The Harbinger 19-20: Issue 14

the harbinger.

S H AW N E E M I S S I O N E A S T 7500 MISSION ROAD PRAIRIE VILLAGE, KS 66208 APRIL 13, 2020 VOLUME LXII ISSUE 14

Art To cope with the stress of calorie counting and body image issues, freshman Alyssa Alvey turns to depicting the naked human body in her art for what it is — truly unique

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Scan to read a staffer’s review of the best fast food chicken restaurants. by | celia condon

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K E E P I N G U P W I T H COV I D -1 9

COVID-19 PEAK IN KAN.

Coronavirus cases will peak earlier than previously expected, meaning fewer virus-related deaths. by | sophie henschel

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Scan to read about how freshmen activities are affected by the coronavirus. by | riley atkinson

S TA F F L I S T PRINT EDITORS Lila Tulp Carolyn Popper Caroline Chisholm ONLINE EDITORS Ben Henschel Jackie Cameron ASST. PRINT EDITORS Catherine Erickson Rose Kanaley ASST. ONLINE EDITORS Lauren West Riley Atkinson ASST. DESIGN EDITORS Celia Condon Sarah Bledsoe HEAD COPY EDITORS Carolyn Popper Jackie Cameron ASST. HEAD COPY EDITOR Natasha Thomas PHOTO EDITORS Aislinn Menke Kate Nixon ASST. PHOTO EDITORS Sarah Golder Trevor Paulus Julia Percy VIDEO EDITORS Maggie Schutt Ryan Gossick Lawder DeSantis ASST. VIDEO EDITOR Sydney Williams BROADCAST EDITORS Alex Dinyer Lucia Barraza ASST. BROADCAST EDITOR Natalie Scholz Megan Stopperan PHOTO MENTORS Noelle Griffin Megan Biles Megan Stopperan STAFF WRITERS Lyda Cosgrove Kaia Monaco Caroline Gould Caroline Wood Kate Heitmann Cesca Stamati Lily Haw Grace Tucker Peyton Moore Kelly Murphy Jilli Foley Campbell Wood Winnie Wolf Sophie Henschel Brynn Winkler Elizabeth Mikkelson Tommy Paulus Lauren Dierks Sydney Newton Emma Brown Lily Billingsley Allison Wilcox Phoebe Hendon Grace Allen

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Cesca Stamati Lily Haw Grace Tucker Peyton Moore Kelly Murphy Jilli Foley Sophie Henschel Elizabeth Mikkelson Tommy Paulus Lauren Dierks Sydney Newton Emma Brown Lily Billingsley Allison Wilcox Grace Allen Annabelle Moore Maddox Mogenson STAFF ART EDITOR River Hennick STAFF ARTISTS Sophie Henschel Gabby Caponecchi Lyda Cosgrove Natalie Scholz STAFF PHOTOGRAPHERS MJ Wolf Maggie Merckens Emily Pollock Hadley Chapman Emma Kate Squires Maggie Klump Reily Moreland Elise Madden Taylor Keal Annakate Dilks Lucy Kostner VIDEO STAFF Olivia Olson Natalie Scholz Lawder DeSantis Evelyn Roesner Ryan Gossick Maggie Schutt Sydney Williams Roberto Galicia PODCAST EDITOR Lydia Underwood Sophie Henschel SOCIAL MEDIA EDITOR Lilah Faye SOCIAL MEDIA DIRECTOR Annabelle Moore Maddox Mogenson SOCIAL MEDIA STAFF Kaia Monaco Megan Stopperan Reilly Moreland Gabby Caponecchi ADS MANAGER Sydney Newton CIRCULATION MANAGERS Campbell Wood SOCIAL CHAIR Lila Tulp Reilly Moreland CONTEST COORDINATOR Catherine Erickson

EDITORIAL | 03

design by | tommy paulus cartoon by | natalie scholz

IT’S YOUR DECISION When making political decisions, it’s best to research on your own to develop your own beliefs

FOR: 9 AGAINST: 0 The individuals on the editorial board who agree with the viewpoint of the editorial are represented by for, and those that disagree with the viewpoint of the editorial are represented by against.

EDITORIAL POLICY The Harbinger is a student-run publication. Published editorials express the views of the Harbinger staff. Signed columns published in the Harbinger express the writer’s personal opinion. The contents and views of the Harbinger do not represent the student body, faculty, administration or Shawnee Mission School District. The Harbinger will not share any unpublished content, but quoted material may be confirmed with sources. The Harbinger encourages letters to the editors, but reserves the right to reject them for reasons including but not limited to lack of space, multiple letters of the same topic and personal attacks contained in the letter. The Harbinger will not edit content though letters may be edited for clarity, length, libel or mechanics. Letters should be sent to room 413B or emailed to smeharbinger@gmail.com

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s you walk down the school hallways and hear students talking about immigration laws and taxation, it sounds more and more like a news station than their own ideas. It’s easy to overhear them talking about political issues — but maybe the only thing they really know about the subject is from the discussion their parents had last night at the dinner table.

Our generation needs to shift our understanding of politics to bolster and support our own opinions, rather than hook onto those of outside influence like family, friends and celebrities — especially in such an important election year.

Your parent’s politics aren’t exactly the same as yours — and they shouldn’t have to be. They may be fully educated in their political beliefs, but as teens we must find our own values and views through our own education instead of relying on our parents.

Whether growing up in a conservative or liberal house, bias plays a role in political discussion. Teenagers are impressionable, so the early values projected onto us by outside influences can become engrained over time — just like the basic teachings of the right to share and clean up after yourself. It can be difficult to form your own opinions or have opposing views from your parents — but teens need to be doing their own research — and no Snapchat’s “Daily Mail” doesn’t count —especially as they approach voting age. It’s important to judge your voting stance on what you believe, not your parents.

Though your parents may have strong values on certain issues like taxes and healthcare, the generational differences can cause a contrast between the policies that they think are in your best interest and what actually is. And if you’re interested in certain topics like college tuition and student loans, it’s up to you to research what candidates and political parties are focusing on them.

But for teens, it’s not just our parents who — whether we’re aware of it or not — are influencing us. Even the voices of celebrities we adore get in our heads.

In 2018 when Taylor Swift released her single “Only the Young,” she revealed her political stance publicly for the first time.

With millions of fans idolizing everything she says and does, some started adopting those same beliefs with no other background on the topic. And as the lives of teens are increasingly intertwined with the internet, some young people look to their favorite celebrities for guidance just as much as they do their parents — if not even more.

Although to some Taylor Swift is a godly-figure, she doesn’t have all the answers for your personal preferences — and neither does any celebrity. Instead of falling back on your favorite celebrity’s own biases, you should be looking at debates and other government activity to get a sense of your own thoughts. You should be asking questions about what you believe, and seeing which politicians agree with them.

Teens can give all the excuses they want about being too busy to acknowledge their

political beliefs, but after spending hours mindlessly sending Snapchats and scrolling through Instagram, you can make the time to at least dip your toes in the water. With stay-at-home orders, now is the perfect opportunity for teenagers to find a voice for themselves on government issues without worrying about after-school practices and dinner dates. Watch press conferences, read unbiased news sources and realize how important it is to have a voice in our county’s governmental actions — your own voice.

Once you blow out your 18th birthday candles and legally take on the title of adult, doing personal research before making decisions won’t just come into play when it comes to voting. For example, when buying a car, you’ll need to look at factors like gas mileage and price to pick the best option for you. It’s the same kind of research and decision making, so why not develop these skills and start this process early?

The U.S. values the citizens’ right to democracy. The engagement of citizens plays a vital role in our country’s ability to make accurate decisions for what the people want — so before the day that our generation is in power, it’s essential to learn your stance.

Even if you won’t be eligible to vote in the next election, it’s still important to stay informed on politics for when you are eligible — that way when you share your opinion, you’ll have research to back it up.

Since those under the age of 18 are still affected by election results, you should

research to figure out what your own stance is on climate change and what your family’s favorite politician actually wants as far as healthcare goes — it will impact you at one point or another. People of all ages should be ready to vote with a strong position towards politics, even if it’s not the “cool” thing to do as a teenager or if you’re scared of judgement.

The internet provides teens with an abundance of resources to help them with their process of learning. Media and news sources can provide information on certain topics, but don’t just look to channels biased towards a certain party like MSNBC or Fox News for all the answers. If you you perform all of your research through biased sources, you could have a hard time discovering the other side’s solutions and views — and making a strong opinion for yourself.

While it is about finding the best candidate for you, it’s an important life skill to learn how to branch out from the pressure of others and develop your own opinions. Whether you’re truly interested in politics or not, it’s something worth figuring out now.

Our generation needs to realize the privilege of being in a country where our views can be heard. The clock is ticking until Nov. 3 comes around to decide our president for the next four years, and it’s time to get informed and find your political voice — not your mom’s, your best friend’s or your favorite actors, but yours.

design by | sophie henschel

04 | NEWS

NEWS

by kaia monaco

HIGHLIGHTS

EAST

No definite decisions have been made for 2020 graduation

WHILE SCHOOL HAS been canceled for the rest of the year along with all schoolrelated activities, there has been no definite decision to cancel graduation.

Catch up on news around the school, the state and the nation

Administration, senior StuCo members, a few teachers and some PTA parents have begun to develop ideas such as virtual graduation ceremonies or simply rescheduling graduation for summer, although nothing is set in stone yet.

Sophomore Breck McGuire accepts food from a friend while social distancing at East in cars

Sad to see their senior year come to an end, many seniors have created their own graduation ceremonies. Seniors who spent their spring break in Seaside, Flo. made graduation caps out of blue paper for an impromptu graduation on the beach.

Although the graduation has not yet officially been canceled, it is expected to be canceled due to Gov. Kelly’s warnings against public gatherings for the future weeks to come. Seniors are still hoping that East will have a graduation but their hopes are not too high. According to senior Green, graduation’s potential cancellation is “necessary, but disappointing, just like everything else.”

L O C A L Advocation for releasing of inmates in Kansas

CO RO N A I N KA N SAS

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CASES CONFIRMED IN KANSAS AS OF APRIL 8

D E AT H S C O N F I R M E D I N KANSAS AS OF APRIL 8

D E AT H S C O N F I R M E D I N KANSAS AS OF APRIL 8

CASES CONFIRMED IN JOHNSON COUNTY AS OF APRIL 8

D E AT H S C O N F I R M E D I N JOHNSON COUNTY AS OF APRIL 8

D E AT H S C O N F I R M E D I N JOHNSON COUNTY AS OF APRIL 8

PO L L Should Kansas be releasing inmates due to coronavirus ?

INSTAGRAM POLL | 233 VOTES

19% YES 81% NO Have you had to help a younger sibling with online school ?

INSTAGRAM POLL | 231 VOTES

36% YES 64% NO

KANSAS ADVOCATES URGE Gov. Laura Kelly and the Kansas Department of Corrections to release prisoners, especially those at high risk for complications with COVID-19.

KDOC does not intend to release inmates before their scheduled release dates and is in an exploratory process. However, the prisons are taking precautions to keep the prisoners as healthy as possible. The KDOC has already closed facilities to visitors and is limiting transfers and screen processes between neighboring facilities, who will soon begin to isolate inmates upon intake.

A letter sent from representatives of the Kansas Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, the Kansas Board of Indigents Defense Services, the District of Kansas Federal Public Defenders office and the Midwest Innocence Project to KDOC provides a list of nine guidelines to protect the safety of those in prisons. Some of the

guidelines include the release of aged and medically vulnerable adults at high risk for COVID-19, anyone convicted for probation or parole violations, and anyone with six months or less left on their terms.

A letter sent from KDOC to the families of prisoners stated that nine staff members working at the Lancing Correctional Facilities and eight prisoners tested positive for COVID-19.

Although they are not releasing the prisoners yet, the letter also asks Kansas prisons to develop a protocol to halt the transfer of inmates from neighboring jails and prisons to provide incentives for those who remain in jail to stick to proper grooming and social distancing activities says the Kansas City Star.

Residents who have come in contact with the workers will be placed in medical isolation.

N A T I O N A L Cruise ship docked in Florida A CRUISE SHIP from the company Princess Cruises docked in Florida on April 4 with seven passengers and five crew members having tested positive for COVID-19, including two fatalities.

Kamali sent an email saying that their ship with 1,020 passengers and 878 crew members will be waiting for permission to dock. They have made a plan to release the passengers in need of hospitalization on an unknown date first, then those who have not exhibited any symptoms will be able to leave the cruise ship and fly home. Those who show symptoms will have to stay on the boat until they have been cleared by doctors.

In the mean time, passengers on the ship have been ordered to self-isolate in their

rooms with meals delivered to them by room service.

Freshman Poppy Billingsley and her mom had planned to go on a cruise starting in Italy when it became a stage three country for COVID-19. Although it was canceled, they still got their refunds.

The U.S. Coast Guard has said there are 114 other cruise ships in and around U.S. waters, carrying some 93,000 crew members. Out of those, 73 of those ships have anchored in U.S. ports, and the other 43 are staying near U.S. ports.

The Cruise Line Industry announced a suspension of most ship operations from U.S. ports. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have also promoted a “no sail” order to cruise ships around the area.

NEWS | 05

design by | maddox mogenson

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by ben henschel

s the two-week mark of online school and the continuous learning program passes, East students have set priorities to tailor their workload — tactically focusing on classes they need a higher grade in or classes that prepare them for standardized tests.

The structure of each student’s workload is under their own control, guided by the Shawnee Mission School District’s policy stating that grades “may go up, but will not go down” through fourth quarter coursework and that attendance to classes is not mandatory.

In spite of material being optional, a number of students have ramped up studies and formed learning schedules for each day to optimize their free time — with teachers modifying coursework to accommodate subjects included in upcoming standardized tests.

“I try to make a list every weekend of all the stuff I need to do, so I write down on one piece of paper all the Zoom calls I have and what time they’re at, and on a separate one I write all the assignments I have and what’s due for that week,” junior Lily Utt said. “And then I’ll section off time for myself where I’ll go into the basement and just sit alone, put on some music or whatever and have that time period for myself to get as much done as I can.”

Students who have a select few classes to improve grades in have used the time to hone in on those subjects — working through extra credit assignments and making up any missing work that their teacher allows them to.

For senior Maguire Hardin, that’s AP Calculus BC. He’s spent most of his days the same way: waking up by 11:00 a.m., catching his Calc Zoom call, spending an hour or so on the work he’s assigned and emailing teachers with any potential

questions. Considering his other class grades are relatively spotless, he hasn’t checked in on them or looked at the optional work offered.

The dynamic differs from seniors to underclassmen, with a number of sophomores focusing in on coursework despite having sufficient grades. For sophomore Jack Rhodes, Honors Precalculus is a central focus considering its importance in his plans for math next year — along with AP Macroeconomics, which he needs to boost his grade in by a few points.

Sophomore Kay Kay Winn has grades she’s happy with, but knows the material she’ll be learning next year will be easier with this quarter’s work under her belt. With plans to take AP Chemistry 2 and AP Calc AB this fall — and since she’s enrolled in Honors Precalc and Chemistry 1 this semester — this quarter acts as a transition period, in her mind.

“I know the classes I’m doing next year I’ll need to know the material, so I guess the main motivation is that I’ll want to be prepared for next year and not fall behind,” Winn said.

“In some of my classes like English, I have suffered some motivation, because there are a lot of random assignments and it’s hard to get all of them done. But the classes that I’ll need to know for next year I’ve been pretty motivated in.”

The amount of time classes take during the day with regards to both instruction and homework have been reduced across the board, according to junior Sophie Rice, who is in the International Baccalaureate diploma program.

IB canceled its one-year course tests and overall exams for seniors — but since IB diploma juniors still have their exams next spring, they’ve kept up with classes that teach pertinent material, Rice said. And considering the tight-knit community of the IB diploma program, the time away from each other has “almost brought us even closer,” according to Rice, with

LEARN CO N T I N U I N G TO

A look into how East is implementing online Continuous Learning

STEPS TO STAY EDUCATED

1 2 3

ONLINE ESSENTIALS

CHECK GOOGLE CLASSROOM AND STAY UP-TO-DATE ON ASSIGNMENTS

VIDEO CALL APPS LIKE ZOOM OR WEBEX

TUNE INTO WEEKLY FACE-TO-FACE CALLS THAT TEACHERS SCHEDULE

ACCESS TO ONLINE TEXTBOOKS AND MATERIALS

CONTINUE TO STUDY FOR ASSESSMENTS LIKE AP TESTS — THEY’RE HAPPENING

APPS THAT FACILITATE COMMUNICATION BETWEEN STUDENTS

informal Zoom calls near-daily.

But the students with perhaps the most investment in the continuous learning program are students in Advanced Placement courses, according to AP Calc teacher and IB coordinator Monique Goodeyon. AP students still plan to take exams in May, as the CollegeBoard announced plans to cancel its normal in-person AP tests and opt instead for a shortened, online format, which students can take from home.

“There’s also that fine line with the AP classes that yeah, education needs to take a back end because people’s health and security, both financially and emotionally, is far more important,” Goodeyon said. “But if kids want college credit, May 11, when AP tests start up again, will come soon, so they’ll need to prepare.”

Goodeyon spent time adapting her assignments to fit what the CollegeBoard announced the AP Calc AB exam would now contain, along with many other teachers teaching AP courses,

We’re really doing the best we can at this point, and Shawnee Mission is really lucky that we’re a one-to-one district. I can’t imagine how any of this would be working if we weren’t. So I think right now we’re on the road that we’ll continue what we’re doing unless we hear it’s not working for kids.

monique goodeyon | IB coordinator she said. Only material taught through March will be covered on the shortened exams.

But considering some teachers like Goodeyon take steps to teach units in the order they feel most inclined to — not necessarily in the order AP has the units listed in — some content she already taught will not be on the exam, and content she hadn’t gotten to will be.

Students like Utt, who is enrolled in six AP courses and plans to take each course’s official exam, have spent two to three hours on their AP classes each day — but Utt takes time on her own to search or practice free response questions and fine-tune her test-taking skills.

“The [AP] tests are probably going to be viewed as easier by colleges this year because a lot of the harder sections are being taken out, and there’s only two questions per test as opposed to 60 multiple choice plus like eight FRQ’s regularly,” Utt said. “So I’ve just spent a lot of extra time doing a lot of extra practice that probably some other people aren’t doing, since it’s definitely going to be harder to get a better score I think, so doing the extra practice is important.”

Students interviewed for this story feel that the Shawnee Mission School District’s continuous learning program has been as successful as it could be — with problems only in the lack of incentive for some students and the shortened class periods, to Utt and Winn, respectively.

Teachers, according to Goodeyon, hope students will voice opinions on how courses are going and how they can be improved, whether by email or in polls sent out by teachers.

The quarter has been specified by the district to meet students’ needs as much as it can, and their feedback is a necessity going forward, Goodeyon said.

“We’re really doing the best we can at this point, and Shawnee Mission is really lucky that we’re a one-to-one district. I can’t imagine how any of this would be working if we weren’t,” Goodeyon said. “So I think right now we’re on the road that we’ll continue what we’re doing unless we hear it’s not working for kids.”

06 | NEWS

design by | allison wilcox

P H O T O Junior Sarah Golder’s family and friends wave goodbye at the end of their online Passover Seder. photo by | sarah golder

WO R S H I P I N G FOR WELLNESS How places of worship are reacting to the pandemic

by catherine erickson

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fter finding it unrealistic to maintain the required 6-foot distance between church-goers, places of worship across the state have decided to discontinue in-person services. While not the same, many churches have started to offer virtual services and youth group meetings via websites and apps such as Facebook, YouTube and Zoom to help people maintain their faith.

Leawood Presbyterian Church youth group has continued to cover the Old Testament and are currently studying the book of Exodus, but they’ve spread it out throughout the week with daily devotionals via Instagram, live feeds of the study every Wednesday, Kahoots over funfact trivia every Friday and small groups on Sundays.

Village Presbyterian Church youth group has also continued with their current theme — the “six C ’s of education” — by posting pre-recorded lessons on the youth website followed by small group Zoom meetings to discuss and check in on youth group members.

Junior David Crabb, a member of the Jacob’s Well Church youth group that is using similar methods to continue with youth group meetings, believes there are significant drawbacks to not having the face-to-face interaction.

Crabb believes the virtual youth group meetings hinders the message because only one person can speak at a time and the clashing background noises of siblings fighting and dads cheering to replays of sports games are distracting.

Village Presbyterian associate youth director Jenna Soltys also believes that meetings over programs like

CO M M U N IT Y HEL P V I L L AG E P R ESBY TERIAN

MASKS

THE MISSION SEWING GROUP HAS DONATED OVER 70 MASKS TO KU MEDICAL CENTER AND SAINT LUKE’S.

Zoom are difficult because the group that was once able to freely discuss their religious beliefs while sitting next to each other on the couches of the youth loft is distracted by their home lives and the disconnect with the screen. “[Virtual meetings] highlight how helpful social media is in keeping up with each other, but also how it’s not enough,” Soltys said. “Like we all really want to be able to see each other in person and spend time together face-to-face.”

However, even with these challenges, Soltys still thinks it is advantageous for youth to stay involved in the youth group to maintain a sense of normalcy and human connection.

“If you don’t [stay connected with others], not only might you feel like very much more alone, but you also just like, might slowly distance yourself from the things that you care about and enjoy without even really realizing that it’s happening,” Soltys said.

Along with continuing youth group meetings, local churches have started to stream services using platforms such as Facebook Live and YouTube. For Village Presbyterian, their services streamed on Facebook Live look very similar to traditional services, with the same start time, worship director and minister. Leawood Presbyterian Church youth director Sophie Casey believes that seeing the same few people perform the service in the church on the live stream helps church members maintain a sense of normalcy.

Although the services are similar to the usual services, junior and Leawood Presbyterian youth group member Ava Chinnock believes the biggest drawback is the missing

community aspect.

“You really sing similar songs and the sermon is still about the sermon series, but I think the big thing with technology is just lacking the community,” Chinnock said. “Like, yeah, you’re with your family, but it’s not necessarily the same as seeing, like, your friends or seeing little kids you help with or the leaders.”

Senior Kathleen Deedy, a member of the B’nai Jehudah temple who now streams events on Facebook Live, misses going to events at her temple because it was one of the only places she could connect with people who shared her beliefs.

“I miss seeing my friends [at B’nai Jehudah] who I don’t often see because they go to different schools, mostly in the Blue Valley district,” Deedy said. “It’s just nice because there’s not a lot of Jewish people at East, so I really like being able to go [to temple] and see like, ‘Yay! I’m not the only one.’”

However, since the online services started, Soltys says Village Presbyterian has seen an influx in the number of people attending service, possibly because people have more free time to watch the service. Casey also believes that more people have been following their online services.

“While people are in the comfort of their own home, they might feel more comfortable joining because they don’t have to step out,” Casey said. “I think we’re reaching people who don’t normally come which is definitely good to make connections so they are also hearing the messages.”

Chinnock said that online services have made it easier for her whole family to worship together.

With a mom who’s diagnosed with Neuromyelitis Optica, a disease that affects the spinal cord and eye nerves, and a dad who works irregular hours, it’s been difficult for them all to attend service together.

“It’s sometimes hard for my mom to get to church, and they’ve always streamed it, but not everyone’s joined in,” Chinnock said. “So it’s really just changed, like we’re together at service every week now because of the corona and because of us being quarantined.”

With Passover beginning April 8 and Easter on April 12, families are discovering that their traditions for these holidays will be adapted this year.

Deedy usually has a Seder, a ceremonial dinner, for Passover at a family member’s or friend’s house and is joined by her grandparents who fly in from Tucson, Ariz. Their Seder usually consists of traditional prayers and foods such as parsley, honey cakes and her favorite, matzah ball soup, which she usually brings to school to share with her friends.

However, this year her family will celebrate at home with immediate family, FaceTiming their grandparents in to virtually join the celebration.

“I’ll just miss being able to get together and see everyone and it’s just kind of like a nice holiday to celebrate with friends and family,” Deedy said. “It’s one of the few holidays that isn’t really sad. It’s definitely like a part of a celebration.”

Village Presbyterian Church, Leawood Presbyterian Church and Jacob’s Well Church are streaming Easter services with the traditional songs and Biblical passages to give viewers a chace to spiritually connect even through these stressful times.

A few religious groups in the Kansas City area organizing specific projects to help the community

JE WISH FA MILY SE RV ICE S THEY HAVE A FOOD BANK AT THE JEWISH COMMUNITY CENTER RAISING MONEY FOR PEOPLE THAT ARE INFECTED.

FOOD PANTRY

CO U NTRY CLU B CHRISTIAN THE EASTER OFFERING WILL GO TO KC CARE HEALTH CENTER AND CARE BEYOND THE BOULEVARD.

OFFERINGS

NEWS | 07

design by | caroline wood

M EN TALLY

Social distancing is impacting the mental health of the East community

Q UA R A N T I N E D *names changed to protect identity

by campbell wood

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ith the global COVID-19 pandemic holding the U.S. on lockdown until at least April 30, social distancing has worsened students’ mental health as a result of isolation and uncertainties regarding what’s to come.

Although the goal of social distancing is to preserve people’s physical health, it has taken a toll on the mental health of those in and around the East community. Results of an Instagram poll determined that about 68% of 284 community responses have experienced increased levels of anxiety and depression since the start of quarantine.

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention lists children and teens as one of the more vulnerable groups in terms of heightened anxiety levels during this time, along with those at a higher risk of contracting the disease.

School nurse Stephanie Ptacek explains how it is crucial for students to have human interaction in terms of their social development. She says this age, specifically, is a time when teenagers learn to develop social skills and that interaction is a necessity for maintaining and developing relationships. And with students self-isolated, technology holds the key to interaction in a way it never has before.

“Come to find out the curse, which is technology, is the cure,” Ptacek said.

Ptacek sees technology as a way to keep students’ social lives strong. The American Psychological Association says that social isolation comes with adverse health consequences, one of which is depression. Ptacek recommends talking to a friend each day through Zoom or FaceTime to maintain a more secure level of interaction.

Sophomore Chris Alka has noticed himself feeling more depressed since the announcement of school being cancelled for the rest of the year, resulting in many FaceTime calls to friends and family members.

“I think I’ve appreciated more technology now,” Alka said. “[Technology] never really affected me until now. So definitely calling people has been sort of a help, but I think it’s still that you don’t get to see people in person and there’s a difference when you think about it, it’s just not the same.”

Licensed clinical psychotherapist Lindsey Murray, who works with patients in the Kansas City area, emphasizes how stress levels are higher during this time with concerns about contracting the virus or fear as to whether life will return to normal again.

“Most of us have kind of lost the typical coping strategies that we might use to deal with just general life stress — friends and family, exercising at a gym,” Murray said.

“Having these outlets that we usually do to manage stress in our lives, I think is one of the biggest issues that I’m working with people. How can we find these outlets and be creative

with them in our home environments, when normally those were achieved outside of our homes?”

Part of building a new “normal” in quarantine comes from routine, according to Murray. Being able to provide a sense of structure in a chaotic time helps to reduce anxiety levels.

During Murray’s online therapy sessions, she reminds her patients that the baseline for anxiety levels are higher since it’s an unfamiliar situation for everyone. Acknowledging this makes it easier to develop structure and find ways to still work towards their individual goals in terms of anxiety.

Not having a schedule has caused a spike in anxiety for senior Janice McWilliams*. McWilliams has dealt with mental health struggles in the past and has been going to a therapist weekly for over a year, but now she doesn’t have a routine to busy herself in — and the use of technology for her now phone call therapy sessions doesn’t have the same effect as those in-person.

“It’s just a completely different experience,” McWilliams said. “I think it’s a lot easier to connect with someone when you’re in person...I think body language is a really important thing, and it just seems a lot easier when she can look at me, I can look at her and you can read someone. Which I think, then in a therapy setting, everything just goes a lot smoother.”

McWilliams has trouble opening up to deep conversations with her therapist when the conversation is over the phone. In efforts to maintain a more comfortable talking environment, McWilliams will walk around the neighborhood talking to her therapist on the phone. Together, they’ve spent the past three weeks building a quarantine-fit routine to better her

mental being — it feels good to talk to someone and find the positives right now, McWilliams said.

One thing both Murray and East social worker Emily MacNaughton suggest is to make sure that the news is turned off — this helps prevent growing any additional fears in regards to the coronavirus. While it’s important to stay updated on what’s going on, it shouldn’t consume all of your attention.

Junior Iris Hannon has struggled with hearing the seemingly apocalyptic news, making her feel more anxious at times. To combat the negativity, Hannon is working on building stability by picking up old hobbies and focusing on developing them, a technique Murray suggests and has been working on with some of her patients.

“I’ve been cooking a lot more and kind of exploring different things and different ways of coping that I hadn’t really considered before this,” Hannon said.

Learning how to cook sushi and crab rangoon has helped Hannon redirect her energy away from the coronavirus.

Murray believes that this is a time where we have to work extra hard to achieve happiness based on our values — whether that’s family, religion, exercise or other enjoyed activities.

Ptacek affirms that students should look at quarantine as a time for self-growth to strengthen mental health.

“I do think that there are some positives to this and that when we get on the other side of it, students will see how resilient they really are, and that they can do hard things,” Ptacek said.

WAYS TO HELP YOUR

M E N TA L H E A LT H A few other ways to make sure you’re taking care of your mental health during this time while remaining safe and healthy indoors

REACH OUT TO OTHERS | keep in touch with friends and family by calling them via Zoom or FaceTime NEWS NEWS DISTANCING | stay informed, but don’t overwhelm yourself with negative news

ROUTINE | having a daily routine keeps you organized and productive VALUES | find things that makes you happy, and put your energy towards them

08 | NEWS

DIY-ING design by | celia condon

A

by caroline gould

midst all the chaos that comes with COVID-19, health professionals have wavered back and forth when it comes to wearing and making antiviral face masks, though the CDC now recommends that people wear a mask when leaving the house.

Around the world, it has become the norm to go grocery shopping with a mask covering your nose and mouth, and after checking out, quickly racing to your car to douse your hands with hand sanitizer. While wearing a mask is usually a choice made by the person wearing it, it has now become a requirement in some locations, such as New York and Austria, according to the New York Times.

This recommendation of wearing some type of face protection has led to many different variations ― such as a scarf or bandana.

But some have interpreted it as an opportunity to make their own DIY face masks, which is what junior Athena Bradshaw has been doing.

“My mom wanted something to help protect us from allergens when we were cleaning the house, and for a little more protection from [COVID-19] when we went out to the grocery store,” Bradshaw said. “Right now we have six [homemade masks] that we use for ourselves so that we’re not using other resources.”

COV ID -19 People have begun making their own face masks to block germs

H OW TO PROTECT

A few of the simple ways you can protect yourself from germs during quarantine.

SCARVES

MANY PEOPLE ARE USING SCARVES IN THE PLACE OF MASKS You should wrap it around your face a couple of times, and tie it around your chin so it stays in place

SCAN ME | TUTORIAL Scan here to learn how to make your own items and to see an alternative way to make your own mask

DR. SHAN SOE-LIN

MASKS

USED TO KEEP PATIENTS AND DOCTORS FROM SPREADING GERMS If you need drive-thru COVID-19 testing, for instance, you might see test providers wearing those kinds of masks.

U.S. NEWS

GLOVES According to Bradshaw, anyone can make these ― it’s a quick, beginner project that can be made within a few minutes. The method used to make them can also be adjusted to fit the supplies that you have laying around at home. Bradshaw uses a piece of flannel, a piece of cotton, bias tape and twist ties to make hers.

A professionally-made mask isn’t necessary to protect yourself from the coronavirus. The virus is spread through coughing, sneezing or talking, so a make-it-yourself mask is adequate protection, according to USA Today.

There are several different variations that you can find, some of which even get around having to use a needle and thread, according to CNN. A common way to make masks is cutting a piece of fabric into two identical rectangles that you place on top of each other.

Then you fold both the bottom and top sides in and sew them, doing the same to both the left and right sides. Leave a gap on the right and lefts sides, large enough to thread a piece of elastic through, and then knot the elastic. You can also sew over the elastic to secure it in place.

Before making your own cloth masks, it’s important to note that they will not prevent you from contracting the virus, but rather from spreading it, according to USA Today. N95 respirators and surgical masks prevent you from contracting the virus, but are reserved for hospitals and healthcare workers, according to the CDC. Making these masks is not only necessary during an outbreak like this, but making them can also be a way to pass the time during social distancing. Businesses such as JOANN are accepting mask donations. To help them reach their goal of 100 million masks, you can drop off homemade masks to select locations which will then be sanitized and distributed to hospitals and healthcare systems, according to their website.

Even though using a homemade mask isn’t as protective as a professional-grade surgical mask, they still prevent the spread of COVID-19 while reserving the use of surgical masks for professionals.

WEARING GLOVES CAN HELP STAY CLEAN, IF USED CORRECTLY Failing to change gloves when needed is no different from failing to wash your hands. Change your gloves!

SIMON CLARKE

SANITIZER

HAND SANITIZER IS A QUICK, EASY, AND EFFECTIVE CLEANER Most commercial hand sanitizers are effective for a couple of years when they are stored properly.

BUSINESS INSIDER

H OW TO DIY IT! 1

A tutorial on how to make your own face mask in the easiest way possible

2

3

SHIRT BACK

SHIRT FRONT

CUT A T-SHIRT AS SHOWN

4

MAKE SURE THE CUTOUT LOOKS SIMILAR TO THIS

5

NOSE

NECK

6 NECK HEAD

HEAD

INSERT A PAPER TOWEL BETWEEN THE T-SHIRT LAYERS

HEAD

NECK

CHIN

USE A PAPERCLIP OR SAFETY PIN TO ATTACH THE PAPER TOWEL

TIE THE TOP PIECES BEHIND YOUR NECK, AND THE BOTTOM BEHIND YOUR HEAD

YOU’RE DONE WITH YOUR DIY T-SHIRT MASK!

NEWS | 09

design by | rose kanaley

T

CAANCELED

by sydney newton

he Center for Academic Achievement, a Shawnee Mission School District building where students can study specialty skills, closed for the semester on March 17. The closing followed the mandate announced by Governor Laura Kelly for all public schools to close.

The CAA holds five student programs — Medical Health Science, Biotechnology, Culinary Arts & Hospitality and Engineering — all of which will be halted due to the closure. This will impact research and hands-on learning experience, including creating video games and conducting cancer research.

According to CAA principal Ryan Flurry, district staff and teachers are allowed in the building from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. in groups of no more than 10. The staff can sign up online, which Flurry manages.

In addition to the CAA, the Career and Technical Campus, the SMSD building that offers more emergent speciality programs, closed for the rest of the year as well — resulting in the closure of the Fire Science, Law Enforcement and Emergency Medical Service signature programs.

According to junior Morghan Golloher, who is involved in the Biotechnology signature program, the programs will continue online, but won’t offer the same hands-on learning that the CAA provided.

The programs won’t have full equipment, such as labs for Biotech or virtual reality for Game Design, so the same experience can’t be offered at home.

“It’s basically like an end to the school year for these specialized programs,” Golloher said. “Of course teachers can assign things to add to third quarter, but it’s not the same as having that in class interaction that only a person who’s taking that class would understand.”

Golloher splits her time between the CAA and a research lab at the University of Kansas Medical Center. Her research project there, which involved modifying breast cancer cells in mice to prevent muscle from wasting away into fat, closed down along with the CAA. Every student involved in research at the CAA will not be able to finish their projects out this semester.

While they can enter online competitions, they can’t collect any more data or enter their lab — leaving their projects unfinished.

“Being a junior and knowing that your senior friends don’t get to graduate with their friends and finish out their research that they’ve worked so tirelessly for is heartbreaking,” Golloher said. “Having it closed was kind of like a slap in the face.”

Senior Sophie Sun, who was involved in the medical science program her junior year before moving to the Biotechnology program this year, felt defeated.

She won’t be able to complete her research project, meaning she can’t enter it into contests.

Sun spent over half of her day at her lab, located in the KU Medical Lab. Sun would begin working on standard procedures such as protein analysis and pipetting at 12p.m. and work until 4 p.m. each day.

According to Sun, the amount of time she spent

there was what made the closure of the CAA so heartbreaking.

“I don’t get to have graduation and prom and all that stuff,” Sun said. “But with the CAA, not being able to have that quarter doesn’t wrap up the class that’s half of our school day, leaving it as an unfinished project. It’s just kind of there now.”

For Sun, a huge disappointment about not going back to school was not being able to see her friends from other schools in her program. She’s been with them for two hours of her school day for a whole year.

While Sun and her friends still do check-ins through Zoom with their class and FaceTime, Sun feels that it’s not the same as the in-person interaction that she has with them every day — checking in on their projects and talking about the differences between their schools.

“It doesn’t feel as personal,” Sun said. “When it’s through a camera, social interaction seems fake almost even thought you’re talking with them in real time.”

Senior Alexa Adams, who is in Animation and Game Design 2, had a month’s worth of files on the computers at the CAA for the video game she was designing. Due to the closure, Adams is unable to access them. Adams feels she was lucky to have backed it up a month ago and not lost the entirety of her work.

Where Adams only lost a month of files, most

Being a junior and knowing that your senior friends don’t get to graduate with their friends and finish out their research that they’ve worked on so tirelessly for is heartbreaking. Having it closed was kind of like a slap in the face.

morgan golloher | junior students lost all the files for their game — including the art and coding that they had spent the entire semester creating. And if the students don’t have a PC at home like Adams, they aren’t able to continue designing it at all. Many students, including Adams, plan to make gaming their career — part of why the closure and loss of files was so upsetting.

“I know for a few of them it’s their passion project,” Adams said. “I know that they’d probably be extremely upset that they lost three months of work because for a majority of kids in that program that’s what they are wanting to do as a career. This is kind of a big stepping stone and losing that might be a little rough.”

Through the closure, all the students involved in signature programs are trying to remain hopeful and do as much work as they can from home.

“This isn’t something that anyone could prepare for,” Golloher said. “We’re trying to go through the motions and have the most successful year with what we’ve been dealt.”

With the closure of school, students in the CAA struggle to find alternative ways to continue their education through the quarter

THE PROJ ECTS A look into the research and projects students were working on through the CAA and now have to leave unfinished

morgan gol l oh e r g enet i cal l y modi fyi ng mi ce breast cancer cel l l i nes known for knockou t genes per tai ni ng to skel etal mu scl e wast i ng

a lexa ad ams d esi g ni ng a vi deo game i n whi ch t he c haracter i s i n an abandoned storage l o cker wi t h t hree enemi es, t r yi ng to ei t her ru n or hi de or escape

soph i e sun researchi ng mant l e cel l l ym phoma i n ord er to fi nd anot her t reat ment for rel apsed p at i ents resi stant to t he cu r rent t reat ment

THE PROGR A M S A look into the programs students take through the CAA a n i m a ti on & g a m e des i g n m e di ca l h e a l th sc i e n ce b i ote c h n ol ogy c u l i n a r y a r ts & h os p i ta l i ty e n g i n ee r i n g fi re sc i e n ce l aw e n force m e nt e m e rg e n cy m e di ca l se r v i ce

10 | OPINION

design by | annabelle moore

OPINION

HIGHLIGHTS

A look into student opinions and the opinion section

CONTINUOUS LEARNING OPINIONS W HAT IS YO UR O P IN IO N O N T HE NE W CO NT I N U O U S LEARNING P ROG RA M AT EAST ?

THE WEEK IN 280 C H A R AC T E R S B I G M A N U FAC T U R E R S C U R R E N T LY P RO D U C E A RO U N D 2 0 0 V E N T I L ATO R S A W E E K A N D N E E D TO M A K E 1 0 T I M E S T H AT N U M B E R B LO O M B E RG O P I N I O N | 4 / 8 / 2 0 T R U M P H A S D E L I V E R E D A B LOW TO T H E C O M M I T T E E ’S I N D E P E N D E N C E E V E N B E F O R E I T STA RT E D WO R K I N G I N E A R N E ST , W R I T E S T H E E D I TO R I A L B OA R D WAS H I N GTO N P OST O P I N I O N | 4 / 8 / 2 0

Personally, I don’t believe that it was beneficial, as it doesn’t provide significant incentive for the students to work to the best of their abilities. There are opportunities to better grades and prepare for tests, although the ability to do so is negligible in the manner in which they have been accustomed to. This situation has completely obliterated the learning culture that teachers try so hard to build.

O N E O F T H E U N I Q U E P RO B L E M S W I T H CO RO N AV I R U S I S

charlie birt | junior

O P I N I O N BY TA M PA BAY T I M E S | 4 / 8 / 2 0

DO YOU P L A N TO PA RTA K E I N T HE NE W CO NT I N U O U S LEARNING P ROG RA M AT EAST ? I F SO, TO W HAT EX T E N T ?

I’m in IB certificate, so I have two classes that are two year long courses. At the end of my senior year, I will have a big test (basically a final) in both of those classes, and the score I get on those tests will determine if I pass those classes.

The content our teachers give us this last quarter through the continuous learning program will be included on those tests. So I kind of have to be fully invested until the school year is over. As for my other classes, I really don’t have much else to do so far, but I’ve been doing all the work I’m given!

claire perkins-rock | junior

T H AT T E STS S H OW O N LY AC T I V E LY I N F EC T E D PAT I E N TS , N OT T H OS E W H O H AV E H A D I T , SAYS @ U S F H EA LT H @ LOC K WOO D _ M D

D O C TO RS @ J OS E P H S A K R A N A N D @ D RC H E T H A N S AT H YA E M P H A S I Z E T H E I M P O RTA N C E O F FA M I LY A S PAT I E N TS ’ B E ST A DVO C AT E S A N D U RG E I N N OVAT I V E S O L U T I O N S F O R T H E I R B A N I S H M E N T F RO M T H E B E D S I D E A M I D T H E # C O RO N AV I R U S PA N D E M I C CNN OPINION | 4/8/20

O P I N I O N AT E D

R E AC T I O N S H OTS A STUDEN TS O P IN IO N O N AC T I O N S HOTS O F T HE M S E LVE S

p. 11 HAS IT BEEN A CHALLENGE FOR YOU TO TRANSITION FROM A BUSY OR STRUCTURED LIFESTYLE TO THE BOREDOM OF QUARANTINE? | 248 VOTES

19% NO 81% YES p. 12 DO YOU BELIEVE QUARANTINE HAS PLAYED A BENEFICIAL ROLE IN BETTERING THE ENVIRONMENT? | 256 VOTES

9% NO 91% YES p. 13 HAVE YOU EVER FELT THAT YOUR FEELINGS WEREN’T VALID, JUST BECAUSE SOMEONE ELSE’S WERE DIFFERENT OR “WORSE”? | 191 VOTES J U N I O R A M A N DA CO L L I N S : “ T h a t ’s a fu n ny p i c t u re. I l o o k a l m ost s u r p r i s e d .

W i t h my eyes w i d e n e d , i t d i sto r ts t h e m a ke u p l o o k, b u t I h ave my h a n d p l a ce l i ke I ’m a b o u t to p os e.

I t ’s n o t my favo r i te p i c t u re o f myse l f, b u t I l i ke t h e e m ot i o n c a pt u re d i n i t ! ” p h oto by | a n n a ka te d i l ks

JUNIOR MAZEY HEIM: “ S ee i n g t h i s p i c t u re ta kes m e r i g ht b a c k to b e i n g i n t h e m u s i c a l . T h o u g h t h e o u t fi t wa s n’ t exa c t l y my s t y l e, I fe l t s o i n c h a ra c te r a n d h i g h s o c i et y eve r y t i m e I p u t i t o n . I t wa s t h e b es t ro l e I ’ ve p l aye d i n a m u s i c a l s o fa r. ” p h oto by | t revo r p a u l u s

18% NO 82% YES

OPINION | 11

design by | grace allen photos by | taylor keal

AFF EC T ING T H E

PHYSI C AL by winnie wolf

O

ne month ago, I’d be sitting hunched over on the edge of my bed, cracking open my second Celsius of the day around 10:40 p.m. This was my only way to get the energy to complete my homework after a day of 7 a.m. drill team practice, school and studio dance.

My life was strictly scheduled, making it hard for things like an impromptu Tropical Smoothie Cafe trip with my friends after school. Junior year has been packed with homework-filled all nighters, volunteering and more dance practice than you can imagine — but that’s what gives my life structure, keeping me on track and in shape. But now, with an enforced statewide quarantine, I suddenly have all the time in the world to fill days with family card games and an excessive amount of screen time.

And to tell you the truth: I hate it. Granted, no one likes not being able to see their friends or compete at state for their spring sport. But transitioning from my previous lifestyle into days full of lounging is hurting both my mental and physical health.

I swear I’m not the same person anymore. Weeks into quarantine and the old, itching feeling of not wanting to sit still in class because I wanted to be up and moving has transformed into the desire to do nothing all day.

I know I won’t get the sensation of busyness back in my life for a while. So until then, I’ve been looking for tasks in this new “normal” life that make me feel productive. From helping my sister with her cheer jumps or pulling a Marie Kondo in my bedroom — it’s all proving harder than I’d anticipated According to Piedmont Healthcare, when someone carries out routine activities, it creates a preparedness that reduces stress by making the situation appear more controllable and predictable.

Mentally, I’m losing my mind. Without a routine, it’s hard to know what’s coming next. Even with the makeshift daily to-do list on my phone, it’s easy to skip those bullet points and push it back a day so I can keep scrolling through TikTok. My brain is scattered and I’m constantly feeling unproductive, which puts me in a mental slump.

The nights I once spent doing conditioning until the mirrors turn foggy and practicing intricate jazz combos at the studio have been replaced by a constant cycle of fighting and making up with my siblings — you wouldn’t believe which one is more exhausting.

Being cooped up with my family has heightened my emotions. They seem to change each hour — part of the reason it’s so emotionally exhausting. I’m sad

that I don’t get to talk about my day at school with my mom anymore. But I’m also getting angrier with every sibling-induced taunt over desserts I gave up for Lent and more annoyed with every unannounced room barge-in when they need me.

I’ve had multiple days where I stay locked up in my room all day because I need a break from my family. In that time I’ve binged three seasons of “The Vampire Diaries” and read six books — which is more “productive” than I’ve been for most of the quarantine honestly.

But to my defense, I’ve done almost everything you can think of. The deep cleaning of my room and closet was done in the first few days of quarantine.

I’ve been completing my online homework within the first three days of it being assigned, even with my brain moving at negative 100 miles per hour — that’s how little I have to do. I can come up with as many things to do as I want, but that doesn’t bring back the structure I used to have in my life.

According to Piedmont Healthcare, when you reduce the number of decisions you have to make each day, you’ll tend to find a deeper sense of peace and relaxation within your mind and body.

Therefore each day, the same questions are bouncing around in my head — how do people live like this? Coming home after school and spending their weekends doing nothing but chill? How can anyone be content with this?

The only thing I have to base my day around is my online studio dance classes through Zoom. But since some classes from my typical schedule had to be cut, the work doesn’t sustain me anymore. I’m simply not getting the physical exercise I used to get every day.

I feel pressured to work on my own time so I’m not behind for when competition season resumes. But it’s hard to find that motivation when you can’t see your coaches or studio in person — especially when you’ve been sitting around for days, grazing your refrigerator when you inevitably get bored again.

I’m finding myself getting active in ways I wouldn’t have done a month ago. Walks around the neighborhood with my sister, TikTok ab challenges, I’ve even run on the dusty treadmill in our basement.

It’s the small things that are filling the holes of the big things I lost due to quarantine. If it makes me smarter, cleaner, organized or sweaty, I’ll make a point to get to it. Keeping a sense of order in my life when my emotions and restlessness are wavering is how I can eventually return to the basis I long for.

And, it means no impulsive decisions to dye my hair or pierce my ears.

&

P OL L

Has quarantine improved your mental heath?

INSTAGRAM POLL | 273 VOTES

NO 20%

YES

MENTAL Staffer believes transitioning from a structured lifestyle to quarantine has effected her mental and physical heath

W I N N I E’S R EA D S

***** ***** **** ****

T H E H AT E YO U G I V E | 5 S TA R S ANGIE THOMAS

H A R R Y P O T T E R & T H E S O R C E R E R S S T O N E | 5 S TA R S J.K ROWLING

H A R R Y P O T T E R A N D T H E C H A M B E R O F S E C R E T S | 4 S TA R S J.K ROWLING

H A R R Y P O T T E R A N D T H E P R I S O N E R O F A Z K A B A N | 4 S TA R S J.K ROWLING

OTHER CHANGES DAN C E M O NDAY-FRI DAY 1 HO U R C LAS S E S 1-3 T IM E S A DAY SC H OO L A P C L AS SWO RK REA D I N G FAMI LY T I M E FAM ILY WAL KS T R AM PO LIN E P E RSO N A L T I M E O RGA N I Z I N G SLEEPING IN

Other changes Winnie has made since being quarantined

12 | OPINIONS

design by | cesca stamati

UNINTENDED

B E N E FI TS

N I T RO G E N L E V E L S WITH A DECREASE IN THE USAGE OF COAL-FIRED POWER PLANTS AND FACTORIES, THE NITROGEN DIOXIDE LEVELS IN CHINA HAVE GONE DOWN AS MUCH AS 30%.

2019 N O 2 L E V E LS

Amidst the worldwide outbreak of COVID-19, global environment improves in some areas due to the sudden decrease in human-environment interaction

A

by rose kanaley

s I scrolled past COVID-19 memes and videos of families making TikToks on Instagram, something caught my eye.

NASA’s maps of air pollution across the globe that are normally bright orange have turned almost completely blue.

The typical orange-red color represents the high levels of air pollution, but the blue that’s now covering these world maps shows that pollution has decreased by incredible measures. Less people are on the roads driving to work and school, less planes are traveling the globe and less factories are in production. Now, we need to open the conversation to find how we can maintain a cleansing pattern even after things return to normal.

In just a span of a few months — even if it was caused by a global pandemic — we’ve seen the positive impact we can have on our environment if we cut back on fossil fuel use. People have said it’s too late to make any real changes now and that the damage we’ve done to the environment is irreversible, but we’ve now seen that a change in how we go about our daily lives can make tremendous differences in a short span of time. But if we immediately fall back to our previous interactions with the environment once the global pandemic is over, all the positive impact we’ve seen will disappear.

Since the initial shutdown in Wuhan, China in January — previously one of the top 100 most polluted cities in the world — nitrogen dioxide emission levels went from between 400-500 μmol/m2 or micromoles per meter squared to less than 100. Moderate to good levels of this are considered to be between zero and 100, so this makes a big impact in climate change as lower levels of greenhouse gases cause less heat to be retained in the low atmosphere. And in New York, pollution has already been reduced by almost 50% according to BBC News.

Let’s be clear, I’m not saying that COVID-19 is under any circumstances a positive thing, but it has shown us that it’s possible for humans to make a (much needed) change in our pollution levels and decrease our carbon footprint in a short amount of time. And now that we know it’s possible, we can’t return to the idea that we’re “too far gone” and can’t help the Earth.

As much as we’d like to believe that a few months of “pause” from the constant pollution humans typically poison the planet with will solve all environmental issues, it’s going to take a long-term solution.

Sure, these positive changes we’re seeing are because of the shutdown of cities and countries across

the world. It won’t be as easy to make dramatic changes without the shutdown of our daily activities, but any decreases we can make, whether it’s by creating stricter standards through limiting production in factories or limiting vehicular travel, will make a difference.

We have this time now, a period without the same great levels of production and consumption we’re accustomed to, to decide if we want to turn things around once society returns to normal.

So even though it feels like the most important things in your life have been taken away, whether that’s being able to go out to get Chick-Fil-A with your friends or play your senior season of a spring sport, what we have now is a time to reflect and restart.

Reflect on what we can and will do better — like helping out the environment.

We can’t shut down all production for good, but limiting the number of factories or individual vehicular use can make a difference. Whether it’s something as simple as carpooling with a neighbor to school or writing to your local government and asking them to pay more attention to climate change, small changes add up.

We don’t need a set solution in place yet, but we need to continue the conversation and treat the issue for what it is: a problem that can be solved.

Right now, the planet’s health isn’t taken seriously — and it should be. The current way our society thrives and builds the economy through our materialism and constant production is a reflection of our neglect toward the planet. Keeping our planet healthy doesn’t just mean a better place for plants and other species, it’s important to our society’s life as well. According to the World Health Organization, 4.6 million people die every year from causes directly attributable to air pollution like asthma, bronchitis, lung and heart diseases and respiratory allergies.

COVID-19 clearly isn’t anything close to a savior or solution to climate change. But the virus is forcing us to stop all daily activities and production for a few months and has brought a new perspective to the idea of making a positive difference.

With this newfound meaning to making a positive difference, people need to be willing to look at all the good than can come from a healthier planet and decreased pollution.

So now it’s not about how we feel or act during this shutdown, it’s about how that forces us to look forward to what we will do — more importantly how we’ll treat the planet — once this quarantine ends.

2020 N O 2 L E V E LS

More NO2

W I L D L I F E WA R N I N G N A R A , JA PA N DUE TO THE LACK OF TOURISTS WHO THEY DEPEND ON FOR FOOD, THE JAPANESE SIKA DEER HAVE VENTURED OUTSIDE OF NARA PARK AND INTO A SHOPPING AREA LOOKING FOR FOOD..

V E N I C E , I TA LY VENICE’S USUALLY MURKY CANALS ARE NOW CLEAR AND DOLPHINS HAVE BEEN SPOTTED IN ITS WATERWAYS.

L L A N D U D N O, WA L E S SEVERAL MOUNTAIN GOATS WERE SEEN ON THE STREETS OF THE CITY DUE TO A LACK OF PEOPLE.

OPINION | 13

design by | caroline chisholm

DON’T FEEL BAD FOR FEELING

PA I N I S PA I N .

You have the right to feel whatever you are feeling, regardless of what others have been through relative to your experience

T I P S TO H E L P R E L I E V E G U I LT M OV E YO U R B O DY

S H I F T YO U R T H O U G H T S .

GETTING EXERCISE CAN G E N E R AT E E N D O R P H I N S A N D B O OST YO U R M O O D

T RY TO T H I N K T H O U G H TS LIKE “MY FEELINGS ARE VA L I D ” A N D “ I T ’ S O K AY T O BE SAD”

R E M E M B E R G U I LT Y THOUGHTS ARE NOT FAC TS AC K N OW L E D G E T H E G U I LT Y O U F E E L D I R E C T LY * I N F O R M AT I O N C O U R T E S Y O F P S Y C H C E N T R A L . C O M

I

by lyda cosgrove

’m an emotional person. Ever since I was little, I’ve cried about everything. Whether it’s not getting my way in an argument with my little sister, getting a bad grade on my Biology test or watching “The Notebook” for the eleventh time — I can’t hold back my tears.

The moment Gov. Laura Kelly announced school would be canceled for the rest of the semester, I was devastated.

It finally hit me that this virus was not just another meme-able joke that would go away and the effects were actually major. No more hanging out with friends, no more last minute trips to Chick-Fil-A, even simple errands to CVS would be a hassle.

In all moments of my sadness, my happy-go-lucky dad has always emphasized the importance of gratitude.

So with the coronavirus’s impact on our entire way of life, Dad’s been pushing his mantra of “look at all the things you have rather than what’s missing” more than ever.

Although I know my dad is right

and gratitude is important, that doesn’t make me any less sad. Life as I knew it had been taken and twisted into a new world far from normal. Grocery store trips would have an added layer of stress with gloves, masks, wipes and the endless reapplication of hand sanitizer.

All social interactions with my friends would be separated by the six foot boundary — if I was even able to interact with them at all.

And I was rightfully sad about it. My dad tried to help me cope in the best way he knew how: “There are people dying, and all you have to do is stay inside.” “Your ancestors had to fight in wars and battle with far worse things than this.” “If prisoners in the Holocaust were able to find joy through art and music, then you can too.”

My sadness quickly shifted to guilt.

How could I be sad when hundreds of people are dying, when millions of people have it far worse? But I shouldn’t have to feel guilty for being sad, no matter what the circumstance may be.

And neither should you.

Like many things, it’s easy to turn

sadness into a game of one-upping.

Saying things like “at least you don’t have to deal with this” or “this is even harder for me because blah blah blah” may be your way of putting a positive

Feeling your feelings doesn’t mean you’re ungrateful, it means you’re human. All of the frustration, sadness, anger and negativity will always be valid — regardless of what anyone else says.

spin on someone else’s pain, but it does nothing but turn it into a competition.

It’s unfair to discount others’ feelings just because you feel as though your situation is worse. While a senior missing prom and graduation is heartbreaking, a freshman missing their first spring sport is equally as sad. There’s no “checklist” to who or why someone can feel emotion.

For days in quarantine, I sat wondering, “Why am I so sad about this?

Why can’t I just let it go and enjoy this time to slow down?”

I was constantly telling myself, “It could be so much worse. Just be grateful.”

Of course things could always be worse. An optimistic view on life is key to staying positive in dark times, and I’m all for it, but just because things could have been worse doesn’t mean that they aren’t still bad.

Anne Frank once wrote, “Feelings can’t be ignored, no matter how unjust or ungrateful they seem.” Feeling your feelings doesn’t mean you’re ungrateful, it means you’re human. All of the frustration, sadness, anger and negativity will always be valid — regardless of what anyone else says.

Eventually, I stopped the sulking and wishing things were different, and finally accepted my new reality. There would be no more school, no more seeing friends and no more leaving my little bubble. I was going to be sad, and that was okay.

While gratitude is necessary — now more than ever — to keep yourself grounded and positive, pain is still pain, no matter the circumstances.

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FEATURES | 15

design by | jilli foley

F E AT U R E

HIGHLIGHTS

R E I L LY K E N N E Y F E AT U R E D A R T I S T GRAPHIC DESIGNER

ONE BIG EMPTY CITY

K E N N E Y ’S TO O L S INDESIGN

B E L O W Brooke Beaty Park off of Lee closed due to COVID-19 and closed off by construction fencing. photo by | emma kate squires

PHOTOSHOP HOW MUCH TIME DO YOU DEDICATED TO ART? “It depends on which one, the longest time I’ve spend on a project is probably around 12-13 hours total because I have to work on it for so long if I’m making it for someone else and they want me to change things in the art. Sometimes I have to restart if they don’t like it. It takes a process to have the person like it the way it is to call it complete.”

WHAT ARE SOME THINGS YOU CREATE YOUR ART FOR? “Mostly the digital art has mostly been for posters and schools projects for certain events. Most of my projects are for the Theater Department of East when there’s a show or performance coming

T O P Hen House’s empty isles as customers start purchasing out the store photo by | taylor keal

up. I’ve more recently been doing album covers to people.

R I G H T Price Chopper’s empty shelves with signs limiting customer’s amount to purchase photo by | emma kate squires

twisted reilly kenney

H OW DO YO U CO M E UP WIT H YO UR IDEAS? “Sometimes I have the idea I want to do at the top of my head, but then other times it’s a little bit harder so I usually go to Pinterest and look around for stuff that I like. I also have a full folder I dedicate to inspiration for graphic design separately. But most of my ideas is by looking at other art and

V I D E O F E AT U R E S SCAN ME | THE HARBINGER STAFF ON QUARANTINE Catch up with a few Harbinger staffers as they talk about what the do to stay busy during quarantine! | by ryan gossick

seeing what I can do with it and twisting it to be a design that looks like my work.”

HAVE YOU DONE ANY OTHER ART BESIDES GRAPHIC DESIGN? “Not as recently but in the past I’ve done other art before, but most of the time I spend on art is more graphic design than anything else. When we were still in school I was doing more physical art to enhance my abilities, but I mostly use my time to work on my graphic designs than anything else .”

SCAN ME | 21 QUESTIONS WITH SRA. HALKSWORTH In this episode of 21 Questions, Spanish and French teacher Sra. Halksworth performs the Roger Rabbit, recites pig Latin, and describes the items on her bucket list. | by olivia olson

ARE YOU GOING TO PURSUE WITH YOUR ART IN FUTURE IN ANY WAY? “In a way I am going to pursue my art. I have a lot of my past work in a portfolio I’m building towards architecture school.

I’m going to have to be using art in that field so It’s really going to help strengthen my application for the future. ”

16 | FEATURES

ne

THE T Freshman uses drawing characters in nude to discover the strength of

by lauren west

F

reshman Alyssa Alvey is a numerical kind of person. She’ll remember your birthday, but will forget your name.

And so when it comes to food, all she sees are numbers — how many chips her sea salt and vinegar bag recommends, how many calories are in her mac and cheese, whether or not her breakfast has enough macronutrients to get her through the day.

After struggling through panic attacks from not being able to eat the food that tasted best to her to realizing that the food she was putting in her body was unhealthy, Alvey

I think being able to be open about my genuine body shape over time has left me more accepting. People do not come out of the womb in clothing, it’s not how the human body works, so I would say to [everyone], be accurate to how the human body is and don’t hide what makes the human body.

alyssa alvey | freshman could only see herself as flawed.

But when she opens her black composition book, her anxiety surrounding her body mass index (BMI) and caloric intake is relieved by each stroke that curves the human body.

What started off as an obsession over calorie counting has turned into a piece of art — the bare human body.

Through drawing TV show fan art, creating characters and storytelling, Alvey has found her creative outlet that helps her let go of the numbers and see the human body for what it

truly is — unique.

This past year, Alvey’s thoughts about her body spiraled when she was diagnosed with major depressive disorder, generalized anxiety disorder and social anxiety disorder.

After speaking with her psychologist, she was referred to see a dietitian regarding concerns for an eating disorder. While she was only recently diagnosed, Alvey has been well aware of her mental health issues since seventh grade, when she began obsessively tracking her calories. “[Growing up], I’ve witnessed her go through crazy weight loss transformations and underlying it with bulimia and other serious eating disorders,” Alvey’s older sister Lauren said.

According to Alvey, all she would eat growing up was sea salt and vinegar chips, mac and cheese and grilled cheese. When she turned 10, she began to notice that her diet wasn’t healthy, leading her to focus on the flaws of her body. Alvey grew up thinking she was an “outlier” because her family was fit and she wasn’t.

But in reality, she was listening to the numbers that said she had a BMI of 25.1 — according to MedicalNewsToday.com, a BMI between 18.5 and 24.9 is considered a healthy middle ground, meaning she wasn’t as unfit as she saw herself.

It wasn’t until her first semester in Jodie Schankenberg’s Intro to Studio Art class when she was

assigned to draw he Alvey expressed he draw the clothes for to draw the underg exposed skin.

After a weekly se Alvey finally saw how was for her to draw “I feel like when a lot of personal de “I had to examine th more detail and ac like drilled into my b Alvey now focus TV characters and leaving them bare. art isn’t the sexual a porn website, it’s m in a museum. Her d beauty and uniquene “I normally just d can figure out what person,” Alvey said. the person looks like don’t really know w clothing.”

When she finds th oversized bean bag poses that the subj might perform. S fighting poses like “Avatar: The Last A of Korra” — to draw for an art project.

She’ll then look anatomical body. On complete, she adds the image. Blendi her standard bo wrinkles, mus “A lot of

ed

TRUTH the human body by breaking down what is underneath the clothes

erself as a paper doll that erself. Before she could r her paper doll, she had garments — which meant

ession with her therapist, w healthy and cathartic it herself.

I did that project I found evelopment,” Alvey said. he sketch, look at it with cept. And acceptance is brain at this point.” ses on drawing animated telling their stories by According to Alvey, her type of nudity found on more like the kind found rawings help her see the ess to all body shapes. draw a person naked so I t they would look like in “If you don’t know what e under clothing, then you what they look like in the

he time, Alvey sits on her g and researches action ect of her next drawing he’s drawn figures in Toph — a character from Airbender and the Legend wing renditions of herself

at a clipart image of the nce the technical work is s the artistic touches to ing her action pose with ody, Alvey highlights the scles and curves. f times when people draw

figures, they mainly draw body types that are similar to them because a lot of people see themselves and say ‘this is how a body should be’,” Alvey said. “But, there are so many different body types, people who are

ABOVE Alyssa Alvey’s early sketches of some of her art | photo by annakate dilks

underweight, people who are overweight, people with different body compositions.”

While Alvey’s art has helped her accept her own body, she is still battling with other diagnoses that require help apart from art — like someone to talk to.

For most of her life, Alvey’s sister has always been there for her in a maternal way due to their 10 year age gap. Lauren tried to make sure there was healthy food at home, a time for Alvey to get exercise and to be as attentive to her sister’s mental state as she could. Now that Alvey is a freshman, Lauren is independently living in Washington D.C. so their dynamic has shifted into a big sister, callme-when-you-need-me type relationship.

“I’m glad she’s taking self care and the time out of her day to draw,” Lauren said. “It’s kind of hard when you don’t have someone your same age to interact with at home, she’s

basically an only child. Drawing is the kind of way she can express emotions and take care of herself.”

With her sister only a phone call away, Alvey understands it is hard to communicate those feelings over the phone. So when Alvey feels a panic attack coming on at school or stresses over not eating enough calories, she turns to her friends.

Alvey and longtime friend freshman Calliope Boutilier spend their time drawing with one another, obsessing over their favorite TV shows and caring for one another.

“After school we would meet up and then my mom or her mom would drive us home and I could always tell when something was up,” Boutilier said. “She’s had panic attacks during the day where she can’t recover from it.

Sometimes it can be about something specific or less specific, it depends on the day. I just try my best to be there with her and listen.”

Opening herself to professional help, facing her struggles with friends by her side and learning to study and sketch nude art has led Alvey to accept herself. There is more than just square, rectangle, triangle and hourglass body types, but features that make us unique.

“I think being able to be open about my genuine body shape over time has left me more accepting,” Alvey said. “People do not come out of the womb in clothing, it’s not how the human body works, so I would say to [everyone], be accurate to how the human body is and don’t hide what makes the human body.”

design by | lila tulp illustrations by | carolyn popper

18 | FEATURES

design by | sydney newton illustration by | lilah faye

TH E FAMILY EFFECT East parent David VonDrehle comes down with COVID-19, only for his family to come out of it stronger than before

I

by annabelle moore

t was considered a good day for father, husband and Washington Post columnist David VonDrehle if he could muster up the strength to cinch his hoodie over his head and make his way out to the oversized loveseat in the family room. Or even if he was in the mood to eat breakfast in the mornings, his wife Karen said.

After a week of dry coughs and heavy fatigue, it dawned on David that he might have the novel virus he’d been reading about in the morning news. He could have COVID-19. But his temperature was normal, and you can’t have COVID-19 without a fever, right?

David even went out to buy a high-end thermometer to be sure nothing was wrong. For the first few days, it read him at the textbook, normal human body temperature: 97.5 degrees.

No fever. Nothing. He continued to write these symptoms off as spring allergies or a possible oncoming flu.

It wasn’t until five days after David’s first, mild to moderate symptoms appeared on Mar. 16 that he woke up feeling extremely feverish, tired and achy. His new symptoms painted an almost perfect picture of someone suffering COVID-19.

The two or more weeks he spent battling it were grueling for him and his family, but their cohesiveness and support system was what got him through the novel COVID-19.

“It was [around day five or day six], when [David] started walking around with the hoodie over his head and taking his temperature more often, and then later that night I saw this [doctor] on TV who tested positive and had mild symptoms, I thought, ‘Oh gosh, this could be COVID-19,’” Karen said.

After realizing David’s symptoms were likely of COVID-19, she spent more than eight hours on the phone trying to find somewhere — from their family’s primary care physician to hospitals and emergency rooms all over the city — that would test or check David out.

None of the places Karen called would offer a test due to the shortage and David’s only ‘mild symptoms,’ but St. Luke’s Community Hospital off 132nd and State Line was willing to have a doctor check him out.

The hospital instructed David to stay in the parking lot in his car, taking his information over the phone. A doctor and nurse, both in masks, came out to the lot with a cart. The doctor took his vital signs and instructed him to put the mask on, in his car, so he could get out for them to check his breathing.

“That’s when [the doctor] said you know, given your symptoms, I think you have it, but we’re not going to give you a test,” David said. “She was very nice, but she just sent me home to lock myself away.”

David still doesn’t know where he may have picked up the virus.

Did he touch the wrong door at Price Chopper? Or the wrong ATM machine? David works and writes his columns from the solidity of his home. He was also carefully following hand washing and social distancing precautions to protect Karen, who suffers from multiple sclerosis.

This disease attacks her immune system.

After going to the doctor, David immediately went home to self-quarantine in his room, away from his wife and two

daughters who still live at home (his son and oldest daughter don’t). David is 59-years-old and in good health, so he and his family never feared death. But this virus still had his teeth chattering, under layers and layers of covers.

“The worst [moments of COVID-19] were at night,” David said. “I had several nights when it seemed like I was drifting in and out of sleep and these weird, troubled dreams, feeling like I was going to freeze to death. But I was too weak and too tired to take any medicine or anything, to do anything about it.”

David had dreams of being on an ice-cold ranch riding a horse, only to somehow fall off and be walked on by the horse, unable to stand up.

Karen slept in the same bed as David for the entirety of his illness. They knew this was risky, given Karen’s underlying condition, but she figured she was already exposed long before they knew it was COVID-19.

For Karen, the long nights were also fearful.

“His breathing was so uneven — it was like a rattle, rattle, rattle followed by a deeper groan from his chest,” Karen said.

“Then it would also look like he wasn’t breathing at all, but after a moment, he would breathe easily for several minutes, then the rattles would start again.”

Karen remembers times in the night when David would wake up in an almost-delirious state, in-and-out of sleep, mumbling about how he is useless in consoling his daughters during this hard time. “ A n d that frightened me because he’s a caretaker [of this family], he is almost too much,” Karen said. “ H e ’ s almost an e n able r.

But [due t o

COVID-19], he felt helpless because my two daughters mourned the end of the school year.”

One of his three daughters, junior Clara VonDrehle, was supposed to go on the choir trip, with David as a chaperone.

She was supposed to have a solo, singing in beautiful ancient cathedrals across Europe. His other daughter, Addie, a freshman at Mizzou, was robbed of a full freshman year. And as for his other two kids who no longer live at home, they had needs of their own — yet weren’t allowed in the house for the two weeks he was sick to prevent further exposure. If they needed something, Karen or one of the girls would put it out in the garage for them.

As for Karen, multiple sclerosis limits her mobility, so she is used to David taking care of her. David normally does the laundry and dishes, and will be the one to grab something off the tall cupboard when Karen needs it. She said that David usually goes to sleep after her, and wakes up before her — jumping out of bed to make her coffee before she has the chance to.

While David was tucked away under layers of covers in their bed, Karen missed “morning coffee with Dave,” along with reading the news together.

Now, over 16 days later, David is finally seeing the end of this monster virus, as Karen coined it. David has been going on walks around his neighborhood to get fresh air, yet still keeping his distance from everyone else.

“The first day he wanted to go for a walk, I thought, ‘Okay, okay this is the light at the end of the tunnel, he’s going to be okay,’” Karen said. “We met the dragon and we slayed him because David wants to go for a walk. He has enough energy to do that. That was the moment.”

Through battling COVID-19, David has witnessed an even stronger sense of family and community in his circle.

David’s neighbors have been taking great care of him, bringing him food and meals and encouragement.

“People have been amazing,” David said. “My readers, too — I’ve gotten hundreds of emails encouraging me, so that’s all been great.”

Karen sees that as one of the biggest tokens their family will take out of this: the assurance that people take care of each other when they’re down. She believes that’s an important lesson for her girls to learn.

The rest of the family is hopeful they’re part of that 80% of the population that will never show symptoms of COVID-19, especially given Karen’s disease. They are now past the incubation period of being exposed to David’s case.

Karen and David are finally having their morning coffee together again, hopeful people can see the severity of COVID-19.

“If it can flatten a man as healthy as David VonDrehle, it can flatten anybody,” Karen said. “I would just want people to know that it’s a monster bug, and that don’t pretend it’s the flu — it’s something way worse than the flu, exponentially.”

wed

design by | celia condon photos by | aislinn menke

Excited for their future weddings, these East students have already started planning their big days on Pinterest

EXCITED TO

B ELLA ’S M U STS

TOP RIGHT Wolfe plans to wear Christian Louboutin shoes at her wedding UPPER RIGHT The reception will call for a change into a sleek white pantsuit LOWER RIGHT The ceremony will happen in Thorncrown Chapel in Arkansas BOTTOM RIGHT Wolfe plans to have her wedding ring in a pink valor box

FEATURES | 19

M

caroline chisholm ost teen girls who use Pinterest today, downloaded the app in elementary school. Some of them used it to gather style inspiration, their favorite DIY craft ideas or easy cookie recipes to show off at the yearly bake sale. Others created the infamous “My Wedding” board to save their favorite bridesmaid dresses, color schemes, cake creations and flower arrangements –– despite being a 5th grader with no relationship in sight.

At the age of eight, now sophomore Bella Wolfe was saving her favorite wedding concepts to her one and only board, “Bella’s Board,” on her mom’s account –– she was too young to have her own. Although the board was a mash-up of all the pins she wanted to save, it was the first glimpse at wedding conceptualizing for Wolfe.

Eight years later, Wolfe has switched from a family desktop to her own iPhone, but remains picking out engagement rings, wedding dress silhouettes and invitation designs, but with her own account now, of course. Even though she’s years away from a wedding, Wolfe still is excited about the perfect glass church she plans to exchange vows in and the live band’s setlist for her reception.

Wolfe is one of the 70% of Pinterest users who have created wedding-inspired boards pre-engagement, and for some, even prerelationship, according to Bustle. Teens and adults across the nation spend hours of their days sifting through the millions of wedding pictures to gather ideas to fulfill their wedding dreams.

Despite only being a high schooler, Wolfe thinks it’s something fun to do and even to look back at as she gets older. Continuing to dream of a perfect wedding, with full intent to execute, fulfills her childhood girl cliché of the perfect day with the perfect person.

“For me, it’s always been my princess fantasy,” Wolfe said. “I think that a lot of times it can be intimidating like people are always asking “You’ve started planning your wedding?’ and I always tell them it’s nothing that I am super serious about. It is something I do for fun. It’s just always been a dream of mine to have my perfect wedding.”

Wolfe isn’t alone at East in exploring the wedding world. Senior Katie Drake and sophomore Sydney Bounds click on the wedding topic page as they scroll through Pinterest. In fact, 47 students responded in a poll of 300 that they had thought about their future weddings.

Like Wolfe, Drake uses Pinterest to store her wedding must-haves and maybes. She’s gathered ideas about photo editing aesthetics to someday share with her photographer and by

determined the majority of her budget is going to be dedicated to buying an abundant amount of flowers.

Drake started her idea board freshman year, believing it’s never too young to start thinking about it. Although, she does think it’s important to not get wrapped up in the superficial plans.

“I don’t constantly obsess over it,” Drake said. “But I don’t think there is anything wrong with starting to look as long as you keep other goals like career goals and dreams first over what type of flowers you want.”

Bounds, who also has the customary wedding board, likes to gather ideas, but doesn’t attach to them too easily. As an intern for two ‘Day-Of’ wedding planners, planners who show up the day of the wedding to make everything run smoothly, Bounds learned Pinterest can set unrealistic expectations sometimes.

“Pinterest is such a perfect place,” Bounds said. “Everything always looks really nice on there, but that’s not what most people’s weddings look like. That is what a Pinterest wedding looks like so it’s important to remember that when it comes to actually

SCAN ME | BOARD Scan here to take a glimpse into Bella’s ‘Wedding’ themed Pinterest Board

planning your wedding.”

But the realistic understanding doesn’t stop her from soaking up fun budget-friendly wedding DIYs or dreaming about the perfect altar set-up.

To Bounds, a “perfect wedding” comes with a detailed schedule so that the event runs smoothly. For Drake, it’s a canopy of flowers and light strands over her as she walks towards her future husband. For Wolfe, it’s a pair of louboutins to walk down the aisle in, like her mother, and a female officiant to merge her political and religious beliefs.

However, they acknowledge nothing is set in stone. Every pin can be deleted, and new ideas can be added. Wolfe’s mom reminds her that her hopes may change, but she knows that gathering her thoughts in one place will better serve her in the future.

“My mom always tells me when I’m showing her dresses and [wedding ideas] ‘You know your preferences may change’” Wolfe said “And I am like ‘I know that,’ but I think it will be fun and useful when I actually am planning my wedding to go back and look at the ideas I had.”

20 | FEATURES

W H O YO U G O N N A C A L L ?

by carolyn popper

E

ast Mom Julie Chapman sat surrounded by paranormal tracking gadgets, placing a fresh set of batteries in each piece of equipment. Her stash is an accumulation of over 10 years — 10 years of her husband urging Julie to pace herself when purchasing devices that she sees on ghost hunting TV. “I want ghost equipment like some people want jewelry,” Julie said.

She made sure the EVP — a voice recorder meant for paranormal activity — wouldn’t die out and the REM pod — a device that sounds when surrounding energy is strong — would stay active for her upcoming girls’ trip.

The Ghost Moms — Julie Chapman, Kelly Seibert, Emily Penke and Liz Beedle — are all mothers of East district students who travel across the Midwest to haunted places, witnessing and recording paranormal activity. On a girls’ trip to New Orleans last May, the women attended ghost tours offered in the city. Liz knew a spot back in Kansas City they should scope out on their own, and

by January, the group of women had a new hobby.

Kelly, mother of Prairie elementary and Indian Hills middle school students, once recruited her longtime friend Julie to test Kelly’s newly purchased — but 100-year-old — house for paranormal activity. Julie brought her equipment and they walked room to room, asking spirits if anyone was present. When the REM pod stayed silent, she determined the house was clear. After having experienced the excitement that comes with hunting for paranormal activity, Kelly sometimes wished the house wasn’t devoid of spirits.

Kelly is considered “The Historian” of the group. On her four mile runs around Mission Hills, she listens to podcasts detailing haunted locations around the Midwest. When she discovers a promising location every couple months, like the Pytheon Castle in Springfield, MO or Axe murder house in Villisca, IA, a text is sent into their group chat, “Ghost Moms,” encouraging the other three moms to read up on their next stop.

Julie, assigned with the duty of booking, communicates with the owner of a location, explaining their situation and often scoring a deal. Kelly tries to imagine what the family of the house looked like 100 years ago, what they did during the day, who they might hear or see.

Upon arrival, the moms check in with the owner of the hotel or house, who usually gives background history on the location. At the Axe Murder House in Villisca, IL, the owner in sunglasses and a full beard laughed as they walked in — Kelly guesses he took one look at their Lululemon leggings and Uggs and didn’t think they’d last the night.

That happens a lot, according to Kelly. When venturing into a haunted winery in Liberty, MO, the moms couldn’t help but notice judgement coming from the accompanying group. The others were shocked to find that the ghost moms brought more equipment and left with better results.

“They thought we were, well, not a bachelorette party because we’re too old, but just some silly little girls’ trip,” Kelly said.

After check in and grabbing dinner, ghost hunting begins around 8 p.m. The moms have a strict rule of not drinking at dinner — in the hardcore ghost hunting community, any impairment would forfeit their findings. Although once, they wound up at Denny’s at 3 a.m. in the morning so slap happy, the workers must have assumed they were drunk.

Typically, activity doesn’t present itself until 11 p.m., so to withstand the hours of waiting, the moms ritually down a Five Hour Energy. Then, they say a prayer together and turn on the equipment. But once a paranormal whisper, whistle or mumble is heard, the need for caffeine disappears and adrenaline kicks in.

According to the ghost moms, they approach ghost hunting with a more light-hearted and positive energy. Some ghost hunters want to explore the more dark, sinister side of the paranormal,

trying to aggravate demonic spirits — the moms are all about the Casper ghosts, Julie says. Childrens’ spirits are drawn to their “mom energy,” and have shown themselves when the REM pod lights up like a christmas tree, the red and green lights flashing and the audio buzzing. They’ve told stories of Rapunzel and Cinderella, even sung songs to make kids’ spirits feel comfortable.

At a lot of the destinations, such as the Axe Murder house where six children were murdered, kids have suffered traumatic events. So when the moms ask questions like “Would you like us to continue telling stories?” the REM pod shows activity, indicating a yes. Silence indicates a no, or that nothing is present. Once at the Wornall House, they caught a crystal clear recording of an intelligent spirit — a little boy saying, “Let’s play,” on the EVP. Once, a flashlight flew off the mini fridge by who they believed to be the ghost of a cowboy named Zeke. Kelly and Emily went screaming. Liz, the fearless one, ventured forward to investigate.

Other guests of the hotel in Beaumont, Kansas reported this specific spirit was prone to throwing remote controls. The four moms all slept in the same king bed that night. On their Instagram post from that trip, they hashtagged, #weloveyouzeke.

“We always say we’re like the real housewives of ghost hunting,” Kelly said. “Because we’re in our 40’s and silly.”

There are two kinds of spirits that the moms have found.

Intelligent and residual. An intelligent spirit is aware of their presence and can interact. Like Zeke throwing a remote, or once at the Rice-Tremonti Farm House when a female cooed, “Hello,” as they entered the slave cabin. A residual energy is a non-interacting spirit stuck in the loop of what they may have done in life. For example, a spirit who was a maid in life is on a continuous loop of cleaning. The REM pod is best at tracking these energies and lighting up when activity is close.

The best feeling, and the richest adrenaline rush, is when the group can’t debunk a finding — like if a whisper on the recording was actually Emily, not a spirit. The moms assess every other possibility of what the recording could have picked up and when nothing makes sense, the feeling is like jumping out of a plane, according to Kelly.

A ghost hunting night is never a good night’s sleep, because the rush of ghost discovery keeps them up until three or four in the morning. Before leaving, the moms say another prayer, thanking the spirits, but making sure to inform them that no one is allowed to follow the moms home. The next day, they grab breakfast on the road, and by 3 o’clock p.m., the moms are back to picking up their kids and going to soccer games or swim meets.

“Even with a bad night’s sleep, you gotta keep being a mom,” Kelly said.

Their instagram, @ghostmomskc, features group pictures in front of destinations and EVP recordings of spirits. While their Twitter followers are paranormal hunters, their Instagram followers are filled with community members who are interested in what they do.

Nine times out of 10, people want to come with them on ghost hunts after finding out more. Once, Kelly couldn’t leave her pilates class because another woman wanted to make sure she wasn’t being messed with . Another time, one of her interior design clients wanted her to check out the house — the client had sensed a presence and seen her door open and close on its own through their Ring doorbell.

The moms make fun of themselves because of how scared they get on missions. But they would never make fun or make light of paranormal investigators. The ghost community is serious and tight-knit, and for the moms, the hunts are just something to enjoy together.

“This is a girls night out that just happens to involve ghost hunting,” Julie said. “It could be bridge, tennis, golf, but at night I’d much rather ghost hunt with these girls.”

design by | lila tulp photos by | hadley chapman

East area moms embark on ghost hunting missions as a fun twist to the average girls trip PHOTO “The Ghost Moms” pose for a photo with their ghost-hunting gadgets

FEATURES | 21

design by | sarah bledsoe illistration by | lilah faye

W H AT A B O U T FRESHMAN?

T H EAT E R

IT WAS EARLY AUGUST when hundreds of freshmen walked through the silver doors for the first time as a Lancer. Some couldn’t wait for the Panera mac n’ cheese in their lunch. Some were red-faced because their link leader made them dress in Dr. Seuss costumes.

And some already couldn’t wait for their first sport tryout.

After stumbling through the first semester of high school, they were finally figuring out their bell schedule and finding a group of friends. They felt like they were getting a grip on things. Then the news rang through their houses — fourth quarter was canceled, along with spring sports and extracurriculars.

A breakdown of how freshmen are impacted by the coronavirus and the cancellation of their fourth quarter by riley atkinson

INDIAN HILLS MIDDLE SCHOOL only has one musical every year, which was enough to hook many on the thrill of performance — but freshmen Delaney McDermot and Caroline Kanaley wanted more. And they knew East’s theater department had it.

McDermot and Kanaley couldn’t wait until their theater class four days a week.

And throughout first semester, the freshmen found tight-knit friendships while rehearsing, sewing costumes or learning how to work the spotlights.

With the coronavirus outbreak came the cancellation of Soap Opera and Wanda’s Visit,

which were the two acts of the spring play, and the remaining Frequent Fridays. The week after spring break would’ve been packed with rehearsals and McDermot would be practicing her part of a talking washing machine — but instead, she’s been grudgingly watching “The Office.”

“I felt a sense of disbelief that they were actually going to cancel the spring play,” McDermot said. “Obviously I’ll have more opportunities next year, but we’d all gotten really excited about this and I really loved my part and I really loved the play.”

Both Kanaley and McDermot were involved

with Frequent Fridays throughout the year — whether they played a robot alien or helped with curtains. They grew close to the student directors of those shows, who were all seniors.

All of theater would spend time together during monthly activities — a corn maze and laser tag being some of Kanaley’s favorites.

“I’m definitely going to miss all the seniors,” Kanaley said. “[When I found out], I was devastated because there’s no banquet right now either so it’s kinda like we won’t see any of the seniors for a while.”

Theater has a banquet tradition at the end of every year. The girls had seen pictures

GO L F

BAS E BA L L FRESHMEN LUC PRENDIVILLE HAS signed up for the East baseball camps since he was 10. He’d work on fundamental skills like playing catch or hitting mechanics — and it was from those camps that he knew he wanted to play East baseball.

Freshmen Cade Austin had also wanted to wear the blue uniform since he was in elementary school. He had watched his older brother make it through the East baseball program, so he was consistent about taking runs and keeping his arm strength in preparation for March.

Each day after tryouts, they’d tell their parents all about it. They did tons of mechanical work, from the basics they’d cover at camps to on-field batting practice. Although specific teams were never decided completely, they were thrilled to make a team at all.

“I was on spring break when I heard about it being canceled and I was just shocked because of how hard we’ve worked and how I’ve wanted to play for so long,” Prediville said. “It was just a

from previous years and knew the seniors give speeches, but didn’t know much else, so they’d been looking forward to it.

Now, the banquet is canceled for the time being, as well as thespian initiation, which the girls had been working towards for the whole year.

“It’s really really sad with all this stuff that just comes along with theater that we looked forward to, now it doesn’t get to happen,” McDermot said.

really awful moment I’d say. And then you have all the baseball guys texting and saying ‘good season’ and wishing the seniors goodbye — it was not fun.”

According to Prendiville, the heaviest

SCAN ME | STORY Scan here to read more about how freshman were impacted by the coronavirus by riley atkinson

toll that came with the season’s end is that it would’ve been a huge opportunity for them to show the coaches how they play. Through the season, the coaches could get a good grasp of their skill level and how they can develop with instruction.

Austin agrees with Prendiville that freshman year is the “first impression” year, but he’s grateful that he is only a freshman so he still has time to prove himself in the next three years.

THROUGH THE SUMMER GOING into freshmen year, Thomas Gogel played in countless tournaments and practiced 30 or more hours a week. He had his mind set on playing for the East team — the blisters on his hands and aches in his back were worth it to reach the top side of his teammates’ rankings.

He channeled his nine years of experience into tryouts, and was ranked second on the team, behind senior Will Harding.

“That first week was a lot of fun,” Gogel said. “I got to meet a lot of the seniors who have been there and played and I got a lot of advice from them. They were so welcoming and very, very kind, just showing me and giving me helpful tips.”

East was going for a three-peat at state. Gogel’s main goal for this year was

to make the first team all-state — until he got a text in the golf GroupMe that the entire season was called off.

“I was actually playing golf when I got that text and my mind was just so off because I was thinking ‘I’ve worked so hard for this freshmen year and I don’t even get to play — that’s not fair,’” Gogel said. “I ended up playing badly those last two holes because I was so sad about not being able to play.”

Gogel thinks his freshman year would’ve helped him improve because he could watch the upperclassman and try to follow in their footsteps as they graduate.

“I never got to see what they did or how they did it, so now next year’s gonna be hard the first couple of weeks because I’ll be a sophomore who’s never played in a high school tournament,” Gogel said.

A&E | 23

design by | elizabeth mikkelson photos and information courtesy of | IMDb, netflix and the new york times

BINGE-WORTHY RECOMMENDATION

A&E

HIGHLIGHTS

The Harbinger hub for all things trending in the arts and entertainment world

TO P O F THE C H ARTS: N E TFLIX’S NEWEST RELEAS ES

TITLE | TIGER KING

T I T L E | OZ A R K

N E T F L I X U. S . R A N K I N G | # 1

N E T F L I X U. S . R A N K I N G | # 2

A rivalry between big cat eccentrics, Joe Exotic and Carole Baskin, takes a dark turn when Joe Exotic, a controversial animal park boss, is caught in a murderfor-hire plot.

With season three recently released on Netflix, the story follows a financial adviser who drags his family from Chicago to the Missouri Ozarks, where he must launder money to appease a drug boss.

TITLE | ALL AMERICAN

TITLE | NAILED IT

N E T F L I X U. S . R A N K I N G | # 7

N E T F L I X U. S . R A N K I N G | # 9

When a star high school football player from South Central is recruited to play for Beverly Hills High School, two separate worlds collide in this two-season series.

Home bakers with a disastrous track record for baking take a shot at recreating edible masterpieces for a $10,000 grand prize.

It’s part reality contest, part hot mess that you can’t look away from.

SCAN ME | STORY

SCAN ME | STORY

If you’re skeptical about watching Netflix’s newest documentary, Tiger King, scan here to read Tommy Paulus’s review of whether the craziness that is Joe Exotic is worth the bingeing

If you’re looking to find another new Netflix obsession, scan here to read Cesca Stamati’s top three picks on what to watch that will surely have you clicking for the next episode each time

N E W YO R K T IM E S B E ST SE L L E R PI C KS

TITLE | LITTLE FIRES E V E RY W H E R E

TITLE | WHERE THE C R AW DA D S S I N G

T I T L E | T H E B OY F RO M T H E WO O D S

PAG E S | 3 5 2

PAG E S | 3 6 8

PAG E S | 3 8 4

BY | C E L E ST E N G

BY | D E L I A OW E N S

BY | H A R L A N C O B E N

Staffer reviews the movie Ladybird and shares why everyone should add this to their movie list during quarantine by

sydney decker

IN AN INTERVIEW with IndieWire, writer and director of “Lady Bird” Greta Gerwig said that “nothing in the movie literally happened in my life, but it has a core of truth that resonates with what I know.” It’s this theme that makes the movie feel so familiar and relatable with its audience — or at least it did with me, with the desire to get as far from your hometown as possible after highschool, while also balancing the feeling of nostalgia associated with leaving.

Although it came out in 2017, “Lady Bird” caught my attention since it’s arrival on Amazon Prime.

Not to mention its two starring actors are also in one of my favorite movies, “Little Women” — Saorise Ronan and Timothée Chalamet.

Taking place in 2003, the comedic, unpredictable coming-ofage film tells the story of a soonto-be graduate of a Catholic high school in Sacramento, CA, whose life revolves around the goal of going to the east coast for college, “where culture is.”

The pink-haired, strong-willed Christine “Lady Bird” McPherson, played by Saorise Ronan, navigates many relationships throughout the movie, but the film mainly zeroes in on her battles and sentiments with her mother — all while going through the application process for college. Christine has a blunt and quite literal sense about her, shown in scenes where she screams or jumps out of a car when arguing with her mother — an image many teens dream of doing when arguing with their own parents.

The root of their disagreements is their strong, almost identical personalities. Christine transitions between love fests for her mother to screaming bloody murder at her.

Her mother often fears Christine failing, which to Christine seems ridiculing and insulting. Ultimately, her mother wants the best for her daughter. But her mother sees her as ungrateful when Christine voices her disapproval about attending Catholic school and rejecting her given name, Christine, for her adapted name, “Lady Bird.”

Christine has a faithful best

friend, Julianne — or Julie, her attempt at a modified name a la Lady Bird. But Christine challenges their friendship when she chooses a more popular friend over Julie to earn Christine the higher status she thinks she needs to win over one of her crushes.

Her two love interests, Danny and Kyle, never ended up being anything more than just that: interests. Danny is the sweet, charismatic, musicaltheatre loving boy while Kyle is the deep, gaslighting player-type who hand rolls his cigarettes so as to “not participate in our economy.”

Ronan provides screen presence that offers relatability for the audience, perfectly embodying the dorky, determined teen with a hot pink arm cast — earned when she jumped out of a moving car.

You feel like you somehow know her in a sense, or maybe even recognize some of her qualities, such as confidence, compassion and independence, in yourself.

The production has subtle elements of comedy, yet is so raw and authentic in its realistic portrayal of leaving home. The soundtrack is filled with dreamy, acoustic ensembles, rightfully suiting California’s landscape.

The movie goes to great lengths to beautifully display California’s scenery, which contrasts with Christine’s hatred for Sacramento.

In her college essay that she praises Sacramento quite affectionately, although she plays it off as simply describing it as a result of her “pay[ing] attention.” This is similar to how even though Christine can want nothing to do with her mother and vice versa, there’s underlying love and appreciation.

Christine’s nickname is never explained. The only clue is that she finds it ridiculous to blindly accept the name we’re given, showing her yearn to be independent and live a self-guided life. “Lady Bird” illustrates the bittersweet goodbye when deciding to leave home for college. It connected with me because although I want nothing more than to get to a coast and start my life, I’m sad to leave behind my family and friends and my childhood.

24 | A&E

design by | lila tulp photos by | jackie cameron

QUA RA NT H E M E

NIGHTS

T H E I N T RO

by | jackie cameron

GONE ARE THE days where Friday night dinner means Salty Iguana — no more munching on tortilla chips while surrounded by bright, iguana-inspired decor. When 6 p.m. rolls around it’s bleak, especially considering your parents’ go-to dinner is salmon, broccoli and a roll. One way to spice up dinner time? Theme nights.

Grab your feather boas and baklava for a Mamma Mia inspired meal or maybe throw on a black bathrobe, draw a lightning-shaped scar on your forehead and dig in for a Harry Potter feast. Below is a guide to three different theme nights, including decorations, recipes, outfit ideas and even movie suggestions to finish off the night.

T I M E TO TA I LGAT E

T H E F I T:

T H E F I T:

THROW ON YOUR fanciest attire, whether it’s your freshman-year homecoming dress or a button down, and assume the posh status of royalty for dinner. While not required, tall white gloves are highly encouraged and top hats can only enhance the look you’re going for.

T H E D ECO R : THIS DINNER IS all about VIP status — to ensure everyone’s on the list, send out invitations beforehand.

Just slide them under your sibling’s and parent’s door and make sure to indicate it’s formal attire (you know your sister hasn’t changed out of her sweatpants in days).

T H E M EA L : YOU KNOW WHAT screams upscale? Six course meals.

They don’t have to be filet mignon or lobster, instead focus on the number of courses to cultivate that feeling of luxurious dining. Maybe it’s goldfish as the first appetizer and grilled cheese as the main course — whatever you have left from your last grocery run. For me, that meant a caesar salad kit, PB&J’s and JELLO pudding.

KANSAS CITY HAS been dominating the sports world the past few years so you’re sure to have a variety of Royals, Chiefs and Sporting KC gear lying around the house. Pick your favorite team and dress like you’re headed to a game. Fan of a team that isn’t KC-based? That’s fine too — it’s not like anyone but your family will see you wearing a Broncos jersey.

T H E D ECO R :

THE WHOLE POINT of a tailgate is that it’s outside, usually with your car trunk popped open. Take advantage of the spring weather and set up in your front yard — open up your trunk to hold the food and set out lawn chairs.

T H E M EA L :

NOTHING SAYS SPORTS like hot dogs and hamburgers, so fire up the grill and get cooking. To please your parents, throw some watermelon or carrots with ranch on your plate — we all know your diet has consisted of Cheez-Its and cereal lately. Lay’s potato chips are a staple in all grill-outs, whether they’re original, sour cream and onion or barbecue, so make sure sure to open up a bag.

I T ’S A P J PA RT Y T H E F I T:

PAJAMAS ARE BASICALLY your new school uniform during quarantine, so this one shouldn’t be too difficult to dress up for. All you have to do is roll out of bed, throw on your slippers and stay in your outfit until dinnertime. For a twist on PJ chic, your sleep mask can double as a Blair Waldorf inspired headband.

T H E D ECO R : PAJAMAS ARE ALL about comfort right? Translate that mindset to how you dine — opt for a low coffee table instead of your usual dinner spot. Throw some sleeping bags around it, pile on the pillows and voilá — you’re ready to eat. Just try not to fall asleep.

T H E M EA L : PJ’S AND BREAKFAST food go hand-in-hand, so swap out your typical dinner for breakfast. This is the perfect time to see if blueberry or chocolate chip pancakes are better and polish your sunny-side-up egg technique.

THE TIPS L AV I S H :

W EA R A N EXC E S S I V E A M O U N T O F J E W E L RY P L AC E C A R D S A R E A LWAYS P OS H FO RG E T P L AST I C WAT E R C U PS — U S E ST E M WA R E

M OV I E S U GG E ST I O N S : A N ASTAS I A , T H E G R EAT GATS BY, T H E P RI N C E S S D I A RI E S , D OW N TO N A B B E Y

TA I LGAT E

FO R A D D E D F U N , D R AW O N FAC E PA I N T STA RT A S C RI M M AG E W H I L E I T ’S COO K I N G U S E PA P E R P L AT E S — WO N ’ T H AV E TO D O D I S H E S !

M OV I E S U GG E ST I O N S : J E R RY M AG U I R E , M O N E Y BA L L , BA D N E W S B EA RS , R E M E M B E R T H E T I TA N S

P J PA RT Y:

I F YO U ’ R E CO L D, A D D A F LU F F Y RO B E TO T H E F I T U S E C E R EA L SA M P L E S AS A N A P P E T I Z E R D O N ’ T FO RG E T TO F RY U P S O M E BACO N O R SAU SAG E

M OV I E S U GG E ST I O N S : S L E E P L E S S I N S EATT L E , S L E E P I N G B EAU T Y, I N C E P T I O N

special DELIVERY

A&E | 25

design by | catherine erickson photos by | noelle griffin

by peyton moore

AS MY SANITY came to a tipping point during what felt like my one-millionth day in quarantine, I thought it was about time I revive my ghostly skin with some vitamin D and suit up in my anti-rona attire — dish-washing gloves, face mask and of course my sparkly-foam hand sanitizer — to take on curbside pickup.

With chains and local businesses taking on this “curbside mentality” to limit face-to-face interaction, I thought I should try it out myself with a few lesser-known options.

Staffer tries out unordinary curbside pickup options that minimize human contact

I N C LOV E R

SANITARY RATING

YOU KNOW WHAT would be worse than running out of Cocoa Puffs during quarantine? Celebrating a birthday. Even if I cooked a five-course meal for my mom’s birthday, it’s not like my whole family would wear anything but sweats, and how special and out of the ordinary is that? It’s not.

In hopes of finding a way to make my mom’s “big 50” more memorable than three balloons tied between us and our 75-year-old neighbor’s lawn, I called In Clover Boutique — my mom’s go-to jewelry shop in Corinth square — and took on their personal shopper-curbside pickup process.

Usually my mom would spend hours at In Clover getting any and everyone’s opinion on which style ring fits her, but I have no experience. The personal shopper feature made it easy to find a gift while prohibiting any risks.

Just by first impression, I could tell that my personal

CERAMIC CAFE

SANITARY RATING

THERE’S ONLY SO many times you can rewatch “Gossip Girl,” so I decided to turn to my creative side and pick up a couple Easter dishes from Ceramic Cafe.

I’m not Picasso, but I did win countless finger painting contests in first grade — making this the perfect place for me.

Before you do this make sure you’re in a stable mindset, because navigating through the Ceramic Cafe website was a challenge.

After many phone calls and a few wrong right turns, I picked up my four-mug set off the curb while waving my rubber-gloved hand to the store owner through the glass window. Taking all the precautions, the owner asked me to step away from the door and set down my bag.

The Easter mug set came with four mugs, a pastel

D O LC E

*****

shopper would do anything to help me find my mom the best birthday present. And boy, was she dedicated. My phone lit up every 30-seconds with texts from my pen pal shopper showing me picture after picture of every necklace in the store.

After scrolling through countless pictures, I settled on some simple earrings to tie together any Easterquarantined fit.

When I went to pick up my earrings I was met with a huge smile from the employee at In Clover, who made sure to stay a safe distance away. Not only was the bag adorable and decorated but sanitized before it left the curb.

After returning from the jewelry excursion, I gifted the earrings to the birthday girl. Sadly, there would be nowhere to show off her new glam except the 4:30 p.m.

Zoom happy hour.

SANITARY RATING

DOLCE HAS THE best cupcakes in town. Period. So when I heard curbside pickup was available, all I could picture was their red velvet cupcake — I decided it was time for another curbside adventure.

Unlike Ceramic Cafe, I didn’t need multiple headache pills to help me navigate through their website. With a couple clicks I ventured through their lightly modified curbside pickup menu with ease.

When picking up my cupcake kit, which I patiently waited for three hours to receive, I was unpleasantly surprised. Walking up to the door, I expected them to take all precautions like the rest of the world, but they smiled and waved me right by the doors. Multiple employees and customers made it difficult to keep a six foot distance apart. And let me tell you, my mother was not too happy and had a hand sanitizer bath ready for

A B O V E The workers at In Clover Boutique set the earrings outside the door when they saw Peyton pull up to the store.

*****

color paint palette, every size of paintbrush and thorough instructions of the after-painting process for just over $50. After attempting to paint a cute cartoon bunny that ended up looking like roadkill, I took the mugs back to Ceramic Cafe in hopes to get my masterpieces back in 10 days — kilned and glossed. But in quarantine, waiting 10 days feels more like 10 years — I’m on day four.

Nowadays I need two naps a day to have any energy at all, so methodically painting these mugs took an eternity. If tie-dye is taking up your whole closet like mine, trying the Ceramic Cafe mug kit is necessary.

Ceramic Café’s curbside mug kit kept me busy for one whole quarantined day and was completely virus-free.

A B O V E Peyton holds her Ceramic Cafe bag after an employee set it out on the curb for her.

**

me once I stepped foot into the house.

The glove-lacking employees had corona written all over them, so for my mom’s sanity, I kept to myself in my six foot little bubble. What happened to the curbside feature? I was not prepared nor dressed accordingly to leave my car.

After risking my life by creeping into Dolce, I sped home and got to decorating.

The cupcake kit included blue and yellow icing, six cupcakes and sprinkles galore. The whole process took less than an episode of “Criminal Minds,” but was a fun and yummy activity to spice up my day.

Would I do this again? No sir. Let’s hope next time, they watch the news and take a hint. So stay home and stay away from Dolce until they figure out the right way to stay open and protected.

A B O V E The employee working at Dolce Bakery slides over the cupcakes in the store.

26 | A&E

design by | grace tucker photos courtesy of | IMDb

DID IT ELIZABETH’S FAVORITE DESIGNERS

1 2

MEGAN SMITH Besides the fact of being from Kansas City, Elizabeth loves all of Megan’s feminine and whimsical designs

MAKE THE CUT? E by elizabeth mikkelson

ver since the early 2010s when “fashion” meant wearing chokers and low-rise jeans, shows like “Project Runway” took over the television, putting forth an artistic vision of what fashion means. After leaving the show due to ties with the infamous Harvey Weinstein, the iconic former hosts Tim Gunn and Heidi Klum recently made their comeback in their newest Amazon prime exclusive creation, “Making the Cut.” And I’m here for it.

Watching 20-somethings buzz around sketch pads, yards of tulle and plush mannequins, I remembered why I worshipped Project Runway designers at nine years old. Every episode makes me want to go to a fabric store and start creating my own look.

Similar to Project Runway, Making the Cut brings together designers from across the globe to show their creations in front of established judges like Carie Rotfield and Naomi Campbell. Each week, designers are given assignments to show off their design aesthetic and prove they are worthy of creating a collection sold on Amazon as well as receiving a one million dollar prize.

Besides having some of the most influential fashion hosts and judges in the

industry, the show presents many elements that have not been seen before. From the funny skits in between designing, the magnitude of the runway shows and the suspense of who Heidi will tell at the end of each episode “you are not making the cut,” this show is definitely worth watching.

The designers are each assigned a seamstress to complete the sewing on their pieces — something that wasn’t provided in “Project Runway.” This way, the designer can focus solely on the creativity and layout of their looks rather than the actual construction. This was one of my favorite parts of the show — it put the focus on imagination and silhouette instead of technical skills.

The fast pace of the competition, along with the heightened grand prize this season, gave a sense of importance to each individual piece the designers created that showcased their creativity.

The sheer talent of the artists forced me to take this show seriously. Designs like Sander’s week four form-fitting pencil dress and Ji’s week two sporty white mini dress brought a new level of creativity to my screen that Project Runway lacked.

Each episode, the designers are given a challenge to create a look based on certain regulations and style of clothing set in place

by Klum and Gunn — from a showstopping

SANDER BOS Elizabeth wasn’t sure of their brand in the beginning, but as the season progressed she began to like his distinct sense of luxury and couture that still creates accessible pieces tasteful to the everyday person

Staffer reviews the first few episodes of the new Amazon Prime original “Making the Cut”

haute couture look to an everyday casual outfit.

The vast variety of ages and backgrounds of the contestants extended into the work itself. I found that the more masculine designers produced simpler, dark pieces that resembled what I might see at a black tie event. While the younger, spunkier crowd offered what you would see in society today going along with more of the trends. This variance in styles allows for more diverse looks to be created, which can make for a difficult elimination decision — given that the designs are all so different from each other.

After the introduction of the designers in the first episode, I’d already decided the grand prize had to go to either Megan Smith — a Kansas City local with a feminine and flowy aesthetic — or Sander Bos — the humorous designer with clear artistry and inventiveness.

And of course, I’d already decided that Esther Perbandt needed to go, because of her black unisex designs that, in my opinion, weren’t at the same level of creativity compared to the other designers. The judges left me shocked when they picked her black-on-black looks as the winners for the first two challenges. Ji’s on-thego casual outfit and Sander’s avant-garde jumpsuit should have taken her top rank in

weeks one and two.

Each new task given to the contestants and the overall ridiculously short time limit to make their looks provides a fast-paced, competitive feel. This way, the designers are forced to think completely out of the box.

The stress of piecing together a runwayready fit in under 7 hours brings out the crazy in the strung out designers. Under duress to finish his caped dress, Troy stole Sabato’s sewing machine. When she realized the brown and hot pink fabric wouldn’t fit together, Martha broke into a complete nervous breakdown. While I do feel bad that the designers can feel stressed in this environment, it adds a factor of entertainment to the viewer.

The drama and suspense was to die for.

The couture clothing made me want to grab my laptop and online shop. And while Making the Cut met my expectations, I don’t see myself staying up to binge it all night or counting down the days for a reboot. The similar formatting to the classic “Project Runway” with fresh perspective on today’s fashion designing was exactly what I needed — and I mean, I didn’t have anything else to do.

Whether you’re just looking to pass time or have run out of quarantine projects and need some inspiration, this show will definitely make the cut for you.

A&E | 27

design by | carolyn popper photos by | kate nixon

HOME R EM E D I E S by

lydia underwood

WITH THE NEW reality of quarantine and social distancing, there’s one thing we’re all missing — restaurant food. And yes, we could rely on curbside pick up, but let’s face it: with the stay-at-home order, sometimes leaving the house can feel daunting. To help cure my no-dine-out dejection, I’ve come up with easy at-home recipes to make some of my (and hopefully your) favorite restaurant foods: an acai smoothie bowl, a salad from The Mixx and a frappuccino from Starbucks.

SCAN ME | RECIPES Scan to find the recipes for more copy-cat restaurant food items and meals than on this list.

D I F F I C U LT Y

D I F F I C U LT Y

SCAN ME | RECIPE

Scan this QR code to make this copy-cat Starbucks drink yourself

YUMMY

NORMALLY WHEN I want to treat myself to a healthy meal, I drag myself to The Mixx for a mini thai salmon salad. But since I’m trying to leave the house as little as possible, I decided to make one for myself.

After looking at their menu I decided to recreate their .

Their menu lists every ingredient in the salad, so I made a list and headed to the store. The list was pretty extensive, I have to say — I doubt everyone has sugar snap peas, lentils and turkey in their pantry. After mixing everything together in a big bowl for my whole family and even making my own mustard vinaigrette, I went to show my mom — she smuggly replied “you know when they make their salad they chop it all up with a knife.” Tough critic.

YUMMY

AT-HOME SMOOTHIES have always been my go-to for breakfast, lunch or a snack. But quarantine has made me more adventurous and given me too much time on my hands — I’ve branched out to making acai bowls — basically glorified smoothie bowls with an added crunch..

Of the three recipes I recreated, this one was the easiest. All I had to do was partially thaw one of Trader Joe’s acai packets and add a frozen banana, strawberries and orange juice into a blender. I tried to use as little OJ as possible — I wanted to make sure it was

Staffer creates her own version of restaurant food at home

PRICE

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After trying out the “chop” part of the salad by jamming a chef’s knife into the salad laid out on a cutting board, I realized that it was too much work and decided to stop. At least it’s just a recreation, right?

Despite my lack of chopping ability the salad was delicious.

The vinaigrette harmonized with the garbanzo beans, lentils and turkey — and the sugar snap peas offered the perfect bit of crunch. Although it was a lot of work, it fed my whole family and kept us all full, something I would consider a win. And any of their salads can be recreated at home, since their menu lists all the ingredients — I may even try making their Santa Fe Chicken Salad next.

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thick. I like my acai bowls pretty frozen, so I stuck it in the freezer for 30 minutes until the top was frosted. To top the bowl off, I added sliced bananas, granola and honey for added sweetness.

Not to toot my own horn, but it turned out pretty well.

Everything worked in harmony to create a a fruity, smooth-withthe-occasional-crunch snack. Whether that was from the crunchy granola and natural candy-esque honey or the refreshing taste of the fruit. What I love about acai bowls is that you don’t even need a recipe, so I encourage you to raid your freezer for frozen fruit and swap out your normal smoothie for an acai bowl.

D I F F I C U LT Y

YUMMY

FOR ME, NOSTALGIA has come along with the quarantineboredom. As I was stalking myself on Instagram last week (yes, I’m that bored), I found a selfie of me with a Starbucks frappuccino. My eighth-grade-self led me to find a mocha-chip recipe from a very trustworthy source, the Pioneer Woman, a cook who has her own show on Food Network.

This one didn’t even require going to the store, since the only thing I didn’t have was sweetened condensed milk (pro tip: granulated sugar makes a good alternative). Even though the blender can be tricky to deal with sometimes, the outcome was worth it.

PRICE

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The flavors of chocolate and coffee made for a rich combo and its slushie-like texture is just what you need after a family walk. The chocolate chips added the much needed crunch and texture variation of the drink. The only complaint I had was that my cold coffee for the recipe wasn’t strong enough for my taste, so make sure that when you make this yourself, you make the coffee the night before and concentrate the grounds a bit more than usual. This definitely raised my spirits and provided a much needed blast from the past during this crazy time.

28 | SPORTS

design by | sophie henschel

P H OTO T h e va rs i t y g ir l s soccer tea m p oses for a p i c ture with Coac h Ke l ly w h i le Zo o m ca l l i ng | p hoto co u r tesy o f coa ch kelly

Spring coaches and athletes find alternative ways to participate in their sports safely

T

by lily billingsley

he tennis courts are empty, the pool is off limits and the batting cages are closed. But that hasn’t stopped spring coaches and athletes from finding new ways to participate in their sport. After the Kansas High School Activities Association canceled the spring sports season on March 18 in compliance with the stay-at-home order, spring sports teams are using technology and at-home solutions to stay connected with their teams and continue to improve their game.

Tennis coach Andrew Gibbs has created the #LancerTennisTuesday challenge on Twitter where players can post videos of them completing various tennis challenges. The first of these challenges was for players to create and play on a homemade court — whether it’s hitting back and forth with a family member over a parked car or bouncing a tennis ball against the garage door. Gibbs hopes that the Tennis Tuesday challenges will help players stay connected to the team and the sport.

“It’s more for fun and keeping players connected with the team than it is for practice,” Gibbs said. “I want to find a way to build team spirit even though we’re all supposed to be following the stay-at-home orders.”

Junior Luke Tsaur has participated in tennis workouts at home, following the guidelines that Gibbs outlined in an email to work on strengthening arms and abs. Tsaur thinks it’s important to keep practicing outside of the season, and uses it to help pass the time.

“Even though the season is over, it’s kind of like the offseason has started,” Tsaur said. “By practicing I can keep my muscles from weakening and find something to do that keeps me in shape and relieves me of endless boredom.”

Since facilities are closed and everyone is required to stay six feet apart, teams like the varsity girls soccer team have found a way to stay connected without putting on cleats and kicking the ball. The team has participated in Zoom calls, allowing them to talk to each other again — the team had gone from seeing each other every day at practice to no face-to-

face interaction. According to freshman Ashley Koch, the team is also communicating through group chats on Snapchat and GroupMe. “Since we can’t see each other in person, we’re trying to stay in contact over the phone,” Koch said. “We’re maintaining the relationships that we [would’ve had] over the season.”

Other coaches have sent workouts to their players to keep them in shape. Track Coach Emily Fossoh creates workouts for all of the athletes — from going on timed runs to using a broom in place of a weight for strength workouts.

It’s more for fun and keeping the players connected with the team than it is for practice, I want to find a way to build team spirit.

andrew gibbs | coach Track senior Miles Patterson has practiced on his own, running fives times a week at the East track in addition to lifting weights. Although most of his workouts have been alone, he has also run with other track athletes — staying six feet apart of course.

But staying connected over a sport doesn’t necessarily mean training. Senior baseball player Jack Marasco played “fungo golf,” a version of golf where you use a baseball and bat to hit different targets on the field, with six of his teammates before the stay-at-home order.

Spring sport athletes that weren’t able to finish out their season are showing how to make the best of the situation — whether it’s through Zoom calls, solo runs or daily challenges, they’re persevering through this overturn of daily routine “It’s important to stay close to your team during this time,” Tsaur said. “Because when the whole team is working to get better together, you still feel close to your teammates even though we are physically separated.”

BOYS T E N N I S SOCIAL DISTANCE TENNIS TWITTER CHALLENGES

@ S me ast te n n i s NEW CHALLENGES POST ED EVERY T U ESDAY. T W EET SU BMISSIONS W IT H HASHTAG: #LancerTennisTuesd ay

T R AC K FOSSOH’S WORKOUT IDEAS : DRILLS WA L L D RI L LS

AGA I N ST YO U R H O U S E O R I N YO U R ROO M

W I C K E T D RI L LS I N T H E D RI V E WAY O R S I D E WA L K ( U S E C H A L K TO D R AW T H E L I N E S )

RUNNING T I M E D RU N S ROA D RU N S S P RI N T M EC H A N I C S

EX : S K I PS W I T H M E D BA L L O R W E I G H T A B OV E YO U R H EA D

OTHER B E N C H / B OX J U M PS HILL ACCELERATIONS CORE (PLANKS)

SPORTS | 29

design by | riley atkinson photos courtesy of | creative commons

ERIC HOSMER 2015

WO R L D SERIES CHAMP

800,000 PEOPLE SHOWED UP TO THE ROYALS PARADE

HOSMER PLAYED FIRST BASE

by celia condon

WITH THE CANCELLATION of every sporting event for the next few months, watching current sports games on TV with your crew is no longer an option for the upcoming spring season.

I knew this all-American way of fun was truly stolen from the world when my dad complained that nothing good was on TV. So to ease the now stay-at-home dad’s cravings, and to provide the rest of America with some reminiscent entertainment, many TV channels have been playing past sporting games.

Whether that be basketball, baseball, football, soccer, gymnastics — you name it.

In no order, I’m here to break down the best sports moments of the last 10 years, brought back to us from ours truly, COVID-19.

1 2 THE WIN

AFTER 30 YEARS of below average baseball, Kansas Citians got to party like it was 1985 after the 2015 World Series win. The heart breaking loss to the Astros only one year before in 2014 made The Royals’ win against the Mets nothing short of bittersweet. The team of A+ players led to Union Station filled to the brim that year for the Royals Day Parade — bringing back something that Kansas City hadn’t seen in 30 years.

4 6

DURING THE SEVENTH game of the 2016 NBA finals, Cleveland was playing Golden State. With the Warriors executing a 73-9 record in the regular season, the pressure was on. With only a minute left, and a tied score of 89, Kyrie Irving was not going to the let the Warriors bring home another victory for San Francisco.

After making a swift shot off the backboard, Irving led Cleveland to a comeback. A long minute later, the Cavaliers took home the championship.

RE P L AY

CUBS BREAK THE CURSE

AFTER WINNING THE World Series back to back in 1907 and 1908, the Chicago Cubs faced 108 years of bad fortune.

After the fourth game of the 2016 World Series, the Cubs were down 1-3 — meaning the Cleveland Indians only had to win one more game to win the world series. The Cubs came back and won three games in a row, and on Nov. 2, 2016, they finally ended the drought. In the seventh game, the Cubs won in an extra inning — taking home the trophy.

This called for a crowd full of teary-eyed Cubs fans — and some tear-eyed Indian’s fans.

FASTEST MAN ALIVE

THE NAME USAIN BOLT is most easily recognized when followed by ‘The Fastest Man Alive’. And his last name “Bolt” is coincidentally suiting, considering that the Jamaican runner competed in three consecutive summer Olympics, taking home the gold in 2012 and 2016. His title of The Fastest Man Alive was put into question before the Olympics, but he proved the critics wrong at the 2016 Olympics — the smile on his face as he soared past everyone was extra sweet.

IRVIN’S COMEBACK

Due to the cancellation of sports, television channels are airing highlights from the past

7

SIMONE’S DOMINATION

GYMNASTICS IS ALWAYS a category that the U.S. takes by storm. But in the 2016 Olympics, it was Simone Biles who really blew people away. The 4’8” American gymnast left Rio with five medals — four of which were gold. This made her one of the most decorated female athletes in the 2016 Summer Olympics, tied with U.S. swimmer Katie Ledecky.

KO B E B RYA N T C A R E E R H I G H L I G H TS

18x NBA ALL-STAR 33,643 TOTAL PTS 5x NBA CHAMP

2x OLYMPIC MEDALIST

3

END OF AN ERA

WHEN THE LAKERS’ legendary Kobe Bryant took the court for the last time, he was nothing short of extraordinary.

Kobe attempted 50 shots in the game against the Utah Jazz, and ended the game with 60 points, leaving the crowd in awe. But this wasn’t the only legacy Bryant left behind after his heartbreaking passing away this January. He’s known for being incredibly humble, kind and caring, meaning it will be a long time before anyone forgets the name Kobe Bryant.

5

AGUERO STEALS 2ND

8

THE “KICK SIX”

THE PREMIER SOCCER LEAGUE season of 2012 was on its final match day, putting Manchester City against the Queens Park Rangers. With less than half of the game remaining, the score was tied 1-1, when the Rangers scored, sending Manchester into distress. Manchester was given hope after a goal from Edin Dzeko, bringing the game back to a tie. In the final seconds of the match, Manchester’s Sergio Aguero shot a gracious goal, winning MC the title.

THE IRON BOWL is always a high pressure game, as it puts Auburn against Alabama — two of football’s biggest rivalries. The Nov. 30, 2013 game had the teams tied with seconds left. After a failed attempt at a field goal from Alabama, Auburn’s cornerback Chris Davis pulled nothing short of a show stopper. Davis caught the rogue ball, only to make a 109-yard return touchdown, sending Alabama into their first loss of the season.

30 | SPORTS

design by | allison wilcox P H O T O S Junior Riley Riecker (right) and sophomore Sydney Beck (left) stretch out in her driveway before their strength and conditioning class. photos by | maggie kiump

DA N C NG T H RO UG H T H E D I STA N C E

E

by kate heitmann

ven after rearranging the furniture, junior Riley Riecker’s dining room couldn’t compare to her dance studio, especially after bumping her head on the chandelier while attempting a leap. But she could make due while her dance studio was closed for the time being through online video classes due to COVID-19 concerns.

Riecker and sophomore Sydney Beck dance at Westside Dance Company. Typically, they spend more than 10 hours a week at the dance studio, but after stay-at-home orders were announced, that number was reduced to zero.

Obviously [dancing is] rewarding, but competitions are the end game and to not get to do those would be really upsetting.

sydney beck | sophomore Both Riecker and Beck began dancing as toddlers, eventually making their way to Westside about two years ago.

Through the past two years, the competition team has bonded over countless hours at the studio and McDonald’s runs after practice. It’s strange for the girls to see each other through a screen when they FaceTime, but it’s not too different from seeing each other in the mirrored walls of their studio. “[These videos] give her the opportunity to [be] making sure that she stays fresh and everything,” Riley’s mother, Melissa Riecker said.

When gatherings of more than 10 people were banned, studio owner and coach Shelby West planned on having practices for the advanced girls — as there are only six of them.

But after the landlord prohibited more than one person in the building at a time, West was forced to close her studio.

In place of practices, she records herself going through the stretches and combos, edits the video, then sends it out to the girls to watch and go through. The girls are required to send West a snippet of them doing the dance so she can make sure the girls are still maintaining technique, like pointing their toes or keeping good posture.

The changes have made it difficult for the girls to get

through practice — especially with the lack of in-person encouragement from teammates, according to Beck.

“When you’re in the studio, you’re with your teammates and your friends and we’re all encouraging each other, but at home, you just have to struggle through it by yourself,” Beck said.

Though the videos have been a change, they also give the girls an opportunity to focus on perfecting their technique.

According to Beck, at the studio, their team often has to move on to the next exercise, leaving little time for an individual dancer to work on perfecting personal skill. But now, the dancers can take as much time as they need.

“For example — turning,” Beck sad. “If you’re struggling [and] you’re having a bad turning day, you can’t do the turns over and over again because you have to move on to the [other] people, but when you’re doing it by yourself, you can take as much time as you need to work on yourself.”

West has noticed the girls have been more conscious of how they are moving their body. Typically during practice, West is there to provide feedback to the dancers. Now that they are practicing by themselves, they are more aware of what they are doing correctly. “[Doing online videos] have been really difficult because we’re going on three weeks now and [for] people like Riley and Sydney, who are on the competition team, it’s really important that they all train together and get the same correction so that when they do their competition dances, everybody looks the same,” West said.

Perfecting their routines would’ve been even more important in the upcoming weeks than ever before, as competition season was approaching. But now that the competitions have been postponed, without future dates set, Riecker and Beck are disappointed they are missing out on the additional rehearsals competition season would bring.

“Obviously [dancing is] rewarding, but competitions are the end game and to not get to do those would be really upsetting,” Beck said.

For now though, you’ll be able to find Beck and Riecker at their houses learning combos to “Love Game” and working on their turns. They aren’t quite sure when they’ll be back in the studio, or when they’ll be the Overland Park Convention Center for the competition, but they do know that they’ll keep dancing, regardless of their circumstances.

T H E CL AS S

Coach Shelby West’s hour-long video classes

WARMUP & STRETCH AT THE START OF CLASS THE DANCERS STRETCH THEIR BODIES AND START MOVING AROUND TO GET WARM

TECHNIQUE THE CLASS WORKS ON DIFFERENT SKILLS LIKE LEAPS AND TURNS, PRACTICING THEIR TECHNIQUE

COMBO THEY LEARN COMBOS OF DIFFERENT STYLES DEPENDING ON THE CLASS, LIKE LYRICAL OR JAZZ, MODIFIED TO A SMALLER SPACE

THE SCHE D U LE

Virtual class schedule three days a week

M O NDAY STRENGTH & CONDITIONING BALLET

T U E S DAY CONTEMPORARY BALLET

T HU RS DAY HIP HOP JAZZ

design by | aislinn menke

A LOOK INSIDE

QUARANTINE

PHOTOSTORY | 31

A glimpse into how daily lives have been affected by quarantine due to COVID-19

A B OV E A shopping cart stands beside an empty shelf that once held toilet paper and other paper goods at a local Hen House. photo by | taylor keal RIGHT Sophomore Ally Talge throws her friend sophomore Greer Hembree a pack of Clorox wipes while they social distance in their cars in the East parking lot. photo by | taylor keal

TOP Sophomores Breck McGuire, Morgan Woods, Ally Talge and Greer Hembree talk in their cars to social distance in the East parking lot. photo by | taylor keal A B O V E Due to COVID-19 parks such as this one, Brook Beatty Park, have been closed to prevent further spread of the disease. photo by | emma kate squires

A B OV E A sign on a Target shelf sets rules for how many paper products customers can buy due to the viral outbreak. photo by | anna kate dilks

LEFT The frozen section at Trader Joe’s sits empty as most products have been purchased in preparation for selfquarantine due to the pandemic. photo by | anna kate dilks

32 | ALT-COPY

NOT THE A look into different pandemics that have occurred throughout past centuries

FIRST design by | rose kanaley information courtesy of | CDC & HISTORY

1600s

S MA LLPOX

ONE OF THE first recorded epidemics in the U.S. can be traced back to the 1600s when smallpox spread throughout the newly settled colonies. With little hygiene knowledge, colonists passed the disease unknowingly by sharing bedding, water glasses and human contact — I guess they didn’t get the social distancing memo.

The infected would experience bumps and blisters on their face and body along with a high fever.

Doctors told patients to relieve these symptoms by leaving windows open and to drink beer throughout the day — but it wasn’t until 1796 that the first ever vaccine was discovered by a physician named Edward Jenner. Because of Jenner’s discovery, smallpox was eradicated after a final outbreak in 1949 — raising the death toll to an estimated 300 million — and hasn’t returned since.

TH E O L DEST :

fi rst case was over 12,000 years ag o

TY P HOID F EV ER

1900s

ST ILL DEAD LY :

COV ID -19

22 m i l l i o n ca ses ea ch yea r

2000s

JUST LIKE THE other epidemics, coronavirus has made a notable change to our daily lives and has struck people with fear and anxiety. The disease went from a small outbreak in Wuhan, China to a global pandemic in a matter of months. The world went into a panic mode — buying out grocery store shelves and medical supplies, leaving health officials with a shortage.

This highly contagious flu strain can be identified with flu-like symptoms that appear close to two weeks after a person is infected. Much like Typhoid Mary, some victims may be carriers, not showing symptoms but still spreading the illness unknowingly. Because of this, social distancing guidelines have been put into action until further notice in an attempt to slow the rapid spread of COVID-19. Hopefully we can learn from past epidemic’s mistakes and successes and be a smaller chapter in future history books.

ANYONE WHO’S TAKEN a history class knows that seemingly every century there’s a new disease that earns the title of a pandemic. With coronavirus taking over our lives right now, why not look at how some past epidemics played out to see what we might have in store.

1800s

C HO LE RA

WITH 1.3 TO 4 MILLION infections worldwide per year and a total of seven global pandemics over time, cholera remains a prominent disease throughout the world. Originating from contaminated rice in India in 1817, cholera first made an appearance in America in the early 18th century where it broke out sporadically until it died down in 1851.

Although Cholera vaccines are readily available, people can still be infected through raw shellfish or consuming food or drink contaminated with the bacteria. However, only about 20% of people experience severe symptoms and the remaining 80% get over the disease on their own.

T H E SY MPTOMS : seve re d ia r r h e a

vo m it in g

1900s

le g c ra m ps

S PANIS H FLU

THE SPANISH FLU trumped all other epidemics by becoming the deadliest pandemic in history — taking out close to a third of the world’s population during 1918. The first round of this flu was mild and took place in the spring, killing more than 100 people. But the second wave earned it the title of the “deadliest pandemic,”which still stands true today.

Spain was hit particularly hard by this second wave of influenza, killing close to 260,000 in its time span. U.S. soldiers brought this strain of influenza to America in the summer of 1918 after returning from WW1. Because this strain of flu had not been seen before, people didn’t have the natural immunity they needed to fight it off — leading to high deaths among the young and healthy. Similar to what we are experiencing today, doctors advised that people wear medical masks, avoid public gatherings and shut down businesses. By 1919 the pandemic ended after the infected either died or developed immunity.

M OST LE THAL :

THE N U MB E RS : over 1 . 5 mi l l i on confirmed cases

by lauren dierks

3 0% o f vi ct i m s d i ed

WHEN TYPHOID FEVER broke out in New York in the early 1900s, disease investigator George Soper set out to find the cause. Eventually he came to the conclusion that a cook by the name of Mary Mallon was the source and was spreading it to families who hired her.

This would be the first time medical experts would come to the conclusion that people like Mallon could carry the disease but show no symptoms — similar to coronavirus in that some people are asymptomatic. Because of this, Mallon, dubbed as “Typhoid Mary,” was forced into quarantine (I can’t imagine) for a large portion of her life to prevent others from falling ill. By the time she died, health officials were able to track down other carriers and put an end to the New York Typhoid outbreak.

va cc i n e i s 5 0-80 % effective

PA ND E M I C

over 90,000 d ea t h s

i n fec te d 5 00 m illio n

kille d 2 0 - 5 0 m illio n