Issue 7

the

ISSUE 7 SHAWNEE MISSION EAST PRAIRIE VILLAGE, KS NOV. 30, 2009

COMING YOUR WAY

The Harbinger covers the boys’ and girls’ basketball teams, kicking off their seasons this week What a difference a year makes. Just 12 months ago, the Lancer boys basketball team entered the season with a stellar septet of seniors and state title aspirations. Flash forward to today, and it is the ladies that will take a turn at late March magnificence. Led by a stable of returning veterans, this year’s seniors have a chance to become the winningest class in school history. Senior Janna Graf returns after a season that netted her a host of postseason accolades, including player of the year in the Sunflower League. However, after bowing out in the state quarterfinals a year ago, the girls seek a state championship, and they replace last season’s outgoing senior class with senior foreign exchange student Anna Seilund from the U16 Denmark National Team.

On the boys’ side, the program reloads after losing all five starters from last season’s third place team in the state. Seniors Scott Kennedy and Ryan Olander lead the way as the only returning players with varsity experience from last year’s team. Five other seniors, four juniors and a pair of talented freshmen join Boys Basketball pull-out poster on pages 16-17 them as they look to continue head coach Shawn Hair’s success in the Girls Basketball coverage on page 31 Sunflower League.

Exchange student Anna Seilund on page 30

>> >> >>

NEWS:D.A.R.E. in question (pg. 4) OPINION: Outsider’s look at ‘New Moon’ (pg. 9) FEATURES: Senior to play Grammys (pg. 15)

As for the revocation of student’s permission slips, Royce says that there are two main things that could cause a loss of the privilege.

“The administration giveth, and the administration can taketh away,” Royce said. “The two main things that could cause someone to lose that privilege, and number one being if you’re sticking around and causing a problem. What we don’t want is people hanging around by the coffee shop or shooting baskets in the gym or sitting outside a classroom talking. Be in a classroom with a teacher, or go home.”

For the time being, Royce and the administration have no plans of changing or instituting new rules, but are just trying to emphasize the rules and expectations of seminar to students.

“The whole purpose of seminar is supposed to be about kids being able to get help, make up tests, and do academic things,” Royce said. “Teachers want to be able to tutor and work with kids during that time, and when they are spending a lot of time chasing kids down or doing disciplinary kinds of things it takes away from that.”

Q&A

Q: How do you spend your time during seminar?

A: I have dance every night so it’s crucial that I try to get my homework out of the way.

Q: On average how many students leave your seminar daily?

A: Usually only seven of us are left in the class.

Q: Is it the teachers’ fault for students goofing around during seminar?

A: [I]t’s a combination of both.

Q: How do you spend your time during seminar?

A: I usually do homework or visit a teacher Q: On average how many students leave your seminar daily?

A: Four or five Q: Is it the teachers’ fault for students goofing around during seminar?

A: It’s the student’s because we’re given time to work on homework and they’re abusing that privilege so they should face consequences.

with geography teacher, David Muhammed

What rules do you enforce during seminar?

“The main rules during my seminar are work and use your time wisely.”

Is it the teacher’s fault or the student’s for goofing off during seminar?

“It’s really up to the student on how they spend their time and if they would rather waste their time wandering the halls. It only hurts them in the end.”

Have you ever caught one of your students wandering around the halls during seminar?

“No, I haven’t. I have no control if one of my students chooses to wander during free time to work and teachers monitoring the halls need to be aware of students doing that.”

SENIOR BROOKSANTHONY

>>ConorTwibell

Students who have been relying on leaving seminar without a proper pass are now out of luck. Administrators and teachers will now be enforcing the rules of seminar more thoroughly and often, hoping to prevent students from making seminar a problem.

After a group of teachers and administrators met for a seminar committee meeting in September, many issues were revealed about students and even teachers. Some students were leaving seminar without a pass, forging passes, not showing up where they were supposed to or simply not returning back to their seminar classes. But students were not the only ones who were causing an issue.

“What we heard overwhelmingly from teachers is that there was some frustration a little bit within the teachers,” associate principal Heather Royce said. “Because there were some teachers who were letting kids go without passes or were not following the rules and expectations.”

As students know, there have been many new changes to seminar this year. It has been moved to the last block of the day, instead of second and fourth blocks like last year, and it was also planned to allow students more ‘freedom.’

But according to Royce, this plan has changed after the meeting in September.

“I don’t think we were quite aware of how much it had gotten away until we had that seminar meeting in September and teachers really raised some concerns that they were seeing,” Royce said. “So we’ve had some conversations with the staff about revisiting those expectations and asking them to have conversations with kids.”

The main problems that administrators and teachers are having right now are the way some seminar proctors are going about watching over their classes. According to Royce, some teachers are following protocol, while others are not. In addition, the term ‘party room’ was brought up in the meeting, meaning that some teachers were allowing students play loud music and sit on desks in their classrooms Though Royce would like to see students take their own initiative to not forge passes and leave seminar inappropriately, she knows one thing is undeniable.

“I think the bottom line is that in a building this big and a student is determined to do the wrong thing, they will probably find a way, Royce said. “And we’re not going to catch everyone who tries to skip seminar or something like that, but we just want all the teachers on the same page and we want the students to know what we expect.”

For senior seminar, Royce says that the criteria has been finalized and permission slips for the ability to leave seminar have been distributed.

To meet the criteria for leaving seminar, seniors must have no unexcused absences after Nov 16, no D’s, F’s or I’s on semester grade cards, and no in or out of school suspensions. But according to Royce, if a student’s grades improve, they have the option of reapplying for the ability to leave.

SOPHOMORE ELLEMCCLENNEY

Administrators meet to discuss rules and expectations of seminar

Q: How do you spend your time in seminar?

A: I try to get homework finished, but it’s easy to get bored.

Q: On average how many students leave your seminar daily?

A: Two or three.

Q: Is it the teachers’ fault for students goofing around during seminar?

A: It’s really the student’s and I think teachers should do something about it.

JUNIOR RILEYMEARE

>> Michael Stolle

Seminar Struggle

FRESHMAN TYLERRATHBUN

>>lancervoice

page 2 news 11.30.09

Q: How do you spend your time during seminar?

A: Sometimes I do homework and if i get bored I play games on my phone.

Q: On average how many students leave your seminar?

A: Including me, four or five.

Q: Is it the teachers’ fault for students goofing around du ring seminar?

A: It’s the students fault because the teachers can’t do much.

issue 7 news page 3

the

a forecast into this year’s surprising winter season >> TimShedor

Senior Seminar This year, with reversed block days and the anchor class assuming the start of the week rather than the end, the universal study hall that is seminar continues to adapt with an open-ended experiment. Starting next semester, seniors with aboveC semester grades, zero unexcused absences and no 09-10 suspensions will be able to determine the fate of their own eighth period.

For most, this means unprec-

edented freedom. Not enrolled in a seminar class, outwardbound students are free to leave campus or continue to visit teachers-as long as they don’t loiter on East grounds.

“I think it’s a great opportunity for [seniors],” Principal Dr. Karl Krawitz said. “It provides them a little bit more freedom. In second semester, seniors are already starting their transition away from high school.”

All seniors applying for seminar exemption must submit completed eligibility criteria forms by Friday.

S w e a t y, bright and wild, this year’s MORP will retain legendary status for years to come. The dance was boosted by the neon graffiti from East’s premiere urban artists, hype from “Stop the Bop” ‘s insanity, and most of all, the intimate and uniting cafeteria dance floor.

After the positive responses a cafeteria-hosted Homecoming received earlier this year, as well as the freshmen mixer in Sep-

Cafeteria Dances tember, the lunch room was selected

by Student Council to host the mixand-match dance too.

Expect to frequent the cafeteria for other official dances this year, like the Down

Sportsmanship Scrutiny Last year’s athletic functions witnessed the full gamut of fan support - from the infamous baby powder throwing at the Northwest game (see left) to the fan ejection at the basketball state playoffs.

According to Principal Dr. Karl Krawitz, the Kansas State High Schools Athletic Association demanded a tighter leash from East’s administration over the school’s fan base, namely

>>Anna Petrow

at the boys’ varsity basketball games. And although the administration didn’t agree with some of KSHSAA’s statements, the bottom line was clear: if East fans didn’t refrain from boos, foul language and disruptive behavior, the KSHSAA may bar fans from sporting events.

Such a ban would not only instigate an uproar from the student body, but would also

>>Mackenzie Wylie Syndrome Dance, WPA and the upperclassman-only ROMP.

cost East precious revenue that comes from ticket sales and concessions at games. This season could become a make or break for East basketball under the KSHSAA officials’ watch.

“I really hope…that we go to these things proud of who we are, and standing for what we represent and not necessarily at someone else’s expense,” Krawitz said. “I have every belief that our students…have accepted that.”

and

the

Choir Concert

>>Rachel English

Singing from the halls of Village Presbyterian Church, the choir of yesteryear was sandwiched between the great arch of the main sanctuary.

Yet the organ, vaulted ceiling and textured atmosphere of the church dwarfed the then-under-construc-

tion home auditorium.

This year, the highly-rated winter choir concert returns to the remolded Dan Zollars Auditorium on Dec. 8. Although the acoustics are still confined by the lack of proper equipment, the seating will be much more comfortable and much more available than last year’s performance.

Veteran East winter warriors again face another back-to-back snow-day-less winter as the November heat wave crawls into December.

The official call for a snow day comes from superintendent Gene Johnson, who confers with members of the Board of Education and the Blue Valley and Olathe District superin-

Snow Days tendents before canceling a day of school.

Other barometers that mark inclement weather include the reliability and stability of transportation, if sub10 or -20 degrees are present and whether or not the snow in parking lots will be plowed before the 7:40 a.m. bells.

>>Karen Boomer

page 4 news 11.30.09

F

>>JackHowland

or Johnson County police officers, Drug Abuse Resistance Education (DARE) has been a constant in their department. It has been their way of reaching out to students and encouraging them to resist drugs, alcohol and violence.

For the past 12 years, urging children to stay off drugs and out of violence has been as constant as a gunning radar or writing up a parking ticket.

But with a hefty budget and reports from sources including the U.S. Surgeon General and the Department of Education claiming the program is ineffective, the Johnson County Sheriff’s office has realized that this program may be an expense not worth the price.

Within the last year, the Johnson County Sheriff’s office made the decision to cut DARE programs from the responsibilities of police officers. This decision came from their administrative offices, following tough budgetary reductions.

And while the DARE program is still being implemented in a majority of Shawnee Mission School District elementary schools, the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office will no longer be involved in the program, following in a nation-wide trend.

With this decision, SMSD students are left wondering if the program will be removed altogether from the district. But Superintendent Dr. Gene Johnson says that for the time being, the program’s here to stay.

Ultimately, the decision lies with the cities, not with schools or districts. So for a majority of cities, DARE is still prominent.

The only town that has given it the axe is Shawnee, because of budget constraints.

Despite the one closure, Dr. Johnson be-

lieves that DARE deserves to remain.

“We’re supportive of the program for sure,” Dr. Johnson said. “Because any time that you get police officers in the schools to work with children, to get them comfortable with the police, I think it’s a positive, and it’s a program that’s been around for a really long time.”

So while the program looks promising in the SMSD, it no longer has ties with the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office. The main reason for this decision was that police officer’s time could be spent in a more beneficial way. Johnson County Police Deputy Larry Shoop is a long-time contributor to the DARE program, making seasonal trips to elementary schools for two years. He feels the decision came down to how the officers could efficiently use their hours on the job.

“It was a matter of the officer’s time,” Shoop said. “I was obligated to the DARE program a certain amount of time a week and they just decided that I could spend my time doing something else than that, it was kind of a budget, man-power issue.”

These officers will be spending more time in the community. One of the many substitutes for DARE is “Code J,” which takes youth juvenile delinquents and tries to put them on a better path. And while this comes as a positive, students like junior Will Severns believe the program is an adequate way of spending time.

“I think it did a good job of at least preparing us, like they did a good job of telling us what to expect,” Severns said. “We hadn’t gotten into any drinking or smoking or anything like that during elementary school, but they did a good job of telling us that there will be a time in your life where you’ll be pressured with all this stuff, and i think that’s where a lot of the prevention

came from.”

Sophomore John Lee disagrees with this opinion. Contrary to Severns stance, Lee feels the program is ultimately ineffective.

Granted, he thinks it may work when students are children, but as they grow older, he feels that DARE just fails to motivate.

“I think [DARE] works for a very few amount of kids,” Lee said. “But for most people, they might think it’s effective at the time, but as they move on in life they forget about it.”

Whereas Lee thinks the program is incompetent, Shoop sides with Severns, feeling it was a great way to be proactive and help kids avoid drugs, alcohol and violence in the following years of their life. He says he tried to tell kids to avoid the “bad” things, like drugs and encouraged them to be a part of “good” positive activities.

This same message has been one of the key themes to DARE since its start in 1983.

Since then, DARE has been implemented in 75 percent of school districts around the nation. The program is typically seasonal, lasting for a few months each year. Throughout these months, students are taken through a ten-lesson curriculum culminating in the graduation ceremony where they receive their certificates of completion. And while the goals for D.A.R.E are clear and concise, the results have been hazy in the past.

A report compiled by Ariel Kalishman of the Drug Policy Alliance in April of 2003 showed that DARE costs $1 to 1.3 billion annually, and has been deemed “ineffective” on numerous occasions by the U.S. Surgeon General, the National Academy of Sciences and the Department of Education.

A report filed by the California Legislative Analyst’s Office in 1999 found that the program is not only ineffective, but it increases the likelihood of students ever

illegally drinking alcohol or taking illicit drugs.

Shoop has seen his fair share of DARE classes and he feels that the problem afflicting the program is reasonably fixable. He thinks it really comes down to the age level the program is pushed in.

“DARE is based off of all the age groups and most of the time it’s only pushed in the middle schools,” Shoop said. “I think that’s a great place to start, but I think DARE probably should’ve been pushed in the high schools also.”

Although the reports are against DARE, officers like Shoop think the program deserves to remain. He feels it’s a way to stay “proactive,” in the field of law enforcement where it’s essentially dominated by being “reactive.” Even though it may tend to fail in producing results, he feels it can’t hurt, contrary to the reports filed by the California Legislative Analyst’s Office.

Severns thinks whether the program is present or not, students will follow their own path.

“I definitely think that the DARE program helped but DARE program or no DARE program kids are still going to make their own decisions when they get to high school,” Severns said. “I think ultimately where it’s biggest, that whole subject, is with the parents, I think it’s ultimately their decision.”

Whether the results are good, or bad, DARE is a prevalent force in the SMSD. It’s been around since Dr. Johnson took his position in 1986, and it’s showing no signs of slowing down. As it looks, DARE is here to stay.

“One hundred percent of the salary comes from the city,” Dr. Gene Johnson. “So as long as they fund it, we will be participating.”

The Five of DARE

W’s

Who is DARE taught to?

The DARE curriculum is designed for grades K-12.

What is DARE?

Drug Abuse Resistance Education, or DARE, is a program taught by police officers that educates children about drug abuse and violent behavior.

the of

When was DARE started?

direction

DARE

Due to reports claiming that DARE is ineffective, the county is wondering whether the program is worth the expense

DARE was founded in 1983 in Los Angeles.

Where are there DARE programs?

DARE is implemented in 75 percent of America’s school districts. There are DARE programs in all 50 states and in 43 other countries around the world.

Why is DARE taught?

>>Katie East

DARE is meant to teach children how to live drug-and-violence free lives and help them grow comfortable around police officers.

Dodge, Duck, Dip, Dive and Dodge

issue 7 photo essay page 5

Students compete in the SHARE-sponsored tournament

ABOVE Seniors Ellie Kessinger and Margaret Brill laugh during their dodgeball game. Their team, the Shot Knockers, was knocked out in the first round.

RIGHT Seniors Alyx Delgado and Greg Welsh fight for the ball during the showdown between their teams, the Jiggle in the Jungle and the Hurl Scouts.

SENIOR Ryan Olander screams in victory after pegging an opponent. “Dodgeball is something that’s fun to play and you don’t get to do that often,” Olander said. His team, the Green Packers, lost in the first round to the eventual champions, the Widow-Makers. All photos by Mackenzie Wylie

>>

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Too Young To

issue 7 editorial page 7

E .

R .

C.A

Current D.A.R.E. students are not at an age that allows them to benefit from the program It’s been said before that at a young age, an individual becomes what he or she is exposed to. This pertains to dialect, mannerisms, and other adaptive behaviors such as what makes a right and wrong decision. In the cities that make up the Shawnee Mission School District, and many others around the nation, there is a program that strives to counsel students on just that: how to make good or bad choices. It is called Drug Abuse Resistance Education (DARE) and is a part of the learning experience at the district’s elementary schools.

In the curriculum, students aged 5-12 are expected to learn how to handle various pressure-ridden situations ranging from calling 9-1-1 during an emergency to turning down an alcoholic beverage during a party. While being skills that are undoubtedly useful in knowing, an issue lies in the age range that DARE focuses on. Due to the immaturity and lack of exposure to many social situations that may offer the application of skills Letters to learned in the program, DARE the editor should proves itself as ineffective because be sent to room 521 of where and at what age it is beor smeharbinger@ ing taught at. Every hour spent on gmail.com. Letters DARE in our elementary schools is may be edited for an hour that could’ve been spent clarity, length, libel on math, reading, writing or social and mechanics and studies: the four criteria used in determining Standard of Excellence accepted or rejected schools. Not every East-area elat the editor’s ementary school received such an discretion. honor in all four of the categories.

the

>>

a publication of shawnee mission east high school 7500 Mission Road, Prairie Village, KS 66208

Editors-In-Chief >>Tim Shedor >>Phoebe Unterman Assistant Editors >>Sam Logan >>Kevin Simpson Head Copy Editor >>Andrew Goble Art and Design Editor >>Michael Stolle News Editor >>Logan Heley News Page Editors >>Kennedy Burgess >>Kiki Sykes

nov. 30, 2009 issue 7, vol. 51

Editorial Editor >>Lilly Myers Opinion Editor >>Duncan McHenry Opinion Page Editors >>Kat Buchanan >>Raina Weinberg Features Editor >>Annie Sgroi Feature Page Editors >>>Kathleen Ireland >> Molly Troutman Spread Editor >>Aubrey Leiter Asst. Spread Editor >>Ian Wiseman

R e cent studies by the U.S. General Accounting Office, the U.S. Surgeon General, the National Academy of Sciences, and the U.S. Department of Education have each independently stated that DARE struggles to achieve the goals laid out in its mission. The underlying truth to all of the studies though is that the program costs over a billion dollars per year for the nation to fund, and if it’s money that is going to be spent then we should be investing it in the right places. Elementary schools aren’t the answer.

The school district does not pay for this awareness program to be taught at schools, the city does. Before potentially following a growing national trend to axe the DARE program due to budgetary constraints, the city of Prairie Village should reconsider placing the DARE education into a high school classroom, somewhere a student may understand that cocaine is a harmful drug, not just a substance that looks like sugar.

High schools in our community are where a majority of the students who are drinking and smoking attend, therefore a required class that could provide an indirect brief intervention would prove itself as the most reasonable and responsible answer to an elementary-level program that has showed signs of decline in recent years. A World Health Organization study proved that such provisions like this can cut alcohol consumptions by more than 25 percent among those who are identified as drinkers. Having a knowledge

A&E Editor >>Mac Tamblyn A&E Page Editors >>Colleen Ireland >>Christa McKittrick Mixed Editor >>Emma Pennington Sports Editor >>Sam Logan Sports Page Editors >>Corbin Barnds >>Conor Twibell Photo Editor >>Mackenzie Wylie Assistant Photo Editor >>Katie East Freelance Page Editors >>>Maddy Bailey >> Sarah McKittrick Copy Editors >>Andrew Goble

>>Lilly Myers

about the negatives of these habits can also reduce the risk of alcohol abuse once a high school student is at college, according to feedback surveys at various American universities.

DARE’s goal to “Resist drugs and violence” is one that is positive and should be stressed at any level of education, but to allow for optimal results, a program that teaches the skills needed to avoid these negligent habits at the high school age would be more appropriate. It would provide a place for federal funding to be responsibly spent at during a time when budget concerns are at the fore of many public school districts including our own. Having and education system like this provided to East students at no cost to the school district would be a gift to all that could help fix the tainted reputation many feel the school has earned.

This outside view of a school with problems regarding teenage alcohol consumption and marijuana use starts on the inside. Transferring the DARE program to our classrooms and not elementary schools’ would prove to be more effective for all parties involved, regardless of age.

The

VOTE 10 for

The majority opinion of the Harbinger Editorial Board

>>Logan Heley >>Jack Howland >>Sam Kovzan >>Annie Sgroi >>Tim Shedor >>Kevin Simpson >>Michael Stolle >>Phoebe Unterman

>>Sam Logan >>Lilly Myers >>Annie Sgroi >>Tim Shedor >>Kevin Simpson >>Michael Stolle >>Mac Tamblyn >>Phoebe Unterman

Staff Writers >>Griffin Bur >>Grant Kendall >>Alex Lamb >>Bob Martin >>Haley Martin >>Shannon McGinley >>Ian Wiseman >>Alysabeth Albano Editorial Board >>Griffin Bur >>Andrew Goble >>Logan Heley

Photographers >>Jeff Cole >>Lindsey Hartnett >>Dan Stewart Staff Artists >>Kennedy Burgess >>Morgan Christian Circulation Manager >>Matt Gannon Ads Manager >>Morgan Christian Ads Representative >>Kevin Simpson

against absent

1 0

Online Editors >>Taylor Haviland >>Elizabeth McGranahan Webmaster >>Joe Craig >>Pat McGannon Online Section Editor >>Evan Nichols Online Staff Writer >>Christopher Heady >>Haley Martin >>Katy Westhoff Online Photographer >>Max Stitt Anchor/Vlogger >>Andrew Goble >>Tom Lynch Videographer >>Alex Lamb Adviser >>Dow Tate

The Harbinger is a student run publication. The contents and views are produced solely by the staff and do not represent the Shawnee Mission School District, East faculty, or school administration.

page 8 opinion 11.30.09

a hairy situation

Growing up as a redhead has its benefits and disadvantages >>KennedyBurgess

For all of the time I spent in grade school, all I wanted was blonde hair and tan skin. I felt like my pale, freckley skin and my bright, orangey reddish hair made me the black sheep of my class. Now that I’m 15, I’ve come to accept my bright orange/red locks, but it took a while for this to happen.

As a baby, I was completely bald. My mom would always put bows on my head when we went out in public so people wouldn’t ask if I was a boy or a girl. My parents were a little worried when I turned one and I still hadn’t grown any hair. A majority of babies are either born with hair or their hair grows in a year after their born. My family would joke around when I was a baby, making bets on what my hair would grow in to look like. My mom’s mom was certain I would have curly bleach-blonde hair like my dad. My dad was sure I would have dark brown hair like my mom.

It wasn’t until I was three that I proved my whole family wrong and little red hairs started sprouting up from my head.

My family loved my red hair and thought it was a blessing.

Now, ever since then, my hair has always been the first thing people notice about me.

Every time my mom took me to Wild Oats as a child, old ladies would swarm around me and ask my mom, “Where did she get that beautiful red hair?” or more commonly, “Are you Irish?” I am Irish, but that doesn’t mean every Irish person has red hair and vice versa. This seems to be a common association, however it is false. Though, even at a young age, all of the strange attention my hair brought me made me want to wear hats wherever I went or go back to being that bald baby I was five years before.

One instance I recall was when I was eight. I was at the beauty salon “Highlights” where my mom always took me for my monthly haircut. While I was sitting in the salon chair, as the hairdresser cut my bangs, the lady next to me turned around and just stared at me like I was some piece of

>>photoillustration by Dan Stewart art. I, being an eight year old child, became very scared and the whole first semester of my freshmen year a group of I remember calling my mom over almost in tears. My mom sophomore boys called me lasagna. Now, I had gotten used had to talk to the lady and ask why she was staring at her to ginger and actually come to like it. Carrot top was pushdaughter. The lady replied “I’m so sorry. I just can’t get over ing it a little, but lasagna? I had never heard this one before. her hair! I would pay $1,000 for her hair color.”

Then it hit me. Garfield’s (the famous ginger cat) favorite food Really? $1,000? As flattering as that comment is, it’s also was lasagna. I’ll give them points for creativity, but shouting creepy that people would be so intrigued by the color of my it through the halls during passing period every time they hair. As I grew up into my teenage years the comments to- saw me got old. It didn’t really bother me after a while, even wards my hair turned from creepy to spiteful. though I was being compared to a cartoon cat just for the In 8th grade, I tried to go to the movies with my friends color of my hair. every weekend. When Juno came out in theatres I was obThis all seems so ridiculous to me that people will go out sessed with Michael Cera, so I had to see it more than once. of their way to pick on someone who seems to be the odd The second time I saw it was at Town Center AMC with my one out and I experience this every day at school. friend, a brunette. We were sitting in the When the teacher assigns groups third row from the back waiting for prein class, I tend to end up in a group of I felt like my pale freckviews to start when a group of four girls brunettes and blondes, and I can deal ly skin and my bright, or- with that. But of course, there is alwalked into the theatre giggling and angey reddish hair made ways that one kid in my group that will chatting, all blondes. They all decided to sit right behind us, but they didn’t stay me the black sheep of my bluntly shout out “We have the ginger!” there long. One of the blondes turned to I’m not just “the ginger,” I have a name. class. the blonde sitting next to her and said People with red hair shouldn’t have to “let’s not sit behind the ginger.” deal with embarrassing nick names or Don’t worry girls, it’s not contagious. It’s only genetic. As continue to be singled out as a minority the rest of their life. soon as blonde number three said that, they moved to the It’s just the color of our hair, but I think it goes beyond that. opposite side of the theatre. I didn’t even know these girls, People feel the need to single out people who look, act or yet they felt the need to point out my hair as if it was a flaw. choose to be different because it’s unfamiliar to them.

Well, I don’t think red hair should be treated as a flaw.

Red hair is nature’s way of mixing things up a bit. I could Why should I feel bad for something I can’t control? I easily dye my hair blonde or brown or black, but I choose shouldn’t and no one should. In a way, I thank people like not to because I’ve come to marvel in the fact that it sets me this for teasing me, laughing at me and calling me rude, ob- apart from everyone else. I get called ginger more than Kennoxious names in middle school because it better prepared nedy because of it; peculiar old ladies love me because of it; me for when I came to high-school. blondes hate me because of it and I am more than okay with So, once freshmen year rolled along, I thought all the that. My red hair is a part of my identity, but it’s not who I ginger craze would go away. WRONG. It just got worse. For am.

“

”

issue 7 opinion page 9

new moon

Senior recounts his experience seeing the midnight premiere of the latest movie from the ‘Twilight’ series I don’t know who scares me more – the creatures of “Twilight” or the fans of “Twilight.”

Each group has certain qualities that bring fear to me.

The creatures have their ruth>>MacTamblyn less blood-sucking and extreme paleness, but the fans have the obsessive and protective tendencies of a cornered mother grizzly.

“Fans” is a choice word considering the situation. For these so called “fans,” common side effects of catching sight of Twilight characters like Edward (Robert Pattinson) or Jacob (Taylor Lautner) usually include a mixture of doubling over, crazed screams and an “Oh my god!” or a related phrase expressing crush-induced euphoria. To insult a fan’s love of Twilight almost certainly results in a snappy backhand to the cheek, at best.

Admittedly, I have never read a “Twilight” book. Nor have I seen the first installment of the film series. So as a complete outsider to the phenomenon, I was confused. I told myself that there had to be more to the series than Hollywood producers capitalizing on teen girls’ physical and emotional attraction to these characters. I decided to investigate firsthand what Twilight was all about at the midnight premiere of “New Moon,” the second part of the series. I also decided to bring a classic vampire-vanquishing wooden stake, for protection from both creatures and fans.

To prepare for this daunting experience, I checked out some of the pre-premiere chatter on the imdb.com (Internet Movie Database) message boards. One topic was all about the “double standard” for women, and how they go wild over the tall, gaunt and handsome Edward or the abdominallygifted Jacob, but their jealous boyfriends are not allowed to comment on Megan Fox’s strengths.

Another discussion was even more heated. One user, obviously a cynical male, brought up the point that since Edward is 109 years old, it is creepy that he is in love with a 17 year-old girl. Another user, an obviously female fan, nitpicked her way through this argument, proceeding to make personal attacks on the male.

More intimidation and fear took over after reading these passionate imdb.com threads. These fans meant business.

Finally, the big night arrived. Around 9 o’clock that night, I took a bath in liquid garlic as yet another precaution. Vampires hate garlic, and I imagined any fervent Twilight fan would be too repulsed to bother me if I let a sarcastic comment slip.

After walking into the theater, I realized I was greatly outnumbered. A quick cross-examination of one section of the theater revealed that about one out of five attendees were male. More extensive, long-winded calculations indicated about four out of five of the men present had been physically an opinion of

dragged there by their significant other, making the percentage of men that willingly showed up to the midnight premiere incredibly slight. The fact that I had willingly showed up made me feel like a real outcast.

As expected, the fans were not only great in numbers but in material support. “Team Edward” t-shirts, vampire costumes and wolf nature tees could be seen in every row.

After summoning ample courage, I approached a fan and asked her to summarize the first movie, so I could follow the plot of “New Moon.” She explained how Edward and Bella had met, how Bella had discovered Edward was a vampire, and how much they love each other. I then asked her why she loves Twilight so much. She responded with a resounding, “EDWARD CULLEN!” The previews started rolling. I found my second-row seat.

Everything went fine until the preview for “Remember Me” appeared, starring none other than hunk Robert Pattinson.

Gasps. Quiet. His face appeared again. More gasps. The preview ended. The theater collectively exhaled.

After another preview, it began. I was one of about three people breathing. The fans’ senses of sight, sound, smell, taste and touch were so focused on the screen that a bull elephant could have performed the Stanky Leg in the first row and they wouldn’t have noticed.

Fast-forward to the end of the movie. Here’s a plot summary: vast amounts of hair product, followed by gasps from the audience, followed by a long period of shirtless Jacob, followed by a unanimous “Sooooo hot!,” followed by kissing, followed by amorous audience smiles, followed by vampires fighting werewolves, followed by audience whimpering, followed by kissing, more shirtlessness, and finally kissing. In other words, over two hours worth of what was in the 30 second trailer.

It was 2:30 a.m., and as I walked out of the movie, I seemed to be one of about three people who were exhausted.

>>Lindsey Hartnett

The rest were cheerily delighted after witnessing the most PG-13 rated shirtlessness ever.

Other than the crowd it brought, I was not that impressed by “New Moon.” Much of it probably has to do with me not having to wear a top swimming pools. Plus, I am already partial to another film involving the teenage supernatural, Michael J. Fox’s “Teen Wolf.”

I may not have liked “New Moon,” but I can’t argue with $142.8 million, the third biggest opening weekend gross in movie history. Hollywood may be exploiting teen girls’ biological attractions to steamy vampires and werewolves, but they do it darn well. Reconsidering my investment opportunities wouldn’t be a bad idea.

But hey, I can’t be greedy. I’m just thankful I didn’t have to use the wooden stake.

Gran Torino (2008)

MAC TAMBLYN -- This movie had no sentimental value at all.

Clint Eastwood is capable of not speaking in a low raspy growl, but he managed to keep up this annoying “tough guy” act for two whole hours. That or he filmed the entire movie with a raging case of laryngitis.

Saw VI (2009)

SAM LOGAN -- Just when I thought Americans getting entertainment out of repulsive human mutilation couldn’t get any sicker... It did.

There are so many sequels to the original it makes me believe the director is some sort of serial killer.

One positive came from it though: torture methods to spare myself with once Saw VII comes out.

KEVIN SIMPSON -- After watching this atrocity, I can’t look back on the Rocky series positively. How does Rocky Balboa, the Italian Stallion, go from knocking off the steriodinfused Ivan Drago to a washed-up loser in a few months? This film’s not about a prize fighter; it’s about a senior citizen deteriorating, and taking his famed movie series down with him.

>>photos courtesy of movieweb.com

that still managed to disappoint movie mishaps Other flicks Harbinger staff members had low expectations forRocky V (1990)

>>lancervoice

an opinion of

The rush of adrenaline.

The heart pounding.

The shoulders tensing. It’s 3 a.m. and I’m wide>>MaddyBailey awake, writing that dreaded English paper due in five hours. The suspense is killing me, anticipating the feeling of relief that I’ll have when I’m finally done. Sadly, this is the only way I can work productively.

Everyone has those self-motivating moments when you say you aren’t going to put off an assignment because you want to get it out of your hair. Now with college application deadlines and mountains of schoolwork, I have recently learned it is easier to tell myself, “Actually I am definitely going to procrastinate on this and I am going to like it.”

Whoever came up with ‘save the best for

last’ must have been joking. It should be more like “save the worst for last because you don’t want to do it.” As long as it is done on time what is wrong with waiting until the last minute? Nothing.

I have gone through school listening to my teachers’ and parents’ advice, such as, “Don’t procrastinate on this! It will just hurt you in the long run.” Seriously, it’s due when it’s due; if I can get it done on time then what is the problem? If we keep being told not to procrastinate, I think we deserve a little bit of an explanation.

Procrastination is a costly psychological trait that almost all people share, but it may be possible to conquer it, according to an article from Science Daily in January 2009 called “Why We Procrastinate And How To Stop.”

Many people share the trait of procrastination, but I don’t think it is quite that easy to conquer it. There are some people who tend to have panic attacks under a work-overload, but I personally don’t mind working under pressure. There are always those tasks that you dive right into, but just think about the cliche “you can do anything you set your mind to.” I

don’t tend to “set my mind to” a hefty english paper. It’s much easier when you know exactly what your strategy is, which is specifically what the study in the article theorized.

“It may be only when a deadline is looming that they first consider the specifics of a task, including what will be required to complete it, the context in which it will take place, and other details,” the researchers of the Science Daily article wrote. “If thinking about a task more concretely enables people to get started, manipulating this variable directly should affect when they are likely to complete the task.”

That actually does make a great point; If something is easily said and done, then voila, it’s done in no time. But if it’s easier said than done, that is when the serious procrastination comes into play.

I recently experienced an episode of severe procrastination with a friend, when we were supposed to be working on our English paper over Hamlet. It was not the best plan considering we had absolutely no idea what to write about. It took us about three hours just to write our thesis statements. It took all of our strength to fight against the distractions, such as YouTube, Facebook and food. Finally, after many snack breaks, caffeine, slap-happiness and cardio-workouts, we mellowed out and eased our way into a rush of concentration.

To empower ourselves, we had the film score from “The Dark Knight” playing in the background, which was actually quite effective.

I have realized that I spend more time stressing over something I don’t want to do than the time it would take me to actually complete it. I am always looking for some excuse for myself not to do it or maybe even some way to get out of it. I am learning to just accept it and stop worrying myself over things I will save for last. I will have to face it sooner or later. And I choose later.

So, unless you are planning on conquering the fear of English papers, I recommend spending less time stressing and more time doing absolutely nothing until you have to.

Remember, if it weren’t for the last minute, you wouldn’t get anything done. But you never know, you might be able to use reverse psychology on yourself and actually have the urge to start writing your paper at any random moment. But don’t get your hopes up.

:47, :46, :45, :44,:43, :42, :41, :40, :39, :38, :37, :36, :35, :34,:33, :32, :31, :30, :29, :28, :27, :26, :25, :24, :23, :22, :21, :20, :19, :18, :17, :16, :15, :14, :13, :12, :11, :10, :09, :08, :07, :06, :05, :04, :03, :02, :01, :00.... >> Kennedy Burgess

SENIOR HANNAH COPELAND

Senior believes procrastination should be embraced

JUNIOR ZACH NASS

TickingAway

SOPHOMORE ELISABETH MCCONNELL

TimeKeeps

Q: How often do you procrastinate?

A: Daily Q: What is one of your worst moments?

A:I worked on my final project for AHAP for 28 hours straight, starting 28 hours before it was due.

Q: How does procrastinating affect your performance?

A: It produces unnecessary stress but is kind of exhilirating.

Q: What class do you procrastinate in the most? Why? A: Math.

Q: How often do you procrastinate?

A: More than I should. More with long papers.

Q: What is one of your worst moments?

A: There was a paper we knew about for a month and I did it all the night before.

Q: How does procrastinating affect your performance?

A:It’s stressful but I get stuff done.

Q: What class do you procrastinate in the most? Why? A: English.

Q: How often do you procrastinate?

A: As much as I possibly can.

Q: What is one of your worst moments?

A:This English paper was 20 pages long and I started the night before. I finished the book at 5 a.m. after going to the New Moon premire.

Q: How does procrastinating affect your performance?

A: It’s probably worse, but I think I’m used to it because I do it often.

Q: What class do you procrastinate in the most? English.

FRESHMAN JENNA ENGELKEN

page 10 opinion 11.30.09

Q: How often do you procrastinate?

A: About 60 percent of the time.

Q: What is one of your worst moments?

A: I had this big book report and poster due and I had to do it at 11 p.m. and went to bed at 5 am.

Q: How does procrastinating affect your performance?

A: Not very well but I guess some people work better with it.

issue 7 opinion page 11

Seniors finds that his passion for sports often leaves him

Angry about Athletics >>SamKovzan

I have a serious problem.

This was confirmed a few weeks ago shortly after I shattered two CD cases, punted a soccer ball into the ceiling, made my little sister cry and was exiled to my room in the middle of dinner. My penchant for sports had clearly gone overboard.

To my knowledge, I have no anger management issues. Rarely, if ever, do I respond to adversity, criticism or misfortune with hot-headedness (Please keep that in mind

as you continue to read this). In fact, I would consider myself poised and optimistic when things don’t go my way.

With one exception: sports.

You see, my teams have been on a horrific cold streak – a cold streak that hit rockbottom the weekend I had my violent tantrum. In the span of 24 painful hours, my college visit to Tulsa was spoiled when the Golden Hurricane inconceivably coughed up an 8-point lead with a minute left to lose

>>photo illustration by Dan Stewart

by one, the Jayhawk football team lost their fourth straight to Kansas State (enough alone to make me physically ill), and my beloved New York Giants dropped their fourth straight in a one-point heartbreaker.

By the end of this three-headed nightmare, fury overwhelmed me and I had to unleash it. Sadly enough, it wasn’t the first time something like this had occurred.

If you hadn’t made the connection already, that’s my serious problem. That’s what made me heave the CD cases at the wall and dent the basement ceiling. That’s what caused me to make a few regretful, albeit malicious comments at the dinner table, sent my sister into tears and ruined the entire family’s meal.

Now before you dismiss me as an obnoxious moron who cares more about Big 12 championships and Super Bowls than his family and his education, let me explain. After my dad chewed me out and cut my meal short, I was able to reflect on the outburst.

I will be the first to admit that this is over-the-top, immature and flat-out wrong.

Slumped on my bed angry and underfed, I had an epiphany. Suddenly it clicked that sports, despite providing valuable life lessons and absorbing entertainment, have too strong of an impact on my life.

This doesn’t apply to my own athletic career, only when I’m a spectator. Why? Because the success rate of the teams I support is completely beyond my control.

For better or for worse, I have the ability to impact an East basketball game as a player.

Therefore, it is fair that basketball has a legitimately strong influence in my life. It wouldn’t be messed up for me to be mad after a poor performance or emotionally crushed after a career-ending playoff loss.

However, there’s absolutely nothing I can do when Texas is knocking KU ruthlessly into the turf or when Eli Manning throws his third interception of the game.

Sports fans should withhold their emotional investment in a team before they reach a climax like mine. It isn’t worth the property damage, bawling siblings, depression, and other avoidable negatives that result from painful losses and uninspiring performances. And although I often forget it myself, there are far more important things in life. You know, like family, school and being a good person.

I speak from experience, having repeatedly been too caught up in the rollercoaster

rides of my favorite teams. Maddening losses have caused me to break Play Station controllers and unintentionally imitate Bob Knight’s chair-flips. Agonizing heartbreakers have made me to cry like a little girl and sent me into legitimate month-long depressions.

Whether or not I go ape depends on the magnitude of the loss. It’s important to know that I don’t turn into the Incredible Hulk after every single time my team doesn’t win. The majority of my teams’ failures provide short-lived frustration and disappointment, but nothing that results in a hardcore tantrum. In fact, there are only two types of defeats that send me over the top, and I react to each one in a different, yet equally poor manner: 1) The easily avoidable choke job. A couple years ago the Giants were up 21-0 with 12 minutes left in the game. They lost. The consequences of these defeats are often violent - anger consumes me and I feel the need to break something.

2) The season-ending, dream-crushing, spirit-shattering heartbreaker. By far the most unhealthy type of loss, these seem to occur frequently in March, with Bucknell and Bradley sticking out vividly in my mind.

Reactions to such events are often catastrophic and follow in line with the five stages of grief: denial, anger, bargaining and depression, with acceptance not occurring until the ensuing season has begun.

It’s been like that my entire life. And quite frankly, it isn’t worth it. Life is too short to get completely bent out of shape just because your team isn’t lifting the trophy or cutting down the nets (whew, what a breakthrough).

Does that mean I’m no longer emotionally invested in sports? Not at all. Nor does it mean that I’ve become less passionate or supportive of my teams. From now on, however, I hope to keep a separation between my fanhood and the things in life that matter So if Sherron Collins, Cole Aldrich and company aren’t cutting down the nets in Indianapolis next April, I will accept the disappointment, tell myself that there will always be next year, and perhaps gain something meaningful from the experience. Much more appropriate than damaging household objects, making siblings cry, and being kicked out of the dining room with an empty stomach

STRESS-O-METER- Sam describes different stress-level situations Whenever my expectations for the game are low, my team isn’t expected to win, or the stakes for the game aren’t high, I often react to a loss with short-lived frustration.

I feel slightly annoyed, but it’s nothing to send me into a thunderous eruption.

Think of KU’s recent blowout loss to Texas in football.

DisapMEDIUM pointing, LOW HIGH but no surprise.

These losses generally bring immense frustration, but a lot of optimism at the same time. Whenever KU loses a basketball game in the Big 12, I usually want to poke my eyes out at the sight of opposing fans storming the court. At the same time, these defeats give me hope that the team will learn from the experience MEDIUM and become better as HIGH LOW the season continues.

Inexcusable choke-jobs grind my gears the most. Nothing makes me want to chuck the remote at the TV more than when my team gift-wraps the game to the opponent.

My New York Giants have perfected the art in the past decade, having coughed up multiple double-digit leads that have led to crushing postseason MEDIUM defeats. You HIGH LOW play to win the game!

The absolute worst feeling in the world of sports is the season-ending heartbreaker.

The world seemingly crumbles and it’s hard not to become emotional. March has been notorious for such moments. Diehards always mention “next year” immediately after the loss, but next year seems a world away, and all I feel is heartbreak.

MEDIUM The worst of HIGH LOW the worst, no doubt.

page 12opinion 11.30.09

While many images around East depict unity, one junior wonders if the school has

opposite outlooks From the first time “my spirits were increased,” arm in >>BobMartin arm with classmates as a metal-mouthed freshman, to only a few weeks ago when I watched our football team prance around in cheerleading uniforms together, the loud and bustling SME pep assemblies have remained consistent. Coming back to the gym time and time again, there’s something else that’s remained constant throughout, and it’s not as glamorous as the Lancer Dancers’ newest routine.

At every assembly, bleachers are set aside for each grade level in the main gym. Freshmen and seniors alike have their place to sit and be represented, but once the seats are taken, and cliques established, the rest seem to gravitate towards another section.

Located at the far opposite end of the gym from where the speaker’s podium is situated, these bleachers seat many of the students who showed up late, nervous parents wielding cameras, and more often than not, a large amount of non-white students.

It’s been this way for every assembly I can remember, and that set of bleachers has always left me with an uncomfortable feeling, not only about what is going on, but about my school as a whole.

Why are students of different races still not welcoming to each others company in an era where we begin learning about Martin Luther King in 3rd grade? Why is it that at a school that’s statistically one of the best in the state, are we still not sophisticated enough to feel comfortable around those who are different, whether because of their race or because of anything else?

When it comes down to it, Shawnee Mission East just isn’t a very diverse school. 91.1 percent of the students are Caucasian, and it’s understandable that everyone else could feel singled out.

This separation is not only a bad thing for our school, but it has a negaan opinion of

>>lancervoice SOPHOMORE ANNAMARKEN

Q: Do you think East is diverse?

Why? A: No, because if you look around everyone’s kind of the same race.

Q: Do you think this is a problem?

A: Yes. Q: What could students do to fix the problem?

A: There’s segregation in the lunch room so we could mix the groups up.

>>Dan Stewart

tive effect on us as students. We’re still young, and we’re already making the decision to not associate with others because of inconsequential differences. It’s not always conscious either. I know that once I grow accustomed to hanging around the same people all the time, branching out isn’t always easy; especially to someone I know very little about.

In our cafeteria this is prevalent day after day. Anyone who steps in can see the division. Almost every table seats students of the same race, and are rarely mixed.

That shouldn’t hold us back though, because if anything’s clear, it’s that this is a very capable school.

Whether it’s our “Coalition” constantly working to help those who suffer, or SHARE with its countless charitable projects, East students obviously care about others, and this is why this unsettling trend can be stopped.

Seating at assemblies and lunch tables is only a start. Literally everyone needs to step up here, and try to change the way the way we operate.

Personally, I’ll admit that I haven’t made much of an attempt to be more socially proactive and end this problem, but if I make the change, why can’t everyone else too?

This is a tough issue, and not even the administration has chosen to deal with it yet.

In this modern time, it’s almost primitive to see the same racial distinctions and to separate ourselves so that whites still only sit with whites.

Non-whites only sitting with nonwhites What if rather than shouting at me to throw away my trash, the overseers at lunch asked me to eat with a stranger, make a new friend, or step out of my comfort zone for once. Out of all the good things we’re encouraged to do at East, why isn’t multi-cultural mingling one of them?

Sitting in our desks in class, or cheering to our heart’s content at a pep assembly, we all need to make a change, no matter who we like to sit with. Then maybe we really could “stand beside our colors bright.” Not just one, but all of them.

FRESHMAN PETERHUNG

SOPHOMOREMIGUELRUIZ

Q: Do you notice separation of races? How and when?

A: Not really, there might be some jokes [made] about people’s races.

Q: Do you think East is diverse?

A: Yes because there’s different people [who have] different interests.

Q: Do you think there is enough being done with the issue of diversity?

A: Yes, it’s not really a problem.

Q: Do you think East has a problem with diversity?

A: No everybody sticks together.

There’s not a certain white, mexican or Chinese group.

Q: Do you think there is enough being done with the issue of diversity?

A: Yes, there’s nothing to be solved because everybody’s friendly and it’s not that hard to make friends even if you’re a different race.

men’s chorus performs at local schools, bringing

issue 7 photoessay page 13

sunshine

on a cloudy day >>all photos by Mackenzie Wylie

FAR ABOVE: The East men’s choir stands idle on Nov. 24. The choir went to eight elementary schools and Mission Valley middle school on the tour.

ABOVE: Senior Beck Johnson wolves down another taco at Chipotle. “Last year, I had 12 tacos,” Johnson said. “This year, I decided I had to beat [that number], so I had 13.”

RIGHT: Senior Max McFarland harmonizes on a final leg of the tour.

FAR ABOVE: Choir president and senior Jake Parelman speaks to a group of students. “It’s pretty amazing,” Parelman said of being named president. “I was kind of surprised I got it and I’m really trying to get everyone involved. It’s a cool feeling.”

ABOVE: From left, seniors Cody Rutledge, Stewart Jensen, Matt Creidenberg, Will Carey and Brian Aitken sing onstage behind choir director Ken Foley.

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issue 7 features page 15

After playing the saxophone for seven years, senior is accepted into the Grammy Band and continues to become more

MUSIC

a part of his

>>AlysabethAlbano

For weeks senior Matt Chalk waited by his phone. Every time it rang his stomach churned. He glanced at the caller ID hoping to see an unfamiliar number. When it was just one of his buddies from ensemble his stomach settled but his nerves never went away. Eventually he knew that call would come and the caller would tell him if he would be playing in the band at the Grammy Awards.

As a child Matt would wander into the basement. He would rifle through the boxes stacked together. Hidden between the boxes was a black instrument case. It belonged to his family and had always been there. One day he opened the case and found a saxophone. He pulled it out, put it together, and played it. The sounds he found were ‘squeaks’ and sounded terrible he remembers.

He had always wanted to play the drums but his family couldn’t afford a drum set. Instead Matt would play around with the ‘horn’ he found in his basement, never knowing how far that instrument would take him. He fell in love with the sound and expressiveness of the saxophone. He began lessons but never stuck to them. It wasn’t until fifth grade, when Matt was ten years old, that he decided to take a step in his saxophone playing career and join elementary band at Clear Creek Elementary in DeSoto, Kansas. That is when his passion began.

“I just remember it was the only fun thing to do,” Chalk said. “I could express myself but still interact with other people.”

For the past seven years Chalk has been perfecting his saxophone skills which he shows off every day in symphonic and jazz band at school. His instrument is his art, and it’s still the main way he expresses himself.

“I love the expressiveness of it,” Chalk said. “There really is no other art form that allows you to be as expressive as jazz does. It’s creativity, right there on the spot.”

Fellow senior jazz and concert band member Cameron Robles admires Chalk’s musical talent and ability to create his own musical style.

“He practices all the time and also spends a lot of time listening to jazz,” Robles said. “By listening so much, he incorporate other’s styles into his own music.”

But his love extends outside of school too. He plays in multiple musical groups with his friends and members of his community. He has gigs with ensembles all over the metro. On Tuesdays he plays with New Jazz Orders in Midtown. He has a monthly performance with New Vintage Big Band, and has small groups that he and his friends put together.

“It could be 11 o’clock at night and we all just decide to meet at someone’s house at midnight,” Chalk said. “Then we play into the wee hours of the morning.”

Matt is content with the success he’s achieved so far.

He’s performed solos at school concerts, was recognized

Mission “. . . to cultivate the understanding, appreciation and advancement of the contribution of recorded music to American culture — from the artistic and technical legends of the past to the still unimagined musical breakthroughs of future generations of music professionals.”

Upcoming Programs GRAMMY camp

In this nine-day summer camp students learn about their area of interest from instructors as well as musicians and industry professionals.

SoundChecks

This program sets up Q&A sessions for students to talk to musicians and industry professionals about musical concepts.

Careers in Music

This national program arranges Career Days on university campuses for high school students to learn about caeers in the music industry. >>www.grammy.com

ie Wy lie

A look at the foundation the Grammy Band is a part of

appeared on his face.

He had made it. After years of hard work Matt had reached his dream. Everything he worked for had paid off. He will be playing baritone saxophone for the Grammy Band. When he flies out to LA to perform his art he knows he will be with others who enjoy music as much as him. He was finally the ‘all-American athlete’ he hoped to become.

“I can’t really describe how neat it is to communicate through music to people and how you can express yourself,” Chalk said. “It is a very unique art form.”

>> Mackenz

the

GRAMMY foundation

as an outstanding soloist at every festival he’s played in, was an inspiration both to the other saxes in his sectional and the entire band, and even got the chance to teach for Mr. Harrison, the band teacher at East.

Harrison sees Chalk’s hard work and dedication as a major asset to the Blue Knights jazz band, which he’s played with for three years.

“He works very hard, practicing for probably 3-5 hours a day,” Harrison said. “His love for the sax is unsurpassed by any other high school student.”

One day though in beginning junior year, he decided it was time to take his musical career to the next level. It was that day he began researching the Grammy Band, a program run by the Grammy in the Schools. Auditions for the Grammy Band were open to all high school students across North America. They only accepted five saxophones. Once students are accepted to the program, they are flown out to Los Angeles to play during the Grammy’s and all the festivities that surround it. It was an honor to be accepted into that program, one that Matt hoped he would obtain.

“It is more or less the high school ‘all star’ band,” Chalk said. “[Being in it] is the musician’s equivalent of [being] an all-American athlete.”

The first time he auditioned he made finalist, but lost out to other players across the continent. He wasn’t going to let that get him down; he was determined to audition again next year. He knew he could make it, he knew he could be great.

Audition tapes were due October 22. Matt needed to get a group of friends together to record his video audition into the Grammy’s. They were more than willing to help.

“I was just told them I needed there help getting this together and they were there for me,” Chalk said.

Hoping to impress those viewing his tape, he played his renditions of “Billy’s Bounce”, “I’ve Never Been in Love Before”, and” Stable Mates”. He wowed his friends standing by. Matt hoped the judges would be as impressed.

He had to wait weeks to hear back from the Grammy Orchestra. Although, he admits that there response was speedy, it still seemed like an eternity. He tired not to let it bother him. For those weeks, he continued to play his music, letting that calm his nerves. He put on a brave face but others could see that the wait was getting to him.

Then one day it happened. Matt received the phone call he had waited weeks for. On November 14 Matt’s phone rang while he was in his car, it was an unfamiliar number.

“As soon as I saw that number I knew it had something to do with the band,” Chalk said.

His heart raced as he answered it and a smile quickly

0

Olathe East will be forced to regroup after four starters graduated from its team that made it all the way to the state quarterfinals last year, before losing to the Lancers 54-51. The two hardest players to replace will be guard Joey Mundweiler, a three point specialist, and big man Bruce Reed, a 6’6” force in the paint. The Hawks’ lone returning starter is junior guard Tyler Kalinoski, yet another hotshooter in the Olathe East arsenal. If the Lancers hope to compete in this game, senior guards Sam Kovzan and Ryan Olander will need to step up their games on the perimeter and play the lock-down defense that Hair’s teams have become know for. The

O E DECEMBER 18: vs. OLATHE EAST

This year’s two matchups with the Raiders mark the final time Hair’s boys will have to defend senior guard Will Spradling, a three-year starter who has signed to play at Kansas State next year. South also boasts returning starters on the wing - junior guard Jake Reid - and in the paint with sophomore forward Dylan Christie, the cousin of East’s all-time leading scorer J.D. Christie. However, the Raiders have certainly lost key contributors to graduation and transfer. Gone are former starters Christian Duke and R.J. Newton, both in the class of 2009, and senior Anthony West has transferred to East and figures to be a key contributor for the home team. East took both showdowns with South last season, with wins of 13 and 17 points. The Raiders are under the direction of their former JV coach, Brett McFall, after the resignation of former head coach Pat Cormack at the end of last season.

S M S DECEMBER 4: vs. SM SOUTH

(Trains run late, large crowds expected)

MIND THE GAPS Four stops you’ll want to get off on

>>SamLogan & KevinSimpson

DATE Fri., 12/4/09 Fri., 12/11/09 Tue., 12/15/09 Fri., 12/18/09 Sat., 12/19/09 Tue., 1/5/10 Fri., 1/8/10 Tue., 1/12/10 Fri., 1/15/10 Thu., 1/21/10 Fri., 1/22/10 Sat., 1/23/10 Fri., 1/29/10 Fri., 2/5/10 Tue., 2/9/10

OPPONENT vs. SM South vs. SM West vs. SM North vs. O-East vs. Grandview vs. SM Northwest vs. Leavenworth vs. O-Northwest vs. SM West @ Salina Inv. @ Salina Inv. @ Salina Inv. vs. Rockhurst vs. Lawrence FS vs. Lawrence

LOCATION Home SM West SM North Home Avila Home Leavenworth O-Northwest Home Salina Salina Salina Home Home Lawrence

FARE CARDS

Where to get your tickets punched (Ride for free at home station) TIME 7:00pm 7:00pm 7:00pm 7:00pm 1:00pm 7:00pm 7:15pm 7:00pm 7:00pm TBA TBA TBA 7:00pm 7:00pm 7:00pm

Last year the basketball team’s train ended one station short of the state championship. They lost seven seniors but kept just as many on board for a season that could end up running down a similar track as last years. First stop: SM South. Last stop: Emporia.

2 0 1

Shawnee Mission East Gymnasium (75 Street & Mission Station)

BOYS’ BASKETBALL PREVIEW

KOVZAN

15

14

WENTZ

SCHNEIDER

13

OLANDER

11

KENNEDY

10

C

HAIR

Fri., 2/12/10 Tue., 2/16/10 Fri., 2/19/10 Tue., 2/23/10 Fri., 2/26/10

vs. SM Northwest vs. O-South vs. SM North vs. O-North vs. SM South

SM Northwest Home Home O-North SM South 7:00pm 7:00pm 7:00pm 7:00pm 7:00pm

SENIOR GUARD

Olander joins Kennedy as the only returning players with any substantial varsity experience. Olander will serve as the team’s steady hand at guard, and he’s certainly one of the more spirited players on the team, always looking to fire up the crowd after big plays. Olander will be looked to for leadership.

SENIOR GUARD

Kennedy’s role changes dramatically from last season to this one. Last year, he was relied upon as a spark plug to come off the bench in relief of the starters. Kennedy has a knack for making big defensive plays at the right time, particularly by taking charges.

The team will put the ball in his hands at point guard.

Wentz becomes the first freshman on the varsity basketball team since J.D. Christie. The opposition here will outdo the 8th grade competition he’s used to. His game is fundamentally sound, and his physicality matches that of the veterans. This season should mark the start of a successful career at East.

FRESHMAN FORWARD

Harter is a wingman with a sweet stroke and solid ball handling skills. He can back up his offense with solid defense on the other end of the court. He’s one of the team’s hardest workers, and he’s a very animated player out on the hardwood.

Harter’s got great court awareness, and he’s proven himself at the JV level.

SENIOR GUARD

West joins the squad after transferring from South.

He was a key contributor off the bench for the Raiders, and his post moves have become increasingly polished. His rebounding and defensive presence will come in handy for the undersized Lancers, and look for West to slam home a few dunks this season.

SENIOR CENTER

10 SCOTT KENNEDY 11 RYAN OLANDER 14 VANCE WENTZ 20JACKSON HARTER 22 ANTHONY WEST

(Quality of play worthy of tootin’ your horn about)

Hair knows that few think his team can contend for the league title, but he says the goals haven’t changed. The team will rely on its tough defense to win games.

14th SEASON COACH

C SHAWN HAIR

SIX ENGINES THAT CAN These Lancers will conduct the game, the team, and the student section

East coach Shawn Hair appears to have his alma mater’s number of late, considering the way his teams have four of the last five matchups. However, the sting of last year’s 46-43 defeat is fresh in the minds of the Lancers, who will have the opportunity to get their revenge in front of a raucous crowd on the Kansas side of the border. The Hawklets feature a plethora of returning letterwinners, yet only senior guard Dexter McDonald, a football standout set to play at Illinois next year, and junior forward Dan Tapko return to the starting lineup. Rockhurst must replace outgoing guards Mike Ford and Keith Langtry, and it will be up to junior guard Matt Lampo to control the ball against an always tough East defense. If the Lancers can convert turnovers into easy buckets and make the crowd a factor, things could get dicey for the Hawklets. Plan on a border battle that will pack the East gymnasium moreso than any other game this season: going home after school may not be the best idea if you plan on getting a seat.

R O C K JANUARY 29: vs. ROCKHURST

The Cougars of Northwest figure to be a prominent contender for the state title this year, and they appear to be strong at several positions. Senior forward Steve Carver, who recently committed to play at Holy Cross next season, and junior forward Drew Goodger could pose matchup problems inside for the undersized Lancers. The Cougars’ junior swingman A.J. Spencer is one of the more talented players in the area, and his long, wiry frame and sweet touch from all over the court make him a mismatch for any team. However, it remains to be seen how Northwest will adjust to head coach Mike Rose, who was promoted from his assistant position after a heart condition forced former coach Ben Meseke to limit his coaching responsibilities.

The Lancers ended Northwest’s season last year on a buzzer-beating layup in the third place game at the state tournament.

S M N W JANUARY 5: vs. SM NORTHWEST

Hawks figure to be near the top of the Sunflower League standings for the stretch run, so this game will provide a barometer for how the Lancers will fare as the season rolls on.

20

50 BROPHY

CAMERON

45

MORIARTY

32

HERTEL

30

BRUNT

23

WEST

22

HERTEL

21

HARTER

page 18 features 11.30.09

BONjour VOYAGE Teacher plans an English Literature enrichment trip for students Lake District

X

X

Yorkshire

Manchester

>>KathleenIreland

Green fields that seem to stretch for miles, tapering down in areas to expose the vast expanse of blue that is the North Sea. This is what English teacher Jeannette Bonjour pictures when thinking of England, images from “Sense and Sensibility” being the inspiration. Even if Bonjour’s mind wanders to pictures of Big Ben and Buckingham Palace in the coming months, she’s keeping her sights set on the literatureinspired landmarks.

Bonjour took an interest in English literature at the beginning of her junior high school career. Ever since reading “Jane Eyre,” her first classic in seventh grade, she has been hooked. It is from that same interest that her dream of someday taking a trip to England stemmed.

With the help of Education First tours, she will finally be taking the passport-worthy trip over the coming summer for an English Literature-inspired tour of England.

Any student that is interested in taking the trip is able to sign up, regardless of if they have her for a teacher or not.

Sign-ups are not even required to go to the same school.

Since being responsible for a large group of students can create difficulties, she hopes to have the help of her husband Tom Hoyt. She has had experience with student trips in the past, having taken two trips to New York with her Drama students when she taught in Lawrence, but overseas will be a new undertaking.

Senior Katie Clark, who had Bonjour for seminar last year and AP English 12 this year, will be going on the trip and has completed her application. Having Bonjour as a guide was one of the reasons Clark chose to attend.

“I went to London in sixth grade and loved it, but I would like to visit more of England than just London,” Clark said.

For every six people that sign up for the trip with her, she is provided a free trip courtesy of Education First. Five people have already signed up and if she gets seven more,

How toEnroll

X

her husband is first in line for the extra free ticket.

“Twelve [students] would be ideal because I would get to share the experience with my husband and we could still keep track of everyone,” Bonjour said.

Groups larger than 24 get their own tour bus during the trip. If the group is smaller, they Bath must share a bus with another EF student tour group.

But there will be more serious dilemmas to deal with besides being responsible. Airport security and keeping track of travel documents are major concerns as far as travel goes. Supervision will be another challenge since there are no adults other than Bonjour signed up as of now, but she’s hoping for another staff member to sign up to share the experience with and help lighten the load. She stresses that all students are eligible to join the group.

“They must be nice and respectful and not run off,” Bonjour said. “School rules will still be enforced.”

The 10 days of fun-filled exploring begins with an overnight flight to Manchester. On day two, the group will immediately begin their journey by traveling to the Lake District.

Home to the celebrated writers William Wordsworth and Samuel Taylor Coleridge, Lake District is one of Bonjour’s most anticipated stops. Wordsworth was known to compose poems in his head over days of walking through it’s streets before putting the words on paper at home.

“Just to walk where they walked,” Bonjour said. “There’s just no words to describe it.”

Clark is also excited to visit Lake District because of her interest in Wordsworth and the beautiful scenery she is expecting.

After a walking tour of Lake District, the group will get to

Online:

Fax/Mail:

Phone:

1.) Go to www.eftours.com 2.) Click on students/parents in the top right corner 3.) Go to the bottom right corner of that page under ‘Get Started’ 4.) Click ‘Check out your teacher’s tour/enroll on your teacher’s tour’ 5.) Enter the tour number: 750507 6.) Click go

1) Fill out the application with contact information and payment plan 2) Fax completed application to: 617-619-2091 3) If you are paying by check please mail your check with application to: EF Educational Tours EF Center Boston One Education Street Cambridge MA 02141 **Make sure to add your tour number on the bottom left had corner of check** 750507

1.) Call 1-800-665-5364 2.) Or call 1-800-637-8222 ext. 79635

The last day for applications is Feb. 19 2010, and applicants must pay in-full by that time.

>>www.eftours.com

>>Alishk a

Joli tz

X

Stratford Region

Region

X

X

London

Canterbury

X

visit Rydal Mount, Wordsworth’s hist o r i c h o m e and garden. Day four will be dedicated to Yorkshire, taking a walking tour of Haworth and a self-guided tour of the Bronte Parsonage Museum, where Charlotte, Emily, and Anne Bronte lived during the early nineteenth century.

The group will continue their tour of Yorkshire on their fifth day with their full-time EF tour director guiding them through York along with visiting both York Minster and the York Castle Museum.

Day six begins the tour of Stratford. Students will get to visit Shakespeare’s birthplace and his wife Anne Hathaway’s cottage. The next day they will be traveling to the Bath Region and visiting the Roman baths. For Bonjour, the Bath Region is one of the best examples of Roman influence on English Literature.

The eighth and ninth day of travel is focused on London.

Their first day covers the many landmarks to be seen in London. Big Ben, the Houses of Parliament, St.. Paul’s Cathedral, and the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace are just a few of the major sites the students will get to experience. That night they will also get a personal guided tour of the Globe Theatre before attending an evening theater performance.

Their last day in London will be a free day for the students to enjoy an activity of their choosing with an optional Canterbury and Dover trip available.

Bonjour will be strictly monitoring the students’ actions to make sure they are being responsible. Drinking, smoking, and inappropriate behavior will not be allowed even given the difference in laws between countries.

“I think we can have fun without being stupid,” Bonjour said. “At least I hope so.”

If anyone is caught doing things they are not supposed to, they will be sent home early.

A parent meeting will be held in room 507 tomorrow eve-

Students and staff are taking the time to appreciate issue 7 features page 19

THE FINER THINGS IN LIFE >>ChristaMcKittrick

They could imagine their classmates, sitting tude of students snacking on gourmet foods, such around a table discussing the finer things of life; as cheese, crackers, desserts, and grape juice, be dressed in a Mexican flag and mustache; Caro- and discussing or listening to an intellectual and line in a military jacket, bow tie, and revolution- captivating discussion. Supervising in the back ary cap; Katie wearing a sweater and an antique would be Precalc Honors teacher Chris Burrows, hat. As students dressed in all black with som- the sponsor of the club. breros, or costumes similar to the leaders, crossed “We wanted someone nice and who everythe threshold of the club to sit at an elegant table one likes to sponsor the club,” Blessen said. “It laden with snacks, all thoughts of Twilight and took us about five seconds to think of Mr. Burboys and drama would disappear to be replaced rows.” with thoughts up to their intellectual level.

During 7th hour, Darling and Miller asked if This is the thought that juniors Caroline Miller, Burrows would like to take part in the club. As Betsy Blessen, and Katie Darling shared as they soon as the girls asked him, Burrows immesat at lunch one autumn day, discussing the Finer diately said no. He reconsidered though after Things League and creating the application for hearing that dessert would be provided. their League. It needed to be a median between “It’s up to them really,” Burrows said. fun and goofy, but also intellectual and function- “I’m just happy to supervise and give them al. After much concentration and work, the three somewhere to meet.” came up with important Miller, Blessen, and questions that it was necesDarling hope to have We wanted someone sary for candidates of the the club up and runnice and who everyone ning soon. They League to fill out: likes to sponsor the club, it would like to have a “Twilight or Harry Pottook us about five seconds meeting within one ter? Paper or Plastic? Coke to think of Mr. Burrows. or Pepsi? Chocolate or Vaor two weeks after >>Junior Betsy Blessen nilla? If you answered “I’m Thanksgiving break. better than these questions” At the first meeting, or “Neither” to all of the above questions, then people will just fill out the application so you’re the perfect candidate for a membership of that they can get to know everyone and a the league.” book will be assigned.

Welcome to Shawnee Mission East’s Finer The books they are looking into reading Things League. are anything by Sigmund Freud, Socrates, If you complete the application and are Aristotle, or even the Dictionary. deemed suitable for the league (everyone is), then “We considered starting with Webster’s you will be lucky enough to take part in a scene Dictionary,” Blessen said. “But then we that Miller, Blessen and Darling drew from NBC’s thought this might be above the level of show “The Office.” This comedy is about a color- some kids at our school.” ful group of colleagues--Pam, Oscar, Toby--in an Although the Webster’s Dictionary might office and their antics. Several of the characters be too advanced for most readers, the League (Pam, Oscar, and Toby) dress up and take part in leaders hope to help students explore some fine dining and intellectual discussion at an exclu- books that they wouldn’t normally read besive club, which they call the Finer Things Club. cause of their difficulty level while having East’s League will be similar to the Office’s fun in a high-class atmosphere. in that they will dress up and eat delicious food.

Whether you are interested in the converHowever, although the founders joke around sation, or simply want to dress up and dine, about the exclusivity of the league and the level the Finer Things League is the club for evof intellect that’s necessary, anyone is welcome in eryone. the league.

Blessen, Miller, and Darling picture a muliti-

“

”

Curriculum of the Club They hope to read and discuss these books in the Finer Things Club:

>>The Great Expectations

by Charles Dickens War and Peace >>by Leo Tolstoy Art of War >>The

by Sun Tzu >>The works of Sigmund Freud >>all photos by Mackenzie Wylie

page 20 features11.30.09

DEBATE STATE aims for

With experienced debaters leading the team, debate hopes for a state qualification

>>ShannonMcGinley

After a successful year, the 2008-09 East debate team successfully honored a prestigious reputation. For several years the debate team has been dominating tournaments and rankings, all with a wide variety of participating grade levels from strong freshman to experienced seniors.

Last year the debate team was ranked 23 out of 3000 participating schools nationwide by the National Forensics League, which also means that East was one of the nation’s top 100 schools in speech and debate activities. With these accomplishments published in the Rostrum, the national magazine of high school speech, in September, last years debate team continued to uphold the East name. Teacher and debate, forensics and mock trial coach, Trey Witt, knows that the team’s commitment and extra efforts has led to success.

“This recognition is important because it signifies how our entire NFL program welcomes a large number of students with a variety of talents.” Mr. Witt said. “The team worked very hard last year and I see that it paid off based on the improvements I have seen in the advanced debaters this year.”

With a big squad it’s easier to produce more evidence and have practice debates.

This years debate team has been making efforts to be even more successful than last year, by coming in after school and putting in extra time. So far, it has been paying off as East won the Leading Chapter Award which schools are only eligible to receive every five years, and the last time it was received was in 2004. Since then, East has continued to be ranked first in the East Kansas district out of 10-15 participating schools.

Senior Tara Raghuveer, the debate and

Debate Tournament

Must-Haves

1. Tubs of evidence (to carry tubs 2. Dolly of evidence)

3. Timers Pens with flow 4. G2 paper 5. Energy drinks

forensics president, has been a key factor to East’s success this year. This includes her and her partner Emily Halter placing first in the varsity division of the Hutchinson High tournament and qualifying for the Debate Coach’s Invitational.

“I think this year we’re stronger than we were last year because we have a lot of really good leadership and our seniors have been doing really well at tournaments this year,” Raghuveer said. “In year’s past we have had a really really successful squad but I think specifically this year it’s been really strong so far.”

This season East also has the highest running count of DCI (Debate Coaches Invitational) bids then any other team in Kansas.

One of those students is sophomore Chris Carey who placed fourth, with his partner Michael Hill, at the Hutchinson High tournament and earned a DCI bid.

“It’s pretty cool, I think it shows how hard we worked as a team and that we are good at it,” Carey said.

This year the debate team has a strong line of experienced and hardworking seniors who are willing to put in the time and efforts necessary to win state, and hopefully advance to nationals.

“I hope that we have at least two teams in elimination rounds at state, and I really think we have a shot at winning the state championship this year,” Raghuveer said.

Working towards the goal, the 09-10 season has been a success as East won the sweepstakes, the team with the most accumulative wins, at Olathe South with two debaters placing first in the open division with a spotless 8-0 record. Also winning the sweepstakes at Blue Valley North, Witchita East, Shawnee Mission North, and tying for sweepstakes at the Washburn Rural Debate Tournament.

“We stay after school and work really hard preparing for tournaments,” Carey said. “I think it’s the way we argue things like we make smart arguments.”

East placed second in the sweepstakes at Lansing, Blue Valley West and Shawnee Mission Northwest. Two debaters took fourth out of a hundred teams in the Johnson County Community College national circuit tournament. Two debaters placed first in the varsity division at the Hutchinson High Tournament.

“The squad has won a number of sweepstakes awards, and we

bate. You need to be able to think on your have had many individual teams who have feet and think critically,” Raghuveer said. won tournaments this year as well,” Mr. Witt said.

In class the seniors have been leading the younger kids in “lab” groups, and give out assignments every few weeks for evidence that needs to be produced. As a tournament comes near, seniors and teams organize updates for the weekend Resolution: and assign people to them, they also have Topic of the year (this year’s resolution is practice rounds with the younger kids helping people in poverty) occasionally to give them a little bit of a challenge. The seniors also try to include Stock Issues: the novices, first year debaters, in debate Five things the affirmative team must activities so that they continue debating in include in their debate years to come.

“I like that the class is pretty unstruc- Topicality: tured, lately we’ve had a lot of instructionEnsures the team follows the resolution al activities presented by the older debat(one of the five stock issues) ers for the benefit of the second and third years,” Raghuveer said. “I think that has Advantages: been a great improvement this year.”

Good effects of the affirmative plan Aiming to take state the team has been constantly coming in after school to practice and research. Since last year’s Disadvantages: debate team was ranked in the top 10 of 1 Bad effects of the affirmative plan percent of all NFL chapters and qualified for the Elite Pentagon Society, this year’s Impact: team is ready to go farther then before to The reason to vote for a team reach their goals.

“Confidence is really important in de-

Debate Terminology

ABOVE LEFT: Senior Tara Raghuveer files papers in the evidence tub.

ABOVE: Junior Maddie Bavley and sophomore Audrey DiCarlo take a break from the intense debating.

LEFT: Sophomore Chris Carey works on finding more evidence.

>>AlissaPollack

protesting

issue 7 features page 21

for PEACE

this year’s Coalition Club increases effort to help underprivileged with more members and events >>EvanNichols

It’s 3:00 p.m. on a Thursday. School has been out for 20 minutes, but room 314 is still packed with students, freshmen to seniors. It’s even more than a regular class size, with close to 40 kids squeezed into World Geography teacher David Muhammad’s room, sitting at the desks, squeezed around the front table, sprawled across the tile floor. The room’s buzzing with noise. Scissors cutting and colored pencils scraping against paper grocery bags, students talking.

They’re making publicity posters to hang on lockers next week for the dance marathon next week. Bags catch phrases and glitter litter the floor, all for the benefit of impoverished African children.

This week’s meeting is centered around poster making and getting ready for the 8-hour long dance-a-palooza.

Scheduled for Dec. 5, not only does this event give students a chance to twist and shout until 10 p.m., but it’s also a fund raiser for Partners in Health, a non-profit organization dedicated to providing 3rdworld countries with health care and finding cures to AIDS and tuberculosis.

Everyone attending the marathon can get someone to pledge on their behalf -donating a certain amount of money for every hour danced. And as a special treat to keep those feet movin’ and groovin’, the varsity drill team will be performing during the event. It’s fun for a good cause, explained Coalition president, senior Sarah Are. “We are literally going to try and not stop moving,” Are said. There are hundreds and thousands of people in the world

who are paralyzed and crippled and who are drying every day. We’re going to dance our butts off for those people.”

But Coalition goes beyond dancing alone. The club provides information on current world events and different causes and organizations connected with them.

“We don’t experience children soldiers, and it’s not often you here about someone who was sold into sex slavery,” Are said.

“It’s easy to not know what’s going on when it’s not right in front of you.”

The Coalition came from humble beginnings, however. ‘09 graduate Jessie Light had gotten the idea to found the club from Shawnee Mission Northwest’s Coalition, who had started their club during the 2007 school year. Light called Are during the summer of her junior year and asked if she would be interested in starting a Coalition. Are was more than happy to help start the club.

“The two of us started meeting that summer,” Are said. “We started talking to administration. And seeing what we could do to make it happen.”

In its first year, the club raised $7,000, which was donated to Invisible Children and Love 146, organizations that bring attention to children affected by violence.

That was with a group of less than 30 active members.

This year, the club has already raised close to $1000 from their September bake sale. But it’s not stopping there.

Other events on tap for this year include possible park lunches for seniors and selling Coalition Club water bottles to

support the organization Charity Water. A benefit concert is planned for February, with the proceeds going to Love146. And after winter break, the Club is planning an event to benefit Heifer International. Are tries to donate to different types of organizations involved in one specific problem.

“A lot of the world’s issues can be linked into categories,” Are said. “There’s war and violence issues, and there’s human and justice issues, and poverty issues, and food and health issues.”

Are recognizes that it’s tough trying to make the world a better place. But she also knows that everything, no matter how small, helps. That’s why she’s continuing to protest, educate and even dance a little too.

Because every step, every move and every twist helps change the world for the better.

Creati ng a

Coalit io

>> photos by Katie East, Mackenzie Wiley, Michael Stolle and Anna Petrow

allies of the coalition

a look at three of the non-profits coalition works with

Love146

Started in 2002 by Rob Morris and four other partners, this organization is dedicated to ending child sex slavery and exploitation and to help those affected by it. Morris and his group had the idea to start Love146 after visiting a brothel of young girls in southeast Asia. www.love146.org

n colla

ge

SaveDarfur

Evident by the organization’s name, this group is dedicated to raising awareness about the genocide and violence occurring in Darfur, Sudan. Their Web site provides extensive information about Darfur’s situation, and opportunities to get involved or to donate to the cause. www.savedarfur.org

InvisibleChildren

Thursday poster making

Invisible Children’s walk

SNAPSHOTS pictures from past Coalition events

This massive organization uses the power of media to raise awareness of Africa’s longest running conflict- the Ugandan Civil war. Their most wellknown film, “Invisible Children-Rough Cut,” documents the lives of East African children engulfed in the violence of the war. www.invisiblechildren.com

2,200

RECYCLE YOUR HARBINGER members

of the Prairie Village community

WILL READ THIS AD.

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GriffinBur

The concept of "good taste" in music is pretty much on its way out. Good riddance.

Among those making terminally uncool and shamelessly good music is Texan Alan Palomo, AKA Neon Indian. Palomo flies in the face of the standard rock logic that commands "Play loud, break rules and be 'real' (whatever that means.)"

Neon Indian doesn’t even approach loud; the vocals on Psychic Chasms rarely rise above a whisper. As for rule breaking, one of Palomo’s best songs, "Should Have Take Acid with You,” is about not dropping LSD. Though he occasionally uses distorted guitar, that’s about as close to "rocking out" as he gets. But that's for the better -- Psychic Chasms gets way more mileage out of electronic beeps and squiggles than with traditional rock instruments.

As for the realness, Neon Indian’s influences are mostly 80s synthpop and 90s dance -- music that's basically as fake as it gets. Palomo's music isn’t even real enough to be a nostalgia trip; the guy looks like he was about 10 when Thriller came out.

But rock purists would be hardpressed to deny Palomo’s songwriting talent. Even a cursory listen reveals "Terminally Chill" and "Deadbeat Summer" as standout songs that are simply well written. They drip with both the excitement and boredom of teenage years. Dance music has a rep for being

issue 7 a&e page 23 all about the effects and not the songs but Palomo could easily arrange most of this album as baroque pop.

One of the best things about the record is that it makes traditionally remote music sound intimate and human. Synthesized instruments, especially drum machines, tend to come off as soulless.

The original 80s synthpop was made with state-of-the-art (and thus bourgeois) equipment. But Palomo sounds like he’s using a crappy Casiotone he got for his 12th birthday. Besides fitting his style, it makes him more believable. Less cool, maybe, but more human.

"Should Have Taken Acid With You" even begins with some keyboard screwups before resolving into high-pitched synths.

Palomo doubles his vocal lines with a synthesized brass instrument that’s so low quality, it’s impossible to tell which particular instrument it’s imitating. But in a song about how uncool the singer was as a teen, the cheesy effects work and even improve the song.

The production has a similar flawed charm. Other critics compare Neon Indian to the likes of the Cure or New Order and they’re not completely off the mark. But with Palomo's musty home recording, his music takes on a different feel than that of his influences. New Order is what’s playing in the living room at a hipster party -- Neon

bandsnever heard TWO

YOU’VE

>>TaylorHaviland

Ted Leo and the Pharmacists is one of the most unique bands to ever flop onto the indie rock scene. Every song skids nicely along the edge of multiple electric genres giving lead singer Ted Leo a unique sound that hooked me into the CD from the get go. Using high tempo beats and Ted Leo’s miraculous ability to flow from mellow monotones to high pitched solos in songs like "Counting Down The Hours." After not releasing a CD in two years the band’s talent still shines over the indie music scene with fans awaiting future releases.

In 2003 the release of "Hearts of Oak" was clumsily thrown onto the dusty racks of local record shops as the unknown band wasting space. Despite Ted Leo’s previous success on the New York punk scene, with the bands Citizens Arrest, Animal Crackers and Chisel, his newest band never really received their 15 minutes of fame until this release throughout the indie community and national recognition from broadcasts like MTV. The bands attempts to string political messages throughout the tracks that never quite motivated me, yet the expeditious beat was very catchy. Ted Leo continues to bend and crack notes on the guitar his vocals synced into the convolution midway through

the tracks. The track "Tell Balgeary, Balgury Is Dead’s" funky technique pulled "Hearts of Oak" out of the slump it created early in the album.

The record starts out very cluttered with tracks like "Building Skyscrapers In the Basement" where rapid titter tatter drumbeats rarely mix in with the high pitch scratching of Ted Leo's guitar. But the record gains momentum throughout the tracks as Ted Leo’s insanely hooky beats wrap their arms around the listener and pull them through a miraculous display of cohesiveness the band had not reached before.

When "Shake the Sheets" hit the shelves it was obvious that this album was Ted Leo and the Pharmacists coming out party. “Me and Mia” instantly takes a hold of your auditory consciousness and almost forces you to hit the repeat button on your player. Slightly straying from Bob Dylan’s political path, the Pharmacists still obliterate the hook with a positive message urging you to fight for your beliefs.

After purchasing this record I almost never made it past “Me and Mia’s” stretchy bridge and the unshakeable vocals as he segues through multiple sounds in every song. But as I trolled through the track list I feel in love with the unending segue between

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OF THAT YOU SHOULD CHECK OUT

speed and leisurely tempos.

Trying to out do their previous success, Ted Leo and the Pharmacists implemented new sounds and techniques into this record that have not been attempted yet through a combination of punk rock sounds and hypnotic reggae tones. Sometimes their sound feels similar to Dashboard Confessional’s melodramatic, and in moments instrumentals reminding me of Coheed and Cambria.

Yet these sounds never quite trigger my negative stereotypes against either of those bands because of Leo’s unique flow. When a song reaches it’s lowest point, its rhythm

TED LEO AND THE PHARMACISTS

Indian is what you hear from upstairs while you mingle uncomfortably in the basement.

"Local Joke" in particular sounds like a lost Flock of Seagulls demo. The mix of Beach Boys-esque vocals and fuzzily compressed synth sounds surprisingly organic over disco bass. On paper it looks like a mess, but Neon Indian harnesses those elements into an easily digestible piece of pop.

If Palomo rerecorded it in a studio, hopped in a Delorean and went back in time to '85, he could have a club hit on his hands. But as a lo-fi pop song in 2009, it sounds charmingly personal.

Where "Chasms" falters is in its sameness. It’s not that Palomo isn’t creative, but he’s placed himself in a pretty limited genre.

There’s only so much you can do with one style, especially with synthpop. Palomo does break up the songs with a few interludes but they just feel like underwritten takes off his fuller songs. Still, the quality of the writing makes up for the relative lack of variety between the songs.

Where Palomo can go from here is a mystery but for now, he's made a well above average album. The future? Eh. At the moment, he's probably dancing to Soft Cell in his bedroom. Who cares how uncool he looks?

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switches to an upbeat pace that hooks you back in. “Counting Down the Hours” is a great example. While floating in with a passive acoustic sound similar to Johnny Cash the song instantly flips to a reggae flush and slips gracefully back and forth between the two again and again.

The bands power trio sound is unavoidable as I shuffle through the tracks and Ted Leo’s poetic lyrics bring the new age Dylan feel they have been searching for giving them a unique sound that many artists can only dream of.

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bloomingtonscene.com

>>pitchfork.com

NEON INDIAN>>

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a ‘new’ phase

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‘Twilight’ sequel meets ex pectations, but staffer’s interest fades

>>FanPop

A

>>AubreyLeiter

t this time last year, I was pretty certain that I’d marry a vampire.

I was so obsessed with “Twilight” it was beyond creepy. I had a countdown to the midnight premiere, and I even made a shirt that described how good-looking Edward Cullen was. This time last year, I gave “Twilight” three and a half stars and considered it to be “one of the best movies ever.”

Over the year, I gradually lost the major infatuation I had for the “Twilight Series.” I stopped reading the books and there was no more vampire drama for my life to revolve around.

It’s amazing to me how much of an impact it made when I went to see the second movie, “New Moon.” Not being so obsessed has given me the opportunity to actually review this movie fairly, and not as the overly-creepy fan that would no matter what enjoy this movie because Edward Cullen would be shirtless.

“New Moon” is the second installment in Stephenie Meyer’s hugely popular book series “Twilight”. This movie delves deeper into the romance of teenager Bella Swan (Kristin Stewart) and immortal vampire Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson). But when Cullen believes that being with Swan puts her in danger, he abandons her by leaving town, and an extremely depressed Swan, for good.

Throughout the rest of the movie, Swan has to deal with the fact that the love of her life isn’t with her anymore. She copes with this by developing a strong friendship with family friend, and werewolf, Jacob Black. She also deals with her depression by putting herself in dangerous situations like cliff-jumping so that she will see hallucinations of Edward telling her not to.

I went to the midnight premiere, and found myself annoyed with the girls who were squealing when the lights dimmed down for the movie to begin, and at the first sight of Edward, which was actually in the preview for a different movie. Then I realized that I was one of those girls last year and was ashamed of myself. I was asleep within the first twenty minutes, which shows how excited I was! I had to see it again the next day of course, and was not disappointed when I walked out of the theatre.

New Moon wasn’t a bad movie. In fact, it was monumentally better than “Twilight”. I gave the first movie three and a half stars because of the “Twilight” curse I was under, but now there is no way I’d even give it close to that. “Twilight” was filled awkward special effects, unnecessary dialogue that should’ve stayed in the book and inexperienced actors.

The special effects in “New Moon” were tremendously better than they were in the first movie. For example, in the first movie when Edward and Bella flew through the forest it was very obvious that there was use of a green screen. It was supposed to look like he was flying through the forest when really it looked like he was running up invisible steps. When Jacob Black and friends would turn into werewolves, the transformation looked very real, which was a scene I was initially worried would fail. Also, the cliff-jumping scenes were very realistic, and I was very impressed with how they pulled it off.

Another part of this movie that I was in awe with was Jacob Black (Taylor Lautner). He was told by director Chris Weitz that he really needed to bulk up if he wanted to continue being the part of Black, and he definitely did.

The fact that Black’s shirt was off about 80 percent of the time, definitely made the two hour film not seem that long.

There were two main things that bothered me about this film. The first being the hype about Dakota Fanning, which was extremely exaggerated.

She was on posters promoting the movie, but was only in the movie for ten minutes and had about three lines, causing her to definitely be one of the most minor characters. Also, some of the dialogue was horrendously corny.

When Edward tells Bella that she “gives him everything just by breathing,” I couldn’t help but to roll my eyes. But the row of fourteen year-olds in front of me were almost to tears. I guess the Twi-hards have a different perspective of sappy dialogue than I do. But then again, I probably would’ve been crying too a year ago.

Also, the chemistry between Jacob and Bella is incredible compared to Bella’s chemistry with Edward. Fans are forced to choose “Team Edward” or “Team Jacob” and I’m pretty sure after this movie some diehard Edward fans have switched to the werewolves.

It was never a question if the fans would like this movie, it seems like it comes with the territory of being a Twilight fanatic. But I honestly do think that a good percentage of people who aren’t fans but saw it anyway did like it, even if they won’t admit it. For me, I actually am excited for the third movie “Eclipse,” which is due out next year.

‘Twilight’ers voice their opinion on new aspects of the movie T I “The special effects in New Moon were so much be tter than Twilight. Obvious ly there were werewolves in the second movie so the transformation to wo lf form had to be added.

Also the “recreational” cliff jumping scene looked real.”

-JUNIOR EMILY FUSON

“I like the ending in the movie better than the book becaus e they end with a cliffhanger, where Ed ward proposes to Bella in the forest.

She stands staring at him, wide-e yed, and then the movie ends. In the book, it ends where Edward talks ab out marriage with Bella, but he does n’t propose and it is not very excit ing.”

-JUNIOR HANNAH WALT

ER

“When they were at the Volturi, Aro ordered Felix to kill Be lla. Edward fought back and had trouble. That not only didn’t happen in the book, but it would not have happ ened because Edward could have rea d Felix’s mind and beaten him. He is supposed to be able to read everyone’s mind in the world, except for Bella ’s.”

-SENIOR TESS DUNCAN

|Worth seeing|

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>>MovieWeb.com

page 24 a&e 11.30.09

|Instant Classic

Variety finding

issue 7 a&e page 25

faces mayer the many of

tinuum” by John Mayer. I gaze out the window for what seems like a few minutes. When the music stops, I pull my iPod out of my pocket to see what the next song on the playlist will be. To my surprise, I’ve already listened to the IanWiseman whole album.

Mayer’s songs, especially those on “Continuum,” sound extremely similar. However, this may have been the point; to create an album of music that sounds continuous (hence the name, “Continuum”). But even if this is true, I believe an album should have a certain degree of variety. In this respect, I found some relief in his new album, “Battle Studies.” Mayer manages to reach beyond his normal limits of blues, packing many genres of music into his album. However, this was simply the wrong kind of variety. Though I applaud Mayer for experimenting outside his normal realm of blues, I think he simply missed the target.

After listening to a few tracks, I realized that Mayer was going for something completely different in “Battle Studies.” It’s almost a new Mayer, but not quite. It’s still the same guitar-heavy, mellow-sounding John, but simply a different flavor. For example, with the help of Taylor Swift, he introduces a country-swing feeling in “Half of My Heart.” No album before this had ever hinted at country. Another big factor in why each song has its own unique sound is in the introduction. Instead of starting most songs with a drum or guitar and adding other instruments later, Mayer’s intros include a variety of instruments, such as a bass, xylophone, or tuning orchestra. However, the problem with moving outside his normal music domain is that he loses the style unique to his music.

This unique style is apparent in “Continuum,” and it was able to spark an interest for me in John Mayer. I now feel that interest fading. Even though his songs on “Continuum” may have sounded very similar, they were unique as a whole. There’s no mistaking his music on “Continuum” for that of another artist. The slow, easy-going beats, the long periods of rest between lyrics, the voice that gives the impression of a loud whisper. Mayer didn’t follow the stepby-step guidelines laid out by years of song-writers on how a song should sound. But with this new album, his music seems to lose this unique quality. It becomes a mish-mash of songs I swore I had heard before. The variety in “Battle Studies” is nice, but I’ll simply return to listening to “Continuum” if it means sacrificing those unique qualities.

For example, in “Who Says,” which was out as a single

it’s been “A long night in New York City” and “A long night in Baton Rouge.” That song was a long 2:55 in my mind. Frankly, the phrase “a long night in ...” sounds formulaic and unoriginal.

Overall, I found “Who Says” to be very predict“the blissful master” able. Mayer must have said these two words ten Used frequently in smooth or times during the song. The verse, which consists jazzy guitar solos. As one of of Mayer asking the question “Who says I can’t I Mayer’s less intense looks, it provides a sense of welcoming get stoned?” in as many ways as possible, is pretcomfort to his crowds. ty short, so Mayer repeats it several times. This becomes very tiring by the end of the song, especially since Mayer makes no variations on the verse.

It’s the same exact progression with the same exact instruments. I looked for relief in the bridge but was disappointed to hear a tune that simply mimicked the chorus. This song, which reflects the album’s unoriginality, was harder and harder to get through the more times I listened to it.

The third track, “Half of My Heart,” could’ve been a cool mixture of country and blues. But even in the opening lines, the song sounded as if Taylor Swift was featuring John Mayer, not the other way around. Mayer may have sung lead vocals, but the style spelled Swift. This is the first song by Mayer where there is fast strumming on an acoustic guitar, which is characteristic of Swift’s songs. This slight change makes the world of difference. If Swift sung lead vocals, it would fit perfectly in one of her albums. This was very irritating, especially since I’m no Taylor Swift fan. When I listen to John Mayer, I want to hear John Mayer, not a song that yields to the style of other artists.

I am the type to sit and listen to a song for about two minutes before choosing another one. I had hoped I could break this habit by listening to “Battle Studies,” but I had no luck there. Though I’ve said these songs are more distinguishable than those found on earlier albums, they are still repetitive. Once the intro is finished, nothing new is added.

For the most part, there are no new instruments or changes in the guitar line. Maybe now that Mayer has created variety among songs, he can work to create variety within a song.

So, there was variety, but it was the wrong kind of variety. Mayer had the right idea by going for something other than blues. But in “Battle Studies,” Mayer loses the unique style found in his previous albums, one that no other artist has been able to copy.

>>

>>sing365.com

1.

song: slow dancing in a burning room album: continuum why: “The opening is solid. The ending is solid. Just listen to i t.

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song: why georgia album: room for squares why: “Crazy ridiculous guitar riff.”

| Press ‘skip’|

Senior Jake Parelman is...

“the jackhammer” Reserved for moments of hard rocking. Can be deployed during the set if necessary, but usually stays in Mayer’s arsenal until the encore.

Senior Beck Johnson is...

“the confounded connoisseur” An afficionado feigning bewilderment as a trick to the audience. He may look out of the loop, but he knows exactly what is coming next.

|

3. >>wikipedia.com

2.

| >>bigpondmusic.com

picks

top >>reviewer’s favorite songs from john mayer’s albums

Senior Max McFarland is...

www.rollingstone.com and MackenzieWylie

John Mayer’s new release ‘Battle Studies’ switches up his usual sound >>IanWiseman On a car ride home, I decide to listen to the album “Con- before the album’s release, Mayer declares that

students emulate the notorious facial >> East expressions that John sports at live shows

song: daughters album: heavier things why: “It’s peaceful.You can see him sitting alone in a chair playing this.”

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|Auditory Brilliance

page 26 a&e 11.30.09

n o i t a c i t s i h p o S n i ’ n o i ‘An Educat

vsNow

2009

FASHION

1960s

>>Movieweb.com

Then

-Boots -Jeans of any kind -Scarves -Flannel

-Laser -Computer mouse -Hand-held calculator

-Eco-frindly cars -Xbox live -Everything Apple

- Pink Floyd -Psychedelic music -Folk Rock -Pop -The ‘Twist’ was the most popular dance move

MUSIC & DANCE

TECHNOLOGY

-Mini Skirts -Short Shorts -Madras Plaids -Vinyl

SLANG

-Choice = Cool -Dipstick= Idiot -Dude = Geek -Fink = Tattle tale -Kibosh = Stop quickly -Nifty = Cool, but said by someone who wasn’t

-Jay Sean “Down” -Miley Cyrus “Party in the USA” -Lady Gaga -Taylor Swift -Black Eyed Peas -Chill = Cool -Tool = Jerk -Legit = Legitimate -Hella = Very; a lot -n00b= Someone who is inexperienced -Solid = good or well done

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Artful dramedy teaches entertaining lessons in life and love >>AlexLamb til a bit past the halfway point. As Jenny Hepburn. Not only does she look similar, As the mainstream fall failures fade learns more about and grows closer to but Mulligan also gives a performance of out of theaters, so the impressive dramas of Oscar season begin rolling in.

Among the first wave of these is the period dramedy “An Education,” an engrossing coming-of-age tale set in 1961 London, and a lesson in solid feel-good filmmaking.

Jenny (Carey Mulligan), an intelligent 16 year old in an all-female private school, has everything she needs to get into her dream college, Oxford. She plays cello in the school orchestra, is at the top of her class academically and seems to have her future all mapped out. But one rainy afternoon, a ride home from a kind, pleasant stranger changes all of that.

David (Peter Sarsgaard), a wealthy and handsome 30-something, meets her and takes an active interest in Jenny, charming not only the young girl but her protective parents as well (Alfred Molina and Cara Seymour). Suddenly, Jenny’s life undergoes an extravagant change as David starts taking her to classical music concerts, high-class dinner clubs, antique art auctions and day trips to the country, opening her eyes to a whole new, much more exciting lifestyle.

At first, Jenny feels a little out of place with David and friends Danny (Dominic Cooper), his business partner and a sly aristocrat, and Helen (Rosamund Pike), a bodacious but clueless blonde. But she quickly assimilates to their higher, less responsible and constantly fun standard of living, slowly forsaking her rigid Oxford-bound education plan for a life of never-ending adventures instead.

While that may all sound like a wonderful, quirky romantic comedy, the movie only feels that whimsical up un-

|Rental at best|

David, she also becomes aware of his somewhat dubious source of income, and must make new choices regarding the future of her life. With this narrative shift, the tone of “An Education” gradually evolves from light and upbeat to meaningful and realistic. The film develops a deeper meaning and message, making it one of the most heartfelt, wholly enjoyable movies of the year.

What’s really remarkable about “An Education” is its all-around level of great quality. Starting with the script, writer Nick Hornby (“About a Boy,” “High Fidelity”) has crafted an engaging, touching story based on a memoir by Lynn Barber, complete with witty, believable dialogue and likable, relatable characters. Hornby is sure to receive a nomination for best adapted screenplay come awards time.

As for Danish director Lone Scherfig, she’s done a fantastic job on her first English film. Despite the fact that an older man dating a teenage girl half his age should feel weird, creepy and politically incorrect, Scherfig handles their romance carefully and tactfully so that it almost always feels natural, acceptable and meant to be. She also seems to have been inspired by the Audrey Hepburn classic “Roman Holiday,” since many of the scenes where Jenny and David are having fun together, particularly a lovely montage of the two in Paris, feel like “Roman Holiday” reworked in a new setting.

There’s even a subtle twist in the last act which proves quite effective, specifically because Scherfig chooses not to play it up much.

Additionally, the 23 year-old Mulligan may just be this generation’s Audrey

|Worth seeing |

naïve maturity worthy of Hepburn, and I found myself caring about her from the beginning to end. While she won’t win best actress like Audrey did for her breakout role, chances are she’ll still be nominated.

Sarsgaard, too, is a very likable leading actor, and a delightfully entertaining fellow to watch. While his scheming eyes say he’s hiding something, he’s an absolute charmer, and the scenes where he easily wins over Jenny’s parents, particularly her father, are full of clever wit.

And the chemistry between Sarsgaard and Mulligan is outstanding, with their relationship always feeling genuine.

In fact, no one in the cast disappoints.

The whole ensemble is spot-on, with Molina as Jenny’s father leaving the biggest impression among the supporting players. The acute attention to detail and lavish, ever-changing locales always keep the settings fresh and interesting, so the movie never hits a dry spot. Complementing the backdrops are ‘60s cars, outfits and furnishings and through the focused, superb cinematography, you’re transported straight into Jenny’s world.

Those looking for simple, formulaic popcorn entertainment may be turned off by the later section of the film, but anyone else will be swept away for nearly two hours by this thoughtful period piece. “An Education” won’t be the best of this season’s prestige pictures, but it’s still a unique gem that’s more than worth learning about.

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|Instant Classic

mix d mixed e e d x m i mixed mixed mixed m i x mixed d e e x mixed i d m mixed m ix ed

issue 7 mixed page 27

{the page about life}

30

seconds with... sophomore Natalie Pierce

If you could only eat one thing for the rest of your life, what would it be?

I like sushi.

What is your favorite thing to do in your spare time?

Go to Smoothie King.

What’s the last song you listened to?

“On the Radio” by Regina Spektor.

What color would you like to paint the sky?

Rainbow because it’s fun.

What is the first thing you think about when you wake up?

How much more time I have to sleep.

If you could name your baby after an everyday item what would it be? Why? That wouldn’t ever happen.

24 105 174

days until winter break

days until spring break

days until summer

&

heart

SOLE

Students say why they wear shoes to school that are ‘not the norm’.

Nike Dunks

“I like how colorful they are and sporty but cute at the same time. Being able to customize them how you want them and personalize them is cool too.” >> AliSwope

vibram five fingers “I like them because they’re comfortable and I thought they were sweet. I saw one of my friends wearing them and wanted to get them too.” >> PrestonNorman

heelys “I was inspired by Matt Beck and it looked fun so when I saw a few seniors doing it I thought it’d be fun and wanted to too.” >> ReedSlaughter

>>all photos by Max Stitt

What’s in a name?

Teachers with unique names talk about the story behind them.

“

Skip Graham

I was born at the Great Lakes Navel Training Center and my father was an officer training young recruits.

When he came home after a long day he would ask how the Skipper was.

“

Yolande Mountjoy

My mother is a nurse, she worked in the Childrens Hospital in Omaha, in the Polio Ward. They had a 2-year-old Gypsy girl come in. They had to put her in an iron lung. The nurses and doctors fell in love with her but she died so my mother named me after her.

Yolande Sue.

“

Morning Starr Pruitt

My mom’s name is Starr and she wanted to use her name in mine. My middle name is Starr so it’s Morning Starr. Also my dad was in the service and the Morning Star was their star to remember each other.

“

Spring Gehring-Lowery Spring Flores. Flores is Span-

ish for flowers. I got my name because when my mom was pregnant it was a really bad winter and she didn’t know if she wanted Spring or the baby fist.

So she got both! Then Flores is her maiden name and they fit together.

with each dine-in or carry out dinner entree ordered, you will receive your choice of Wonton, Hot & Sour or Egg Drop Soup free of charge with this coupon!

WE DIDN’T. www.smeharbinger.net

23 DAYS UNTIL WINTER BREAK

visit

SMEHARBINGER.NET

CROSS-OVER from

issue 7 sports page 29

DENMARK

Senior foreign exchange student Anna Seilund makes the varsity basketball team

SENIOR exchange student Anna Seilund playing back in Europe photos courtesy of Anna Seilund

>>

>>KevinSimpson

Senior exchange student Anna Seilund wakes up at midnight in her Copenhagen home and makes her way toward the television. She turns it on to watch the Los Angeles Lakers battle the Orlando Magic in the NBA Finals, which is taking place thousands of miles away. Her favorite player, Kobe Bryant, scores in every way imaginable, slashing under and shooting over the helpless Orlando defense. Anna is amazed by what she’s watching.

After turning off the television, she climbs back into bed.

Soon enough, she will be in the United States, and she won’t have to wake up in the middle of the night to get her fix of basketball, a sport that she has loved her whole life.

This was Anna’s major dilemma. Living in a nation that is so indifferent to her favorite game, she was fascinated by the way Americans are captivated by the action on the hardwood. Anna’s passion for basketball is what led her across the Atlantic Ocean and onto the varsity girls’ basketball team at East. The Seilunds lived in the Kansas City area for two years until Anna was three due to Thomas’ job, but she didn’t remember a thing.

“I’ve always wanted to come here to play basketball,” Anna said. “In Denmark, it’s not really a big sport, but here, it’s huge.”

Anna was able to develop a love for the game with the help of her father, Thomas Seilund. Thomas played basketball his whole life, and when the first of his two children came along, he made sure the family tradition continued.

“I have always had a passion for the sport,” Thomas said.

“I wanted to give Anna the same chance.”

At the age of four, Anna tagged along with her father for a practice coached by one of Thomas’ friends. Anna was enthralled with the action, and quickly joined the team. She worked on her game constantly in her backyard, always perfecting flaws in her game, until she was 15, when she tried out for the Danish under-16 national team. Anna was cut, and she kept that feeling of rejection in her mind until the next season, when she tried out for the same team and the same coach, Anja Andersen.

After a week of tryouts in which she displayed her improved shooting touch and her deft penetration skills, Anna entered Andersen’s office, and her coach told her that she had made the team. The first person Anna told was her most passionate supporter: her dad.

To ensure that she kept improving, Anna kept up her basketball efforts off the court, both in the gym and at home, where her mother, Annette Seilund, designed a basketball court in their backyard. Anna has become known for her work ethic, both by her coaches and teammates.

“An amazing thing with Anna is that she really wants to be the best,” Ida Klussmann, a teammate of hers from the U16 Danish national team, said. “I think it’s because of that she is so good. She’s the best in one-on-one, and she has a move that no one can stop. She can almost always score

points.”

The primary place she has put these skills to use was the court in her backyard, where Anna and Thomas frequently had intense battles.

They played FOOL, a game similar to HORSE, and Anna finally beat him for the first time this summer.

She thinks she beat him on a three-pointer. Whatever the shot was, the conclusion was the same - she had finally taken him down. Thomas confesses that he was giving his best effort, Cole >>Jeff but she simply is a better shooter.

The team has traveled all over Europe for tournaments, including Estonia and Sweden. Most recently, Anna’s team finished fourth in the U16 European Championships, the highest placing ever for a Danish girls’ national team, but Anna was still seeking a greater challenge.

“Sometimes, it’s not competitive enough,” Anna said.

“We always play against the same teams.”

Anna had already defeated her toughest nemesis in her backyard, and she made the decision to come to the United States and play against better competition in a country where basketball is much more popular.

Her sendoff was a brief one. She arrived home from the championships in Estonia just a day before she left for the United States, so the family had a quiet meal at home and Annette helped her get everything packed. When Anna arrived at the airport on Aug. 11, her friends surprised her by showing up to send her off. It helped her realize how much she would miss them when she was gone.

“I was always thinking, ‘I’ll be fine, I’ll come back and everything will be the same,” Anna said. “But I got here, and I was very homesick.”

Anna had seen her new house on Google Earth, but she was now standing in front of the home she had only seen on her computer screen. She was surprised that it wasn’t surrounded by fields, which is what she expected from the United States. In her first few weeks here, Anna became accustomed to the house. She wasn’t having much luck making friends outside of it, and she was struggling greatly with her English.

When she needed some entertainment, she’d turn to “Desperate Housewives,” and her favorite character, Susan Mayer, played by Teri Hatcher. Even with her five years of experience speaking English, Anna found the show to be a big help with the language.

Soon after, Anna was even having dreams in English, in which she would talk to friends from Denmark who had no idea what she was saying. She now feels more comfortable, particularly from the help of her teammates. She went to a basketball camp at Blue Valley West with seniors Janna Graf and Haley Dalgleish, who were always able to help Anna out by giving her rides.

Anna might be accustomed to the states now, but she hasn’t forgotten Denmark. She’s reminded of it each time she enters her room. Her walls are decorated by drawings

and letters from her Danish friends and teammates, as well as pennants given to her by the coaches of Luxembourg and Slovakia after she was the most valuable player against those teams in Estonia.

Anna knows that if she wants to earn accolades like these here, she will have to put in the work.

“The basketball is much better,” Anna said. “The players are better, and they’re really into it.”

During tryouts two weeks ago, she got a taste of how the language barrier can come into play, even on the basketball court. After missing a few layups, the girls were forced to get on the line and run. Anna had no idea how long they were supposed to run, and she continued after everyone else had stopped.

Anna was able to finish the drill and the tryout without enduring too much embarrassment.

On the final day of tryouts, Rhoades informed her that she had made the varsity team. Once again, she had good news to report to her dad after a long tryout.

“I am very happy for her,” Thomas said. “I know Anna will be thrilled to be part of such a competitive team.”

Anna loves telling her Danish teammates how good this East team is. She talks to them three times a week on Facebook, and she’ll rejoin the Danish national team when she returns next summer. She Skypes with her parents every week or two, but she still misses them. She misses the dayto-day routine from Denmark. She misses her friends.

Still, it’s hard not to notice the way Seilund is growing accustomed to the American lifestyle. On this day, she wears a blue long-sleeved shirt that reads, “Kansas Jayhawks Basketball.” Dalgleish gave it to her, and she’s trying to get Anna to a few games as well. Anna’s just gotten out of practice, and she’s still suited up in her gray sweatpants and Nike socks. A Columbia blue, black and white braid slinks down the right part of her hair.

Anna Seilund misses a lot of things about Denmark, but as she sits calmly on the off-white couch, one thing is as clear as her ever-improving English: she’s plenty comfortable here.

setting it

STRAIGHT

The difference between European and American Basketball

European

European play is loose and reliant on mid-range shooting. Also it is not position- oriented. For example, you may see a seven foot wing.

American Because they are generally faster, the players look for mismatches and exploit them. Teams are position oriented.

page 30 sports 11.30.09

EN GARDE

Senior Weston Halberstadt takes problem solving skills to competitive fencing lines ha ic

>>M le

ol St el

>>Sarah McKittrick

Senior Weston Halberstadt stands on the fencing strip, toeing the en garde line that keeps him four meters from his competitor. He looks across at his opponent but can barely see their face, hardly able to make out the smug expression that’s hidden behind a screened mask. Everything is still as the fencers wait for the director to start the bout. As soon as the director says “En garde,” the fencers spring into action.

A naturally defensive fencer, Weston baits his opponent by taking several swift steps forward to make it appear like he’s attacking.

He makes a check by stomping his foot, then backs up quickly, trying to make it appear as if he’s attacking. It works. His opponent swings, misses. Seeing his opportunity, Weston lunges forward to get the touch on his opponent and win the first point of the bout. He gives a quick yell to release his energy and stress, and then refocuses on the winning the next point of fencing, the sport that is his passion and his escape.

Although Weston played the usual sports like basketball, soccer and baseball throughout grade school, when he saw a flyer at school that advertised fencing classes, he jumped at the chance to try the new, unique sport. Weston had never been the biggest or strongest kid in his grade, so a sport where size or strength didn’t matter appealed to him instantly. Another part he liked about fencing was the mental aspect of the sport.

“Fencing is like chess at the speed of boxing,” Weston said. “You have to think faster than your opponent if you want to win."

His parents, Thomas and Cathanie Halberstadt, both encouraged Weston to play the sport in order to stay active, but also because the sport fits his strengths.

“He likes to think and when you fence you don’t do the same thing as a routine,” Cathanie said. “Each time you step onto the strip you have to think about what your opponent is going to do and react quickly to that.”

Despite the perception Weston says many people have of fencing from bloody movie battle scenes, modern fencing is actually a

sport that involves quick decisions and subtle movements. Once the director starts the bout, the fencers put their strategy into play. Based on their opponents’ actions, they can react differently in hopes of getting the first touch, which earns them a point. Depending on the type of bout, the athletes fence to eight or 15 points.

Within the sport, there are three categories of fencing that evolved from the Middle Ages to modern fencing: sabre, foil and epee. Weston mainly competes in what he described as the “most intense” one – sabre. Sabre is meant to stimulate a cavalry fight so only touches from the waist up count as a point. In sabre, there is also the concept of “right of way,” which means that the person moving forward, or attacking, will get the point if both fencers hit each other at the same time. Similar to sabre, foil has the concept of right away and the area of target is expanded to the chest, shoulders and back. Epee has no concept of right of way, uses the whole body as a target and uses a heavier weapon.

Weston said that fencing involves a lot of mental aspects and problem solving in order to compete with opponents and get the first touch. Weston's coach, Kelly Williams, said that Weston's ability to think fast is part of what makes him a good fencer.

"Weston is by nature a problem solver," Williams said. "He likes to analyze things and think things through, which is a big part of fencing."

Weston also said fencers have to adapt their style based on how the fencing director rules the bout. The director watches the fencing and decides who gets the first touch. When in question, the fencer who is attacking gets the point. However, Weston said that directors will often interpret “attacking” differently, which forces the fencers to adjust how they fence.

“There’s a silent communication going on between fencers,” Weston said. “You have to act and then react faster than your opponent.”

Weston also has more motivation for fencing because of its individuality. Throughout

elementary school he had done other sports to hang out with friends, but he did fencing for the love of the sport.

“Fencing was something I did for myself,” Weston said. “There was a lot more motivation for it.”

Ever since he took an introductory class to fencing the summer after 6th grade, Weston was hooked on the sport. Now, he practices four days a week for two hours at Kansas City Fencing Center, a local fencing club.

At practice, Weston fences with some of his close friends. The class begins with a warm-up and then works on footwork for about 30 minutes before starting drills or bouts with other fencers. By the end of the class, Weston is tired. Nonetheless, he's refreshed and ready to start homework after practice.

“I definitely see going to fencing practice as a way to escape the regular stresses I have,” Weston said. “It helps to go there and fence without having to think and worry about other things going on.”

Weston also competes in local and national tournaments about once a month that usually last all weekend. Recently Weston has been working with his coaches to help himself mentally prepare for the bouts because he tends to let his nerves overpower his skill.

"As his coaches, we try to help him relax and do what he can do," Williams said. "We tell him to take it one touch at a time."

Although Weston has progressed immensely since he first walked into the sport of fencing as a sixth grader, he says there’s still a lot he can improve. Since he began, Weston thinks his footwork has gotten much better and he moves more fluently up and down the strip, yet he admits in no way is he done learning about the sport.

Weston also hopes to continue to fence in college at schools with strong fencing programs.

“Hopefully fencing will be a lifelong sport for me,” Weston said. “I feel like I can gain a lot out of the sport and learn from it even as I grow older.”

SENIOR Weston Halberstadt plugs his helmet into the electronic scoring system. The pressure-sensitive suit and helmet allow for the players to know who is hit first in the fastpaced fencing face-offs. Michael Stolle

>>

THE WEAPONS OF FENCING The Kansas City Fencing Club teaches three weapons: saber, foil and epee. Each weapon is 35 inches long, but the swords vary in thickness, and the rules of each weapon are different.

SABER: Evolved from a horse-back joust to the death. The saber is the thickest weapon, and a fencer scores when the saber hits anywhere from the head down to the hip, the portion of the body exposed when on horseback. A saber bout tends to be the most fast-paced.

FOIL: A foil bout was also a duel to the death originally, so the point of the weapon only scores if it hits the torso, because that’s where a fatal blow would be struck. This bout tends to be more defensive and strategic.

EPEE: An epee duel was originally won at the first sight of blood, so the hit area ranges over the entire body. Defense is key to this bout, because all of the body is exposed to a touch. >>KC Fencing Club

issue 7 sports page 31 The girl’s basketball team is packed with experience and talent to match. After making it to state for the first time in 19 years, the team looks to go further into the state playoffs than any team before them.

the

zan

>>SamKov

We show you the play...without giving too much away.

Coach’s Clipboard

Rhoades to Victory

the

with Head Coach Rick Rhoades

What makes this year’s team different?

We’re a lot faster than last year’s team. We’re hoping to push the ball up and down the floor fast this season. The team isn’t as physical, but I think we’ll score more easily because we’ve got good shooting.

Returners the

3.

3

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2

The Flex

Where is the team strongest?

We have a lot of skilled players who can score, everyone’s familiar with the system because they’ve been around me for four years, and the senior class really knows how to play together.

2.

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1. The point guard passes it to the forward up top.

2. The center picks for the guard outside the lane.

3. The guard cuts to the bucket and looks to the forward for the ball.

4. If she’s not open, the offense continues and repeats.

Countdown Biggest days of the season

:03 Alison Stephens

Q. A.

How does the team need to improve?

The team has to get better at defending the post and limiting turnovers. It is essential that we play aggressive defense and take care of the ball on each possession.

Janna Graf

Q. A.

What’s the team’s biggest strength?

Our full court trap is probably where we will be most successful this year. With the speed we have, steals will keep us in the game and allow us to fast break and drive.

Shannon McGinley

Q. Q. A.

How is the team different this year?

Last year when we went to the state tournament we really didn’t know what to expect, but since we have that experience under our belts, we know what it takes to compete with the best.

The Tournament of Champions in Springfield, Mo, Dec. 28-30. KSHSAA prohibits the Lancers from playing from Dec. 23-27, so they’ll have to gear up without playing as a team the week before.

Reasons the Lancers will win

:02

1. Six Returning Seniors – The team loses three important seniors, but gains most of the state team.

2. Exchange student Anna Seilund, a member of the Denmark U-16 team, Seilund will add strength on the inside.

Final Destination: State

:01

As Coach Rhoades said, “Every season since I’ve been here, we’ve taken a step forward. This is the winningest group of seniors in the history of the program, so it would be nice to see the team go all the way.” >>Dan Stewart

page 32 photo essay 11.30.09

just

LEFT: Seniors Margaret Brill and Mary Galvin smile on the main dance floor during MORP. The chaotic dance was held in the cafeteria on Friday, Nov. 20.

BELOW LEFT: Seniors Anna Swanson and Whitaker Sherk dance during their last MORP. “MORP was a crazy fun dance party with all my friends,” Swanson said. “This was one of the best dances ever.”

BELOW RIGHT:Senior Caroline Sheridan prepares senior Veronica Kerr’s hair an hour before leaving for the dance with a group of friends. “We brought everything that was crazy looking from our houses and put it in a pile,” Sheridan said. “Then everyone picked from there.”

seniors enjoy their last MORP >>all photos by Mackenzie Wylie

ABOVE: ‘09 graduate Bobby Miller Jr. DJed the MORP dance this year. He invited the senior class to an elevated portion of the cafeteria mid-dance and coerced the class into the classic cheer “Senior, Senior.” Afterward, the seniors remained in the section behind the DJ before dissipating back into the main crowd on the main cafeteria floor. “The energy was on fire,” senior Tara Raghuveer said. “All the seniors were living it. I danced pretty crazily, as usual.”