laurie something important. She usually understands. Laurie admits she isn’t patient enough to deal with most people. But when she met Kavanaugh last year in the office where they both print their Braille, she felt something. Then, during finals last spring, she and Kavanaugh sat at the table outside Room 320 and talked about everything—even problems she was having at home.
“
This and that, here and there—these places don’t exist in Kavanaugh and Laurie’s world.
”
Kavanaugh’s a good listener and he doesn’t judge. “He takes everything at face value until proven otherwise,” Laurie said. Their white canes roll in unison over the linoleum as they walk to the elevator. Neither can tell where they’re going better than the other, but holding on to each other they feel safe. It helps that they know what the other is going through. “It allows me to adapt more easily to help him,” Laurie says. “I know the limitations with his equipment,” Laurie’s talking about the implants in Kavanaugh’s ears. He can’t really hear anything spoken below 25 decibels, so she has to project her voice or talk right into his ear. They don’t know what each other looks like. Kavanaugh says it wouldn’t matter anyway, since looks aren’t important to him in a relationship. Laurie agrees, “as long as he isn’t a walking landmass.” They think character, trust and knowledge are the most important things in a relationship. They also think their relationship has all three.
It became official on the last day of school last year. They were walking to the bus when Kavanaugh said, “A propósito, te quiero.” ‘By the way, I love you’ in Spanish. Laurie was happy and surprised and excited, and all she could do was laugh out loud. Over the summer, they were “Compguy” and “admiralsaberdust,” talking over the Internet through Skype off and on from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. almost every day. They also hung out twice. At the beginning of the summer, Laurie went over to Kavanaugh’s to learn some computer programming. But they had so much to talk about that it was hard to focus on the computer. She learned that Kavanaugh collected stuffed animals, just like she did. The next time she went to Wal-Mart, she bought him a stuffed leopard. She also knitted him a throw blanket. Her latest gift: a vase of silk flowers—red roses and white lilies—because real flowers die, and she wanted her gift to last forever. Back at the lunch table, they whisper, back and forth. They put their mouths to each other’s ears when they talk, so they’re sure the other can hear. Kavanaugh presses his face to hers. “I just wish we could be together forever,” he says. For a while, they just hold each other, not saying anything. Their lunch table is their own little world. They can’t see the other kids, talking and hurrying to finish their food. They can’t even see each other, but they can feel each other and hold on. Then the sound of feedback from the microphone pierces the cafeteria. Kavanaugh cries out and presses his hands to his hearing aids. Laurie holds out her hands to find his face and make sure he’s okay. She can’t see the cringe of pain on his face, but she knows him well enough to know he’s hurting. She soothes him, replying “I know,” “I know,” to his ranting. Because Laurie and Kavanaugh can’t see the little things, it makes room for the more important ones. They can’t see the physical imperfections other people spend so much time obsessing over. They can’t see the way the other high school relationships are. So they’re free to relate however they want to, however feels right. They’re free to have their own little lunch table world and eat their Otis cookies and hold hands under the table and embrace each other as tightly as they want to. Side by side, at a table of their own.
PAGE 10 FEATURES / OCT. 27, 2008
Martial moves
New club sparks interest in an ancient art form // CAMILLEKARRO
Some say that martial arts originated in 700 B.C. when ancient Greeks started practicing Pankration, the art of complete strength. Discoveries in ancient Chinese monasteries lead some to believe martial arts was founded by Chinese monks in the fifth century. Others think that it originated in India at around this same time. Since then, martial arts has found its way to East. Social studies teacher David Muhammed is bringing martial arts to the school through a mix of traditional tae kwon do and karate. As sponsor and instructor of the new Martial Arts Club, he feels confident that he can teach anyone “Anybody can do it that’s willing to be taught,” Muhammed said. “Just like if I was teaching in one of my academic classes where I have lots of different types of learners, I just have to have a variety of activities that can kinda catch everyone at the same time.” Muhammed began taking formal lessons from his father at age three and received his black belt at 11. Since then, he has been an assistant instructor at his father’s martial arts academy, Chung Do Kwon Tae Kwon Do, in Kansas City, MO. He brings his experience to the club, which is held in the little gym every Monday and Wednesday at 6 p.m. Currently, the class is focused on conditioning, which includes sit-ups, push-ups, bear crawls, wheelbarrows, cardio, and stretching. So far, attendance has been around ten people. With the exception of C’ average students, the club is not exclusive to anyone. About half the members are at an advanced or intermediate level, and the remaining are beginners. All members review basic punches, blocks and kicks, including the horse stance, front stance, L-stance, middle punch, front
kick and side kick. When advanced students work on more challenging combinations of the basics, beginners sit out and learn from observation. Advanced members also help teach the classes in smaller groups. “You start with the basic techniques,” Muhammed said. “You don’t try to throw someone into the water and have them start swimming right off the bat… the good thing about traditional martial arts is that it helps everybody, no matter what level they’re at… you’re never too advanced to refine your basics.” Although you can practice martial arts only twice a week at school, Muhammed is convinced that you can do it for the rest of your life. Senior Dora Kapros, a brown belt in martial arts, plans to do just this. “I plan to do it as long as I can,” Kapros said. “It’s pretty important in my life to have that control, self-discipline and mental health that it offers.” Kapros began taking tae kwon do classes from Muhammed’s father four years ago. Although she is taking a break from training, she feels challenged by the classes held at school. “It’s a long class,” Kapros said. “Mr. Muhammed uses the same teaching style as, his father which makes the class difficult. It’s strict and you’re pushed physically and expected to do your best.” Members are expected to behave respectably and remain focused. To minimize distractions, they are also required to wear long pants and sleeved shirts. To attain a serious vibe in the room, class is started with meditation, which helps the students forget about their troubles and focus on martial arts. “With the right mind set, you will be able to develop physically,” Kapros said. Due to the media, martial arts is of-
ten misconceived by some as a strictly combative sport. Although the term translates to arts of war, modern martial arts embodies mental and spiritual components as well. “You don’t hurt the other person on purpose,” Kapros said. “Martial arts makes you a more peaceful person…the purpose is to be able to defend yourself if you need to, so it has a lot of real life applications.” It is the responsibility of both opponents to make sure one another is safe by practicing with control. If an opponent is not taking the match seriously, then the chance of injury is greatly increased. Respect for yourself and others is also key to a safe environment. Spiritual harmony, along with mental and physical advancement, is necessary in order to pursue martial arts. Belt levels should correlate with both maturity and mental and physical ability of the student. “If you’re not mentally there, you shouldn’t get the belt,” Kapros said. But for any students seriously interested in the club, Muhammed promises the opportunity to gain more self-confidence, better physical fitness, relaxation and a challenge.
The Moves
LEFT: Students, led by David Muhammed, practice their snap kicks. In martial arts or other combat sports, a kick is a strike using the foot, leg or knee (also known as a knee strike). This attack is often used in hand-to-hand combat, especially in stand-up fighting. Kicks play a great part in many martial art forms. RIGHT: Muhammed demonstrates a sparring hand-to-hand combat act with junior Jason Williamson. Sparring often consists of Karate Punches, which is a twisting of the wrist before impact.
// www.martialinfo.com
Happiness
Peace
// NICKLUCAS
Strength
Love
Power
SENIOR Emre Agbas started the martial arts club with David Muhammed, his tae kwon doe instructor. Agbas is a first degree brown belt and here isthrowing a middle punch.
//
ALL PHOTOS BY:PATRICKMAYFIELD
FACE-OFF
PAGE 11 ELECTION / ISSUE FIVE
With Nov. 4 a week away, the presidential candidates will be facing harsh scrutiny from American citizens and each other. See pages 12-18 for exclusive election coverage.
// TYLERROSTE // TYLERROSTE
PAGE 12 ELECTION / OCT. 27, 2008
Different ends of the SPECTRUM Andrew Sweeney- Abortion
Election Results
ERR OST E
// MACTAMBLYN
08
Carl Cornwell- Stem Cell Research
ELECTI
Junior Carl Cornwell’s joints are stiff each day as he rolls out of bed. Sharp pains constantly shoot throughout his body during the day, keeping him from playing sports. Rheumatoid arthritis, a chronic autoimmune disease that causes inflammation in joints, is what limits Cornwell. Stem cell research could drastically improve his situation (which he normally alleviates by wearing knee braces), but because it is no longer federally funded, he must suffer through this condition. “It should be legal because it can help many people, including myself, who have problems that can be potentially cured by stem cells,” Cornwell said. Stem cells are cells taken from human embryos. They can divide and develop into specialized cells, like red blood cells, brain cells, or bone cells, and then be used as replacements for damaged cells. Stem cells’ ability to treat a vast number of debilitating medical problems is what makes them so exciting to scientists. Moral issues are what keep stem cell research from being federally funded. Many people across America have problems with taking cells from human embryos. “People think that it’s killing babies, but it’s really not, because it’s just an embryo,” Cornwell said. “It’s not an actual child yet.” Cornwell does not campaign in support of stem cell research, but still remains interested. “Whenever I see it on the news I always like to listen to it, see what people think about it,” Cornwell said. In 2006, President George Bush vetoed an embryonic stem cell bill that would have given federal funding to the cause. Things are looking up for Cornwell and others with diseases that can be aided by stem cells. Presidential candidates John McCain and Barack Obama both support federal funding for stem cell research. “If [Obama and McCain] support it then obviously more people will think about it,” Conwell said, “Hopefully, [the government will] get more involved in it and accept it more, because a lot of people don’t.”
ON
// ANDYALLEN
N
E YALL
D //AN
Senior Andrew Sweeney did not utter a single word last Monday, his voice suppressed by the red “LIFE” tape worn over his mouth. This “humbling” event is called the “Pro-Life Day of Silent Solidarity,” and Sweeney has led and organized it the past two years. “We lose our voice for one day to signify the 4,000 babies that have their voice taken away every day,” Sweeney said. Sweeney’s strong feelings about abortion come from his religious beliefs. His parents brought him up as a Christian, which instilled in him the belief that conception marks the beginning of life. “The issue of abortion to me, because it is a religious belief, it is more important than a lot of issues,” Sweeney said. “It is very important because I believe that we, the government and the voters are supporting the homicide of all these children.” Sweeney made it clear that there is only one way to stop abortion. “It is very, very, very important for us to vote against that and vote that down,” Sweeney said. “So then we are not just killing our own children.” Aside from leading the “Pro-Life Day of Silent Solidarity” at East, Sweeney regularly volunteers to help campaign for prolife politicians. He is a major proponent of the pro-life McCain ticket (Obama is pro-choice). The choice of Sarah Palin as McCain’s running mate only boosted his support for the presidential hopeful, because her pregnant 17-year-old daughter recently decided against abortion. Raising awareness is important to Sweeney. He thinks many kids don’t factor abortion into their thinking when filling out a ballot. “A lot of people consider abortion to be a petty issue, it shouldn’t be involved in politics, and it’s not really a big deal,” Sweeney said. “I think the ‘Day of Silence’ really worked against that and showed that it really does matter, and that it is a big deal, and it should be considered when voting.”
// TYL
Phil Roach- Military
Oil. That sums up junior Phil Roach’s feelings on why America entered Iraq. “We went in just for the oil,” Roach explained. “If we look around at all the problems going on in other countries that don’t have oil, we don’t go and help them. It was just for our own personal gain that we went in.” A number of things have shaped Roach’s interest in the war. He loves American History, especially war history. He has friends in the military. He and his family regularly discuss current events. And he takes Reserve Officers’ Training Corps class at East. During ROTC class, Roach said that students do anything from exercise on the track to class discussion of military protocol. “It broadens your outlook on different opinions of the war,” Roach said. Roach’s plans for the future include attending college and then joining the Marine Corps, a decision he made before enrolling in ROTC. “Nothing is going to make me not want to join [the Marine Corps],” Roach said. “I hope I don’t get sent over there, but if I do get sent over there I know it’s for my country and I won’t say ‘I’m not going.’” Now that the United States are in the Middle East, Roach thinks that a total recall of every soldier would be irresponsible. He favors a slow pullout of troops that would leave a few thousand troops permanently stationed. “If we pull out immediately, it’s going to be shoved back into an anarchy-type state where somebody like Saddam [Hussein] could get power,” Roach said. According to Obama’s web site, he has been against the War in Iraq since day one, and has a strategic plan to bring the troops home. McCain’s web site states that he wants to achieve victory as soon as possible before leaving Iraq. Roach is not supporting a presidential candidate this November because he feels neither candidate has taken a stance and stayed with it. “They [John McCain and Barack Obama] both flip-flop on their ideas,” Roach said. “And I, for once, would like a straight-forward candidate expressing his ideas no matter what the political community thinks, no matter what the media makes of it.”
A look at three students who are passionate about various issues
5%
the results of the Harbinger’s mock-election poll held on Oct. 16 and 17 are as follows:
Obama: 359 Votes (57%) McCain: 238 Votes (38%) Other: 29 Votes (5%)
Most important issue students want to be see addressed by the next president: the economy
On a scale of 1-10, how closely did the students follow the presidential race: 8 out of 10
57%
38%
PAGE 13 ELECTION / ISSUE FIVE
08
ELECTION
// ALYS S
AJOL
ITZ
ONE -ON- ONE Obama vs. McCain: comparing the issues in a showdown for policy supremacy
SEN. BARACK OBAMA
SEN. JOHN McCAIN
//LOGANHELEY *Invest in clean energy to create 5 million new jobs *Provide tax relief for small businesses and start up companies *Ensure freedom to organize *Raise the minimum wage *Protect home ownership and crack down on mortgage fraud
*Create a $4,000 tax credit to help student pay for college *Help states move towards voluntary, universal pre-school *Fully fund and reform No Child Left Behind to improve accountability by helping schools that need improvement
*Make math and science and education a national priority *Double the funding for the main federal support for after school programs *Create an initiative to increase the number of high school students taking Advanced Placement or college-level classes nationwide 50 percent by 2016
*Create 700 thousand jobs by building 45 new nuclear power plants by 2030 *End dependence of foreign oil, creating lower gas prices for American families *Create cheaper drugs by introducing generic drugs faster
ECONOMY
*$1,000 emergency energy rebate for American families *Eliminate income tax for seniors making less than $50,000 *Fight for fair trade around the world *End tax breaks for companies that send jobs overseas
*Create a “gas tax” holiday between Memorial Day and Labor Day *Repeal tax on imported sugar based ethanol *Balance the budget by 2013
U.S. History and Economics teacher Robert Bickers’s view - “Foreign ethanol solutions are far better than corn.” “Jobs after nuclear plants are built?”
EDUCATION
Legal Studies and American Government teacher Ron Stallard’s view - “Presidents have very little control. Good luck.”
*Supports school vouchers that help parents send their kids to private schools *Voted for the No Child Left Behind Act, but says it is only the first step in education reform *Rearrange Title II funding for better accountability
and retention of good teachers and more money to individual schools for specific needs *Devote more money towards creating “virtual schools” and expanding online classes
*Fast-track alternative fuel technologies to break America’s reliance on foreign oil *Create five million new jobs by investing $150 billion to develop home-grown energy technologies *Require higher mileage standards and support auto makers in developing new advanced technology cars
* Expand domestic oil exploration *Promote and expand the use of domestic natural gas *$5,000 tax credit for buying a zero carbon emission car *Will commit $2 billion towards clean coal technol-
that get 150 miles per gallon *Provide a tax credit to families that purchase a car that gets more than 50 mpg *Provide a $1,000 emergency energy rebate to give families relief from skyrocketing energy costs
ENERGY
Stallard’s view - “Same Democratic platform as in years past. Hasn’t happened yet.”
Bickers’s view - ” Accountability’s a good thing.” “The No Child Left Behind Act is a ridiculously bad plan.” ogy *Wants to construct 45 new nuclear power plants by 2030 *Create a “cap and trade” system that will reduce carbon emissions
Bickers’s view - “Nuclear is best long-term bet.” “Tax credits - where’s the money coming from?”
* Create a national health insurance program for individuals who do not have employer-provided health care and who do not qualify for other existing federal programs *Require insurance companies to cover pre-existing conditions *Ensure a tax-credit for everyone who needs help on
their premiums *Help small businesses pay for health care for their employees * Require coverage for all children * Allows individuals below age 25 to be covered through their parents’ plans.
*Supports tough, direct presidential diplomacy with Iran without preconditions *Keep trade embargo on Cuba until they release political prisoners *Fight global poverty by supporting the Millennium Development Goal and doubling our foreign assistance to $50 billion
*Amend NAFTA after talking to the leaders of Mexico and Canada *Eliminate tax breaks for companies sending jobs over seas *Ensure a strong U.S.-Israel partnership *Says expelling Russia from the “Group of Eight” would be a grave mistake
Stallard’s view - “Concern: Some companies may drop their health insurance for employers. Need to lower costs!”
Stallard’s view - “Diplomacy equals good. Plus rebuild America’s reputation.”
FOREIGN POLICY HEALTH CARE
Stallard’s view - “Expensive! Is it worth it? Yes.”
*Opposes federally mandated universal coverage *Supports health care tax dividends for low-income Americans *Encourage small businesses to band together to negotiate lower rates with health care providers
*Says he would foster greater competition in the drug markets “through safe re-importation of drugs and faster production of generic drugs.” *Wants to give individuals a $2,500 direct refundable tax credit and families a $5,000 credit
Bickers’s view - “Greater patient choice.” “Why re-import drugs if we can renegotiate while they’re still here?” *Supports free trade agreements such as NAFTA *Says military action is an option in Iran, but would talk to congressional leaders first *Keep trade embargo on Cuba and not allow economic aid to enter the country
*Has stated he is “proudly pro-Israel” *Has called for Russia to be expelled from the “Group of Eight” *Favors NATO membership for former Soviet countries like Georgia and Ukraine
Bickers’s view - “Lack of unilateral invasion plan shows diplomatic potential.” “Cuban embargo? Really?” // barackobama.com, johnmccain.com, cnn.com
Tooyoung
PAGE 14 ELECTION / OCT. 27, 2008
to vote
By grouping people under the age of 18, the educated opinions of high school students are deemed comparible with those of children so that all of them are ineffective an opinion of It’s everywhere. All forms of media from your car’s radio to every news website and blog on the internet have been covering it non-stop for over a year. It’s going to change our lives and it’s completely up to… only a few of us. The upcoming presidential election seems to be on everyone’s mind, and many here at East are quite vocal about who should be the next leader of our country, but what they don’t realize though, is that many opinions are totally irrelevant, including mine. No matter how much I like to discuss my political opinions and argue with supporters of the opposite party, it’s entirely useless. None of us can even vote. American law states that one of the many privileges you earn when turning 18 is the ability to vote in elections. You must first be viewed as a legal adult before you are allowed to make “adult decisions” like voting. This means that everyone at East who isn’t an 18-year-old senior who has registered to vote, doesn’t have that right. This law seems irrational though, because with so many students speaking up for the candidate they believe in, whether it be John or Barack, there are many potential voters who are well informed and could be making a difference. The only thing holding all of them back is an age barrier. Lowering the voting age, even to 17, could drastically change the outcome of an election. Many students seem to know so much and feel so strongly, but they have absolutely no impact whatsoever on how things will end up. This can be seen a lot on the social networking site “Facebook”, where senator John McCain’s “Politician Page” has over 500,000 supporters. The thing is, many of them are still in high school. While this seems impressive, the number of them who are actually of “voting age” will easily cut that amount down drastically. Teenagers aren’t the only ones who are attempting to take a stand. Senator Barack Obama’s official campaign website even has a few ideas for how to get children 12 and under involved in the race, one of the more clever ones being “Host a Sena-
BOBMARTIN
tor Barack Obama House Party or sleep-over.” What have we come to when mere children begin hosting sleepovers and parties themed after presidential hope fuls? What’s next, a Kofi Annan prom? Then, during the primaries there was 11-year-old Dalton Hatfield of McAndrews, Kentucky, who sold all of his video games and a beloved bicycle, just so he would be able to present Hillary Clinton’s Campaign with a $440 donation. Guess it didn’t help much. The kids shouldn’t be blamed. Any parent can put a McCain/Palin onesy on their infant, or an Obama/Biden button on their 1st grader’s backpack, but that doesn’t give that child an “opinion” or really change anything, but this is how the law seems to place all of us under the age of 18. As simpletons who merely vote as we are told to and without taking actual issues into account. I’m not against people being vocal about their thoughts. An opinion is a powerful thing, and makes all of us the fantastic people that we are, but there needs to be an understanding as far as things go politically. If you’re under 18, your voice doesn’t matter to anyone but yourself. It’s a hard thing for me to accept. I personally debate about politics all the time. Often, I think that my peers and I likely know even more than some those who will be voting come Nov. 4th. For example, Minnesota voter Gayle Quinnell referred to Barack Obama as “An Arab” when asking Senator John McCain a question on camera. That’s why no matter how useless supporting one candidate or another is, if we can be smart about it, we need to keep it in our minds. Then we don’t end up like little Dalton, stripped of a bike and unable to make any sort of difference in the politics of our world.
Republican clothing for kids courtesy of zazzle.com
(not endorsed by the Republican Party)
// NICKLUCAS
10 WAYS KIDS FOR OBAMA CAN GET INVOLVED: -Create a Kids for Obama Group on My.Barackobama. com. For example, Chicago Kids for Obama or DC Kids for Obama and throw a party! -Write a letter or editorial to your local news paper, expressing “Why Barack Obama should become the next US President”. -Find a Pen Pal - it could be in your school, city, state, or another state. Write and discuss different ways you can get involved. -Draw a picture of Senator Barack Obama or “an expression of Democracy”. For example, the Senator sitting in the White House or working on Capitol. Hill. You can send your drawing to the Obama for America Campaign Headquarters in Chicago and it will be posted for the Senator to see. -Implement t-shirt Thursday. Get friends to wear an official Obama for America t-shirt to school. Take an adult (voting age) to the polls on Election Day and encourage them to vote for you, by voting for Senator Obama. -Post an official Obama for America Campaign sticker/ logo on your school bag. -Wear an Obama for America Campaign button and/or clothing. -Host a Senator Barack Obama House Party or sleepover. -Contribute to the Kids for Obama Blog . // BARACKOBAMA.COM
08
ELECTION // ZAZZLE.COM
Wee-publican for McCain Palin
Peace, Love, McPalin
Future Republican
08
PAGE 15 ELECTION / ISSUE FIVE
ELECTION
Frustrated with current leaders, students choose third-party candidates in their search for
different something
// GRIFFINBUR
The youth interest in the 2008 elections is a striking phenomenon. Youth turnout tripled in the Missouri primaries. Obama and McCain shirts are prevalent in East’s halls. Candidates have Facebook and Myspace pages. Yet, there’s something missing. Third party candidates. Few, if any, third party shirts can be seen. There are Republican and Democrat bulletin boards on the third floor, but no third party boards. No television commercials. Candidates this year are stressing moderation, a compromise between Democrats and Republicans and independents seem out of luck.
left
Regardless, some East students are voting for a third party candidate. Senior Matt Hallquist is endorsing and plans to vote for Libertarian candidate Bob Barr. Barr’s platform includes repealing all gun control, leaving same-sex union laws up to states and abolishing the Department of Education. Hallquist was a Democrat until he learned that several Democrats, including Obama, voted for the Patriot Act or (its reauthorization) and the bailout bill. The Libertarian stance on issues like domestic spying and foreign intervention appeals to Hallquist. “I really don’t think that we should be po-
The Political Spectrum See what the traditional “right” and “left” believe about key issues...and where modern-day parties fall
• Liberals want more government - the extreme form of liberalism is communism - including more taxes and government programs. • The Democratic party (Obama) leans towards liberalism. • Liberals are typically pro-choice, want gun-control laws and support gay-lesbian rights.
// TYLERROSTE licing the world,” Hallquist said. “Bush said he would have a non-intervention policy before the 2000 election, but went into Iraq and Afghanistan anyway.” He also feels like Libertarian candidates talk about things that McCain and Obama avoid. “A lot of the things [Obama and McCain] say are just criticisms of the other candidate, which doesn’t really say anything about their policies,” Hallquist said. “They both tend to avoid difficult issues, like the economy.” According to University of Wisconsin political scientist Barry Burden, published in a recent Kansas City Star article, voters like to pick winners. Burden says that as many as a third of voters consider themselves independent. However, they may consider a third party vote to be wasted. So, they vote for a major party. Hallquist disagrees with this. “I think it’s more important to vote for what you really believe in rather than just following a trend,” Hallquist said. “For me, less government in my life is important.” Government teacher Fred Elliott covers third party politics briefly in his classes. H. Ross Perot and Ralph Nader are usually mentioned, along with the Libertarian and Reform parties.
But that’s about the extent of it. Elliott says that in three senior classes, he’s had only one student talk about voting for an independent candidate. Though some talk about their dislike for both major candidates, they are only “a handful.” Elliott, who himself voted for Perot in 1992, agrees with that people like to vote for the winner or at least a reasonable contender. “I do feel like a lot of people like feeling like [they influence the election] and so they vote for a major candidate,” Elliot said. But, more than peer influence or trends, Elliott believes that students generally vote how they were raised or how their family votes.” “I’ve found that most high school students don’t stray too far from how their parents vote,” Elliot said. Hallquist believes that trends influence voters, especially teenagers. While candidates may talk about one thing, he says, it’s important to look at what they actually do. “You really have to look at what candidates actually do in office and how they vote as opposed to just listening to their rhetoric and what they say in debates,” Hallquist said. “That’s why I’m voting third party.”
National Leading Third-Party Candidates
Right
• Conservatives want less government - the extreme form of conservatism is anarchy - included less taxes and less government. • The Republican party (McCain) leans towards conservatism. • Conservatives are typically pro-life, want no gun-control laws and fight against gay-lesbian rights. // SME’s American Government Concepts
We take a quick look at the leading third-party candidates and some of their issues in the election
Charles Baldwin (running mate Darrell Castle) - Baldwin believes that abortion is always illegal and that all federal income taxes, which he deems unconstitutional, should be replaced with tariffs. He wants to reduce gun restrictions; he support school vouchers. Baldwin wants to end the war in Iraq.
Ralph Nader (running mate - Matt Gonzalez) - Nader says that we should tax “things we don’t like (speculation, addictive industries)” and “stop taxing things we like (labor).” He supports eliminating private prisons and having universal health care. Nader also supports same-sex marriage and says that abortions should always be legal.
Robert Barr (running mate - Wayne Root) - Barr wants to increase almost all defense funding. He wants to broaden the use of the death penalty for federal crimes. He supports the use of school vouchers. Barr “believes that America has lost its moral way,” so he wants governments to be able to display the Ten Commandments.
// http://www.votesmart.org/election_president.php
PAGE 16 SPREAD / OCT. 27, 2008 NEW ENERGY PLAN
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Teachers show students how to affect change through involvement KANSAS VO // ANNIESGROI
On Nov. 4, Junior Tara Raghuveer will arrive at work at 6 a.m. She and her classmates will help hundreds of people through the voting process. They will teach people how to understand forms, check registrations to make sure they’re completed and activate polling machines throughout the day. Then they will help the Supervising Election Judge close the polls at 7 p.m. after 13 hours of hard work. But these students aren’t working as paid elections officials. They’re volunteer poll workers who got involved when East history and government teachers connected them to the election process. U.S. History and History of the Americas teacher Brenda Fishman is one of the teachers trying to open the door to the election process for her students. Fishman gave her students poll-working forms at the beginning of the year and mailed them back to the Johnson County Election office when they had been filled out. “We may have some budding politicians at East - many are involved in debate and forensics,” Fishman said. “I hope they have a lifelong interest in community, service and understanding of the political system.” American History teacher Vicki Arndt-Helgesen is also trying to connect her students to the political process, but in addition she is offering extra-credit to “sweeten the learning.” Arndt-Helgesen offers extra credit to her students for working at the polls, volunteering on any campaign, working for any one issue, and fact-checking political ads. Although she said that many of her students are already involved with campaigns and issues that are important to them, extra credit helps encourage those that aren’t. “Points become our commodity,” Arndt-Helgesen said. “It becomes a way we can say, you’re doing this, it’s a part of my curriculum and I really applaud you.” This summer Arndt-Helgesen was one of 15 Kansas teachers who attended the first two-day workshop at the Dole Institute of Politics at KU, a bipartisan institute that focuses on teaching students about public service and the importance of getting involved in their communities. Barbara Ballard, the Associate Director of Outreach for the Dole Institute organized the workshop. Ballard said that she and the teachers at the workshop
hope to show their students that they can affect change. “There are so many things we can do,” Ballard said. “If you’re not going to be involved in public service, who’s going to be involved in it? Who’s going to make the difference in your community?” Ballard also says that she wants students to know that it’s everyone’s responsibility to help people and serve their communities. “If you live in this world you have to give something back,” Ballard said. Over the two days the teachers focused on how they could encourage students to be active in politics all the time, not just in an election year. Shawnee Mission West American Government and International Relations teacher Lisa Benge was also invited to the workshop. “This a democracy and everybody who’s elected works for you.” Benge said “ If you want them to do something you need to call them and tell them what to do.” Raghuveer was one of the students who got a poll-working form from Fishman last year. She helped out during the primaries this February and is excited to work at the polls again in the national election . “I’m looking forward to seeing a big turnout this year,” Raghuveer said. “It’s anticipated that it’s going to be one of the biggest turnouts in Kansas election history. I think this election had been particularly controversial, so people are more interested.” Working at the polls during the primaries was Raghuveer’s first experience with politics and the election process. She is now considering applying for an internship with the Democratic Party in Kansas City after the election to pursue her new interest . That spark of interest is exactly that Arndt-Helgesen said she and other teachers hope students will find if they get involved in politics. “It’s important that from an early age students realize that as voters we have a way to influence policy,” Arndt-Helgesen said. “We can choose to be silent, we can choose to simply criticize or we can choose to be actively involved in that process.”
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“I decided to do it because I was really interested in the Presidential Election and wanted to be involved in somehow,” Lafferty said. “It was the next best option [after voting].” She worked the election in August, putting in a long 13-hour day with a one-hour nap break. Although she wasn’t working to support a specific party, Lafferty still believes that she helped by supporting the principle of voting. “It’s your opportunity to voice what you want in your government,” Lafferty said. “Everyone should vote who can.” Sullivan, too, thinks that voting is important. She also says that the election is just as important, even if you can’t vote, because of the state that our nation is in. “Whether you care about politics or not, it’s still going to affect you even if you can’t vote,” Sullivan said. Lafferty thinks that being involved in politics before you can vote is important. Whether it’s going door-to-door, calling undecided voters, or working at the pols, both students want to do all that they can. “It’s best to get involved early,” Lafferty said. “Then you can really get involved when you can vote.”
Show Suport
// MELISSAMcKITTRICK
Junior Olivia Sullivan has gotten four votes for Obama without submitting a ballot. “I registered four Democrats to vote,” Sullivan said. “So I think it helps. Even though we’re a red state, anything can help Obama.” Sullivan is a Democratic Party volunteer, working three days each week for the Party. She ‘canvasses’ on Sundays, going door-to-door to talk with people about their votes. Even though she comes across a lot more Republicans than Democrats, she still thinks she’s making a difference. “I swayed Republicans to vote for Obama,” Sullivan said. “They were confused on the issues.” Despite Republicans still dominating Kansas, the Democrats are gaining. In 2004, 46.2 percent of Kansans voted Republican and 26.8 percent voted Democrat. On Oct. 9, the Republicans had lost 1.5 percent and the Democrats had gained 0.3 percent. Although these changes are small, Sullivan believes anything can happen. “It’s important to work for what you believe in,” Sullivan said. “If you have a strong believe, you should work for it.” Junior Holly Lafferty is also working at the election, but she doesn’t support a specific party. At 17-years-old, Lafferty can work at the polling stations.
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arguments. “[In classes], people do talk about it,” McGannon said. “I’ll argue some points… but I don’t bring it up.” He doesn’t believe in sticking up for a single candidate, though. “[My parent’s] have kind of said it’s not something you need to advertise – just talking about who you’re going to vote for isn’t really a big deal in my family,” McGannon said. “It’s a private matter, kind of like your salary or something.” Although McGannon understands why students might volunteer to work at polls, he doesn’t think it can help specific parties. “Someone isn’t going to show up to vote,” McGannon said. “And be like, ‘this 15 year-old wants me to vote for Obama, so I’m going to switch from McCain to Obama.” Riley agrees. “I don’t actually know how to work in polls – if I had the knowledge, I’d probably do it,” Riley said, “[But] it probably wouldn’t help a specific party.”
EXIT POLLS
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Sophomore Riley Watson would rather “man-gossip” with his friends than talk about politics. Watson can’t vote in the next presidential election – in fact, he can’t vote for a president for another six years – so he just doesn’t see the point. He wonders why he should talk about running mates when he could talk about his friends? Why discuss economic policies when he could go see a movie? Why beef up on the environment when he could be aiming for the next videogame high-score? The election rarely comes up in conversations with anyone, even his parents. “They kinda stage in and out,” Watson explained. “They change the [TV] channel.” His friends and he have other things to talk about, too. “[My friends] don’t know what politics are,” Watson said. Sophomore Patrick McGannon also makes a point to not bring up politics when talking with his friends. Unlike Watson, though, he doesn’t do it because of a lack of interest. In fact, McGannon doesn’t mind jumping into other peoples’
Do o t r o o Do
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For privacy and lack of interest, students avoid politic discussion // MELISSAMcKITTRICK
l Voters a i t n e t Call Po
HISTLE TOP RAIN OUR
PAGE 17 SPREAD / ISSUE FIVE
Showing support for your candidate is a great way to get involved in the election. You can put a sign in your yard, a bumper sticker on your car or wear a t-shirt.
How you can get
In volve d
www. democraticstuff. com www. therepublicanstore. com
// MACKENZIEWYLIE
PAGE 18 ELECTION / OCT. 27, 2008
an
international
ELECTION // LOGANHELEY
Exchange students come to America in the height of election season, and comment on global issues that affect their families as well as their host-families.
// GABYTHOMPSON Bigger streets. Bigger cars. Bigger drinks. Bigger portions. This is what foreign exchange student Mariell Eikhovd noticed when she arrived in America. But Eikhovd knew something else big was going on in America. An election. An election her teachers in Norway made her write essays about. An election that has everyone talking, no matter what language they’re speaking. This year’s foreign exchange students have come from political hot spots, geographical cold spots and spots in between. They have descended upon the United States at the climax of the 2008 presidential election, knowing full well this election could affect not just America, but their homes they left months ago. English is Eikhovd and Norway’s second language. Networks such as CNN broadcast in Norway, so many Norwegians stay up to date with what is going on in the U.S. Eikhovd says adults in Norway pay attention to U.S. news because America plays such a large international role. “ Norway is not a big country, so for us America is like the country,” Eikhovd said. Norwegians call the U.S. “the land of opportunity” still today, long after customs officials left Ellis Island. According to Eikhovd Kids in Norway think the only way to become like their idol is to move to America. In fact, Eikhovd’s teachers actually made her write a paper about how America was the “land of opportunity.” Before Eikhovd came to East, she leaned towards Obama because of his appeal to young people. She also thought that Obama would bring a good change from President Bush because she considers them complete opposites. After watching the debates and making friends who were mainly McCain supporters, she decided to not take a strong position on the election. “It’s kind of hard for me to decide who is the better one than the other because I don’t
know what the American needs are right now,” Eikhovd said. Coming from Norway , where she says most people dislike Bush, she was surprised to see how many students strongly supported McCain. Feeling reserved about taking an opinion on the election, she doesn’t talk politics much with her new friends. “I don’t feel that I have the right [to support a candidate] because it isn’t my country,” Eikhovd said. Eikhovd’s mom liked former Pres. Clinton, so she has leaned towards the Democrats in this election. According to Eikhovd, people in her community make jokes about Bush, and she feels not as many people would do that if Obama were elected. Exchange student Adeeqa Nazir was surprised to see how peaceful the politicizing in America is in contrast to Pakistan. In Pakistan, election rallies hold the threat of a bombing, cars will be decked out in support of something and streets, houses and walls will be painted to advertise a cause. In America, a simple yard sign does the trick for most. Nazir says sometimes rallies will even cancel school. Nazir’s house in Pakistan is about five minutes from where Benazir Bhutto lived. Last December, a bomb went off at a rally that was held near Bhutto’s house in support of Bhutto’s presidential campaign. Nazir could hear the bomb go off from her relative’s house nearby. “At the time of the rally we were not there, but we got home around the time of the bombing we heard noises and went out and saw that there had been a bomb,” Nazir said. Though she was not hurt, the bomb was close enough to cause commotion near where she was. Her family ushered women and children from the packed streets into their home to protect them from the turmoil outside. The streets were so crowded that
Nazir says it took Bhutto three or four hours to get from the airport to her house, a drive that usually takes Nazir about 15 minutes. With the War on Terror still an issue in America , Pakistan has played a key role in American politics as of late. Nazir supports Democratic Presidential nominee Barack Obama because she likes that he doesn’t “call himself superior to others”, but that he cares about working class people. Obama has said he would go into Pakistan if he knew Osama Bin Laden were there. McCain has kept his plan for Pakistan more secret. Nazir wants the next president to take a neutral stance on the issue by allowing the Pakistani government to deal with Bin Laden and the terrorists. “The Taliban is destroying Pakistan’s territory as well,” Nazir said. “They’re not just harming America. The people of Pakistan are not involved in such terrorism.” Nazir’s host mom, Janet Baker, is an Obama supporter. Nazir says Baker has campaigned for Obama. Baker also showed Nazir MoveOn.org, an online civic action group. Nazir says she has used MoveOn. org as a research tool for election issues. Nazir has also watched the debates and has come to like Obama’s view on health care, because she believes it will provide for more people. One thing Nazir doesn’t like is that Obama did not select a woman as his running mate. Nazir likes Republican vicepresidential nominee Sarah Palin because of her confidence and courage, but thinks she lacks experience. Nazir believes there needs to be a balance between men and women and hopes that Obama will keep a balance if elected. In his school in Germany , Maik (Mike) Jakish says students have a negative opinion of Americans mainly because they dislike Bush. Jakish doesn’t fully know why Europeans don’t like Bush, but he
LOCAL ELECTION ISSUES: JOHNSON COUNTY QUESTION #1: Should the method to selection of judges be changed? Currently, the 10th Judicial Nominating Commission has 14 members, with seven non-lawyers appointed by seven Johnson County Commissioners and seven Johnson County lawyers. The Commission interviews the applicants and selects three, with the governor making the final decision. If the majority votes "yes" on the vote, each judge will have to have to be elected every four years and possibly face opponents in primary and general elections.
JOHNSON COUNTY QUESTION #2: Shall the Johnson County Education Research Triangle be created and supported by a non-expiring1/8 cent (.0125) sales tax? If the majority votes "yes" to question two, the Johnson County Education Research Triangle would be created and invested with a sales tax increase of 1/8 cent (about $15 million a year), which would create an economic stimulus of $1.4 billion in the next 20 years, and would be split between three institutions: the KU Cancer Center, the KU Edwards Campus and Kansas State's food security institute. // www.jocoelection.org
recognizes it as a recurring theme in most people he knows. “We learn that President Bush is bad, so the resolve is that all Americans are bad.” Jakish said. Jakish hasn’t gotten involved in the election too much because he says he doesn’t really care about American politics. Srisuwat (Bank) Thanaphat is an Obama supporter because he is disappointed in the Iraq War. He says the Iraq War is a big issue for people in Thailand, his native country. Thanaphat believes the war should be over because Sadaam Hussein has been captured and killed. “War is not a good thing,” Thanaphat said. “The time for war is over now. We shouldn’t send people to go fight wars in other countries.” Thanaphat also thinks Obama offers a new point of view and he likes that an African-American would finally get a chance to prove themselves in the White House. If Obama is elected, Thanaphat believes it would show the U.S. is not a racist country. “Even a black guy can be president.” Thanaphat said. “[We] are all equal.” In this election, Thanaphat doesn’t think it matters who becomes president, because both candidates want to improve America , they just use different strategies. “It’s not like McCain will improve the country and Obama won’t.” Thanaphat said. But Thanaphat does believe Americans have to choose which improvement strategy they want to follow. “[The American people] have to decide which way they want to move, left or right,” Thanaphat said. “It’s not forward or backward.”
08
ELECTION
THE LOCAL BALLOT:
UNITED STATES SENATOR: DEMOCRAT: Jim Slattery REPUBLICAN: Pat Roberts* LIBERTARIAN: Randall Hodgkinson REFORM: Joseph L. Martin DISTRICT ATTORNEY, TENTH DISTRICT: DEMOCRAT: Rick Guinn REPUBLICAN: Steve Howe
UNITED STATES REPRESENTATIVE, THIRD CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT: DEMOCRAT: Dennis Moore* REPUBLICAN: Nick Jordan LIBERTARIAN: Joe Bellis REFORM: Roger D. Tucker
*Incumbents
PAGE 19 FEATURES / ISSUE FIVE
THE BASS OF THE BAND An inside look at the drumline // RACHELBIRKENMEIER
What exactly is drumline?
Imagine your favorite song without the boom of the drums in the backgroud. Now, try to imagine a football game without it. The drumline is a vital part of the sport atmosphere, from helping to pump the crowd to carrying the fans to the end of the game. Without it, football games wouldn’t be the same. Made up of three main drums; the snares, tenors and bass, each drum brings a unique sound to the line. The snare is the loudest and most heard drum out of the three. Each snare player plays complex rudiments, which are a set of basic patterns that form the “building blocks” of drumming and can be combined in many ways to create different music. The tenor drums are a set of five different drums put together. They play similar rhythms, but over five drums instead of one. “That’s what I really like about the tenors,”
junior David Beeder said. “They respond to the snares and really add color to the music.” Last but not least is the bass, the biggest drum out of the three. The bass drums are the “boom” of the drumline, and all four are different sizes. Each player is required to play a different drum each year, so that everyone can be well-rounded and experience each part of the drumline. But due to the short season, it’s hard to let everyone play each drum in a single year. “I think the reason we don’t play at more events is because it’s hard to get everyone there,” Lykens said. “People are just busy with other stuff.” This year, instead of just playing at the football games, the drumline will also be playing at more school events. The drumline is hoping to play at a pep assembly something in the near future and at a few basketball games.
RIGHT: At the football game on Sept. 19 senior Pat Sixta, and juniors Brian Rogers and Paul Wolff play at the halftime show. After the band finished their show with songs from the band Santana the drumline played a few cadances. // ELLENFRIZZELL
Funding for drumming
David Beeder and Andrew Lykens: routines and choreography
Stick flips and flashy showmanship help to pump up the crowd and enhance the drumline’s performance. Senior Andrew Lykens and junior David Beeder are the heads behind all the choreography and moves that the drumline performs. Both boys pull ideas from sources like Youtube videos, well known college drumlines and even previous years routines. “A lot of what we come up with is made up on the spot and pure raw creativity,” Beeder said. “I can’t copyright any of the moves to myself because everyone helps to make them and it all just gets lost in translation.” Some of the most well-known things that the drumline does in their routines are stick flips, where the drumstick leaves the player’s hand briefly. Others are when the bass drums are set down on the track and the players play them or when the snare players play off of each others drums. “When we do the snare drum move,
// MAXSTITT
it really gets the crowd going,” Beeder said. “And that’s the whole point of the drumline, to get the crowd up and pumped for the second half of the game.” And although it looks fun and laid back, the time and effort that goes into each routine and song goes unnoticed. The drumline practices once a week, and a day before each major game. “To achieve the fun, we have to really work hard,” Lykens said. “We work a lot harder than people know.” One of the harder routines the drumline has done this year was at the Homecoming game to the cadence called “Top Secret”. “The hardest song we have this year is a cadence that David Beeder wrote,” Lykens said. “It’s called ‘Italian Stallion’. We never got a chance to use this one. The hardest routine was probably the last one that we did for the Homecoming game. The hardest music was ‘Top Secret’.
A major setback that the drumline is now facing is paying for new drums. They recently purchased new bass and tenor drums, at a grand total of $5,000. But they have yet to get new snares. The snares that they currently play with are about two decades old, and causing more problems than they are worth. “They [the snare drums] are getting run down and we have to repair them often,” Beeder said. “That costs money which we could be putting towards our new drums.” The main problem with the snare drums are how they sound. “They aren’t as crisp as they should sound,” said Lykens. “It sounds like a ‘wet’ sound and its suppose to sound more ‘dry.” This takes away from the drumline’s goal of making sure that everyone sounds the same, and to make every drum section sound like a single drum.
The only thing keeping them from purchasing new snares is the cost. Each snare costs about $400 or $500, making it the most expensive drum in the line up. To help reach their goal, the drumline is looking into fundraisers. “A lot of people have said [they] would really buy an ‘I Love Drumline’ t-shirt or something simple like that,” Beeder said. “We also are looking to play more outside school functions. We’ve had a few offers from people.” Along with the fundraising, the drumline gets funds from the band department to spend on new drums and needed equiptment. “[Getting new snares] before I graduate would be awesome,” Beeder said. “But it’s not a big issue; we can still play them- they just don’t sound as good. If we all work to save every penny from our fundraisers, it’s definitely a goal we could meet.”
Creating a Cadence
ca.dence - a sequence of notes or chords that indicates the momentary or complete end of a composition, section, phrase, etc.
Sophomore Burke Smith’s cadence
Name: “Shirtless” “I spent a few hours writing it but the idea came from spending hours shirtless outside at band camp.”
Junior David Beeder’s cadence
Name: “Italian Stallion” “Our drum instructor who we all take lessons from is from Italian descent (we’re pretty sure). And sometimes, his hair looks like a stallion’s. Brian Rogers came up with the name of it.” //definition from DICTIONARY.COM
Lifeacceleration
PAGE 20 FEATURES / OCT. 27, 2008
East graduate reflects on her accomplishments in aerospace research
// MEGSHACKELFORD
Ever since she was a little girl, East alum Laura Stiles watched a few documentaries about particle accelerawanted to become an astronaut so she could walk on the tors on the Discovery Channel. While he claims he is no moon. In high school, she dreaded her English classes expert, he certainly finds it interesting that something and looked forward to Physics, Chemistry and Biology. can catch particles at the speed of light. They came naturally to her. “We haven’t studied [the particle accelerator] at all in By her graduation from East in 2002, she had her Physics but we’ve discussed it,” Smythe said. “We talkmind set on studying astronomy at KU. When orienta- ed at the beginning of the year about new advances in tion rolled around, she met with a professor that changed physics and whether or not an accelerator could cause her mind. a black hole.” “We started talking and he thought right away that Stiles always wanted to work for NASA and it is still Engineering Physics would suit my interest the best,” one of her goals. She claims the best day of her life was Stiles said. “It definitely convinced me.” when she got the phone call saying she received a 10While she underwent her undergraduate studies week internship at NASA’s Maryland division. of Aerospace at KU, she helped design a small part of Her internship was filled with meeting professors, CERN’s—the European Organization for Nuclear Re- including the administrator of all of NASA, Michael Grifsearch—particle accelerator and had the opportunity fin. She also traveled to different space centers around to work on site in Switzerland. She also completed an the country and got to watch a shuttle launch at the Keninternship at NASA’s Maryland division. Currently, Stiles nedy Space Center. is enrolled as a graduate student at the University of Once she got hands-on and delved herself into projColorado in Boulder where she has a ects, the internship became a big learnresearch assistantship at the school of Essentially, the particle accelerator is there ing experience with having to design Aerospace Engineering Sciences, and is and build spacecraft. Spacecraft design to answer questions. Once the particles also working to earn her PhD. classes at KU were her favorite and Her favorite experience was going to break down, then scientists can use them where she typically excelled. In an inSwitzerland last winter break and sum- to find the origin of matter or particles never dividual project, she constructed a new mer to work on the particle accelerator, idea of looking at planets as they orbit discovered. Laura Stiles where it is worked on primarily. 26 km. the sun. She designed a telescope with in circumference and held 100 meters a shade to prevent blindness. Then in underground, the accelerator picks up particles that go a group of 17, she came up with a design of a spacecraft through it practically at the speed of light. When the landing on Venus and how to take its samples. particles collide from energy, they break down into the Now in Boulder, Stiles is taking classes and researchsmallest particles possible, like quarks or gluons. ing for a project where she is looking at ways to fly mul“Essentially, the particle accelerator is there to an- tiple spacecrafts in a formation. swer questions,” Stiles said. “Once the particles break “One application for this could be an Earth observing down, then scientists can use them to find the origin of satellite taking pictures of a hemisphere,” she said. “But matter or particles never discovered.” we could be limited in size. We want to fly a bunch of Since her professor, Michael Murray, is affiliated with pieces of a telescope so they can each maneuver differCERN, he asked her to help design the accelerator’s de- ently but form a massive telescope in space. It would be tector, which picks up the single particles that hit, that used for climate study or to study ocean currents, but we way there is a signal that can be processed. This gave her want the telescope to do it all simultaneously.” the opportunity to be a part of a project that had been Stiles will be living in Boulder for the next five years under way for 10 or more years. in order to earn her PhD. Only a handful are selected for Not only did she study in Switzerland, she had leisure an astronaut open application and are all required a PhD time that she spent hiking through the Alps. since it’s a very selective program, according to Stiles. “It was so cool to be there at that time,” she said. “So They have to be employed and have studied in the scimany international scientists were there to come togeth- ence field, as well as be in good shape, be able to work er and work on this massive machine. There were so well with others and have the ability to handle stress many deadlines going on, including shutting down ac- well. cess to the tunnel since they turned the accelerator on in “You could say I still want to be an astronaut,” Stiles September. When they did that there was a helium leak said. “But we’ll see.” in the tunnel, but I’ve heard it’s easily fixable.” Senior Michael Smythe, a Physics 2 student, has
SNAPSHOT: LAURA STILES “Myself with Professor Murray (to my left), two students from Korea, and a CERN physicist who all worked on the installation and testing of KU’s detector at CERN. We are in the LHC underground tunnel.”
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“Myself in front of one of the big experiments of the LHC, called CMS (Compact Muon Solenoid). KU’s detector is part of this experiment.”
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a particle accelerator 5 1 1 3 4
cathode 5 electron beams anode conductive coating 6 shadow mask phosphor-coated screen
// COURTESTYOFLAURASTILES
“Myself and teammate, Mike, testing a project we built (robotic arm) on NASA’s “Weightless Wonder” (or “Vomit Comet”) aircraft. This picture was taken during one of the 30 periods of weightless.”
how it works
3 2
2
“Myself in front of an engine during a tour at the Air Force Academy, which we visited during the NASA Academy internship.”
6
A cathode ray tube, shown to the left, of any television or computer is a particle accelerator. The CRT takes particles from the cathode, speeds them up and changes their direction using electromagnets in a vacuum. The collision results in a pixel on the television or computer screen. A particle accelerator works the same way, except it is much bigger, the particles move at the speed of light and and the collision results in more subatomic particles. The more energetic the particles, the better the atomic structure can be seen.
4
// HOWSTUFFWORKS.COM
PAGE 21 MIXED / ISSUE FIVE
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.COM ETWORK // FOODN
TOP 10 SCARIEST MOVIES
// CHLOEFISCHGRUND
according to 50 students polled at East The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
1
Based on the book by Thomas Harris, this movie won five academy awards in 1992.
2 The Exorcist (1973)
Did you know?
>> Orange and black are Halloween colors because orange is associated with fall harvest and black is associated with death and darkness. >> Halloween candy sales average about 2 billion dollars annually in the US. >> Halloween is the second most commercially successful holiday. Christmas is the first.
This movie, directed by William Friedkin, has gone down as one of the spookiest movies of all time.
3 Halloween (1978) The original starring Jamie Lee Curtis is definitely a classic. The 2007 remake did not live up to its expectations.
4 The Shining (1980) Jack Nicholson does an amazing job of portraying an evil-possessed man trying to attack his family.
Texas Chain Saw 5 The Massacre (1974)
What to do? You may want to consider that you are a little too old to go from house to house begging for candy.
Go to a party
Someone will probably be having a costume party, so go buy or put on an old costume and go to it.
Chipotle
If you dress up as a burrito and go to Chipotle on the night of Halloween, you get a free burrito.
6 The Grudge (2004) This is a frightening remake of a Japanese horror. After watching this you’ll be afraid to leave your house.
7 Psycho (1960)
As one of the first horror movies ever made, this film starring Jamie Lee Curtis’ mom, Janet Leigh is known for being shocking and horrifying.
// CELEBRITYWONDER.COM
Trick or Treat
A wrong stop on a road trip leads a group of teenagers to an unfriendly encounter with a family gone awry.
8 It (1990)
Notorious for the creepy clown who terrorizes a town in Maine, this made-for-TV movie is considered extremely horrifying.
Game Night Support our
football team! They play West at 7p.m. at South.
9 Rosemary’s Baby (1968) Mia Farrow stars as Rosemary, who after an awful dream becomes pregnant with Satan’s child.
10 The Strangers (2008) // TAYLORHAVILAND
A young couple staying at a vacation home are stalked by three unknown assailants.
WORD OF THE ISSUE from The Daily Candy Lexicon: Words That Don’t Exist But Should {hallmarketing} n. The outrageous marketing push that begins two months before each holiday, (i.e. Halloween decorations in July, Christmas decorations in October).
// TAYLORHAVILAND
// C
N CHGRU HLOEFIS
PAGE 22 A&E / OCT. 27, 2008
Should have‘W’aited Oliver Stone’s newest presidential take-down needs an ending
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|Worth seeing |
Oliver Stone on President Bush
Sarcastic comments from his interview with Stephen Colbert
W.
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I think this is a time maybe to suspend elections.
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He done good by our country.
W.
W.
“ My greatest movie ever about, perhaps, our greatest president.
// www.colbertnation.com
“
W.
I really started to like him (Bush), and I really think he’s a great man. He is on his way to being a great president.
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// www.movieweb.com
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| Rental at best |
his cartoonish impersonation turns Cheney’s signature growl into a demonic rasp. The scene where he tries to frighten a surprisingly resolute W. into signing a document that will sanction the use of torture and extraordinary rendition is a chilling study in “working the dark side,” as the real Cheney has put it. Another unsettling situation comes later in the war room, when the honest but overpowered Colin Powell (admirably portrayed by Jeffrey Wright from the upcoming “Quantum of Solace”) asks Cheney what the exit strategy for the Iraq War is. Dreyfuss, his eyes narrowing with quiet malice, explains that our troops are there on an indefinite mission to seize Iraq’s oil supplies to stave off the threat of China and Russia. He coldly demurs, “There is no exit strategy. We stay.” The scene, while obviously a complete work of fiction, is nevertheless quite effective in its implication that the Iraq War was purposely doomed from the start. Oliver Stone’s movie isn’t perfect by any means. “W.” lacks the intimate urgency of his earlier “JFK” or the rotten grandeur of his “Nixon” biopic. It also skims over important parts of Bush’s life, like his time in the National Guard during the Vietnam War or his highly contested victory over Al Gore in 2000. Maybe the real problem is that Stone’s film isn’t over yet. He should have waited for Bush to leave before starting all this, both out of respect for the office of the president and to provide his audience with a sense of real closure. All we’re left with is a dream sequence in which Bush, a devoted baseball fan, stands in Rangers Stadium waving to an invisible, cheering crowd. Interesting symbolism and all, but “W.” still needs an ending. Guess I’m stuck waiting for January.
“
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really provide any new information about the inner-workings of Bush’s administration, it’s still worth seeing for the uncommonly excellent performances. Josh Brolin is an absolute revelation here as W. Here we have an actor whose work transcends impression and goes right for inhabitancy. Yes, he bares little ostensible resemblance to the real Bush, but Brolin mirrors the president’s speech, mannerisms and body language to the point where the resemblance becomes truly eerie. From the Connecticut cowboy swagger to the nervous chuckling, Brolin embodies the man. More than that, he gets inside Bush’s head, painting W. as a psychosomatic mess of a man, alternately arrogant and deeply insecure, struggling with alcoholism and feelings of inadequacy to his smarter brother Jeb and President Bush the elder, the father he was never good enough for. The film argues that it was Bush’s penchant for grandstanding and the ease with which he could be misled, coupled with his deluded interpretation of God and the desire to outdo his father by finishing a wisely unfinished war that led America to its current desperate hour. This explanation, while perhaps a gross simplification, does make for compelling drama and the film absolutely crackles with acting energy as we see Bush concoct absurd nicknames for his staff and interact with the scheming members of his cabinet, especially with Dick “Vice” Cheney (Richard Dreyfuss) and Condoleezza “Girl” Rice (Thandie Newton from “Crash,” her beauty masked behind pounds of makeup and prosthetics). Other critics have compared Dreyfuss’ performance as Cheney to the conniving Iago from Shakespeare’s “Othello.” I’d say Emperor Palpatine from the “Star Wars” saga would be more accurate. Dreyfuss, having more fun than anybody else in the cast, seems to bring darkness behind every corner he lurks and
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// LANDONMcDONALD
No one could ever accuse Oliver Stone of subtlety. The director behind visceral shockers like “Platoon” and “Natural Born Killers” prefers to tell his stories with such reckless visual bravado and ham-fisted conceit that many of his critics have branded him a provocateur of nihilistic waste, an aging rebel without a cause. His films typically grab you by the lapels and shout violent political sermons in your face for about two hours. Sometimes they seem like the words of a liberally enlightened genius, sometimes like the ravings of a paranoid lunatic. It was this man who took it upon himself to commit the story of George W. Bush, one of the most unpopular and divisive presidents in American history, to celluloid. And the results couldn’t be more surprising. The film is the most sympathetic, evenhanded Hollywood biopic Bush could ever hope for. I came away from it actually feeling sorry for the guy, cursed with the burden of his silver spoon, a hapless victim of circumstance who was coaxed and manipulated by Machiavellian chicken hawks and oilmen into screwing the pooch on Iraq, the economy and just about everything else. The story line follows W. (Josh Brolin, last seen in “No Country for Old Men”) from his early years as a liquor-soaked frat boy at Yale through his disastrous forays into the oil and investment businesses to the bornagain political era that saw him go from Texas governor to leader of the free world in the course of just five short years. We get to see him meet Karl Rove (Toby Jones), square off with his domineering Poppy (James Cromwell) and pine for his future bride Laura (the talented but sadly under utilized Elizabeth Banks), who he finally wins over with the same good ole boy charm he later used to seduce voters nationwide. Although the movie fails as a “Dr. Strangelove”-style comedy and doesn’t
|Instant Classic
PAGE 23 A&E / ISSUE FIVE
fye
all about movies, music & TV
FOR YOUR ENTERTAINMENT
‘the dirt’
Director Larry Charles is now in production for this new movie, which is about how Mötley Crüe came to be one of the most notorious rock ‘n roll groups in history. The film is planning to be released sometime in 2011.
// IMDB.COM
‘real time with bill maher’
// CELEBRITYWONDER.COM
w
Maher to the masses ‘Religuluous’ shines a light on different religions and questions their beliefs // BOBMARTIN
Megiddo, Israel. According to the New Testament, this is where the final battle of good and evil is believed to take place coinciding with the second coming of Christ. An arguably prime location for talk show host and comedian Bill Maher to begin his new film “Religulous”. Billed as the “number one sacrilegious comedy in America”, the film is set around Maher’s mission to figure out why religion has such a strong grip on an intelligent and rational mass of people. The international journey begins in a rural truck stop in Raleigh, North Carolina that houses a small conservative church. Here, Maher conducts the first of his controversial interviews that give the film its heart. Facing down several large and god-fearing men, Maher casually proposes that the idea of Mary having a “virgin birth” is improbable. In response one of the men walks out of the room while another claims there is scientific evidence proving the birth. This is essentially the format the rest of the movie follows, with Maher in new and interesting places asking very skeptical questions to people who are always quick to defend or be offended. While it can be construed as redundant, the variety of topics and people he speaks to continue to make the film an extremely comedic and unique documentary. Ranging from a man who claims to be the second coming of Christ, to an orthodox Rabbi who is an anti-Zionist, and a British rapper who is an Islamic fundamentalist, Maher does an excellent job of covering a large spectrum of religious thought. Christianity seems to be the film’s main point though, and the subject of most the interviews. Maher makes a mockery of everything from the story of Jonah living inside the whale, to the talking snake in the story of Adam and Eve. These fairytale-like elements that seem so commonly accepted are a big part of what make up Maher’s “doubt” about religion. This doubt is something he speaks of quite a bit throughout the film, the fact that he truly doesn’t know how everything works, but he has more doubt in them than belief. While the task of contentiously questioning such topics could have been handled a lot of ways, Maher dwells on his stand up roots to comically make good points and arguments that
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left the audience laughing the entire time. Each time Maher talks to a new person, the film cuts to a shot of him explaining or bantering with a camera man about the interview or how it turned out, these moments give great insight into what Maher was thinking and why he said the things that he did. With the election soon, the film seems timely in the message it conveys. Christianity has been such a large part of the election and politics for a while now, and Maher is sure to spotlight this in his interview with Arkansas senator and conservative Mark Pryor. Where he inquires about how it worries him that many of the people running our country believe in a talking snake and other such stories. Pryor simply responds with, “You don’t have to take an IQ test to be in the senate” This leads to more discussion on religion and politics through the years, dating back to the “Jefferson Bible” which was Thomas Jefferson’s own edit of the New Testament where he removed all supernatural aspects of it. As the film comes to an end, Maher uses an interesting device to put the last nail in the “religious coffin”: fear. As bright flashy scenes of protests and bombings play, Maher’s takes on an ominous tone to tell of the “consequences” that an overly religious population could cause. This was the only part of the movie that I just didn’t enjoy. With all of the fine points he had made throughout, why did it have to end in this fashion. Sure a global war over religion is an interesting spin on things, but with all of the logical arguments Maher had been using up until the films conclusion, it just doesn’t fit in well. Religulous is an excellent documentary that is definitely sure to furrow the robes of a few priests and clerics, and Bill Maher was the perfect person to spearhead a project like this. While not everyone is going to agree with the points it makes, some of which can feasibly be offensive, the overall message is one that needs to be considered as we live our lives, sit in pews on Sunday, or simply pray. Although the film takes a slight turn downhill near the end, an audience member at my showing put it best. “It was neat to see him say it to the masses.”
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| Rental at best |
HBO talk show series hosted by comedian and political satirist Bill Maher. Episodes include an opening political sketch, a monologue, a panel of three well educated celebrities, two guests (live or via satellite), and at the end, “New Rules.” // TV.COM
what do all these movies/shows have in common?
Director Larry Charles also the director of ‘Religulous’
BORAT // 2006 Borat Sagdiyev (Sacha Baron Cohen) is a TV reporter of a popular show in Kazakhstan. He is sent to America by his government to make a documentary about American society and culture. While watching Baywatch on TV, Borat discovers how beautiful our women are in the form of C. J. Parker (Pamela Anderson). He decides to go on a cross-country road trip to California in a quest to make her his wife and take her back to his country. // IMDB.COM
CURB YOUR ENTHUSIASM // 2001-2007 Each half-hour episode of Curb Your Enthusiasm features verité-style footage of David (playing himself) at home, at work and around town, as he gets into predicaments with fictional and real-life personalities. // HBO.COM
UNTITLED KANYE WEST HBO PROGRAM // 2008 Kanye West teamed up with “Curb Your Enthusiasm” producer Larry Charles to give him is own HBO show similar to that of “Curb Your Enthusiasm”. Critics gave the show a great review, but HBO has decided not to air the show because it is “too much for HBO.” // SIXSHOT.COM
| |Worth seeing |
|Instant Classic
ALMOST
‘PERFECT’ Keane breaks out of its comfort zone with “Perfect Symmetry”
// SAMKOVZAN
When Keane released their debut album “Hopes and Fears” in 2004, the piano-driven pop/rock trio was hurled into the world of mainstream rock. Their smash hit “Somewhere Only We Know”, supported by an array of uplifting ballads, earned the British group a Grammy nomination for Best New Artist and comparisons to U2 and Coldplay. The band’s sophomore release, “Under the Iron Sea”, was less buoyant but equally emotional as lead singer Tom Chaplin – whose vibrant, pulsating vocals made for a handful of catchy songs – coped with alcohol and drug addiction. The addition of spacey electric pianos and mysterious analog synthesizers by versatile pianist Tim Rice-Oxley helped the album create its own distinctive sound dissimilar than the first, something that – for a band without guitarists – can be difficult. With the release of “Perfect Symmetry”, however, Chaplin and company ditch the passionate sing-a-longs completely and usher in a unique style of ‘80s-influence pop, brushing away any critics who still labeled them as musically limited Coldplay wannabes. Throughout the album, the band’s ambition of releasing something exclusively different than anything in the past becomes clear once again. For an instrumentally restricted band that has already tasted international success, this in itself warrants praise. “Spiralling,” the opening track and first single, kicks off with an emphatic “Whooh!” as Rice-Oxley introduces distorted keyboarding seemingly appropriate for an ‘80s chart topper. Chaplin’s vocal performance is particularly impressive during the chorus as his booming voice echoes on about his “spiraling” love life.
// wikimedia.org The rich layering and blending of keyboards, synthesizers and backup vocals on “Spiralling” only add to what will surely be regarded as one of the group’s best individual efforts along with earlier hits “Somewhere Only We Know” and “Is It Any Wonder?” The reoccurring ‘80s sound is most evident in “Better Than This” and “You Haven’t Told Me Anything.” The latter is chock full of airy synthesizing and unusual yet catchy bleeps reminiscent of a Sega video game theme. This is perhaps drummer Richard Hughes’ best performance, complementing the song well with light, fast-paced drumming. Not until the second half of “Perfect Symmetry” does Keane return briefly to their more recognizable formula: zealous ballads supported by Chaplin’s dynamic voice and Rice-Oxley’s emotional piano playing. “Again and Again,” a song worthy of becoming a single, confirms their ability to recapture the magic found in “Hopes and Dreams” that brought them widespread popularity. Songs like these will be enough to keep the fan base Keane established following the releases of their first two works. Hearing the album from beginning to end will reveal to listeners just how essential Chaplin is to the band. Though
Rice-Oxley has shown notable flexibility as a pianist and Hughes is a respectable drummer, Chaplin has played the largest role in bringing Keane into the pop/rock limelight. His ability to transform what would normally be an easily forgotten song into an anthem, best illustrated in “Love Is The End,” is just another reason the group is worth a listen. Keane’s newest project may not receive as much international love as their first, and it may not be as heavy-hearted and lasting as their second. But one thing about “Perfect Symmetry” is certain: it shows yet another dimension to a band that has, so far, survived without any significant guitar playing. At the very least, the trio must be given props for not releasing a near duplicate of their Grammy-nominated first work. It would have been easy for Keane to stay with the same old recipe for success, but this marks the second time the band has expanded its borders. While “Perfect Symmetry” may not bring the band as much mainstream attention, it demonstrates that Keane may not be as close to reaching their musical limit as many critics thought.
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BYRNE BRINGS VARIETY TO JAM-PACKED SHOW David Byrne brings back-up dancers, choreography and a wide selection of hits to his show at the Uptown // DUNCANMCHENRY
Waiting in line to get into David Byrne’s Oct. 19 night concert at the Uptown Theater, I wasn’t surprised at the diversity of the crowd. There were elderly people, parents with their teenage kids, college-aged kids and the usual assortment of Westport hipsters, one of whom thrust his hand out of a leopard-print suit jacket to high-five me and drunkenly inform me that “David Byrne steps over all boundaries!” Though his fashion sense may have been lacking, I have to say that he was right. Byrne’s music defies categorization. Listening to one of his solo albums all the way through is like putting a P Funk and a Bowie CD in the stereo and pressing shuffle. He has even collaborated with the group Café Tacuba on a Latin song. This, combined with his phenomenal stage presence, is what has made Byrne stand out since his days as the front man of Talking Heads in the late 70s and 80s. As I entered the theater, I expected a 56-year-old Byrne to sing over the beats from his new album “Everything that Happens Will Happen Today.” Instead, I was treated to a display of youthful exuberance that was
as much a dance show as a concert. Aside from his head of bright white hair, Byrne showed no signs of aging since the famous Talking Heads performance of the mid 80s entitled “Stop Making Sense.” Byrne’s stage presence frequently sent a chill through my spine as he was constantly in motion and on occasion yelled as much as sang into the microphone. Byrne and his band strolled out onto the stage dressed in all white. He then told the crowd that he would be playing songs from “Everything that Happens.” Byrne created this album with the help of British producer Brian Eno, whom he has collaborated with since Talking Heads and his 1981 release entitled “My Life in the Bush of Ghosts.” From the first song “Strange Overtones,” Byrne and his band filled the room with frenzied percussion accompanied by guitars and keyboards. Byrne sang and provid-
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ed his trademark popping rhythmic guitar, while swaying his hips and skipping across the stage like Chuck Berry. The bass player, three backup singers and two drummers (one of whom played African conga drums) seemed fueled by Byrne’s relentless energy, dancing and singing along with him. However, Byrne’s three backup dancers were what really made the show come alive. They skipped and slid their way around the stage during a good portion of the performance, perfectly matching both their choreography and facial expressions to the mood of the music. The musicians all played along with them, including Byrne, who allowed them to leapfrog over his head in the middle of a song. Despite the constant showmanship, Byrne still managed to work in some meaningful commentary on modern society. One
Byrne provided his trademark popping rhythmic guitar while swaying his hips and skipping across the stage like Chuck Berry.
|Borrow at best|
”
|Worth buying |
such moment came when Byrne and his dancers sat in swiveling office chairs for a whole song. As Byrne slung out his long notes, they slowly did full turns in the chairs and even slid out of them onto their backs. This was an artful illustration of the monotony of day-to-day life that Byrne was depicting in the song. The performance wasn’t all Byrne’s new solo songs. The band also played several old Talking Heads favorites, including “Life During Wartime,” “Once in a Lifetime,” “Burning Down the House” and an encore performance of “Take Me to the River,” which even got the grey-haired lady two rows in front of me on her feet jumping up and down. Over his long career, Byrne has been defined by his refusal to stay stuck in a rut musically. This couldn’t have been made more evident by his performance. He fused together an array of instruments, voices and gesticulations, which came together to form an audio/visual spectacle of his music. Byrne’s originality took me by surprise. He provided a display of music in motion that I won’t forget anytime soon.
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|Instant Classic
PAGE 25 FEATURES / ISSUE FIVE
WHERE THE TRUTH LIES // celebritywonder.com
High octane action and performances collide in riveting “Body of Lies” // LANDONMcDONALD
“Body of Lies” is one of the most intelligent action movies of the year, a stirring meditation on the volatile world of modern espionage and the sinister evolution of the War on Terror. Veteran director Ridley Scott, the man behind genre staples “Black Hawk Down” and the marvelous “Blade Runner,” has crafted a globe trotting epic of deception and intrigue to rival the “Bourne” trilogy and spy movie classics like Sydney Pollack’s “Three Days of the Condor” and Francis Ford Coppola’s “The Conversation.” Special thanks must also go to the intelligent, incendiary screenplay by William Monahan (“The Departed”). The film cuts a swath of destruction and subterfuge from the bustling streets of Baghdad to the corridors of power in Jordan, struggling to keep up with the frenetic exploits of CIA field agent Roger Ferris (the now officially respectable Leonardo DiCaprio) in his desperate attempt to track down a maddog terrorist known only as Al-Saleem before the murderous mastermind strikes again. The set-up seems predictable and overdone, but “Body of Lies” never settles for the conventional. Things never go as planned, loyalties are betrayed and uncovered, and the audience never quite knows where to place their trust. Moral ambiguity is the name of the game here, and it’s often hard to tell the good from the bad. The action is sudden and paced at a breakneck speed, shot and edited in a well-crafted blend of suspense and quick bursts of bloody mayhem that guarantee a heightened pulse and the nervous gripping of armrests. Even a graphic torture scene, introduced relatively late in the proceedings, is handled tactfully for intensity instead of queasy shock value. This is the night at the movies intelligent action buffs have
been waiting for. Leonardo DiCaprio’s harried Agent Ferris breaks the orthodox mold for company man with a conscience by refusing to submit to the usual archetypes of the American stranger in a strange land. He speaks fluent Arabic, understands local culture customs and even has a healthy appreciation for the unfavorable image of America on the international stage and the reasons behind it. One of those reasons is Ed Hoffman (Russell Crowe), Roger’s pudgy CIA superior. A former super-agent gone to seed after years behind the desk, Hoffman has lost his understanding of foreign relations and now has no qualms about employing decidedly radical methods to catch the bad guys, like interfering with local authorities and putting his own operative’s life at risk to catch a glimpse of the action using his favorite toy, an all-seeing spy satellite that gives away Ferris’ position to the enemy. Hoffman, often seen attending his daughter’s soccer games or stuffing his face with snack cakes while instructing his agents over the phone, treats war like a video game and seems to have no regard for life on either side. All that matters to him is victory at any cost, something Ferris deems unacceptable. The moral divide that grows between them soon finds Ferris facing the vile Al-Saleem alone and unaided. DiCaprio, also featured in the upcoming “Revolutionary Road,” continues to surprise me as an actor. He injects Agent Ferris with a kind of morose nobility, a man who realizes he’s a pawn in a much bigger game but still goes through the motions because it’s the only thing he’s ever known. His romance with a local Jordanian nurse (Golshifteh Farahani), a plot development that could have been painfully awkward,
manages to feel not only authentic but surprisingly poignant by the film’s end. Crowe, buried under fifty pounds of added girth and gray hair, makes Ed a uniquely repulsive character, not just because he’s a self-righteous slob but also because he seems utterly unable to realize his careless actions often have tragic consequences for everyone involved but him. Although Crowe does a wonderful job with Ed, I think the role was tailor-made for Philip Seymour Hoffman, a gifted character actor who has made a career of playing piggish puppet-masters just like this. Special mention must be made of another gifted character actor, the outstanding Mark Strong, who plays Jordanian Chief of Security Hani with the gonzo zeal of a Bond villain. Hani, a sardonic sadist and hygiene-obsessed metrosexual who helps Ferris hunt for Al-Saleem until Hoffman meddles with the mission once too often, is without a doubt the best thing in the movie. In a film so steeped in frenzy and turmoil, it’s hard to make this kind of impression. Strong pulls it off with assurance and ease. I’m sure we’ll be hearing more from him in the future. “Body of Lies” may well be the best film in theaters right now and is more than worth your time and money. It also functions as a potent political allegory, laced with many interesting views and insights on the War on Terror and America’s new place in the world. Ridley Scott has done it again. “Body of Lies” is without a doubt his finest work since 2000’s “Gladiator,” a film that can stand as one of the great post-9/11 action thrillers.
Other movies directed by Ridley Scott:
BLADE RUNNER
An initial flop upon its release, Scott’s futuristic noir about a detective hunting down murderous but tragic androids now stands as one of the most influential works in sci-fi.
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AMERICAN GANGSTER
Scott’s gangland epic features Denzel Washington and Russell Crowe at the height of their dramatic powers in the story of Harlem godfather Frank Lucas and the FBI agent who vowed to take him down.
| Rental at best |
ALIEN
A bizarre crossbreeding of sci-fi and horror, Scott’s original space shocker remains memorable for its rampant use of claustrophobia and the infamous chestbursting scene.
|Worth seeing |
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BLACK HAWK DOWN American soldiers on a mission to war-torn Sudan are shot down over enemy territory and must fight their way out in Scott’s grueling meditation on the horrors of closequarters combat.
|Instant Classic
PAGE 26 PHOTOESSAY / OCT. 27, 2008
At the football game on Oct. 17 Allie Marquis was crowned...
Queen of the Court ABOVE: After senior Amy Esselman is crowned fourth attendant, she receives a hug from senior Emily Brandmeyer. // MACKENZIEWYLIE LEFT: Seniors Laura Darling and Tyisha McFarland place the robe on Homecoming queen senior, Allie Marquis. The court goes as follows: Queen - Allie Marquis, first attendant - Katie Bartow, second attendant - Johanna Cook, third attendant- Jane Mahoney and fourth attendant - Amy Esselman. // ELLENFRIZZELL
ABOVE: Senior Katie Bartow and father Terry Bartow stay together to keep warm before she was presented as the first attendant of the Homecoming court. Before the girls were presented, they were all lined up on the track and shivered after they took off their coats to stand in their dresses. // MACKENZIEWYLIE
Go Lancers! Bichelmeyer Meat Company 704 Cheyenne Avenue Kansas City, KS 66105 913-342-5945
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And the crowd goes // KEVINSIMPSON The East-Rockhurst boys basketball game tips off in four hours, but students rush from their seventh hour to wait outside for a seat. The line stretches deep into the senior lot, with fans so rowdy that both schools have been assigned different entrances for their students. The temperature drops quickly, and gelled-hair and white tank tops adorn the proud group of Rockhurst boys, and the East seniors begin to think of some chants. After all, this is the biggest game of the year for the Lancers, and they need all the support they can get. Three weeks later, the girls basketball team is beating the SM North Indians in a hard-fought, intense game. This is the second time the Lady Lancers have beat their cross-town rivals this season. The atmosphere, however, left something to be desired. Athletic director, Jim Ricker, estimates that there were five students there. The gym was quiet. The only sounds came from the parents’ section’s cheers, encouragement from teammates and instruction from head coach Rick Rhoades. The nearly empty bleachers display the lack of passion for female sports for Ricker, who recognizes the problem girls’ sports are facing today. Laws have been passed, gimmicks have been carried out, but no one can quite put their finger on why the growth of female sports are at somewhat of a standstill. Women have made great strides in athletics, and there are now nearly as many opportunities for them as men. Still, there is one problem. People aren’t showing up to the games. “Truly, I’m boggled,” Ricker said. “I don’t have that answer yet on why people don’t attend [the games] or how do we get more people out there. I don’t see it just as our school having this issue. Society as a whole just has a hard time attending female sports.” This issue isn’t just facing high school girls; it has affected women of all ages nationwide. For every person who watches a Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) game, there are four people who view an NBA match. The USA women’s soccer team won the World Cup in 1999, but the Women’s United Soccer Association (WUSA) failed after three years due to lack of television ratings and fan attendance according to the official league website. Junior Janna Graf has some guesses as to why male sports are so much more widely supported, including the fact that “guys can dunk,” but she thinks support for female sports would be a huge boost for the teams. “You get more energized if there’s more people,” Graf said. “You feel like you mean something more to your school. People just have to realize that girls’ basketball is exactly as good as guys’ basketball.” The Lady Lancers have held their own on the hardwood. Last season, they boasted a better record than their male counterparts en route to winning the Sunflower League. Still, the attendance is dwindling at their games. The student numbers rarely hit double-digits, while their male counterparts have capacity crowds of 2,150 people for games against teams such as Rockhurst and SM South. Ricker agrees that the boys’ games are more likely to provide the spectacular plays and faster pace, but he thinks the girls teams have better basics. “If you want to see a sound fundamental game, [go to] a girls game,” Ricker said. “If a girls team is good, they have good fundamentals. They can’t dunk.”
silent
Ricker cites Taylon Johnson, from last year’s team, as a player who is fun to watch because of her great three-point shooting. He also points out that the volleyball players are well-coached athletes with great verticals and they “smack the snot out of the ball.” Megan Brent, sports psychologist at the University of Kansas, cannot explain the reason for the lack of fans. “I’ve heard different reasons from different people,” Brent said. “[People said] men’s sports are more fast-paced than women’s sports. Attention lagged behind to begin with because men were the original athletes. They were the gladiators; they got there first.” Brent doesn’t feel that chauvinistic stereotypes play into the lack of support. “I think times have changed,” Brent said. “There’s a lot of respect for strong women and female athletes these days. Everyone’s entitled to their opinion, and I definitely think that female sports are worthwhile.” Junior Joe Craig agrees that girls’ sports can be very entertaining. Craig attends most girls soccer games, as well as a few of this year’s volleyball matches. “I am friends with people on the teams and I go to support them,” Craig said. “Girls deserve just as much props for their effort and talent as boys.” Brent points to success of women in the most recent Olympics, such as the gymnastics victories of Shawn Johnson and Nastia Liukin, as well as endorsement deals for female athletes as evidence that women have gained respect among men and women in the sports world. According to senior Christina Davis, many fans have a misconception about which gender is more athletic. “Most people think that boys games are more exciting to watch,” Davis said. “They should come to one of our games and judge for themselves. They would get hooked and come to more games.” Still, if people don’t come to the games, it’s hard to get ‘hooked’. At KU, Brent said that women’s sports receive good support, particularly because of an inter-team competition it has with its athletes. The athletes get points for community service, GPA and also for attending other team’s events. The winning team is presented with a plaque at the end of the school year at the senior scholar-athlete banquet. Brent said the program really works, and that all sorts of athletes show up to the events. “That’s one thing we’ve done as a community to raise the level of support for women’s sports,” Brent said. “It has paid off. The women’s volleyball game against K-State was sold out. It was a packed house.” East has also started using its athletes to gain fan support. According to Graf, most of the student support at her games is made up of the boys basketball team, who is required to attend a few home games throughout the season. Jandl thinks that part of the reason the boys get more support is that more of their games occur on the weekend. Last season, there were seven boys home games on Friday or Saturday, compared to just three girls games. “[Weekend games] attract more people,” Jandl said. “[Students] usually go out that night and go to the game.” Jandl thinks that a possible solution would be more
doubleheaders with the boys’ team on Friday nights. “On Friday nights, people could come to the end of our game before the guys’ game,” Jandl said. “If we had more [doubleheaders], then people would come to more of our games. They would be more open-minded.” Ricker acknowledges that more Friday night games could help attendance, but notices that boys’ basketball games are still packed on Tuesday nights. He also said that the doubleheaders are really hard to schedule because the league makes the schedules. Ricker does think the new auxiliary gym could free up some options for Friday night doubleheaders. Brent feels everyone is responsible to help get women the attention they deserve in athletics, from the administration down to the athletes themselves. Legislators have also joined the fight in helping women get equal opportunities and level the playing field. Title IX, a 2005 amendment, states that schools with roughly equal amounts of boys and girls must spend an equal amount of money on each gender. Title IX has increased female participation in high school sports by 904 percent according to the National Association for Girls and Women in Sport. “I think everyone should encourage women in whatever endeavors they have,” Brent said. “If women aren’t pleased with the level of support, then it’s brainstorming. It’s figuring out, ‘How do we market this? How do we get people to want to be here?” At East, this brainstorming has already begun. The girls basketball team has had ‘Free Chipotle Burrito Night’ at one of their home games, and the volleyball team gave away free t-shirts to fans who attended their senior night on Oct. 2. “We had pretty good support,” head volleyball coach Scott Dowis said. “Sometimes, you have to have some good marketing if you want to get people out there. It’s something we’ve done for quite a while.” Next season, Dowis also wants to put on an outdoor volleyball game before the season. The team would set up a court outside and scrimmage their JV in an effort to create momentum before the season. Still, Ricker said these attention-grabbing ideas would fail if the team isn’t succeeding on the court, because the ideas cannot be a long term solution. “You still have to put out a good product,” Ricker said. “People have to understand that’s pretty taxing on a program if the only way we’re going to get you to come to our sports is to give you stuff.” Brent thinks ideas like these are innovative, and necessary, steps towards the development of female sports. She is confident that women’s sports, along with the fans that support them, will continue to grow. “I think women have established their place in the world of athletics,” Brent said. “I don’t think that will change. It can only grow from here.” Athletes like Graf, Davis and Jandl can only hope that Brent is right, that one day fans will support their classmates, regardless of which locker room they emerge from. “Our girls sports in this school are very good,” Ricker said. “The student body just needs to come out, give them a chance and watch them play.”
//
After the girls’ teams suffer another year of poor attendance, players wonder what it will take to draw the crowds.
PHOTOILLUSTRATIONBYCCCREIDENBERG
PAGE 27 SPORTS / ISSUE FIVE
PAGE 28 SPORTS / OCT 27, 2008
piecing together his future
// SPORTSLOGOS.NET
Entering his senior season, East pitcher Jeff Soptic // LOGANHELEY is being considered a Major League prospect
Senior Jeff Soptic stood on the field at Kauffman Stadium. He was in awe of his 40 thousand seat MLB surroundings. He took a few breaths as he thought to himself, “I can actually do this.” He took his position in front of three Royals scouts; he began to do what he’s been doing since the third grade. What he gave up football, basketball and even hitting for. Pitching. Soptic’s six-foot-six frame stood tall on the pitching mound. His height not only gives him an intimidation factor, it also allows him to pitch with a higher velocity. His pitches have been gunned between 87 and 89 mph and has hit 90 on a few occasions. As a freshman, Soptic consistently threw around 80 mph. Before his sophomore year, Soptic gained about 15 to 20 pounds and his fastball crept up to the mid-80s. In between his sophomore and junior year, his arm began churning out 87 and 88 miles per hour pitches. Soptic thinks throwing in the mid-90s in five years is an obtainable goal because he is still growing. “The first thing scouts and coaches will notice just by looking at the roster is that he’s six-foot-six and he’s a pitcher,” baseball coach Tim Jarrell said. “That, in itself, will attract a lot of attention.” Over the summer, junior college and Division 1 college coaches from schools like KU and MU started calling Soptic up and asking how his summer was going. Then they would tell him how good their practice facilities were. If the team had struggled the past year, the coach would tell Soptic about how the team was improving.
After a game this summer at MU, a scout from the San Francisco Giants shook his hand, telling him how impressed he was with his pitching. And just last week, a D-1 college in Arkansas called him and came close to officially offering Soptic a full ride scholarship. “It’s kind of a real eye-opener just thinking that I could go really far in this,” Soptic said. “I could make a career out of this. What better career than going out and playing a sport?” *** Last summer Soptic pitched on an 18-and-under “Showcase Circuit” team called the KC Royals. His team was a group of 14 of the best Kansas City metro players. The “Circuit” has some of the best 18-and-under baseball teams in the country. One team Soptic pitched against had nine players drafted to the MLB and four of them went to play at Missouri . The pitcher Soptic faced was a first round draft pick. Another team Soptic faced had a player drafted in the fourth round. Number ten on a team called the Nationals is a player Soptic won’t forget anytime soon. Number ten went five for five against Soptic’s team and hit a home run that Soptic thinks went at least 500 feet. Soptic recalls hearing that player got offered a large amount of scholarship money. “He had arms the size of my head!” Soptic said. “I’ve never seen a kid hit the ball that far!” Soptic had 24 strikeouts in 32 innings pitched with the team, a good showing in the eyes of his summer coach Alan Wilson. “He’s definitely a competitor,” Wilson said. Going to the Area Code Baseball Games over the summer allowed multiple college coaches to see Soptic. KU, MU and K-State all had coaches at the Area Code Games in Oklahoma . The Area Code Games are held for a week in the summer as a way for scouts and coaches to check out prospects. Area Code claims to have helped over 300 players make it to the Major Leagues. *** Soptic’s commitment to pitching has grown over the years. He stopped playing football. He stopped skiing
and snowboarding. He stopped playing basketball. He gave up hitting. He hung up his first baseman’s mitt. All of this to focus just on pitching and staying healthy. On Sept. 18, Soptic made it even closer to his goal of becoming a big league pitcher by pitching at Kauffman Stadium in front of three Royals scouts. The scouts liked what they saw out of Soptic. They didn’t use a radar gun to measure his speed, but were watching his pitching mechanics closely. Soptic has been pitching since the third grade, but not in front of a crowd like that one. “Of course I was nervous,” Soptic said. “It’s the real deal, the Royals’ bullpen. I mean it was quite an experience.” Soptic wasn’t always the best pitcher on the team and wasn’t even considering the MLB draft until a few weeks ago. During his first year at East, Soptic was on the freshman baseball team, but was promoted to varsity before his sophomore year. Jarrell attributes that to the work he did in the offseason. Soptic joined summer and fall teams that year and in the winter worked with a private instructor on strengthening his core and pitching muscles. Those teams take up a lot of his time, but he still manages to get out every once in a while. “When he came as a freshman, the game was way too fast for him,” Jarrell said. “He was a liability on the [pitching] mound. I think he was around some good baseball people [in the offseason] that helped him settle down.” Wilson thinks Soptic has the talent to make it in the next level. Wilson says Soptic’s natural velocity will get him a long way. He projects Soptic could throw in the mid-90s in a few years. “He has the natural ability,” Wilson said. “What Jeff’s been blessed with is arm speed and leverage because of his height and therefore he has good velocity.” Soptic’s parents, Mike and Jan, want Jeff to keep everything in perspective. They say they’re thrilled that Jeff could play college ball and make it to the pro level. But above all, they believe he deserves it. “The two months out of the year he isn’t playing [baseball] he’s working with a trainer,” Mike said. “He’s earned it.”
PAGE 29 SPORTS / ISSUE FIVE Though they’re the odd men out, three guys are learning what it’s like to...
STRETCH THE EXPECTATIONS // CAMSMITH
For one day, sophomore Peter Frazell put his leotard on just like everyone else, one hole at a time. For that one day, it definitely caught the girls’ attention. “It was something that I don’t think many people wanted to see a guy wearing,” sophomore Kirsten Clark said. “He walked in proud and smiling so it brought a little humor to the situation.” Gymnastics teacher Debbie Ogden, however, decided it was best not to make anything of it. “I personally didn’t feel like it was a big deal considering that the men in the Olympics wear them and so do dancers,” Ogden said. “The only thing that was funny was that it was so colorful and vibrant, and I thought I had seen the same leotard on some of the girls a week earlier.” The girls had gotten used to his normal uniform of gym shorts and a t-shirt, so it didn’t go unnoticed. Frazell and juniors Tanner Johnson and Austin Hunzeker make up the total population of boys taking gymnastics. They hope that by taking the class they can recruit more guys to take it in the next semester //ALL PHOTOS BY ANDYALLEN and in future years. All of them took it for JUNIOR Tanner Johnson and sophomore Peter Frazell stretch before practicing their floor routines for class. Gymnastics teacher Debbie Ogden stresses the importance of flexibility to prevent injury. different reasons, and so far they haven’t reis a lot of fun,” Frazell said. “You don’t really their floor routines and on the equipment and you are wearing leotards, so it can be gretted the decision. “The first couple days were kind of awk- even have to be that good at anything in gym- including the beam, the high and low bars, pretty awkward,” Clark said. “But with them the rings. it isn’t weird now because of how outgoing ward,” Johnson said. “It was relaxed though, nastics to take the class either.” Dive coach Betsy Anderson has found To start the class period everyone stretchand funny they are.” and it allowed us all to become comfortable that in a lot of cases gymnasts turn into dives for around 15 minutes. The class usuOgden doesn’t see it as a necessity to have with most of it.” ers, but in Peter’s case it was the other way ally practices their splits, something Ogden guys in the class though. She doesn’t teach Johnson saw a kid at a wrestling tournament doing back flips all over the mat before around. It would help his flips because the stresses to improve flexibility. Then they the class any different way to a boy or girl, his match and decided it was something he somersault techniques and the initial twist- separate into the four stations and are al- and expects everyone to do what she asks of lowed a little free time. Sometimes Ogden them. As long as she has a full class of stuwanted to do. He also thought taking gym- ing is the same for diving and gymnastics. Hunzeker decided to take the class be- teaches something new she wants the class dents who are willing to come in and work nastics would help out with wrestling. “I feel like gymnastics has really im- cause he had always wanted to try gymnas- to learn but otherwise they work on new hard, it doesn’t matter to her if it’s boys or proved my flexibility,” Johnson said. “We do tics and see what it would be like. He also tricks or things previously learned. The class girls. But the diversity in a class that is prea lot of splits and even though I can’t quite had a lot of friends that were planning on also normally has an assignment they have dominately girls would be fun to her. With 15 minutes left in class Ogden sends do them perfectly. I feel like it is really help- taking the class, and they wanted him to take to work on as well. it with them. “We have to work on our floor routines everyone down to the locker room to change ing me out. It will come in handy for getting The best part of the class for Hunzeker is that we present to the class,” Johnson said. and grab their books. Hearing sarcastic calls out of wrestling positions that you might be practicing the tricks that they are working on “We have to write out our plan and learn new from the P.E. coaches and students like held in.” Wrestling coach Chip Ufford thought it and then being able to successfully execute things to incorporate into the routine. That’s “Hey, how was gymnastics?” and “Did you work hard in there?” can make for an uneasy was great Tanner was taking gymnastics. Ac- them, especially when it comes to working probably the actual downside to the class.” The three would like to see a better turn- entrance. Especially if there are three boys cording to Ufford, it will help his core strength on his back handsprings. “I think we all find the dancing portion of out for the class from other guys in the school. walking in the locker room. and his flexibility. The flexibility will make it the class the most awkward,” Frazell said. “It Johnson hopes that next semester there will a “It can be pretty awkward when you sepaharder for opponents to take Johnson down. Frazell signed up for the class because his is rather difficult, and I’m not exactly used to 40:60 boy to girl ratio because it would bring rate from the rest of the class, and you and more creative tricks and more enthusiasm to two other guys walk into a full locker room dive coach recommended the class to help dancing all that often.” That might pose a problem for them bethe class. He figured most boys would enjoy hearing cat calls,” Frazell said. “To me the keep him in diving shape, and also heard cause they have just started a dance unit the class just as the three of them do. class is definitely worth any trouble directed that the class was fun. “It was kind of weird at first because guys our way.” “The class allows a lot of freedom which for the second quarter. But along with the dancing, they are normally able to practice aren’t normally expected to be in that class
Sophomore Peter Frazell on...
The best part of class: freedom to learn new things. The worst part of class: stretching, it hurts. What needs improvement: flexibility because it is a key part to gymnastics. His favorite gymnast: Shawn Johnson
Junior Tanner Johnson on...
The best part of class: learning and perfecting new tricks. The worst part of class: planning routines, sitting there trying to figure out concepts for them can be a rough task. What needs improvement: getting better on the beam. His favorite gymnast: Shawn Johnson
Junior Austin Hunzeker on...
The best part of class: being able to cut loose and relax. The worst part of class: dancing. It’s difficult to memorize all the different steps and things we have to do. What needs improvement: back handsprings. His favorite gymnast: Nastia Liukin
Showing some ‘Uff’ort Sideline
PAGE 30 SPORTS / OCT 27, 2008 the
After a one year absence from the Lancer trophy case , the Nut Cup made its return due to an impressive 19-3 win over the North Indians on Oct. 17. The Lancers were led, once again, by their number one play-maker Marcus Webb with other good performances from Kevin Hertel, Jake Fleming and Calvin Tidwell.
Cross Country Crowning
On Oct. 18th cross country captains Allie Marquis and Jonathan Stepp were announced Homecoming Queen and King. Earlier that day, at league, Marquis led the girls to a sixth place finish, and Patrick Mayfield helped the boys finish the same way.
Coach Ufford’s
// photos courtesy of ChipUfford
” TRAINING REGIMEN “It’s a six-day week, Monday is a rest“Runday. and Swim” “Swim” “Intense Bike” On this day Ufford is This is a day for Ufjust on the bike. He ford to work on his does hard intervals speed in the water. He uses various to really get the heart and lungs drills to work on this aspect. working.
“Brick” “Swim” “Long Bike” Ufford goes for a Unlike Tuesday, This is a day to work This is another good, hard bike ride Ufford focuses on on his endurance endurance day in and then hops right his technique in the on the road. During which Ufford works off for a run. This pool. Taking it easy training, Ufford up to a 13 mile run simulates a transi- and fine tuning his works up to 56 and an 1800 yard tion in competition. stroke. miles. swim. SATURDAY
The Nut Cup Returns
FRIDAY
Junior Kristina Genton led the girl’s golf team all fall with great form tournament after tournament. At regionals, on Oct. 13, she shot an 86 as she saw the Lady Lancer’s take 8th place. One week later, at state, she shot another solid 86 as the girls finished the season with a 6th place team effort.
THURSDAY
Genton Swings Away
summer training, and his workouts became more intense. Mondays were his only day off. Tuesdays were high intensity bike rides where he would push himself as hard as he could at time and distance intervals. Wednesdays was a swim and a short run. On Thursdays he had Brick Workouts. This was where he would bike, get off, run, then bike again. Fridays consisted of a swim and a hard speed track run. Saturdays and Sundays were similar. He would have a long bike ride one day and then a long run and long swim the other. Ufford knew that this improved training regiment would not only put him in better shape but also better his chances at competing at a higher level. Last summer, all his hard work paid off when he finished his first half iron man, which consists of a 1.2 mile swim, then a 56 mi bike ride, and finishing it off with a 13.1 mile run. “It was the longest distance I had ever done,” Ufford said, “It was a beautiful course through the vineyards of California, and there was an awesome atmosphere. It was a very emotional finish, and my wife and friends were there to see me finish it.” Although Ufford spends a lot of his summers training and competing, he still has time for his wife and friends. And when he is out of town his wife, Karen, travels with him for support. “This is a passion of his,” Karen said. “And I try to find ways to support him.” Sometimes Karen even goes to his training sessions to workout and spend some extra time with him. Five years ago she even did a short course race with him. “Being in shape is the fountain of youth,” Ufford said. “And plan on doing this until my 70s and 80s as well.”
WEDNESDAY
Senior Justin Krivena- sporting a fine mullet and a season of scoring- added two more goals to his stat sheet on senior night, Oct. 16 against Lawrence High. The goals came within two minutes of each other en route to a 7-0 victory in the last home game of the season.
TUESDAY
Rock the Mullet
SUNDAY
Last weekend, the girls’ tennis team won the Kansas 6A State Championship after a much anticipated first place finish. The team was led by senior Sarah Luby and junior Nikki Reber- a duo that won the doubles championship, and freshman Mimi Fotopoulos who placed second in singles. This is the girls’ first state title since 2003, Blue Valley North had won it every year since.
// SARAHLUBY
It was a warm sunny day in June when wrestling coach Chip Ufford crossed the finish line of his first triathlon. He felt a sense of joy and accomplishment. But most of all he felt hungry for the next race. Ufford has been competing in triathlons for eight years and competed in 49 of them. He is a P.E. teacher, so he values physical fitness and wanted to show people how important it is to stay in shape. “I wanted to do something that would benefit my physical fitness as well as something that I could compete in.” Ufford said. Although Ufford trains year round, he does his main training and competition during the summer. Because he is a teacher, he can only train a couple hours a week during the school year. So summers are the only time open he has to train all week and travel around the country. He’s been to over eight states to compete, but his best results have come right here in Kansas at Shawnee Mission Park. He placed first in the Sprint and second in the Olympic level triathlon. There are four different levels of triathlons: the Sprint, the Olympic, the half iron man, and the iron man. Each event has different lengths, with the sprint having the shortest distances and the iron man having the longest distances. Ufford has finished 40 Sprint triathlons, six Olympic ones, and three half iron mans. He has never tried an iron man because he is working up to the challenge, but it’s his goal for next summer to compete in one. He currently has a hip injury due to the extensive training he does, but when he gets over that he will start to train for it with some friends that also do triathlons. **** The first time Ufford did a triathlon, he couldn’t swim very well. He finished the swim doing a side swim or breast stroke, just any stroke he could do to just finish the swim. He also had an old, outdated bike and was being passed by people who had newer and faster ones. And the run killed him. After being on the bike, it was all he could do to finish. Now Ufford focuses on strong finishes. He is now to the point where merely finishing isn’t good enough. He wants to push himself to compete as hard as possible and maintain a heart rate of 150 or 160 through out the entire race. “The run is the hardest part,” Ufford said. “There’s more pounding on the knees and hips. Plus it’s the last part of the race.” But just because his first triathlon was harder than he thought it would be, Ufford didn’t quit. “It was a very positive and healthy environment,” Ufford said. “I caught the bug and I wanted to do more.” There were people there in their 70’s and 80’s and that inspired Ufford to do these triathlons for the rest of his life. He knew this would be a lifetime commitment to his health, and he wanted to practice what he preached. He’s a P.E. teacher and wanted to be a good role model to his students. **** When Ufford made the decisions to stick with the triathlons, he realized that he needed to change his training schedule and get better equipment. “The better equipment you have, the better you’ll be,” Ufford said. “So I have a carbon bike that is made out of carbon, not metal. It’s lighter and faster.” He developed a schedule for
// CCCREIDENBERG
The who, what, when and where of East sports Stealing Back State Tennis
Wrestling coach Chip Ufford has finished 49 triathlons and plans on competing into his eighties
heatingup
PAGE 31 SPORTS / ISSUE FIVE
with the end of the fall sports season approaching, the Harbinger sports section puts your teams on the front burner, showing you who has the best chance to boil over and who will simmer out
Football
The boys have had a rough season and went in to their Oct. 23 match up with Shawnee Mission Northwest fresh off a rivalry win against Shawnee Mission North. It’s going to take a late-season turnaround for the 3-4 Lancers to make a push at state despite great contributions from individual players all season long.
Gymnastics
Since Coach Mische’s first season last year, the girls have improved from their 5th place finish at state in 2007 despite more injuries than expected. Last year’s second place finisher in the All-Around, junior Hannah Quillec, is back and strong. Except a high finish from her and the rest of her teammates.
Cross Country Senior Allie Marquis has been touted as one of the top female runners in Kansas all season long. State is this Saturday morning at Rim Rock Farm in Lawrence. The boys have struggled to take the top spot at a meet all season but seniors Patrick Mayfield and Brian Simpson led a young team with a bright future.
Volleyball
Though the volleyball team has yet to experience some of the success they’ve had in the past, seniors Paige Kuklenski and Sydney Danner are four-year starters who can capitalize late in the season. 2007’s Sunflower League champs have played strong all year, so a title could be in the making.
Boys’ Soccer Teams with the best fans win, and in this case it could come true. The soccer team is 9-4 and has knocked off some of the top teams in the state. Despite competition from the teams out west, the Lancers should be able to hold their own if the seniors continue to step up and score goals.
// ANDYALLEN
PAGE32 PHOTO ESSAY / OCT. 27, 2008
5 PRIDE YEARS 0of LANCER
On Oct. 17, the Lancers gathered to show off their pride by celebrating 50 years of East with the best Lancer Day parade yet
RIGHT: Parents and former Lancers gather for the 50th anniversary of the Lancer Day Parade. Floats that expressed past East generations included the “That ‘70s Float,” consisting of class members from every year throughout the ‘70s, a float with past administrators and athletic directors and a float with past principals including the first East principal ever, Carl Ison. // MACKENZIEWYLIE BELOW: Junior Brian Rogers marches down the street with the drumline during Lancer Day. The drumline also marched down the hallways of the school earlier that day getting the mood set for the parade. // MACKENZIEWYLIE FAR BELOW: Seniors Harrison Wendlandt and Hannah Gasaway scream down Mission Road during the parade. The seniors’ ‘Time Machine’ theme consisted of everyone dressing from a different era ranging from ‘50s greasers to futuristic robots. Wendlandt’s costume was aimed towards an ‘80s heavy metal band member. // NICOLELUBY
LEFT ABOVE: Senior class president Tommy Gray gives a speech to pep up the Lancer crowd. Besides Gray, there were also pep talks from Dr. Krawitz and the varsity football players to get people to come out to the game at North. The Lancers won the game 19-3, giving East the Nut Cup victory. // MEACKENZIEWYLIE FAR LEFT: Senior Stuart Jones cheers as the winners of the float awards are announced. Most creative float went to the drill team, best use of school colors went to the soccer team and the grand prize went to the seniors for their time machine float. // MEACKENZIEWYLIE